Markham Theatre opens its 2024/25 season
With a few intriguing independent productions and the 2024/25 Diamond Season about to get underway, September is looking busy at the Flato Markham Theatre.
“It’s wonderful to be back after the summer,” says Acting General Manager Scott Hill. “We can’t wait to see our audience again.”
September is a popular month for independent producers at the theatre. An independent production simply means that a show has rented the theatre and its services for its own production rather than being presented by the theatre itself. From community groups to professionals and theatre to concerts, there is quite a lot to see.
One of the highlights of the coming month looks to be Dreamer — The Supertramp Experience on Sept. 27. This show is the authentic re-creation of the legendary ’70s rock band Supertramp. An 8-piece group of multi-instrumentalists, hand-picked for their incredible expertise, performs all of the sounds heard on their iconic records. The Emmy award-winning Phil Naro and singer Rich Hamelin will perform the unmistakable signature vocals.
“I’m definitely looking forward to hearing these tunes again,” says Hill.
Another standout independent show is Canadian new wave pioneers Strange Advance who will headline Bringing Back The 80s on Sept. 28. The band, created in 1982, was nominated for two Junos and produced three gold albums before going on hiatus in the early 1990s. They’ll be supported by Montreal’s The Box and Vancouver’s Images in Vogue. This show promises to remind everyone what they loved about the 1980s.
“Strange Advance performing on our stage is pretty fantastic,” says Hill. “This is gonna be a great night.”
Community favourite Markham at the Movies also returns on Sept. 24 with Io Capitano. Based on a true story, this highly acclaimed film from Italian director Matteo Garrone, follows two Senegalese cousins who leave their home in Dakar for a hellish odyssey all in pursuit of their dream of living and playing music in Europe.
Even though the shows mentioned thus far aren’t produced by the theatre, the acting GM remains infectiously excited about them.
“Every show that hits our stage, independent producer to Diamond season, dance recital to superstar gets our full attention,” he explains, “because every show matters to our community, onstage and off.”
Just as September comes to a close, the theatre’s acclaimed Diamond Season opens.
The first show features the return of a very popular production, Any Dream Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m.
“Musical theatre is one of the cornerstones of what we do here,” says Hill. “and what better way to honour this than showcasing Andrew Lloyd Webber?”
Produced by Markham local Brian Goldenberg and featuring 4 of Canada’s leading musical theatre performers, Webber’s legendary music is woven into the story of his life and career. Told through both story and song, the show takes the audience on a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the life and music of the man behind some of the world’s most famous musicals.
“The result is very much like a live performance of VH1’s Behind the Music,” Hill says. “It’s fun, informative, and musically spectacular.”
The very next night, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m., promises to see the ‘joint jumping’ with The Hot Sardines.
“If you like jazz, this is the show for you,” says Hill. “It’s jazz like you might have heard at a speakeasy in 1920.”
The band, led by Evan Palazzo and Elizabeth Bougerol, is founded on the notion that classic jazz fuels both your heart and soul, and they intend to make you agree. They promise irreverence, effortless swinging, and the music of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong with innovative touches from Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht.
“This band is hot; in New York, you can’t get a ticket to see them,” continues Hill. “The fact that we’ve got them on our stage is awesome.”
And with that, a new season begins at the Flato Markham Theatre.
Tickets for all shows available via the Markham Theatre Box Office
Photo: The Hot Sardines perform on October 5.