Mike Shara News

The Stratford Festival kicks off its 67th season on Monday with the gala opening of Shakespeare's Othello, followed by five more openings as the week unfolds: Billy Elliot the Musical, Henry VIII, Private Lives, Little Shop of Horrorsand The Merry Wives of Windsor. Artistic

The wit of Noel Coward is at its cheekiest in his exquisite romantic comedy, Private Lives, now on stage at the Avon Theatre. The production opens on Thursday, May 30.

Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has announced key casting for the 2019 season, including Michael Blake as Othello and Amelia Sargisson as Desdemona in the season opener, Othello, one of Shakespeare's greatest and best-known tragedies.

The Stratford Festival's latest HD films, Macbeth and Love's Labour's Lost, are airing on CBC TV this month, giving Canadians across the country a chance to see the work of the country's landmark theatre during this special 150th anniversary year.

The River Street Theatre (RST), a project of The Park Theatre, will present the award-winning Stratford Festival's production of William Shakespeare's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST on Sunday and Monday, August 6 & 7 with a 1:30 pm matinee each day. The play is presented exactly as it was staged and exquisitely captured in HD video and sound.

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST opened at the Stratford Festival's Festival Theatre on Friday night…and it hit a home run with the audience! Director, John Caird takes one of Shakespeare's earlier plays and makes it feel shiny and new. Assisting with this is an exceptional cast, captivating set design, and beautiful music-but what is truly on display is William Shakespeare's utter love of, and talent with the English language. He makes words and sounds fun, and that is particularly true in this play.

HAMLET opened the 63rd season of the Stratford Festival to resounding applause at the Festival Theatre on Monday night. Directed by the Festival's Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino, this HAMLET is exciting from start to finish. The entire ensemble shines as brightly as the light used to represent King Hamlet's ghost (Note: It is a very bright light).

Swift advance sales have prompted the Stratford Festival to extend the runs of four productions, just as the box office has opened to the public. Performances of Carousel, The Alchemist, The Physicists and The Last Wife have been added to the schedule.

THE BEAUX' STRATAGEM, directed by Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino opened to raucous laughter and thunderous applause Friday night at the Stratford Festival. With a cast like this, I would not expect anything less. This fun and thoughtful restoration comedy by George Farquhar, presents audiences with many players, harboring many talents... leading to many laughs. Needless to say, I suspect MANY tickets will be sold.

Variety writes that Broadway Near You has picked up the rights to Stratford Festival's 2011 production of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, starring Tony winner Brian Dennehy and directed by Des McAnuff. Look for the revamped rock version of the classic comedy in movie theaters later this year!

Director Chris Abraham's production of OTHELLO opened to thunderous applause at Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre. The audience appeared so enthralled by this production that its devastatingly tragic nature seemed to cling to patrons as they exited the theatre. Simultaneously; however, there was a paradoxical sense of excitement and joy about what brilliance had just been witnessed.

The Three Musketeers by Peter Raby opens tonight, June 1, at the Stratford Festival. The production features Graham Abbey as Athos, Jonathan Goad as Porthos, Luke Humphrey as D'Artagnan, Mike Shara as Aramis, Daniel Briere as Bicarat, Tyrone Savage as Jussac, with members of the company. Directed by Miles Potter, the show will run through October 19. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the show below!

Stratford's THE THREE MUSKETEERS is a melodramatic delight filled with swashbuckling action, farcical interludes, and bigger than life characters. It tells the triumphant tale of good winning out over evil. The production should delight those who want to escape the real world and live out the fantasies of days gone by.

The Three Musketeers by Peter Raby opens tonight, June 1, at the Stratford Festival. The production features Graham Abbey as Athos, Jonathan Goad as Porthos, Luke Humphrey as D'Artagnan, Mike Shara as Aramis, Daniel Briere as Bicarat, Tyrone Savage as Jussac, with members of the company. Directed by Miles Potter, the show will run through October 19. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the show in the video below!

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, a contemporary re-visioning of Austrian playwright/novelist Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol (1893), adapted and directed by Morris Panych, one of Canada's most celebrated playwrights and directors. This theatrical treat about a Viennese womanizer and his amorous trials and tribulations runs tonight, January 9 to February 10, 2013 in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace (with previews beginning January 1).

The Stratford Festival's box office opens to the public this Saturday, January 5, at 9 a.m., with an online advance sale beginning at noon on Friday. Facebook fans, who want to use the Festival's new social ticketing app will be able to purchase tickets as of 9 a.m. today. Tickets are being offered at up to 25% off until January 31, with an opportunity to exchange dates with no added expense.

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, based on Austrian playwright/novelist Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol (1893), adapted and directed by Morris Panych, one of Canada's most celebrated playwrights and directors. This theatrical treat about a Viennese womanizer and his amorous trials and tribulations runs January 9 to February 10, 2013 in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace (previews began January 1). Tickets range from $27-$53 (inclusive of HST) and are available by calling the box office at 416.531.1827 or by visiting www.tarragontheatre.com.

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, a contemporary re-visioning of Austrian playwright/novelist Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol (1893), adapted and directed by Morris Panych, one of Canada's most celebrated playwrights and directors. This theatrical treat about a Viennese womanizer and his amorous trials and tribulations runs January 9 to February 10, 2013 in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace (with previews beginning tonight, January 1).

Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, a contemporary re-visioning of Austrian playwright/novelist Arthur Schnitzler's Anatol (1893), adapted and directed by Morris Panych, one of Canada's most celebrated playwrights and directors. This theatrical treat about a Viennese womanizer and his amorous trials and tribulations runs January 9 to February 10, 2013 in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace (with previews beginning January 1).