HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT FALL 2010
ANYTHING GOES
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Original Book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton
and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
*High School Project not included in the Subscription Series
SEPTEMBER 21 – OCTOBER 2
All aboard for hijinx on the S.S. American with Cole Porter’s 1930s musical comedy. Stowaway Billy Crocker is desperate to win the love of heiress Hope Harcourt. There’s just one problem, Hope is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh who isn’t likely to give up his fiancée. With the help of a group of some naughty nautical mates, Billy sets out on an adventurous quest to win Hope’s affections. With exuberant tap dancing and well-known songs “Anything Goes”, “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “It’s Delovely” and many more, the boat will be rocking with rollicking fun
2010*11 MAINSTAGE SUBSCRIPTION SERIES
SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM
A MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
and music by Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers,
Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne
OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 6
A celebration of the music of legendary Stephen Sondheim, this lively review captures and celebrates the many landmark shows of the revolutionary Broadway and film composer’s early career. Selections include songs from Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum as well as the classics written with musical theatre giants Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers including West Side Story, and Gypsy. 
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR® DREAMCOAT
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Tim Rice
Directed by Susan Ferley
NOVEMBER 24 - JANUARY 2
Journey to the sands of ancient Egypt. Joseph is a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams and his coat of many colors makes him the envy of his brothers. They sell him into slavery and ultimately Joseph is imprisoned. Things take a turn, however, when the all-powerful Pharoah is troubled by dreams and Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dream and saves Egypt. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, this fun, family musical is told through a wide range of musical styles including Elvis-inspired rock ‘n’roll, 1920s Charleston, calypso and disco. 
KINGFISHER DAYS
By Susan Coyne. Directed by Susan Ferley
JANUARY 18 - FEBRUARY 5
Amidst the hectic pace of her life, Susan recalls those timeless and luxurious summers of her childhood at the lake. She recalls the summer when she was 5 years old and an inspiring teacher introduced her to a wildly imagined world where magical creatures inhabit and imagination soars instilling a life-long love of literature and the art of writing. 
SHERLOCK HOLMES:
THE FINAL ADVENTURE
By Steven Dietz
Based on the original 1899 play by William Gillette
and Arthur Conan Doyle
FEBRUARY 15 - MARCH 5
The game is afoot and the world’s greatest detective is on the case. Sherlock Holmes, the super sleuth, and his trusty companion, Dr. Watson, confront their greatest adversary, the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty. The King of Bohemia desperately needs Sherlock’s help, while the cunning Irene Adler captivates the affections of Holmes in this adventure filled with intrigue, wit and suspense.
SHIRLEY VALENTINE
By Willy Russell
MARCH 22 - APRIL 9
When a middle-aged Liverpool housewife finds herself in a rut, talking to the wall and wondering what has happened to her life, she doesn’t think twice when a holiday in Greece presents itself. After leaving a note on the table and escaping to the warmth and beauty of Greece, Shirley finds a new perspective and ultimately, herself.
THE HOBBIT
Adapted by Glyn Robbins from the book entitled
“The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Directed by Susan Ferley
APRIL 27 - MAY 26
Bilbo Baggins’ quiet, comfortable life in the safety of the Shire is quickly turned upside down when Gandalf the Wizard and a group of dwarves recruit him. The group sets off on a mission to reclaim the dwarves’ kingdom and treasure. Will this unassuming Hobbit prove himself and triumph over the obstacles and live to return to the longed for comfort of home? On his quest through Middle Earth, Bilbo discovers a magical ring and encounters trolls, elves, goblins and ultimately, the fierce dragon Smaug.
Subscriptions are available now. Single tickets go on sale July 2, 2010. Please call The Grand Theatre Box Office at (519) 672-8800 or visit grandtheatre.com.
2010/11 will be a season of music, mystery and a magical coat
Experience excitement and the spirit of adventure with The Grand Theatre’s 2010/11 MainStage Season.
“Our 2010/11 MainStage Season will be filled with journeys. Both internal and external quests are taken in far away mystical lands, and take a look at who we really are,” Susan Ferley, Artistic Director of The Grand says. The season, she adds, offers entertainment for all ages and interests. “It will be a season full of musicals, mystery, drama, romance and comedy.”
The 2009/10 MainStage Season saw the largest increase in subscribers in 20 years for the theatre and according to Deb Harvey, Executive Director at The Grand, the theatre wants even more individuals to subscribe this coming season. “Subscribers are the heart of any theatre,” Harvey says. “Just as we did last year we are asking our subscribers to renew their own subscriptions and to sell one new subscription to a friend, family member or coworker. Our subscribers love this theatre and have been so helpful in spreading the word about the world-class shows that we produce at The Grand.”
The year begins with a journey to the 1930s with the Fall High School Project, Anything Goes. “This is a classic story of romance and shenanigans,” Artistic Director Susan Ferley says of the lively musical. Audiences will be taken on board the SS American, sailing from New York to London, England. It’s a brash comedy of a love sick Wall Street worker stuck on the ocean liner with his boss and his boss’ daughter – who happens to be the one of his heart’s desires. It’s a story of love and mistaken identity, “Complete with exuberant tap dancing,” Ferley adds. The project will feature the talent of more than 60 local high school students.
The Grand kicks off the MainStage season with Side by Side by Sondheim. The show is a musical revue of the legendary composer Stephen Sondheim. It will feature some of his greatest hits from shows such as: Company, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Gypsy and West Side Story. “Once again we launch a season with the wonderful music of Stephen Sondheim,” she says, reflecting on the 2001 season that opened with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. “He is a witty and clever lyricist,” Ferley notes. “There is both a playful and richness in his music.” The show will feature Sondheim favorites like “Comedy Tonight” (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) and “A Boy Like That” (from West Side Story).
“Next we have a show that appeals across generations,” Ferley says of The Grand’s holiday production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat. It tells the Old Testament Story of Joseph and his 11 brothers taken from the book of Genesis. Joseph is the dreamer and the interpreter of dreams. He takes an inspirational journey from slavery to power and journeys down the path of forgiveness. “It’s a story about triumphing in the face of challenges,” she says. “It is also great fun because it features a range of musical styles,” Ferley says of the holiday production she is set to direct. The Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber Musical showcases familiar songs such as “Any Dream will Do” and “Go, Go, Go Joseph”.
Next we take a trip to cottage country in the Canadian Shield in Kingfisher Days. “This story speaks so profoundly to me because it’s a story of a little girl at her cottage in the Canadian Shield and her name is Susan,” Ferley says, referring to her own childhood in Winnipeg. “We follow a little girl who befriends her neighbor, a retired school teacher, who introduces her to a world of fairies and the language and characters of Shakespeare. Kingfisher Days captures the luxuriousness of time when you’re a child,” The Grand’s Artistic Director explains. “This is a story that speaks to our imagination.”
The season then takes a detour to 221B Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. “It’s a who-dunnit adventure filled with intrigue and mystery,” Ferley explains. Playwright and adapter Steven Dietz took the story from two Holmes stories, A Scandal in Bohemia and The Final Problem. We follow the famous detective Sherlock Holmes on his last case, accompanied by his faithful sidekick Dr. Watson. In this story it seems Holmes has met his match with the genius of crime, Professor Moriarty. “I love that we are doing this show,” Ferley says. “It is a Victorian story, and we are a Victorian theatre. It is a perfect match.”
The theatre is bringing back a patron favourite, Shirley Valentine. Shirley Valentine is a one-woman show about a frustrated housewife who takes an external journey to Greece. “This is where her internal journey takes place; it’s a wonderful tale of self discovery,” Ferley says.
From Greece we travel to the mystical Middle Earth, with one of the greatest fantasy stories of all time: The Hobbit. We follow Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, as his comfortable life is turned upside down when he is recruited by Gandalf the Sorcerer on his quest to fight for their kingdom and treasure. “We are excited to have these characters from The Shire and Middle Earth come to life on The Grand’s MainStage,” says Ferley of The Lord of the Rings prequel.
Join us for a season of adventure! Subscriptions are available now. Single tickets go on sale July 1, 2010. Please call The Grand Theatre Box Office at (519) 672-8800 or visit grandtheatre.com.