Stratford Festival Box Office Opens To The Public Tomorrow

With work well underway for an exciting 2019 season, the Stratford Festival box office opens to the public tomorrow, Friday, January 4. There are lots of new developments for the coming season, including expanded bus service from the GTA and Kitchener-Waterloo, and the new Bravo Zone, which offers 150,000 tickets priced at $41.

"Our artisans are hard at work creating the masterpieces that will transform our theatres," says Executive Director Anita Gaffney. "Right now they are creating dozens of fantastical creatures for The Neverending Story and Little Shop of Horrors. We're also preparing to welcome the amazing musical theatre performers who are about to begin rehearsals for Billy Elliot the Musical, which, with director-choreographer Donna Feore as the helm, promises to be an absolutely joyous production."

In addition to these productions, Shakespearean tragedy and comedy are high on the playbill, with Othello and The Merry Wives of Windsor, along with thought-provoking drama and classic comedy with The Crucible, The Front Page and Private Lives.

"We also have some cutting-edge new plays paired with complementary classics at the Studio Theatre, and I urge you to book these early as they proved extremely popular during our Members advance booking period," says Gaffney. "Our Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino, is thrilled to be directing Wajdi Mouawad's Birds of a Kind. This play had its genesis at Stratford when Antoni asked Wajdi to consider adapting the book Trickster Travels. The resulting multi-lingual play has been winning awards in Paris, and we are very proud to be presenting the world première of the English adaptation. Its companion production, Nathan the Wise, an 18th-century classic, explores similar themes of religious divide and shared humanity. We also will unveil the newest play from Kate Hennig, Mother's Daughter, which pairs with Shakespeare's Henry VIII - both of which are fascinating windows into a pivotal moment in history."

Several new initiatives will make Stratford even more accessible this season. In addition to twice-daily bus service from downtown Toronto, there will be weekend service from Vaughan, to answer demand for a pickup zone outside the downtown core. Between May 3 and June 1, buses will depart the Colossus Drive Carpool Lot at Hwy. 400 and 7 at 9:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Between June 7 and November 3, service will be offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Return buses depart Stratford at 5 p.m. Round-trip tickets are priced at $29.

Weekend bus service from Kitchener-Waterloo is also being introduced, for just $19 round trip. Between May 3 and June 1, it will depart Waterloo Town Square at 11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with return buses departing Stratford at 5 p.m. Between June 7 and November 3, the service will be offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Bus service from downtown Toronto continues for $29 round trip. It departs from the InterContinental Toronto Centre on Front Street daily at 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday from April 16 to June 1, and Tuesday through Sunday from June 4 to November 3. A second bus, at 3 p.m., is offered Tuesday through Saturday from May 28 to October 12, and Fridays and Saturdays from October 18 to November 2. Return buses depart Stratford at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

There will be two Family Fun Days this season. Not only does everyone in the family pay the same reduced rate for The Neverending Story on May 20 and 25, but they also get to enjoy special free pre-show activities. Tickets for these special dates start at $45, including fees.

New for 2019 is the Bravo Zone, which offers 150,000 seats for $41, including all fees. This new price is available for all performances at the Festival and Avon theatres.

Special Spring Rates for performances in April, May and June offer significant price reductions; more than half of the seats for these performances are available at $56 or less for plays and $66 or less for musicals, including fees. Other ways to save include the Early Booking Discount, available through January 31; and Lucky Tix, a ticket lottery offering $35 tickets for plays and $45 tickets for musicals.

Tickets are available online at www.stratfordfestival.ca, by phone at 1.800.567.1600, or in person during business hours at the Festival Theatre box office at 55 Queen Street, Stratford.