Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, Ontario, April 2, 2012... Fresh on the heels of a stunningly successful year, Acting Up Stage Company – Toronto’s premiere not-for-profit musical theatre – announces its ninth season.
Since 2005, Acting Up Stage Company has played a leading role in producing, developing and advancing modern musical theatre in Toronto. In 2011-2012, the company’s productions of Ride The Cyclone and Caroline, or Change both enjoyed critical acclaim and sold-out houses.
In its 2012-2013 season, the company will build upon, and enhance, its three primary areas of focus: (i) modern musical productions (ii) youth education & outreach and (iii) new musical development.
Modern Musical Productions
“With the success of our 2011-2012 season, we wanted to continue to present our audiences with two innovative approaches to the modern musical,” says Acting Up Stage Company’s Artistic Producer, Mitchell Marcus. “I am very proud to be able to offer our audiences the Toronto premiere of a unique Canadian musical, and a revival of a ground-breaking contemporary musical that will reunite our creative team from Caroline, or Change.”
First, Acting Up Stage Company is proud to partner with Factory Theatre for the Toronto premiere of Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata. Having sold-out its extended run at Vancouver’s PuSh Festival in January 2012, this original musical by Veda Hille and Bill Richardson sets actual Craigslist postings to music in a 90 minute song-cycle. Both hilarious and surprisingly poignant, Do You Want What I Have Got? explores contemporary humanity through the lens of Craigslist – an online classified site with over 50 million ads posted each month. The musical is the brainchild of two of Vancouver’s most beloved cultural icons: Bill Richardson is an award-winning writer and well-known CBC radio broadcaster and composer Veda Hille is one of Canada’s
foremost indie singer-songwriters. Amiel Gladstone – a Jessie Award-winning director and playwright – directs. Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata runs from February 2 to March 3, 2013 at Factory Studio Theatre.
Next is the first major Toronto revival in eighteen years of William Finn and James Lapine’s Falsettos, produced in association with the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company. Consisting of two one-act plays, written nearly 10 years apart, Falsettos tells the story of Marvin, a married father who – in 1979 – leaves his wife and son for another man and hopes that they can all live as a ‘tight-knit’ family. Act 1 (March of the Falsettos) explores the destruction of his dreams for a nuclear family while Act 2 (Falsettoland) depicts this unusual family unit coming together in light of the emergence of AIDS.
Featuring a sung-through score and a highly unusual method of storytelling using rapid- fire vignettes, Falsettos has a sharp wit and deep humanity. A Tony and Drama Desk award-winning musical, Falsettos looks at a community during a time of significant change, and, filtered through a contemporary perspective, offers a platform to discuss how far society has or has not progressed in redefining the traditional family.
Falsettos reunites Acting Up Stage Company with the core artistic team of Caroline, or Change including director Robert McQueen (the multiple Dora nominated The Light in the Piazza), musical director Reza Jacobs (A Man of No Importance, Assassins), and choreographer Tim French (two time Dora-nominee). Casting to be announced at a later date.
Falsettos marks a new chapter for Acting Up Stage Company as we become one of the inaugural presenters at the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre. Opening in Fall 2012, the Centre is poised to become the artistic, cultural and social core of the new Regent Park neighbourhood. Boasting a 6,000 square foot, fully-flexible performance space, the Centre provides Acting Up Stage with the perfect venue to create innovative musical productions.
Falsettos runs April 23 to May 12, 2013 at the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre.
Additionally, Acting Up Stage Company will produce its annual concert, exploring the music of a non-theatre artist, and re-envisioning an iconic musical catalogue through a storytelling lens. This year’s concert will feature the music of Carole King and James Taylor. Tapestries will play at the Jane Mallet Theatre on November 17 and 18, 2012.
Youth Education & Outreach
Acting Up Stage is proud to announce the Syd & Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists. This inaugural program is open to professional musical artists under 30 who are under-exposed in Toronto and its surrounding area. Through an open audition process, two artists will be selected and will receive a cash prize, mentorship throughout the season, a showcase performance on one of our “dark nights” during the run of Do You Want What I Have Got? and a role in the Tapestries concert. The Syd and Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists generously provides two young artists the opportunity to advance their careers through financial assistance, mentorship and increased exposure.
Continuing for its seventh year, Acting Up Stage presents One Song Glory, a training program for 45 emerging artists aged 13-19; the only local program of its kind, One Song Glory is free of charge for all. Under the mentorship of a team of professional artists, participants engage in masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions and performances, allowing Acting Up Stage to nurture the musical artists and audiences of tomorrow. Participation is open to anyone in Ontario aged 13-19. Auditions will take place in October 2012; those interested may submit a headshot and resume to info@actingupstage.com. One Song Glory runs November 10 through to December 2, 2012.
New Musical Development Acting Up Stage Company is thrilled to welcome BMO Financial Group as the sponsor of its new musical development activities.
After launching the NoteWorthy program in May 2011, our 2012-2013 season will see the development of our first musical commission. Alexandria – with book and lyrics by Andrew Kushnir (The Middle Place, Foto) and music by Reza Jacobs (composer of Shakuntala, Plastic!) – tells the story of two casualties of the Information Age – a librarian who is being forced into early retirement due to her school's new emphasis on "digital literacy", and a young man who has become consumed by a disquieting and potentially fatal online forum. Using the rhythms of the Dewey Decimal System as inspiration for its musical voice, and an innovative theatricality to represent its real and virtual worlds, Alexandria will receive a reading in Summer 2012 and a workshop in Fall 2012.
“My first exposure to Alexandria was through a 10 minute musical in our first NoteWorthy cycle,” says Marcus. “I immediately knew that Reza and Andrew had planted the seeds for a unique and very special piece. I am delighted that Reza and Andrew have allowed us to develop this project, and that the Belfry Theatre has agreed to partner with us as we bring Alexandria to full realization.”
Alexandria has been co-commissioned by Acting Up Stage Company and the Belfry Theatre and developed through Acting Up Stage Company’s NoteWorthy program which is offered in association with Morris Berchard.
In June 2013, we will begin a new cycle of NoteWorthy, pairing six established composers and playwrights in different combinations to cultivate new collaborations within the musical genre.
Acting Up Stage Company 2012/2013 Performance Schedule
Tapestries: The music of Carole King and James Taylor
Music Direction, Vocal Arrangements and Orchestrations by Reza Jacobs Directed and Dramaturged by Elenna Mosoff
November 17-18, 2012 Jane Mallet Theatre
Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata
Co-produced with Factory Theatre
By Veda Hille and Bill Richardson
Directed by Amiel Gladstone
February 2-March 3, 2013 Factory Studio Theatre
Falsettos
Produced in association with Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by William Finn and James Lapine
Directed by Robert McQueen
Musical Directed by Reza Jacobs
Choreographed by Tim French
April 23-May 12, 2013
Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre
2012-04-02
Toronto: Acting Up Stage Company announces its 2012/13 season