Dancap Announces Inaugural Season
There is a Theatre Impresario in Toronto
Aubrey Dan, who helped CanStage keep Urinetown alive back in 2004, is on his own now, and set to give the Mirvish empire a run for their money.
At a recent press conference, Aubrey Dan, with help from host and Dancap spokeswoman Cloris Leachman, announced his inaugural season under the name of Dancap Productions. Dan is hoping to give David and Ed Mirvish a challenge, as that theatrical empire has been dominant in Toronto since the collapse of Livent nearly a decade ago.
The Elgin Theatre, which hosted the launch event and will be home to three out of the six shows announced, was packed with members of the Toronto theatre community. Some were there to lend their support, others, perhaps to see what Dancap was all about. At the end of the 90-minute presentation though, it was clear – Dancap Productions is here to stay.
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The inaugural season is filled with a classic musical (My Fair Lady), some new classics (Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) and two of the biggest hits of last season – Jersey Boys (which won the Tony Award for Best Musical) and The Drowsy Chaperone, which was also nominated this past season, and ultimately lost out to Jersey Boys.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a homecoming of sorts, as the show originated at the Toronto Fringe Festival after premiering as a wedding gift for Bob Martin and Janet van de Graaff. The show went on to play at Theatre Passe Muraille and finally, it was picked up to be part of a Mirvish season. After a couple of years in further development, the musical made its U.S. premiere in Los Angeles prior to making the trip to Broadway, starring Tony Award winner Sutton Foster in the leading role.
Bob Martin, who has played the narrator of the piece, also known as "Man In Chair", is currently starring in the London premiere of the show at the Novello Theatre. The show officially opens on June 5, and after two months, Martin will return to North America for the launch of the tour of The Drowsy Chaperone where it all began – in Toronto. According to Playbill.com, "To chase his blues away, a modern day musical theatre addict known simply as “Man in Chair” drops the needle on his favorite LP – the 1928 musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. From the crackle of his hi-fi, the uproariously funny musical magically bursts to life on stage."
Here is the announced inaugural season from Dancap Productions:
- The Drowsy Chaperone starring Bob Martin: September 19 to October 14, 2007 at the Elgin Theatre
- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: January 29 to February 10, 2008 at the Elgin Theatre
- 3 Mo' Divas: March 4 to 16, 2008 at the Elgin Theatre
- My Fair Lady: May 8 to 31, 2008 at the Toronto Centre For The Performing Arts
- Avenue Q (2004 Tony Award Winning Best Musical): July 29 to August 31, 2008 at the Elgin Theatre
- Jersey Boys (2006 Tony Award Winning Best Musical): Dates and location TBA.
Ticket and show information for the inuagural Dancap season in Toronto is available online.
