Good Ol’ Broadway- Now In Canada!

Broadway is the musical epicentre of the theatre industry, producing shows like The Lion King, Wicked, The Phantom Of The Opera and the award-winning Hamilton: An American Musical. Theatre geeks around the world dream of going to New York and seeing their favourite musicals and some actually get the chance to do so. I, for one, have been waiting for the day when I can go see Dear Evan Hansen in a city no more than a few hours away from me. Fortunately, Canadians now have the chance to see some of their favourite Broadway shows in person! Broadway Across Canada is bringing a few of Broadway’s finest shows to 10 cities across Canada.

For those who aren’t familiar with this organization, Broadway Across Canada is a Toronto-based association that presents touring Broadway shows and other theatrical productions across Canada, hence the name. It was founded in 1999 and has been running ever since.

But what shows will be in Ottawa, and which are here now? The 2018/19 season at the NAC was launched with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock, which is based off Richard Linklater’s movie of the same name about rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who disguises himself as a substitute teacher at an illustrious prep school. Next in line is Beautiful- The Carole King Musical, the Grammy-winning true story about how a Brooklyn girl named Carole Klein became a musical legend. The season continues with The King And I, the revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s beloved story about Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, and the King of Siam in 1860s Bangkok. Finally, at the heart of the commemorative period is Come From Away, the Canadian hit portraying the true story of how Gander, Newfoundland embraced over 6,000 travellers as their flights were relocated due to the events of 9/11.

Along with all these amazing shows, one more will arrive later, in the 2019/20 season. Reviews say it “makes history leap off the pages” and people were “blown away by the performances of this amazing cast.” Can you guess what show it is? It’s Hamilton, the spectacle based on the life of America’s first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Whether you are a fan of Broadway or not, I highly recommend going to see one of these shows and see how talent, hard work, love, acceptance and legacy play an important part in our lives.