In Tune 2015, The Art of Canadian Musicals

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It’s back and bigger than ever! In Tune is a Vancouver-based biennial event that develops and showcases new Canadian musicals, and supports the artists engaged in creating and performing them. Returning in June 2015, In Tune’s creative mixture of performances, showcases, masterclasses, discussion, and development has helped make the Canadian musical as hip as it currently is. Come and check out great new musicals in all stages of development, authored by some of the country’s hottest composers and book writers. The only event of its kind in Canada, In Tune’s ten action-filled days are Co-Curated by Touchstone’s Artistic Director Katrina Dunn and the Arts Club’s Literary Manager Rachel Ditor.

For the first time In Tune is presenting a fully finished production! In Tune’s Lead Presentation is Theatre Passe Muraille’s hit musical The Way Back To Thursday. Hollywood films and Rock Hudson inspire the musical relationship between a grandmother and her gay grandson as they struggle to connect through his coming of age. With Book, Music, and Lyrics by Rob Kempson, Orchestrations by Scott Christian, Direction by Briana Brown, Musical Direction by Chris Tsujiuchi, and Original Production Design by Beth Kates, The Way Back To Thursday wowed Toronto with its premiere production in late 2013 (“NNNN” – Now Magazine). A landmark Toronto company, Theatre Passe Muraille has been creating innovative and important Canadian work since the early 70’s (June 18 – 21, Thursday through Saturday at 8pm, Sunday matinee at 2pm, Revue Stage).

Other In Tune highlights are the opening Keynote/Cabaret, and the BLAME CANADA! concert. In Tune kicks off with a Keynote/Cabaret, a short keynote address reflecting on the impact and future of Canadian musicals, followed by a cabaret of selections from the Canadian songbook chosen by leaders in the field from across the country (June 12 at 8pm, Waterfront Theatre – by donation). BLAME CANADA! is a concert featuring work by the members of the Canadian Musical Theatre Writers Collective (CMTWC), founded by Vancouver’s own Landon Braverman and Joseph Trefler. After sold-out events in New York and Toronto, BLAME CANADA! makes its west coast debut, hosted by local theatre legend Jay Brazeau and featuring an array of Vancouver’s top musical theatre performers (June 14 at 7 pm, Waterfront Theatre – by donation).

In Tune 2015 has six one day Masterclasses designed to infuse the local community with new skills and inspiration. Canadian wunderkinds Irene Sankoff and David Hein come to In Tune fresh from the world premiere of their newest musical at the prestigious La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. A married couple and writing partners, Irene and David will show local producers and creators the recipe for their amazing success in in their class titled FROM PAGE TO PREMIERE (June 13, Studio 1398). THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR’S ROLE IN NEW WORK is an intensive for local musical directors with Caroline Humphris, one of the UK’s most prominent and influential musical directors. Caroline has mentored many young musicians and is passionate about the process of new musical development (June 18, Studio 1398). Robert McQueen, one of Canada’s leading musical theatre practitioners and an In Tune favourite, leads two masterclasses this year. AT THE HELM OF A MUSICAL looks at the director’s role, and is an ideal class for performers wanting to move into directing, for emerging directors wanting to learn more about the genre, and for old dogs who just want to learn some new tricks (June 19, Studio 1398). SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW is Robert’s latest take on his much-loved class for performers, and contrasts traditional repertoire with contemporary styles (June 20, The Post at 750). Broadway casting director Arnold Mungioli leads IN THE AUDITION ROOM: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Arnold’s techniques demystify show business in general and musical theatre in particular, and give performers a way of showcasing audition material with significantly enhanced methods, attitude, and style (June 21, The Post at 750). Lastly, TELLING OUR LIVES IN SONG is In Tune’s first masterclass for youth. Vancouver native and Kleban Award-winning songwriter Daniel Maté takes 13 to 17 year olds through the basics of writing a great musical theatre song, through the lens of their own lived experience (June 20, Studio 1398).

This year In Tune has two Showcase evenings, each of which features forty minute excerpts of two new musicals. The first night features two large scale works gearing up for production in the 2015/2016 season. The Best Laid Plans is based on the novel by Terry Fallis, with Book by Vern Thiessen, Music and Lyrics by Benjamin Elliot and Anton Lipovetsky, and directed by Peter Jorgensen. In it, a burned-out political strategist's plan to get out of politics by managing an unelectable candidate in a federal election is thrown into turmoil when the plan backfires. Onegin is inspired by the poem by Pushkin and the opera by Tchaikovsky, and is reimagined for the modern stage by Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille, two of the creators of Do You Want What I’ve Got?: A Craigslist Cantata. This sweeping 19th century epic about passion, duels, and bad timing is directed by Amiel Gladstone (Both on June 15, 8pm, Revue Stage - by donation).

The second Showcase evening eclectically blends a new Jukebox work with a dynamite two-person musical. In Route 66: The Musical, by Rick Antonson & Shawn Macdonald and directed by Robert McQueen, a 30-something couple travelling down America’s legendary highway are pulled into a world America almost forgot. In LOVE BOMB, with Books and Lyrics by Meghan Gardiner, Music and Additional Lyrics by Steve Charles, and directed by Renee Iaci, a concert of emotion rips through Justine's first performance in years, and all because of one uninvited guest her music takes on a life of its own (Both on June 16, 8pm, Revue Stage – by donation).

Other activities in In Tune’s jam packed ten days include a YouTube Musical contest, a Songwriters’ Salon with Veda Hille (June 21, 12pm, Revue Stage – By Donation), Pitch Sessions for artists (June 15, 4pm, The Post at 750), and two Panel Discussions; the first exploring jukebox musicals (June 19, 5:30pm, Revue Stage) and the second discussing musicals for young audiences (June 20, 5:30pm, Revue Stage – both By Donation). Work without a public showing includes development workshops for five local projects: The Chariot Cities by Harrison Mooney and Bryan Binnema, Elbow Room Café: The Musical by Anton Lipovetsky and Dave Deveau, Chords of Fame by Zachary Stevenson; Polly and the Penthouse by Sally Stubbs; and the winning show from the recent 24 Hour Musical Smackdown produced by Awkward Stage Productions. Finally, a Musical Directors’ Roundtable and Working Group on Story and Score round out the industry discussion.