Calendar :: Presented by Grand Theatre

About New Work

In his romantic new creation, marking the 30th anniversary of La La La Human Steps, Édouard Lock places ballet technique in service to a precise, feverishly paced gestural language, and presents an incredibly complex ballet performed by virtuoso dancers. From its January debut in Amsterdam, Lock’s newest creation has been a sold-out success throughout its European tour; ravishing audiences in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Italy and Spain. By deconstructing two iconic operas – Dido and Aneas, and Orfeo ed Eurydice – Lock takes stories well known to audiences and transmutes them into a new, unpredictable narrative. The Gavin Bryars score is performed live by a quartet (piano, violin, cello and saxophone), evoking two tragic love stories awash in the melodies of the operatic scores by Purcell and Gluck.

“The piece could well be (Lock’s) finest creation” – Victor Swoboda, The Gazette, Montréal, 2011

Talk back: Join us immediately following the performance for a discussion with the dancers.

About Sweet Honey in the Rock

Rooted in their commitment to create music from African American traditions, Sweet Honey in the Rock possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the complex sounds of a plethora of musical styles. Be it jazz, blues, reggae, gospel hymns, Hip Hop or ancient lullabies, the group’s collective voice masterfully produces a soulful and harmonious sound unique to themselves. Sweet Honey in the Rock is an internationally renowned a cappella ensemble, with accolades including a Grammy-award. Its name, inspired by Psalm 81:16, captures the metaphor of nurturing strength and is reflected in its repertoire of sacred music combined with songs of justice.

About Jason and the Argonauts

The classical Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts is reinvented for the 21st century with modern and fun quirks in this Visible Fictions of Scotland production. The story follows the hero Jason as he returns to claim his rightful throne from his evil uncle Pelias. On a voyage to the other side of the world Jason and his crew must overcome a few run-ins with monsters, a sleeping dragon and many more. With only two actors and a cast of action figures, this performance challenges traditional institutions of theatre and storytelling, all with a laugh.

“Just two actors and slightly over an hour, Glasgow's Visible Fictions manages to deliver a fast, funny, and tight re-telling of the story of Greek hero Jason and his search for the Golden Fleece” – CBC Winnipeg

Reminder: Infants and our ticket policy: All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. As a courtesy to other audience members, please use discretion if bringing a young child to an evening performance. [More about our policies.]

About Tango Pasión

Tango Pasión’s steamy program is a true feast for the eyes and ears. With a cast of fabulous dancers who represent the full range of Argentine society and a live Grammy-award winning orchestra, the Sexteto Stazo Mayor, this show epitomizes the sultry and sexy roots of tango. Founded in 1992 by Mel Howard and Jose Libertella, Tango Pasión was the follow up show to the Broadway hit Tango Argentino. The result was a totally different tango spectacle, true to its Buenos Aires roots that combined many tango stories together. You won’t want to miss this undeniably sexy show that is sure to heat up the cold Kingston February.

About The Soweto Gospel Choir

The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music. The magnificent ensemble, styled with a contemporary feel under the direction of Beverly Bryer, draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto. This magnificent 52 strong choir, styled with a contemporary feel, leaves all who hear it stunned with emotion. It is small wonder that they are charting a meteoric rise to international fame.

About Sunday, February 26, 2012

FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE:  Get a FREE limited edition print signed by the graphic artist Peter Bielicki. The print features the three muses and celebrates the Grand Theatre Opening, May 6, 2008. Gift with purchase valued at $125. Offer valid at theatre box office only, while supplies last.

Hollywood, Tinseltown, the Silver Screen land of dreams. The Grand Theatre will take you there on Oscar^® Night.  And it's all to benefit the Grand Theatre Foundation and to engage students with the arts.

Step into character, or go incognito and join an all-star cast for an evening of glamour at Kingston's only Oscar® screening and gala extravaganza.

What To Expect

Join an all-star cast for an evening of glamour at Kingston's only Oscar® screening and gala extravaganza.

• Walk the red carpet amidst the Paparazzi
• Governors’ Ball Champagne Reception
• Purchase a Numbered Ballot of the Oscar® nominees; select the winner in each category for a chance to win stunning diamond earrings donated by Fiancée Jewellers
• Live screening of the Academy Awards®
• Presentation of the prestigious GALA Award
• Vote for Kingston’s ‘Best Dressed Window’
• Oscartini Bar and Popcorn Bar
• Mix and mingle with your friends in the Vanity Flair and Reel Style parties

Menu of Events

The Fun Begins
The Limousine entrance begins your walk down the red carpet with the flashing of Paparazzi cameras

Prepare to be Dazzled!
Move into the classy Governors’ Ball Champagne Reception with
Live Music, Elegant Tastes and Glamorous Surprises

The Main Event
Live viewing of the Academy Awards®
Spectacular Live Performances from upcoming stars and presentation of the prestigious GALA Award

Oh the Oscar® Night Life
Mix and mingle with your friends at the Oscartini Bar and enjoy the light-hearted flavours
of the Vanity Flair Party

The Fun Never Ends
Enter the set of the Reel Style Party where you will feel the inspiration of a fabulous movie theme

End Credits
Pick up your Red Carpet Memory Gift, sponsored by Holt Renfrew

TICKETS
$100.00 Each Special rates for Groups (bring 8, pay for 6)
Special student rate $50
Cash Bar - We’re pleased to announce that our cocktails can now be enjoyed throughout the theatre.

Tickets available from the Grand Theatre Box Office 613-530-2050 or online at:
www.kingstongrand.ca/redcarpetgala

ATTN Ladies & Gentlemen: Keep your Red Carpet Gala ticket after the event and present it to FOSSA hair salon to receive a 20% discount on a variety of hair and esthetic services. Don’t wait too long to treat yourself, this offer is only valid until December 31st, 2012.

Get dressed up, make your entrance, walk the red carpet and smile for the paparazzi. This is your chance to shine with the stars. It will be your best night out in 2012!

The Grand Theatre Foundation would like to acknowledge the Red Carpet Gala sponsors including:
Walter Fenlon, Tim Hortons, Bergeron Clifford, Canadian Tire Cataraqui, Dianne Lackonick and Peter Hartel - Assante Financial Management, Beardall Animal Hospital, Mackillop Law, United Financial Management, Prescribed Exercise Clinic, Rosen Energy Group, Invesco –Trimark, St Lawrence Pools, KPMG, OTAM STEEL, Cogeco, VIVA Productions, CKWS Television / CKWS 104.3FM / CLASSIC ROCK FM 96, 98.3 FLY FM / 98.9 THE DRIVE, Fiancée Jewellers Ltd, St. Lawrence College Foundation, Holt Renfrew, Just Hi-Fi, Baldwin, The Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Homes, Allan Graphics, Taylor Studios, Atkinson Home Building Centre, LCVI Art Class, Le Chien Noir, Megalos Restaurant, Old Farm Fine Foods, Ta-ke Sushi, Spencer Evans, Regiopolis NDHS Jazz Band,"Lost in Transcriptions" Jazz Quartet, Ken Fuller, Camera Kingston, Frameworks, The Screening Room, Royal Military College of Canada, Empire Theatre, FOSSA Hair Studio, James Brett Coiffure.

This event is not sponsored by or affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

About A Tribute to My Friend Dizzy Gillespie

Winner of 4 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy, this master of the trumpet can Afro-Cuban groove, tear up a bebop tune, soar over a Mozart concerto and soothe with a luscious ballad – all with equal power and grace. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval and his band make their Kingston debut with a tribute to his longtime friend and teacher.

About Drum!

Feel the electrifying rhythm of DRUM! as they perform a spectacular musical production telling the story of the arrival and settlement of four of North America’s founding cultures. Shown through the lens of the First Nations experience, DRUM! is a heart-pumping fusion of music, dance, video, rhythm, and song. Originally developed as a tourism piece for Nova Scotia and Canada in 1999, DRUM! has toured
North America extensively, and has even been featured on a one-hour television special broadcast on CBC TV. Its ability to combine varied backgrounds and culture has captivated audiences and was declared by The Halifax Chronicle Herald as “unreviewable – it has to be experienced”.

About Busytown Busy

Richard Scarry's Busytown: Busytown Busy captures the incredible world of Richard Scarry, and follows the adventures of six unforgettable friends Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm, Sally Cat, Hilda Hippo, plus Pig Will and Pig Won't. Together the friends search for the answers to a series of unique bamboozling mysteries and discover some fascinating surprises along the way. With catchy sing-along songs
and lots of audience interaction, Richard Scarry's Busytown: Busytown Busy will bring out the detective in us all!

Reminder: Infants and our ticket policy: All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. As a courtesy to other audience members, please use discretion if bringing a young child to an evening performance. [More about our policies.]

About Goodness

With the cadence of a thriller, and performed to a haunting a cappella score of folk music from around the world, Goodness explores what it means to know about, and tell of one of humanity's most sinister habits - genocide. With time-shifting tales-within-tales, and actors stepping in and out of roles, award-winning playwright and novelist Michael Redhill takes the audience on a gripping, and at times darkly funny, journey through the life of a recently-divorced writer. The writer, coincidentally named Michael Redhill, wrestles with a failed marriage, his family’s Holocaust history, and the story of a much more recent atrocity told to him by Althea, a mysterious woman with a chilling secret.

“Explosive… I doubt if there will be a more gripping theatrical experience than Goodness at Edinburgh this year.”
– The Independent (London)

About A Celebration of

In 2011, Dee Dee Bridgewater – who qualifies as something of a legend herself – won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. The Grammy, her third, is for her splendid Billie Holiday homage, “Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee.” While remaining reverent to Holiday’s spirit, the celebrated vocalist gives a fresh spin to such Holiday classics as “God Bless the Child,” "Strange Fruit" and “Lady Sings the Blues,” as well as reinventing such less often performed gems as “Mother’s Son-in-Law” and “Miss Brown to You.

About Spamalot

A musical lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot is a new musical with a book by Eric Idle and an entirely new score. Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and his knights, and featuring a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people, Monty Python’s Spamalot “raises silliness to an art form” (Sunday Times) and has been hailed as “a no-holds barred smash hit.” (The New Yorker)

About BBoyizm

In a movement to empower people worldwide to express themselves, Bboyizm has taken the dance world by storm. With extraordinary street dance moves and heavy beats, the troupe performs with amazing creativity, always emanating their motto, “Dance to express! Not to impress!” Bboyizm showcases performers Melly Mel, Crazy Smooth, Chilly, and more, each epitomizing this cool form of dancing to a
tee. The urban roots of street dance embrace individualism and social aspects of this modern folk dance, and ultimately translate beautifully to an exciting stage performance.

About India Jazz Suites

Combining classical Indian Kathak dance and modern tap dance, India Jazz Suites is an explosive blend of cultures. These two seemingly different dance styles merge into a beautifully crafted performance which crosses all boundaries of age, race and culture. The live jazz trio and Indian music quartet alongside two star performers, Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith, make India Jazz Suites a rare dance encounter. Das, a child prodigy of dance, is known for his innovation in the area of Kathak dance. Smith is an Emmy and American Choreography Award winner for “Outstanding Choreography”. Their combined talent, speed and grace create an epic theatregoing experience.

"Alone, they're captivating. Together, they're magic." – Allan Ulrich, Voice of Dance

About Alice in Wonderland

A tardy rabbit... An egg on a wall that fears his fall... A grinning cat… A Mad Hatter that sips his tea… A Queen of Hearts who enjoys chopping heads… And a young girl who refuses to do her homework… Alice in Wonderland revisited by Théâtre Tout à Trac is a marvellous tribute to childhood, to power of dreams and imagination. For children and adults who still enjoy chasing white rabbits!

Reminder: Infants and our ticket policy: All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. As a courtesy to other audience members, please use discretion if bringing a young child to an evening performance. [More about our policies.]

About James Hunter

As one of Britain’s best R&B and Soul musicians, James Hunter has quickly gained a reputation for his exciting performances and creative new material. Having received a 2006 Grammy nomination for his album, People Gonna Talk, Hunter has since become a major breakout success with opening gigs for Etta James, Boz Scaggs and Aretha Franklin. His latest album, The Hard Way, is a deeper realm of soul music than ever before, and features all-original material.

About Correria and Agwa

The inspiration for both Correria and Agwa was an encounter between Mourad Merzouki and 11 young dancers from Rio de Janeiro at the Lyon Dance Biennial in 2006. The Brazilian dancers had their roots in the favelas, and their individual stories struck a profound chord with the Compagnie Käfig choreographer.
In both pieces, the dancers mix hip-hop, capoeira, samba, electronic music and bossa nova to deliver a complex, inventive dance full of amazing acrobatics and explosive energy. Correria (Running) plunges us into a frantic, hectic race just like the one that governs our daily lives - bodies, movement and a show that takes your breath away! Agwa (Water) is all about water, at once a vital component of our bodies, a precious natural resource to be economised and preserved, and a symbol of renewal.

Talk back: Join us immediately following the performance for a discussion with the dancers.

About Australian Chamber Orchestra

Internationally renowned for inspired programming and the rapturous response of audiences and critics, the Australian Chamber Orchestra is a product of the country’s vibrant, adventurous and enquiring spirit. In performances around Australia, around the world and on many recordings, the ACO moves hearts and stimulates minds with repertoire spanning six centuries and a vitality and virtuosity unmatched by other ensembles.

Richard Tognetti, Artistic Director and Violin

Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Baritone

MAHLER Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude and Scherzo for string octet, Op. 11
ELGAR Sospiri, Op. 70
SAXTON Birthday Piece for RRB 2'
BENNETT Songs before Sleep
- intermission-
BEETHOVEN (arr. Tognetti) An die ferne Geliebte
RAVEL (arr. Tognetti) String Quartet
Talk back: Join Eric Friesen in a lively discussion with the musicians immediately following the performance.

About The Stepcrew

This unbelievable new show brings together three styles of exhilarating dance forms – Ottawa Valley stepdance, Irish stepdance, and tap. With virtuosic dancers and musicians from the likes of The Chieftains, Cherish The Ladies, and Bowfire, this cast of outstanding talent takes you on a dance journey as champions in their respective art forms show audiences the amazing similarities and differences between these three captivating styles. As if dancing weren’t enough, The StepCrew boasts three world-class fiddlers backed by an amazing five-piece ensemble comprised of some of the most talented and respected musicians in the Celtic music scene today.

About Young Frankenstein

IT'S ALIVE! From the creators of the record-breaking Broadway sensation The Producers comes this monster new musical comedy. A wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' classic comedy masterpiece, the story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. With such memorable tunes as "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' On The Ritz," this production is scientificallyproven, monstrously good entertainment.