Category: Music

(l-r) Claire Boudreau as Mary, Mikaela MacGillivray as Natalie, David Andrew Reid as Hud, Sidney Klips as Diane. Photo credit – Scott Gorman

Where: Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Circle
When: January 18 – February 2, 2019
Cost: Adults $28, Seniors $17, Students $15, $12 Student tickets every Wednesday evening. Purchase at www.harthouse.ca

Details: Hair, the original rock musical, celebrates its 50th anniversary at a time of new-found social justice movements and civil unrest. When a tribe of freedom-loving hippies is confronted with the realities of war and an oppressive government hell-bent on conflict, they become even more committed to their ideals of freedom, liberty from social shackles and the space to form individual expression…through “long, beautiful Hair”…

Book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado; music by Galt MacDermot; produced for the Broadway stage by Michael Butler; originally produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival Theatre; directed by Julie Tomaino.

Cast includes Andrew Perry (Berger); Christian Hodge (Claude); Marisa Dashney (Sheila); Will Mackenzie (Woof); David Andrew Reid (Hud); Katie Miller (Jeanie); Georgia Fox (Dionne); Sophie Berkowitz (Crissy); Hunter Agnew (Hubert/Dad/Walter); Kevin James Doe (Margaret Mead/Principal/Ronny); Caitlin McMaster (Tribe/Linda/Dance Captain); Sidney Klips (Tribe/Diane); Claire Boudreau (Tribe/Mary); Jaymie Sampa (Tribe/Suzanna); Amy Janssen (Tribe/Emmaretta); Mikaela MacGillivray (Tribe/Natalie/Mom); Bianca Orvis (Tribe/Marjorie); Makenna Marshall (Tribe/Leatta); Sean O’Connell (Tribe/Steve); and Brendan Flynn (Tribe/Paul).

*WARNING: Coarse language, mature themes, sexually explicit scenes and nudity
*Approximate running time: 2 hours with one intermission

More Info: www.harthouse.ca

Where: The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West
When: December 9, 2018 at 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Doors at 6pm
Cost: Free Admission (or PWYC reserved seating)

Details: How do holiday traditions resonate today? Join us for “Holiday Encounters – Yuletide Remix,” as SlowPitchSound remixes your favourite seasonal music. Bring your treasured yuletide vinyl and hear it spun into exciting new sounds right before your ears. We’re re-imagining the traditional, Bing Crosby will never sound the same again!

Fresh off Electric Messiah’s three-night run, SlowPitchSound, will be ready to unwind and turn your favourite holiday vinyl into holiday magic.

 Cheldon Paterson aka SlowPitchSound is a full time artist who is known for experimenting with music, visuals and live performance. He is the 2018 TD SoundMakers Composer in Residence and co-winner of the 2018 CMC Toronto Emerging Composer Award.

More Info: www.gladstonehotel.com  www.facebook.com/events/314263169167204/
@GladstoneHotel @SlowPitchSound

The Wizard of Oz cast. Photo by Bruce Zinger

Where: Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street
When: November 30, 2018 – January 5, 2019
Cost: Ticket prices range from $27-$99 Adults; $27-$69 Children under 12; $256 Family 4-Pack and can be be purchased at www.rosspetty.com, by phone at 1.855.599.9090 or in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office. For group discounts call THE Group Tix Company at 647.438.5559 or Toll Free at 1.866.447.7849

Details: Dog-walker Dorothy, Camille Eanga Selenge, finds herself in OZ and as the enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, after she accidentally squishes the Wicked Witch of the East (blame global warming).
 
With hilarious help from Sugarbum, the Good Witch of the North, Michael De Rose – who comes from a long line of Bums including the legendary Plumbum; and the funniest trio with more courage (Daniel Williston), heart (Eric Craig) and brains (Matt Nethersole) since The Three Stooges; plus the cheers and boos from the audience, Dorothy might make it back home to her hacky sack playing friends and the Ossington Summer Street Festival with some newfound confidence and a future full of promise!

Directed and choreographed by Tracey Flye, 
music directed by Joseph Tritt and written by Matt Murray
.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road back to the Elgin Theatre this holiday season, because “there’s no place like home!”

More Info: For a complete performance schedule visit www.rosspetty.com  @rosspettypro
 @rosspettypro #wizardofozTO

Where: The Music Gallery at 918 Bathurst St.
When: November 17, 2018 @8pm
Cost: $20 Regular, $15 Advance, $10 Members at musicgallery.org



Details: Over the years, the Music Gallery has had a long history of presenting challenging and exhilarating large ensembles. Percussionist/composer Adam Rudolph’s visit to the MG in 2016 was a memorable encounter between his Go: Organic notation system and the talents of fifteen eclectic Toronto musicians. One member of the ensemble, Araz Salek (This Tale of Ours Quartet, Shiraz Ensemble), was particularly inspired by encounter. Salek was the only musician in the ensemble whose primary background was outside of jazz or Western classical music. He was struck by how easily the format of the composition could be adopted to fit Iranian music, his main field and training. While Rudolph’s scores use an even-tempered 12-note scale, his approach could easily be adapted to include the tunings used in Iranian music.

Salek engaged Rudolph with the notion of a follow-up project. More than two years later, Dastgah is the result: a new work for large improvising ensemble made up of musicians whose home practices are in Iranian/Persian music, jazz, and new music.

Adopting and modifying Rudolph’s notation system and extending it to accommodate Iranian scales and tunings, this new piece will consist of scored material and hand gestures Rudolph uses to direct performers through the score, individually or in groups.

Conducted by Adam Rudolph the musicians are
Santour: Sadaf
Amini
 Kamanche: Hamidreza Khalatbari
Tar: Araz Salek
Tuned Piano: Jonathan Adjemian
Ney: Ernie Tollar
Violins: Aline Homzy
 & Nelson Moneo
Double bass: Rob Clutton
Clarinet: Karen Ng
Trumpet: Emily Denison
Bassoon: Peter Lutek
Saxophone: Jay Hay
Tombak: Pedram Khavarzamini
Congas: Brandon Valdivia
Drums: Nick Fraser

More Info: www.musicgallery.org @MusicGalleryTO

(l-r) Angela Broadley, Colin Lapsley, Stevie Pike. Photo by Marek Michalek

Where: Theatre Auditorium at Ancaster High School, 374 Jerseyville Rd., Ancaster
When: November 16 – December 1, 2018
Cost: Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreancaster.com or 905.304.7469

Details: Al Croxall, co-founder of Theatre Ancaster and director of Chicago is thrilled to finally be able to bring the classic musical to the community theatre’s stage: “Chicago is the iconic American Broadway musical. We have been asking for the rights to produce Chicago for over ten years, so it was a red-letter day when, expecting our usual refusal, we heard that we had permission to do the show! I am thrilled at the opportunity to bring this very topical satire on American justice to life.”

Set in jazz-age Chicago, the famous musical tells the universal tale of the trappings of fame and fortune. Chicago holds the record as the longest-running Broadway musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history having earned 6 Tony awards including Best Musical Revival. It was made into a feature film in 2002 winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Chicago is full of show-stopping numbers and breathtaking choreography. The music is by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Bob Fosse choreographed the original 1975 production and his signature style lives on in the Theatre Ancaster production.

Choreographer Tina Rath is excited to tackle the complex dance sequences: “It is a choreographer’s dream to work on this show. To use the incomparable Fosse technique and marry it with my own ideas has been incredible. The cast is pumped, prepped and ready to perform!”

Theatre Ancaster is delighted to welcome Jeff and Lisa Peller as Premier Season Sponsors.

More Info: www.theatreancaster.com