Press Release | Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit starts previews
Score $49 tickets to Tommy – limited-time offer!
Pinball fever is running high at the Festival these days and we’re bringing the hype to Toronto tomorrow, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at First Canadian Place. We’ll be hosting Pinballapalooza – our largest promotional event to date – to celebrate our 2013 production of Tommy!
If you’re not able to join us in Toronto for Pinballapalooza, you can still catch some of the action. We’ll be posting YouTube videos and tweeting live photos from the event all day long using hashtag #sfPinball, so follow along online through any of the Festival’s social sites! Longer videos of the live performances from the cast of Tommy will be shared the following week.
The sharing doesn’t stop with photos and videos – we’ll also be offering all of our social followers the exact same deal that Pinballapalooza attendees will receive. Starting tomorrow, May 16, score $49 tickets for any June performance of Tommy AND 20% off any production across the whole season!* This great deal is only available until May 17 at 5 p.m. EST! You can book online, through Stratford Social Ticketing on our Facebook page, in person or through our Box Office at 1.800.567.1600.
Here’s what you need to do to take advantage of this rockin’ deal!
If you’re booking through our website, follow the steps below:
1) Log into our website with promotion code 48935
2) Select any performance of Tommy during the month of June to access $49 tickets OR select any performance across the whole season and receive 20% off your tickets
3) Select your seats
4) Check out!
On Facebook? Try booking with Stratford Social Ticketing and creating an event page!
1) Visit our Facebook page and click on the Stratford Social Ticketing Tab
2) Select any performance of Tommy during the month of June to access $49 tickets OR select any performance across the whole season and receive 20% off your tickets
3) Enter promo code 48935 in the “Have a Promo Code” box at the top of the “Select Your Seat” page
4) Select your seats and check out!
Create an event page and follow the steps above to book your tickets and invite your Facebook friends!
Booking in person or by phone? Quote promotion code 48935 when speaking to a Box Office representative.
If you’re in the Toronto area, join us tomorrow for live performances, a Guinness World Record attempt and free play on 100 pinball machines! Learn more about Pinballapalooza!
* Offer may expire without notice and excludes 2-for-1 Tuesdays and A+ seating. Excludes group orders (15 tickets or more to one performance date). Not valid on previously purchased tickets (new orders only), on exchanges or in combination with any other offer. Valid while quantities last. Performances, casting, dates and pricing subject to change without notice. All prices exclude applicable taxes and handling fees.
Job Opportunity | Developer-Application Development and Analytics department
Would you like to play a meaningful role with North America’s leading classical repertory theatre? At the Stratford Festival, we attract the world’s finest talent, offering a unique experience for staff, artists and actors alike. If you would like to be a part of this exciting organization, we are looking for someone to fill the role of:
Developer-Application Development and Analytics department
Reporting to the Project Manager, this one year contract position will be a member of the Application Development and Analytics Team and will be a key team player in the development, maintenance, and deployment of the company’s many exciting business solutions. You will be expected to partner with other areas within the company to reach new consumers, maximize effectiveness of programs and ensure optimal patron experiences.
Applicants will have a post-secondary degree in Computer Science (or related area). Strong knowledge of MS SQL (2005/2008), SSRS, SSAS, SharePoint and .NET/ASP. NET is expected. You will possess extensive knowledge of object oriented programming techniques, interaction design and data modeling and have a solid understanding of unit testing and performance tuning. Knowledge of business processes used in not-for-profit arts is considered an asset. Interpersonal and organizational skills, as well as discretion, integrity and diplomacy, are critical. The position is located in Stratford, Ontario.
We recognize that diversity – in our workplace, in our audiences and on our stages – fosters a rich and creative environment. We are actively engaged in building a more diverse workplace and encourage all qualified applicants to apply by May 24, 2013, to:
Human Resources
Stratford Festival
55 Queen Street
Stratford, Ontario N5A 6V2
E-mail: resumes@stratfordfestival.ca
Subject: Developer
Fax: 519-271-0626
While all responses are appreciated and will be kept in the strictest confidence only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Meet Tommy – Interview with Robert Markus
Meet your 2013 Tommy, Robert Markus! Robert sat down and chatted with us about becoming Tommy and about his role as Mendel in Fiddler on the Roof as he embarks on his debut season at the Festival! Enjoy learning a bit about our resident pinball wizard!
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Stratford Festival (SF): We’re so excited to welcome you to the Festival this season! You’ll be playing the title role in Tommy as well as appearing as Mendel in Fiddler on the Roof. Has musical theatre always been a passion for you?
Robert Markus (RM): Actually, my introduction to theatre was by being involved in straight (non-musical) plays. I went to the University of Alberta for drama. We didn’t do much musical theatre. I think my love for theatre started with non-musical and then as my love of singing grew, I started to gravitate toward musical theatre.
SF: Tommy is undoubtedly a troubled character. How have you been preparing for the role?
RM: Research. I tried to do as much research as I could on The Who and Pete Townshend, trying to understand where they were coming from and what was surrounding them at the time they were writing it.
SF: There are so many iconic songs in both Tommy and Fiddler on the Roof – what’s your favourite song from each show?
RM: I love “Sunrise, Sunset” from Fiddler and “Pinball Wizard” and “Listening to You” from Tommy.
SF: What excites you most about our upcoming production of Tommy and what do you think will distinguish it from past iterations of the show?
RM: Hearing this fantastic cast sing this amazing music is incredibly exciting. This production is suped up – brand new theatre technology for a bright and shiny new production of Tommy.
SF: Have you been practicing your hand at pinball lately?
RM: I’ve been trying to! I went to an amazing Pinball museum last December.
SF: Both Tommy and Fiddler boast amazing casts and artistic leadership – is there anyone in particular that you’re excited to be working with?
RM: Two actually. Donna Feore and Des McAnuff.
The first production I saw at Stratford was Oklahoma!, which Donna directed in 2007. I was awestruck. It is probably one of my favourite productions that I have seen. It was magic. The storytelling in that production was crystal clear. It ignited a passion of wanting to pursue classic musical theatre.
Working with Des is a huge dream for me. I’m still kind of awestruck by him. I mean the man envisioned the stage show of Tommy. He knows the show better than anyone, besides Pete Townshend himself. It’s pretty cool.
Just for fun…
SF: One thing we’d always find in your refrigerator is…
RM: Ketchup.
SF: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
RM: Trying to pursue some kind of singing career.
SF: The most-played song on your iPod is…
“Down” by Summer Camp
Follow Robert on Twitter -> @robert_markus
Read Robert’s full stage bio here!
Don’t forget that you can see Robert and cast members from Tommy perform live at our Pinballapalooza in Toronto this week on May, 16 at First Canadian Place at 12:15 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. at the Waterfall Stage! The fun doesn’t end at the performances; we’ll be around all day with 100 pinball machines set up for free play, amazing prizes, an exclusive ticket deal along with a Guinness World Record attempt at 12:40 – best of all, the whole event is free! So come out to enjoy some great music and fun at our first ever Pinballapalooza!
For more information about Pinballapalooza, visit our website at www.stratfordfestival.ca/pinball!
Reflections of a stage mom
Long-time Stratford Festival enthusiast and theatre lover Lisa Dent-Couturier shares her experiences of bringing her family to the theatre and of being the “stage mom” of one of our young Tommys – Arden Couturier! Enjoy Lisa’s guest blog.
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by Lisa Dent-Couturier
‘Peter Pan is a part of everyone’s imaginative landscape.’ These words from Tim Carroll’s director’s notes have taken on a special meaning for our family since that blustery spring day in 2010 when we took our children, Claire, age nine, and Arden, age four, to experience Peter Pan, their first production at the Stratford Festival.
If I close my eyes I can still picture the looks of complete wonder and joy on their faces as they became a part of the magical story unfolding on stage that day. Their world has since been inspired and shaped by their experiences at the Festival, continuing with Camelot, The Grapes of Wrath, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, 42nd Street, Wanderlust, The Matchmaker, The Pirates of Penzance and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
Our connection to Stratford extends beyond the Festival to deep family roots. My dad and his family are from Stratford and his grandfather played cricket on the Festival lawns in the 1930s. My own childhood was filled with family visits to Stratford that included walking along the Avon River, feeding the swans, taking family photos on the island, paddle boating, shopping for vintage items at the Green Room, enjoying Rheo Thompson’s chocolates and, of course, attending unforgettable productions at the Festival. These visits continued into my adulthood and have inspired years of reminiscing. Everyone who knows me has had to endure endless gushing about Cyrano de Bergerac, Amadeus, Peter Pan, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, As You Like It and Wanderlust, to name just a few!
Theatre was a big part of my childhood and it has also become a big part of our children’s lives. My parents both studied drama and have always been avid play-goers. I grew up tagging along with my dad to rehearsals and shows from the time I was a pre-schooler. The first musical I saw when I was a young child was Charlie Brown, so I was thrilled to share the Festival’s marvellous production with Claire and Arden.
I have loved exploring Stratford with our children. We have gone far beyond the stage to experience everything that the Festival and the city have to offer families, including self-guided tours of historic homes; acting, directing and teacher workshops; late-night cabarets; conversations with company members; Exhibition displays and many special events.
Perhaps our favourite Festival experiences beyond the stage have been our visits to the Costume Warehouse. Our visits are always punctuated with screeches of delight as we discover and re-discover the creations of the many inspiring artisans who work at the Festival. Imagine us as we’ve encountered a dinosaur, tried on Captain Hook’s big red coat, discovered a treasure chest of pirate booty, and climbed King Arthur’s tree and sat on his throne!
We all have our collection of inspiring Festival experiences. Arden’s happened after seeing a performance of Much Ado About Nothing in 2012. He had watched the fantastic animated promotional video for Henry V over & over again, and he was disappointed that he couldn’t see the play.
An understanding Festival employee invited him to watch the set changeover. As he sat there completely in awe of the scene unfolding in front of him, he said, ‘Mom, this is a dream come true!’
The experiences that we’ve had in Stratford have stayed with us long after we’ve returned home, inspiring hours and hours of reading, imaginative play, art and design, dress-up, writing and video- and music-making as we all search out ways to relive and re-connect with those magical moments on stage.
It’s hard to believe how much has changed since that first 2010 season. This year, on another blustery day, Arden, now seven, was entering the Avon Theatre once again – but not through the main doors, and not as an audience member. Instead, he entered through the stage door as a company member for his first rehearsal of Pete Townsend and Des McAnuff’s Tommy! It has been an incredible experience for my young music and theatre lover to be part of this amazing team of artists.
As I sat in the audience for the invited dress, in a very similar spot to where we sat for Peter Pan, I was struck by the fact that once again our ‘imaginative landscapes’ will be forever changed, in ways we can only begin to imagine…
Lisa Dent-Couturier is the General Director of Compass Theatre Productions and the producer of Richard Sheridan Willis. Strolling Player, coming to the Toronto Fringe Festival and Factory 163 this summer. She is also producing Compass Theatre’s The Little Prince, set to tour in the fall of 2013. Discover her company at www.compasstheatreproductions.org and follow her theatre adventures on Twitter @THEATREtc.
CONTEST OVER | Win tickets to Cineplex’s screening of The National Theatre’s This House
We’re excited to be giving away five pairs of tickets Cineplex’s screening of the National Theatre’s production of This House on May 16.
About This House
It’s 1974 and the corridors of Westminster ring with the sound of infighting and backbiting as Britain’s political parties battle to change the future of the nation, whatever it takes. In this hung parliament, the ruling party holds on by a thread. Votes are won and lost by one, fist fights erupt in the bars, and ill MPs are hauled in to cast their votes.
It’s a time when a staggering number of politicians die, and age-old traditions and allegiances are thrown aside in the struggle for power.
James Graham’s biting, energetic and critically-acclaimed new play strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes who roll up their sleeves, and on occasion bend the rules, to manoeuvre a diverse and conflicting chorus of MPs within the Mother of all Parliaments.
Watch the trailer for This House and read more about the production on Cineplex’s website.
To win a pair of tickets to This House on May 16, 2013, e-mail socialmedia@stratfordfestival.ca with the following information:
1) Your first and last name
2) Your e-mail address
3) Your address
4) The participating Cineplex theatre you’d like to see This House at (please only select ONE theatre from the listing below)
The first five people to respond will be the lucky winners of a pair of tickets to see This House!
*Failure to include any of the requested information will render your submission null and void.
Participating Theatres – This House
* Select performances only showing at select locations. Please check with your local theatre for details.




