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The Musical Stage Company and Yonge Street Theatricals announce a 2-year strategic investment in leading Canadian writers and collaborators.

The Globe and Mail partners for the first year as the inaugural cohort creates musicals inspired by archives from ’s most circulated newspaper. Three new Canadian musicals will debut August 2019 on the 17th floor of Centre following a 10 month residency.

Toronto, ON, November 1, 2018 –The Musical Stage Company, in partnership with Yonge Street Theatricals, announces LAUNCH PAD - an innovative new program that makes a strategic investment in leading Canadian musical theatre writers and collaborators.

Each year for the next two years, LAUNCH PAD will offer a 10-month residency in which musical theatre composers, lyricists and bookwriters navigate a full developmental process, shepherding 30- minute musicals from conception to production with guidance from skilled creative teams and internationally renowned mentors. Recognizing the uniquely collaborative nature of creating new musicals and that the vital skills required to succeed through the process can only be honed through real-time practice, the first two years of LAUNCH PAD will give 6 teams of artists the opportunity to build these tools and showcase their completed work.

The Musical Stage Company Artistic Director, Mitchell Marcus says: “With new Canadian musicals currently gaining global recognition, there is a timely opportunity for Canadian musical theatre on an international scale. We recognize, however, that there is a unique skill set that musical theatre writers require to succeed, which can only be developed through the practice of bringing a new musical to life from start to finish. With so few production opportunities for new musicals, most Canadian musical theatre writers, directors and musical directors do not get the chance to demonstrate and hone this full scope of skills. Launch Pad intends to change that, building a strong army of ‘musical theatre making artists’ to create work for our stage and stages around the world in the years to come.”

Today The Musical Stage Company and Yonge Street Theatricals announced the inaugural cohort of composers, lyricists, bookwriters, directors and musical directors who will participate in the first year. They include: Colleen Dauncey (composer), Tracey Flye (director), Steven Gallagher (bookwriter), Nick Green (bookwriter), Wayne Gwillim (music supervisor/ musical director), Shelley Hanson (music

supervisor/ musical director), Ann Hodges (director), Anika Johnson (composer/lyricist), Barbara Johnston (composer/lyricist), Anton Lipovetsky (composer/lyricist), Jessica Moss (bookwriter), Akiva Romer-Segal (lyricist), Adam Sakiyama (music supervisor/ musical director), and Lezlie Wade (director). New York-based Music Supervisor Lynne Shankel and veteran dramaturge/director Robert McQueen join Launch Pad as Program Directors.

The first LAUNCH PAD cohort of composers, lyricists and bookwriters will work in teams to create original one-act musicals based on breaking news stories selected by staff at The Globe and Mail. The triptych of one-act musicals will debut in August 2019 on the 17th floor of The Globe and Mail Centre set against a stunning downtown backdrop in a public presentation produced in association with The Globe and Mail. In the 10 months leading up to the production, participants will navigate all of the complex milestones of a full musical developmental process, including multiple workshops and a rehearsal process, incorporating over 20 artist-collaborators including directors, musical directors, arrangers, copyists, actors, and musicians. As part of the program, internationally recognized producers and presenters will be invited to attend the final production followed by feedback and networking sessions with participating artists. The final pieces will be recorded and disseminated globally via podcast.

Ticket information for the August 2019 production as well as the cohort of artists for the 2019-20 LAUNCH PAD will be announced in 2019.

LAUNCH PAD is a new collaboration between The Musical Stage Company and commercial producers Yonge Street Theatricals (, Life After).

For The Musical Stage Company, this strategic initiative is enabled through a 2-year commitment from a group of private and public champions led by BMO Financial Group and with critical support from Leading Lights: William J.S. Boyle C.M.; Di Bartolomeo, Di Lorenzo-Graham Foundation; and Lucy White.

For The Musical Stage Company, LAUNCH PAD is the newest addition to its robust portfolio of programs and initiatives designed to make Canadian artists leaders in musical theatre. Since the company’s expansion and rebranding 18 months ago, The Musical Stage Company has increased its annual investment in writers by 290% and inaugurated The Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund for New Musicals to commission new work, The Crescendo Series to provide a multi-year residency for a composer with a commitment to produce their work, and continued its NoteWorthy program to provide foundational skills to artists interested in writing musicals. Notable milestones include Britta Johnson’s LIFE AFTER, the first musical in The Crescendo Series, being recognized with 6 Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2018 including Outstanding Musical Production and Best New Musical. LIFE AFTER is slated for production in Spring 2019 at ’s The Old Globe Theatre – a Tony Award-winning institution that has sent 23 musicals to Broadway. As well, The Musical Stage Company recently closed the twice-extended world premiere musical DR. SILVER: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE by Anika Johnson & Britta Johnson in co-production with Outside The March.

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ABOUT THE MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY The Musical Stage Company is the largest and leading charitable musical theatre company in Canada. Established in 2004, we strive to make Canada a leader in musical theatre.

We believe it’s better with music.

We are inspired by music’s unique ability to viscerally affect people and are committed to cultivating experiences – onstage and off – that transform lives, build empathy and create community through musical theatre.

We incubate new Canadian musicals from development to production, investing in Canadian musical theatre writers and building national and international partnerships. Our musical productions – including award-winning contemporary musicals, world premieres and concerts – are seen live by 30,000 people over the 80+ nights that we are onstage annually in venues both traditional and surprising. To date, our work has been recognized with 82 Dora Award nominations, 18 Dora Awards and 16 Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards.

Our robust education programs develop the artists and audiences of tomorrow, offering musical theatre training that boosts self-confidence and self-expression for over 200 young people each year without cost to the participants. We also curate innovative musical programs in partnership with diverse organizations, maximizing the resonance of our work across disciplines and communities. For more information visit: www.musicalstagecompany.com

ABOUT YONGE STREET THEATRICALS

Yonge Street Theatricals is a Dora Award winning and Tony Award nominated production company led by Linda Barnett and Natalie Bartello. The duo have been working together, in new musical development, at the grassroots level for the last twelve years. They develop original musicals and support and nurture exceptional works from the earliest stages. At the heart of their mission they strive to collaborate with the most exciting and engaging theatre professionals with an eye for shows that appeal to all ages.

Linda’s former company Stage Kids was the starting ground for many award winning Canadian actors. They created and produced 17 new musicals in an 18 year period. Stage Kids provided a place for youth across the city of Toronto to receive a free education in musical theatre.

Natalie is an alumna of York University’s BFA Theatre program and of the Commercial Theatre Institute (). Past producing highlights include the Canadian National Tour of Defending the Caveman and the original Toronto production of Evil Dead The Musical.

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Current YST projects include: Come From Away in Toronto and on Broadway (Best Musical *Tony Award Nomination, * Winner, *Dora Award Winner); Something This Way Comes (*11 Barrymore Award nominations including Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical) based on the Ray Bradbury novel, book and music by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill; Life After, a new musical by Britta Johnson, Upcoming American premiere March 29 2019 at The Old Globe in San Diego (6 Dora Awards including Outstanding Production of a Musical * – Top 11 Stage Shows of 2017, *The Globe and Mail – Best Theatre of 2017); Pollyanna a new musical by Steven Gallagher and Linda Barnett (short-listed for the Stage West Best New Musical Award); Wally Flynn an original musical by Steven Gallagher and Eli Bolin; and a new untitled musical by & (creators of Come From Away).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Colleen Dauncey and Akiva Romer Segal (Composer and Lyricist) Colleen Dauncey (Music) and Akiva Romer-Segal (Lyrics) have written the scores to Bremen Rock City, Going Under, Rumspringa Break! and Prom Queen (2016 New Musical Award - Playwrights Guild of Canada). Their work has been featured in the NAMT Festival of New Musicals, Cutting-Edge Composers (54 Below, NYC), Blame Canada (International), and Touch Me: Songs for a (dis)Connected Age (Theatre Calgary, Betty Mitchell nominations). They are alumni of the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project (Chicago), the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at (Connecticut), Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project, The Musical Stage Company’s NoteWorthy, and Theatre 20’s Composium. www.colleenandakiva.com

Tracey Flye (Director) Tracey is one of Canada’s busiest and most respected directors and choreographers with credits that span over 180 productions internationally. Selected credits include: We Will Rock You (Toronto, South Africa, Asia, US National/Broadway tour), (The Grand Theatre/RMTC), Million Dollar Quartet (Charlottetown Festival), (Rainbow Stage), ( Opera), Buyer & Cellar, Venus in Fur (ATP), Cabaret, Billy Elliot, Jane Eyre, The Penelopiad, The 39 Steps (RMTC), Kiss Me Kate and Evita for the Stratford Festival. Tracey continues her 17-year association with Ross Petty Productions and their Annual Toronto tradition of the Christmas Panto.

Steven Gallagher (Bookwriter) Steven is a writer, actor and director based in Toronto. His award winning play, Stealing Sam, made its American premiere in 2014 where it won Best Drama at the United Solo Festival in New York. Pollyanna, written with Linda Barnett, was shortlisted for Playwrights Guild of Canada best new musical. Drama 101, written with Kevin Wong, premiered in Toronto in June 2017. His musical, The Last Party, written with Nicky Phillips, premiered at the Toronto Fringe in 2018. He is the recipient of a 2013 Harold Award.

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Nick Green (Bookwriter) Nick is a Dora and Sterling Award-winning playwright. Recent credits include In Real Life (book and co- lyrics, CMTP); Dinner with the Duchess (Next Stage 2019); Body Politic (Buddies in Bad Times/lemonTree; Dora award – Outstanding New Play); and Poof! The Musical (book and lyrics, Capitol Theatre; Sterling Award nomination – Outstanding New Work).

Wayne Gwillim (Music Supervisor/Musical Director) Wayne Gwillim works as a conductor, keyboardist, programmer, copyist, and arranger. Credits include , Teatro Proscenium, Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Charlottetown Festival, Disney Cruise Lines, The Musical Stage Company. Originally from Saskatchewan, Wayne is a graduate of University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music.

Shelley Hanson (Music Supervisor/ Musical Director) Widely respected as a music director, conductor, keyboardist, and aspiring sous-chef. Favourite credits: Grey Gardens (The Musical Stage Company), Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard (Livent), National Ballet of Canada, Chantal Kreviazuk In Concert. Also: Bakkhai, , (Stratford). U.S. national tours: , , , (Chicago).

Ann Hodges (Director) Ann directed Grey Gardens for The Musical Stage Company (2016). She directs plays, musicals and operas across Canada including at The Citadel Theatre, Charlottetown Festival, Blyth Festival, Royal Theatre Centre, Great Canadian Theatre Company, Rainbow Stage, Sheridan, Prairie Theatre Exchange, and Vancouver Opera. Ann has a for developing new works and is thrilled to be part of Launch Pad.

Anika Johnson & Barbara Johnston (Composers/Lyricists) Johnson and Johnston (no relation) are a Dora Award-winning team of writer/director/performers who collaborate in many ways, most recently on Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life which Anika wrote (with her sister Britta) and Barb developed from its origin as choreographer and assistant director. Shared writing credits include Blood Ties, Summerland, and One Small Step; Anika and Barb can also be seen together on stage in Toronto and internationally as Sporty and Ginger in Wannabe: The Spice Girls Tribute Band.

Anton Lipovetsky (Composer/Lyricist) Anton is a composer and performer based in Vancouver. His composition credits include Elbow Room Cafe (ZeeZee), Best Laid Plans (Touchstone/Patrick Street), cool beans (Solo Collective), Broken Sex Doll (Virtual Stage/Jessie Award) and FLOP! (Delinquent). He is a graduate of the Stratford Birmingham Conservatory and Studio 58.

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Jessica Moss (Bookwriter) Jessica Moss writes emotional feminist comedy. She has developed work with Roundabout Theatre, Rattlestick Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Conference, The Juilliard School, and more. She also acts, produces with her company, Theatre Mischief, and writes lyrics.

Adam Sakiyama (Music Supervisor / Musical Director) For The Musical Stage Company: Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life (Accompanist/Conductor/Apprentice Musical Director). Select theatre credits: Music Director – Polly Peel (Toronto Fringe); Clouds Over TO! (Guild Festival Theatre); Composer – In Between (National Ballet of Canada); Exterminating Angel (Alysa Pires Dance Projects); Quench (Axon Interactive); Robin Hood (Annex Children’s Theatre). Additional credits: Lead Producer & Arranger for Super Simple Songs, one of the most watched educational YouTube channels.

Lezlie Wade (Director) Six seasons at the Stratford Festival where she recently directed An Ideal Husband and H.M.S. Pinafore. Two seasons at the Shaw Festival directing The Twelve Pound Look and The Yalta Game (Director’s Project). Other directing credits include: Elegies and A Man of No Importance– The Musical Stage Company, Dream A Little Dream – The Grand Theatre.

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