Mid-September brings a bonanza of theatre options in the Hamilton area
From veteran theatres to up-and-comers, this weekend kicks off the new stage season offering productions, as well as theatre events. Our theatre writer Allison M. Jones offers a rundown of your options.
This Friday begins a busy few weeks of the new theatre season as several new productions and events launch. From well-established theatre institutions to up-and-coming companies, there are musicals, a rom-com, and a whodunit as well as a vintage wardrobe sale, a stage dedication ceremony, and a documentary presentation raising funds for a Residential School memorial.
Curtain Call Performing Arts Company
Curtain Call sums it up succinctly in its promotional materials: “The iconic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar is set to hit the stage in Hamilton with a revolutionary twist presented by Curtain Call Performing Arts Passion Project Company. This new production features female, non-binary and queer identified performers in the cast, bringing fresh energy and perspectives to the timeless story.”
The Passion Project portion of the company is made up of professionally trained adult performers all pursuing careers in the arts. The production’s director Zachary Viola (he/him) explains the vision behind this adaptation: "Our production of Jesus Christ Superstar seeks to challenge traditional narratives by centring female and queer voices. By reimagining these iconic roles, we not only honour the original work but also open the door to new interpretations and conversations. This show is a celebration of love, identity, and the power of storytelling to transform and inspire."
With a memorable 1970s rock score, Jesus Christ Superstar was the first musical produced for the professional stage by the legendary team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice more than 50 years ago. Based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the musical covers the last week of Jesus Christ’s life, exploring the relationships and conflicts between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire.
Based on this foundation, Curtain Call Performance Arts Company aims to deliver a “bold reimagining that celebrates diversity, empowerment, and the power of representation in the arts.”
“Audiences can expect a vibrant, emotional, and unforgettable experience that redefines what this classic show can be.”
Jesus Christ Superstar
Sept.13, 14, 19, 20 & 21, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15, 2:30 p.m.
The Gasworks
141 Park St. N., Hamilton
Tickets are here or call the CCPAC box office at (905) 541-6803, Monday - Friday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Run time: approx. 2 hrs (Doors open 20 minutes before the show)
$22.34 to $34.94 (includes adult / senior /student pricing)
Theatre Burlington
Theatre Burlington’s 2024-25 season highlights Canadian plays. It kicks off with The Invention of Romance by Edmonton writer Conni Massing.
Kate, a museum curator, has been tasked with creating an exhibit about the mysteries of love. She’s been looking for love and romance herself but finding only a series of disastrous dates. Meanwhile, her widowed mother, Louisa, has struck up a renewed relationship with a man she knew many decades ago.
Directed by Michelle Spanik and produced by Michael Hannigan, Burlington’s cast includes Jessica Logan as Kate, Christina Hopkins as Louisa, and Gregory Cruikshank as multiple characters. As Theatre Burlington’s promotional materials explain, “Cruikshank plays all the male parts in the show, including Kate’s numerous dates and her mother’s long-ago amore.”
With three actors but about a dozen separate characters, the rom-com calls upon the skill of its director and cast, particularly Cruikshank, to embody each character as well as strike the right comedic timing.
Luckily, this play has been previously termed "delightful" and "charming" as it challenges old notions of love and romance. First produced in 2014 at Workshop West Theatre in Edmonton, The Invention of Romance was a finalist for the 2015 Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award.
Special Note: Prior to the start of the opening performance (Sept. 13), there will be a short dedication ceremony. Theatre Burlington is renaming the stage in honour of two of its longest-serving members, Lawrie and Fay Bonanno. After the show, there will be a reception.
Starting back when it was known as Burlington Little Theatre (BLT), Lawrie and Fay Bonanno “preferred to work behind the scenes to make sure Burlington was home to a thriving community theatre.” Lawrie, who died in 2019, produced plays, designed and built sets, and operated the lighting/sound. He had a key role in the building of the Drama Centre. From box office and publicity to the newsletter and programs, Fay also worked diligently, and became the de facto historian and archivist for Theatre Burlington.
The Invention of Romance
Sept. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28, 8 p.m.
Sept. 21, 2 p.m. matinee
2311 New St., Burlington
Tickets are here or call 905-639-7700
$30 adult / $27 senior
Theatre Ancaster
Theatre Ancaster promises The 39 Steps is a "fast-paced," "hilarious" and "zany" comedy which will have audience members falling out of their seats with laughter.
Synopsis: “London, 1935. The rather dull Richard Hannay encounters a woman who claims to be a spy. When she is suddenly murdered, Richard finds himself the focus of a nation-wide manhunt led by a mysterious organization called The 39 Steps.”
The 39 Steps is a parody play created from a 1915 novel by John Buchan and 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original play was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, while the current adaptation was rewritten by Patrick Barlow in 2005. Ostensibly a serious spy story and whodunit, the play is given a comedic twist through a special device. A cast of only four actors perform the parts of the hero, his trio of love interests, and every other character populating the action, occasionally meaning actors are playing multiple characters at once.
The 39 Steps opened on London’s West End in 2006, followed by Broadway in 2008. The play has garnered many accolades over the years, including the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2007, a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and two Tony Awards that same year for lighting and sound design, in addition to other nominations. The 39 Steps closed in 2015 after nine years in London as the fifth-longest-running play in West End history.
The 39 Steps is part of Theatre Ancaster's Mainstage Series which features “professional level talents and ... the best that our company has to offer.”
The 39 Steps
Sept.13, 14, 20 & 21, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 & 22, 2 p.m. matinee
Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre
357 Wilson St. E., Ancaster
Tickets are here
$39 adult / $16 youth / $36 senior
Playful Fox Productions
Playful Fox Productions is presenting Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as the second in a series of productions it is staging at Hamilton Mountain’s Zoetic Theatre.
Based on a 1970 play written by Christopher Bond, Sweeney Todd the musical opened on Broadway in 1979 (and London’s West End the next year) with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler.
It won both a Tony Award and Olivier Award for Best New Musical as well as Tonys for Best Book and Score. There have been many stage productions since, along with director Tim Burton’s 2007 film adaptation featuring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sept. 19 & 20, 7 p.m.
Sept. 21, 2 p.m.
Zoetic Theatre
526 Concession St., Hamilton
Tickets are here
$35.20 and up (includes adult / student / early admission)
Theatre events
Aside from the more traditional theatrical fare, several other events are set to take place over the next two Saturdays including a fundraising wardrobe sale and a fundraiser for a memorial park to commemorate residential school survivors and victims.
DLT Wardrobe sale
The Dundas Little Theatre has summed up its event perfectly: “Our Dundas Little Theatre wardrobe department is having a high-end vintage sale of items from its 50-year collection of treasures. Dive into decades past and discover a treasure trove of vintage fashions, costumes and accessories. From high-end ’80s and ’90s attire to renaissance garb and everything in between. Your perfect piece awaits! We also have a selection of amazing Halloween costumes to choose from. Everything is clean and in perfect condition. Check out our button collections, too!”
Simply put, as a result of receiving so many donations over the years, the inventory of Dundas Little Theatre has outstripped its storage capacity. The proceeds of the sale will be poured back into the performing arts. This event also looks as though it will be a trip down memory lane for many attendees.
There will be a cash bar to keep eager shoppers hydrated.
Vintage Market Fundraiser
Saturday, Sept. 14
2-6 p.m.
Garstin Centre for the Arts,
37 Market St. S., Dundas
Free admission & parking
The Players’ Guild of Hamilton, Inc.
This event is a fundraiser and documentary viewing of The Nature of Healing: Voices of Mohawk Institute Survivors, coordinated to fall just over a week from Canada’s Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Synopsis: “The Nature of Healing is a JamLab Production, owned & operated by Faith Howe, a descendant of a child of the Mohawk Institute. The Nature of Healing is the spoken truth of seven courageous people who survived the Mohawk Institute, Canada’s first and longest-running 'Indian' residential school. From victim to survivor to activist, this story is about resistance, resilience, and a healing path.”
The documentary was created out of the long-time desire of survivors to build the Mohawk Village Memorial Park. In turn, the documentary has now become a catalyst to fundraise and complete the park “to commemorate the 15,000 children who were taken from more than 60 communities losing their families, communities, culture, identity and for some, their lives.”
A Fundraiser for the Mohawk Village Memorial Park
Saturday, Sept. 21
2 p.m. (Doors open at 1 p.m.)
Documentary: 1.5 hrs
80 Queen St. S., Hamilton
Tickets are here
$20 + service fee
