Toronto Theatre News

• NIGHTWOOD THEATRE announces its 2011-2012 Season with Atwood's The Penelopiad as the centre piece
  Nightwood Theatre announces its 2011-2012 season as the largest in the company's history, premiering 3 world class plays, a new national festival and working with 44 of the country's finest female artists...
• Sony Centre for the Performing Arts 2011/2012 Season Announced
  As part of its commitment to present the finest performing artists to the broadest possible audiences, Dan Brambilla, CEO of the Sony Centre, proudly announced today the details of the 2011.2012 season.
• Alumnae Theatre Company's 92nd season, Play Like Girls 2011/2012 - Countdown to 100
• To February 4, 2012
  Your Fall Pass to Great Theatre in Toronto! at the Lower Ossington Theatre
• To May 5, 2012
  Théâtre français de Toronto Announces Its 44th Season
  Théâtre français de Toronto's (TfT) Artistic Director Guy Mignault unveiled the company's 2011/12 season yesterday...
• February 7-19, 2012
  Dancap Productions presents In The Heights
  A story beyond race and ethnicity, about universal hopes and dreams
• February 22 - March 4
  The Big Smoke, an award-winning, one-woman a capella performance
  A poetic waltz with death inspired by the lives of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton
• March 28-15
  Angelwalk Theatre features I Love You Because
  Angelwalk Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre company dedicated to producing artistically exciting theatrical works, with a special focus on musical theatre.

Nightwood launches the season in November with the freshly expanded New Groundswell Festival - a National Festival of Contemporary Women's Theatre. Over 11 days Nightwood will feature 3 workshop productions including Governor General's Award nominee Lisa Codrington's new play The Aftermath, Jordi Mand's Between the Sheets and Zuppa Theatre's acclaimed new work The Debacle (Halifax). The Festival will also feature an Industry Series of master classes, provocative panels and public readings.

In January Nightwood's Artistic Director Kelly Thornton stages the highly anticipated professional Toronto Premiere of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, starring Megan Follows as Penelope and featuring a stellar cast of the city's hottest female actors. The Penelopiad is Atwood's daring response to Homer's The Odyssey wherein Penelope, destined to spend eternity in Hades, recounts her life's story and the murder of her twelve handmaidens. Coined by The Independent (UK) as “half-Dorothy Parker, half-Desperate Housewives”, Atwood's The Penelopiad brings one of history's most powerful myths into the contemporary imagination with acerbic wit and wisdom.

Next is the World Premiere of Rose Cullis' The Happy Woman directed by Kelly Thornton and starring Barbara Gordon as a matriarch of the perfect family. Described by Lynn Slotkin of The Slotkin Letter as “a fascinating play of complex characters in prickly situations, some of which will make your neck hairs stand on end”, The Happy Woman is an edgy new comedy exploring the nature of happiness and the dark underbelly of what it means to be “normal”.

On March 29, 2012, Nightwood presents the 29^th FemCab (The Five Minute Feminist Cabaret) hosted by comic marvel Elvira Kurt. A celebration of International Women's Day the annual event is always a crowd pleaser!

The season caps off with the North American Premiere of Bryony Lavery's Stockholm produced by Seventh Stage Theatre Productions in association with Nightwood Theatre. Stockholm is a truly provocative exploration of stockholm syndrome played out though the destructive and euphoric relationship of a too-perfect couple.† As the Guardian (UK) says, “Lavery's needle-sharp script toys with the audience like a horror movie…this is terrifyingly erotic and haunting 70 minutes.”

Join us this season – one of our most ambitious and exciting seasons to date. As Kelly Thornton, Nightwood's Artistic Director says, “Our 11/12 season packs a punch - psychologically provocative and socially relevant, the work aims to expose the secrets that burden our existence and in disclosing them, awaken us to our common humanity.”

Nightwood Theatre – Artistic Director Kelly Thornton, Producer Denyse Karn and Chair Karon Bales.

As Canada's national women's theatre since 1979, Nightwood has launched the careers of many of the leading theatre artists in the country. We have won Canada's highest literary and performing arts awards and more than ever our success proves the need for theatre that gives voice to women and celebrates the diversity of Canadian society. We remain actively engaged in mentoring young women and promoting women's place on the local, national and international stage.

Featuring Barbara Gordon, Ingrid Rae Doucet, Charlotte Gowdy, Martin Happer, Maria Vacratsis

Is there such a thing as being too happy? Margaret has a perfect son, a beautiful daughter and a grandchild on the way. But what's lurking beneath this family's glossy veneer? The Happy Woman is a darkly comic exploration about what happens when bliss gets in the way of truth and threatens to destroy the very foundation we rely on.

EMCAB 2012 Hosted by Elvira Kurt
March 29, 2012
Brigantine Room, Harbourfront Centre

Elvira Kurt hosts FemCab 2012, Nightwood's annual International Women's day celebration. This award-winning stand up comedian and Second City veteran promises to make the 29^th FemCab a side-splitting and commemorative event.

Seventh Stage Productions in association with Nightwood Theatre presents the North American Premiere
STOCKHOLM By Bryony Lavery
Directed by Kelly Straughan
Choreographed by Susie Burpee
May 11 to June 3, 2012
Tarragon Extra Space

Featuring Melissa-Jane Shaw and Ryan Hollyman

Todd and Kali are the perfect self-styled couple: They're beautiful, have a fabulous sex life and live in a designer home. But under the surface is a distrust and desire so potent that even a much-anticipated holiday to Stockholm is threatened. Probing into the psychology of Stockholm Syndrome, Lavery transports us into a lovers' dance that is at once destructive and euphoric. Stockholm leaves us questioning the fine lines between love and lust, aggressor and victim.

2011/12 continues the "Countdown to 100" where each season we re-stage a play from our past leading up to our 100th anniversary in 2019/2020 when we will present Molière's Les Femmes Savantes, which was Alumnae's very first production in February 1918.

A.R. Gurney's Broadway hit Sylvia, a modern comedy about one man's mid-life crisis, will be staged in Alumnae's intimate third floor Studio (Nov. 11 - 26). Sylvia is a frisky stray dog that burnt-out empty nester Greg finds in a park and brings home to his wife, Kate. Funny, heartfelt and insightful, this play shows how the answers to life's troubling questions can come from the unlikeliest of sources.

We kick off the new year (Jan. 20 - Feb. 4, 2012) with our "Countdown to 100" retrospective choice, a gorgeous adaptation by Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwen of Euripides' Greek classic The Trojan Women, previously produced at Alumnae in the 1992/93 season. The characters face the devastation wrought by a war that is over for the men, but just beginning for its women.

The 24th annual New Ideas Festival (March 14 - 31) showcases the world premieres of short scripts and experimental works by writers from all over Canada (and beyond) featuring a different lineup each week, in addition to talkback sessions that enable writers and directors to get immediate feedback from the audience.

The season closes (April 13 - 28, 2012) with Così, a comedy by Australian writer Louis Nowra. Set in a burnt-out theatre in 1971, a very inexperienced director attempts to guide the inmates of a Melbourne lunatic asylum in a pilot project: a staging of Mozart's comic opera Così Fan Tutte ("Women Are Like That"). Oh, yes - and while they're doing that, protests against the Vietnam War are raging outside. When chasing your dreams, it helps to be a little bit crazy.

EVENTS CALENDAR 2011-2012

The media and public are invited to attend a reception following each opening night performance, including each week of New Ideas.

February 4
Closing Night: The Trojan Women

March 14 - 17
24th annual New Ideas Festival: Week One

March 21 - 24
24thannual New Ideas Festival: Week Two

March 28 - 31
24th annual New Ideas Festival: Week Three
Talkback sessions for New Ideas are held following each Saturday matinee.

April 13
Opening Night: Così
Talkback session following the second Sunday matinee performance (April 22)

April 28
Closing Night: Così

Showtimes:
Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm.
Tickets:
Wed. 2-for-1; Thurs., Fri. & Sat. $20; Sun. PWYC.
NIF show times:
Wed. - Sat. at 8:00 pm; Sat. readings at noon; Sat. matinee 2:30 pm.
Tickets:
$35 Festival Pass; or $15/week + PWYC readings.

"We are always on the lookout for the most exciting spectacles from our own backyard, and around the world, in order to represent the more than 200 cultures that co-exist in Toronto." said Brambilla "The power of live performance is its ability to transcend boundaries. The Sony Centre's 51st season is a veritable round-the-world-trip with stops in Argentina, China, Cuba, India, Japan, Russia, Sarajevo, South Africa and Ukraine."

Highlights of the season include:

• Thursday February 9, 2012 @ 8pm
  CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR – USA
  
  A tribute band backed by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR is a note-for-note live reincarnation of The Beatles. The show presents 30 tunes – from the beginning of The Beatles through the solo years – sung, played, and performed exactly as they were written: "Penny Lane" with a live trumpet section; "Yesterday" with an acoustic guitar and string quartet; and "I Am the Walrus" with George Martin's original orchestral accompaniment.

• Saturday, February 18, 2012
  TANGO PASI"N – ARGENTINA
  
  Twenty-one years ago, Tango Argentino revitalized Tango the world over with its triumph on Broadway. Now, the same producers, with choreographer Hector Zaraspe, former friend and private teacher of Nureyev, and current faculty member of The Juilliard School, present TANGO PASI"N. Featuring the world's greatest tango dancers and a live orchestra, TANGO PASI"N weaves together a variety of exhilarating tango stories representing the full diversity of Argentine society.

• Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25, 2012 @ 8pm
  SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR – SOUTH AFRICA
  
  The SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR, formed to share the joy of faith through the inspirational power of African Gospel music, has amassed a world wide fan base that includes Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Diana Ross, U2 and Celine Dion. Charting a meteoric rise to international fame in less than ten years, the two-time Grammy Award-winning, 52-strong choir of young and dynamic singers, dancers and musicians, delivers a flawless performance of traditional and contemporary songs infused with the irrepressible spirit of Africa.

• Friday, March 30, 2012 @ 8pm
  TAO – JAPAN
  
  TAO is a company of martial arts drummers trained in traditional Japanese percussion who use their entire body to express the music they create. The drumming ensemble, made up of 13 men and women, work, train and live together – a cross between the ancient monks and an elite army boot camp. Created by a former punk drummer who was inspired by Cirque du Soleil's integration of Japanese taiko drumming into circus arts, TAO also draws on other sources such as Korean dancing and drumming, Indonesian bamboo marimba, and New Zealand's Maori people to create a raucous contemporary, combative concert.

• Saturday, March 31, 2012 @ 8pm
  DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY – JAPAN/USA
  
  Back by popular demand, DISTANT WORLDS: MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY features award-winning music from the record-breaking video game series "Final Fantasy". The 71-member Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, conducted by Grammy Award-winning conductor, composer, and record producer Arnie Roth, perform live to the games most memorable sequences on a massive 22' wide video screen. Since its 1987 debut the "Final Fantasy" franchise has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and become the most recognized role playing game in the world.

• Saturday, May 12, 2012 @ 2:30pm and 7:30pm
  NATIONAL CHINESE ACROBATS – CHINA
  
  Visually stunning, the NATIONAL CHINESE ACROBATS join the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in an unforgettable performance featuring daring maneuvers, feats of strength, gymnastics, balancing and more. Featuring traditional Chinese instruments along with western orchestral instruments, the acrobats will mesmerize and mystify with its stunning displays of the best in Chinese martial arts, illusion, acrobatics, music, dance, and drama in a thrilling display of artistry and daredevil acts.

• Tuesday, May 15 – Saturday, May 19, 2012
  Tuesday-Thursday @ 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 2pm
  BOLSHOI BALLET presents SWAN LAKE – RUSSIA
  
  The Bolshoi Ballet returns to Toronto with the most revered of classical ballets, SWAN LAKE, a perennial dance favourite about sorcery and royalty. Based on Russian folk tales, SWAN LAKE, which the Bolshoi premiered in 1877, is the haunting story of Odette, a beautiful maiden turned swan by an evil sorcerer. A tragic love story, Odette's romance with Prince Siegfried is doomed by a curse which leaves him to wander endlessly on the empty banks of the lake of his dreams. Today, the Bolshoi Ballet remains one of the world's most famous ballet companies, even Lady Gaga is a fan, and has performed with them!

Avenue Q
January 18 - February 4
A musical comedy and coming-of-age parable, addressing and satirizing the issues and anxieties associated with entering adulthood. Told they were special while growing up, the characters quickly realize, as adults, that they are no more special than anyone else!

@ Lower Ossington Theatre, 416-915-6747
Fall/Winter Season Pass: $200 (Premium Reserved Ticket to all 4 shows)
Pass includes invitation to the Season Opening Gala on September 9

Théâtre français de Toronto Announces Its 44th Season
October 19 - May 5, 2012

2011/12 Season Schedule

• ZONE by Marcel DUBÉ
  Direction: Jean Stéphane ROY.
  A coproduction of Théâtre français de Toronto and Théâtre la Catapulte (Ottawa).
  February 1 – 12, 2012; surtitled performances: February 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, and 11, 2012.
• LA LISTE (THE LIST) by Jennifer TREMBLAY
  Direction: Marie-Thérèse FORTIN With Sylvie DRAPEAU.
  A production of Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui (Montréal).
  February 29 – March 4, 2012; surtitled performances: February 29 and March 2 and 3, 2012.
• L'EMMERDEUR (THE PAIN IN THE ASS) by Francis VEBER
  Direction: Guy Mignault With Paul ESSIEMBRE and Pierre SIMPSON.
  A production of Théâtre français de Toronto.
  April 18 – May 5, 2012; surtitled performances: April 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28 and March 2 and 5, 2012.
  Fundraiser 2012: May 2
• FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
  AUREL AUX QUATRE VENTS (AUREL OF FOUR WINDS) by Mélanie LÉGER and Mathieu CHOUINARD.
  Direction: Mathieu CHOUINARD
  A production of Théâtre populaire d'Acadie.
  Performance for the general public: November 12 at 2pm.
  Student matinees: November 10 at 1pm and November 11 at 10am and 1pm. No surtitles!
• NEW GENERATIONS
  LES ZURBAINS 2012
  A production of Théâtre le Clou (Montréal).
  Performance for the general public: November 16 at 7pm.
  Student matinees: November 16 at 1pm, November 17 at 10am and 1pm And November 18 at 10am. No surtitles!

I Love You Because is a modern musical twist on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, with Music by Joshua Salzman and Book and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham. Set in New York City, a young, uptight greeting card writer's life is changed when he meets a flighty photographer. Along with their eccentric friends and siblings, they learn to love each other not in spite of their faults, but because of them.

I Love You Because is running from March 28-15, 2012.

Angelwalk Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre company dedicated to producing artistically exciting theatrical works, with a special focus on musical theatre.

Tickets go on sale Oct 3, 2011. Patrons under the age of 30 can purchase single tickets for all Angelwalk Theatre productions for as little as $25 per show. Group rates and school matinee performances are also available.

Winner of four 2008 Tony Awards — Best Musical, Best Music and Lyrics, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations — as well the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album

Opening Night: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 @ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday − Saturday @ 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday @ 2 p.m.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Tickets: $51 - $165; visit  www.DancapTickets.com, or call 416.644.3665 or 1.866.950.7469

THE BIG SMOKE, An award-winning, one-woman a capella performance written by performer Amy Nostbakken and director Nir Paldi.

When: Opens February 22 and runs to March 4, 2012 (preview February 21)
Tuesday − Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets:
Tuesday − Saturday $25 (Student/Senior $18)
Sunday Pay-What-You-Can (suggested donation $15)

Call 416 504-9971 or visit factorytheatre.ca for tickets.