Stage Door News
Stage Door News
CAMBRIDGE – AJ Bridel is finally getting her chance to journey over the rainbow. The Kitchener native shot to fame two years ago as the runner-up on CBC’s hit reality TV series, Over The Rainbow, which saw Canadians vote for an aspiring young performer to play Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of The Wizard of Oz in Toronto.
Next March, she’ll tackle the iconic role in Drayton Entertainment’s grand-scale production of The Wizard of Oz, which will launch the 2015 Season at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge.
“AJ is a terrific performer with the right qualities for this beloved role,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment. “Her youthful energy and great voice make her a natural choice for The Wizard of Oz, and I’m thrilled to hand her the ruby slippers.”
20-year old Bridel grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo and graduated in 2012 from the Integrated Arts Program at Eastwood Collegiate Institute where she played Dorothy in the school’s production of The Wizard of Oz. She appeared as a guest soloist with the KW Symphony singing “Defying Gravity” from Wicked at only 17 years old and performed regularly with KW Musical Productions and KW Glee.
Andrew Lloyd Webber chose Bridel as a Top Ten finalist for Over The Rainbow. She competed on the show for eight weeks, becoming a fan favourite and winning praise from the judges for her compelling performances of well-loved songs like “Mambo Italiano”, “Nobody Does It Better” and “Feeling Good”, as well as musical theatre showstoppers “One Night Only”, “All That Jazz” and “Memory”.
Since her appearance on Over The Rainbow, Bridel has expanded her résumé by taking on a number of theatre and film roles, including Jane in Tarzan, Ariel in The Little Mermaid at Broadway Live Broadway Theatre Company in Grande Prairie and Chloe in the feature film Shelby, among others. She is currently performing in 80s Sold Gold at Stage West Calgary.
Audiences will also remember Bridel’s performance as Peter Pan in the sold-out holiday production of Peter Pan: The Panto last season at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge. Previously, Bridel also performed as Bet in Oliver! at the King’s Wharf Theatre and the Drayton Festival Theatre in 2013.
“I am beyond excited to finally get the chance to play Dorothy in a professional production of The Wizard of Oz,” says Bridel. “To get to play this iconic role at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, so close to my hometown of Kitchener, is truly a dream come true.”
The Wizard of Oz is an adaptation of the classic 1939 Hollywood film, which starred Judy Garland as Dorothy. The film garnered worldwide acclaim and won the 1939 Academy Award for Best Song for “Over The Rainbow.” L. Frank Baum wrote the first stage version of his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1903. The musical, adapted by John Kane from the Warner Bros movie, was premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at London's Barbican Centre in 1987.
Don’t miss your chance to follow the yellow brick road – tickets for The Wizard of Oz are on sale now just in time for the holidays. Purchase tickets for a specific performance or let your loved one choose the show with a customizable gift certificates in any amount. Regular performance tickets are $42.00 for adults; $25.00 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for preview performances scheduled before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $34.00. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
The Wizard of Oz runs March 4th through March 29th. Tickets can be purchased in person at Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, online at www.dunfieldtheatrecambridge.com or by calling the Box Office at (519) 519-621-8000 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
Photo: A.J. Bridel. ©2013 CBC/Temple Street Productions.
2014-12-08
Cambridge: A.J. Bridel will be Dorothy in Drayton Entertainment's "The Wizard of Oz" next March