Presented in collaboration with David Mirvish, the critically acclaimed musical based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel will be presented April 13-May 6, 2018, at the Panasonic Theatre. Directed by Robert McQueen with music direction by Reza Jacobs, the production follows “Alison, a 43-year-old lesbian cartoonist, [who] struggles to untangle her complex relationship with her deceased father. Moving between past and present, Alison relives an unusual childhood growing up in a funeral home, her sexual awakening and unanswerable questions about her father’s secret life.” Casting will be announced at a later date.
The 2017-18 season, according to The Globe and Mail, will also include the Toronto premiere of Onegin, which will run May 13-June 4, 2017. Penned by Amiel Gladston and Veda Hille and produced in collaboration with Canada's National Arts Centre, the musical is described as a “thrilling, contemporary adaptation of Pushkin’s timeless poem and Tchaikovsky’s renowned opera… [and] features a high-energy musical score to tell a sweeping tale of unrequited love, infatuation, and intrigue. When the young and innocent Tatyana falls in love with the self-obsessed aristocrat Onegin, he firmly rejects her, arousing passionate love letters, noble duels and second chances.”
The Globe and Mail also reports that Britta Johnson has been given a three-year residency at the Musical Stage Company with a commitment to produce three of her works during that time period. Her first offering, Life After, will run September 23-October 22, 2017. About Johnson, Musical Stage Company Artistic Director Mitchell Marcus told the newspaper, “I believe that [Johnson] is the future of musical theatre in the country if not around the world. She is so intelligent and manages musically to tap into this deep part of the soul that a lot of writers are not able to get to.”
