With this concert, Robert Ball seizes opportunity with both hands: the opportunity to stand up for himself and others in his community; and the opportunity to present himself to Stratford audiences for the first time, with a suite of songs that includes a powerful number from Here’s What It Takes, his intended 2020 Stratford debut.

“I was to make my Stratford Festival debut this season and ‘Where Do You Stand?’ would have been one of my key moments. That song is significant to me for many reasons, not just because it was going to be my Festival debut, but because in auditioning for that song and for the show … it was the first time I feel like I’d seen myself in a script. He was a Black gay man and he was successful – he was not a stereotype or a trope. To have the honour of getting that opportunity was really meaningful for me. The song itself also has a really powerful statement: 'where do you stand?’ I think in our current climate, with our (hopefully) current awakening, it’s something that we can all think about, learn from and ask ourselves.” 

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Photo: Robert Ball.