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March 7, 2024

Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), (1962), (1964), (1970), (1971), (1973), (1974), (1976), (1979), (1981), (1984), (1987), (1991), (1994) and (2008) as well as lyrics for (1957), GYPSY (1959) and DO I HEAR A WALTZ? (1965) and additional lyrics for (1973). Anthologies of his work include (1976), (1981), (1983), (1993/99) and SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM (2010). He composed the scores of the films "Stavisky" (1974) and "Reds" (1981) and songs for "Dick Tracy" (1990) and the television production "Evening Primrose" (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: "Finishing the Hat" (2010) and "Look, I Made A Hat" (2011). In 2010 Broadway's Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in his honour; in 2019, London's Queens Theatre was also renamed the Sondheim.

James Lapine is a playwright and director. On Broadway he has worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George; Into the Woods; and Passion. He also conceived and directed the musical review Sondheim on Sondheim. With William Finn he created Falsettos recently revived by Lincoln Center Theater; Little Miss Sunshine; Muscle; and directed Finn's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other Broadway credits include his play based on Moss Hart's memoir Act One (also LCT), Amour, The Diary of Anne Frank, Golden Child, and Dirty Blonde. He has written the plays Table Settings, Twelve Dreams, The Moment When, Fran's Bed and Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing. Lapine has been nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning on three occasions. He has also been the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, SDC's Mr. Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, and inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

(MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.

MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

Kate Carver is so happy to have returned to continue her work with Opera ³Ô¹ÏÍø for a second year and to be working alongside such a talented group of young people, in this most special class. Kate maintains a private studio in Toronto as a Vocal Coach and accompanist and has been a member of staff at the University of Toronto’s Opera Division for over twenty years. She has recently conducted and music directed productions for Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera in Concert, and Summer Opera Lyric Theatre. Other positions have included Music Staff with the Canadian Opera Company, the voice program at the Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua, New York, and the University of Montreal, as well as Music Director for Essential Opera, Maritime Concert Opera, and Opera by Request. Kate received her Bachelor and Masters degrees in Music from McGill University, and studied in England at The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Britten-Pears School, and The National Opera Studio.

Jennie Such (she/her) grew up in London Ontario, situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples. She divides her time between classical music and musical theatre and is interested in combining ideas about text, sound, physicality and authenticity from these complementary worlds. An alumna of Western University and the Royal College of Music (U.K), Jennie apprenticed with the Canadian Opera Company and Vancouver Opera as a young artist. Throughout her 20 year career as a soloist Jennie performed roles with the Canadian Opera Company, Opera Ontario, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Opera Atelier and Mirvish Productions. She has recorded for Naxos Records, and on live radio broadcasts in recital and concert for the CBC, BBC and MDR (Germany). The initial step on Jennie’s journey as a singing teacher and coach was a contract for the Canadian production of Billy Elliot (Mirvish). She has also coached the young company members in The Hockey Sweater (National Arts Centre). 2024 marks Jennie’s 10th season as the singing coach on the coaching team at the Stratford Festival, and her 8th season coaching singing in the Birmingham Conservatory. As a voice faculty member at ³Ô¹ÏÍø, Jennie has enjoyed venturing out of the studio this year to put her stage experience into the role of director. It is always a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow from new experiences, and it has been thrilling to work with this incredible cast of young artists. She hopes you enjoy the show as we venture “Into the Woods” together.

Gill Lesperance's career started at WLU over two decades ago when he was the Production Co-ordinator for the Music Faculty. After a lengthy career in the theatre industry that included working as a shop carpenter for the Stratford Festival and acting as Director of Technical Production in the Communication Arts program at UW he's happy to be back at WLU to Design and Build Into the Woods. When Gill isn't building or designing theatre sets he's building and designing custom furniture. To see more of his past work, please visit g2carpentry.com

Nadia Ursacki is a KW based Stage Manager, Lighting Designer and Production Manager, but is also known to do many other theatre supporting jobs. She has done lighting design for K-W Musical Productions (Guys and Dolls, Titanic, Spring Awakening), The Singer’s Theatre (Battle of Boat, Heathers, In the Heights), and Elmira Theatre Company (Pearl Gidley, Tuesdays with Morrie, The Wild Guys), and has stage managed for Green Light Arts (Touch), Lost & Found Theatre (Outside Mullinger, Charles Dickens Writes a Christmas Carol), and many others over more than twenty years.

This is Nicole del Cul’s first show with WLU’s Opera program. Nicole is currently in her 17th season at Drayton Entertainment, wardrobe credits: Asst. Head of Wardrobe; Costume Designer, Stitcher; Dresser and Wardrobe Maintenance. Drayton design credits: Buying the Farm 2022; Sorry, I’m Canadian 2022; Sheer Madness 2019/18; Run for your Wife 2014; Weekend Comedy 2013; Big Band Legends 2013/12; Bedtime Stories 2012; Italian Funerals and other Festivities 2011; Dance Legends 2011/10. Nicole has owned her tailoring business, Loose Threads, since 2017. She would like to thank her partner Alex and their two daughters Stella and Adalynn, for all their love and support.

Jennifer Schamehorn: Role: Stage Manager Opera ³Ô¹ÏÍø: 12th Season including: Little Women, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Cendrillon, Tales of Hoffman, Giiwedin, The Marriage of Figaro; Other Stage Management credits: Fully Committed, Alice in Pantoland, Cinderella (Neptune Theatre); Anne and Gilbert (The Guild Theatre); Country Legends, Dance Legends, Guys and Dolls (Drayton Entertainment); All’s Well That Ends Well, Hughie, Krapp’s Last Tape, Pentecost, The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, Ever Yours Oscar (Stratford Festival) Other Roles: Head of Props (Stratford Festival) Film/TV (Art Department): Diggstown Season 3, Moonshine Season 2.