Talk Is Free Theatre, located in Barrie, ON, will mount a concert staging of the cult favorite, with a cast that features performers from several Broadway and Toronto companies.
The Anyone Can Whistle cast will comprise Kate Hennig (Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival) as Cora Hoover Hooper, Adam Brazier (Broadway's Woman In White and Into the Woods) as J. Bowden Hapgood, Blythe Wilson (Oliver!, Oklahoma, Mamma Mia!) as Fay Apple and Richard Ouzounian (Theatre Critic for The Toronto Star) as The Narrator.
Joining them will be Steve Ross (The Producers, Toronto)as Chief of Police Magruder, Juan Chioran (The Producers, Toronto; Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway and National Tour) as Controller Schub, Jonathan Monro (The Producers, Toronto) as Treasurer Cooley with Jennifer Stewart (Hairspray, Toronto) and Sam Strasfeld (We Will Rock You).
The performers will be backed by a 14-piece orchestra conducted by Wayne Gwillim, who serves as musical director. Richard Ouzounian will stage the production, with choreography by Sam Strasfeld.
Anyone Can Whistle centers on a corrupt mayoress, who with the help of a fake miracle, hopes to save her bankrupt town. However, among the tourists her miracle attracts are a skeptical nurse, her group of insane "cookies," and an enigmatic doctor, all of whom turn the town on its head. The original 1964 Broadway production marked Stephen Sondheim's second musical to arrive on Broadway for which he wrote both music and lyrics. Anyone Can Whistle starred Lee Remick, Harry Guardino, and Angela Lansbury in her first musical role. After facing difficult out of town try-outs and crushing opening-night reviews on Broadway, Anyone Can Whistle would play only nine performances at the Majestic Theatre.
Featuring the songs "There Won't Be Trumpets," "Me and My Town," "Everybody Says Don't," "With So Little to Be Sure Of," "Simple," "A Parade In Town," "The Miracle Song" and the title tune, the musical has become a cult favorite of Sondheim and musical theatre aficionados.
Anyone Can Whistle will perform at Georgian College's Gryphon Theatre, located at 1 Georgian Drive, Barrie, ON. Tickets are available by visiting www.tift.ca or by calling (705) 792-1949.
