Broadway lovers unite! Start February with a bang and see Canada’s first lady of musical theatre, Louise Pitre, in a show-stopping performance at The Fredericton Playhouse on Thursday, February 2 at 7:30pm.

In addition to headlining the Toronto, Broadway and US touring company casts of Mamma Mia!, for which she also earned a Tony nomination, Pitre is known for her signature performances as Fantine in Les Misérables (Toronto, Montreal and Paris) and the title character in Edith Piaf. She also earned rave reviews for leading roles in Annie Get Your Gun; Song & Dance; Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; The World Goes ‘Round; Blood Brothers; Tartuffe; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?; The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd; Applause; Rock ‘n’ Roll etc.; The Toxic Avenger; and A Year With Frog and Toad.

In September 2009, Pitre also made her Carnegie Hall debut singing the role of Ulrika in the concert version of the musical Kristina by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, which she reprised at Royal Albert Hall in April 2010.

With a career that spans theatre, television and concert stages across North America and Europe, Louise Pitre is a musical experience not to be missed. And when you buy tickets to see Pitre, you automatically qualify for a 50% discount off the regular ticket price for the North American Touring Company of Fiddler On The Roof!

This Tony Award winning musical, starring John Preece as Tevye, runs February 8 and 9 at The Fredericton Playhouse. Filled with rousing, heartwarming numbers such as “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” and “If I Were A Rich Man”, Fiddler On The Roof is a timeless classic.

To take advantage of this offer, please contact The Fredericton Playhouse box office in person or by phone at 458-8344 or 1-866-884-5800. For more information on Louise Pitre or Fiddler On The Roof, visit www.theplayhouse.ca.

Created by Brit Floyd musical director Damian Darlington to celebrate the release of the brand new official Pink Floyd “Best Of” album A Foot In the Door, the performance will include all of Pink Floyd’s best work, in its entirety­ – track by track – as selected personally by the Pink Floyd band members themselves.

As an extra bonus, and back by popular demand, Brit Floyd’s new show will also include a full 23-minute show-stopping rendition of “Echoes”, taken from Pink Floyd’s classic 1971 album, Meddle.

The show also includes such hits as “Hey You”, “See Emily Play”, “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”, “Another Brick In The Wall pt2”, “Have A Cigar”, “Wish You Were Here”, “Time”, “The Great Gig In The Sky”, “Money”, “Comfortably Numb”, “High Hopes”, “Learning To Fly”, “The Fletcher Memorial Home”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, “Brain Damage”, “Eclipse” and “Run Like Hell”.

In less than one year the new Brit Floyd phenomena has been embraced by Pink Floyd fans worldwide, and acclaimed for its note-for-note perfection, unique Floydian animation, and its state-of-the art sound and lights. A Brit Floyd show is truly the genuine reincarnation of the Pink Floyd live experience.

“Blindingly brilliant, jaw-droppingly authentic… at last Pink Floyd have the tribute show they deserve” -Portsmouth News

“Mesmerising, absolutely mesmerising. The most exciting tribute show ever!” -Ticketmaster

Tickets for Brit Floyd – The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show go on sale Saturday, January 14 at noon and are available at the Fredericton Playhouse box office 1-866-884-5800, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca.

Artist website: www.britfloyd.com

Jambalaya—a surprising title indeed, but to surprise the audience is what this concert is all about. With her own personal style, her voice, her presence, and her choice of repertoire, Marie-Josée Lord delivers a stunning recital where classical and popular music are gently entwined. Gordon Lightfoot, Verdi, Lama, Bizet, Joni Mitchell and many other composers make up this special program that flows ever so naturally from this brilliant, award-winning Canadian soprano. Lord will share this and more at The Fredericton Playhouse on Friday, January 13 at 7:30pm.

Lord made her professional debut in the fall of 2003, singing Liù in Puccini’s Turandot at the Opéra de Québec. In February 2004, Montreal music lovers were enraptured by her rendition of Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème at the Opéra de Montréal, where she then sang the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica in September 2006, confirming her formidable acting talent and deep musical sensitivity.

Recently Lord has been heard as Marie-Jeanne in the world premiere of the operatic version of the celebrated musical Starmania (Plamondon/Berger) at the Opéra de Québec in May 2008, and the Opéra de Montréal in March 2009. And in the early fall of 2009, she brilliantly sang the role of Nedda (I Paggliacci) at the Opéra de Montréal.

A winner of many renowned scholarships and competitions, Marie-Josée Lord impresses critics and audiences alike by the depth of her talent and her charming and charismatic personality. Her first album, recorded with the Orchestre Métropolitain, has been a great success with over 25,000 copies sold to date.

“…A voice of wonderful depth and pliability casting a radiant glow. Her presence is spellbinding… a very classy singer with a bright future.” – Ilse Zadrozny, Montreal Gazette

Tickets for Marie-Josée Lord’s Jambalaya are available at the Fredericton Playhouse box office 1-866-884-5800, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca.

Entertaining and insightful, our second Kidstage Series presentation brings the Iroquois Creation Story to life in A Story Before Time on Sunday, February 5 at 2pm. Recommended for ages 6 and up, you will watch animal characters swim across the stage and trees grow from silk. This incredibly powerful cultural story is explained through the movement and actions of the dancers and through the narration of the storyteller. Visually stunning, musically rich, and theatrically compelling for young audiences, A Story Before Time explores the metaphors, symbols, dreams, and beliefs of a people.

Electroluminescent crayon-like creatures light up the final presentation in our Kidstage Series on Thursday, March 8 at 11am and 2pm, in the heart-rendering tale of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling and Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and The Hare. Lightwire theatre, with its dazzling visuals, poignant choreography, and creative use of music ranging from classical to jazz to pop, literally brings these beloved tales into a new and brilliant light.

Tickets for Dufflebag Theatre’s Beauty & The Beast and all of our Kidstage Series presentations are available at the Fredericton Playhouse box office 1-866-884-5800, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca.

Christmas @theplayhouse is proud to present Picture Perfect Christmas, the latest edition of Fredericton’s favourite holiday show.  With a host of colourful characters, vibrant musical numbers, and a talented ensemble of Fredericton-based performers and musicians, audiences will be taken on a journey of discovery where the true meaning of Christmas is found and celebrated.

Running December 15-18 at The Fredericton Playhouse, Picture Perfect Christmas follows two people who strive for perfection, each in their own way. Filled with joy, laughter, redemption, and lots of music, it’s the perfect way to get your family into the Christmas spirit.

Directed by Tania Breen, and featuring original musical arrangements by award-winning composer/musician Michael Doherty, this production has something for everyone.  “We’re so thrilled to be working with another incredibly talented group of performers this year, new and old,” says Breen, “Their commitment and talent has definitely fuelled our creative energy in writing this show, and Michael Doherty’s new musical pieces support the story beautifully.”

Continues Breen, “The arc of our story revolves around the value of letting go of perfection, and being able to find beauty in the simplest of things. The energy and enthusiasm among the cast has been fantastic, so we’re really pleased to see it all come together.”

Cast members have been hard at work in preparation for what has become a holiday tradition among local audiences.  Christmas @theplayhouse has enjoyed a long tenure in the capital city as one of Fredericton’s favourite Christmas shows.  This year marks the 10^th edition of this holiday staple, and the creative team behind the production have been hard at work.

Tim Yerxa, Executive Director of The Fredericton Playhouse, explains that “what makes this production so popular is not only the incredible music and spectacle, but the home-grown talent it showcases– ­that community connection.”

Christmas @theplayhouse: Picture Perfect Christmas runs December 15-17 at 7:30pm, and December 17 and 18 at 2pm.  Tickets are on sale now at the Fredericton Playhouse box office 1-866-884-5800, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca.

This year, Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas features Marcus Donnelly from Co. Galway, one of the most exhilarating, truly creative Irish dancers performing today. Internationally acclaimed master of the steel-string guitar William Coulter joins in, along with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist (and world-champion level Irish dancer) Marianne Knight from Co. Mayo, and Brian Bigley (also a world-champion level Irish dancer) on uilleann pipes, whistles and flute.

“…it’s such a joy to experience Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas, a unique blend of master story-telling, traditional music and dance that captures the heart and soul of Ireland in an evening of nostalgic holiday memories as only the Irish can share.” – The Times-Standard

Tickets for Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas are available at the Fredericton Playhouse box office 1-866-884-5800, or online at www.theplayhouse.ca.