A Little Night Music: October 12 - 21, 2017 at Gateway Theatre

Warren Kimmel & Katey Wright Photo: David Cooper

STEPHEN SONDHEIM HUGH WHEELER DIRECTED BY PETER JORGENSEN PRODUCED BY PATRICK STREET PRODUCTIONS MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BOOK BY

MAINSTAGE | OCTOBER 12 - 21, 2017

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SHOW BILL

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Hugh Wheeler Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick Suggested by a Film by Ingmar Bergman Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince Produced by Patrick Street Productions october 12 - 21, 2017 • MainStage

CAST

Warren kimmel katey Wright Patti Allan Nick Fontaine Lindsay Warnock Arinea Hermans Caleb Di Pomponio elizabeth irving rose Mcneil Jacob Woike Lyndsey Britten Micheal Querin

Fredrik Egerman Desiree Armfeldt Madame Armfeldt Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm Countess Charlotte Malcolm Anne Egerman Henrik Egerman Fredrika Armfeldt Petra Frid Ensemble Ensemble

CREATIVE TEAM

Peter Jorgensen Sean Bayntun Alan Brodie Bradley Danyluk Jessica Bayntun Chris Allan greg Yellenik Anne taylor Jenny kim

Director/Choreographer Musical Director Set and Lighting Designer Sound Designer Costume Designer Assistant Director Technical Director Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager

The play is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission.

A Little Night Music is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All Authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com Photography, videotaping or other audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Program design and Production: gary Slavin

Cover art: Legrudge & rugged

A Chinese synopsis of the play is available at the Coat Check.

Lobby Art: Cathy kluthe / october 1 - 30, 2017

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ORCHESTRA, STAGE CREW & SONG LIST ORCHESTRA Sean Bayntun Sarah Ho Albertina Chan Laine Longton Yukari Mametsuka

Piano Violin Harp Cello Clarinet

STAGE CREW Robin Richardson Mark Carter Sebastian Finch * * * *

Head Stage Carpenter Head Lighting Head Sound Assistant Sound Head Props Head Wardrobe Setup & Strike

*-supplied by IATSE loc. 118

ACT ONE

Night Waltz Company Now Fredrik Later Henrik Soon Anne, Henrik, Fredrik The Glamorous Life Fredrika Remember?

Fredrik, Desirée, Anne, Petra, Henrik You Must Meet My Wife Fredrik, Desirée Liaisons Madame Armfeldt In Praise of Woman Carl-Magnus Every Day a Little Death Charlotte, Anne A Weekend in the Country Company

ACT TWO

The Sun Won’t Set Company It Would Have Been Wonderful Fredrik, Carl-Magnus Perpetual Anticipation Anne, Charlotte, Desiree Send In the Clowns Desirée The Miller’s Son Petra Finale Company

Set & Lighting Design by Alan Brodie, photo by Emily Cooper 4

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FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Welcome back, everyone. I hope you enjoyed your summer as much as we did preparing for another year of outstanding comedy, drama, and musicals. Gateway Theatre is proud to open its thirty-third season with a beloved classic: Stephen Sondheim’s glorious A Little Night Music. Adapted from the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, A Little Night Music tells the story – sometimes comic, sometimes wistful – of mismatched lovers on a weekend retreat in the country in turn-of-the-century Sweden.

In A Little Night Music, Sondheim draws on musical influences such as Strauss, Lehar, and Ravel to concoct his most elegant and sophisticated score. Sondheim’s lyrics bubble with effervescent wit. When I think of this particular musical, I think of fine champagne. And yet, A Little Night Music is much more than just a frothy concoction. Beneath each clever turn-of-phrase there is an underlying wisdom on the nature of love. The evening unfolds as a satisfying journey where our lovers discover that youth and beauty are fleeting, memory and nostalgia unreliable. True happiness exists in the present when illusions are stripped away.

I am delighted to welcome back Patrick Street Productions, the creative team behind tonight’s show. Director Peter Jorgensen has done a wonderful job staging this oft-revived masterpiece – particularly in taking the vocal parts normally written for Lieder Singers and reassigning them throughout the cast in a way that creates a narrative flow. Meanwhile, Peter’s partner at Patrick Street, Katey Wright has done a memorable job interpreting the central role of Désirée, one of the iconic parts in the musical theatre canon. Warren Kimmel is equally impressive in the role of Frederik; together they lead a cast of some of the Lower Mainland’s finest performers. A Little Night Music is a terrific way to open a season I am very proud of. Our next MainStage show is the heartwarming story A Christmas Carol. In the new year, we present a groundbreaking production of the Canadian classic Salt-Water Moon. And we close our season with the world premiere of a play that I’ve written called Nine Dragons, a detective story set in 1920s colonial Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, in our Studio we welcome back Beverley Elliott with Sink or Swim, an evening of song and storytelling, and the world premiere of I Lost My Husband, a hilarious comedy about a woman who loses her husband in a bar bet.

Thank you for joining us tonight. I hope to see you back for what promises to be a memorable season.

–Jovanni Sy 6

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

Finding Inevitability in Chaos “This somehow is the key to the mystery of a great artist: that for reasons unknown to him or to anyone else, he will give away his energies and his life just to make sure that one note follows another inevitably. It seems rather an odd way to spend one’s life; but it isn’t so odd when we think that the composer, by doing this, leaves us at the finish with the feeling that something is right in the world, that something checks throughout, something that follows its own laws consistently, something we can trust, that will never let us down.”

— Leonard Bernstein Although Bernstein is referring to Beethoven this idea of inevitability speaks to this play, to the genius of Stephen Sondheim, and to the aspirations of great artists no matter the medium.

In this story, we enter a universe in chaos: disconnected lovers clinging to misconceptions, terrified of humiliation, grasping for connection. But by the end of the story, the universe is set aright: the characters resolve (in the words of Desirée and Frederick) to find, “a coherent existence after so many years of muddle.” It may not be the most romantic prose, but if you think about it, you might find that idea as intoxicating as I do.

Sondheim, too, understands the artist’s pursuit of inevitability. I don’t believe there is another musical dramatist as driven to make every note, thought, or idea inevitably follow the one before. His rich, complex compositions generously provide us with music and lyrics “we can trust” - thoughts and actions that “will never let us down.”

As a director, the pursuit of the inevitable is part of what drives me as I explore, interpret, and execute a play. What choices can we make as a company to allow our audience to leave the theatre “feeling that something is right in the world?”

I can’t recall a time when the world has been in the midst of more muddle – and we all could probably use a dose of “something right.”

What more could we possibly offer you than that?

– Peter Jorgensen

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ABOUT PATRICK STREET PRODUCTIONS

Artistic Producers: Peter Jorgensen and Katey Wright General Manager: Tammy Hampel Patrick Street Productions was founded in 2007 by Artistic Producers Peter Jorgensen and Katey Wright with a simple mandate: to offer great productions of great plays and musicals for Metro Vancouver, with an emphasis on contemporary musicals that have not yet been professionally produced in the region.

When selecting shows, we consider several factors: does the story ring true; is the show as smart as its audience; is the music integral to the story and a true expression of its time, place and character; finally, will the piece challenge an audience’s idea of what a musical is, and what a musical can do?

We don’t want our audience to merely be pleased or entertained, we want you to be thrilled, frustrated, elated, disturbed, impassioned… through the music, we want the story to connect with you in a deeper, more honest way.

Within all of our activities we emphasize these core values: Professional Development for Artists; Promotion of Artists; Mentorship for Young Artists; and Accessibility for All. Special Thanks Patrick Street Productions is grateful for the generous support of these companies, organizations, individuals and funders: British Columbia Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia, Douglas College, Alpine Credits, the Hamber Foundation, Steven Endicott, Darychuk QC, River Market at Westminster Quay, Music Box, The Stage New West, Downtown New West Business Association, the Georgia Straight, the New Westminster Record, the generous support of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Bill Boden, Richard Mundie, Bruce & Cynthia Verchere, Kathy & Terry Anderson, Kathryn & Stephen Aberle, Charmaine & George Bayntun, St. George’s School - Cody Stadel, Electric Aura Projects - Rob Sondergaard, the PSP Board of Directors: Chris Allan, Angus Chiu, Steven Endicott, Caitriona Murphy and Jordan Samek, as well as Gateway Theatre.

For more information: www.patrickstreetproductions.com

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BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS Hugh Wheeler Book Writer

Hugh Wheeler was a novelist, playwright and screenwriter. He wrote more than thirty mystery novels under the pseudonyms Q. Patrick and Patrick Quentin, and four of his novels were transformed into films: Black Widow, Man in the Net, The Green-Eyed Monster and The Man with Two Wives.

For films he wrote the screenplays for Travels with My Aunt, Something for Everyone, A Little Night Music and Nijinsky. His plays include Big Fish, Little Fish (1961), Look: We’ve Come Through (1961) and We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1966, adapted from the Shirley Jackson novel), he co-authored with Joseph Stein the book for a new production of the 1919 musical Irene (1973), wrote the books for A Little Night Music (1973), a new production of Candide (1973), Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979, based on a version of the play by Christopher Bond), and Meet Me in St. Louis (adapted from the 1949 M-G-M musical), contributed additional material for the musical Pacific Overtures (1976), and wrote a new adaptation of the Kurt Weill opera Silverlake, which was directed by Harold Prince at the New York Opera. He received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for A Little Night Music, Candide and Sweeney Todd.

Stephen Sondheim Music & Lyrics

Stephen Sondheim was born in New York in 1930, and is widely acknowledged as the most innovative, most influential and most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history. His accolades include an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards (more than any other composer) including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, multiple Drama Desk awards and a Pulitzer Prize.

He has written the music and lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Into The Woods (1987), Passion (1994) and Bounce (2003) which later became Road Show (2008), as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). For films, he composed the scores of Stavisky (1974) and co-composed Reds (1981) as well as songs for The Seven Percent Solution (1976) and Dick Tracy (1990). He also wrote the songs for the television production Evening Primrose (1966), co-authored the film The Last of Sheila (1973) and the play Getting Away With Murder (1996).

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FEATURE

an ode to Sondheim: unpacking Musical genius in a Little night Music Written by Caitlin Main

In early 20th Century Sweden, a group of aristocrats spend a lavish weekend in the country; hidden desires are revealed and inharmonious partnerships are tested; and expectations of marriage and romantic fidelity are challenged.

The plot is Stephen Sondheim’s 1973 musical A Little Night Music – the widely-successful adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s film Smiles of a Summer Night. The success of A Little Night Music – it received six Tony Awards and has had countless revivals worldwide – could not have been achieved without Sondheim’s bold fusion of contemporary narrative techniques and classical musical forms.

By the early 1970s, Sondheim was widely acknowledged as the most influential musical theatre innovator since the seminal works of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Before Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II– himself, a family friend and early mentor of Sondheim—began collaborating, musicals often consisted of a collection of songs and dances that contributed little to advancing the show’s plot. With their landmark 1943 musical Oklahoma!, Rodgers and Hammerstein integrated narrative, dramatic action, and character development into what is now widely accepted as musical theatre. They followed Oklahoma! with an unprecedented string of hits including Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music, that redefined the modern musical and also the kind of impact this form of theatre could have.

Rodgers and Hammerstein transformed the musical into a cohesive structure of song, dance, 10

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and story, and their shows were often laden with social commentary. Stephen Sondheim, in keeping with the innovation nurtured by his mentor, emerged in the musical theatre world, only to raise the bar even higher. During the 1970s, the most popular musical theatre convention was song form: a convention passed on from Vaudeville of creating songs for musicals that would stand alone outside the context of the show. For the writers, one of the benefits of creating shows in this style was a financial one – a hit song could be covered by a pop or jazz musician—for example, think of the numerous covers of ‘My Favorite Things’—and could yield lucrative returns in royalties.

With the exception of ‘Send in the Clowns’ and a few others, Sondheim had very few stand-alone ‘hit’ songs in his career because of the innovation he brought to the musical theatre art form: writing songs so inextricably linked to the specific circumstances of plot, character, and intention that they are almost impossible to excerpt. Sondheim’s songs are rarely covered by pop musicians because they tend to make little sense outside the context of their respective shows. And yet, when Sondheim’s characters sing their songs in the narrative, they become perfect expressions of those characters’ immediate desires. Creating songs that give the spectator a particular and unique insight into characters and their motivations is the singular innovation that Sondheim brought to the art form of musical theatre; it has since become the norm for modern musicals from Pippin to Hamilton. In A Little Night Music, instead of leaning towards

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FEATURE (continued) the popular music of the time—as had been the convention of musicals— Sondheim chose, instead, to draw inspiration from 19th Century classical music--echoes of composers such as Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel can be heard throughout the score. This unlikely fusion of a classical musical style with a contemporary, even cynical narrative created something unique: a modern operetta. On the surface, A Little Night Music sounds as light and airy and effervescent as a Strauss piece. And yet, if you listen to the words each character sings, you discover incredibly complex and rich psychological through-lines more reminiscent of Ibsen or Strindberg.

Also, Sondheim, perhaps boldly, chose to compose A Little Night Music almost entirely in triple metre which denotes three beats to a metre or multiples thereof (the time signatures 3/4, 6/8, and 12/8 are all examples of triple metre). Triple metre can be heard in popular dance styles like the waltz, the mazurka, and the minuet.

These basic dance styles were reimagined into the orchestral realm by classical composers. Sondheim builds off these orchestral variants to evoke the classical music tradition and its connotations, such class or status. For instance, songs set in waltztime, like ‘Remember’ and ‘The Sun Won’t Set’ recall a similar fusion of grandiosity and delicacy that emanates from Ravel’s Valse Nobles et Sentimentales. Even the show’s title A Little Night Music takes its cue from Mozart by bearing the English translation of Mozart’s divertimento, ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’. Sondheim’s choice of title directly acknowledges his classical inspirations.

In addition, Sondheim captures the quintessential light-hearted tone of the divertimento and therefore, creates the musical’s aristocratic atmosphere. This atmosphere situates the spectator within the world

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of high society Sweden at the turn of the 20th century. Similarly to his classical predecessors, Sondheim adds his own twist to pre-established dance styles, particularly the waltz. Sondheim infuses a cynicism of ‘fidelity’ into the narrative, in order to alter the historically romantic connotations of the waltz, as a dance. 1Historically, the waltz was considered scandalous due to the closed hold “waltz” position.

As time progressed, waltz (¾) time became popular amongst composers and the waltz trickled into the aristocracy, filling ballrooms and courts across Europe. This appropriation of waltz shifted its connotations from a scandalous style to an idealized and highly romantic style. However, Sondheim returns to the scandalous roots of the waltz “by making [the waltz] a sonic sign of decoupling instead of coupling”. 2The waltz, in A Little Night Music, becomes a vehicle for the disintegration of devotion and marriage which ultimately undermines its romance. In the waltz ‘Remember?’ the Liebeslieders, who function as a chorus of sorts, sing about old flings and sexual encounters. ‘Remember?’ occurs at a pivotal moment in the musical: the recently married, Fredrik crosses paths with his old fling, Désirée. The waltz is romantic and sentimental, yet it misleads us. New romance comes at a price, infidelity.

Functioning paradoxically, the waltz simultaneously builds and destroys romantic partnerships. As a result, Sondheim presents a pessimistic belief on the temporary state of fidelity and in doing so, subverts societal expectations of love and marriage.

Sondheim’s cynicism of fidelity complicates the waltz’s classical significance as a romantic form.

At the end of Act I, Sondheim’s epic ‘A Weekend in the Country’ moves swiftly through a sequence of events. The guests receive their invitations, reveal their qualms about attending, and promptly prepare for the weekend at Madame Armfeldt’s chateau. However, this sequence is not just a means of advancing the plot efficiently. Sondheim also creates a sense of anticipation in both actors and audiences through music. ‘A Weekend in the Country’ is written in seven parts with each part revealing new plot elements. In each part, Sondheim revisits the chorus leading us, the audience, to believe this will be the last verse.

Just as we think the song is about to end, a new part begins. The tempo marking agitato creates GATEWAY THEATRE

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FEATURE (continued)

Cast of A Little night Music, Set & Lighting Design by Alan Brodie, Costume Design by Jessica Bayntun, photo by Emily Cooper

the agitation spectators might feel whilst stuck in perpetual anticipation. As a result, the characters and spectators jointly anticipate the weekend in the country – we are left longing for the resolution of Act II. Sondheim’s ability to create agitation and anticipation within the score demonstrates his thorough integration of music and plot.

Likewise, Sondheim also integrates character and relationships into his score via his use of leitmotifs. Leitmotifs are reoccurring musical themes tied to characters, settings, or ideas. In Act I’s musical sequence ‘Now/Later/Soon’, Sondheim ties leitmotifs to Fredrik, Henrik, and Anne whom happen to be in a love triangle. In ‘Now’, Fredrik deliberates his future with his younger, virginal wife Anne. Fredrik, a lawyer, works through his choices systematically, “A, I could ravish her, B, I could nap…” Sondheim articulates Fredrik’s lawyerly logic in song by pairing smooth musical alternatives with rhyming couplets. In contrast, the oft-forgotten Henrik laments over unrequited love and unfulfilled sexual desires in ‘Later’. Sondheim compliments Henrik’s angst-ridden lyrics with a slow-tempo 3/2 time to draw out Henrik’s inner turmoil. Finally, Sondheim returns to waltz time for ‘Soon’ where the teenage Anne relishes in her relationship with Fredrik, promising sexual relations in the future.

Near the end of ‘Soon’, Fredrik and Henrik join Anne in waltz time with their themes ‘Now’ and ‘Later’ to unify the sequence. This is a masterful choice on Sondheim’s behalf; by ascribing to 12

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Anne’s metre, Sondheim depicts the sway desire holds over the men and their fixation on Anne.

Sondheim is also able to convey subtler, internal conflicts of his characters through musical composition techniques. For instance, Sondheim toys with the audience’s expectations of metre. In ‘Send in the Clowns’, Sondheim uses a counterrhythm – the song of a flute in duple metre - to fight the steady pulse of triple metre. At this point, the score has been dominated by triple metre and therefore, the additional counter-rhythm disturbs our expectations of the song. This musical choice creates tension within the score, mirroring Désirée’s discomfort during the emotionally honest moment. The rhythmic back and forth between the two metres elicits Désirée’s conflicted self and her longing for the seemingly unattainable. By destabilizing triple metre, Sondheim communicates Désirée’s inner conflict and yet again, highlights the profound impact of Sondheim’s music in A Little Night Music.

In fact, Sondheim’s evocative music even has the power to subvert the written word. In several musical sections, Sondheim maintains the integrity of naturalistic dialogue and thoughts with multiple voices overlapping and interrupting each other.

For most, this is a risky composition choice as it requires the listener to abstract meaning from the entirety of the piece rather than individual lyrics.

In this sense, the lyrics become secondary to the Continues on page 22

CAST Warren Kimmel

Fredrik Egerman Warren was born in South Africa. He trained at the RADA in London. Warren has performed extensively in the UK, Europe, and South Africa.

He has been seen locally in Merchant of Venice (Shylock), Fiddler on the Roof (Tevye), Billy Elliot (Dad), Les Misérables (Javert), My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins), Mary Poppins (Mr. Banks), Next to Normal (Dan), Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch).

Warren is thrilled to be making his debut at the Gateway Theatre. More about Warren than anyone requires is at warrenkimmel.com.

Katey Wright

Desiree Armfeldt Katey Wright co-founded Patrick Street Productions with Peter Jorgensen in 2007.

For PSP, Katey has appeared in Into the Woods, The Full Monty, Bat Boy, The Light in the Piazza, and The Best Laid Plans. Favourite local stage roles include: Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins and Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (Stanley Theatre); for Touchstone Theatre, the title role in Little Mercy’s First Murder; and for Bard on the Beach, Viola in Twelfth Night, the Boy in Henry V, and Mistress Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Katey also has extensive film, TV and voice-over credits. www.kateywright.com

Patti Allan

Madame Armfeldt Patti is so happy to be back at the beautiful Gateway Theatre with Patrick Street’s production of A Little Night Music with this wonderful cast and crew.

A multiple Jessie Richardson Award recipient and nominee, Patti has worked extensively in theatre, film and TV both locally and across the country. Recently, she appeared at Gateway Theatre in You Will Remember Me (Ruby Slippers) and in the past, has also appeared here in Conversations with My Mother, Fiddler on the Roof, and Lend Me a Tenor.

Patti is also thrilled to be working for the Gateway Academy, teaching voice and speech classes and wishes to give a shout out to her wonderful students! As well, Patti teaches for SFU and is an Artist in Residence for schools within the Vancouver School District. This show is for Mum.

Nick Fontaine

Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm Nick is a Vancouver-based actor, singer, and musician.

Selected credits: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Carousel Theatre), The Best Laid Plans (Touchstone/Patrick Street), Avenue Q (Arts Club), Beggar’s Opera (Seven Tyrants), The Buddy Holly Story (Globe Theatre), The Master Builder (Yorick), and The Eighth Land (Pi Theatre). Nick is a graduate of UBC and Capilano University; a recipient of UBC’s Beatrice Wood Scholarship for Acting and four Ovation Awards for outstanding performances. Represented by Lauren Levitt & Associates.

Next: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe at Carousel Theatre and Fun Home at Arts Club Theatre.

Lindsay Warnock

Countess Charlotte Malcom Lindsay could not be more excited to be a part of this amazing show! Recent credits: Angel City Four in City of Angels (PIT Collective), Lydia Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (Chemainus), Jenny Diver in The Threepenny Opera (TITR), The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (Gateway Theatre), The Student in Godspell (Arts Club), Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical (TUTS), Assistant Music Director for Peter and the Starcatcher (Arts Club) and will soon be seen as Mary Lou Sokoloff in The Buddy Holly Story (Globe). Thank you daCosta and my lovely family for everything!

Arinea Hermans

Anne Egerman Arinea is overjoyed to be back with her Night Music family. Recent credits: Masha in Chekhov’s Three Sisters (Wolf Manor Collective); Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical (YPT – Dora Nomination); UnCovered: Queen & Bowie (The Musical Stage Company); Dot in Sunday in the Park With George (Theatre Sheridan).

Arinea is a recipient of the 2016/2017 Syd & Shirley Banks Prize awarded through The Musical Stage Company. She is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Music Theatre Program. Deepest thanks to the folks at Talent House, and to Peter and the PSP team. For her incredible mom and dad.

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CAST Caleb Di Pomponio

Henrik Egerman After spending a big chunk of last year working in Toronto, Caleb is happy to be back in BC at the Gateway! Caleb is a graduate of the Musical Theatre Program at Capilano University.

Select credits: Canada in Love (Smile Theatre Toronto), Sonny in In The Heights (Arts Club), Crazy for You and Fiddler on the Roof (Gateway), Donkey in Shrek: the Musical (Align). Caleb also originated the role of Dexter in the 2012 Pick of Fringe Winner, Riverview High (Entrance). Catch Caleb this Christmas in the Arts Club’s holiday production of Beauty and the Beast. Visit www.calebdipomponio.com for more.

Elizabeth Irving

Fredrika Armfeldt Elizabeth is excited to share the stage again with this talented cast of A Little Night Music. She trains at Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts.

Theatre credits include Jane Banks in Mary Poppins; A Christmas Story, the Musical (Arts Club Theatre), Jemima (understudy) in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Align Entertainment), Edwina in Dear Edwina, Mulan, Seussical: the Musical, Music Man (Lindbjerg Academy).

Elizabeth often sings the anthems at Vancouver Canucks and Whitecaps games, is a guest performer for Immigration Citizenship Canada, enjoys performing with her school Chamber Choir, church choir and playing ultimate frisbee! She is happiest when surrounded with family, friends and music! www.elizabethirving.ca.

Rose McNeil

Petra Rose is thrilled to be working with PSP again, and bringing this production to Gateway Theatre. Since graduating from Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program, she has worked with TUTS (Elle’s Mom - Legally Blonde), Pacific Theatre (Choir Soloist The Christians), Renegade Arts Company (Tribe - Hair), Alchemy Theatre (Titania - A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and many other companies. Rose is currently employed as a section leader and soloist for Canadian Memorial United Church Choir. Look for her next when she joins Razzle Dazzle Productions’ 11th Annual Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular as their Alto performer!

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Jacob Woike

Frid Jacob feels very fortunate to be part of this production with this sensational cast and to make his debut at the beautiful Gateway Theatre.

Recent theatre credits include Red, Hot, Cole! (Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre) Hair (Renegade Arts Company), Les Misérables (The Arts Club), Company (United Players) Broken Sex Doll (Virtual Stage), and Marry Me A Little (Square One). You can catch him all winter with Stage West Calgary performing in Pure ‘90s! He would like to extend a warm thank you to Peter and the whole team, and to Melissa and Shannon at DaCosta. For his brilliant mother, always.

Lyndsey Britten

Ensemble Based in Vancouver, Lyndsey has trained with Goh Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Caulfield School of Dance.

Select credits include: My Fair Lady (RCMT), Hairspray (TUTS), Fame! (Bring on Tomorrow Co), Crazy For You, Wizard of Oz, and The Music Man (Gateway Theatre). As a Choreographer, select credits include: Bonnie & Clyde (Play on Words), Carry On: A Musical (Fringe 2016 ASP), Gutenberg! The Musical! (Fringe 2017 Chris Adams’ Presents), Heathers (FCP), Cabaret (Tomo Suru Players), and was Assistant Choreographer for 42nd Street (Studio 58). Up next, Lyndsey will be Assistant Choreographer for Little Women (Bring on Tomorrow Co.)

Micheal Querin

Ensemble A member of Canadian Actors’ Equity for over 30 years, Micheal has performed across the country from Victoria to St. Johns. He has been a member of both The Stratford Festival and The Shaw Festival.

Theatre:Reflections on Crooked Walking, Twelfth Night, Guys and Dolls, Only in Vancouver, Mary Poppins (Arts Club), Children of God (workshop), Les Misérables, The Drowsy Chaperone, Henry and Alice: Into the Wild, A Chorus Line, Marriage is Murder, Hardhats: The Musical!

Film & TV: Supernatural, Once Upon A Time, Cold, Jail Bait, Earth: Final Conflict, Traders, Little Men, The Hoop Life, Mean Streak, Nikita.

CREATIVE TEAM Peter Jorgensen

Director/Choreographer For Patrick Street Productions, Peter has directed all their productions including Into the Woods, The Light in the Piazza, and Rodgers & Hammerstein: Out of a Dream (which also played at Gateway Theatre).

Outside of PSP he has directed for the Arts Club, Chemainus Theatre, Persephone Theatre, and City Opera.

You may have seen Peter on stage in Gateway productions of Forever Plaid, Lend Me a Tenor, Guys and Dolls, and Leading Ladies.

A passionate educator, Peter teaches a master class series with PSP, is the program director for the Arts Club Musical Theatre Intensive, and a guest instructor at Capilano University.

Alan Brodie

Set & Lighting Designer Alan is pleased to collaborate again with Patrick Street and to have his work appear at Gateway Theatre. Previously Alan designed lighting for PSP productions of The Light in the Piazza and Into the Woods, as well as the Gateway production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Recent credits include lighting for Dracula (Shaw Festival), Alice Munro Stories (Belfry Theatre), šxw?amet [home] (Theatre for Living) and The Flick (Arts Club).

He has also just directed an adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s 2BR02B for Studio 58. Alan completed his undergraduate training at UBC, and holds a Master’s degree in directing from UVic.

Sean Bayntun

Musical Director Sean returns to PSP having previously been their music director for The Light in the Piazza (Jessie Award), and Bat Boy: the Musical. Other credits as music director include Rock of Ages and the smash hit Avenue Q for the Arts Club Theatre Company, as well as The Wild Party (Pint Size Tall), and Songs for a New World (NAMC). He received his Masters in Music (Classical Piano Performance) from Rice University and is the Keyboard/ Synth player in the groups Maiwah and Leisure Club.

Bradley Danyluk

Sound Designer Brad has been a Vancouver sound designer and audio engineer for well over a decade.

His work includes a wide array of shows for Arts Club, Gateway Theatre, TUTS, and Patrick Street Productions.

He hopes you enjoy the sound and music of the performance as fully as possible!

Jessica Bayntun

Costume Designer Jessica obtained her Bachelor’s in fashion design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, kick-starting her passion for colour, texture, and movement.

She is currently teaching at KPU, studying in the Master of Design program at Emily Carr University, designing and producing stage costumes, and building custom clothing for Messica Demolition. Some of her recent projects include: custom corsetry, lingerie, and swimwear for stage performers.

Recent costume design for theatre: Rock of Ages, Romeo & Juliet, Avenue Q, It’s a Wonderful Life, Grease the Musical, Out of a Dream, Les Miserables, Light in the Piazza, and The Best Laid Plans.

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CREATIVE TEAM Chris Allan

Assistant Director Chris began his career in 1960 in London, England where he worked with eminent directors including Laurence Olivier, Trevor Nunn, Noel Coward, and Harold Prince. As a singer/dancer, selected credits include Cabaret (Theatre Royal, Liverpool), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Salisbury Playhouse, Glasgow Opera House), and two Royal Command Performances (London Palladium). Allan also stage managed in London’s West End. Credits include Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Irene (Adelphi Theatre), and Cats (New London Theatre).

In Vancouver, Allan has worked in Stage Management for all the city’s major theatre companies including six seasons with Vancouver Opera. His most recent work has been as Peter Jorgensen’s assistant.

Anne Taylor

Stage Manager As Stage Manager: The Little Mermaid (Globe Theatre); Pride and Prejudice and Ring of Fire (Chemainus Theatre Festival); The Best Laid Plans: A Musical, Rogers and Hammerstein: Out of a Dream, Floyd Collins, The Light in the Piazza, The Full Monty, Into the Woods (Patrick Street Productions); Cafe Daughter (Gwaandak Theatre); As Assistant Stage Manager: Rock of Ages, A Christmas Story: The Musical and Mary Poppins (Arts Club Theatre).

As General Manager: Nanaimo Fringe Festival. Graduate of The Banff Centre Theatre Programme: Production Stage Management and Opera as Theatre.

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INDIVIDUAL

DONORS Dedicated donors and supporters are essential to our ability to present high-quality professional theatre and nurture the next generation of theatre artists. As a registered charity, Gateway Theatre relies on the generosity of our donors and supporters to enrich the quality of life in Richmond and the surrounding communities. In addition to a tax receipt, Gateway Theatre offers exclusive privileges to enhance your theatre experience.

Please visit our website or contact our Development Associate, Basa Koga at 604.247.4988 for more information.

Star

Artistic Director’s Circle $1,000-$2,499

Joe & Gertie Chan Wayne Gibson & Janet Sinclair* Betty Goodwin Anne & Tom Green Lilian Hudson Bob & Donna Humphries Sunny & Hilda Leung Keith Liedtke & Elizabeth Doyle Diane Purvey Camilla Tibbs Panteli Tritchew John & Gail Watson*

Producer $500-$999

Nettie Aronius Gillian S. Burnett Elsie and Audrey Jang Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Etella Keenan Frank Lawler & Ann McCurdy Michael & Edith Matthews Susan G. Ness George Radke Susan Tucker Verchere Family Linda & Garry White

$250-$499

D & L Bogert-O’Brien Paula & Gordon Boleen Sheila Brew Mary Gardner Bob & Jean Garnett Howard & Trudy Harowitz Bob & Carol Mitchell Bob & Lois Munroe Scott & Marla Penner Lynne Perreault & Kjell Magnussen Clayton Rubinstein Jovanni Sy & Leanna Brodie

Feature Player $100-$249

Anonymous (2) Don Anderson Ted Andrew Karen Calsbeck Adrian C. Chan Arlene Clark Judith Coffin William & Carell Colvin Don & Denise Dale In memory of Phil Dubin Suzanne Dunn Tim & Gloria Enno Jennifer Forlin Evelin E. Fowler Fiona Gan Donna Claire Gold

Ruth Goodchild Tim & Ellen Gould H & R Frydrychowicz William & Karen Holden Glenda Johnson Colleen Kason Joanna Ko Fred & Ruth Krause Isao & Ina Kuramoto Ian & Ardis MacLeod Anne Mathisen Alma McDonald Linda Morical Joanne Neufeld Christine O’Toole Tim Oberholzer Ione S. Owen Robert & Gail Plowman Jane Pratt Carolyn Price Lin & John Richardson Gail Screaton & John Maclachlan Eileen Sengara Morley & Fay Shafron Nansi Smith Tom & Ruth Stubens Kei & David Takahashi Barrie & Margaret Vickers

*Seat Dedication Donors

We make every effort at ensuring accuracy in terms of individual donor acknowledgement.

If you notice any discrepancies, please contact us at development@gatewaytheatre.com.

Registered Charity #11911 8875 RR0001

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2017/2018 SUPPORTERS

THANK YOU Sponsors

Sink or Swim Sponsor

Volunteer & tea Matinee Sponsors

Keith Liedtke www.keithwestcoasthomes.com

Performance Sponsor

enhanced Content Sponsor

Community Sponsors

education Sponsors

academy Scholarship Sponsor

academy Presentations Sponsor

in-kind Sponsors

Storage Sponsor

Catering Sponsors

Media Sponsors

government Funders Human Resources Development

Corporate Donations ARC Works RBC Richmond Chinatown Lions Club TELUS

in-kind Donors Christopher King Helijet M&M Meats Francis Road

Foundation Support Betty Averbach Foundation Hamber Foundation Hawthorne Charitable Foundation Lohn Foundation The McLean Foundation RBC Foundation Wuchien Michael Than Foundation

Enjoy all the beneďŹ ts the Corporate Circle has to offer and demonstrate that your business acknowledges the importance of live professional theatre in our community. Call 604.247.4973 for more information.

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GATEWAY THEATRE ADMINISTRATION gateway theatre Board of Directors Seemah Aaron Chak Au, City Council Liaison

Gillian Burnett Wayne Gibson, Vice-Chair

Howard Harowitz Joanna Ko Treasurer

Carolyn Price,

gateway theatre Staff The Gateway Theatre, owned by the City of Richmond and operated by the Richmond Gateway Theatre Society, is currently producing its 33rd season of live theatre.

Executive Director Camilla Tibbs

Development Associate Basa Koga

Artistic Director Jovanni Sy

Finance Officer Jessie Li

Artistic Associate Scheherazaad Cooper

Finance Assistant Agnes Chan

Production Manager Josef Chung

Administrative Assistant Robin White

Technical Director Marcus Stusek Head Stage Carpenter Robin Richardson

Secretary

Head Lighting Mark Carter

Diane Purvey

Head Sound Sebastian Finch

Clayton Rubinstein John F. Watson, Chair

Special thanks

Marketing and Sales Manager Kelly Phelan Marketing Associate Wendy Tsui Publicist Marnie Wilson Producer, Pacific Festival Esther Ho Development Manager Marla Penner

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GATEWAY THEATRE

Box Office Staff Alexandra Anos Crystal Lan Tory Ip Sheila Wong Building Services Assistants Mesfin Ayalew Education Manager Ruth McIntosh

Associate Manager Samara Van Nostrand

Education Coordinator Becky Gold

Patron Services Manager Tim Oberholzer

Gateway Academy Instructors Patti Allan Erika Babins Russell Cripps Christina Cuglietta Erik Gow Manami Hara Erin Michell

Audience Services Supervisor Lucy Pratt-Johnson Audience Services Olivia Etey Ella Fund-Reznicek Julie James Terri Jelic Tracey Mack Xin Xuan Song Christine Stoddard Andrew Wade Nicola Whitney-Griffiths Nicholas Yee

SUPPORT THE ARTISTS OF TOMORROW Gateway Donors support the next generation of artists and allow us to mentor up-and-coming theatre professionals.

As a donor you become part of a dedicated group of theatre lovers who are invited to join us for exclusive events like: • Backstage tours • Invited rehearsals • Opportunities to meet the artists Donate online at gatewaytheatre.com/support or contact Development Associate Basa Koga at 604.247.4988 or bkoga@gatewaytheatre.com

TAKE YOUR SEAT! Celebrate a loved one, honor an arts lover, or give a gift to the person who has everything with a donation that makes a difference. Dedicate a Seat at Gateway leave a unique mark on the MainStage Theatre.

With a donation of $500 you can place your name or message on the seat of your choice for the lifetime of the seat.

Contact Development Associate Basa Koga at 604.247.4988 or bkoga@gatewaytheatre.com to get yours today.

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21

FEATURE (continued) Continued from page 12

overall musical tone produced by the ensemble.

The women of the Liebslieders’ quintet sing about the pain of perpetual longing in the short piece ‘perpetual anticipation’. The individual voices blend together and create a cycle. Only the words ‘perpetual anticipation’ emerge amidst the abstracted lyrics.

The total effect is the creation of ‘perpetual anticipation’ not only within the characters but within the music and minds of the audience. The song connects the ‘play’ world and the ‘real’ world as we both experience ‘perpetual anticipation’ from the music’s effect, similarly to ‘A Weekend in the Country’. Unlike ‘A Weekend in the Country’ though, Sondheim ties anticipation to the broad human experience instead of specific plot points and thus, he may forgo lyrical coherence. Sondheim abstracts lyrics and blends voices to not only depict commonalities amongst characters – in this case, the experience of longing – but also to bridge the gap between the spectator and the spectacle. These are just some examples of the techniques Sondheim has used to craft this celebrated masterpiece:

subverting the expectations of traditional musical forms; extending musical sequences to create anticipation; overlaying leitmotifs; incorporating surprising counterrhythms; and constructing elaborate sound and word collages.

The real genius of A Little Night Music, however, lies in Sondheim’s choice to marry contemporary musical storytelling with 19th Century classical musical traditions. This creative decision places A Little Night Music in a liminal space somewhere between past and present. Perhaps that is why A Little Night Music, although written in 1973 and set in 1900, feels so relevant today. Sondheim, a master musical dramatist and a devoted student of classical forms has constructed a timeless score that allows audiences to reconnect with his compositions over and over again.

1 Joseph P. Swain, “A Little Night Music: The Cynical Operetta,” from The Oxford Handbook of Sondheim Studies, e.d. Robert Gordon (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 315.

2 Steve Swayne, “Sondheim the Classicist,” from How Sondheim Found His Sound, ed. Steve Swayne (New York: University of Michigan Press, 2005), 310.

CONNECT WITH GATEWAY THEATRE ABOUT US Gateway Theatre enriches the quality of life in Richmond and surrounding communities by creating outstanding professional theatre and a dynamic hub for the performing arts.

Incorporated in 1982, Gateway is a vital member of the professional theatre scene in the Lower Mainland and is led by Artistic Director Jovanni Sy. Gateway’s professional activity includes a six-show English-language Signature Series, the Pacific Festival of contemporary theatre in Chinese, and a play development program. We also provide theatre education for youth via Gateway Theatre Academy which offers year-round acting, musical theatre, and performance training classes for youth aged 6 – 18. As a venue, Gateway Theatre also provides a much needed rental space for professional and community producers.

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6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, BC V7C 3V4 Administration: 604.270.6500 I Box Office: 604.270.1812

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Minoru Chapel

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First Wednesdays of the month at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.

Oct. 4 Nov. 1 Dec. 6

East Van Opera Burnaby Lyric Opera City Opera

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