Young People's Theatre Announces Eye-Poppin' New Season

Artistic Director Allen MacInnis and Executive Director Nancy J. Webster are delighted to reveal the 2018/19 playbill at Young People's Theatre (YPT). The new season will feature eight outstanding shows on two stages, including two world premieres, a Broadway musical and a timely adaptation of a Greek classic. This year YPT is exploring the notion of kids fixing things for themselves, and ultimately making change in their world.

YPT is thrilled to open the season with a celebration of a very special anniversary with two performers who are near and dear to the company: Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison! 2018 marks 40 years since Sharon, Lois & Bram launched their career on YPT's Mainstage.

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SHARON, BRAM & FRIENDS - A 40th Anniversary Sing-Along Celebration
MAINSTAGE | Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 2018 | Recommended for All Ages

Skinnamarink your way to Front Street for a concert that's sure to delight fans young and old!

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WHAT IF ROMEO AND JULIET...
Created & Directed by Jackie Gosselin
Produced by DynamO Théâtre
MAINSTAGE | Oct. 10-19, 2018 | Recommended for Ages 9-14 | French Performances available!

YPT welcomes back the exuberantly physical Dynamo Théâtre to explore how Romeo and Juliet might have ended differently. Would different choices have altered the worst outcomes of rivalry and prejudice?

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The YPT Production of
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's
MARY POPPINS
A Musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film
Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Book by Julian Fellowes
New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh
Directed by Thom Allison
Choreographed by Kerry Gage
MAINSTAGE | Nov. 5, 2018-Jan. 6, 2019 | Recommended for Ages 5 & up | Holiday Musical!

Jane and Michael's father insists upon precision and order in their household. That's no fun! So when the children write their own advertisement for a nanny - we get Mary Poppins! The beloved movie arrives as a fun-filled musical just in time for the holidays!

Mary Poppins is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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THE CODE
By Rachel Aberle
Directed by Patrick McDonald
Produced by Green Thumb Theatre
STUDIO | Nov. 27-Dec. 14, 2018 | Recommended for Ages 13 & up

A student-instigated protest leads to unexpected fallout. The Code examines complex questions about loyalty, accountability and taking power.

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WE ARE ALL TREATY PEOPLE
Created by the Artists of Making Treaty 7
A Co-production between Quest Theatre & the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society
MAINSTAGE | Feb. 11-22, 2019 | Recommended for Ages 6-12

Two children - one Indigenous, one white - are told by the Trickster they cannot be friends. But his words inspire them to prove him wrong. Using history, song, story, dance and puppetry, this inspiring production embraces Truth and Reconciliation, forging understanding across cultures.

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THE 26 LETTER DANCE
Created, directed and co-choreographed by Hélène Langevin
Co-choreographed by Jean-François Légaré
Produced by Bouge de là
MAINSTAGE | Feb. 26-Mar. 16, 2019 | Recommended for Ages 4 & up | French Performances available!

This inventive, interactive show inspires kids to dance to the beat of their own drum - based on the alphabet! Bouge de là takes us on a journey through the world of letters and words in a unique experience that's contemporary and poetic - and just great fun!

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UNDER THE STAIRS
Written by Kevin Dyer
Music by Reza Jacobs
Directed by Micheline Chevrier
MAINSTAGE | Apr. 1-17, 2019 | Recommended for Ages 8-13 | World Premiere!

In this beautiful semi-musical, the cupboard under the stairs is a magical place, providing young Tim with refuge from Mom & Dad's bickering. But there are other kids in there too... and together they discover secrets that will repair the turmoil in Tim's house.

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ANTIGONE: ?
Written by Jeff Ho
Directed by Stephen Colella & Karen Gilodo
MAINSTAGE | Apr. 29-May 16, 2019 | Recommended for Ages 12-18 | World Premiere!

A fresh and timely adaptation of the classic Greek story, inspired by the 2014 student umbrella protest in Hong Kong and the 1989 uprising in Tiananmen Square. In this riveting play, "re-education" awaits anyone who questions the state's traditional doctrine. But in the courage of a young woman, there is hope for the future...

YOUNG PEOPLE'S THEATRE is the oldest professional theatre company in Toronto and is a national producer and presenter of theatre for young audiences - the first and largest of its kind in Canada. Over the past 52 years YPT has staged many of the most important plays that form the canon of work for youth in our country. The enriched learning experiences of YPT's Education & Participation Department also provide young people with opportunities to develop their whole being. At Young People's Theatre we strive for a positive and lasting impact on the emotional, social, and intellectual development of young people - giving them the chance to grow into the unique and wonderful people they were born to be.

Young People's Theatre is embarking upon Room for Imagination - a $42 million comprehensive campaign to build a new home. YPT has been operating for the last four decades in a re-purposed Heritage building owned by the City of Toronto. Today, the Company is bursting at the seams. It is time to create a child-friendly, state of the art facility to ensure long-term sustainability for an already financially-successful children's charity. The province of Ontario has recently committed $13.8 million to this project.