Issue #212: April 15, 2008

• Well the next movie to stage is on its way….Shrek the Musical is scheduled to hit Broadway on December 14 with Brian d’Arcy James in the starring role.

• Look for a revival of August Wilson’s Fences with Suzan-Lori Parks in the directors chair. The hope is for it to be on the 2008-09 season.

• The yummy Gabriel Byrne returns to the stage as King Arthur in a concert performance of Camelot at Lincoln Center May 7 to 10.

• It looks like Tom Cruise’s better half Katie Holmes is looking at a role in the upcoming revival of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, which is tentatively penciled in for the fall.

• Mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh is bringing back his fabulous revival of Oliver! to Drury Lane in July….once Lord of the Rings takes its final bow. Mackintosh has brought the very busy Matthew Bourne (Swan Lake, Edward Scissorhands) on board to co-direct and choreograph the classic musical. On casting it seems the role of Fagin will be none other than Mr. Bean! That’s right….who knew Rowan Atkinson is a closet musical theatre lover.

• It is with great disappointment that we had to cancel this summer’s Camp Broadway in Toronto. Although we had great response from those who attended last year and certainly word of mouth was exceptional, we did not secure the theatre community support we needed in order to move forward. However, we will start plans for camp 2009 and anticipate a relaunch of this very special program.

• P.S. from Webcrone: There is a performance of note happening in Owen Sound that may be of interest to some big city dwellers who think we, in rural Ontario, are bereft of good theatre. An ambitious staging of Hamlet at the Roxy Theatre plays here for the next two weeks with but two professional actors from Stratford Festival fame.  With a simple set and tasteful costumes, the cast has immersed themselves wholeheartedly in this traditional Shakespeare play. Fast-paced and nary a missed cue did I hear at the first matinee this week. Originally composed music added to the enjoyment and at the final curtain the cast danced a jig. And so they should. Owen Sound Little Theatre group is entirely volunteer and has a long history of staging good theatre in a former movie house. This movie house turned theatre is owned by the amateur theatre group, something not many volunteer groups can boast. For more info www.roxytheatre.ca