Lezlie Wade News

Final casting has been announced for BLAME CANADA!, an evening featuring the best in Canadian musical theatre happening at 54 BELOW on Monday, June 15 at 9:30pm. Clyde Alves, who currently stars as Ozzie in the Broadway revival of On The Town, hosts the evening that celebrates work by members of the Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective (CMTWC).

The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University will workshop and present a staged reading of the new musical "The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz" written by the Fred Ebb Award, Jonathan Larson Grant and Lorenz Hart Award-winning team Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. 

The 2015 Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario is shaping up to be a great mix of Shavian classics, an American musical, Canadian premieres and cutting edge modern day drama. Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell will be leaving after the 2016 Season and is working hard to program an uniquely balanced season, while also hoping to fulfill all of her artistic desires before her tenure ends. The company mandate is: ' The Shaw Festival is a theatre company inspired by the work of Bernard Shaw. We produce plays from and about his era and contemporary plays that share Shaw's provocative exploration of society and celebration of humanity.'

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) has announced its list of participating playwrights in the 2015 Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop (NPW).

I am pleased to announce the nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto Regional Awards. The response this year from Toronto's theatre community and fans has been incredible. The BroadwayWorld Awards are an award decided by the fans - from nominations all the way to selecting the final winner.

The Shaw Festival today announced principal casting and creative team details for its 54th season.

I am a huge fan of the Toronto Fringe Festival! It's a great platform for new shows to be presented to audiences. Some get picked up for the Mirvish Season - or by other theatre companies, and one has even made it all the way to Broadway (The Drowsy Chaperone.)

SummerWorks Performance Festival returns for its 24th year August 7 -17, 2014. This year's season is sure to thrill with exciting changes, a crop of new works and moments of intensity, self-discovery and much more waiting to be discovered. SummerWorks is excited to announce its new Hub at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St W), where they will host Live Art programming throughout the 2014 Festival, replacing last year's Performance Bar. SummerWorks is also pleased to return to venues such as Theatre Passe Muraille (16 Ryerson Ave), the Lower Ossington Theatre (100 Ossington Ave) and the Scotiabank Studio Theatre (6 Noble St).

Acting Up Stage Company, Toronto's premiere not-for-profit musical theatre, culminates their 10th Anniversary Season with a reimagined production of William Finn's Elegies: A Song Cycle. Director Lezlie Wade will remount her 2007 sold-out, smash hit production (which also launched Acting Up Stage as Toronto's go-to company for contemporary musical theatre) alongside an entirely new design team while reuniting most of the performers from this landmark production.

Acting Up Stage Company, Toronto's premiere not-for-profit musical theatre, culminates their 10th Anniversary Season with a reimagined production of William Finn's Elegies: A Song Cycle. Director Lezlie Wade will remount her 2007 sold-out, smash hit production (which also launched Acting Up Stage as Toronto's go-to company for contemporary musical theatre) alongside an entirely new design team while reuniting most of the performers from this landmark production.

'Omigod you guys!' Legally Blonde: The Musical is coming to the Randolph Theatre! The hysterical, uplifting, and award-winning musical features the Randolph Academy College Program's Class of 2013 under the direction of Dora Award nominee Lezlie Wade (Asst. Director, Jesus Christ Superstar, Stratford/Broadway), with musical direction by Lily Ling (Canadian Premieres of The Light in the Piazza, Parade, Acting Upstage) and choreography by Ovation Award winner Jason Franco. Legally Blonde: The Musical opens August 1, 2013, at 8 p.m. and continues to August 10 at the Randolph Theatre, 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto. 'Are you psyched, or what?' August 1-3, 8-10 at 8 p.m. August 3 and 10 at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.ca or call 1-855-985-2787.

George Turnbull will present a workshop presentation of a new musical adaptation of Stephen Leacock's anthology Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town 4 PM today, February 24th at Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Boulevard, Toronto.

George Turnbull will present a workshop presentation of a new musical adaptation of Stephen Leacock's anthology Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town 4 PM February 24th at Humber Valley United Church, 76 Anglesey Boulevard, Toronto.

Christopher Plummer, one of theatre's greatest classical actors, takes us on an autobiographical journey through the literature that has stirred his imagination since youth. The one-man show, which is directed by Artistic Director Des McAnuff, begins previews at the Avon Theatre tonight, July 25.

Presented last December to sold out houses at Sheridan College's Oakville campus, Theatre Sheridan transfers its production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT to Toronto's Panasonic Theatre tonight, May 16, where it runs through to May 27 (preview May 15). Tickets go on sale TODAY through mirvish.com or call TicketKing at 416.872.1212.

Theatre Sheridan today announced the extension of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT for one week even before it opens! RENT was presented last December to sold out houses at Sheridan College's Oakville campus, and is being transferring to Toronto's Panasonic Theatre where it opens May 16 (preview May 15). With the extension, it will now run through to June 3 (instead of May 27). Tickets are on sale through mirvish.com or TicketKing at 416.872.1212.

The Stage Managers' Association (Jon Goldman, Chairman) announced today that it will hold its annual look at life from the other side of the curtain, Theater: A View From the Wings, on Monday, March 5 at Connolly's Irish Pub (121 West 45th Street) from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.

Presented last December to sold out houses at Sheridan College's Oakville campus, Theatre Sheridan will transfer its production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT to Toronto's Panasonic Theatre, where it opens May 16 and runs through to May 27 (preview May 15). Tickets go on sale TODAY through mirvish.com or call TicketKing at 416.872.1212.

The Stage Managers' Association (Jon Goldman, Chairman) announced today that it will hold its annual look at life from the other side of the curtain, Theater: A View From the Wings, on Monday, March 5 at Connolly's Irish Pub (121 West 45th Street) from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.

It was announced today that The Stratford Shakespeare Festival's hit production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Festival's Artistic Director Des McAnuff, will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway on Thursday, March 22, 2012. Previews will begin Thursday, March 1, 2012.