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2019 / 20 MUSIC DIRECTION, VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS & ORCHESTRATIONS BY REZA JACOBS NOVEMBER 47 PRODUCED BY #UNCOVERED KOERNER HALL, TELUS CENTRE FOR PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING 273 BLOOR STREET WEST UNCOVERED AT PRESENTING UNCOVERED UNCOVERED KOERNER HALL SEASON PRODUCING LEADING The Haynes-Connell PRODUCTION Anonymous SPONSOR PATRON LIGHTS SPONSOR Foundation MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 1 2019-10-25 12:04 PM Cue the lights Raise the curtain Get ready for an unforgettable performance! CIBC is pleased to support The Musical Stage Company’s 13th annual signature concert spotlighting the hit songs from two hugely influential musical artists, Stevie Wonder and Prince, as part of our continued commitment to the arts. Together, we are fostering a vibrant musical theatre community in Toronto. The CIBC logo is a registered trademark of CIBC. MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 2 2019-10-25 12:04 PM WELCOME TO UNCOVERED: STEVIE WONDER & PRINCE 2019 / 20 When Prince died at the age of opportunity to not only revel in the music of two of 57 in April 2016, Stevie Wonder the most bold and important artists of our time, delivered emotional tributes on but to imagine how each was shaped by the work LETTER FROM THE MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY ARTISTIC & MANAGING DIRECTOR MANAGING & ARTISTIC COMPANY STAGE MUSICAL THE FROM LETTER CNN, CBS, and in Rolling Stone. of the other. During his life, Prince called Stevie Wonder “a role model,” In UNCOVERED, we celebrate great music while and those sentiments were focusing on story, letting our musical approach be returned in spades through Wonder’s poetic and inspired and led by the lyrics. In the case of both profound eulogies. Revealing a deep and personal Stevie Wonder and Prince, the stories they told friendship, Wonder noted: “I’m just glad I was able in their songs are astoundingly rich and singular. to say to him ‘I love you’ when I last saw him.” How lucky we are that thanks to their individual artistry and mutual admiration, we get to forever Celebrity artists like Stevie Wonder and Prince experience these glorious masterpieces. serve as inspirations to millions of listeners. But Enjoy the show! we rarely stop to think about who inspires the artists that move us. While Stevie Wonder and Mitchell Marcus Prince played together publicly a handful of times (including in a top-secret performance for Barack and Michelle Obama in 2015), Wonder’s tearful interviews at a time of great tragedy illuminate the deep friendship and mutual admiration that THE ROGER & KEVIN GARLAND ARTISTIC & MANAGING DIRECTOR, existed between the two artists. Pairing Stevie THE MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY Wonder with Prince in UNCOVERED gives us the LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT PERFORMANCE NOTE The Musical Stage Company performs in As part of UNCOVERED, we ask actors venues both traditional and surprising. to perform quotes from the featured With gratitude and respect, we songwriters, bringing the essence acknowledge that Toronto is in the “Dish and spirit of these iconic artists to With One Spoon Territory.” The Dish the evening, without striving for With One Spoon is a treaty between the impersonation. Anishinaabe Nation, Mississaugas of the New Credit, and Haudenosaunee In UNCOVERED: STEVIE WONDER Confederacy that bound them to share & PRINCE, we recognize that Stevie the territory and protect the land. Wonder’s lifelong blindness is a key Subsequent Indigenous Nations and aspect of his life. While tonight, a seeing peoples, Europeans, and all newcomers, actor will wear sunglasses to evoke have been invited into this treaty in Stevie Wonder’s iconic look, the actor the spirit of peace, friendship, and will not be playing blind. While we do not respect. We recognize the presence wish to erase Wonder’s disability, we also and endurance of all Indigenous people do not wish to perform disability with on and off this land, both recorded and non-disabled actors. unrecorded, upon which we are privileged to be able to live, work, and play. 3 MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 3 2019-10-25 12:04 PM The Musical Stage Company presents Music Direction, Vocal Arrangements & Orchestrations by REZA JACOBS* BILLING Dramaturgy by MITCHELL MARCUS** & KEVIN WONG STARRING THOM ALLISON, COLIN ASUNCION, AIMEE BESSADA, JULLY BLACK, DIVINE BROWN, LYDIA PERSAUD,JACKIE RICHARDSON & CARY SHIELDS with background vocals by MICHELLE BOUEY & ALANA HIBBERT† and SARAH AFFUL as Stevie Wonder and CHY RYAN SPAIN as Prince ORCHESTRA Piano & Conductor Percussion Basses Cellos REZA JACOBS* JAMIE DRAKE*** JUSTIN GRAY ERIKA NIELSEN CREATIVE & PRODUCTION TEAM Staging Script ELENNA MOSOFF & MITCHELL MARCUS JASON SPETTER & KEVIN WONG Lighting Design Supervisor Lighting Designer Stage Manager MATT BIRNBAUM CHRIS MALKOWSKI AJ LAFLAMME Music Assistant Stylist Blind Disability Dramaturg Production Assistant JONATHAN CORKAL CHANTELLE HINDS JESSICA WATKIN ROBYNNE HARDER for SHARON ANGELA * The Fine Furneaux Director of Music ** The Roger & Kevin Garland Artistic & Managing Director *** Additional orchestrations, drum, and percussion arrangements by Jamie Drake † The 2019–20 Diana Bennett & Spencer Lanthier Featured Performer The Musical Stage The Musical The musicians engaged in this Company engages, Stage Company production are members of the under the terms of is a member Toronto Musicians’ Association the Independent Theatre Agreement, of the Toronto Alliance for the (TMA) Local 149 of the Canadian actors and stage managers who are Performing Arts (TAPA). Federation of Musicians and American members of the Canadian Actors’ Federation of Musicians. Equity Association (CAEA). 4 MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 4 2019-10-25 12:04 PM SONGS FEATURED IN UNCOVERED SONGS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER 2019 / 20 STEVIE WONDER PRINCE For Once in My Life How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? JACKIE RICHARDSON JULLY BLACK I Wish Kiss BILLING DIVINE BROWN DIVINE BROWN* Knocks Me O My Feet Little Red Corvette THOM ALLISON AIMEE BESSADA Living for the City / Village Ghetto Land Manic Monday THOM ALLISON, COLIN ASUNCION, JULLY BLACK, THOM ALLISON ALANA HIBBERT Nothing Compares 2 U My Cherie Amour CARY SHIELDS, LYDIA PERSAUD JULLY BLACK Purple Rain Part-Time Lover JACKIE RICHARDSON AIMEE BESSADA Raspberry Beret Saturn CARY SHIELDS CARY SHIELDS When Doves Cry Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day AIMEE BESSADA, DIVINE BROWN, LYDIA LYDIA PERSAUD PERSAUD Sir Duke *movement created by DIVINE BROWN in collaboration with TRAVIS KNIGHTS FULL CAST Superstition COLIN ASUNCION The text featured in UNCOVERED: STEVIE WONDER & PRINCE has been curated from actual quotes spoken by Stevie Wonder & Prince. All vocal arrangements have been created in collaboration with the performing artists. Background vocals co-created and performed by MICHELLE BOUEY & ALANA HIBBERT. Running time is approximately 120 Cell phones and other electronic minutes. There will be one 20 minute devices are distracting for actors and intermission. audience members, please turn them off during the show. As a courtesy to the audience and artists, latecomers will be seated at an Videotaping or other video/audio appropriate break in the performance, recording of this production is strictly * The Fine Furneaux Director of Music if possible. prohibited. ** The Roger & Kevin Garland Artistic & Managing Director *** Additional orchestrations, drum, and percussion arrangements by Jamie Drake † The 2019–20 Diana Bennett & Spencer Lanthier Featured Performer SPECIAL THANKS Sara Baker Sarah & David Kledia Verria The Sta at RCM & Megan Deeks Macdonald Fred Yurichuk the TELUS Centre Barb Onrot for Performance & Clare Dennis Learning Travis Knights Alison Rampersad John & Patti Loach Jason Spetter 5 MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 5 2019-10-25 12:04 PM THE HISTORY OF UNCOVERED For 13 extraordinary years, The Musical Stage Company has UnCovered the catalogues of The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Michael Jackson, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, Sting, The Police, Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and Prince. SPRING 2012 THE HISTORY OF UNCOVERED OF HISTORY THE SPRING 20102011 SPRING 2009 FALL 2007 PHOTO BY JOANNA AYKOL. KOERNER HALL AT THE TELUS CENTRE FOR PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING. UNCOVERED moves PHOTO COURTESY OF THE to the stunning MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE and acoustically RANDOLPH THEATRE (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE BATHURST ST. magnifi cent Koerner THEATRE). UNCOVERED becomes Hall for a one- PHOTO COURTESY OF PHIL’S BLOG. an annual fundraiser night-only concert, Following the for The Musical Stage featuring the music of The fi rst UNCOVERED great success Company, spotlighting John Lennon & Paul concert is held at the of UNCOVERED: Michael Jackson in McCartney, reaching now-closed Diesel THE BEATLES, 2010 and Joni Mitchell 1000 Toronto music Playhouse as a one- UNCOVERED returns & Leonard Cohen in lovers. night only concert with a reimagined 2011. benefi t, featuring the look at the songs of The Beatles catalogues of Simon interpreted for an & Garfunkel, this audience of 387. time at the Bathurst Street Theatre, bringing the concert to 500 people. 666 MUSC 21 - Uncovered Programme -Oct2019-R8.indd 6 2019-10-25 12:04 PM FALL 2019 THE HISTORY OF UNCOVERED 2019 / 20 FALL THE HISTORY OF UNCOVERED OF HISTORY THE 20172018 FALL 20132017 PHOTO BY DAHLIA KATZ. FALL 2012 UNCOVERED returns for an unprecedented six nights across Koerner Hall and the George Weston PHOTO BY JONATHAN CASTELLINO. Recital Hall as one of Following the most anticipated extraordinary cultural events of PHOTO BY JOANNA AYKOL. demand, UNCOVERED the fall in Toronto, connecting an UNCOVERED returns adds performances anticipated 5000 to Koerner Hall, at the George PHOTO BY JOANNA AYKOL. music lovers to the growing from a one- Weston Recital Hall, and tours to the songs of Stevie The Musical Stage night-only event to Burlington Performing Wonder & Prince. Company transforms a three-night series Arts Centre and UNCOVERED from a as The Musical Stage Mississauga’s Living fundraiser into a fully Company’s signature Arts Centre, reaching conceived original annual concert, 4000 people from concert each season, reaching 3000 across the GTA.