Tag: musical

Meet Cameron Johnston, Stage Manager for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s Into The Woods

by Richard Young

“Once upon a time, when I was waiting to go on stage for the first performance of my first acting role (I was the lead in a play called “To Die For” by London playwright Tim Bourgard), I was so intrigued by what was going on backstage that I forgot to be nervous about the prospect of spending the next thirty-seven minutes lying in a hospital bed, centre-stage, in front of a theatre full of people.

Fast forward to the present, and I find myself calling the show for Silver Spotlight Theatre’s most ambitious work to date – Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tale, Into The Woods. I am chuffed to be working with such an enthusiastic cast and crew as we prepare for this, Sondheim’s most-performed, and perhaps most demanding stage production.

If there is one character I truly admire, not just in this production, but in the world of fairy tales, in general, it would have to be Jack, of Jack-and-the-Beanstalk fame. I am touched by his innocence and his bravado as he encounters and then slays the Giant. Jack also tries to be a dutiful son to his widowed (or abandoned) mother, but he is a lonely kid; his best friend in the whole wide world is a baffed-out cow named Milky White.

Being part of Silver Spotlight Theatre has changed my life as much as my first foray onto the stage did way back when. More importantly, the group has been a game-changer for community theatre everywhere. We have shown London and the world that there is still a lot of life, talent, enthusiasm, and energy left in these over-55 thespians.

SST has been such a hoot that I wish I had done it 30 years ago, but then, I would have been too young to meet the age-55 cutoff point. Some things really do get better with age!”

Cam

Silver Spotlight Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, opens on November 21 and runs until December 1 at the Auburn Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.mtplondon.ca/into-the-woods

Silver Spotlight Theatre announces Cast for Into The Woods.

by Richard Young

Hot on the heels of its sold-out production of Grease, London’s Silver Spotlight Theatre’s third show, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, now has its Cast in place.

“I am very excited to be part of Into the Woods. We auditioned many talented people from London and the surrounding area,” says director Rick Smith. “As a result, we have some original Silver Spotlight performers, some folks who haven’t been a part of a Musical Theatre Productions show in several years, and some first-timers with this group. Seeing Silver Spotlight Theatre grow and bring new members to the local theatre community is wonderful. I can hardly wait to begin rehearsing.”

A complete Cast List can be viewed on the Musical Theatre Productions website www.mtplondon.ca

Into The Woods is a playful and enchanting yet perilous woodland adventure that follows some of the Grimm Brothers’ most beloved fairytale characters like Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, a wolf, a giant, and even a handsome prince or two, as they search for their wishes. Their stories collide in the woods where things don’t always appear as they seem.

Rehearsals begin on Sunday, July 14, and continue throughout the summer and fall. The play opens at the Auburn Theatre on November 21 and continues until December 1, 2024. Tickets go on sale soon.

Co-founded by Art Fidler and Rick Smith in 2022, Silver Spotlight Theatre is a branch of London’s Musical Theatre Productions. It features and is produced by performers and staff 55+ with a mission of presenting full-scale Broadway musicals.

Into The Woods Is presented through a special Music Theatre International (MTI) arrangement. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.www.mtishows.com.

Media Inquiries: Richard Young, Into The Woods Publicity & Program Head, 519-432-6986, richardyoung51@rogers.com

Silver Spotlight Theatre presents Into The Woods: Stage Manager Cameron Johnston

by Richard Young

Stage Manager Cameron Johnston on Silver Spotlight Theatre’s next production, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods:

“I am excited to have been tapped as Stage Manager for Silver Spotlight’s production of Into the Woods. Having started with Silver Spotlight as assistant stage manager for Babes in Arms, it’s a great honour for me to move into the Stage Manager’s role. With Rick Smith’s direction, and the team he has gathered around him, this is going to be a dynamite show. I’m encouraging everybody who loves musical theatre to make plans to attend.”

Be part of this magical show. Auditions will be held on Wednesday, June 12, and Thursday, June 13 at 150 Dufferin St., London from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with callbacks on Saturday, June 15. Time slots can be reserved by email at intothewoods@mtplondon.ca

More information about the play can be found on the Musical Theatre Productions website: www.mtplondon.ca

Silver Spotlight Theatre announces its third production, Into The Woods.

by Richard Young

LONDON, ON – Hot on the heels of its sold-out production of Grease, London’s Silver Spotlight Theatre is planning its third show, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods, for November 2024 at the Auburn Theatre.

Co-founded by Art Fidler and Rick Smith in 2022, Silver Spotlight Theatre is a branch of London’s Musical Theatre Productions (www.mtplondon.ca). It features and is produced by performers and staff 55+ with a mission of presenting full-scale Broadway musicals.

The group’s inaugural production, Babes In Arms, sold out during its two-week run in March 2023, and Grease sold out in six days.

Into The Woods is a playful and enchanting yet perilous woodland adventure that follows some of the Grimm Brothers’ most beloved fairytale characters like Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, a wolf, a giant, and even a handsome prince or two, as they search for their wishes. Their stories collide in the woods where things don’t always appear as they seem.

“Into The Woods has intrigued me since getting a sample on the 1988 Tony Award broadcast. Thirty-six years later, my excitement for it hasn’t diminished. It is certainly a departure from the Silver Spotlight Theatre model of seniors portraying teens on stage,” says the play’s director, Rick Smith. “Still, it builds on the successes of the previous two productions. It has the naivety of Babes in Arms, the exuberance of Grease, and adds slightly more mature moral messages for everyone to interpret for themselves.”

Auditions will be held on Wednesday, June 12, and Thursday, June 13 at 150 Dufferin St., London from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with callbacks on Saturday, June 15. Time slots can be reserved by email at intothewoods@mtplondon.ca

Into The Woods Is presented through a special Music Theatre International (MTI) arrangement. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.www.mtishows.com.

Media Inquiries: Richard Young, Into The Woods Program Head, 519-432-6986, richardyoung51@rogers.com

Silver Spotlight Theatre presents Into The Woods: Music Director Janis Wallace

by Richard Young

Music Director Janis Wallace on Silver Spotlight Theatre’s next production, Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods:

Stephen Sondheim wrote ‘No One is Alone’ and Silver Spotlight’s production of Into the Woods is a wonderful, wonder-filled opportunity to experience his concept of working together for a common goal. In the first half, the fairytale characters are all in it for themselves – with disastrous results. In the end, Sondheim helps them work together to correct their errors. His witty lyrics and aerobic melodies show the characters are more like us than we think. Join us to spend a moment in the woods.”

Be part of this magical show. Auditions will be held on Wednesday, June 12, and Thursday, June 13 at 150 Dufferin St., London from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm, with callbacks on Saturday, June 15. Time slots can be reserved by email at intothewoods@mtplondon.ca

More information about the play can be found on the Musical Theatre Productions website: www.mtplondon.ca