Showcase
Theatre Festival – 2008 Creative Team
“Dancing in the Coal Dust”
Jeff
Hyslop, Founding Artistic Director
Jeff
provides us with his expertise, contacts and energy to ensure that
Showcase Festival is built on a solid artistic foundation. As Founding
Artistic Director, he was responsible for planning our 3 seasons,
in addition to conceiving the “Ginger” Goodwin project.
Vancouver
born Jeff Hyslop is indisputably one of Canada’s foremost performing
artists. Equally masterful as a singer, dancer, and actor, he has
starred with unqualified success in such landmark musical productions
as “Cabaret”, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, “Jacques Brel”, “The Producers”
and of course, the role of “Mike” in both the London West End and
Broadway productions of “A Chorus Line”. To many, he is the quintessential
Phantom of the Opera, a role he
embraced in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical for over 900 performances.
He starred as “Jeff the Mannequin” in the TVO series “Today’s Special”
which maintained a huge popularity for over 10 years.
At age 21 Jeff was dancing and singing in Norman Jewison’s film
“Jesus Christ Superstar”. His numerous television appearances include
series for both CTV and CBC-TV. The most memorable of these was
his own “Dancin’ Man” Superspecial where he partnered his favourite
leading lady, Karen Kain.
He has received numerous awards including, 3 Jessie Awards (2 for
Best Choreography, the other for best director); 5 nominations for
the ACTRA Award for Best Variety Performer and a Dora Mavor Moore
Award in 1984 for “On Tap”.
Choreography and directing are a real love for Jeff and it shows
in productions such as “Peter Pan”, “A Chorus Line”, “On Tap”, “Guys
and Dolls” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”.
Continually broadening his career, Jeff is in demand for his teaching
expertise in the realm of Musical Theatre, encompassing adjudication
and scene, song and dance workshops.
www.geocities.com/Jeff_Hyslop
David
Warrack, Musical Director (www.davidwarrack.ca)
David
Warrack joined Showcase Festival for our inaugural gala in March
2005. Since then he has been our Musical Director and has provided
us with the benefit of his extensive knowledge and immense talent.
He is a world class conductor, composer and performer and has committed
himself to Showcase Festival.
David
has had the opportunity throughout his career to work extensively
in a compelling variety of disciplines. He toured and recorded with
Maureen Forrester for the last fifteen years of her storied career,
as conductor and/or accompanist for concerts which displayed the
breadth of her ability to perform Mahler or Sondheim with equal
distinction. Their recording of INTERPRETATIONS OF A LIFE, with
Maureen singing songs David wrote for her, is a marvellous tribute
to a Canadian treasure.
He
has been a guest conductor with orchestras across North America,
most recently the Kitchener/Waterloo Symphony, for whom he arranged
and orchestrated a brand new Latin program. David is the founding
conductor of the Canada Pops Orchestra, which is now in its sixth
year. They have performed at Massey Hall, the Hummingbird Centre,
and the Toronto Centre for the Arts, featuring an all-Canadian guest
list which has included such artists as Jeff Hyslop, Louise Pitre,
Guido Basso, The Men of the Deeps, The Three Cantorial Tenors. This
past season was highlighted by an appearance at the Downtown Toronto
Jazz Festival in June, including a memorable set of songs from blues
diva Jackie Richardson.
David
also formed the 18-piece Canada Pops Jazz Band, featuring some of
Canada’s most legendary jazz musicians, most recently seen as part
of a Latin extravaganza at Toronto’s Liberty Grand.
David
Warrack has been musical director for over 250 productions on stage,
radio, and television, including SHENANDOAH on Broadway, CLOSER
THAN EVER (Dora Mavor Moore Award), the cross-Canada tour of JACQUES
BREL and nine Christmas Pantomimes produced by Ross Petty at Toronto’s
elegant Elgin Theatre. In May, he was Musical Director/Arranger
for a tribute to Oscar Hammerstein II at the Hummingbird Centre
with the Mendelssohn Singers.
As
a composer, his credits include works for orchestra, chamber groups,
choirs and stage bands. He has written or collaborated on over
fifty musicals, including THE VAUDEVILLIANS, SHE’S NO LADY, ROB
ROY (performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2006),
and CATWALK (showcased as part of Toronto Fashion Week October 2005).
David’s
presence in the world of comedy and satire has always been an important
aspect of his talent, starting with the smash hit musical revue
OOPS! in 1972. He was a regular feature on Peter Gzowski’s MORNINGSIDE
in the 1980s, recently released a CD with J. Sean Elliott entitled
NO NAME CANADIAN STARS, and currently performs with Claudette, Don
Harron, and his buddy Charlie Farquarson.
As
a producer, he has over sixty plays and musicals to his credit,
including THE SUM OF US with Gordon Pinsent, ON TAP with Jeff Hyslop,
and the three-year run of TORONTO TORONTO. Television credits include
ALL FOR ONE (C.B.C.), and CD credits include CANADIAN TREASURES
for The Ginger Group.
Vincent
Dupuis, Managing Director E-mail
Vincent
came to Showcase in 2007 as a Director and was subsequently appointed
Managing Director in July. He comes to Showcase with over 40 years
experience in arts research, management and marketing. Beginning
his career as a professional singer with Elmer Iseler, and the Canadian
Opera Company, he rose to Managing Director of the Festival Singers
of Canada. In Centennial year, he was the Research Officer in Economics
and Administration for the Ontario Theatre Study – published under
the title The Awkward Stage working with Mavor Moore, the Canada
Council and Ontario Arts Council.
Since
that time he has either managed, or consulted to over 20 organizations
in the performing arts across Canada – including: Bastion Theatre
Victoria (Marketing); Open Space Gallery (Victoria); Western Canada
Theatre Company; Circle Craft Co-operative (founding General Manager);
Kelowna International Festival (Managing Director); Windsor Symphony
(General Manager); Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra (General Manager)
and the Festival by the Sea, in Saint John, NB (Producer).
Since
coming to the Comox Valley, Vincent has been involved as Producer
of the Comox Harbour Festival Opening Day; and Treasurer of the
Comox Valley Harbour Authority.
Lately,
he has been Guest Services Golf Operations Manager for the Crown
Isle Golf Resort. He brings to Showcase a wealth of experience in
business and the business of the arts in Canada.
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