Peter Millard News

His Girl Friday, John Guare's inspired combo of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's original play The Front Page and the screen version His Girl Friday, began previews Sunday at The Shaw's Festival Theatre

The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake offers a dazzling new production of the 1996 musical RAGTIME that makes a case for the show as a great American musical. A terrific cast wins standing ovations nightly at the Festival Theater where the show plays until October 14.

The Shaw Festival embarks on the first season of its next 50 years by proudly initiating a provocative conversation through the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime. Based on E.L. Doctorow's novel of the same name, Ragtime is directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell and brought to life by The Shaw's renowned acting Ensemble. This powerful and complex story of a young America on the cusp of defining itself and the hopes and dreams of its citizens continues to gain resonance today. Surpassing all expectations, early tickets sales to the Shaw Festival's production of Ragtime are nearly 20% above projected totals, while early April and May ticket purchases for special matinees are already 80% sold out. Yesterday's preview performance of Ragtime received a standing ovation.

The Shaw Festival's comedy-infused 49th season kicks off today with preview performances of Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Harvey at the Royal George Theatre. Joseph Ziegler returns to direct this endearing story that dares ask: what truly is a 'perfectly normal human being'?

The Shaw Festival's comedy-infused 49th season kicks off today with preview performances of Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Harvey at the Royal George Theatre. Joseph Ziegler returns to direct this endearing story that dares ask: what truly is a 'perfectly normal human being'?

For its 2009 season, The Shaw takes on a monumental and historic project with full productions of each play in Noel Coward?s famous Tonight at 8:30 collection. The Shaw?s 2009 productions represent the first time all ten short plays have been performed in repertory by a professional company since they were first produced by London?s Phoenix Theatre in 1935-36. The plays will be performed in sets of three, one on each of the Festival?s Niagara-on-the-Lake stages, with the tenth, the rarely produced Star Chamber, being the lunchtime production in the Royal George. And to celebrate this idea for the event that it is, on two separate occasions, we will present all ten in one day ? an event we are appropriately naming ?Mad Dogs and Englishmen?.