The Winter’s Tale Project

BOOK: BRIDGET RYAN

MUSIC and LYRICS: CHRIS WYNTERS

AUDIO SAMPLES from Edmonton Production in 2004
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EDMONTON PROFESSIONAL COOP PRODUCTION:

February 27- March 7, 2004
Producing Company: To The Moon and Back Productions
La Cité Francophone, Edmonton
Director: Bridget Ryan
Musical Directors: Chris Wynters/Jason Kodie

ELIZIBETH STERLING HAYNES AWARDS FOR:
Best Production of a Musical
Best Independent Production
Best Score
Best Musical Direction

AUDIO SAMPLES

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CAST:

Autolycus: Jeremy Baumung
Leontes: Christian Goutsis
Hermione: Pamela Gordon
Polixenes: Christian Mena
Paulina: Jocelyn Ahlf
Camillo: Sheldon Elter
Antigonus: i Jordon Thompson
Mamillius/Perdita: Ange Pagano
Cleo/Florizel: David Cormican
Dion/Clown: Jason Zinger
Shepherd: Tom Edwards
Mopsa: Sarah Wheeldon
Dorcas: Janel Snider
Maria: Ashlie White
Mouse: Nicole Wassil

FringeNYC PRODUCTION:

August 12-18, 2007
Producing Company: Orange Bus Productions
Theatre: The Village Theatre, New York
Director: Bridget Ryan
Musical Director: Chris Wynters

CAST:

Autolycus: Farren Timoteo
Leontes: Kevin Michael Johnson
Hermione: Emily Mattheson
Polixenes: Lou Steele
Paulina: Dot Portella
Camillo: Sheldon Elter
Antigonus: Tim Realbuto
Perdita: Haley Petersen
Florizel: Ryan Reid
Cleo: Nate Aylworth
Dion: Michael Santora
Shepherd: John Anthony Lopez
Clown: David Demato
Mopsa: Celina Stachow
Dorcas: Leah Joseph
Mamillius/Ensemble: Hallie York
Maria/Ensemble: Amber Bissonnette
Ensemble: Candace LaRicci, Caitlyn Pickering, Lauren Possee

ORIGINAL MACEWAN COLLEGE PRODUCTION:

April 2 – 6, 2003
Producing Company: MacEwan Theatre Arts
Theatre: Theatre Lab, MacEwan College, Edmonton
Director: Bridget Ryan
Musical Director: Dana Wylie

CAST:

Autolycus: Jeremy Baumung
Leontes: Corey Vanderjagt
Hermione: Sarah Wheeldon
Polixenes: Andrew MacDonald-Smith
Paulina: Bianca Christou-Roberts
Camillo: Peter Bass
Antigonus/Clown: Jason Zinger
Mamillius: Emily Burden
Florizel: Steven Greenfield
Perdita: Katie Lovell
Cleo: Mike Boyko
Dion: Adam Teece
Shepherd: Farren Timoteo
Mopsa: Jessica Hoffstetter
Dorcas: Janel Snider
Maria: Melissa Cabral
Cameron: Ricky Lam
Ruth: Lindsay Nelson
Beth: Serene Clark
Rachel: Morgan Kunitz
Mouse: Jessica Wampler

HISTORY:

Chris Wynters and Bridget Ryan were approached to write The Winter’s Tale Project in 2002. They loved musicals. Both had written a musical or two on their own at the point in their careers. The opportunity was an exciting venture, so they both agreed. They were commissioned by MacEwan College’s Theatre Arts Department to adapt this Shakespeare classic into a 22 person rock and roll show. They spend the entire winter season in Edmonton working on the appropriately named ‘Winter’s Tale’. Many read thru’s with Chris, Bridget and her husband Dave playing multiple characters later, the show neared completion. In April 2003, The Winter’s Tale Project opened for a sold out 6 day run as the final mainstage production in MacEwan’s Theatre Arts Season.

In the fall of 2003, Bridget and Chris met on a blustering fall day and decided to remount the production as an Equity Co-op, using half of the students that were in the production and half seasoned Equity professionals. On Febrauary 4 2004, The Winter’s Tale Project opened for a 10 day run at La Cite Francophone. A full cast recording was made during the run, and the script was then presented to a few colleges. Currently Red Deer College in Alberta has slated The Winter’s Tale Project for it’s 2007/2008 Season.

The co-op production garnered 4 Sterling Award Nominations and went on to win in all four categories including Best Musical Production, Best New Score and Best Independent Production.

In 2007, The Winter’s Tale Project was presented at FringeNYC at the Village Theatre on Bleecker Street in New York, where it became one of the hits of the festival. One reviewer from the New York Observer compared “Mr. Wynters’ driving score” to that of Duncan Sheik’s hugely successful, Spring Awakening, saying that it ”singles him out as a confident new voice in musical theater.” (Full Article) In April of 2008, the Theatre Department at Red Deer College staged a spectacular production of the show.