Originally produced on the New York stage by Jonathan Pollard, Bernie Kukoff, Tony Converse and James Hammerstein
Presented at The Berkshire Theatre Festival (Arthur Storch, Artistic Director; Kate Maguire, Managing Director) on August 12, 1997.
Produced by The American Stage Company (James N. Vagias, Executive Producer) on January 10, 1996.
The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.
over the river and through the woods SHOW
SPONSORS
Season Sponsor
Media Sponsor
2026 season support
the cast
(in alphabetical order)
Elva Mai Hoover (Aida Gianelli)
Drayton Entertainment: Ivy in Doris and Ivy in the Home , Aida in Over the River and Through the Woods (2025). Leading roles in regional theatres across Canada including Stratford Festival. Favourite roles include Doubt , Rabbit Hole and Broadway Bound at the Royal Alex. Recent Film/TV: The Miniature Wife , Christmas Chalet , Handmaid’s Tale . Series regular Road to Avonlea and Edison Twins . Proud grandmother of Callum and advocate of people with autism. Thank you to all my teachers, directors, and peers over a long and happy career!
Mary Long (Emma Cristano)
Drayton Entertainment: Cash on Delivery, Not now Darling. Other Theatre: The Birds and the Bees (Port Hope); The Time Capsule, Renovations for Six, Jack of Diamonds (Theatre Aquarius); On Golden Pond (Orillia Playhouse); Separate Beds (VPP); Carmela’s Table, Mambo Italiano (Centaur Theatre); and many more. Mary also runs a Performing Arts School for children and lends her expertise to voice over and TV and Film. You may have heard her voice as Molly on Sailor Moon, Beverly Hills Teens, Cops, BeyBlade, Totally Spies and many more. Mary has trod the boards of Canadian and U.S. theatre stages for the last fifty years and is honoured to be a part of the Drayton Family this season!
Emily Lukasik (Caitlin O’Hare)
Drayton Entertainment: Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Carole King in Beautiful. Emily has had the pleasure of playing on stages across Canada. Select credits: Once (Mirvish, Dora Award); Hook Up (TPM/Tapestry Opera); Little Women (Theatre New Brunswick, Theatre Orangeville, Theatre Sheridan); Fiddler on the Roof (Persephone); Stag and Doe (TIP); Kitchen Radio, Saint Anne’s Reel (Blyth Festival); As You Like It (CanStage); Retold (Musical Stage Co.); Into the Woods (Ovation); The Melville Boys, A Christmas Carol (Foster Festival); five seasons at the Shaw Festival, including Saint Joan, Sweeney Todd, Wilde Tales; Home for the Holidays (Theatre Aquarius). Up next: A Christmas Carol (Shaw Festival) www.emilylukasik.com
Costin Manu (Nunzio Cristano)
Drayton Entertainment: The Mousetrap. Other theatre: Sir George Crofts in Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Gloucester Stage Company); Tally’s Folly (Sandusky State Theatre); Barefoot in the Park (Theatre & Company); It Had To Be You, Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia); Sgt. Carlino in Wait Until Dark, Fruferelli in Who’s Under Where (Huron Country Playhouse); Corpse!, Accomplice (Stage West). Film/TV: Four Brothers (Paramount); Designated Survivor (ABC); Hemlock Grove (Netflix); Street Legal (CBC); Vue D’ailleurs (Atlantis Films). Costin studied performing arts in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Love to Susan, always! Thanks to Bruce Dean and everyone at The Talent House!
Rob McClure (Frank Gianelli)
Drayton Entertainment: Doris & Ivy in the Home, It Runs in the Family, The Miracle Worker, Harvest, The Odd Couple, Looking, Deathtrap, How the Other Half Loves, The Drawer Boy, Caught in the Net. Rob has performed in theatres from Vancouver to Halifax, including The Second City and four seasons at the Stratford Festival. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
Michael Vanhevel (Nick Cristano)
Drayton Entertainment: Nick Cristano in Over the River and Through the Woods, The Crooner, Duke Henderson in Sh-Boom! Life Could Be A Dream, Big Band Legends. Other theatre: Mitch Albom in Tuesdays with Morrie, The Tony Bennett Songbook, King Arthur in Camelot, Starbright Christmas, Will Vanhorne in Norm Foster’s Outlaw, Hollywood Sings, Songs of Sinatra (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia); Elvis Presley in Million Dollar Quartet (Magnus Theatre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Theatre Calgary, The Grand Theatre); A Stratford Christmas (Stratford Festival Theatre). Film/TV: Billy Bishop in The Ace and The Scout (Electric Motion Pictures). Thank you to my wonderful friends and family for their unwavering support.
creative team
Alex Mustakas (Director)
As Founder of Drayton Entertainment, Alex has directed over 120 productions for this award-winning theatre organization and other theatre companies across Canada, including The Full Monty, Sorry...I’m Not Sorry!, Over the River and Through the Woods, Rock of Ages, The Crooner, We’ll Meet Again, It Runs in the Family, Sorry… I’m Canadian, You’ll Get Used To It! ... The War Show, Rocky: The Musical, Rock of Ages, Million Dollar Quartet, the world premiere of Marathon of Hope, Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Spamalot, Les Misérables, and others. Alex holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from City University in London, England, and an Honorary Doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Media & Entertainment, the Queen’s Diamond & Platinum Jubilee Medals, the Maggie Bassett Award from Theatre Ontario, and the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for his lasting impact on Canadian arts and culture.
David Antscherl (Set Designer)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): It Runs in the Family, Shear Madness, You’ll Get Used To It! … The War Show, Run for Your Wife, Look, No Hans!, The Pirates of Penzance, and many more. Other theatre (selected): The Fighting Days and The Drawer Boy (Essential Collective Theatre); The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch (Theatre Beyond Words); The Wind in the Willows (Yellow Door Theatre). Film: Art Director for The Perimeter Institute’s films Quantum Physics and Dark Matter. David’s association with Drayton Entertainment goes back to the second season. David is also recognized for his books on 18th century naval architecture and history. He lives in Niagara-on-the-Lake with his highly supportive wife, Carol.
Alex Amini (Costume Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Over the River and Through the Woods, Dear Jack, Dear Louise. Other theatre: Kelly v Kelly, Caroline Or Change, The Wild Party (Dora Nominee), Grey Gardens (Dora Nominee), Onegin, Next To Normal (Dora Nominee) (Musical Stage Company); To Life, Gloria: A Life, The Jazz Singer and Brighton Beach Memoirs (The Harold Green Jewish Theatre). As always, thanks to Carmen forever and always.
Lyle Franklin (Lighting Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: Sorry…I’m Not Sorry!, Flight Risk, Country Roads: The Songs of John Denver, Over the River and Through the Woods, Merry & Bright, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Buying The Farm, Kings & Queens of Country, Out of Order, Office Hours, Hilda’s Yard, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, The Affections of May, Lend Me A Tenor, Too Many Cooks, The Love List, Perfect Wedding, Twelve Angry Men, Separate Beds, The Odd Couple, Funny Money, Boeing Boeing. Other theatre: The Marriage of Figaro, The Llandovery Castle (Wilfrid Laurier University); Walking on Water (Fanshawe College); The Anger of Ernest and Ernestine (Lost & Found Theatre); A Funny Thing Happened … (Ryerson University). He is a graduate of Ryerson University. Lyle is pleased to be working on another lighting design with Drayton Entertainment.
Paula Stewart (Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Yesterday Once More, Country Roads: The Songs of John Denver, Over the River and Through the Woods, White Christmas, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, Doris and Ivy in the Home, Evita, Perfect Wedding, Anything Goes, Jonas and Barry in the Home. Other theatre: The Beaver Club, Cinderella... if the Shoe Fits, Darktown Strutters Ball, Boys Girls and Other Mythological Creatures (Tour) (Theatre Orangeville); Smile Serenades, Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Carol (Smile Theatre). Tapadh leat mo ghaol agus slainte mhath!
Kelly Boudreau (Assistant Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Mamma Mia!, Twelve Angry Men, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Other theatre: Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford Festival); My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, Wait Until Dark, Blues for an Alabama Sky (Shaw Festival); The Gig, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Belly Full (Theatre Aquarius); Grand Ghosts, Silence (Grand Theatre); Innocence Lost (Soulpepper); Jerusalem, John (The Company Theatre); The Mistake (UK Tour and Arcola Theatre); Dry Powder (Evermore Theatre); The Melville Boys (Bluewater Summer Playhouse); Off Balance (National Play Festival); On Golden Pond, Macbeth (Rose Theatre Brampton), Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project).
Coming Soon to King’s Wharf Theatre
August 13 to August 30
Conceived & Created by Robert Asselstine starring matt cage
