Stage Door News
Stage Door News
October 3, 2013. Toronto, Ontario - Angelwalk Theatre, Toronto's premiere producer of Off-Broadway style musical theatre, is celebrating its fifth anniversary season with a special one-night gala fundraiser and performance on October 19, 2013 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
Billed as Liza & Barbra...Together At Last, the night will feature Jennifer Walls and Gabi Epstein in the title roles of Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand. Written and performed by Jennifer Walls and Gabi Epstein, the evening will celebrate two of stage and screen's biggest stars in an evening of story and song. The performance will take place in the beautiful George Weston Recital Hall and will be backed by a live orchestra, with brand-new arrangements by music director and conductor, Donavon LeNabat. The show will also see Jeff Madden make a special appearance as Frankie Valli, a role he played for two years in the Toronto production of Jersey Boys.
The gala fundraiser is in support of Angelwalk Theatre's fifth anniversary season and will include a Silent Auction, Raffle and Prizes. Guests are encouraged to arrive at 7 pm for hors d'oeuvres and to participate in the festivities prior to the eight o'clock performance. Liza & Barbra...Together At Last reunites past Angelwalk Theatre performers Jennifer Walls, Gabi Epstein, and Jeff Madden, who all currently serve on the company's Artist Advisory. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.angelwalk.ca or through the Toronto Centre for the Arts box office at 1-855-985-2787.
Jennifer Walls (Liza Minnelli) is a Toronto based singer/actor/impersonator/host and producer, and a graduate of Sheridan College's Music Theatre Performance program. Jennifer has enjoyed lead roles in Toronto productions of RENT, Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz; the Canadian premieres of Reefer Madness and High Fidelity; as well as the Dora Nominated original musical Off-Broadway On Stage with Angelwalk Theatre. Most recently, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Liza Minnelli in her self-produced one-woman show Liza Live! at this year's NextStage Festival, Toronto Fringe Festival, and the Drake Hotel. Jennifer is the host and producer of SINGular Sensation A Music Theatre Open Night every Monday on Church Street in Toronto, with whom she co-produced and hosted Do You Want What I Have Got A Craigslist Cabaret with Acting Up Stage Company. In 2008, Jennifer was a finalist on the CBC show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria and has also toured across North America as Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga. She is a singer/songwriter with the band Starchild X and is currently working on the new animated series Creative Galaxy. Other credits include: Fairy Tale Ending (Toronto Fringe, NextStage, Springworks), Love Is A Poverty You Can Sell 2 (Toronto Fringe), ZED.TO: ByoLogyc (Toronto Fringe),
Gabi Epstein (Barbra Streisand) began her professional career playing Fanny Brice in a one-woman musical about the renowned performer's life and has enjoyed a wonderful theatre career that has taken her to New York, Orlando, Montreal, Ottawa, and the Carribbean. Her credits include: Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Stage West), To Life (Harold Green Jewish Theatre - DORA AWARD nomination, Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Musical); Blood Brothers, The Sound of Music, Perfect Wedding, Cowgirls (Drayton Entertainment); Diana in I Love You Because (Angelwalk Theatre); Dani in Dani Girl (TIFT); Edges (Acting Up Stage); The Panto of the Opera (Moonpath Productions); The West Side Story Suite (National Ballet of Canada); various Disney characters including Belle, Ariel, and Bo Peep aboard Disney Cruise Lines, and in the original cast of Toy Story: The Musical. Most recently, Gabi appeared as Rona Lisa Peretti in Easy Street Productions' inaugural show The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and as Fanny Brice in a one-night-only fundraising production of Funny Girl in Concert for the Harold Green Jewish Theatre. Gabi has become known as one of Canada's leading young cabaret performers, most recently appearing at Don't Tell Mama in New York City, which the Times Square Chronicles named "Top Cabaret of 2012." Her debut CD, "Show Off" was released in 2010 and produced by renowned Canadian jazz singer, John Alcorn.
Donavon Lenabat (Musical Director, Condutor, Arranger) is a Toronto-based piano entertainer, accompanist, and musical director. Donavon is also the leader/front man of a high-energy, fun-loving 5-piece party band called Jack Squat. When not entertaining crowds of people virtually every night of the week, Donavon teaches as part of the vocal faculty at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, accompanies Newchoir (a 150-person rock choir), and accompanies novice as well as professional singers. Donavon is also the music director and pianist for Total Betty Productions' Liza Live! that earned critical acclaim at this year's Next Stage and Fringe Festivals.
Jeff Madden (Frankie Valli), a Toronto-based actor and singer, is best known for his Award-winning two-year run starring as 'Frankie Valli' in the hit musical Jersey Boys. In 2009, Jeff received the coveted Dora Award (Toronto's version of the Broadway's TONY award) for 'Outstanding Performance in a Musical' for his work in Jersey Boys. Jeff was also fortunate to reprise his role in the Australian production of Jersey Boys in Sydney in 2011, and in cities across Australia in 2012-2013. Jeff is also recognized for his 2011 work on two Canadian Television series, Murdoch Mysteries and Mayday. Aside from doing Theatre, Film, Television, and Voice-work, Jeff has performed his one-man Cabaret show entitled "My Life In Song", a two-act show detailing the story of how his life has led him 'from Sports to Science to the Stage' and features more than 40 popular songs from his vast musical repertoire. A Live CD recording of selections from this show came out in Spring 2012. A veteran of the Canadian Theatre scene, prior to joining the Toronto production of Jersey Boys, Jeff was a member of the prestigious acting company at The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario for eight consecutive seasons. Among many roles in plays and musicals, Jeff performed leading roles in Wonderful Town, Mack and Mable, High Society, Happy End, Belle Moral, Floyd Collins and the World-Premiere of the Canadian musical Tristan.
Angelwalk Theatre is the only professional theatre company in Toronto dedicated to producing Off-Broadway style musical theatre. Founded in 2009, the company has quickly established itself as a leader in producing musical theatre in Toronto and has been nominated for 11 Dora Mavor Moore Awards. A proud member of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), Angelwalk Theatre is a resident company at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. To date, Angelwalk Theatre has produced eight Off-Broadway style musicals: the world premiere of Off-Broadway On Stage, the Canadian premieres of I Love You Because and Ordinary Days, the Toronto premieres of Altar Boyz and [title of show], two musicals by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years and Songs for a New World, and the hit Off-Broadway musical, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Due to popular demand, Altar Boyz was later extended and remounted. Angelwalk Theatre's current production of Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM! runs until October 6th.
SHOW DETAILS
Date: October 19, 2013
Time: 7 pm Hors D'oeuvres & Silent Auction; 8 pm Performance
Location: Toronto Centre for the Arts - George Weston Recital Hall,
5040 Yonge Street
Box Office: By phone: 1-855-985-2787 Online: www.angelwalk.ca
In person: Box Office, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street
Website: www.angelwalk.ca
Tickets: $40-$75
Discounted Tickets:
Angelwalk Theatre Subscribers - $35-$75
Artsworkers - $30
Illustration: Poster for The Valley at the Prairie Theatre Exchange. ©2014.
2013-10-03
Toronto: Anglewalk Theatre presents "Liza & Barbra… Together At Last" October 19