The season's slate of 14 titles goes on sale on the festival website, www.stratfordfestival, at 12:01 AM Jan. 6. The phone lines, and the box office will open for bookings at 9 AM the same day.
Online booking is becoming increasingly popular with festival patrons, the Ontario festival reported. During the member priority period, online bookings were up 24 percent over the same time last year. A new feature where patrons can select their own seats through the online booking process has been particularly popular through the priority booking period.
The Festival box office opened for Stratford Festival members on Nov. 20, 2006, and for American Express Card members on Dec. 9.
General director Antoni Cimolino said festival members have responded enthusiastically to the 2007 line-up. He added, "This is Richard Monette's 14th and last year as artistic director. During his tenure, Richard has consistently designed seasons that entertain, enlighten and challenge. Audiences have responded enthusiastically to his choices by traveling from far and wide to visit the Stratford Festival. The attendance over the past 14 seasons has been the highest in the Festival's history, and we already see early indications of a strong response to the 2007 season."
Sales are up by more than 7,200 tickets over the same period in 2006 and have reached 34 percent of the sales goal for the 2007 season. The 2007 Stratford Festival season has 14 plays: King Lear, Oklahoma!, The Merchant of Venice, An Ideal Husband, To Kill a Mockingbird, My One and Only, The Comedy of Errors, Othello, Of Mice and Men, A Delicate Balance, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Shakespeare's Will, The Odyssey and Pentecost.
Patrons can also book tickets to concerts, lectures and tours, as well as accommodation in Stratford, through the festival's toll-free number or on the website.
The Stratford Festival "Call Centre" number is (800) 567-1600. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM. The box office is also open for in-person sales at the Festival Theatre, 55 Queen Street, Stratford, during Call Centre hours.
Faxed orders should be sent to (519) 273-3731 and mail orders to The Stratford Festival, P.O. Box 520, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, N5A 6V2. E-mail orders can be sent to [email protected]. Patrons wishing to book online are encouraged to call in advance to confirm their log-in name and password.
