GTP PRESENTS: WINTERMISSION

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Hugh's Room Live, 296 Broadview Ave, Toronto ON

Join us for another incredible evening celebrating Actor-Musicians telling stories through singing, acting, movement, and music.

This amazing night promises an engaging combination of a powerhouse cast presenting music re-imagined as Actor-Musician performance.  Our award-winning cast - with a few new faces - will perform familiar tunes, playing more than 25 instruments throughout the evening. 

Stage Manager: Simon Henderson

Photographer: Sam Moffatt, Maverick Media Collective

Graphic Design & Social Media: Megan Phu

Volunteers: 

Elsa Canepa, Cole Clich-Mason, Rhiannon Corrigan, Irene Kalogridis, Jakob Zancanaro

SPECIAL THANKS

Garner Theatre Productions Board of Directors

Michael Booth, Matthew Manifould and the Team at Hugh’s Room Live

Maya Doherty

 GTP PRESENTS

Monday, October 21, 2024

Hugh's Room Live, 296 Broadview Ave, Toronto, ON  M4M 2G7

An evening with some of Canada’s top Actor-Musicians as they told stories through acting, singing, movement and music. Our award-winning cast re-imagined beloved songs as Actor-Musician numbers, with eleven performers playing multiple instruments throughout the night.

Featuring the talents of these remarkable Canadian Actor-Musicians:

Jonny Barefoot, Cyndi Carleton, Beau Dixon, Donna Garner, Hailey Gillis, Justine Grimes, Jonathan Gysbers, Rick Hughes, Jake Schindler, Shaina Silver-Baird, and Jeannie Wyse

GTP PRESENTS: THE TALENT

JONNY BAREFOOT

Jonny Barefoot from Toronto, Canada, on a variety of acoustic instruments; guitar, banjo, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, harmonica, makes music that is at the same time home-spun and traditional and fresh and new.

He is very pleased to be taking part in this production.

CYNDI CARLETON

Cyndi is thrilled to be a member of Garner Theatre productions. 

Selected credits include The History of Drinking in Cavan (4th Line Theatre), Estelle in Real Estate (Globus Theatre), Crazy For You, Queens of Country, Guys and Dolls (Port Hope Festival), Uptown Country Girls (Stage West Calgary), Marvellous Wonderettes (1000 Islands Playhouse), The Winter Wonderettes (Theatre Kingston), The Man in Black: Tribute to Johnny Cash (Le Capitole, Quebec City).

Cyndi was the longtime backup singer for Elvis Tribute Artist, Steven Michaels for 22 years.  She is currently working on a children’s album with her group, The Whoopsie Daises.

She has also recently become a proud co-owner of the successful early childhood music program, Fun With Music Together. Cyndi has been involved in music education for over 20 years. She is extremely passionate about making music a part in every young child’s life, in order for music to have a lifelong impact.

BEAU DIXON

Theatre Credits (Selected): Guys 'n' Dolls, HMS Pinafore (Stratford Festival); Ghost Quartet, Rosmersholm (Crow's Theatre); Marjorie Prime, The Father (Coalmine Theatre); Hamlet,Harlem Duet (Tarragon Theatre); The Colour Purple (Neptune Theatre); Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Big Easy, The Secret Chord: Songs Of Leonard Cohen (Soulpepper Theatre); As YouLike It, Titus Andronicus (Canstage/Shakespeare In High Park); Passing Strange (Obsidian/Musical Stage Co.)

Composer/ Sound Designer: Wedding Band (Stratford Festival); The Big Sleep (Vertigo Theatre); The Shape Of Home: Songs In Search Of Al Purdy (Crow's Theatre/ County Stage); Kensington: The Musical (Sheridan College); Bloom: A Rock 'n' Roll Fable (4thLine Theatre)

Film and TV Credits (Selected): Station Eleven (HBO/Paramount); The Expanse (AmazonPrime); Ginny and Georgia (Netflix)

Other: Recipient of three Dora Mavor Moore Awards, two Toronto Critics Awards, CalgaryCritics Award, three Dora Mavor Moore and Betty Mitchell nominations. KM Hunter Awardfinalist.

www.beaudixon.com

DONNA GARNER

Actor-Musician Donna Garner has performed in theatres across Canada, the U.S.,Austria and Japan. Selected credits: Natasha Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 (Canadian premiere - Crows/Musical Stage); The Sound of Music (U.S. First National Tour); Once (U.S. First National Tour, Mirvish); Two Pianos, Four Hands (Canada, U.S.).

TV/Film: Mr. Monk's Last Case, Spinning Out, Private Eyes, Handmaid’s Tale, Anne with an E, Designated Surviver.

Most importantly, she shares her life with her talented Actor-Muso husband Rick Hughes and their stoic mini-schnauzer Gus.

HAILEY GILLIS

Hailey Gillis is a performer, composer, singer, writer, voice actor and arts educator, hailing from Grimsby Ontario.  Hailey’s work in many different mediums has taken her across Canada from Charlottetown PEI to Vancouver BC, as well as off-Broadway in NYC.

She was acknowledged with a New York Times ‘Critics Pick’ award for her work as a musical theatre artist, and has been nominated for numerous Dora Mavor Moore awards. In addition to performance, Hailey Gillis has been composing music for the past ten years, working with acclaimed international producers. Most recently she has been working on a collaboration for a new Canadian musical with Crow’s Theatre. 

The Invisible (Catalyst/Vertigo Theatre); Onegin (The Musical Stage Company/The National Arts Center); Spoon River (The Signature Theatre); Hedda Gabler (Necessary Angel/Canadian Stage); Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Bard on the Beach). 

Recently she partnered with Penguin Random House to narrate the Audiobook: Tell Me When You Feel Something.  She has a Diploma in Acting from Sheridan Institute of Technology and a B.A. Honours Degree in Theatre and Drama Studies from the University of Toronto. She is also a graduate of the Soulpepper Academy.

Justine Grimes

Justine Grimes is overjoyed to be joining GTP for another night of music, after being part of the inaugural ChickJam in 2023! She grew up in the dance studio, singing with her family, and listening to classic rock while occasionally sitting down at her brother’s drum kit.

Justine attended Toronto Metropolitan University’s dance program and is a graduate of Randolph College for the Performing Arts, where she truly fell in love with musical theatre. Her favourite theatre credits include: Kate/Lucy in Avenue Q, Waitress #1 in Rock Of Ages, Rita La Porta in Lucky Stiff (STF), Iris Kelly in Fame (Dubai Tour), We Will Rock You (Fallsview Casino), Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde, and u/s Narrator in Joseph...Dreamcoat (LOT).

Huge thanks go to her husband, family,and friends for always supporting the dream!

Jonathan Gysbers

Jonathan Gysbers (he/him) is thrilled to be performing once again with GTP! He previously played Daryl Ames in GTP’s workshop of Bright Star.

Other select theatre credits include: Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys (Charlottetown Festival, Stage West, NCL), Gilbert in Anne & Gilbert (The Guild), Sky in Mamma Mia! (Port Hope) and Matt in The Fantasticks (VPP).

His TYA musical adaption of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was present in the 2021 Kingston Fringe Festival and he is currently working on an EP entitled ‘Ambrosia’.

He holds a Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College and a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University.

RICK HUGHES

Selected credits include: Man of La Mancha (Magnus Theatre); Fiddler On the Roof (Persephone); Hamlet (Manitoba Theatre Centre); Christmas Carol, Real Estate, How It Works, Tuesdays With Morrie, When the Reaper Calls (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Full Monty, Buddy Holly Story, Sound of Music, Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival); Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Fire, Black Bonspiel (Globe Theatre); the Foursome (Foster Festival); Film/Television: Murdoch Mysteries, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures (Shaftesbury); Hemlock Grove (Netflix).

Rick lives in Toronto with his wife, Donna Garner (Artistic Director, Garner Theatre Productions), and a mini-schnauzer named Gustav Mahler.

Jake Schindler

Jake Schindler is a composer, music director, and orchestrator.

Wearing many musical hats, he has worked on two Dora-nominated shows (Mirvish, Mixtape Productions), three Toronto Fringe Patron’s Pick musicals, was the Associate Keyboard Programmer at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, and is a music director at The Second City (Toronto). 

jakeschindler.com 

Shaina Silver-Baird

Shaina Silver-Baird is a film, TV and theatre actor, musician, creator and producer from Toronto. She is the co-creator/co-writer, executive producer and star of Less Than Kosher (Filmcoop Inc.) which premiered at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2023 and won the Audience Choice Award, as well as the Jury Award for Fiction at the Diasporama Festival in Paris. The series was also the hit of the 2023 TO Web Fest, winning Best Writing (for Shaina & Michael Goldlist); Best Actor (Shaina); Best Comedy and Best Series (Grand Prix). Most recently, she won Best Writing at the 2024 WIFT Toronto Showcase and Less Than Kosher was also nominated for 2 Canadian Screen Awards and the Rockie Award for Best Short Form Series at the Banff World Media Conference.

Shaina has worked at major theatres across Canada and toured to the US, Europe and Middle East. Most notably, she toured North America as Chaya/Violinist in the award-winning, international sensation Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story with 2b Theatre (6 Drama Desk nominations).

Shaina has been nominated for a MyTheatre Award for Outstanding Performance and won a Dora Award for Best Ensemble. Shaina is also the lead singer/songwriter for electro-pop band Ghost Caravan and previously led folk band Crooked House Road. 

Jeannie Wyse

Videographer: Darius James

Photographer: Racheal McCaig

Graphic Design & Social Media: Megan Phu

GTP PRESENTS: SPECIAL THANKS

Garner Theatre Productions Board of Directors

Michael Booth, Matthew Manifould and the Team at Hugh’s Room Live

Mike Cullen

Simon Henderson

Randy Pryce

GTP Chickjam

made its debut April 13th at Noonan’s on Danforth Avenue, with an all female-identifying Actor-Musician band and special guests from Canada's music theatre industry. A celebration of  women in the theatre and music industry, this show was hard-hitting, hilarious and may have just brought the odd tear to the eye.

We showcased favourites from shows and had audiences join us on some tunes, providing lyrics and chords so audiences could COME PLAY WITH US.

Our core band of Actor-Musicians features Fallon Bowman, Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, Justine Grimes, and Dominique Leblanc, along with special guests such as Linette Doherty, Sherry Garner, Kaylee Harwood, Charlotte Moore, and more. 

Bright Star Workshop

In August of 2022, Garner Theatre Productions was thrilled to present the Toronto premiere of Bright Star.

The performance took place in a workshop format on August 25th & 26th at 918 Bathurst's stunning Sanctuary theatre space. 

About the Production

The Garner Theatre Productions (GTP) presentation was a workshop version of the Tony nominated bluegrass musical written and composed by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, staged as an Actor-Musician show, with all cast members on stage doubling as the band.

The Cast

Bright Star featured Kaylee Harwood (Broadway's Jesus Christ Superstar and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical National Tour) as Alice Murphy and Andrew Prashad (One Step at a Time at the Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival's Holiday Inn) as Jimmy Ray Dobbs.

Rounding out the company of veteran Actor-Musicians:

Mayor Dobbs - Sandy Crawley, Billy Cane - Nick Dolan, Florence/Government Clerk - Rita Dottor, Mama Murphy - Donna Garner, Daryl Ames/ Dr. Norquist - Jonathan Gysbers, Daddy Cane/Stanford - Andrew Legg, Edna/Well-Dressed Woman - Dominique LeBlanc, Daddy Murphy/Max - Marty Lindquist, Lucy - Marie Mahabal, Margo - Yunike Soedarmasto

Joining the Bright Star cast was the dedicated creative and production team:

Jacob Wolstencroft (Director), Donna Garner (Musical Director), Andrew Prashad (Choreographer), Anna Kaltenbach (Stage Manager), Rachel Lambe (Company Manager) and Tricia Soltys (Producer).