Mirvish Announces 2015-16 Season - MATILDA, GENTLEMEN'S GUIDE, Bonus Shows and More!
By: Christina Mancuso Mar. 04, 2015
In the 2015-16 season, David Mirvish will present 14 shows in Toronto, consisting of seven shows in the Mainstage Subscription Series, three in the Off-Mirvish Subscription Series and four shows off-subscription.
"This year's line-up is as eclectic as ever," says David Mirvish. "We are bringing Broadway and London hits, launching Canadian and North American premieres, co-producing with local companies, and featuring star performances from such luminaries as Rupert Everett and Tom McCamus.
"There are dramas, comedies and plenty of musicals. There are Tony and Olivier Award winners and even the Pulitzer Prize winner for drama.
"There is blockbuster entertainment and experimental works, and everything in between.
"We believe our line-up is a survey of what is happening in theatre in the English-speaking world right now.
"There's no need to travel across the Atlantic or south of the border. Just become a subscriber and you'll have a year's worth of great theatre for one very reasonable price. Subscribe today and make theatre part of your lifestyle."
MAIN SUBSCRIPTION SEASON
The 7-show Subscription is priced from $145.00. Current subscribers have the opportunity to renew their seats first, until the renewal deadline April 24, 2015. New subscribers will then be accepted on a first-come basis.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
Book by Berry Gordy
Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright
September / November 2015
Ed Mirvish Theatre
It began as one man's story... became everyone's music... and is now Broadway's musical. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy's journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more.
Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. Featuring classic songs such as "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," experience the story behind the music in the record-breaking smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL!
"THERE AIN'T NO MUSICAL MOUNTAIN HIGHER! Motown isa thrill ride into popmusic heaven."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
"More than a Broadway show. A celebrationof music that transformedAmerica!"
CBS SUNDAY MORNING
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Rodgers + Hammerstein 's
CINDERELLA
Music by by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by Mark Brokaw
December 2015 / January 2016
Ed Mirvish Theatre
Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical from the
creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that's delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale.
This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love-the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more-plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible" and "Ten Minutes Ago," in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who's ever had a wish, a dream...or a really great pair of shoes.
"Pure magic! BROADWAY'S NEWCINDERELLA crackles with sweetness and freshness."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"EYE-POPPINGLY OPULENT!"
THE NEW YORKER
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GASLIGHT
Directed by Lucy Bailey
January / February 2016
Royal Alexandra Theatre
"Suddenly, I'm beginning not to trust my memory at all."
As the ghostly living room gaslight flickers and the floorboards creak around her, Bella Manningham becomes convinced that she is losing her mind, as her mother did before her. With her husband away on business, she loses all sense of reality. Does the terror exist in her imagination or are dark secrets living in her home? The surprise arrival of a retired detective leads to a shocking discovery that will shake her respectable Victorian marriage to its core. A powerful psychological drama.
Patrick Hamilton's classic mystery thriller premiered in London in 1938 and immediately became an international success. In 1944, it was adapted into an iconic film starring Ingrid Bergman. Since then, the play has become a staple of theatre companies in Britain. This brand new production will be mounted in the U.K. before travelling across the Atlantic to the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
"A SUPERBLY GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER."
DAILY TELEGRAPH
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THE JUDAS KISS
By David Hare
Directed by Neil Armfield
Starring Rupert Everett
A HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PRODUCTION
March / April 2016
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Rupert Everett plays Oscar Wilde in David Hare's THE JUDAS KISS -a compelling drama about the power of all consuming love and the cruelty of betrayal.
It is 1895 and Oscar Wilde's masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, is playing in the West End after a triumphant premiere, but already the wheels are in motion, which will lead to his imprisonment, downfall and vilification.
Forced to make a choice between his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, and his freedom, the ever romantic Wilde embarks on a course towards self-destruction.
Directed by Neil Armfield, this critically acclaimed production arrives in Toronto after a sold-out run in London's West End.
"HHHHH
Rupert Everett carries Wilde tragedy to perfection."
THE TIMES, London
"An intense, witty, and deeply humane play."
TIME OUT, London
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IF/ THEN
Book & Lyrics By Brian Yorkey
Music by Tom Kitt
Directed by Michael Greif
April / May 2016
Princess of Wales Theatre
IF/THEN is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today- and all the possibilities of tomorrow.
With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning creators of Next to Normal, this "fascinating, ambitious, and original new musical" (New York Post) simultaneously follows one woman's two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led.
"Thrilling! The best musical of the year."
NEW YORK MAGAZINE
"The bravest new musical in a long time. Led by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's dazzling score, it is one of the few Broadway shows that looks and sounds like the world of today."
TORONTO STAR
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A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER
Book by Robert L. Freedman
Lyrics byRobert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak
Music bySteven Lutvak
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
May / June 2016
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Getting away with murder can be so much fun... and there's no better proof than the knock-'em-dead hit show that's earned unanimous raves and won the 2014 Tony Award® for BEST MUSICAL-A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER!
Direct from New York, where a most gentlemanly NPR critic said he'd "NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD AT A BROADWAY MUSICAL," GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by-you guessed it-eliminating the eight pesky relatives (all played by one courageous man) who stand in his way. All the while, he's got to juggle his mistress (she's after more than just love), his fiancée (she's his cousin but who's keeping track?), and the constant threat of landing behind bars! Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance... and be done in time for tea. The Hollywood Reporter raves, "GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE RESTORES OUR FAITH IN MUSICAL COMEDY" and The New York Times cheers, "IT WILL LIFT THE HEARTS OF ALL THOSE WHO'VE BEEN PINING FOR WHAT SOMETIMES SEEMS A LOST ART FORM."
"It has one of the MOST ACCOMPLISHEDSCORES to be heard in the past dozen years."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
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MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Book by Dennis Kelly
Music by Tim Minchin
Directed by Matthew Warchus
Begins July 2016
Princess of Wales Theatre
TIME Magazine's #1 Show of the Year! Winner of 50 international awards, including four Tony Awards® and a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards®, MATILDA THE MUSICAL is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, MATILDA continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages on Broadway and in London's West End. The Wall Street Journal says, "The makers of MATILDA have done the impossible- triumphantly! It is smart, sweet, zany and stupendous fun."
This will be the Canadian premiere production of the show, playing a sit-down run and starring an all-Canadian cast.
"REJOICE. It is even more glorious than promised."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Easily the standout musical of the Decade."
LONDON SUNDAY TIMES
AND FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT... OFF-MIRVISH SERIES at the Panasonic Theatre
3 CUTTING-EDGE SHOWS FROM ONLY $99.
Current subscribers have the opportunity to renew their seats first, until the renewal deadline
April 24, 2015. New subscribers will then be accepted on a first-come basis.
SEMINAR
Directed by Stewart Arnott
Starring Tom McCamus
Co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
November 2015
Panasonic Theatre
Four aspiring young writers have paid big bucks to seek wisdom at the feet of the fearsome Leonard-once a celebrated novelist, now a cantankerous editor, teacher and grandstanding chronicler of third-world war zones.
Under Leonard's recklessly brilliant but brutally unorthodox teaching style, competition for his approval is intense. Alliances are made and broken, tactical schemes are hatched-how far are the students willing to go to make it to the top?
Pulitzer Prize-nominee Theresa Rebeck's mordant comedy is a sparkling cocktail of ambition, power and lust-and one with an unexpected kick. Theresa is the creator of the hit television series Smash and her previous plays include Dead Accounts and Mauritius.
Stratford Festival star Tom McCamus plays Leonard in this new production.
"BIG LAUGHS! AN AUTHENTIC RUSH OF PLEASURE."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Theresa Rebeck hits plenty of bull's-eyes, so sit back and enjoy the ride."
NEW YORK POST
"The Funniest show on Broadway!"
WOR RADIO, New York
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BIGMOUTH
Created,Directed & Performed by Valentijn Dhaenens?
SKAGEN AND RICHARD JORDAN PRODUCTIONS LTD IN A CO-PRODUCTION WITH DE TIJD & STUK
January / February 2016
Panasonic Theatre
The sell-out hit of the 2012 & 2014 Edinburgh Festivals and an acclaimed hit at festivals around the world, from one of Europe's hottest theatre companies to explode out of Belgium, BIGMOUTH finally has its North American premiere.
In a tour de force performance, Belgian actor Valentijn Dhaenens pays tribute to 2,500 years of oration. Ingeniously weaving together fragments of seminal speeches from not only the Grand Inquisitor and Socrates to Mohammed Ali and Osama Bin Laden, BIGMOUTH shows that the tricks of rhetoric have hardly changed.
With five microphones on a bare set, his voice and indefatigable energy, Dhaenens traverses sermons, declarations of war, farewells, final arguments, victory speeches and eulogies from across time.
"HHHH
If the Belgian Valentijn Dhaenens is new to you, take a drink in and brace yourself for an unnerving, technically risky and thought provoking show... I would hate to have missed it."
THE TIMES, London
"HHHH
Dhaenens's writing is stark and poetic-a sensitive, thoughtful and often beautiful response to the continuing suffering caused by war."
THE TELEGRAPH, London
"HHHH
Unbearably poignant & fascinating! The piece is as effective in demonstrating what war does with the minds and hearts of those involved, as it is at showing us the devastating physical consequences."
THE GUARDIAN, London
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DISGRACED
By Ahyad Akhtar
Directed by Robert Ross Parker
Starring Raoul Bhaneja and Birgitte Solem
Co-production with Hope and Hell Theatre Company
March / April 2016
Panasonic Theatre
Following sold-out engagements in Chicago, London and New York, DISGRACED comes roaring to life in its Toronto premiere production for the Off-Mirvish series.
The winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize, DISGRACED is the "emotionally shattering" (Newsday)tale of the stories we tell our friends, the secrets we tell our lovers, and the lies we tell ourselves to find our place in the American Dream. "It's terrific and turbulent." (The New York Times).
Written by Ayad Akhtar-a new voice who "finds urgent dramatic connections that serious theatregoers crave" (The Washington Post)-this provocative tale of big city aspiration and cultural assimilation dares to face the truth hiding just below the deception.
"Terrific, turbulent, with fresh currents of dramatic electricity, DISGRACED comesroaring to life onBroadway."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Riveting! Get ready to gasp!"
NY1, New York
"One of the Broadway season's most engaging nights of theater."
NBC TV, New York
BONUS SHOWS
4 GREAT BONUS SHOWS TO ADD TO YOUR THEATRE EXPERIENCE!
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Dec 8, 2015 - Jan 23, 2016
Princess of Wales Theatre
35% Subscriber Discount
Valid for all Performances from December 8 - 10
Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenal musical success, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, will come to Toronto as part of a brand new North American Tour. Hailed by critics as "bigger and better than ever before," this production boasts exciting new special effects, scenic and lighting designs, staging and choreography.
"Stunning, intense and spectacular."
SUNDAY EXPRESS
"The audience will be blown away by the sheer scale."
EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS
TRACES BY 7 FINGERS
Dec 15 - 27, 2015
Panasonic Theatre
35% Subscriber Discount
Valid for all Performances from December 15 - 20
Created in 2006, TRACES has been presented more than 1700 times in 200 cities around the world. The show has been invited to America's Got Talent twice, was on TIME's top 10 list in 2011, performed at the Royal Variety Performance in London and was featured at the Union Square Theater in NYC for a whole year.
Combining traditional acrobatic forms with street elements such as skateboarding and basketball, mixed in with some theatre and contemporary dance, it surprises, awes and delights at every turn.
"This is a show that sets the benchmark for modern circus eye-poppingly high."
LONDON EVENING STANDARD
OH CANADA WHAT A FEELING!
August 11 - 30, 2015
Princess of Wales Theatre
35% Subscriber Discount
Valid for all Performances from August 11 - 16
It's innovative, it's inspiring, and it's a spectacular multi-media theatrical production! OH CANADA WHAT A FEELING!takes to the stage to celebrate the rich, vibrant musical legacy of this country. Set against a stunning backdrop of historical and musical footage, a live band and a cast of fresh young talent will provide an unforgettable concert of songs made famous by artists such as Paul Anka, Gordon Lightfoot, The Guess Who, Anne Murray, Loverboy, Rush, Bryan Adams and Neil Young, to mention a very few. Feel the pride, share in the memories and experience the music that unites this amazing country from coast to coast.
THE AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW
January 28 - 31, 2016
Princess of Wales Theatre
35% Subscriber Discount
Valid for all Performances from January 28 - 31
THE AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW, is a celebration of one of the most influential and famous musical groups of all time! Their record-breaking music is captivated on stage with mesmerizing resemblance in sound and mannerisms. Get ready for the new AUSTRALIAN BEE GEES SHOW, a multi-media theatrical concert experience that takes a nostalgic trip through the legacy the Bee Gees left behind while celebrating over four decades of the infectious music written by the Gibb brothers.
"These performers match their protégé's masterfully."
BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
"A True Retrospective of their 40 year History."
CHICAGO THEATRE REVIEW
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