This co-presentation of the Arts Club and Touchstone Theatre looks to be a memorable series of events, conferences and panel discussions on musical theatre. It's described as "a community-wide consideration and celebration of how we currently develop new musicals in Canada, and what kind of scenarios might encourage more work and greater success and profile for work created."
The conference runs April 29 and 30 at the Granville Island Revue Stage.
And while the sessions on singing, writing, and composing for musical theatre are doubtless a bargain at $150 (or $100 for CAEA members), there are also two great "by donation" events on Sunday, May 1:
THE GREAT AUDITION
Sunday May 1, 12pm to 1:30pm
Led by local director and performer Peter Jorgensen, and featuring a stacked table of local musical theatre producers and directors, this informal panel analyses the key elements to a great musical theatre audition. Come and ask questions!
A SHORT HISTORY OF CANADIAN MUSICAL THEATRE
Sunday May 1, 2pm to 4pm
Starting in 1606 with Theatre de Neptune, and going all the way to the opening of The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway in 2006, Jim Betts takes you through all the most (and some of the least) important stages of musical theatre in Canada. Touching on writers like Mavor Moore, John Gray and Leslie Arden, Jim gives you an anecdotal and sometimes irreverent history lesson.
Full details are on the Touchstone Theatre website.