2011 Season

Mark Masri

In the music business, overnight success can sometimes take a decade or two. In the case of Torontonian Mark Masri, this is true. Performing since the age of five, he has been building his career through writing music for film, television and other singers. Now, one of the hardest working men in the business is about to get his big break. North America audiences have been discovering that Masri’s soulful tenor is one of the finest voices of his generation; and coupled with his tall, dark and handsome appeal, he is poised for international stardom.

In addition to his incomparable vocals, Mark is a piano player, songwriter and producer. He co-wrote all but one of the original songs on his latest release LA VOCE(Green Hill/EMI). For the rest of the repertoire, he chose a virtuosic array of songs in six languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic. As the son of a Lebanese father and Anglo Saxon mother, and with his ease of performing this array of international songs, he exemplifies the new face of Canada-multiculturalism at its best.

Since 2008, Mark has guest appeared on numerous US tours with Jim Brickman, and was featured on his Beautiful World PBS special. Masri has treated audiences to his renditions of popular radio hits, but also to his spine tingling vocals on Italian art songs such as “Caruso”. The Boston Globe describes him as “…melting the hearts of female audience members like warm chocolate”, and The Cincinnati Enquirer said “Mark’s ‘Caruso’ thrilled the audience”. Steven Reineke, one of America's foremost Pops Orchestra conductors said, “Mark Masri is one of those rare finds with an astounding and sensuous tenor voice, wonderful poise and warm stage presence, not to mention his movie star good looks. He is one of my new favourite singers that I will work with time and time again!” Fraser Walters of the Canadian Tenors says, “Mark has a stirring combination of a golden voice and world-class song-writing skills”.

More recently, Masri has received accolades from the one and only, David “The Hitman” Foster. He invited Mark to perform on his latest television special (airdate Spring 2011), filmed at the beautiful Madalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Other special television performances include appearing with the choir, SCALA(Belgium) and Faryl Smith(Britain’s Got Talent); filmed in the historic town of Brugges, Belgium. Check PBS listings for airdates.

With smoky intensity and jaw dropping range Mark Masri delivers emotion that will enchant any listener. Part Andrea Bocelli, part Luther Vandross, this artist has been and will continue to bring audiences to their feet.

For details surrounding tour dates and appearances please visit www.markmasri.com.

Colm Wilkinson

To lovers of musical theatre around the world Colm Wilkinson definitely needs no introduction. On stages in London, New York, Toronto and beyond he has firmly established himself as one of theatre's greatest performers. His definitive portrayal of such leading characters as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera have brought the Irish born singer huge critical acclaim, a trophy case crammed with awards and the adoration of millions of theatregoers.

Wilkinson achieved international fame when he created the role of Jean Valjean with The Royal Shakespeare Company in the hit musical Les Miserables. After appearing in London's West End and on Broadway, Wilkinson was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for best actor as well as Tony and Drama Desk Nominations. He also won the Helen Hayes Award, The Outer Critics Circle Award and the Theatre World Award. He returned to the role of Jean Valjean for one night only in the now legendary London 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables. The DVD version of the concert has been seen by millions around the world.

Wilkinson also created the role of the Phantom for Andrew Lloyd-Webber at the Sydmonton Festival in 1986. He went on to star in the Toronto production of this musical for four and a half years. He earned the Dora Mavor Moore Award for his portrayal of the Phantom in 1989-90. He returned to Les Miserables in 1998 in Toronto and won his second Dora Mavor Moore Award for his role as Valjean.

On March 8th 2009 Wilkinson participated in the Birthday Celebration Gala for Senator Edward Kennedy in Washington D.C. An event that was attended by prominent stars of stage and screen and the foremost political figures in the world including the U.S. President Barack Obama.

A talented actor, Wilkinson starred in seasons 3 and 4 of the award winning series The Tudors. He portrayed Lord Thomas Darcy, a leader of the rebellion against Henry VIII and his reformation.

Colm Wilkinson will take his stage show Broadway and Beyond into Ireland this spring and America in the fall. He will perform a selection of his favourite songs from the world of theatre and popular music, including "Bring Him Home", "Music of the Night", Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and his own composition "I Cannot Stay" from his CD "Some of My Best Friends Are Songs".

Colm Wilkinson's latest CD "Broadway And Beyond The Concert Songs" as well as his previous CD "Some of My Best Friends Are Songs" are available now online at CD Baby.

Visit Colm's official web site at www.colmwilkinson.com.

Melissa O'Neil

Originally hailing from Calgary, Melissa O’Neil is a singer who was the winner of the third season of Canadian Idol in 2005. She was the first female winner and is the second youngest idol winner in the world. After winning Canadian Idol, Melissa moved herself to Toronto to begin recording her debut. Her single “Alive” has managed to strike a chord with such a wide audience that it is charting at three different formats on radio (CHR/Pop, Hot AC and AC.) The single was co-written by Lindy Robbins, Jess Cates (both of whom have writing credits on the current Backstreet Boys album) and Rob Wells (writer/producer of Kalan Porter’s 2x Platinum selling debut 219 Days) and is already over 4X Platinum and remained Number 1 on the ‘Top Single Sales Charts’ for over 4 weeks. “Alive” is fueled by an uplifting message about embracing life and accepting the challenges in front of you and is propelled by Melissa's rock steady vocals. She is presently at The Stratford Festival of Canada.

Joe Matheson

Joe Matheson toured Europe as Frank in Rocky Horror and Berger in HAIR, toured England as Chip in On The Town, did a soap opera of commercials with Julie Walters, did sketch comedy on The Bobby Davro Show, and played Joseph (and danced with members of the London City Ballet) in Princess Anne's annual UNICEF Christmas benefit for HRH Queen Elizabeth.

In the late 90s Joe created roles in several World Premieres: Charlie Chamberlain in Frank Leahy's Don Messer's Violin; Henry in Norm Foster's Jasper Station; Adam in Vinetta Stromberg's Adam and Eve. He also made a name for himself playing Hank Williams in The Show He Never Gave, one reviewer dubbing him the quintessential voice of Hank Williams.

From 2001 to 2005, Joe lived in New York, appearing Off-Broadway (Richard Rawe in The Good Faith) and in regional theatres in NY (The King in Pippin), Vermont (Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady) and Ohio (Rooster in Annie) while assistant co-ordinating BOOKPals, a literacy group working with inner city kids. During this period he also headlined the 2002 Grandstand Show at the Calgary Stampede, playing to between seventeen and twenty thousand people a night, and wrote his own Hank Williams show, Hank Williams Live - 1952, which has played across Canada. His songwriting has been featured on recordings by MCC Toronto Church Choir, in revue at the Florida Studio Theatre, and for corporate clients, most recently Canada Post. He has written a wartime romance - Could You Wait...? - which premiered in September, 2006 at Theatre Orangeville (ON), going on to play in Collingwood, ON and at The Grand Theatre in London, ON. He most recently appeared in Toronto as Billy Dixon in Jersey Boys (Toronto Co.)

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys is a documentary-style musical based on the lives of one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons. The musical opened on Broadway on November 6, 2005, and has had a North American National Tour, along with productions in the West End, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney and Philadelphia. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards.

Evan Alexander Smith

Evan is a young, classically trained actor and Gemini award winner based out of Toronto. Most recently he starred as Woody, in Toy Story The Musical on Disney Cruise Line. Before that, he played the title character in the Canadian cast of The Toxic Avenger Musical for Dancap Productions (Dora Nomination, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical.) He is a 2009 graduate of George Brown Theatre School, where he appeared in South of China (Cecil), Laius (Amphion), The Relapse (Young Fashion) and The Baker’s Wife (Dominique).

Other favorite credits: Matt in The Fantasticks (Red Barn Theatre), Evita (Che), Ragtime (Younger Brother), Bully (Carter), Joseph…(Joseph), West Side Story (Tony) and Les Miserables (Marius).

Dancers from Chicago

Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The original Broadway production opened June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances. Bob Fosse choreographed the original production, and his style is strongly identified with the show. Chicago's 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival on Broadway, not counting the revue Oh! Calcutta!, and is Broadway's sixth longest-running show. As of December 2010, it has played for more than 5,800 performances.

The musical was produced in London's West End and on several tours and international productions. The Academy Award-winning film version (2002) of the musical was directed by Rob Marshall and starred Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah.

Performers from Hairspray

Hairspray’s original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002 and won eight Tony Awards out of thirteen nominations. It ran for over 2,500 performances and closed on January 4, 2009. Hairspray has also had U.S. national tours, a London West End production and numerous foreign productions and was adapted for a 2007 musical film. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues.

Sterling Jarvis

Born in Digby, Nova Scotia and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Sterling Jarvis started performing at a young age. Described by the media as “red-hot” and “honey voiced”, this two-time Juno award nominee can be heard singing the television theme songs for Donkey Kong Country and Zaboomafoo, as well as several television and radio commercials. He was recently seen on the big screen in The Sentinel with Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, and Kim Basinger, and has appeared in commercials as a spokesperson for Rogers and Kellogg’s All Bran Bars.

Other credits include: Perfect Strangers (CBS); The Eleventh Hour (CTV); The West Wing (NBC); Felicity (Warner Bros.); ‘Til Death Do Us Part (Global/Court TV); The Bridge (CTV/CBS). On stage, Sterling performed as “Simba” and “Pumba” in the Toronto production of Disney’s The Lion King, as well as “Crooks” in the CanStage production, Of Mice and Men. He recently appeared as “Duff” in the hit musical by Queen, We Will Rock You, a show that’s been described as an unstoppable juggernaut of entertainment and played to over one million audience members in its two-and-a-half year run.

Alana Bridgewater

Born in Newmarket, raised in Scarborough, Alana discovered her love for performing at an early age. She was a member of The Canadian Childrens Opera Chorus, The Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir and founding member of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale. She attended the University of Windsor, studying with Steven Henrickson and Richard Householder.

Alana was the voice of the 2008 Olympic Bid. In 2007 she was nominated for a Gemini Award for her contribution to The Gospel Christmas Project (CBC). Alana has a recurring role on Nickelodeon Jr.'s Dino Dan. Her debut CD "Horizon" received critical acclaim and her single "Deception" was a 2008 Soulmag(UK) top pick.

The Projek Raw Dance Team

Founded in the basements of their old high-school creators Shamier Anderson & Dewshane Williams were definitely a force to be reckon with. With combined experience totalling 20years, age is only a number when it comes to entertainment. Within the steadfast vision of comedic relief intertwined with various other performing arts techniques, Projek Raw also has a heart for the community. The team has worked with big names such as Universal Studios, Warner Bros, Children’s Aid Society, Toronto Police Service, Chris Bosh Foundation, ACTRA, Toronto District School Board, Tropicana Community Services just to name a few. The Dance Team remains humble by going by the theory of: “It is by God’s grace it’s raw and original.”

Dewshane Williams

Driven to rise above the social capping of Kingston Jamaica’s notorious ghettos, Dewshane Williams has been eager to outlet his overwhelming emotions through entertainment. This triple threat currently studies Dance, Theatre and Musical Theatre at Wexford Collegiate for the Arts. He was was honoured with the prestigious Senior Musical Theatre Award for his performance in Fiddler on the Roof (2008). Mr. Williams has also starred in Grease is the Word and More, The Monument, and The Enemy Within.

After co- founding The Projek Raw Dance Team in 2007, this ambitious young artist went on to share the screen with Evan Williams of Degrassi, Jordan Francis of Disney’s Camp Rock, and Michael Seater of Disney’s Life with Derek to name a few. Dewshane has a high ambition which motivates him to soak up all the advice and direction he can gain that may help him fulfill one of his largest goals: To establish himself as the strongest individual he can be within the complex world of the entertainment business.

Some of Dewshane’s recent credits include Family Channel’s TV Series BAXTER (2011), MTV Movie Turn The Beat Around (2010), International Feature Film Dog Pound (2010), CTV’s Flashpoint (2009) and CBC’s Being Erica (2010).

Shamier Anderson

Born and raised in Scarborough Ontario the ambitious Shamier Anderson has graduated from Wexford School For the Arts studying Musical Theatre and Drama Focus who's star studded alumni include Fefe Dobson (Recording Artist), Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries) and Jamal Magliore (NBA Basketball player). Since graduation Shamier has gone on to do bigger and better things establishing himself as "The face of Family Channel" as a recurring host. Also working alongside many international performers including Alyson Stoner (Step-Up 3D), Demi Lovato (Sonny with a Chance), Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) and The Jonas Brothers just to name a few.

Coming from a single parent home with 2 younger brothers Shamier has learned to cope and fight through the struggles of society’s stereotypes and statistics. Shamier hopes to one day become a world renowned performer and master the craft of acting dancing and music! Some of his accomplishments are he has co-founded a dance company called Projek Raw which is an urban/theatrical entertainment dance crew. He just finished working alongside Blake McGrath from So You Think You Can Dance Canada and David Clemmer from Style By Jury. Shamier goals in the near future are to become a world renowned performer and later take on tasks such as producing/directing various projects.

Some of Shamier’s recent Credits include MTV Series Skins (2011), DISNEY’S TV Movie Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (Highschool Musical 4) (2011), GLOBAL New Police Drama KING (2011), FAMILY CHANNEL’S Overruled Season 3 (2011) and DISNEY’S TV Movie Movie Camp Rock 2 (2010)

BTB (Bringing Tap Back)

From performing in the North American National Tour of Tap Dogs: Rebooted as “The Kid”, to playing the role of “Paulie”, member of the Corny Council, in Hairspray: The Movie, Everett has proven himself a versatile entertainer. With most recent appearances that include a top 4 finish in the hit CTV series So You Think You Can Dance Canada: Season 2, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Everett embraces any challenge put in front of him. Everett has also been part of many award winning productions, most notably playing the role of “Tip” in “I think I Can” at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, which was nominated for 5 Dora Awards and won “Outstanding new musical” in ’07. Other credits include stage performances of Grease and Footloose, as well as, film work on Disney’s “Ice Princess”, “From Time to Time”, “Life with Derek”, “Slings & Arrows”, and “American Girl Doll: Felicity”. Everett has danced for Katy Perry, Tom Cochrane, Cory Lee, Bobby Blake & Andrea Lewis. His work for Keshia Chante has included performances; opening for “Ludacris”, “the 30 Hour Famine”, “the Harry Jerome awards”, and the “2005 Juno awards”. As well, Everett danced along side country superstar Terri Clark, in Tapville raising funds for cancer research.

Visit their website at www.tapdancecentre.com.

Scott Hurst

Scott has acted throughout much of Canada and recently returned from his fifth season with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Audiences there enjoyed his work in Tim Carroll's acclaimed production of Peter Pan and the world premiere of the new George F. Walker/John Roby musical King of Thieves. In past seasons Stratford audiences saw Scott in Brian Macdonald's productions of The Music Man, The Mikado, and The Pirates of Penzance, as well as Amadeus, My Fair Lady, Irma la Douce and Richard Monette's production of The Taming of the Shrew in which he originated the role of Cousin Ferdinand. He has also acted locally for Talk is Free Theatre in his one-man show Laughton Common and for Orillia's Sunshine Festival in Dames at Sea.

An accomplished Director, Scott has staged nearly 30 shows for Talk is Free Theatre, Waterloo Stage Theatre, Sunshine Festival/Sunshine & Company, Kempenfelt Community Players and Cookstown's South Simcoe Theatre, where he is currently preparing a production of The Drowsy Chaperone. He is on the teaching staff of the Cingolani Academy for Music & the Performing Arts in Barrie. Scott is very happy to be a part of Theatre By The Bay's 10th Season!