Dream Big! An evening exploring dream roles with some of Toronto’s top musical theatre performers including, Come From Away TO’s Saccha Dennis (MTC’s Rent director) and Jeff Madden, Dear Evan Hansen TO’s Alessandro Costantini, Kinky Boots TO’s AJ Bridel, Stratford's Gabi Epstein, cabaret sensation Chris Tsujiuchi (MTC’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Cabaret musical director) and Mainstage favourite Michele Shuster (MTC's Newsies, Sweet Charity, Anything Goes)! These artists will be joined by some of our own company members and alumni!
Our June 24th evening will be hosted by Canadian TV personality and Global News Morning show’s Jennifer Valentyne! All proceeds from this Cabaret Fundraiser will be used to support Mainstage Theatre Company’s youth musical theatre programming.
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AJ BridelAJ Bridel is a Toronto based actress on both stage and screen. Best known for her Dora award nominated performance as Lauren in Kinky Boots (Mirvish). Selected theatre: Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival), Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan in Peter Pan (Drayton Ent), Sophie Sheridan in Mamma Mia (PortHope), Rose in Sleeping Beauty, Jane in A Christmas Carol (Ross Petty), Mary in The Little Years (Stratford Festival). Film/TV: Shelby, Over the Rainbow (CBC), Oddsquad (PBS Kids), A Christmas Carol (CBC, Family Channel) . AJ is currently in You'll Get Used to it: The War Show with Drayton Ent and subtly repping Intact Insurance on commercials near you.
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Alessandro CostantiniBorn and raised in Sudbury, ON, Alessandro is the co-founder and Artistic Director of YES Theatre in Sudbury, currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Alessandro is currently starring as Jared Kleinman in the first international production of the Tony Award winning DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Other Select Credits include: Hair, Rent, Spring Awakening, JCS, Hairspray, Merrily We Roll Along (YES Theatre), Prom Queen World Premiere (Segal Centre, META nomination Outstanding Lead Performance), Pasek and Paul’s James and the Giant Peach (YPT, Canadian Premiere). Training: George Brown Theatre School.
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Saccha DennisCurrently starring in the Toronto company of Come From Away playing at the Elgin Theatre, Saccha is thrilled to participate in this year’s fundraiser at Mainstage, where she had her directorial debut in the production of RENT. Originally from Montreal, she studied Musical Theatre Performance at Sheridan College in Oakville ON. Since then, she has toured Canada, U.S and abroad. Her other acting credits include Sousatzka: a new musical with Victoria Clarke and Montego Glover. Jacob two-two meets the Hooded Fang, James and the Giant Peach (Dora nomination for best ensemble- YPT)Sister Act(Rainbow Stage) Avenue Q,(Citadel Theatre) Dreamgirls(Theatre Aquarius,Stage West) Little shop (The RoseTheatre,Sudbury, Stage West) Shaw Festival’s Ragtime, My Fair Lady, Sunday in the Park with George and 1st U.S National tour of We Will Rock You to name a few. Saccha continues to direct, her latest production of 9 to 5 played at the Lower Ossington Theatre in May. www.sacchadennis.com
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Gabi EpsteinGabi is one of Canada’s leading stage and cabaret performers and is currently playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at The Stratford Festival. Prior to this, Gabi starred as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl both at the Segal Centre and in concert with the Harold Green Jewish Theatre. Other favourites include Prom Queen (Segal Centre); Girl (Standby) in Once (Mirvish— DORA win for Best Ensemble and Production); Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (TIFT); Killer Queen in We Will Rock You (Magnus); Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (Rainbow Stage); To Life (HGJT— DORA nomination, Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Musical), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Stage West/Capitol Theatre); Blood Brothers, Perfect Wedding (Drayton); and Edges (Musical Stage Co.) Gabi’s debut CD Show Off is available on Spotify and iTunes and her infamous “Gabarets” have been performed all over North America garnering her praise such as “Best Cabaret of the Year” by the Times Square Chronicles in NYC. Her show “Gabs Sings Babs: Gabi Epstein sings the music of Barbra Streisand” debuted at the Toronto Jazz Fest and has been performed all over Ontario and Quebec. Grab your tickets to Little Shop before the Epsteins buy out the whole run.
DREAM BIG, FRIENDS! Xo Instagram: @gabifayepstein www.gabiepstein.com |
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Jeff MaddenJEFF MADDEN is thrilled to be performing for you tonight for such a great cause. Currently, Jeff is making Canadian Musical Theatre history starring in the Mirvish hit Come From Away. Jeff is perhaps best known for starring as ‘Frankie Valli’ in Dancap’s Jersey Boys (Dora Award for Outstanding Performance). Other Toronto credits include Forever Plaid (Starvox/Mirvish), Echoes (Andrew Seok/Fringe), and Angelwalk’s I Love You Because (Dora Nomination for Outstanding Performance). Elsewhere, Jeff is proud to have completed eight seasons at the Shaw Festival, playing Frank in Wonderful Town, Spinell in Tristan, Wee Farley in Belle Moral, Baby Face in Happy End, Homer in Floyd Collins, and roles in Man and Superman, Three Sisters and Caesar and Cleopatra. Regionally, Jeff played Danny in Grease (Stage West Calgary), Teddy in Emily (Charlottetown), and Jack in Lady, Be Good (MTC). You may have spotted Jeff on Television inMayday (Discovery), or Murdoch Mysteries (Shaftsbury/CBC). Jeff holds a Masters of Education from U of T and is a proud faculty member at Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre Performance Program. Love and hugs to Christine and our girls Sydney and Emily. Friend Jeff Madden on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as @thatjeffmadden.
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Michele ShusterOriginally from Winnipeg Manitoba, Michele has been seen performing all across Canada. Recent credits include: Rocky Horror Picture Show (Phantom, Magnus Theatre); Grease (Swing/Assistant Dance Captain/US Jan/Ms. Lynch, Irregular Entertainment); Newsies (Director) Sweet Charity, Anything Goes (Choreographer, Mainstage Productions); Joseph and the... (Director/Choreographer, The Lower Ossington Theatre); Mamma Mia! (Lisa, Rainbow Stage); Shrek (Gingy, Neptune Theatre); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Jolene Oakes, Stephenville Theatre Festival); Blue Champagne (Woman 2, Stephenville Theatre Festival); Hairspray (Tracy Turnblad, Lower Ossington Theatre); The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage.) Lots of love to her talented kids who remind her to follow her passion everyday. Thank you for supporting the arts. XOXO
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Chris TsujiuchiChris Tsujiuchi's performance credits include Box 4901, Recurring John, Paradises Lost (Summerworks Festival), and Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors (Lower Ossington Theatre). Musical Direction credits include The Last Five Years (YRG Productions), Onegin (Musical Stage Company/National Arts Centre/Arts Club Western Canada Tour), 35MM (Toronto Premiere), Any Dream Will Do (Angelwalk Theatre & Theatre Collingwood), A Misfortune (Next Stage Festival), HAIR (FirstAct Productions), Mickey & Judy (Toronto Fringe/Best of Fringe), and bare (Canadian Premiere/WatersEdge Productions). Chris has worked as an accompanist and teacher at Sheridan College, Randolph Academy, and George Brown College. He has toured extensively with Sharron Matthews, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and can also be seen performing in Asian Riffing Trio (aka ART).
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For all inquiries, please contact [email protected]