From Press Release
The Mirvish Family Celebrates a Milestone
50 YEARS OF THEATRE
Announcing the Mirvish 2013-2014 Season
14 Shows
Including LES MISÉRABLES, Disney’s ALADDIN,
ONCE and Disney’s THE LION KING
Main Season – 7 Shows from only $135
Off-Mirvish Season – 3 Shows from $99
Plus 4 Bonus Shows
Fifty years ago an adventure in theatre began. Ed Mirvish purchased the beautiful Royal Alexandra Theatre on King Street West. Nestled in the middle of a disused industrial area, the theatre, like the neighbourhood, had been neglected for years. Mirvish restored and renovated the theatre, and revitalized the area. Today the neighbourhood is unrecognizable. Similarly, Mirvish launched a new era in Toronto theatre, ushering in a local commercial segment, which helped to grow the talent pool and the industry to one of the largest and best in the world.
What began with one venue has now grown to four distinct theatres in Toronto – The Royal Alexandra, The Princess of Wales, The Panasonic and, of course, The Ed Mirvish, formerly the Canon, which was renamed in honour of one of Toronto’s most beloved city boosters.
Over the years, the Mirvish family has also influenced theatre in many other centres. For 15 years, the family owned and operated one of the most famous theatres in the world, The Old Vic, and have produced and presented hundreds of shows in New York, across Canada and elsewhere.
For its 50th year, the Mirvish family will present 14 shows in Toronto – its biggest season ever.
Part of the success of Mirvish’s theatre business is due to subscription. For one low price subscribers can experience a variety of shows from around the world. Subscription is a tradition that exists to this day and is among the most popular in North America, with 40,000 subscribers.
Last year, a second subscription was added. The Off-Mirvish Season complements the main stage season and offers a more intimate and bold experience.
The combined Mirvish Subscription Seasons for 2013-2014 add up to 10 wondrous shows. Plus, there are four non-subscription shows. All together these 14 shows – some old, some new; some large, some more intimate – promise a year of thrilling theatrical adventure.
“It’s been an exhilarating half-century of unforgettable memories,” said David Mirvish. “An adventure that will continue in our new theatre seasons.”
CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S Acclaimed new production of BOUBLIL & SCHÖNBERG’S
LES MISÉRABLES
BEGINS OCT 2013
PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE
Canadian Premiere of 25th Anniversary Production
Cameron Mackintosh presents his acclaimed new production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.
This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and for the last two and a half years has broken box office records right across North America as well as internationally.
The New York Times calls this production of LES MISÉRABLES “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five-star hit, astonishingly powerful.” The Star-Ledger says “a dynamically re-imagined hit. This LES MISÉRABLES has improved with age,” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: ‘Les Mis’ is born again.”
Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score ofLES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master of the House” and many more.
DISNEY’S ALADDIN
NOV/DEC 2013
ED MIRVISH THEATRE
World Premiere
In an exotic, faraway land, one man’s life is about to change with the lucky rub of an ancient lamp—this is ALADDIN, Disney’s new musical, adapted from centuries-old Arabian folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights.” ALADDIN will feature a full Broadway score including the five beloved songs from the film by Academy and Tony Award®-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, plus new songs by Menken and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Beguelin.
This musical comes from the producer of Toronto’s record-breaking hits The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast and will be directed and choreographed by Tony® -winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). ALADDIN will feature the award-winning, acclaimed design team of Bob Crowley (sets), Gregg Barnes (costumes) and Natasha Katz (lights), with illusions by Jim Steinmeyer.
With its timeless story, extravagant sets and costumes and a host of memorable characters and songs, ALADDIN will transport audiences to a place known only in their dreams. Audiences will discover a whole new world, in a whole new way.
ONCE
Playwright Enda Walsh
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Directed by John Tiffany
NOV/DEC 2013
ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE Canadian Premiere
Winner of eight 2012 Tony® Awards including BEST MUSICAL, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience.
Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights… but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking,ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams… not living in fear… and the power of music to connect all of us.
HEARTBEAT OF HOME
Composed by Brian Byrne
Directed by John McColgan
Produced by Moya Doherty
JAN/FEB 2014
ED MIRVISH THEATRE
North American Premiere
From the producers of the international phenomenon, Riverdance, comes a brand new show!
Heartbeat of Home is a music and dance spectacular! A world-class cast of thirty-eight of the best Irish, Latin and Afro-Cuban dancers and musicians will create a dream world of joyous, high-energy, heart-stopping performances.
Modern, mesmerizing, emotionally satisfying and fun! HEARTBEAT OF HOME is a crowd-pleaser for a new generation. Toronto audiences will be the first to see this exciting new show before it goes on its North American tour.
METAMORPHOSIS by Franz Kafka
Adaptation & Direction David Farr and Gisli Örn Gardarsson
Music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
Starring Gisli Örn Gardarsson
JAN/FEB 2014
ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE
Toronto Premiere
Kafka’s terrifying but bizarrely comic story bursts onto the stage in a theatrically explosive new version.
The ordinary, unremarkable life of the Samsa family is turned upside down when their son, Gregor, the sole provider for the family, emerges one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a gigantic insect. His family’s feelings of revulsion turn to resentment with horrifying results.
This hugely acclaimed production, which has played in major venues and festivals around the world, combines breathtaking physicality and daring aerial action as the recently transformed Gregor lithely negotiates a gravity-defying split level set. The production looks at Kafka’s iconic story and asks: Domestic tragedy or a metaphor for totalitarian brutality? METAMORPHOSIS is brilliantly theatrical, surprisingly funny and powerfully poignant.
ARRABAL
Original Concept by Gustavo Santaolalla
Story by Gustavo Santaolalla, Sergio Trujillo, and John Weidman
Book by John Weidman
Music and Lyrics by Gustavo Santaolalla
Direction and Choreography by Sergio Trujillo
Choreography by Julio Zurita
FEB-MAY 2014
PANASONIC THEATRE
World Premiere
ARRABAL, an exciting world premiere production from Toronto-based Sergio Trujillo, is an explosive story told entirely through dance and the music of multiple Academy Award® winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel) and his band Bajofondo.
Using a modern tango dance vocabulary never seen before, director Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis) and choreographer Julio Zurita create a dramatic vision that is emotional, sexual and powerful. With a book written by Tony Award® winner John Weidman (Contact), a young girl embarks on a desperate search to find out what happened to her father, ‘disappeared’ by the Argentine military junta when she was just a baby. As she searches she blossoms, from a bashful adolescent into a courageous, passionate young woman.
With a live band and performers direct from Buenos Aires, experience the sensual beauty and political intrigue that is ARRABAL.
THE LAST CONFESSION
Starring David Suchet
Playwright Roger Crane
Music by Dominic Muldowney
Directed by Jonathan Church
APR/MAY 2014
ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE
North American Premiere
THE LAST CONFESSION delves into the most highly guarded institution in the world to explore the mystery shrouding the sudden death of Pope John Paul I in 1978.
Found dead just 33 days after being elected, suspicions are aroused when it is revealed that, on the evening before his death, the new Pope had warned three of his most influential but hostile Cardinals that they would be replaced. The Vatican refuses to conduct an official investigation into the death. Cardinal Benelli is the only one to challenge the dead Pope’s enemies.
Starring David Suchet (Agatha Christie’s Poirot) as Cardinal Benelli. Roger Crane’s thriller comes to Toronto following sold out runs at the Chichester Festival Theatre and the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
OFF-MIRVISH 2013/2014 SERIES
Last season we launched the Off-Mirvish Series. For the second season we have three plays which will explore strong emotions and compelling ideas in daring theatricality.
3 Shows For Only $99 (rear orch) $149 (front orch). Not part of the Main Subscription, but add these shows now for priority seating & special prices.
GOD OF CARNAGE
By Yasmina Reza
English Translation by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Joel Greenberg
NOV–DEC 2013
PANASONIC THEATRE
Toronto Premiere
A David Mirvish Presentation of a Studio 180 Theatre Production
This hilarious award-winning comedy begins when two sophisticated couples meet to discuss a playground incident involving their children. What starts as a civilized get-together quickly devolves into a scrappy, laugh-out-loud evening that The New York Times called “A study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct.”
DEAD METAPHOR
Written & Directed by George F. Walker
MAY 2014
PANASONIC THEATRE
Canadian Premiere
A David Mirvish Presentation of a Canadian Rep Theatre Production
Dean returns home from the war in Afghanistan, only to discover that his remarkable military skills don’t get him very far in the working world. He readjusts to non-bunker life by moving in with his increasingly agitated parents and pregnant ex-wife, then reluctantly takes the only job he can get—as poster boy for a crusading politician on her own mission for “truth and justice.” A hilarious dark comedy about the hypocrisies and politics of postwar living, DEAD METAPHOR showcases the imaginative audacious work of one of Canada’s most acclaimed playwrights.
FESTIVAL PLAY
JUNE 2014
PANASONIC THEATRE
The 3rd show of the series will be chosen from the best at the world’s great theatre festivals. Our scouts will travel the world to bring you a theatrical gem from the festivals at EDINBURGH, DUBLIN, TORONTO, EDMONTON, SPOLETO, NEW YORK, SYDNEY and more.
4 BONUS SHOWS
NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2013/ 2014 SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE
STOMP
APRIL 16 TO 21, 2013
ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE
STOMP, a Toronto favourite, returns. STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and utterly unique—an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered armfuls of awards and rave reviews. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse-pounding electrifying show. As the Boston Globe says, “If you haven’t seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!”
CATS
BEGINS MAY 28, 2013
PANASONIC THEATRE
A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s beloved musical masterpiece. This will be the first time in over 25 years that an all-Canadian cast will grace a Toronto stage in CATS.
I LOVE LUCY® – LIVE ON STAGE
Adapted for the stage and with new material by Kim Flagg & Rick Sparks
Staged & Directed by Rick Sparks
BEGINS OCTOBER 15, 2013
ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE
Canadian Premiere
I LOVE LUCY® LIVE ON STAGE, the brand new hit musical stage show adapted from the longest-running and most beloved television program in history, starring Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel: America’s favorite foursome, is coming to Toronto for the very first time!
Disney’s THE LION KING
APRIL 30 to JUNE 15, 2014
PRINCESS OF WALES THEATRE
Experience the phenomenon of Disney’s THE LION KING. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning directorJulie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you’ll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar®-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” Let your imagination run wild at the Tony® Award-winning Broadway sensation Newsweek calls “a landmark event in entertainment.” Toronto’s most eagerly awaited return will leap onto the Princess of Wales stage next April.
SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS
FIRST CHOICE OF SEATS
SAVINGS OF UP TO 50%
FREE, EASY AND FLEXIBLE TICKET EXCHANGE.
Contact: 416-593-4225 MIRVISH.COM