Stage Door News
Stage Door News
With excitement mounting for Drayton Entertainment’s world premiere of Marathon of Hope, based on the life and legacy of Terry Fox, Artistic Director Alex Mustakas today revealed the cast and creative team that has been assembled for Canada’s newest original musical.
The project is being developed in consultation and with the full endorsement of the Fox Family by Drayton Entertainment, a not-for-profit registered charitable arts organization operating seven live theatres throughout Ontario.
“The calibre of talent on stage and behind-the scenes for this production is outstanding,” says Mustakas. “The company includes a mix of seasoned performers, up-and-coming talent, as well as audience favourites who have appeared on various Drayton Entertainment stages over the years.”
The production features Simcoe’s Nathan Carroll as Terry Fox. Carroll’s credits include the original Canadian cast of Once with Toronto’s Mirvish Productions (2015 Dora Award for Best Production and Best Ensemble), The Wizard of Oz with Young People’s Theatre (2016 Dora Award Winner for Outstanding Ensemble – Musical Theatre Division), La Chasse Galerie with Red One Theatre Collective (2016 Dora Award Winner for Outstanding Ensemble – Independent Theatre Division), alongside many other musicals, classics, and new works.
The 15-member company also includes Alex Furber as Doug Alward, Terry’s best friend on his cross country journey. Furber gained notoriety starring as Albert in the Toronto production of War Horse. Earlier this season, Furber won rave reviews for his portrayal of Stanley in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs.
Vancouver native Gregory Pember will play Terry’s younger brother, Darrell Fox, after acclaimed turns earlier this season in Drayton Entertainment’s productions of Little Shop of Horrors and It Runs in the Family.
Dora award winner Charlotte Moore will play Terry’s mother, Betty Fox. A renowned Canadian actress, Moore’s extensive credits include Fantine in the Canadian National Tour of Les Misérables and Marilla in Anne of Green Gables at the Charlottetown Festival, along with Mrs. Johnstone in Blood Brothers with Drayton Entertainment.
Ralph Small will play Terry’s father, Rolly Fox. Small’s extensive career includes productions at theatres throughout Ontario, as well as serving as previous Artistic Director of Bluewater Playhouse in Kincardine.
Audience favourite Eddie Glen will play publicity director Bill Vigars, one of Terry’s close friends and confidants during the marathon of hope. Glen’s extensive history with Drayton Entertainment includes featured turns in It Runs in the Family, Sancho in Man of La Mancha, and Monty Python’s Spamalot.
Richmond, BC native Jayme Armstrong will play Toronto Star reporter Leslie Scrivener, who chronicled Terry’s journey and later authored the notable book Terry Fox: His Story. Armstrong’s roles with Drayton Entertainment include Roxie Hart in Chicago, Marian in The Music Man, Mary in Disney’s Mary Poppins and Guenevere in the North American tour of Camelot.
The company also includes Ontario’s Stephanie Cadman, Tim Porter, Katrina Reynolds and Julius Sermonia, along with Alberta’s Kira Guloien and New Brunswick’s Curtis Sullivan, all appearing in a variety of roles.
The production also features two children, both 12-years-old and residents of the Region of Waterloo: Brooke Bauer of Hawkesville and Ryan O’Donnell of Kitchener.
Drayton Entertainment is recognized by the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association as one of the largest employers of professional artists in the country. Given the scope of this particular project, in addition to its regular audition process, the not-for-profit theatre company initiated a nationwide search for the role of Terry Fox through open call video auditions.
The organization also reached out to the National Amputee Centre and 35 prosthetic and orthotic centres throughout Ontario, along with the Amputee Coalition of Canada and Amputees Amplified. Additional leads were generated through Casting Workbook, an industry group providing full service casting software.
Drayton Entertainment’s production of Marathon of Hope covers all facets of Terry’s story, starting with his high school athletic career and family life in Port Coquitlam, continuing through his cancer diagnosis and right leg amputation above the knee, and then chronicling the people and places that inspired him during his 143 day marathon spanning 5,373 kilometres.
“Our production, first and foremost, is about Terry’s pioneering impact in cancer awareness and the legacy of hope he instilled in Canadians coast to coast,” says Mustakas. “It is about celebrating our shared humanity, motivating all of us to make a difference, and living our lives to the fullest.”
The production also promises plenty of humour, as many of the lighthearted moments are derived by the shared experience of Terry, his brother, and his best friend exploring the rugged Canadian landscape behind the wheel of a souped-up Ford E250 Econoline van – the original of which has been painstakingly restored and is prominently featured in the stage production.
This new Canadian musical is being created by composer and lyricist John Connolly, who has dedicated the past 12 years to writing music for the production. The upbeat music is unmistakably Canadian, influenced by the sounds of Connolly’s east coast roots while effortlessly infusing elements from other genres. As a singer/songwriter, Connolly is the recipient of five PEI Music Awards and two East Coast Music Award nominations.
The book is written by award-winning playwright Peter Colley, whose notable credits include the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical Cagney!, as well as I’ll Be Back Before Midnight (considered Canada’s most produced play) and You’ll Get Used To It … The War Show. His stage plays have been produced in 27 countries, 48 of the 50 states in the United States, and every province in Canada.
The production will be directed by Drayton Entertainment Artistic Director Alex Mustakas, whose résumé includes over 100 productions for Drayton Entertainment and other theatre companies across Canada as well as the North American tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Mustakas is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Media & Entertainment, along with a national citation for outstanding community partnerships, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Maggie Bassett Award from Theatre Ontario.
Also part of the creative team is celebrated international choreographer and Nova Scotia native David Connolly, who helmed Drayton Entertainment’s sold-out production of Mamma Mia!. Connolly has used prosthetic legs since childhood, acting and dancing on Broadway before moving on to choreograph shows such as the pre-Broadway production of First Wives Club and the Canadian premiere of Disney's High School Musical.
Music direction will be provided by Michael Mulrooney, whose impressive pedigree includes productions such as Billy Bishop Goes to War, Show Boat, and Les Misérables. Mulrooney teaches at Sheridan College, serves regularly as a mentor for the National Academy Orchestra, and has taught musical theatre at the Randolph Academy and York University.
The creative team also comprises set designer Douglas Paraschuk, whose storied career includes 22 seasons with the Stratford Festival as well as Anything Goes, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, and South Pacific with Drayton Entertainment.
Costume designer Jenine Kroeplin has crafted stunning wardrobes for the last decade in many memorable Drayton Entertainment productions, including Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Legends … of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and 9 To 5: The Musical.
The work of lighting designer Kevin Fraser has been illuminated this season in the Stratford Festival’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Shakespeare in Love, amongst others, as well as Drayton Entertainment’s Sister Act and Little Shop of Horrors.
Accomplished projection designer Sean Nieuwenhuis rounds out the creative team with an extensive list of projections and video designs for such national and international acclaimed productions as Stratford Festival’s The Who’s Tommy, Doctor Zhivago and Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, Faust with the Metropolitan Opera, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Marathon of Hope: The Musical is on stage at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from October 5 to October 30. Regular performance tickets are $44 for adults; $26 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for preview performances scheduled before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $36. HST is applicable to all ticket prices. Tickets may be purchased online at www.draytonentertainment.com or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
About Terry Fox
“I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.” – Terry Fox
On April 12, 1980, at the age of 21, Terry Fox, whose right leg had been amputated after a battle with bone cancer (osteogenic sarcoma), embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. To date, over $700 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry's name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.
For more information about Terry Fox and the Terry Fox Foundation, visit www.terryfox.org.
About Drayton Entertainment
Marathon of Hope: The Musical is produced by Drayton Entertainment, a registered not-for-profit charitable arts organization operating seven live theatres throughout the province of Ontario and entertaining an audience exceeding 250,000 annually. The season playbill consists of an eclectic mix of Broadway musicals, comedies, family programming, and original works produced by Canadians and/or featuring Canadian content. The theatre company is regarded by the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association as one of the largest employers of professional artists in the country.
The musical will play at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, which is located west of Toronto and within an hour and a half of Niagara Falls in beautiful Waterloo Region. The 400 seat theatre is situated in the heart of St. Jacobs Country, a popular tourism mecca with 1.5 million visitors annually. Canada’s largest year-round Farmers Market and the charming village of St. Jacobs are located close by. For more information about Drayton Entertainment, visit www.draytonentertainment.com.
2016-09-02
St. Jacobs: Drayton Entertainment announces cast and creatives for "Marathon of Hope: The Musical"