Previews begin at the Shaw Festival for ’s musical adventure

Media Release #6

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, March 27, 2008 … The Shaw Festival celebrates the start of its 47th season on Tuesday with a preview performance of Leonard Bernstein’s musical Wonderful Town at the Festival Theatre.

In 1935, sisters Eileen (Chilina Kennedy) and Ruth (Lisa Horner), young and full of dreams, arrive in fresh off the bus from Columbus, Ohio. Landing in , they encounter a lively world full of artists, bohemians and all manner of colourful characters. The next day, the girls set out to conquer the city. Ruth is a writer, Eileen is an actress and both struggle to make their mark. But to Ruth, things always seem a bit easier for the beautiful Eileen. Seen through the eyes of these two young hopefuls, New York has never seemed more charming, vibrant or fun.

Wonderful Town began life as a series of short stories published in The New Yorker in the 1930s. Ruth McKenney, an Ohio journalist, had moved to New York with her sister to be a serious writer, but it was her funny stories about life with her beautiful sister for which she became famous. In 1938 they were collected as a book, . The book became a best-seller and led to a play, a movie, a television show and the 1953 musical Wonderful Town, with a dazzling score by Leonard Bernstein.

Some of the characters Ruth and Eileen encounter in their new world are Jay Turvey as Robert Baker, Thom Marriott as Wreck, Thom Allison as Chick Clark, Neil Barclay as Mr. Appopolous, Gabrielle Jones as Mrs. Wade, Lorne Kennedy as Speedy Valenti, Jeff Madden as Frank Lippencott, Glynis Ranney as Helen Wade and William Vickers as Officer John Lonigan. The cast also includes Kawa Ada, Deborah Hay, Melanie Janzen, Billy Lake, Ali Momen, Mike Nadajewski, Melanie Phillipson, Micheal Querin, Kiera Sangster, Justin Stadnyk, Ken James Stewart, Jacqueline Thair and Mark Uhre.

Wonderful Town is directed by acclaimed director Roger Hodgman, director of The Shaw’s hit 2000 musical She Loves Me, with musical direction and orchestrations by Paul Sportelli, choreography by Jane Johanson, set design by William Schmuck, costume design by Judith Bowden, lighting design by Louise Guinand and sound design by John Lott. The stage management team includes Stage Manager Judy Farthing and Assistant Stage Managers Amy Jewell and Rebecca Miller.

Wonderful Town begins preview performances Tuesday, April 1; opens Saturday, May 24; and plays in repertory until Sunday, October 5. Wonderful Town is sponsored by Lombard Insurance.

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Wonderful Town book by and (based upon the play My Sister Eileen by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov and the stories by Ruth McKenney) music by Leonard Bernstein lyrics by and sketches for “What a Waste” by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

The 2008 season is proudly presented by HSBC Bank Canada/HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

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Please visit our website at www.shawfest.com for other Shaw Festival media releases.

For more information, or to download images from our image bank to accompany this release, members of the media may contact:

Odette Yazbeck Patti Broughton Public Relations Director Public Relations Co-ordinator 905-468-2153 or 905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext. 222 1-800-657-1106 ext. 224 [email protected] [email protected]