The Ross Petty Panto is back thanks to Canadian Stage!
Casting announced for the next hilarious chapter of Ross Petty’s holiday iconic Panto
TORONTO, November 25, 2024 – With the holiday season already underway, Canadian Stage is thrilled to unveil complete casting and creative team details for the next chapter of Ross Petty’s beloved cheeky holiday Panto – THE WIZARD OF OZ: THE TOTO-LY AWESOME FAMILY MUSICAL. The Panto returns to the historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre from December 6th to January 5th, with Petty now serving as Executive Producer Emeritus.
Canadian Stage proudly steps up
Taking up the mantle of this iconic 25-year tradition, Canadian Stage has proudly stepped up to lead the next chapter of larger-than-life holiday pantomimes with an all-out irreverent twist on the timeless tale of The Wizard of Oz. Audiences of all ages will join Dorothy and her friends on a hilarious romp through the fantastical landscapes of TorOZto.
Very silly parodies of hit songs
Along the way, audiences will see fantastical sets, spectacular costumes, and enjoy some very silly parodies of hit songs by Beyonce, Billie Eilish and more! Get ready to cheer on Team Dorothy as Plumbum, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow help to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West (End) and find their way to the CN Power to discover the identity of the Wizard of TorOzto! Hint: she loves a bike lane!
Casting for Wizard of Oz Panto at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre
A mainstay of the Panto and the Stratford Festival, Dan Chameroy returns to play his beloved character Plumbum alongside another Panto favourite, Eddie Glen, as The Scarecrow, and multi-Dora winner Vanessa Sears as the Wicked Witch of the West. Julio Pulo steps into Dorothy’s Ruby Blundstones after her star turn as Anne Boleyn in the Toronto production of Six. Chameroy, Glen, and Sears are joined by an eclectic cast of musical talents including Saphire Demitro, Jordan Bell, Andrew Broderick, Jonathan Cullen, Sierra Holder, and Kirstyn Russelle. Coal Mine Theatre co-founder and another long-time member of the Panto family, Ted Dysktra, directs and the script comes from six-time Panto scribe Matt Murray.
“The Panto has been a beloved Toronto holiday tradition for over 25 years and while Ross was ready to retire from producing, audiences were definitely not ready to let the Panto retire,” comments Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy. “The holiday season is all about spending time with family and friends and the Panto is a show that you can bring everyone from your kids to your grandparents to – it is truly an experience that is great fun for everyone and a joy to share in with loved ones. As the producers of Dream in High Park for over 40 years – a similarly family-friendly theatrical tradition – the Panto is a perfect addition to Canadian Stage’s annual programming.”
About THE WIZARD OF OZ: A TOTO-LY AWESOME FAMILY MUSICAL
A Canadian Stage production in association with the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres
December 6 – January 5 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre
Executive Producer Emeritus Ross Petty
Wriiten by Matt Murray
Directed by Ted Dykstra
Featuring
Dorothy Julia Pulo
Lion Saphire Demitro
Scarecrow Eddie Glen
Tin Man Jonathan Cullen
Witch Vanessa Sears
Plumbum Dan Chameroy
Ensemble 1/Tin Man Understudy Andrew Broderick
Ensemble 2/Witch & Lion Understudy Kirstyn Russelle
Ensemble 3/Dorothy Understudy Sierra Holder
Ensemble 4/Scarecrow & Plumbum Understudy Jordan Bell
Set Design Michael Gianfrancesco
Costume Design Ming Wong
Lighting Design Bonnie Beecher
Sound Design Brian Kenny
Projection Designer Cameron Fraser
Choreographer Jennifer Mote
Stage Manager Loralie Pollard
Ross Petty Productions – A brief history
Ross Petty first launched the Toronto Panto in 1996 with a production of Robin Hood in which he starred alongside his wife, the illustrious global ballet star Karen Kain. Petty produced the raucously over-the-top show every year following – even offering virtual editions in 2020 and 2021 – turning it into a must-see Toronto holiday season tradition in the years to come. The Panto as produced by Ross Petty Productions returned live in 2022 with Peter Pan: The Final Flight and now the campy Panto baton has been passed to Canadian Stage to continue, as a new annual feature of their seasons.
Joining Dykstra on the OZ creative team are Music Director Mark Camilleri, Set Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Costume Designer Ming Wong, Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher, Sound Designer Brian Kenny, Projection Designer Cameron Fraser, andChoreographer Jennifer Mote.
THE WIZARD OF OZ: THE TOTO-LY AWESOME FAMILY MUSICAL is on stage at the historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre December 6th – January 5th with tickets beginning at $64. For tickets and additional information visit canadianstage.com.
Brief note about Canadian Stage Company
Canadian Stage, one of the country’s leading not-for-profit theatres, has been home to thousands of brilliant theatre-makers and has nurtured generations of theatre enthusiasts over the decades.
Operating year-round across four venues, Canadian Stage develops and produces a global repertoire of contemporary and classical work of the highest artistic standard, alongside essential new work and artist development and community programs. Reflecting and resonating with the multicultural tapestry of Toronto and Canada, Canadian Stage strives to meaningfully contribute to Toronto’s limitless potential by propelling and connecting a diverse array of brilliant theatre-makers with growing audiences in one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
Incorporated in 1987 as a merger between boundary-pushing Toronto Free Theatre (Berkeley Street Theatres and High Park Amphitheatre) and CentreStage Theatre (St. Lawrence Centre For the Arts), its artistic lineage dates back to Dora Mavor Moore and Toronto’s first professional theatre company in the 1940s. In this extraordinary history, Canadian Stage has employed tens of thousands of artists and developed and produced many hundreds of new productions. Many of the plays developed by Canadian Stage have been awarded and nominated for Canada’s most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including Governor General’s, Chalmers, and Dora Mavor Moore Awards.
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