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!

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Big Music Fest Travel Information

 

What You Need To Know When Travelling To BIG MUSIC FEST

Since we made the BIG announcement about BIG MUSIC FEST, we have been pleased with the response from those in the Kitchener Waterloo area and our friends outside of KW.

@those2girls hey @Inspirehamilton & I secured VIP tix to @bigmusicfest for @soundgarden @ExtremeBand @Monster_Truck_ !!

— Brent Kinnaird (@brentkinnaird) February 12, 2015

Since then we have been busy sharing links and info on facebook about this year's event.

and of course we're sharing the info from the @Those2Girls twitter handle too!

Now that the weather has turned to warmer temps it's time to get ready for the concert and Big Music Fest is providing information for those travelling to Kitchener for the performances.  Here is their latest press release.

 

 

SUMMER KICKS OFF IN KITCHENER WITH BIG MUSIC FEST 2015

- TRAVEL PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUT OF TOWN ATTENDEES -

TORONTO, ON - (April 30, 2015) - Big Music Fest 2015 is back this summer for seven days of music, entertainment and outdoor fun. Featuring two walls of sound on July 11th and 12th at McLennan Park in Kitchener - with Soundgarden and Jane's Addiction headlining Saturday's rock-filled lineup and Rod Stewart and Blondie anchoring Sunday's legends schedule - plus multiple events throughout the week, the festival offers one of the biggest summer experiences for everyone. For visitors outside of the city, Big Music Fest has partnered with Great Canadian Holidays to offer attendees an exclusive travel package. The trip bundle includes tickets to Sunday's performances, return transportation to Kitchener from Toronto on a luxury motor coach, as well as one-night accommodations at Radisson Hotel complete with continental breakfast. Don't miss this opportunity to experience one of the biggest summer festivals in the heart of Kitchener. To take advantage of the limited travel package and to purchase tickets for Big Music Fest, visit: www.bigmusicfest.com/tickets-and-wristbands/. Big Music Fest Schedule: Monday, July 6: Family Day Tuesday, July 7: Food Fest Wednesday, July 8: Breaking Films Thursday, July 9: Breaking Zombies Friday, July 10: Breaking Bands ft. free concert by Big Sugar Saturday, July 11: Soundgarden - Jane's Addiction - Monster Truck - Extreme - The Glorious Sons - The Mohrs Sunday, July 12: Rod Stewart - Blondie - Matthew Curry - Mark Ballas - The Modern Hearts

 

 

 

 

Still Need More Info About Big Music Fest? Then be sure to visit Website: http://bigmusicfest.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigmusicfest Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigMusicFest   Looking forward to the show? Let us know in the comments what you are most excited for!