Montreal, April 11, 2018 – The Segal Centre for Performing Arts announced today an exquisite lineup of programming for its 2018-2019 season and a new name for its mainstage theatre.
The Segal Centre is proud to announce that in recognition of a generous gift from the businessman and philanthropist Sylvan Adams, the 306-seat hall will now be known as the Sylvan Adams Theatre. The Segal Centre is grateful for this important contribution to the arts.
In pursuit of the Segal Centre’s mission to bring excellent theatre to its stages, Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin has planned an electrifying seven-show season featuring three wildly successful Broadway shows, three must-see Canadian productions, and a musical retrospective back by popular demand. These international hits explore timely issues while looking to the past. With drama, passion, and love, these shows capture life in entertaining and inspiring ways.
“I’m deeply moved and excited by our upcoming productions featuring an extraordinary group of artists. This is theatre at its best – not only satisfying and entertaining, but relevant, meaningful, and life-changing.
We look forward to sharing these stories and moments with our audiences,” says Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin.
Broadway’s Best Comes to Montreal
The season starts off with a bang with two Segal Centre productions of big Broadway hits. Eight-time Tony Award®-winner, the musical Once kicks things off from October 7 to October 28 in the newly named Sylvan Adams Theatre. Based on the popular motion picture of the same name, this touching love story features breathtaking music, including the Oscar®-winning song “Falling Slowly”. Andrew Shaver (The Graduate, Sherlock Holmes) returns to the Segal to direct, and making their Segal Centre debut as “Guy” and “Girl” will be local performers Greg Halpin and Eva Foote.
A Doll’s House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath is a witty and resonant sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s classic A Doll’s House. Nominated for eight Tony Awards®, this contemporary play offers a nuanced look at traditional gender roles and relationships with a strong dash of humour and crisp dialogue. Taking the stage from November 18 to December 9, this clever new play will be directed by Segal Centre Artistic Associate Caitlin Murphy.
Canadian Stories Take Centre Stage
In the Segal Studio from December 4 to 16, Governor General Award and Siminovitch Prize-winning playwright Hannah Moscovitch’s exuberant Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story tells the story of her own grandparents’ 1908 journey from Romania to Canada by blending theatre, storytelling, and a high-spirited concert. This Klezmer-folk music spectacle, starring acclaimed musician Ben Caplan, has had massive success at home and abroad, including a brilliantly reviewed run in New York. Co-produced by 2b theatre company and the National Arts Centre and presented in association with the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, this limited engagement promises to be a completely unique and incredibly entertaining event.
In the new year, Corey Payette’s critically acclaimed new musical Children of God celebrates the resiliency and power of the Indigenous cultural spirit. Co-produced with Vancouver’s Urban Ink, this powerful and essential look back on Canada’s residential school system will be in the Sylvan Adams Theatre from January 20 to February 10, 2019. Inspired by First Nations music, Payette’s moving score evokes echoes of such profound Broadway masterpieces as Fun Home and Next to Normal.
From February 14 to March 10, the multi-talented Montreal native Rick Miller triumphantly returns with BOOM X. The sequel to his hit show BOOM, which dazzled sold out Segal Centre audiences in 2016 follows Generation X from 1969 to 1995. A Kidoons production in association with Theatre Calgary and the 20K Collective, this new show features Miller’s signature use of multiple characters and eye-popping multimedia to weave together the history, politics, and pop culture of the era he grew up in.
A Timely Look Back on History
Paula Vogel’s Tony Award®-winning play Indecent offers a riveting look at the incredible journey of the original artists involved in Sholem Asch’s production of God of Vengeance, the controversy and the consequences of the obscenity trial that surrounded its North American premiere. Directed by Lisa Rubin, this powerful play highlights an explosive moment in Yiddish Theatre and Jewish culture and tackles many issues still relevant today, such as immigration, censorship, anti-Semitism, and homophobia. This captivating and beautiful story will run from April 28 to May 19.
Celebrating and Exploring Jewish Culture Through the Arts
Rounding out the subscription season, the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre (DWYT) production of A Century Songbook is back by popular demand. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from audiences, the Segal Centre is pleased to present this musical retrospective of 100 years of the Montreal Jewish community for the 2018-2019 season from June 16 to June 30. This new version features many audience favourites from last season, as well as some new songs and stories.
In addition, the Segal Centre also continues to highlight Jewish arts and culture through A Jewish Film Series and other programming and partnerships. The DWYT, the Segal Centre’s resident theatre company, will be producing several exciting events such as a production of A Bintel Brief, a reading of God of Vengeance in conjunction with the run of Indecent, and a Purim Celebration.
Go Beyond the Stage
Providing a rich, engaging cultural experience plays a vital role in the Segal Centre’s mission. To complement the productions on stage, the Segal continues to offer the illuminating Sunday @ The Segal pre-show lecture series, an opportunity to explore the history, themes, and ideas behind each production, and the stimulating Monday Night Talkbacks, post-show conversations with the creators and actors of the plays.
Celebrating a Diverse Theatre Community
In addition to our regular season programming, the Segal is a proud artistic resource and hub for Montreal’s diverse theatre community of independent and emerging artists from among Montreal’s many cultural communities to create, explore, and grow.
The lively Power Music series returns with a new exclusive concert lineup to be announced in the fall. The series will be kicking off with Geneviève Leclerc, whom Segal audiences may remember as Pierrette in the world premiere of the English musical adaptation, Belles Soeurs: The Musical.
Both Broadway Café, the Segal’s highly popular, live karaoke night for musical theatre buffs, and Big Broadway Sing-Along with Nick Burgess also return and will feature many entertaining special guest hosts from the Montreal musical theatre community. Patrons under 30 can take advantage of getting half off the price of admission by becoming Class Act Cardholders.
The Segal’s Academy continues to offer unique after-school courses for aspiring performers, running from October to May. “Ped Day” programs, performing arts camps, workshops and special events are back to entertain and educate students from grade 2 to 11 when school’s out.
Beyond Montreal
The Segal Centre is thrilled to be taking two productions on tour this season. Both from the 2017-2018 theatre season, Bad Jews will be heading to Toronto’s Harold Green Theatre Company in October 2018 and The Hockey Sweater: A Musical will be skating into the National Arts Centre just in time for the holidays this December. Two other past Segal Centre productions will live on across Canada: 2015’s co-production with Crow’s Theatre in partnership with 2b theatre company We Are Not Alone will be seeking answers to what’s really out there at the Streetcar Crowsnest in Toronto in January 2019, while the inspiring Prom Queen: The Musical will be getting the party started for London’s Grand Theatre High School Project in September 2018.
2018-2019 Theatre Season:
Once
October 7 – October 28, 2018
Book by Enda Walsh Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová Based on the motion picture written and directed by John Carney Directed by Andrew Shaver Musical Direction by David Terriault Choreographed by Annie St-Pierre
A show like this only comes around Once!
On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music, and an unexpected friendship quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story. From the very first note, Once draws you in and never lets go. This achingly beautiful, joyously uplifting show strikes an unforgettable chord in audiences and speaks to the power of music to connect us all.
“Glorious and inspiring” –Time Out New York
“A love story played with fierce sincerity & unexpected honesty. Go.” – The Wall Street Journal
A Segal Centre production
A Doll’s House, Part 2
November 18 – December 9, 2018
By Lucas Hnath Directed by Caitlin Murphy
A sharp and witty sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
15 years after Nora Helmer infamously slammed the door on her stifling domestic life, she has returned with an urgent request. Before she can get what she needs, however, she must reckon with the family she left in her wake. Lucas Hnath’s funny, probing, and bold new play is at once a continuation of Ibsen’s complex exploration of traditional gender roles and a sharp contemporary take on the struggles inherent in all human relationships.
“I want to do nothing but talk about A Doll’s House, Part 2 for the rest of my life.” – The Washington Post
“A smart, funny, and utterly engrossing play” – New York Times
A Segal Centre production
Production Sponsor: DELMAR
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
December 4 – December 16, 2018
By Hannah Moscovitch Directed by Christian Barry Songs by Ben Caplan and Christian Barry Starring Ben Caplan, Chris Weatherstone, Mary Fay Coady, Graham Scott and Jamie Kronick
A wildly popular, genre-bending spectacle!
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story is a humourously dark folk tale woven together with a high energy concert. This sumptuous Klezmer-folk music-theatre hybrid starring the sensational Ben Caplan is inspired by the true stories of two Jewish Romanian refugees coming to Canada in 1908. It’s about how to love and find our shared humanity after facing the horrors of war.
“A thing of raw and unmissable beauty” – Herald Scotland
“Emotionally engaging, visually stunning and leaves us still wanting more.” – Musical Theatre Review
The Segal Centre presents a 2b theatre company and National Arts Centre co-production.
Presented in association with the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
Children of God
January 20 – February 10, 2019
Book, Music, Lyrics, and Directed by Corey Payette Production Designer Marshall McMahen Musical Director Allen Cole Orchestrator Elliot Vaughan Associate Director Julie McIsaac Lighting Designer Jeff Harrison
“Children of God is must-see theatre for Canadians” – The Globe and Mail
In this stirring, powerful musical, the children of an Oji-Cree family are taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario. A haunting story of redemption for a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and for her kids, who never knew she came; Children of God offers a thrilling blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities, celebrating resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit.
“This is a brave work, and a starting point for important conversations …See it.” –The Georgia Straight
A co-production with Urban Ink
With the generous support of MUSE
BOOM X
February 14 – March 10, 2019
Written, directed and performed by Rick Miller Executive Producer Jeff Lord Creative Team Craig Francis, Bruno Matte, Nicolas Dostie, Virginie Leclerc, Irina Litvinenko, Rick Miller
The music, politics, and culture of Generation X!
BOOM X picks up where BOOM left off – at Woodstock in August of ’69. Rick time travels by way of multimedia up to 1995. Some classic characters reappear (Elvis gets fat, Lennon gets shot, and Reagan gets elected), but the focus moves from his mother to his own story. The production follows Gen X-ers as they navigate the tangled legacy of the baby boom.
The Gen X follow-up to Rick Miller’s hit show BOOM!
“Essentially, I think Rick Miller deserves his own word: ‘amusicamagicamazing’.” – Montreal Theatre Hub
A Kidoons in association with Theatre Calgary and The 20K Collective production
Production Sponsor: BMO
Indecent
April 28 – May 19, 2019
By Paula Vogel Directed by Lisa Rubin
It’s times like these when art matters most.
When Sholem Asch wrote God of Vengeance, hailed by some as an essential work of Jewish culture, and vilified by others as a work of traitorous libel, he never imagined how controversial the play would be. Inspired by true events, Indecent is a riveting look at an explosive moment in theatrical and world history. This deeply moving play charts the story of an incendiary drama and the artists who risked their careers and their lives to perform it.
“Captivating & gorgeous” – Time Out New York
“A heart-stirring reminder of the power of art” – New York Daily News
“Indecent is astoundingly exuberant…it’s a celebration of the art of making theater and it’s filled with joyous songs and dances.” – PBS
A Segal Centre production
A Century Songbook
June 16 – June 30, 2019
By Edit Kuper Directed by Audrey Finkelstein Musical Director Nick Burgess
A tapestry of iconic songs, dances, and personal stories.
A musical journey celebrating one hundred years of Montreal Jewish history. Performers take us through daily life, historic landmarks, and events that shaped our community such as the early immigration to Montreal, Baron Byng High, Fletcher’s Field, Expo 67, March of the Living, and more. Iconic songs, dances, and personal stories are woven together to create a rich tapestry of the shared experiences of Montreal Jews through the decades.
Back by popular demand – with more songs and more memories!
A Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre production in English, French, Yiddish, Hebrew, and Russian
Subscribers Get the Full Segal Experience!
Segal Subscribers enjoy world-class theatre and many outstanding benefits, including free indoor parking, priority seating, free ticket exchange, and exclusive savings at the Segal and with our cultural partners.
The Class Act Card offers the under 30 crowd the ultimate flexibility to enjoy theatre at the Segal. For only $80, Class Act Cardholders get four credits that can be exchanged for tickets. On top of $20 tickets, cardholders also receive extra perks like discounts at the bar, savings on additional tickets, access to special contests, and much more!
New this season, Tuesday Night Live offers an exciting social night out at the theatre for theatre-goers between the ages of 21 to 45 years old. This discounted theatre ticket comes with dinner and a drink.
2018-2019 Subscriptions are now on sale. See all seven productions and save up to 35%*!
Purchase a Segal Subscription before June 10, 2018 for a chance to win your subscription for free.
Individual tickets go on sale August 6, 2018.
*Discount is based on regular full priced tickets vs. regular preview 7-play subscription.
5170 ch. de la Côte-Ste-Catherine
Montreal, Quebec, H3W-1M7
514.739.7944 / segalcentre.org
About the Segal Centre for Performing Arts
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is a not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to creating, producing and presenting world-class English-language theatre and to showcasing the best professional artists from Montreal and beyond. A part of the community since 1967, the organization was reborn in 2007 as the Segal Centre and has expanded to become a nationally recognized venue for the performing arts with a focus on creation, innovation, diversity and cross-cultural collaborations. Driven by a belief in the power of the arts to strengthen and connect communities, the Segal’s programming emphasizes original interpretations of popular classic and contemporary works, new Canadian musicals and engaging productions with universal appeal. www.segalcentre.org
