Theatre Orangeville has announced that its 1998 season will feature the premiere of two new musicals, Stan Rogers - A Matter of Heart and War Brides - A Musical.

In its fifth season, this ambitious summer theatre under the direction of Jim Betts, is dedicating itself to the creation of new Canadian musicals -- in 1997 they offered The Last Resort, with book by Norm Foster and music by Leslie Arden (creator of the hit Canadian musical Martin Guerre. Foster is now working at the Shaw Festival on the newly discovered and unfinished Gershwin musical, A Foggy Day.

Stan Rogers - A Matter of Heart is a theatrical celebration of this great troubadour, who in his short life wrote some of the best songs ever written about Canada and Canadians. When he died in an airline disaster in 1983, Rogers was working on a cycle of songs about Quebec, some of which are featured in this show and have never been heard or recorded before. Directed by Diane Stapley and devised by Stapley and Vince Metcalfe, the show runs from June 18 to July 5.

War Brides - A Musical features music and lyrics by Joey Miller and a book by Grahame Woods, who collaborated once before on a musical, A Gift to Last.

Based on a CBC television miniseries called War Brides, the show tells the story of three remarkable women who married Canadian soldiers during the second world war and came to settle in Canada. The setting moves from Europe and England to Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Workshop audiences have apparently been impressed with Miller and Woods' work.

Stan Rogers - A Matter of Heart runs at the Orangeville Town Hall Opera House in Orangeville, Ontario, from June 18 to July 5. For Tickets call: 519-942-3423.

War Brides - A Musical runs at the Orangeville Town Hall Opera House in Orangeville, Ontario, from September 9 to 27. For Tickets call: 519-942-3423.

By Mira Friedlander
Canada Correspondent