Theatre Passe Muraille Opens Season with LIFE, DEATH AND THE BLUES Tonight

Theatre Passe Muraille (TPM) kicks off its 2014.15 season with the premiere of Life, Death And The Blues, working in association with Hope and Hell Theatre Co. After a successful workshop at Passe Muraille in 2013, it is the first of four new shows produced by TPM this season and will be the originating production for a two-year National tour.

This innovative concert/theatre hybrid, created by Gemini nominated actor and Maple Blues Award winner Raoul Bhaneja, is a performance that combines autobiography, interview, live music and multi-media to explore the power, passion and meaning of The Blues.

"Raoul's love of Blues music has driven him to explore not only how to play the music but also where it comes from and why it speaks so articulately to him," said director Eda Holmes. "He is a Canadian of Irish and Indian descent with no direct connection to the world that this music comes from and yet he has found a way with this play, through his talents as an actor, musician and writer to bring the transformational power of The Blues to life. "

Under the direction of Eda Holmes, Bhaneja will be accompanied by the Juno award-winning Canadian R&B/Soul singer Divine Brown with music provided by members of Bhaneja's blues band, The Big Time - Jake Chisholm on guitar, Tom Bona on drums and Chris Banks on upright bass.

"Life, Death and The Blues argues for us to see The Blues as an international art form that belongs to all of us; an art form that we all need to keep alive," said Andy McKim, Artistic Director, Theatre Passe Muraille. "Raoul and Divine definitely keep the music alive by leading us deeper into the personal, passionate, social and sexual world of The Blues."

Life, Death and The Blues will feature an exciting guest list of Blues legends and winners of TPM's Youth Blues Challenge initiative.

Each night will feature a different epilogue performance interview and jam session with a living Blues legend including Christ Whiteley, Jay Douglas, Paul James, Rita Chiarelli, Guy Davis, Bob Margolin and more. For full Blues legend schedule: http://passemuraille.ca/archives/current-season/life-death-and-the-blues

Theatre Passe Muraille has also launched its Youth Blues Challenge initiative seeking the best young blues artists in the city, 25 or under, to share their talents during the intermission of Life, Death and The Blues. This is a great opportunity for young blues musicians to show their work, connect with other artists, and meet the performance's featured Blues legend. For more information on the Youth Blues Challenge: http://passemuraille.ca/home/youth-blues-challenge
#YouthBluesChallenge #LDaTB

Following its Toronto premiere, Life, Death and The Blues will go on tour across Canada starting early in 2015, with stops at Winnipeg's PTE [Prairie Theatre Exchange] and the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. The tour is a step forward for Theatre Passe Muraille's producing initiative, working towards an expanding vision of long-term development and the dissemination of new Canadian work. Performances in several other cities across Canada are to be announced for the 2015.16 season.

Theatre Passe Muraille gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of Season Sponsor BMO Financial Group, and would like to welcome and acknowledge the generous support of TD Bank as National Tour Sponsor of Life, Death and The Blues.

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