Stage Door News
Stage Door News
On the heels of the premiere of Britta Johnson’s new Canadian musical Life After and the announcement of the cast for their spring 2018 production of the Tony Award-winning Fun Home (presented by David Mirvish as part of the Off-Mirvish Series), The Musical Stage Company is thrilled to announce the lineup and dates for the 11th edition of UnCovered. The annual smash-hit concert re-examines the songbooks of legendary singer/songwriters through a storytelling lens by Canada’s finest musical theatre artists.
This year, UnCovered will re-imagine the iconic songs of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. On November 14-16, experience music director Reza Jacobs’ wildly imaginative and theatrical arrangements of favourites from the Dylan and Springsteen music catalogues, as some of Canada’s greatest musical actors from Broadway, London’s West End, Mirvish and the Stratford and Shaw Festivals perform such classics as “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Born to Run,” “The Times They Are A-Changin,” “Dancing in the Dark” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
“The songs of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen were the soundtracks of two generations, giving voice to protests and hopes,” says Mitchell Marcus, The Musical Stage Company’s Artistic and Managing Director. “Their political, poetic and prolific lyrics coupled with outstanding Canadian artists like Brent Carver, Divine Brown and Jackie Richardson will make this an unprecedented musical experience.”
UnCovered: Dylan & Springsteen will be performed by a star-studded lineup of Canadian musical theatre luminaries including: Divine Brown (Juno award-winner); Brent Carver (Tony award-winner); Jake Epstein (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical/Broadway); Sara Farb (Romeo & Juliet/Stratford Festival); Hailey Gillis (Onegin/Toronto & Ottawa); Arinea Hermans (2016 Banks Prize Winner); Melissa O’Neil (Canadian Idol winner, Les Miserables/Broadway); Andrew Penner (True North/Soulpepper in NYC) and Jackie Richardson (Gemini & Dora award-winner). Epstein and Farb will play Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, respectively. Anna Atkinson, Jamie Drake, Justin Gray and Reza Jacobs comprise the orchestra.
"The annual UnCovered concert is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with top Canadian talent including Mitchell Marcus and a cast of elite musical storytellers and musicians,” says Reza Jacobs, UnCovered Musical Director. “Exploring the characters, narratives and melodies embedded in familiar pop songs continues to be a challenging and fulfilling artistic experience."
The 2017 UnCovered ensemble is joined on stage this November by the 2017 Syd & Shirley Banks Prize winners George Krissa & Celine Tsai. The Syd & Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists generously provides two musical theatre artists the opportunity for increased exposure to advance their careers and includes a cash prize, professional mentorship and masterclasses as well as a role in the annual UnCovered concert.
What: UnCovered: Dylan & Springsteen
When: November 14 – 16 @ 8 p.m.
Where: Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance & Learning, 273 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $35 + up
Box Office: musicalstagecompany.com, 416-408-0208
Photo: Brent Carver.
2017-10-12
Toronto: The Musical Stage Company presents "UnCovered: Dylan & Springsteen" November 14-16