Toronto Love, Loss, With Louise Pitre, Andrea Martin, Paula Brancati, Launches July 16

By Kenneth Jones
16 Jul 2010

Louise Pitre
Louise Pitre
Photo by David Leyes

The Canadian premiere of Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's Love, Loss, and What I Wore this summer boasts major leading ladies of Canadian stage and TV, including Paula Brancati, Lauren Collins, Wendy Crewson, Cynthia Dale, Andrea Martin and Louise Pitre. A cast of five rotates in four-week cycles starting July 16.

A New York and regional U.S. hit that offers women's stories about the clothes they wore during milestones in their lives, Love, Love, and What I Wore plays Toronto's Panasonic Theatre (651 Yonge St.).

The premiere cast July 16-Aug. 7 features Gemini and Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee Paula Brancati ("Degrassi: The Next Generation," "Being Erica"), Emmy and Tony Award-winning comedy legend Andrea Martin ("SCTV," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof), Sharron Matthews, Mary Walsh and Tony nominee and Dora Award winner Louise Pitre (Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables, Annie Get Your Gun, The Toxic Avenger).

Gemini nominee Lauren Collins ("Degrassi: The Next Generation"), five-time Gemini Award winner Wendy Crewson ("Away From Her," "24," "ReGenesis") and Dora Award winner and Gemini nominee Cynthia Dale (Stratford Festival leading lady for ten seasons, "Street Legal") will be part of the August cycle that runs Aug. 10-Sept. 4.

Here's how producers Michael Rubinoff and Daryl Roth characterize the experience: "Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a collection of stories based on the best-selling book by Ilene Beckerman, as well as on the recollections of the Ephrons' friends. Like the popular book, it uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to."

The Toronto production is directed by Karen Carpenter, the director of the New York production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore that opened Off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre on Oct. 1, 2009, to solid reviews and continues to play. New York casts have included Rosie O'Donnell, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Lynch, Samantha Bee, Tyne Daly, Rhea Perlman, Carol Kane, Brooke Shields, Melissa Joan Hart, Fran Drescher, Caroline Rhea and others. A Los Angeles company opened at the Geffen Playhouse on May 13.

A portion of the production's proceeds will benefit the Toronto chapter of Dress for Success. To find out more about the charity, visit www.dressforsuccess.org/toronto.

For tickets, call (416) 872-1212 or (800) 461-3333 or online at www.ticketking.com. For more information, visit www.lovelossonstage.ca.