Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced casting and programming updates for its annual holiday season Family Festival, running this year from December 7 to December 31, 2017. Programming will include: Michael Shamata’s A Christmas Carol; J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan from Bad Hats Theatre adapted by Fiona Saunder and Reanne Spitzer; A Very Soulpepper Christmas concert directed by Mike Ross; Common Boots Theatre presenting The Story by Martha Ross at Christie Pits Park; plus free Soulpepper post-show concerts, a free podcast series of original holiday stories, and pop-up musical experiences as part of a new partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).
Family Festival programming this year takes place at multiple locations across the city. At the Young Centre for the Performing Arts two classic stories will come to life: Soulpepper favourite A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens adapted by Michael Shamata returns, with Joseph Ziegler as Scrooge, from December 7 to 24; and new this year, Peter Pan, the family-friendly Dora Award-winning musical from Toronto’s Bad Hats Theatre, is on stage from December 8 to 31.
Returning to the Jane Mallett Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts is Soulpepper’s popular holiday concert A Very Soulpepper Christmas, sharing sounds of the season from around the globe, from December 15 to 17.
New this year to the Family Festival, Common Boots Theatre, in association with Soulpepper, presents The Story by Martha Ross, an outdoor theatre presentation at Christie Pits Park from December 11 to 30.
The Family Festival will also include four new free holiday podcasts, free concerts, and pop-up performances throughout select galleries of the AGO performed by members of the Soulpepper company.
Visitors to the Young Centre during the Toronto Christmas Market (November 16 to December 23) are encouraged to enter the building via Cherry Street to avoid Market lineups. For more details on programming including special Festival ticket packages, visit Soulpepper.ca/Family or call the Young Centre Box Office at 416.866.8666.
SOULPEPPER FAMILY FESTIVAL
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens. Adapted by Michael Shamata.
Directed by Michael Shamata
Remount Director Joseph Ziegler
Soulpepper’s beloved production of A Christmas Carol has become a Toronto holiday tradition! Follow Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three ghosts who help him understand the importance of charity in the holiday season. The cast includes Kawa Ada, Cody Black, Kaden Boland-Trowbridge, Kevin Bundy, Daniel Chapman-Smith, Eleanor Guy, Stephen Guy-McGrath, Maggie Huculak, John Jarvis, Tangara Jones, Eponine Lee, Ellora Patnaik, Krystin Pellerin, Jordan Pettle, and Soulpepper Founding Member Joseph Ziegler. A Christmas Carol is designed by Alan Brodie (Lighting), John Ferguson (Set & Costumes), Julie Fox (Ghost Costumes), and Lyon Smith (Sound).
Recommended for ages 8+
Playing at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts
A Christmas Carol runs from December 7 to December 24, 2017.
Soulpepper Presents
J.M. Barrie
Peter Pan
Bad Hats Theatre
Adapted by Fiona Sauder & Reanne Spitzer
Music by Landon Doak & Company
Directed by Severn Thompson
The recent winner of three Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Theatre for Young Audiences) including Outstanding Production, Peter Pan from Toronto’s Bad Hats Theatre brings the magic of Neverland to Soulpepper this December. Pirates, lost boys, a ticking crocodile: J. M. Barrie’s classic story about the boy who would never grow up is given a lively musical reimagining for kids and kids-at-heart. The cast includes: Jocelyn Adema, Graham Conway, Landon Doak, Matthew Finlan, Lena Maripu, Matt Pilipiak, Victor Pokinko, Richard Lam, Fiona Sauder, Tal Shulman, and Reanne Spitzer. Peter Pan is designed by Ken MacKenzie (Lighting) and Amy Marie Wallace (Set and Costumes).
Recommended for ages 3+
Playing at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts
Peter Pan runs from December 8 to December 31, 2017.
A Very Soulpepper Christmas
Join Soulpepper for a family-friendly holiday concert celebrating the sounds of the season from around the globe featuring Mike Ross leading an all-star lineup of Toronto’s best musicians including Waleed Abdulhamid, Alana Bridgewater, Hailey Gillis, Patricia O’Callaghan, SATE and Brendan Wall, with Rebecca Hennessy, Paul Metcalf, Andrew Pacheco, Tom Richards, Trishul Sharma, and Lowell Whitty. This concert is designed by Andres Castillo-Smith (Sound) and Simon Rossiter (Lighting).
Recommended for ages 6+
Playing at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the Jane Mallett Theatre
A Very Soulpepper Christmas runs from December 15 to 17, 2017 with four performances only.
The Story
Common Boots Theatre in Association with Soulpepper
Martha Ross
Directed by Jennifer Brewin and Katrina Darychuk
Common Boots Theatre returns to outdoor winter theatre with Martha Ross’s award-winning The Story. Presented at Toronto’s Christie Pits Park, The Story imagines the Nativity as a parable for modern times. The audience follows three wise men as they navigate a complicated world of existential shepherds, imperial soldiers, charming thieves, a bumbling angel, a deranged tyrant, and a lost choir. They are all in search of a headstrong young woman, whose baby — the poorest of the poor — will be born in a trash heap, but is honoured by Kings and will become a symbol of transformation and renewal. Regardless of faith, The Story is a balm in a storm of ennui and confusion. The cast features Alex Bulmer, Christef Desir, Shakura Dickson, Dan Mousseau, and Marcel Stewart. The Story is designed by Glenn Davidson (Lighting), Shannon Lea Doyle (Set) and Alexandra Lord (Costumes).
Playing at Christie Pits Park (750 Bloor St. West/South-East corner of the Park)
This presentation is admission by donation. Advance tickets are not required.
Please note this performance takes place outside. Please come dressed for the weather.
The Story runs from December 11 to 30, 2017.
AGO—Soulpepper Residency
In partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario
Great art inspires great performance. The canvas comes to life when members of the Soulpepper ensemble take up residency at the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W) with pop-up performances throughout the European galleries.
December 8 – 6:00PM – 9:00PM
December 9 – 12:00PM – 4:00PM
December 10 – 12:00PM – 4:00PM
December 15 – 6:00PM – 9:00PM
December 16 – 12:00PM – 4:00PM
December 17 – 12:00PM – 4:00PM
General admission to the AGO required (visit ago.ca for more details).
Young at Heart: Free Family Concerts
After select performances of Peter Pan, join Soulpepper Artists as they share music and stories of the season, led by Soulpepper Artistic Director Albert Schultz.
Young at Heart concerts will be free – no tickets required. Details to be shared at Soulpepper.ca/Family.
Holiday Podcasts
Building on the company’s award-winning audio programming, Soulpepper will release a series of classic children’s stories, adapted, performed and shared free to enjoy in mid-December.
Four new stories will be recorded as holiday podcasts by members of the Soulpepper Academy:
o The Book of Beasts by Academy Member Rosamund Small, adapted from the story by Edith Nesbit
o Christmas in the Territory by Paula Wing, adapted from Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
o Solange by Guillermo Verdecchia, adapted from a 19th Century French story
o Winter Feast by Academy Member Sina Gilani.
The Soulpepper Family Festival is generously supported by CIBC and Celebrate Ontario.
For more information visit Soulpepper.ca/Family
Located in its multi-venue home, the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District, Soulpepper is Toronto’s largest not-for-profit theatre company. Founded and guided by artists, under the leadership of Artistic Director Albert Schultz and Executive Director Leslie Lester, Soulpepper has an integrated mission which includes: industry-leading youth outreach initiatives; the Soulpepper Academy, Canada’s only multi-year paid professional training program for theatre artists of all disciplines; and a year-round diverse repertory season which is grounded in the classics and committed to the creation of new works, new forms, and innovative practices. Tickets to Soulpepper productions are available by calling the Young Centre Box Office at 416.866.8666 or by visiting soulpepper.ca.
Tickets for Soulpepper 2017-2018 productions range from $32 to $96. Tickets for Soulpepper Concerts & Cabarets start at $25. $20 tickets for Soulpepper productions are available for arts workers and deaf community members. Ticket deals for under-30 year-olds are available at soulpepper.ca/stageplay. StagePlay is sponsored by TD Bank Group. Youth 21 years old and under can access free tickets online via the MyPlay Program presented by Sun Life Financial: visit soulpepper.ca/myplay for more details. $25 Rush tickets and $5 Youth Rush tickets are offered one hour before most performances (in person), subject to availability. All ticket prices include a Young Centre facility fee, service charge and HST. Pricing is subject to change.
Connect with us:
FACEBOOK.COM/SOULPEPPERTHEATRE
TWITTER: @SOULPEPPER
INSTAGRAM: @SOULPEPPERTHEATRE
2017-11-02
Toronto: The Soulpepper Family Festival returns December 7-31