Kristi Frank News

Just in time to kick-off the festive season, Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn begins previews November 16 on The Shaw's Festival Theatre stage. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Kate Hennig, this fresh take on the 1942 award-winning film features some of Irving Berlin's best-loved songs under the music direction of Paul Sportelli and with choreography by Allison Plamondon. Holiday Inn, along with The Shaw's evergreen sell-out A Christmas Carol, are just two of the highlights celebrating the spirit of the season in picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The mystical land of BRIGADOON has emerged once again at Niagara on the Lake's Shaw Festival, and the now rarely produced musical still brings with it a sense of hope wrapped around Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's hauntingly beautiful lyrics and score. And while re-engaging with this Golden Age of Broadway classic brings with it a sense of familiarity, injecting new life into the work written in 1947 presents some obstacles.

Tartan, kilts and braw melodies from the beloved romantic classic Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon brings a wee bit of Scottish delight to The Shaw's Festival Theatre beginning May 5. The season's main stage musical, directed by Glynis Leyshon, with a revised book by Brian Hill; brilliantly brings the windswept wonder and ethereal charm of this enduring tale of love to life. A feast of song and dance, the Shaw Festival production also includes music direction by Paul Sportelli and choreography by Linda Garneau, with fight direction by John Stead.

The Shaw Festival returns to the wondrous world of Narnia for a second time with a new adaptation of C.S. Lewis's The Horse and His Boy. Directed by Christine Brubaker and adapted by Governor General's Award-nominee and playwright Anna Chatterton, this world premiere opens the Shaw Festival's 2019 season on April 6 at the Festival Theatre.

Niagara-on-the-Lake's World War I connections - from residents who enlisted to the garrisoned troops being entertained in the Royal George Theatre - are highlighted in director Peter Hinton's re-improvised Oh What a Lovely War. With music direction by Paul Sportelli and movement direction by Alexis Milligan, this provocative production about the theatre of war begins previews at the Royal George Theatre on July 14.

Artistic Director Tim Carroll announces the Shaw Festival's 2018 ensemble. This season's 56 actors will take to the stage in 14 productions, plus numerous Secret Theatre experiences.

Under the direction of Artistic Director Tim Carroll, Bernard Shaw's charming retelling of the beloved Aesop fable Androcles and the Lion is an interactive spur-of-the-moment theatre experience. The fusing of audience engagement with music and song, along with Shaw's delightful text, creates a distinctly different performance every time. Previews of Androcles and the Lion begin June 6 at the Court House Theatre.

A 'ME AND MY GIRL' Not To Be Missed It is infrequent for the theatre god of comedy to shine bright enough to induce glee, but that is what occurred on opening night of the Shaw Festival's utterly charming production of ME AND MY GIRL. An alchemy of sorts has melded a super talented cast with the thoughtfully insightful director. The Shaw Festival has not always had a strong track record of completely successful musicals, but under new Artistic Director Tim Carroll's leadership, it seems as if the tide has turned. Of course, the selection of a musical with British heritage ( a rarity of sorts), fits in perfectly with the Shaw Festival's mandate.

The delightful musical-comedy Me and My Girl launches Tim Carroll's first season as the Shaw Festival's artistic director.

The Shaw Festival proudly announces casting for Artistic Director Tim Carroll's first season. The Shaw's 2017 ensemble is a mix of new faces and Festival favourites - each actor ready to entertain and excite audiences in this season's 11 productions.

From it's ominous sounding opening organ chords, Stephen Sondheim makes it clear that you are in for a macabre evening of theatre as his masterpiece SWEENEY TODD begins. What sounds almost too gruesome to be appropriate for a musical has over the years had audiences and critics alike arguing whether this is a musical comedy or opera. Since it's 1979 premiere it has been staged world wide by some of the most notable Opera companies in the world, from English National Opera to the Paris Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. An updated staging is happening this summer at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, New York with noted Wagnerian bass Greer Grimsley playing the title character.

Jackie Maxwell concludes her 14-year tenure as the Shaw Festival's Artistic Director with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – A Musical Thriller, by legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. Previews of her production of this compelling musical thriller, with its unusual take on the notion of “eat or be eaten”, began its limited run July 17 – with additional matinees already added for October 18 and 19.

Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell and the Shaw Festival announce principal casting and the creative teams for the 2016 playbill. The 2016 season features new and core ensemble members and beloved returning artists celebrating Ms. Maxwell's final season and 14-year tenure at The Shaw.

The Shaw Festival today announced principal casting and creative team details for its 54th season.

A new production of Major Barbara, one of Bernard Shaw's most celebrated and provocative works, began previews May 2 in the intimate space of the Shaw Festival's Royal George Theatre.

Disney's High School Musical 2 DVD Premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, CA on November 19, 2007.