Lady Luck has Rolled into Stratford - GUYS AND DOLLS Hits the Stratford Festival Stage

If you’re looking for a dazzling night out filled with big laughs, unforgettable songs, and show‑stopping dance numbers, then you’ll want to roll the dice on GUYS AND DOLLS, now on stage at the Stratford Festival for the 2026 season.

This classic Broadway musical has been reimagined with Stratford’s signature flair and trust me, it’s the kind of production that will have you humming "Luck Be a Lady" and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” all the way home.

Just like last year's production of ANNIE, this show delivers that perfect mix of nostalgia, spectacle, and heart.

🎭 What Guys & Dolls Is All About

Set in a vibrant, stylized version of 1950s New York City, Guys & Dolls follows a colourful cast of gamblers, dreamers, and romantics including:

• Sky Masterson, the smooth‑talking high‑roller

• Sarah Brown, the earnest mission worker determined to save souls

• Nathan Detroit, the lovable schemer trying to keep his floating craps game afloat

• Miss Adelaide, the showgirl with a heart of gold (and a fiancé who’s been “engaged” to her for 14 years!)

It’s a story packed with charm, comedy, and iconic musical numbers all wrapped in themes of love, loyalty, and taking chances.

Amid the bright lights and hustle of Manhattan’s underground gambling scene, a smooth-talking gambler wagers he can charm a pious missionary, while another risks everything to keep his floating craps game alive and his fiancée from walking away. In a world where luck can turn on a dime, love proves the ultimate gamble, and the stakes are far greater than anyone imagined.

 

🌟 What Makes the Stratford Festival Production Special

The Stratford Festival is known for taking beloved classics and giving them new life, and this production is no exception. Expect:

• 🎶 A full orchestra bringing the golden‑age Broadway score to life

• 💃 High‑energy choreography that fills the stage with movement. We flipped over the back flips and high kicks!

• 🎨 Gorgeous costumes and sets that transport you straight into a vintage NYC postcard

• 🎭 A powerhouse cast featuring Festival favourites and exciting new talent

• ❤️ A focus on the show’s timeless themes of community, connection, and second chances

This is the kind of musical that appeals to longtime theatre lovers and newcomers, making it a great pick for a PARENTS NIGHT OUT, or a special outing with older kids and teens who love theatre.

📍 Where & When

Venue: Festival Theatre, Stratford Ontario Season: Now playing as part of the Stratford Festival’s 2026 lineup Tickets: To purchase tickets, contact the Stratford Festival Box Office: Toll-Free 1.800.567.1600 or visit

stratfordfestival.ca

Stratford is just a short drive from Kitchener‑Waterloo, making it an easy summer outing

🎲 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a longtime fan of GUYS AND DOLLS or discovering it for the first time, this Stratford Festival production is a joyful, high‑energy experience that’s well worth the trip.

So grab your tickets, gather your favourite people, and get ready for a night of music, laughter, and classic Broadway magic.

Leaping Lizards! Annie is on stage at the Stratford Festival

 

🎶 "The sun’ll come out… tomorrow!" 🎶

That catchy tune is your first clue that Annie is back on stage, and it’s bringing all the heart, hope, and hilarity you'd expect from this timeless classic!

The always hopeful Annie has one goal—finding the family she’s always dreamed of. But with Miss Hannigan running the orphanage like it’s a never-ending chore chart, Annie knows she’s got to make her own luck. Her journey takes her from scrubbing floors to the streets of New York, and just when it seems like things couldn’t get tougher—Leaping Lizards! Fate steps in, and Annie finds herself living the high life at billionaire Oliver Warbucks’ mansion.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a musical without a few twists and turns (and a little villainy from Miss Hannigan along the way), but one thing’s for sure: this spunky redhead is about to sing and dance her way into your heart.

Ever-optimistic Annie makes it her job to improve the lives of everyone around her – except maybe Miss Hannigan, who has made life a misery for all the little girls in her care at the New York Municipal Orphanage. Fed up and determined to find her parents, Annie makes a break for it one day and learns that even the outside world is tough. Dragged back home by police, she doesn’t have to wait long for her real break. Though it may not be the dream she pictured, a happy ending is in store.

🎭 This family-friendly production is now playing at the Stratford Festival Theatre in Stratford, Ontario, and it's the perfect way to introduce your kids to the magic of live theatre. Whether your kiddos already know the songs or it’s their first time meeting Sandy the dog, this show is full of laughs, lovable characters, and feel-good moments everyone will enjoy. It also included some familiar faces from last year's production of Something Rotten! as well as this year's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

💡 Annie has all the Broadway vibes and a powerful message about kindness, courage, and never giving up! Don’t miss your chance to see Annie—because summer is here and the sun really will come out tomorrow… and you’ll want to be there when it does!

Looking for a great way to celebrate the end of the school year? Then make your way down "EASY STREET" or as we call it, Highway 7 to see Annie at the Stratford Festival!

To purchase tickets, contact the Stratford Festival Box Office: Toll-Free 1.800.567.1600 or visit

stratfordfestival.ca

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Hits Stratford Festival and it is a Con Game You'll Love Watching Unfold

After last month's trip to Stratford Ontario, I was excited to head back to THE AVON THEATRE!

The Stratford Festival is serving up a "dirty" dose of mischief, deception, and comedy with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Avon Theatre. Whether you’re a musical fan or just looking for an night out, this show delivers laughs, toe-tapping tunes, and a story that keeps you guessing about who is the "most rotten of them all".

A con-game and tons wealthy targets at a high-end hotels may seem like the jackpot for the "scoundrel" teacher and his protege, but when egos run high, they decide they must compete to be the top-dog.

Lawrence Jameson is no stranger to the high life–he’s lived it for years by separating lonely rich ladies from their fortunes in a swanky Riviera town. When he and his chief competitor in the con business, Freddy Benson, make a bet to swindle an heiress out of $50,000, the professional scoundrels soon discover they may not always be the smartest people in the room. Inspired by the hit 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the musical comedy earned 11 Tony Award nominations for its hilarious hijinks and frivolity.

What Makes This Show A Must-See? 

🎤 The Music – Expect catchy tunes, slick lyrics, and numbers that keep the energy soaring. You’ll be humming the melodies long after you leave the theatre!

😂 The Laughs – This musical is stuffed with lots of physical comedy, quick wit, and unexpected twists that will keep you chuckling throughout.

🎭 The Performances – Stratford Festival never disappoints when it comes to the larger-than-life personalities of the con men to the powerhouse vocals of their unsuspecting “victims,” this cast brings the house down!

A Perfect Theatre Night for Parents & Teens!

If you’ve got older kids or teens who love a good laugh (or just need a break from their phones), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is an awesome way to introduce them to live theatre that’s fast-paced, witty, and downright fun.

Get Your Tickets

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is now playing!.

So, grab your tickets, sharpen your wit, and get ready for a night of clever deception, big laughs, and unforgettable performances at the Avon Theatre! 🎭

To purchase tickets contact the Stratford Festival Box Office: Toll-Free 1.800.567.1600 or visit

stratfordfestival.ca

Anne of Green Gables Opens at the Stratford Festival and You Will Want to See What She Does to Avonlea!

Today Anne of Green of Gables officially opened at the Stratford Festival and it was a wonderful experience for all that attended.  From the comically chaotic beginnings to the deeply emotional finale, this production of Anne of Green Gables captures the heart of Canada's favourite red-head.

Anne Shirley Enters the Chat!

Anne Shirley, quickly let everyone know that she loves to chat all day long.. As soon as Matthew meets Anne, she had the whole audience roaring with laughter. Anne, being as over-the-top as she can be, is there to steal each scene she is in and steal the hearts of the characters and theatre-goers as well.

Funny, Friendly, and Fierce—Anne is Everything!

We want to say that this family-friendly show is meant for all-ages. It includes life lessons for both young and old. Anne Shirley learns how to be a fiercely loyal friend, how to harness your imagination and how to appreciate your surroundings. She does so in such a funny way that she wins over the towns-people of Avonlea. 

Anne of Green Gables is everything—fun, heartwarming, hilarious, and deeply touching. Whether you’re introducing your little ones to Anne for the first time or reliving childhood memories, Stratford's Anne of Green Gables will make you so glad that you live in a world where there are Octobers.

When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables she’s a bit of a surprise to Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, the brother and sister who had planned to adopt a boy to help out around the farm. With her tenacious spirit and winning personality, Anne earns their love and respect. 

Gather all for a Great Deal on Anne of Green Gables Tickets!

So gather your kindred spirits and kin, and head to Stratford's own Avonlea at the Avon Theatre to see Anne of Green Gables!

Anne of Green Gables is playing from now until October 25th in Stratford Ontario at the Avon Theatre.

Kids tickets start as low as $15.50 when purchased with an Adult priced ticket. Learn more about this deal at 

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/WaystoSave/Deals/Kids-Tickets

To purchase tickets to Anne of Green Gables, contact the Stratford Festival Box Office: Toll-Free 1.800.567.1600 or visit

stratfordfestival.ca

Wendy and Peter Pan has its North American Premiere at the Stratford Festival

 

I attended the Opening of Wendy and Peter Pan at the Stratford Festival and have since come to know that it was also the North American Premiere of this production.  To celebrate we were welcomed to the red carpet and received a chocolate star as well.  The audience was filled with both families and theatre-goers for this special performance.

Most versions of the story of a boy that never grows up gives Peter Pan top billing, but in more recent years films have been based around Hook & Tinkerbell.  This performance puts Wendy at the forefront where she struggles to keep her family intact after a great loss. You see how she shifts between childhood, adolescence and sometimes adulthood with responsibilities that have been thrust upon her. In fact, many of the characters struggle with the idea of getting older and what that means.

Below is some Behind the Scenes Rehearsal Footage

Wendy and Peter Pan gives Wendy pride of place in a reimagined journey to Neverland, home of Hook and the Lost Boys. Join Wendy Darling, Peter Pan and all your favourite characters in this thoroughly modern adventure that delivers all the unforgettable thrills, spills and fairy dust of the beloved children’s classic.

Get Your Tickets for Wendy and Peter Pan

Wendy and Peter Pan is now playing at the Avon Theatre in Stratford Ontario until October 27th.  Tickets are available at 

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Wendy-and-Peter-Pan

or by calling Toll-free: 1 800 567 1600

For more information, visit these links

Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Wendy-and-Peter-Pan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stratfest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StratfordFestival

X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratford-festival

Something Rotten This Way Comes .... to Stratford's Festival Theatre

PARENTS' NIGHT OUT

Upon arriving at Stratford's Festival Theatre I knew right away there was something special about Something Rotten!  The entrance screens had images from the show and I was excited to enter the theatre.

Unlike La Cage aux Folles and the upcoming Wendy and Peter Pan, I knew very little about Something Rotten! other than that two brothers attempt to write a play that will rival the Renaissance Rockstar Himself, William Shakespeare.

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Truth be told, that is the best way to approach this show.  The less you know, the more surprised you will be. Your eyes will be glued to the stage to see if these woe-full brothers are able to pull off their big production and tarnish the shine of Shakespeare. Your ears will be listing for double entendres, sarcastic comments and snappy songs, and your nose will be ready to sniff out Something Rotten!

The Bottom brothers, two struggling playwrights in Renaissance London, need a hit. That’s easier said than done when your chief competition is local rockstar William Shakespeare.

Get Your Tickets for Something Rotten!

Something Rotten! is now playing at the Stratford Festival Theatre until October 27th.  Tickets are available at 

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Something-Rotten

or by calling Toll-free: 1 800 567 1600

For more information, visit these links

Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Something-Rotten

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stratfest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StratfordFestival

X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratford-festival

Stratford Festival's La Cage aux Folles Chooses Pride while Thwarting Prejudice

Downtown Stratford Ontario has come alive with the arrival of La Cage aux Folles at the Avon Theatre. The Stratford Festival has included all the glitz and glam you would expect from the production, but also brings a lot of emotion to the stage. This musical set in the 1970's still challenges the idea of love and acceptance in today's society. Within the building walls on stage of this show there is a nightclub with an adjoining apartment chocked full of comedic hijinks, choregraphed cabaret numbers and songs that range from delightful to devasting.

It tackles the themes of prejudice, mental health and self-worth. With the happiness of a young couple's life in the balance, you see how much the parents will endure to see it through. The range of emotions brought by Stratford Festival's La Cage aux Folles makes it a "must-see" musical.

Georges, the manager of a drag club in St. Tropez, decides to “play it straight” when his son arrives with his fiancé and her ultra-conservative parents. Albin, the club’s star performer and romantic partner to Georges, is dubious about the plan. The ensuing clash unravels truth and consequences with heartwarming grace.

Stratford Festival Celebrates Pride

From June 10 to 16 the Stratford Festival is celebrating Pride Week at The Meighen Forum. All Pride Week Events can be found on the The Meighen Forum calendar, but the week would not be complete with out a trip to see La Cage Aux Folles!

Get Your Tickets for La Cage aux Folles

La Cage aux Folles is now playing at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre until October 26th.  Tickets are available at 

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/La-Cage-aux-Folles

or by calling Toll-free: 1 800 567 1600

For more information, visit these links

Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/La-Cage-aux-Folles

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stratfest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StratfordFestival

X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest

LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stratford-festival

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Neverending Story at The Stratford Festival

Photo Provide By The Stratford Festival. Taken By Emily Cooper

Yesterday we were invited to attend the opening of THE NEVERENDING STORY at the Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre and it was fantastic experience from beginning to end.

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Spent the afternoon @stratfest for the #OpeningDay of #theneverendingstory ...... #sfneverendingstory #stratford #stratfordon #stratfordONT #KWAWESOME #wrawesome #watreg #ONstage #cdntheatre #THEATRE #DISCOVERON #explorecanada #travel

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The Neverending Story Will Light Up Your Senses

We were delighted to see The Neverending Story brought to life on stage at the Avon Theatre in nearby Stratford Ontario.  It will truly light up your senses in a way that makes you feel like you are part of tale found in the mysterious storybook.

The stage show is full of light displayed both by the backdrop but also as part of the props and accessories used by the actors that put on this magnificent play. It shone through puppets and showed the shooting stars of each story in the land of Fantastica.

While the light show is a significant part of the production, the use of music to transport the audience to the magical world is captivating as well.  In fact, the music of the trees was so beautiful that it enchanted a few characters as part of the show. JUNO award winner Hawksley Workman composed the music for the production and you can hear a sample from it in the video below.

As you can see this rendition of The Neverending Story is a feast for both the eyes and the ears.

Find Your Way to Fantastica on its 40^th Anniversary

While many are most familiar with The Neverending Story Movie, it first published as a novel 40 years ago. Since then it has become a story read and watched by families passing down the tale from generation to generation.  Now is the time to take your whole family to see Fantasica in The Neverending Story.

Presented as the 2019 Schulich Children’s Play, The Neverending Story follows 10-year-old Bastian, played by Jake Runeckles, who, in order to avoid school bullies, hides in a closet reading a strangely compelling book: the tale of a hero’s quest to save the realm of Fantastica from the encroaching terror of the Nothing. In a bid to save their dying ruler, the Childlike Empress, young warrior Atreyu, played by Qasim Khan, is chosen to find a cure for the Empress and destroy the Nothing, but ultimately finds that she can only be saved by an outsider. Bastian steps into the role of saviour in the story and discovers his own power in this magical world.

 

The Stratford Festival Theatre is less than an hour from Kitchener Waterloo by car, but don’t fret if you don’t have a vehicle.  They have introduced a round trip shuttle that picks up and drops off in front on Angie’s Kitchener on Erb St. in Waterloo.  The $19 price for the shuttle service is in addition to the price of the performance tickets.  For those a little further from the area there are also shuttles from Toronto and Vaughn ($29 for shuttle service from these areas). This makes it even easier to find your way to the land of Fantastica.  Get all the info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/busbooking

Grab Your Tickets Before They Are Gone

*PLEASE NOTE THIS PLAY CONTAINS FLASHING LIGHTS* We thought our readers should be aware for those families that have sensitivities to flashing lights.

Once the word gets out it may be difficult to get tickets, but right now there are several promotional prices available for this must see musical!

Save on performances from now until June 24 by visiting https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/spring

New for this year, the Stratford Festival Theatre has introduced the BRAVO ZONE with tickets for $41 which includes the fees!  Also be sure to check out their 2-for-1 Evenings deal that will happen all season long and we know our readers are often looking for deals on tickets for their kids.  Find the $18.50 kids promo info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/DiscountsAndDeals/Deals/Kids-Tickets

Don’t see a deal that best suits you yet? Then visit THE NEVERENDING STORY ticket page at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/The-Neverending-Story and under the SAVE ON YOUR TICKETS listing you can see all the ticket deals available in their drop down menu or by calling the box office toll free at 1-800-567-1600

Let The Neverending Story Carry On With These Extra Events Happening This Summer in Stratford

In addition to the stage play of The Neverending Story, the Stratford Festival has addition events happening around select performances starting this month.

The magic of The Neverending Story extends beyond the stage with several family events planned before and after selected performances. Kick off your adventure with a Hero’s Quest Lunch (July 7, July 27, August 18), a fantastical meal complete with puppet demonstrations, games and face painting, and The Neverending Story Workshop (June 23, July 13, July 21, August 23), a series of drama exercises inspired by the story. After the show, settle in for a Cushion Concert full of favourite songs and stories for the whole family (July 13, August 24, September 21).  

For more info about the Stratford Festival be sure to visit these links

Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StratfordFestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest

Instagram: https://instagram.com/stratfest

Let us know about the show! Are you going to see The Neverending Story at the Avon Theatre in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts were.  Leave a comment below!

Little Shop of Horrors Ensures That Stratford’s Avon Theatre is Full of Soul

Photo Provided By Stratford Festival. Taken By David Cooper

It’s been a busy week in nearby Stratford Ontario.  Earlier in the week we attended the opening night festivities for Billy Elliot at the Stratford Festival theatre, but we found out there was a “growing” buzz in Downtown about a larger than life show at the Stratford Avon Theatre.  The Opening Night of Little Shop of Horrors was one for the nostalgia books.  This musical brings you back to the 60s era and feeds your soul with that Motor City Sound.  The show opens outside the dilapidated Mushnik Flower Shop, a florist without a flourishing business. In fact, even the sign outside is in need of repair. 

There three singers sing the show’s theme that foreshadows the events soon to follow.  Inside the shop we find Mr. Mushnik awaiting the arrival of his staff member Audrey, who longs to live a domestic life in the suburbs and soon after Seymour, an orphan that Mushnik took in to help take care of the flower shop. Seymour has grown into a bumbling botanist and upon learning that the lack of sales is forcing the shutdown of the business, he and Audrey introduce a new plant to the store’s display window and it has an immediate impact.  Mushnik sees how the instant advertising ploy of a new plant species can make his sales sprout and insists that Seymour keep it alive at all costs.  This sets the stage for the flower store to become a Little Shop of Horrors.

While Seymour is busy bargaining with the plant to grow, a mishap with some pruning shears results in the discovery that the plant has a taste for human blood.  Seymour begins secretly providing the plant with his blood and as the plant grows bigger and stronger so does Seymour’s popularity and financial stability.  This makes Mushik’s sales peak and Audrey’s interest in Seymour begins to peak as well.  When he can no longer provide the plant the quantities it requires Seymour is forced to do some soul searching.  

He can either let the plant die and take with it his recent success or keep himself in demand with both Mushnik and Audrey by selling his soul to the plant.

This musical has notes of horror, hilarity and heart-warming scenes that brings the audience back to the soul decade.  I even did my best to dress the part.

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#ootd #polkadotdress for @strartfest #LittleShopOfHorrors in #stratford .... #stratfest #sfLittleShop #musical #theatre #cdntheatre #ONstage #kwawesome #wrawesome #watreg #travel #discoverON #explorecanada #Perthcounty #musicaltheatre #selfie #friyay #tgif #weekend #weekendvibes

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The show keeps everyone eagerly awaiting to see if the plant is to become a growing concern to those involved.

We think Little Shop of Horrors at the Stratford Avon Theatre would make a wonderful PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT.

We also think that families will enjoy the ridiculousness of the blood thirsty plant.  For us it conjured up memories of the Muppets when Big Mean Carl who would devour the other characters in the show or really anything that was within his grasp.  If your kids love those scenes then chances are, they will love this too!

Find Your Way to the Stratford Festival

The Stratford Festival Theatre is less than an hour from Kitchener Waterloo by car, but don’t fret if you don’t have a vehicle.  They have introduced a round trip shuttle that picks up and drops off in front on Angie’s Kitchener on Erb St. in Waterloo.  The $19 price for the shuttle service is in addition to the price of the performance tickets.  For those a little further from the area there are also shuttles from Toronto and Vaughn ($29 for shuttle service from these areas).  Get all the info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/whatson/busbooking

Grab Your Tickets Before They Are Gone

Once the word gets out it may be difficult to get tickets, but right now there are several promotional prices available for this must see musical!

Save on performances from now until June 24 by visiting https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/spring

New for this year, the Stratford Festival Theatre has introduced the BRAVO ZONE with tickets for $41 which includes the fees!  Also be sure to check out their 2-for-1 Evenings deal that will happen all season long and we know our readers are often looking for deals on tickets for their kids.  Find the $18.50 kids promo info at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/DiscountsAndDeals/Deals/Kids-Tickets

Don’t see a deal that best suits you yet? Then visit the Little Shop of Horrors ticket page at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Little-Shop-of-Horrors/BuyTickets and under the SAVE ON YOUR TICKETS listing you can see all the ticket deals available in their drop down menu or by calling the box office toll free at 1-800-567-1600

For more info about the Stratford Festival be sure to visit these links

Website: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StratfordFestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfest

Instagram: https://instagram.com/stratfest

Let us know about the show! Are you going to see Little Shop of Horrors at the Avon Theatre in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts were.  Leave a comment below!