Curated by Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli
Lost generations come to life with excerpts from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues. A play woven together with fantastic songs including “Am I Blue?”, “Beale Street Blues,” “Ain’t We Got Fun” and the gospel hymn “If Only I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again”.
An inspiration throughout the ages … Beethoven’s ninth sonata for violin and piano was dedicated to Rodolphe Kreutzer in 1805, a violinist internationally renowned for his virtuosity. This sonata went on to inspire Leo Tolstoy’s novella which in turn inspired Leoš Janáček’s first string quartet – all sharing the same title of The Kreutzer Sonata. We give it a further twist: a dramatic journey of music and text featuring the Blue Spruce Quartet as well as members of the Shaw Ensemble.
The Duke’s back! Our 2020 Duke Ellington concert returns with a bonus … music from two other composers: Irene Higginbotham, an early 20th century African-American songwriter and concert pianist and Irene Kitchings, an African-American jazz pianist, bandleader and songwriter. This musical revue will feature a seven-piece band to get your toe tapping.
A warrior princess in love! A play in one act by Rabindranath Tagore and directed by Shaw Associate Artistic Director Kimberley Rampersad (Holiday Inn, 2019 and Man and Superman, 2019). Based on a story from the Mahabharata, Chitra, a female warrior and the beautiful daughter of the king of the country, tries to attract the interest of Arjuna, despite being raised as a boy and her father’s heir.
Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by JOHN WEIDMAN
ASSASSINS is based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr.
Playwrights Horizons, Inc. – New York City
Produced ASSASSINS Off-Broadway in 1990
Original Orchestrations by Michael Starobin
Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin
First Broadway Production, 2004
Roundabout Theatre Company
Todd Haimes, Artistic Director
Deadly good! Weidman and Sondheim create a carnival show, in which the nine assassins and would-be assassins, from John Wilkes Booth to Sara Jane Moore, tell their stories. Features all the songs from Assassins, including “Another National Anthem,” and “Unworthy of Your Love”.
Sponsored by James F. Brown
ASSASSINS in Concert is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
mtishows.com
It’s not just a fair — it’s a Shavian affair! If you love Bernard Shaw, the spoken word, and wrestling big ideas to the ground, this one-of-a-kind fair is for you! Join us on the lush grounds of the Festival Theatre. The stage will be set for an enchanting, hour-long event where the audience will gather in groups for guided journeys throughout the fairground, from one entertainment area to the next, similar to the Fairground. The big difference? This is a GBS-focused affair featuring provocative art and lively music from the period of GBS, his contemporaries, and from other periods that connect to Shavian themes and ideas. It will have all the splendid charm and wit of a Victorian fair, with lots of surprises.
Not just any old fair, mind you. This one has been created by a rather special bunch — The Shaw Ensemble. A musical fanfare will give you a fitting welcome, then you and your gang (the audience will be divided into groups), will be led on a guided journey throughout the fairground, where you will encounter music, poetry, dance and more besides. Our skill at choreography will ensure that groups are kept separate as they flow from one delight to the next, before coming (almost) together for an exhilarating finale. Be warned: there is so much talent here that no two shows will be the same. You may have to come to the Fair twice – or more.
Created and performed by Alexandra Montagnese and Mike Petersen
Original music and sound design by Ryan Cowl
Commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival
Directed by Tim Carroll
From the Maid of the Mist to Laura Secord to the founding of the Shaw Festival, A Short History of Niagara is a charming thirty minutes of pure storytelling, the rich history of our region brought to life by wordless puppets.
Age recommendation: 4+
This production is generously supported by the Niagara Region, presented in partnership with Parks Canada and sponsored by the Humeniuk Foundation.
Join us for an evening of Jazz hosted by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza, featuring members of the Shaw Orchestra and special guests.
Sponsored by CRITELLI’S FINE FURNITURE
An intimate and interactive evening of songs and stories. Company members sing songs from their audition songbooks and tell the stories that go with those songs, hosted by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza.
Food! Refreshments! Live Music!
Thursdays from July 22 to September 2.
Open to all, no theatre ticket required.
Classical music concerts performed by a string quartet, members of the Shaw Festival Orchestra.
