Stratford Festival 2019 Opening Week, in Stratford, Ontario, is an exciting time and we are fortunate, living in Stratford, to be so close to all the happenings. The Stratford Festival is the home of the largest repertory theatre in North America. In the 2019 season, the line up is spectacular, with plays and musicals for everyone. The Festival Garden Party and the following Opening Night extravaganza at the Festival Theatre were opportunities for us to join the fun. How lucky we are to meet the actors, choreographers, directors, backstage artists, supporters, and festival officials. To experience their energy and their love of theatre. We take every opportunity to tell everyone we meet how much we love and appreciate Stratford and the Stratford Festival, especially the history of the Festival that has created this incredible, arts-filled community. The flowers in the gardens are spectacular, too.
Tulips in the Arthur Meighen Gardens, ready to take a bow
Stratford Festival Garden Party
The Cooking Ladies with Anita Gaffney, Stratford Festival Executive Director
The Cooking Ladies with Antoni Cimolino, Stratford Festival Artistic Director
Michelle Boniface (left) and Lamont (right) tell Gabi Epstein (Audrey) and Vanessa Sears (Ronnette) how wonderful they are in Little Shop of Horrors
The Cooking Ladies with E.B. Smith, our neighbour, who plays Montano in Othello
Sylvia Chrominska, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Stratford Festival, chats with Nolen Dubuc (Billy Elliot) in Billy Elliot The Musical
The Cooking Ladies with Nolen Dubuc (Billy Elliot) and Colton Curtis (Older Billy) in Billy Elliot The Musical
Lamont sharing the love with Vanessa Sears (Billy’s mother) and Colton Curtis (Older Billy) from Billy Elliot The Musical
Stratford Festival 2019 Opening Night
Lights are on at the Stratford Festival Theatre Opening Night
Phyllis with Nigel Shawn Williams, Othello Director and The Cooking Ladies’ neighbour
The 2019 Stratford Festival season officially opens with Othello, directed by Nigel Shawn Williams
Standing on Guard on the red carpet
Stratford Police Pipes and Drums
Lyndsay Morrison, CTV Kitchener, interviews Othello Director Nigel Shawn Williams
Ann Swerdfager, Stratford Festival Publicity Director
Limousines arrive and the cast of Billy Elliot The Musical adds their energy to the Opening Night red carpet.
The paparazzi in positon
Donna Feore, Director and Choreographer of Billy Elliot The Musical, surrounded by cast members
Donna Feore with Billy Elliot The Musical cast
The boys in Billy Elliot The Musical loving the red carpet
The girls in Billy Elliot The Musical on the red carpet
Marion Adler (Grandma Elliot) surrounded by Billy Elliot The Musical cast
Nolen Dubuc with Colton Curtis, Billy younger and older
Colm Feore with Nolen Dubuc
Donna Feore with Nolen Dubuc and family
Colm Feore catching Donna Feore, Nolen Dubuc and family
Colm Feore and Nolen Dubuc’s mother on the paparazzi side of the camera
Photo credit: Scott Wishart. Lamont photo bombing Colm Feore
The Opening Night fanfare invites everyone to take their seats
Othello officially opens the 2019 Stratford Festival season
In the last few weeks, we have seen Othello, Billy Elliot, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Private Lives, and Little Shop of Horrors. With them we have laughed uproariously, cried unabashedly, clapped appreciatively, and reflected upon the recurrent theme of the position of women, past and present. We have become Stratford Festival fans, planning to see these productions at least one more time over the summer. Now that we’ve met so many of the people involved, how can we not?
Billy Elliot playbill
The Merry Wives of Windsor playbill
Private Lives Playbill
Little Shop of Horrors playbill