Tag Archives: Eliza-Jane Scott

On Stage

Misfortune’s World Premiere

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A Misfortune makes its world premiere tonight at The Charlottetown Festival.Sponsored by Key Murray Law, the bittersweet Canadian musical is playing a short run at the Centre’s cabaret theatre, The Mack until Sept 22.

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Adapted from a short story by Anton Chekhov, the musical starts with two old friends going for a walk in the woods. Their conversation soon takes a turn, revealing hidden depths to their relationship and forcing them to question the lives they’ve chosen.

 “Despite being written over a hundred years ago, the play’s themes are timeless,” says Kevin Michael Shea, scriptwriter and musical co-creator. “We’ve all loved the wrong people, or not loved the right people enough.”

 A Misfortune promises audiences a romantic, bittersweet musical about small moments and momentous decisions. Set at a dinner party among friends, sordid secrets are revealed with every shot of vodka.

Confederation Centre will present only nine performances of A Misfortune, so get your tickets for this must-see show. Please visit: http://www.confederationcentre.com/en/show/350-A-Misfortune

The cast includes Rejean Cournoyer (Andrey), Kelsey Falconer (Sofya), Connor Lucas (Ivan), Melanie Phillipson (Masha), and Brendan Wall (Pavel).

A Misfortune is directed by Eliza-Jane Scott with music by Scott Christian and lyrics by Wade Bogert-O’Brien.

Special thanks are extended to the Government of Canada for their support of Confederation Centre and to The Charlottetown Festival title sponsor, CIBC. Appreciation is extended to media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, CTV, and The Guardian.

On Stage

Fortunate Casting Announced for Misfortune

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The Charlottetown Festival is in top gear this month, and producers are already preparing for the next round of productions, including the world premiere of A Misfortune, sponsored by Key Murray Law.

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The bittersweet Canadian musical plays a short run from September 7-22 at Confederation Centre’s cabaret theatre, The Mack. With just nine performances on deck, blink and you may miss it, so this is one theatre event to circle on the calendar.

A Misfortune follows Ivan, a young lawyer (Connor Lucas) and Sofya, a married woman (Kelsey Falconer), in pre-revolutionary Russia on a walk through the woods; their friendship has reached an impasse.

Soon they gather with three friends (Réjean Cournoyer, Brendan Wall, and Melanie Phillipson) for a dinner party in the country. With each drink, more sordid secrets are revealed. Adapted from a short story by Anton Chekhov, one of the world’s most celebrated and enduring writers, A Misfortune is a romantic, darkly comedic musical about small moments and momentous decisions. We follow Sofya’s journey from innocence and youth towards knowledge and self-actualization.

A Misfortune is directed by Festival alumna Eliza-Jane Scott, who wowed audiences in Mamma Mia! last year, and recently landed a lead role in the musical phenomenon, Come From Away, playing this winter with Mirvish.

A Sheridan College graduate, Lucas is currently performing in the Adam Brazier-led revival of Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ and also appeared in two previous Young Company productions, The Voices of Canada and We Are Canadian. Falconer is playing Josie Pye in Anne™ as well this summer and is a recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Blyth, Ontario native has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as in workshops for the hit Proclaimers musical, Sunshine on Leith.

Cournoyer is a household name at the Festival, having starred in Mamma Mia! last year, as well as memorable roles in Evangeline, Alice Through the Looking-Glass, The Founding Father, and Anne™.

Wall performed here last year in the acclaimed Festival/Soulpepper musical Spoon River. He is currently appearing with Soulpepper’s Festival in New York City, in Of Human Bondage and Spoon River, which is drawing international attention and strong reviews, including from the New York Times. Wall has also performed in the award-winning War Horse (West End and Mirvish) and Once (Mirvish).

Phillipson is also presently performing in Anne™, and made her Festival debut in last year’s Belles Soeurs: The Musical. The Moose Jaw native has appeared across Canada with Mirvish, Tarragon, and seven seasons at the Shaw Festival.

Scott Christian is the musical’s composer, orchestrator, and music director with lyrics from Wade Bogert-O’Brien, and book and additional lyrics by Kevin Michael Shea.

Special thanks are extended to the Government of Canada for their support of Confederation Centre; and to The Charlottetown Festival title sponsor, CIBC. Appreciation is extended to media sponsors Ocean 100, Hot 105.5, CTV, and The Guardian.

 

On Stage

On Your Mark, Get Set, Mamma Mia!

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23 Canadian triple-threats, a world-class theatre, a mesmerizing pop-rock soundtrack, and a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. It all culminates Saturday night when The Charlottetown Festival launches the Atlantic Canadian premiere of Mamma Mia!

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Over 60 million people have fallen in love with the characters, story, and absorbing music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good musical. This sunny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise where on the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to find her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island.

Inspired by the mega-hits of Swedish superstars, ABBA, Mamma Mia! stars Katie Kerr and Eliza-Jane Scott, with David Cotton, Jan Alexandra Smith, Nicola Dawn Brook, Réjean Cournoyer, Stephen Guy-McGrath, Cam MacDuffee, and many more. For a complete cast list, visit Confederation Centre online.

Mamma Mia! plays select dates from June 1 to September 3 in the Homburg Theatre. For show times and tickets, contact the box office or visit http://www.confederationcentre.com. Adam Brazier is directing, with Bob Foster and Kerry Gage respectively leading music direction and choreography. Cory Sincennes is set, costume, and props designer, Michael Walton is lighting designer, and Peter McBoyle is sound designer. Craig Fair is associate music director and Production Stage Manager is Matt MacInnis.

The Charlottetown Festival is presented by CIBC. The Centre wishes to recognize Tim Hortons as the title sponsor for Mamma Mia! and acknowledge the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Government of P.E.I., and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, Ocean 100, and CTV.

On Stage

Festival Completes Casting of Mamma Mia!

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It’s an early start to the season for the cast and crew of The Charlottetown Festival. Rehearsals kicked off last week for the P.E.I. theatre event of the year — Mamma Mia!, opening June 1 in the Homburg Theatre.

Complete casting has been announced for the mega-musical, which stars Eliza-Jane Scott and Katie Kerr as a mother and daughter on the eve of Sophie’s wedding. Sophie (Kerr) wants her father to give her away, and having read her mother Donna’s diary, secretly invites three guests to the wedding, bringing back three men from Donna’s past to the paradise they last visited 20 years ago. The three gents are: Irish-American architect Sam Carmichael (Réjean Cournoyer), Australian adventurer Bill Anderson (Stephen Guy-
McGrath), and British banker Harry Bright (Cam MacDuffee).

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Local audiences are acquainted with all three, with Guy-McGrath appearing as the fiddle-playing René in last fall’s Evangeline and Cournoyer playing the villainous Hampson in that show as well as the White King in Alice Through the Looking-Glass. MacDuffee starred in Ring of Fire and Dear Johnny Deere, and toured with Cournoyer for the Centre’s 2015 production, The Founding Father.

Sophie’s husband-to-be, the loyal and handsome Sky, played by David Cotton (Baptiste in the world premiere of Evangeline), while Donna’s two best friends are brought to life by Jan Alexandra Smith and Nicola Dawn Brook. For the full Mamma Mia! cast list, see addendum.

For a limited time only, the Festival is offering 20% off performances in the month of June. Use promo code ABBA when contacting the box office online, in person, or via phone. This offer runs from May 21 to 28, applies to Tier-1 and 2 seating only, and is not valid with any other promotion.

“I have seen a lot of theatre in my short 41 years,” says Artistic Director, Adam Brazier. “Never have I seen a party and celebration the likes of Mamma Mia! This show redefined the modern musical and set in motion the success of other jukebox hits like Jersey Boys, We Will Rock You, and Ring of Fire. This pop fable leaves the audience laughing and dancing in the aisles. Somewhere in the crowd there’s you. Join us on a nostalgic journey through the guiltiest pleasure of the summer.” Brazier is joined by Bob Foster, musical director, and Kerry Gage, choreographer.

Mamma Mia! opens June 1 and plays until September 3.

The complete cast in alphabetical order is:

Jak Baradell – Ensemble
Josée Boudreau – Ensemble
Nicola Dawn Brook – Rosie
David Cotton – Sky
Réjean Cournoyer – Sam
Josh Doig – Male Swing
Jessica Gallant – Ensemble
Troy Goldthorp – Pepper
Robbie Graham-Kuntz – Ensemble
Stephen Guy-McGrath – Bill
Aaron Hastelow – Ensemble
Kayla James – Ensemble (U/S Sophie)
Aisha Jarvis – Lisa
Katie Kerr – Sophie
Melissa Kramer – The Priest
Cameron MacDuffee – Harry
Jamie Murray – Ensemble
Sarah O’Brecht – Ali
Jade Percival – Female Swing
Eliza-Jane Scott – Donna
Adam Sergison – Eddie
Jan Alexandra Smith – Tanya
Sarah Vance – Ensemble

On Stage

Super Troupers Come Trooping

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Additional casting has been revealed at The Charlottetown Festival for the international smash, Mamma Mia! Inspired by ABBA’s unforgettable collection of hits, the musical is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and newfound family. The Festival recently announced Katie Kerr as Sophie and co-starring as her free-spirited mother is Dora-Award nominee Eliza-Jane Scott.

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Audiences will remember Scott for her 100-megawatt smile and delight as the White Queen in last year’s Alice Through The Looking-Glass and roles in Anne of Green Gables—The Musical™. The Kingston, Ontario native has performed with Soulpepper Theatre Company, the First National and Canadian Tours of The Producers, and for Theatre 20, Stratford Festival, and more.

Donna owns a small hotel on a beautiful Greek island, and she is about to let go of the spirited daughter she has raised alone. For the wedding, Donna invites her two lifelong best girlfriends – practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya – from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. Sophie has secretly invited guests of her own however, bringing back three men from Donna’s past to the paradise they visited 20 years ago. Over 24 magical hours, new love blooms on this lush island full of possibilities.

“I am so excited to be back to play Donna,” exclaims Scott. “It’s so meta! This summer I am playing a woman who escapes to a beautiful island to make a living and support her family and here I am, a woman coming to beautiful P.E.I. to make a living and support my family! What? Am I the winner and did I just take it all? Yes Rose!”

Joining her as the Dynamos are Nicola Dawn Brook (Rosie) and Jan Alexandra Smith (Tanya). Smith co-starred in Alice last year as the Red Queen and has appeared in Anne™ in Charlottetown over multiple seasons as Miss Stacey, Mrs. Sloane, and Mrs. Spencer. The Toronto native has performed across Canada, including with the Shaw Festival, Theatre Calgary, Stage West, Theatre 20, and more. This marks Brook’s debut with the Festival, having recently played ‘Trish’ in Mirvish’s blockbuster Kinky Boots. She has also performed in her native U.K. on London’s West End and others with Prince of Wales, Victoria Palace, and Theatre Cymru, as well as film and TV roles in Sweeney Todd and The X-Factor.

Supported by production sponsor, Tim Horton’s, Mamma Mia! plays from June 1 to September 3, 2016 in the Homburg Theatre. Confederation Centre wishes to recognize CIBC as the returning title sponsor of The Charlottetown Festival. The Centre also acknowledges the Department of Canadian Heritage; the Government of P.E.I., through the Department of Education, Early Learning, and Culture, and the City of Charlottetown for their continued support. Media sponsors are The Guardian, Hot 105.5, Ocean 100, and CTV.