New Pages, Updates & Links...

August 17, 2007
Opening night of Funny Business - The Musical by Dan Abrahamson, Dan Falk and Rachel Brittain.  A hit at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival, the show opens tonight for a commercial run at The Diesel Playhouse in Toronto.

Also on at The Diesel Playhouse is another hit Canadian Musical - Evil Dead - TheMusical.

Anne & Gilbert, which has been growing in success over the past number of years, has two major productions this summer - in Summerside, PEI, and at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque.

There are new ScriptLab updates today as well.

August 13, 2007


Elaine Campbell has passed away.  One of the writers of Canada's most successful Musical Theatre work, Anne Of Green Gables, Elaine was a wonderful, warm and supportive member of the Canadian Musical Theatre Community.  She will be greatly missed.

Here is a link to the CBC article, and to the notice in the Globe.

March 24, 2007
Clearly, it has been a while since I posted any new information on this site.  I am in the process of rethinking the design of the site, and of reconsidering what information and services are of most interest to people who arrive here.

One of the things I would like to do is provide more access to material from the shows - information on where scripts and demo CDs are available, but also pdfs and mp3s of individual songs.

I would welcome input from anyone who has suggestions about what they'd like to see here.  I would also welcome information about shows and writers that I don't presently have on the site.

Please feel free to contact me at jimbetts@northernriver.com.

December 21, 2006
Mavor Moore has died at age 87.  Often called the Father of the Canadian Musical, Mavor Moore was a Member of The Order Of Canada, and the founder of The Charlottetown Festival.  You can read an obituary on the CBC site.  He will be greatly missed.

November 5, 2006
Tickets are now on sale for ScriptLab's Canadian Musical Theatre Festival, November 21-26, Papermill Theatre, Toronto.  Go to TicketKing and scroll down the event listing.

Info on the Festival is available on the ScriptLab Festival Page.

November 2, 2006
The Story Of My Life opens at CanStage, Toronto.  It's a wonderful show!  There are video scenes online.

October 23, 2006
Evil Dead, The Musical opens in NYC.  Read the Star article.

September 19, 2006
Allen Cole's The Wrong Son premieres at the NAC in Ottawa.  Congratulations, Allen.

ScriptLab's first Sing & Tell of the Season is Wednesday night, September 20th.  Go to ScriptLab's home page for more details.

September 13, 2006
Read the Playbill Article on the upcoming premiere of The Story Of My Life by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

September 10, 2006
ScriptLab announces plans for its first Canadian Musical Theatre Festival, November 21-16, 2006 at the Papermill Theatre, Toronto.

September 1, 2006
ScriptLab is launching its 2006-2007 season on September 10th.  See the details on the ScriptLab page.

August 27, 2006
Read about a new Canadian Musical - Shroom! The Last Musical - playing now in Chester, Nova Scotia. 

And read some of the nice reviews of David Warrack's Rob Roy that just finished its run at The Edinburgh Festival.

August 21, 2006
David Warrack's Rob Roy opens today at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

August 9, 2006
Read the Playbill announcement of Brock Simpson's This Could Be Love, to appear at NYFT (The New York Musical Theatre Festival) this fall.

August 8, 2006
Leslie Arden's new musical The Boys Are Coming Home has opened in Chicago (actually at North Western University in Evanston, produced by the American Musical Theatre Project, and it has received a couple of excellent reviews.  Both say, essentially, why isn't this writer being seen on Broadway?  See Chicago Sun Times, and Chicago Tribune.  Congratulations Leslie, and all of the creative and producing team.

August 2, 2006
"ScriptLab is offering a Master Class in "Writing For The Musical  Theatre", to be led by award winning composer/lyricist Leslie Arden.   There will be 10 sessions over a two month period, beginning this 
coming September, and participants will be invited to work on one  particular project during that time.  Application and submission details are available at ScriptLab.ca

June 27, 2006
Congratulations to Michael Rubinoff, Derrick Chua and the entire Boygroove team for Boygroove being named  the first ever Now Magazine Audience Choice Award winner at last night's Dora Mavor Moore Awards.  See the CBC Report.

June 12, 2006
Congratulations to Bob Martin, Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert and Gred Morrison on 5 Tony Awards for The Drowsy Chaperone!



Read The Globe and Mail Report.

May 28, 2006
A Playbill article on Leslie Arden's new musical, The Boys Are Coming Home.

May 17, 2006
The Drowsy Chaperone leads Tony nominations with 13!  Lots of articles all around the web: Playbill, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail
Emily, by Richard Ouzounian  and Marek Norman, opens at Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie this weekend

May 1, 2006
The Drowsy Chaperone opens on Broadway tonight.  Read the Playbill article.

April 29, 2006
Di Nyland Proctor has put together The Magic Of Music - a revue of David Warrack material - that will play June 2 to July 23 in The Port Mansion in Port Dalhousie.  Sherry Garner stars!

April 28, 2006
More interesting news about The Drowsy Chaperone: New York Post article, NY Drama Desk Nominations
BoyGroove opens successfully in Toronto!  Read the Toronto Star Review, go their Website
Nelles Van Loon's Little Red Riding Hood plays April 29 to May 28, 2006 at Solar Stage
Leslie Arden's The Boys Are Coming Home to be featured at ScriptLab Sing & Tell, May 4th.

Friday Februaary 10, 2006
More great Drowsy Chaperone news - LA theatre award nominatioins.  See the Playbill article.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006
The Drowsy Chaperone is going to Broadway!  Read the Broadway.com article.  Congratulations Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison, Bob Martin and Don McKellar!

Monday, February 6, 2006
Anne And Gilbert, the "new" Anne Of Green Gables musical (by Nancy White, Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser) that debuted last summer in PEI - not at the Charlottetown Festival - has a new website, and a new CD.  There is a CD launch at Hugh's Room in Toronto on March 26th.  Check out the show's website.
 
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Playground, a new Canadian Musical (book, music, lyrics and orchestrations by Joey Miller) opens tonight at Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie.  Features a company of 9 actors and 3 musicians.  Musical Direction by Ryan de Souza, Direction by Jim Betts & Marc Richard.  Runs to January 28th.  Followed later in the Season by Moving Day by Cathy Elliott, and Emily by Marek Norman and Richard Ouzounian.  Congratulations and thanks to Talk Is Free Theatre!!!

Thursday, November 23. 2005
Leslie Arden shows - the one-act Happy Prince and a one-act revue of her other material - are being featured at Barrie's Talk Is Free Theatre, November 24th to December 10, 2005.  The theatre website is tift.ca, but I'm having trouble getting it to load.  There's an article from a local paper that has some info.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Drowsy Chaperone has a successful opening in L.A.  There are articles in the Star, the Globe, and all over the net (eg. Broadway.com).

Thursday, November 10, 2005
The Drowsy Chaperone begins performances in LA tonight.  See Playbill article.

Wednesday. November 9, 2005
Tristan, by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey, public readings scheduled for December at Tarragon.

Saturday, November 5, 2005
ScriptLab Sing & Tell scheduled for Monday November 14th at Equity Showcase Theatre in Toronto.

Sunday, October 30, 2005
Alley Cats - The Musical opens in Vancouver.

Saturday October 15, 2005
Info on upcoming workshop of new Leslie Arden/Bernie Stapleton version of Much Ado..., The Boys Are Coming Home.  See Playbill Article.

A New York Times review of The Marilyn Tapes, starring Lenore Zann and featuring some Cliff Jones' songs from the Marilyn musical from 1979, written by Cliff and starring Lenore.
 
Tuesday October 10, 2005
Neil Bartram featured in New York Showcase.  See Playbill article.

Thursday October 6, 2005
The Charlottetown Festival has taken Anne Of Green Gables to New Haven.
See the Review

Friday September 2, 2005

News on more Canadian Musical Productions

Little Mercy's First Murder, by Morwyn Brenner, Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey - Nov. 3-12, at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

August 30, 2005
I really need to spend more time keeping this site up to date! 

Thank you to those of you who come here looking for info, and who write me about what you've seen here.  I will try to post more info more often, as well as update the existing pages and create new ones about writers and shows that deserve to be here.

Some news on upcoming shows:

Plane Crazy, by Suzy Conn, is part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, September 15-25, 2005 - Read the Playbill article

A new, bi-lingual version of Pélagie, by Vincent DeTourdonnet and Allen Cole, is touring Eastern Canada this fall.

The Drowsy Chaperone, by Don McKellar, Lisa Lambert, Bob White and Greg Morrison, gets its US Premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA, November 8 to December 24.  A Broadway transfer is planned!

Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie, Ontario, is perhaps producing more Canadian musicals in this upcoming season that the rest of the country combined!
June 3, 2005
The Drowsy Chaperone to get a NYC workshop prior to fall production.  See Playbill article.
Perfect Life, a new Canadian musical by Jet Matas, opens in Toronto June 9.  See their website.

June 1, 2005
Brian Hill and Neil Bartram show to be featured at Bound For Broadway V at Merkin Concert Hall in NYC om June 6.  See article.
Also being done as part of Manhattan Theatre Club Reading Series, June 13.

May 28, 2005
Danny Schur's Strike opens in Winnipeg.
CBC Arts Report
Excellent Globe & Mail Review

May 24, 2005
Suzy Conn's Plane Crazy announced for NY Musical Theatre Festival

April 6, 2005
Playbill article on Drowsy Chaperone opening in LA.

March 31, 2005
ScriptLab's next "Sing & Tell" scheduled for Sunday April 3rd, 7 PM

March 22, 2005
CBC report on Strike!, Danny Shur's musical about the Winnipeg strike of 1919

March 18, 2005
Colette - The Colour Of Love (Christopher Covert and Barbara York) opens at Barrie's Talk Is Free Theatre, to March 27th

February 15, 2005
Re-titled Menopositive (now We're Still Hot), opens off-Broadway today.  Playbill story.

February 11, 2005
Neil Bartram wins a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award.  Neil is the lyricist/composer of Somewhere In The World (Charlottetown Festival) and the upcoming adaptation of Not Wanted On The Voyage.  Congratulations, Neil!  Playbill Article

February 10, 2005
A lovely Globe and Mail article about the Field Of Stars Songbook, Charlotte Moore's CD of Canadian Musical Theatre songs, and a new SRO songwriter concert series produced by David Connolly.

December 23, 2004
The Field Of Stars songbook is now available.  It can be purchased at Theatrebooks in Toronto, or on the Northern River website store

December 11, 2004
Charlotte Moore has released her new CD Friends Of Mine, a collection of 15 "Songs From Canadian Musicals".  A great listen!

Playbill Article on Menopositive going to the US market