There and Back Again: The Hobbit Arrives at Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre

 

If you’ve been following our adventures over the years, you already know that Stratford Festival has a magical way of turning beloved stories into unforgettable stage experiences. From the mystery-filled quest of The Neverending Story to the curiosity and charm of Anne of Green Gables, Stratford has consistently delivered productions that whisk families away into worlds full of wonder.

Now, Stratford Festival is ready to take you on another epic journey. A journey filled with dwarves, dragons, wizards, goblins, elves, and of course, one very reluctant hero.

Welcome to Middle-earth,

A Cozy Hobbit Hole… and a Call to Adventure

Playing at the Avon Theatre from now to October 23, The Hobbit stays true to J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic tale, and trust me, this production is packed with everything you’d hope for: ✨ Trolls ✨ Treasure ✨ Magic ✨ Exciting battles ✨ A mysterious ring ✨ And a dragon who’s definitely not interested in sharing

Bilbo Baggins (played by Richard Lee) begins his story in the most comfortable place imaginable, his cozy Hobbit Hole. When a band of determined Dwarves and the legendary wizard Gandalf (played by Tim Campbell) show up at his door, Bilbo is swept into a quest across Middle-earth to reclaim the Dwarves’ treasure under the Lonely Mountain.

Along the way, Bilbo discovers that he is braver than he thought he was.

A Cast Worthy of Middle-earth

This production is adapted by Kim Selody and directed by Pablo Felices-Luna, bringing together a powerhouse creative team and a cast that transforms the Avon Theatre stage into a living, breathing fantasy realm.

You’ll meet:

• Thorin Oakenshield (Aaron Krohn)

• Gollum (Michael Man)

• A full company of Elves, Goblins, Trolls, Spiders, Eagles often played by actors switching roles

Note that there will be moments of darkness and flashing lights.

Why Families Will Love It

If your family enjoyed:

• the mystery adventure of The Neverending Story

• the imaginative curiosity of Anne of Green Gables

…then you’ll be absolutely enchanted by The Hobbit.

Just like those productions, The Hobbit blends:

• fantasy

• heart

• humour

• and a hero’s journey

It’s the kind of story that sparks imagination, encourages bravery, and reminds us that even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

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. You can see why we keep traveling back to Stratford.

Strife, Strike and Sensation are the themes of Stratford Festival’s Billy Elliot

Photo Provided By Stratford Festival. Taken By Cylla von Tiedemann

Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend the Opening Night of Billy Elliot the Musical at the Stratford Festival Theatre in nearby Stratford Ontario.

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Arrived @stratfest for tonight's opening of #billyelliot #stratfest #sfbillyelliot #Perthcounty #stratford #stratfordon #ONstage #cdntheatre #discoverON #explorecanada #traveltuesday #theatre

A post shared by Diane Morgan & Lisa McDonald (@those2girls) on May 28, 2019 at 3:41pm PDT

This musical production brought about a range of emotion from beginning to end.  It was much more than show about a boy wanting to study ballet. Instead it was representation of the social dynamics of the mid 80s within a mining town.  It reflected the era with interactions between angry workers and authorities, Fathers and Sons and how bucking the social norms can result in conflict and consequences.

Billy Elliot the Musical opens with the local miners on the cusp of strike.  They are awaiting word from their union and are determined to have their wages increased.  Being that the majority of the townspeople work for the coal mining company the outcome will have an economic on the whole area.

Soon after the strike becomes official we are introduced to Billy Elliot and his family which consists of Billy’s Father who is trying to take care of the household while attending to his duties as part of the union picket line, Billy’s older Brother who is also a coal miner on strike and Billy’s Grandmother who shows signs of the onset of dementia.  Because there is really no one able to keep watch of Billy he is sent the community centre for boxing lessons and this is where story really takes off.

From boxing to ballet with the addition of tap, jazz and hip hop thrown in the mix, we see the characters perform a range of emotions through both sensational song and dance.  As the show goes on each character evolves in skills and self-awareness.

We believe the Stratford Festival’s Billy Elliot would make a fantastic PARENTS NIGHT OUT.

We also think families that are wanting learn more about inclusivity may enjoy the messages in this story, but we must mention that the show contains coarse language and addresses the theme of how one identifies their sexuality.

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 Billy Elliot the Musical ticket page at https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Billy-Elliot/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 Billy Elliot the Musical in Stratford? We want to know what your thoughts were.  Leave a comment below!

Those2Girls Invade The National Women's Show - Media Coverage

Weekend Away Event Recap

Last month we were making sure you knew all about our experiences at the National Women's Show. Well we're back from the 2014 Toronto National Women's Show and we are still recouping from all the fun we had on our weekend away!

We stayed at the Renaissance Toronto Downtown Marriott Hotel, booked for us by travel expert Sheryll Donovan (let me know if you are interested in travelling and I'll connect you with her on facebook).

We requested to stay in this hotel as we had been there once before and love their service! Plus they have a great pool and hot tub area!

@1ofthose2girls It looks a little lonely without you too. :( #thefeelingismutual pic.twitter.com/pmDHw2MFSy

— Renaissance Toronto (@RenaissanceTO) November 11, 2014

Off To The National Women's Show - Day 1

As mentioned in our earlier post we are Official Bloggers for the National Women's Show so we were eager to get their early Saturday morning!

We tried out a new Corolla, hit up a photo booth, taste tested lots of samples, filled our bags with great swag and Canadian coupons!

All the great energy at the event was infectious and what really put smiles on our faces? Getting to meet an all-time Toronto Blue Jays great JOE CARTER!!!!

That may seem like a full day to you, but we were just getting started! After pool area refresh it was off to see a Mirvish peformance! Be sure to read our post about THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Back To The National Women's Show - Day 2

Day 2 we visited booths that we wanted more information about and spent some time at Centre Stage to see some great speakers!

Being that we are the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassadors for Kitchener Waterloo we were very interested in hearing Julie Daniluk speak about food choices and ways to better your health.

Then it felt like we were transported back in time! Doug Davidson aka Paul from The Young And The Restless appeared on stage and there were tons of groupies! We were 2 rows away from him and managed to snag a few pics.

 

What's more awesome than that?
When Doug Davidson Retweets your twitter pic!!!

So as you can see had a great time covering this event! Stay tuned for more media coverage posts