A message from Dennis Garnhum and Deb Harvey

We wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to say a simple hello and wish you well. We hope you are all taking care of your health and the health of your loved ones.

We are hearing lots of information on the critical importance of "social distancing" and  "social isolation". We suggest that we need to start talking about this as "physical distancing" because now more than ever we actually do need to 'connect' socially with our friends, families and communities - we just have to be creative in how we connect. Phone, Facetime, email, social media - many of us have options like these to allow us to continue to connect socially.

The last two shows in our 2019/20 season focussed on the importance of family and community. In ROOM - the power of a mother's love and in GROW, the unbreakable bond of family. We know that family means different things to different people. At the Grand, we consider all of you a part of our family, our community. Our family also includes our sponsors, community partners, dining partners and government funders.

Simply put - we are all in this together.

In this time of great uncertainty, there is one thing that we both know for sure: We will be back. And we will be stronger than ever. Arts, culture and theatre are critical to our city, our community, our society.

Thank you for being a part of our family.

Please be safe and stay healthy and take care of each other.

Start Your Holiday Season Off With Some COMFORT AND JOY

Featuring the talents of 30+ singers, actors, musicians, dancers and directors and filmed in iconic settings across London, Ontario, COMFORT AND JOY is the perfect way to start this "bubbled" holiday season!

With thanks to Canada Life for their support, this 45 minute holiday show is presented FREE of charge. We will gladly accept your applause?in the form of a voluntary donation to the??London Food Bank.

From Atop the Grand Theatre to the Thames River and Victoria Park
From Kettle and Stony Point First Nation to Museum London and Boler Mountain

Here are a few of the surprises you''ll hear (and see) during COMFORT AND JOY
Learn More Here!? ?

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT''S GOING TO GROW

Hello Friends! 

Tonight would have been a date to remember on our 2020 Calendar and undoubtedly the history of the Grand.

April 17, 2020 would have marked the official Opening Night of GROW and the last production on our Spriet Stage for the 2019/20 Season.

Last March, when we announced that this beautiful new Canadian musical would be closing out our season, we could never have predicted that the theatre would be dark and our celebrations would be cancelled.  

On the brighter side, we could also not have predicted the extraordinary journey that the GROW creative team has taken over the past 12 months. So today, we want to acknowledge that journey and the many talented people who travelled that road alongside us. 

We applaud the following members of our creative team: 

Composer: Colleen Dauncey
Lyricist: Akiva Romer-Segal 
Book Writer: Matt Murray
Music Supervisor and Orchestrations: Wayne Gwillim 
Set and Costume Design: Bretta Gerecke 
Lighting Design: Kevin Fraser 
Sound Design: William Fallon 
Choreographer: Linda Garneau 
Music Director: Andrew Petrasiunas 
Stage Manager: Kelly Luft 
Assistant Stage Manager: Andrea Baggs 
Apprentice Stage Manager: Darius Hahn 
Cultural Consultant: Larry Cornies 

We acknowledge our talented cast members:  

Ann Paula Bautista, Izad Etemadi, Christina Gordon, Arinea Hermans, Sweeney MacArthur, Andrew McAllister, Clea McAffrey, Masini McDermott, Gray Monczka, Adam Sanders, Jan Alexandra Smith, Jenny Weisz 

And we thank the Grand Theatre staff teams who had already put such tremendous work toward the production of GROW. 

More About the Journey of GROW    

In October 2019, GROW had an unprecedented second workshop opportunity at the Canadian Music Theatre Project''s (CMTP) Festival of New Musicals. Talented graduating students from the celebrated Sheridan College Musical Theatre Program rehearsed with me (Dennis) and our writers for 3 weeks and presented 45 minutes of the production to packed houses at Sheridan College and the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto. As many of you know, the CMTP was the launching pad for that little global sensation we know as COME FROM AWAY.

(pictured above are the Sheridan College students performing GROW at CMTP - photo credit John Jones)  

Soon after, we heard the incredible news that GROW had been selected as one of three new musicals to be showcased at the prestigious Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals in East Haddam Connecticut. Goodspeed was also part of the pathway for COME FROM AWAY and many other incredible musicals that have moved to Broadway and other stages across North America. Like the CMTP, student actors from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee worked with me and our creative team to present a sold out presentation of GROW to an audience filled with theatre producers, creative directors and passionate theatre goers in January.

(pictured above are the students from Goodspeed Festival presentation of GROW) 

Needless to say, we were charting a strong course for this wonderful, touching, and funny musical.  

Well, the course may be different from what we had planned but we''re theatre folk - strong, resilient, visionary and flexible!! We may not have any definitive news on the future of GROW to share with you right now, but rest assured, there will be a future. Not unlike COME FROM AWAY, the message of hope, community and the unbreakable bond of family is what we all need now and in the future.  

Our composer Colleen Dauncey recorded a video of her performing one of the new songs from GROW, "The One I Choose". The video has been shared on several platforms in Canada and abroad. It is stunning. Have a listen -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQLA4soFTXI   

You should also know that the writers have also launched an initiative for the public to be part of a music video for the title song, "Grow". If you or someone you know wants to be a part of this video, all the information is here https://colleenandakiva.com/grow-music-video-submissions/. We can''t wait to share the finished video with all of you.  

Michael Rubinoff, the creative producer behind COME FROM AWAY and GROW, asked us to share this message with you: "I was really boosted by a feature in the New York Times last weekend titled, ''In Ohio, the Amish Take On the Coronavirus'' https://nyti.ms/34nFnVr . I encourage your wonderful patrons to read it as it embodies the spirit of our show, the message of community. A message that is so important now."

And so - we again wish good health for you all. We look forward to a time when we can again safely gather, celebrate and enjoy the magic of live theatre and say to you all in person "Happy Opening!"

Dennis and Deb

Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum is excited to share the Grand Theatre''s upcoming season and calls it "a highly-eclectic and energetic journey to unexpected and unexplored territory. The Grand will be in ten different venues across the country. You will see us in places you would never expect-from a circus tent, to a coffee shop, from intimate studio theatres, to the largest national stages-it is a season of bold and exciting theatre that we are proud to present." Highlights of the season include... The High School Project stages BARNUM in a circus tent at the WESTERN FAIR during the fair!  Neptune Theatre's EAST COAST KITCHEN PARTY kicks us off in October with a party every night in our newly renovated lobby spaces.  The beloved classic ANNIE at holiday time!  From the creator of HAMILTON, we bring you IN THE HEIGHTS!  Shaw Festival's CYRANO DE BERGERAC tours to the Grand in February.  And back by popular demand for a limited run - CABARET - the record-setting production that is set to tour the country in 2020/21. Click here to see full season line-up.

Subscribers get first access to preferred seating with the best pricing and complete flexibility to change your performance date to suit your schedules.  Subscribers to our Full 9 Packages will have first access to see Gavin Crawford's What's up Dad? And Other Dangerous Questions .. a new comedy being workshopped at the Grand as part of the COMPASS New Play Development Program. This very limited run of 5 performances will take place on our Auburn Stage in late October.  Subscriptions for Full 9, Spriet 6, and Flex 6 packages are on sale now at grandtheatre.com, by phone at 519.672.8800, or at the Box Office, 471 Richmond Street.

Intermission Dishin'' Part 3: Behind The Walls

Join us for the Grand''s Un-Opening Night Celebration!

FREE !!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22? ? 7-8 PM

An hour of inspiring and entertaining performances,
?a RENO2020 Sneak Peek,
& other special surprises!

Special Performances by:

Important Announcement

As a precautionary measure in response to the spread of COVID-19, and to ensure the health and safety of our patrons, artists, staff, and volunteers, the Grand Theatre is suspending its productions, events and rentals to the end of the season effective immediately:

• ROOM is closed effective immediately.
• GROW will not be presented this season.
• The 100 Schools Tour will have its final two school performances today (March 13) and will not tour after March Break. Additionally, JUNO''S REWARD will not be presented during March Break in the McManus.
• The April 2 Jeans 'n Classics show will be cancelled
• City Symposium scheduled for March 31 will not take place at the Grand Theatre.

At this time, ticketholders for all Grand Theatre productions can contact our Box Office at 519.672.8800 with the following options:

1. As a not-for-profit theatre, we ask for your support during this time of crisis and that you consider donating the value of your ticket(s) back to the theatre for a charitable donation receipt.

2. You may apply a credit to your account at the theatre.

3. You may request a refund for the value of your tickets that you purchased by subscription or by single ticket.

Ticketholders for other affected events will be contacted directly with updates about their scheduled performances as updates are available, and we ask for your patience as we work through affected events by date.

We ask for patience and cooperation as our team works to address all affected aspects of our programming. Higher than usual wait times should be anticipated when contacting our Box Office as they handle an enormous number of requests in the coming days - but we are confident that our fantastic team will have folks re-booked as quickly as possible.

We are devastated to say an early farewell to ROOM and the other brilliant artists affected with GROW, JUNO'S REWARD and Jeans 'n Classics, but we feel a responsibility to do our part to protect the health and safety of our community.

A Grand Theatre Update - April 9, 2020

Hello everyone - our continued best wishes to you and your families, friends, colleagues and neighbours for safe and healthy days. (This photo above was taken some time ago .. like all of you, we are both ensuring that we follow the guidelines re: physical distancing.)

We want to thank all of you who have reached out with lovely messages of support for the tough but necessary decisions we have had to make over the past few weeks. We also want to acknowledge with gratitude, your messages of support to our staff teams, our production crews and the actors and guest artists who we consider to be a part of our Grand family - along with you!

Many of you are asking about plans for the coming season. We are busy working on a number of different scenarios for 2020/21 but ask for your patience until we have a better sense and can predict with a greater degree of certainty, what the big picture may look like come the Fall.

Our Box Office team is working from their home desks and reaching out to those who have not yet called or emailed about their tickets for shows that were cancelled this past season (ROOM, GROW, Jeans 'n Classics). We have been overwhelmed at the generous support so many of you have shown by donating the value of your tickets back to the theatre and we thank all of you for your understanding. Anyone who has not yet made arrangements for donation, credit or refund can email boxoffice@grandtheatre.com or call 519-672-8800 Monday to Friday from 9-5. A reminder that our Box Office staff will be off tomorrow for Good Friday.

Pre COVID-19, this past week and throughout this coming weekend, we would have been heading in to "Tech Week/Weekend" for our last production of the season - GROW. This is typically the time that the actors 'hit the deck' for the very first time, the full creative team - designers, director, choreographer, musical director -  dive deep into seeing their visions come to life. The stage crew is finished loading in the set built by our carpenters and painters, lights are hung, props and wardrobe are completing their work - we are all moving one step closer to opening night.

Rehearsals during Tech Week involve the whole team - of course, the actors and musicians rehearse but we also rehearse critical elements like lighting cues, sound cues, quick changes, scene changes and functionalities of things like props and wardrobe elements. At the centre of that work is the stage management team who have been tracking all the elements through rehearsal and use Tech Week to bring it all together in order to "call" the show you will see every night. When you see a production from your seat in the audience, what you don't see is another full production taking place backstage, up in the fly system, in the sound and lighting booths and around the dressing rooms. 

There are so many 'stories of good' taking place across our city, province and country. We wanted to highlight a few GRAND GESTURES from our Props and Wardrobe Teams:

Elaine Ball (Wardrobe) and Natalie Kearns (Props) are volunteering with the London/Middlesex branch of Canada Sews making masks and scrub caps being distributed to hospitals and facilities in London, Elgin-Middlesex and St. Thomas as well as to assessment centres and folks working with vulnerable populations. The group makes masks, caps, some headbands and some gowns.

Our Head of Wardrobe, Lisa Wright, her partner Pete and their son Matheo have also been hard at work in the mask masking department supplying friends, family and neighbours with masks. 

Kathryn Sherwin (Wardrobe) is using her talents to support an organization called The Sewing Army. Kathryn is a proud aunt to a newly hired RN at St. Joseph''s Health Care London and sums it up best for all of when she says "I just wanted to help and feel of some use" during this period of shutdown at the theatre.

These are just a few of the countless ''stories of good'' we see and hear about every day that involve our staff, volunteers, community partners and others. We tip our hats to all of you as we wish you all a Happy Passover and Easter.

Stay safe, stay healthy - and always remember: come what may . the sun WILL come out tomorrow!

Deb and Dennis

GIVING TUESDAY IN SUPPORT OF THE ACTORS'' FUND OF CANADA (AFCHELPS.CA)

Hello Friends! 

Last Friday would have been another milestone for the Grand - closing weekend for GROW and the official end to our 2019/20 season. On our social media channels we used #FlashbackFriday to highlight the extraordinary season-ending productions that have graced the Spriet and McManus stages these past few years. 

Remember when we disco''d in the aisles during Mamma Mia!? When we experienced the immersive and daring Cabaret? When we felt the breeze of the actors running past us in Chariots of Fire or when we went back in time, put on our saddles shoes and poodle skirts and rocked out with The Buddy Holly Story? So many amazing memories!

The combined talents of actors, designers, directors, musicians, backstage crews, wardrobe and props, set building, carpentry and painting bring these and other productions to life. These talented people have been amongst the hardest hit in our industry. 

GIVING TUESDAY has been promoted as an international day of giving that has traditionally taken place in late November. The global not-for-profit and charitable communities have designated today - Tuesday, May 5 - as GIVING TUESDAY for 2020 in response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, May 5 - GIVING TUESDAY - we are asking those who are able to please give to the Actors'' Fund of Canada -  now known as AFC. 

Our request to you to support AFC this GIVING TUESDAY does not mean we do not need your support now or that will not seek your support in the future. We just know that this organization - that is truly the lifeline to those that work in our sector - needs our collective support now more than ever before.  

AFC supports ALL entertainment industry professionals - those on the stage, in the pit, production teams, those backstage and those who work in an administrative or a support role.

If you are able to give, please do so directly through this link AFC Emergency Financial Assistance Program.

In an email from the AFC received last Friday the following information was highlighted:

"The support we receive is going directly to the industry members impacted by COVID-19. We have received over 600 applications for emergency financial aid just in the past month. This is 3 times more than the number of applications we typically receive in a year. Over $460,000 has been sent to support entertainment professionals and their families in the last month and that total increases by tens of thousands of dollars daily." - David Hope (Executive Director of AFC)

You can read more about the good work of the AFC at AFChelps.ca

When we announced the closure of the season at the Grand including the final two productions on the Spriet Stage and the last Jeans ''n Classics concert, we were deeply touched at the messages of support and the value of tickets donated back to the theatre. 

As a not-for-profit theatre, the Grand relies on your donations and sponsorships from community and corporate partners as a significant part of its annual budget. We could not do what we do without you, now .. or in the future.

We are also very proud of the fact that as a not-for-profit, we support many other community-based charities each year with ticket donations for auctions, raffles that in turn raise necessary funds for those organizations. Annually, we donate an average of $50,000 in ticket value to 300+ local charities. Additionally, the past three years, you have joined with us to support the London Food Bank during the holidays and have helped us raise over $290,000 to feed London families, seniors and youth.

All this to say, we are LONDON PROUD in the many ways we collectively step up to support our community and proud that so many of you choose to give back to the Grand and many other organizations in our city, province and country.

The arts and culture industry was among the first to be impacted by COVID-19 and the nature of what we do means we will likely be one of the last to be returning to full operation when it is safe to do so. The artists, craftspeople, designers and theatre employees need our help right now.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support and for being an important part of our Grand family. 

With gratitude,

Dennis & Deb

A GRAND INTERMISSION

RENO 2020: PACKING UP & PREPPING!

The Spriet & McManus stages may be ''dark''  when it comes to performances but there is a flurry of activity throughout the building as we start Phase 1 of RENO 2020 - packing up & prepping!

RENO 2020 will not only impact the lobby spaces but we will also see a much needed wardrobe expansion, props reno and move/modernization of the box office. 

It was so great to welcome some of our amazing team members back into the building over the past week. Together they faced rooms, shelves and cupboards full of props, fabric, accessories, wigs, hats, glasses, tablecloths, tickets and posters! While we may not have been able to see their smiles directly through their masks, their smiling eyes let us know how happy they were to be back at the Grand!

Check out the pictures below from Props, Wardrobe, as well as Box Office, bars and lobbies! 

Stay tuned in coming weeks for Roof Renos & updates on the pack-up of the ROOM set!