Update: P.F. Chang's Canada is not bankrupt; new strategic partner sought

Contrary to an original report on the website Eater.com, the P.F. Chang's China Bistro operation in Canada is not bankrupt. The two Montreal area locales - one on Rue des Jockeys off Decarie and  another at Carrefour Laval - as well as the Toronto spot- are alive and well.

Director of Operations  Cary Mausner and CEO Michael Aronovici.

"We filed a Notice of Intention to make a proposal to our creditors in order to obtain the courts` protection so we could gain time to find a strategic partner or a buyer," said  Michael  Aronovici, the CEO of Interaction Restaurants. "We are firmly in control of our business and have already had several discussions with potential strategic partners or buyers in this vein. We will continue to operate our restaurants in the ordinary course of business while the process is underway.  We expect things to be settled in the next six months or so."

Let me be frank. P.F. Chang's was always one of my favorite restaurants and a must visit eating experience whenever I was in the United States. I have been to all three Canadian locations. The food and services is impeccable  and the entire experience second to none: won ton soup, the  signature chicken lettuce wraps,  Mongolian beef, crispy honey shrimp and  double pan-fried noodles among my top choices.

"Even though our original expectations for the business have not been fulfilled, PF Chang’s has been well received in Quebec, as well as in Ontario," says Aronovici. "I truly hope that with the addition of a strategic partner, it will have the runway required to continue its growth."

Since I posted this blog there have been a number of  unfair comments directed towards P.F. Chang's. I took the time to speak to different people familiar with the restaurant business in Canada and here is some of what they said:

• Canada is a vast country that is sparsely populated.  When retailers and restaurateurs operate in Canada, the landed cost for goods will always be more expensive (this is especially true when the goods come from the U.S.) because of transportation inefficiency which in turn drives up cost of goods.  Simply put, it costs a lot more to distribute goods to  30 million people across our country as compared to 30 million people in California.
•  Canada has a protectionist system in place for dairy, eggs and poultry.  Successive governments have decided to not tamper with the system, even though it places an unfair burden on the end consumer and destroys industry creativity.  This artificial pricing system dramatically drives up the price of these commodities in Canada as compared to the U.S..  or example, chicken costs more than double in Canada as compared to our neighbors in the south.
•  Canada has a more socialized approach which creates a higher minimum wage and significant benefits such as health care, parental leave, generous unemployment benefits and so on.  The average minimum wage in Canada is somewhere around the $10 mark as compared to a state like Florida where the tipped minimum wage is $5.03 with virtually no benefits.  P.F, Chang’s is an extremely labour intensive concept as they prepare virtually every dish from scratch with the exception of  their cakes. 
• As a result of the above noted factors, their menu is in fact more expensive in Canada as compared to the U.S. but they do offer good value as compared to other polished casual concepts such as Baton Rouge, The Keg and others.  To compare P.F. Chang's strictly to other Chinese restaurants is not valid in the opinion of most experts due to the vast difference in the quality of ingredients used, the nature of the physical asset, the type of service offered and myriad of other factors.  This said, P.F. Chang's Canada is certainly competing well on price when compared to the finer dining Asian establishments in Montreal and Toronto.
• One should also find it ironic to hear criticism about the P.F. Chang's pricing when at today’s exchange rate, the cost of a P.F. Chang’s meal in the U.S. is higher than it is in Canada.
•  The food quality is absolutely identical in Canada to that of the U.S..  Based on the many stories I have done on P.F. Chang's, they are maniacal about the quality of their ingredients and the manner in which they cook and serve their food.  They use the exact same inputs as the U.S. with the exception of chicken which must be sourced in Canada.  Plus, they only use fresh chicken breasts in their dishes. "How does that compare with the processed, frozen, dark chicken meat that is commonly served in local Chinese restaurants?" one expert asked me.  "There is no magic to restaurant food economics – an all you can eat buffet is serving low quality food otherwise they could not survive.  The recent article regarding veal scaloppini actually being pork in many restaurants serves to illustrate the point perfectly."
• Officials at P.F. Chang's also want to point out that the issue with their business in Quebec has nothing to do with the build out costs for the restaurants as they were very well capitalized and had very little debt.  The issue is more about the state of the consumer in Quebec as compared to the rest of Canada.  "There is a reason retailers and restaurants have been performing worse in Quebec and it has everything to do with the economic prosperity of the province and its consumers," someone close to the chain said.  "The gap between performance in Quebec and the rest of the country has never been greater in my opinion and it does not bode well for the future of Montreal."

   

Vittorio Rossi's The Envelope lights up the Centaur with stellar cast and storyline

 A few months ago I met noted Montreal playwright Vittorio Rossi for the first time when I invited him back to speak at his old high school, James Lyng in St. Henri. He is a wonderful role model and provided the present-day students with a lot of inspiration, so much so that a Grade 11 English class joined me at the Centaur Theatre for an April 8 matinee to see the new Rossi comedy-drama called The Envelope.

There were also students on hand from FACE School and a private French school. How would they relate to a play focused on the complex Canadian film industry? The Envelope is a fabulous piece of work and judging by their laughs and the standing ovation at the end, it is clear the students really appreciated it. Teachers I spoke to gave it a big thumbs up,

The storyline revolves around some excited actors and two producers gathered in a local Italian restaurant meant to clone  Da Franco’s, which is located just around the corner from the Centaur in Old Montreal. Kudos to set and costume design boss Evita Karasek for creating a true replica of the real restaurant. From the bar to the tables and even the front door, it is bang on as lead characters Michael  Moretti (Ron Lea) and Jake Henry Smith (David Gow) engage in a hard-nosed negotiation for the film rights to the former’s new play. Moretti finds himself torn between  an L.A. indie filmmaker with little cash to spare and Smith dangling a tempting multi-million dollar “envelope” from the Canadian Federal Film Fund.  Does he choose ambition over loyalty and money over art?   One thing for sure – this play does not paint a flattering picture of the Canadian film industry.

The cast of  The Envelope in a scene at Da Franco's (photo A. Lanthier)

During the audience talkback after the show I asked the performers if a movie version of The Envelope was possible.  “That has already been put in motion,” said Lea.

Tony Calabretta is superb as Franco, the wise-cracking Italian restaurateur whose cousin the actor, Marcello, is played by actor/stand-up comedian, Guido Cocomello. Shawn Campbell plays Andrew, a character actor who has weathered many an opening night jitter, and no film story would be complete without an ingénue poised for her big break and Mélanie Sirois, as the bright-eyed Caroline, makes her Centaur debut. Leni Parker, 2014 META-winner for Best Actress plays Sarah, the Canadian National Movie Fund’s head of script development in the midst of a career crisis.

This small cast has excellent chemistry. While there is a fair amount of profanity in the script, it all falls out in a very realistic fashion. When anger sets in, I suppose there is no reason to pretend these people would be reciting niceties. None of the students seemed turned off by it, nor were the teachers particularly concerned.

Says the Moretti Character:  “There are two things I detest in this country. […] One is winter.

The other is a Canadian film producer. I’ve learned to cope with winter but I will never trust a Canadian film producer.”

The Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director, Roy Surette, had this to say:“Vittorio captures this city and its people so beautifully. Audiences will definitely recognize a theatre located in Old Montreal around the corner from a family-owned Italian restaurant and get a kick out of the behind-the-scenes take on getting a play to opening night … a font of entertaining material there! But the main attraction is the inside scoop at how Canadian films are produced. Ambition, back room deals, egos and eccentric characters abound amid the lure of big money versus creative integrity. Who could resist such tantalizing theatrical treats?”

Rossi, an advocate of ‘write what you know’, drew heavily from his own experiences for the script. “On five different occasions I was approached to either write a screenplay or adapt one of my own plays,” he says. “Each and every time the projects got lost in ‘development hell.’ With these producers, never once did I feel like I was working with a creative partner. But as a result of all this, I raised the money, shot my film in five days, and gained a whole new skill set. It was a great learning experience and immensely gratifying.”

The show runs through April 19 (Mondays are dark). If you are looking for some great entertainment and a refreshing piece of theatre then log on to http://www.centaurtheatre.com/theenvelope.php or call  (514) 288-3161. Check out the video preview here.

With Ted Bird and Tasso Patsikakis on board Hudson/St. Lazare's the Jewel FM is already a hit!

Editor's Note: Due to technical difficulties The Jewel programming, including the debut of Tasso, has been delayed until April 9.l

You must hand it to the folks behind The Jewel RadioNetwork. Part of the Evanov Radio Group, there are presently eight Jewel stations across the country and the latest has landed at 106.7 FM and serving Hudson and St. Lazare.  Now this is quite extraordinary for two small towns on the outskirts of Montreal’s West Island  having their very own radio station.

Ted Silver, who once upon a time ran Q92  (now  The Beat 92.5 FM), is the program director for this newest entity along with Jewel sister stations in Ottawa, Rockland and Hawkesbury and the man has clearly not lost his golden touch. Not only did he sign the

Ted Bird

legendary Ted Bird as morning show host (5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.), but beginning April 8 Paul “Tasso Patsikakis” Zakaib makes his return to the airwaves as the host of his own 10 a.m. to Noon show. That is followed by the syndicated John Tesh Show.  Bob Coley steps in from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a  local drive home show.  Then comes a program called The Lounge.

Silver notes that the Jewel features an adult contemporary variety format featuring the best of yesterday and today. He calls it  easy listening, light and refreshing.”   The target market is Hudson, St. Lazare, Vaudreuil and most of the West Island. Evanov operates two other licences in Quebec: CHRF-AM, Radio Fierté, the world's only French language commercial radio service dedicated to Montreal's large and diverse LGBT community; and   CFMB AM, the city’s only multi-ethnic broadcaster.

I have already made a habit of tuning into Bird via my computer in the office weekday

mornings. One never gets tired of his great sense of humour. Now we can look forward to Tasso and his zany cast of characters, from Jacques Parizeau to Jean Chretien. Sure I’d

love to have him back on the air with Aaron Rand, but that is not in the cards for now. “We had talked to Tasso about doing our morning show,” Silver said. “In the end of course we went with Ted, but I am really happy to bring him aboard. We worked together at Q92. He will be entertaining. That is for sure.”

Ted Silver and Tasso

I reached Tasso and he is quite excited about the new venture.

"I'm going to try to do a little of the old and as much music as I can't play," he joked.   "They are a top heavy music station, but I assume they brought me on to add a bit of colour. When I was at MIKE FM, I learned how to bring my characters on and talk to them as if they were in the studio.  This should be an easier task at the Jewel.  I won't do weather or anything without a twist if possible and I'll be doing some odd stories as well, hopefully with an interview or comment from persons involved.  It's going to be something new for them and a new challenge for me."    
Both Bird and Tasso reside on the West Island.

Silver said that the feedback from The Jewel 106.7 is quite impressive for a station that has only been on the air for a month. “We have done some contests and our advertisers have really been surprised by the response,” he said. “People are listening.  We have been air testing since November, so that has helped attract an audience.”

Sylvia Asche Bullard

With local news during the morning and afternoon drives with Tanya Armstrong and Sylvia Asche Bullard, Hudson and St. Lazare are getting some great exposure.  As Silver points out, this is a growing area. The Suburban recognizes this which is why we have added this to our circulation area.

I shared with Silver my thoughts that a local sports talk show, perhaps airing late night, would be a great addition to the schedule. “Never say never,” he responded.

Right now the team from The Jewel 106.7 FM are working out of the Hawkesbury station – about a 20 minute drive. “We would like to establish a studio in Hudson or St. Lazare,” Silver said. “It is something we are working on.”

AM 600 Radio station announces big news: Aaron Rand and Andrew Carter move over

From today's print edition of The Suburban.

AM600, Montreal’s new English language radio station owned by industry veteran Paul Tietolman, will announce later today that both Andrew Carter and Aaron Rand have left CJAD and will headline a star studded lineup of notable personalities.

Aaron Rand

Tietolman  has hired radio veteran Steve Kowch as general manager and program director and Wayne Bews, late of 925 The Beat FM,  as sales manager. The interesting twist here is that Rand will host the morning show while Carter will do the drive home.

“I really missed mornings,” said Rand, who will bring back Paul “Tasso Patsikakis” Zakaib as his on air sidekick while Suzanne Desautels will also depart CJAD and handle weather and traffic. 

“These last few years doing afternoons at CJAD have been just great. I have not caught up with my sleep and I am ready to rise again at 3:30 a.m. weekdays to go to work.

Carter, meanwhile, said that it was his idea to switch shifts. “I have been doing mornings for more than a decade and it really takes it toll on you,” he admitted. “I am looking forward to sleeping in and staying up late again.”

Tietolman confided to us that his mid-morning show will feature a tête-à-tête between former politicians Gilles Duceppe and Yolande James. “A separatist and a federalist debating the issues each day will be ‘must listen to’ radio,” Tietolman said.

Paul Tietolman

Early afternoons will be anchored by Dan Laxer, who lost his full-time gig at CJAD a few years ago. Following Carter, Suburban editor Beryl Wajsman’s Last Angry Man returns to Montreal radio from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Talks are reportedly underway between Tietolman’s team and TSN 690’s Conor McKenna to bring a provocative late night sports talk show back to the local radio scene. “Montrealers crave for the days of Ted Tevan,” Tietolman said of the late shock jock sports rap host. “We just know there is an audience for that.”

Overnights will belong to Peter Anthony Holder and Sol Boxenbaum, once fixtures on CJAD. Claude Beaulieu and Murray Sherriffs will head the news team.

Over at CJAD, it appears that Barry Morgan is in for a promotion to replace Carter in the mornings. Dave Kaufman will fill Morgan`s Noon to 3 p.m. shift while Dan Delmar will take over the drive home show. Jay Farrar will step in for McKenna if he moves to AM600.

Tietolman plans to launch AM 600 in June, along with  French language talk and sports stations. 

What is my reaction to all of this? Well folks, today is  April 1. It has been a few years since The Suburban was published on this date, providing me with the perfect opportunity to say “April Fool’s” to all of my readers. Sorry, but I just could not resist.

THE REAL STORY: Tietolman does indeed plan to open three radio stations. He has Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval to go on the air with an English language talk station at the AM 600 dial and two French language stations, one for talk and another for sports. When I reached him he preferred not to get into too many details. But he wants to make it clear that this radio trio will become a reality. When it does, perhaps some of my April Fool’s musings will actually occur.  What do you think? 

GLOBAL TV AND THE BEAT: Last fall I invited  Jessica Laventure, Camille Ross and Richard Dagenais from The Global Morning News and Cat Spencer, Sarah Bartok and Natasha Hall The Beat 92.5 FM to the English Montreal School Board Career Fair. After doing an interview with them for The Suburban video section, I suggested that on April 1 they change places for the ultimate April Fool's joke. Well, today they do so in style and Camille even gave me some recognition on the air.

Here is the photo I took of Jessica,  Richard, Camille, Cat and Sarah which inspired the April Fool's joke.

Here are Cat and Sarah on Global.

And Richard,  Camille and Jessica on The Beat

Below are comments from the main players.

It's nice to see pros at work and that's exactly what the team at The Beat 92.5 are all about; seeing them at work, you realize Cat, Sarah, Natasha, Sammy and Paul are - Montreal's perfect mix!"

Richard Dagenais

"Any opportunity to spend time with the Team over at the beat is something to look forward to. They are a group of incredibly hilarious, charismatic and talented people."

Camille Ross

"It's easy to see why the Beat Breakfast with Cat and Sarah is Montreal's number one Morning radio show. I felt immediately comfortable with Cat, Sarah and Natasha. Nothing creepy, I just... smelled their hair and followed them home. You know, normal closeness."

Jessica Laventure

Thanks to the Global Morning News team for making us look good! Don't tell my boss but those 10 minutes on morning television made me realize how easy we have it in radio. No lights, no camera...(but plenty of action)!

Cat Spencer

Sometimes, things happen that make you scratch your head & wonder what just happened! That's exactly what we hoped to acheive with our little switch-a-roo. Thanks to the entire Global team for making this April Fools prank come to life...and for making me appreciate even more so how a full face of makeup is not required for morning radio. ;-)

Sarah Bartok

We tag teamed with Camille and Richard from Global to play a little April Fools joke on all our listeners..Cat and Sarah took over TV while Camille and Richard took over the radio:

Another successful Sports Celebrity Breakfast

I always like to begin my recaps of the annual Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Sports Celebrity Breakfast with a little bit of history. Twelve years ago former Côte Saint-Luc City Councillor Harold Greenspon approaches to me to help create such an event from scratch. A deal was reached when he agreed to back me in the next municipal election and endorse me to succeed him in District 2.

PK Subban and young Daniel Lebovits

The Sports Breakfast began as an event to bring some recognition to the Centre and raise a few dollars. I believe we netted $10,000 at the inaugural event. But when Greenspon recruited Michael Wagen, the Senior Vice-President of Delmar International, to succeed him the Breakfast took on a different image. Over the past 11 years we have raised well more than $1 million for senior in crisis. It is perhaps the only event of its kind in the city and regularly sells out. The 600 tickets for this year were gone weeks ago. See this report from CTV.

Wagen has now been joined by Bram Naimer, president of Union Lighting, as co-chair. Morden "Cookie" Lazarus is the honourary chair, but really much more than that. Without his wealth of contacts we would not be able to recruit many of the marquee guests on our list.

Coordinator Susan Rozansky, Foundation boss Cathy Simons, and a dedicated committee make this is one well oiled machine.  

Mahovlich, Lazarus, Fisher and Irvin,

This year's event at the Gelber Conference Centre featured a special tribute to Mitch Garber while former Montreal Canadiens star Peter Mahovlich was honoured as the Sports Personality of the Year.

Garber is the CEO of Caesars Acquisition Co., a public company (CACQ) on the NASDAQ which owns the World Series of Poker, Playtika, the second largest social and mobile games business in the world, Las Vegas strip casinos Planet Hollywood, Bally's, The Cromwell, The Linq, as well as Harrah's New Orleans and The Horseshoe Baltimore. For many years he hosted a popular sports talk show on Montreal radio and along with Breakfast Honourary Chair Morden “Cookie” Lazarus he was instrumental in bringing the Montreal Alouettes franchise back to town. He also a noted philanthropist, supporting many charities in Canada and Israel.

Melnick, Garber and Leonoff.

Mahovlich was a member of four Stanley Cup championship Montreal Canadiens teams. He enjoyed a breakout season in 1970–71, scoring 35 goals in the regular season and another 10 in the playoffs. His best year came in 1974–75, when he racked up 117 points. He hit the 100-point mark again the following year, finishing with 105.In his 16-year NHL career, he totalled 288 goals and 485 assists for 773 points in 884 games. Internationally, he was a member of the 1972 Summit Series.

Joel Leonoff and sports talk show host Mitch Melnick paid tribute to Garber. Leonoff is a friend and former business partner; Melnick a friend as well who has an interesting broadcast history with Garber. Leonoff shared a story that he and Garber had a chance to buy hotmail.com for $80 million. They laughed at the owner for asking that much, but giggled no more when Microsoft picked it up for $450 million. Garber, who like Leonoff, is a self-made millionaire and gigantic success story, is also a great public speaker and he hit all the right notes in his address.

Mahovlich was presented with his plaque by Lazarus and then interviewed on stage by legendary broadcaster Dick Irvin and equally legendary writer Red Fisher, who covered the Habs for 58 years. Fisher, at 88, is sharp as can be and had everyone roaring in the aisles with his anecdotes of years past.

Stubbs with Lafleur, Savard and Cournoyer.

A few of  Mahovlich’s high profile former teammates were on hand: Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer and Serge Savard. Present-day superstar defenceman PK Subban was in the house as was Habs  Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gilmore.  Former Montreal Alouette star receiver Ben Cahoon flew in from Utah while  current Als Jeff Perrett and Kyries Hebert were there. Former Montreal Expos pitcher Don Stanhouse, Montreal Impact technical director and Herzliah High School grad Adam Braz and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre were among the others with us.  Coderre was a real hit, with his heart very much into  the return of the Expos to this city.

Stubbs, Zurkowsky, myself and my brother Chuck in honour of our late dad.

The event also honoured Montreal Gazette sports reporter Herb Zurkowsky with the Larry Fredericks Media Award.  Larry (Lawrence Frederick Cohen) was my dad. He passed away two and a half years ago and served on the committee. As a sportswriter for more than 40 years he met Herb early on his career and the two became close.  Here is a great story Herb wrote about the event.

Kyries Hebert

Other media on hand were  Dave Stubbs from The Gazette, Rick Moffat from TSN 690 and CJAD, Mitch Melnick from TSN 690, Dave Kaufman from CJAD,  Matthew Ross from TSN 690 and Randy Tieman from CTV.

Moffat  brought two kids from the audience to try and replicate his signature "goal" call for Impact broadcasts. The key is to say goal!!!!! as long as possible without taking a breath. This turned out to be quite a hit.

I served as emcee with broadcaster  Charles André Marchand.

Ben and Kim Cahoon.

The Cummings Centre is a leader in the provision of quality programs, professional social services and a wide range of volunteer opportunities to the 50+ community. The Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation aims to meet the philanthropic challenges and needs of the 50 plus population. For more information visit cummingscentre.org. 

Cheryl Besner and CJAD dive into a whole different kind of "singles" show

You must hand it to CJAD program director Chris Bury. He continues to add unique and interesting programs to the weekend lineup. On the Record with Jason Rockman, where the host interviews noted personalities about their careers and then plays some of their favorite songs, is solid. Now comes Solo in the City with Montreal-based dating coach and event planner Cheryl Besner on Saturday evenings at 10 p.m.

Cheryl Besner

When I last interviewed Cheryl more than two years ago she was launching a high profile blog called 365 Days to Find Love, which  chronicled her journey in the hopes of connecting, inspiring, and educating single women everywhere.The online journal of her then newly single life developed a nice  following, focusing on women over 40 who were remerging in the dating scene. She  shared advice from international matchmakers, explored various Internet dating services, and developed some of her own ways to discover serendipitous encounters at places like the gym or grocery store.  She introduced readers to other searchers of love: the cynics, the starry-eyed and the star crossed, and the men she met. Although she only got involved in a committed relationship recently, her 365 day experience which started on Valentine’s Day in 2013 was a great experience.

“I learned a lot about myself,” Cheryl now admits. “I did have a few relationships, but because of what I was doing this became a bit of a catch 22 situation. A lot of the men were worried I would blog about them. I did, but I never mentioned names. I merely described the type of people they were.”

Cheryl, a mom of three,  says the one thing that stood out from the experience was her desire to step up and assist all of the single people out there spending most of their time at home alone. “I realized that nobody was really putting this topic under one umbrella,” she notes. “I went to a conference in Los Angeles and from there I went to New York and got my coaching certification in dating.”

It was soon after that Cheryl coined the term Solo in the City. “I wanted to help people find a place to go,” she explained. “One of my messages to singles was that you are not going to meet someone by staying home. Go to a restaurant, an event or a library. Odds are you will meet someone and start  a discussion. Everyone loved Solo in the City term because it is non-threatening and non-invasive.”

Enter the new CJAD show, which made its debut on March 21. It is her hope that the multiplatform show will actually get singles out from behind their computers and into the urban dating jungle with ease. 

“Connecting people is something I have always done naturally throughout my career, so why not apply my skills to the most important connections of all?” Cheryl  said. “I’ve finally found the networking niche I truly adore. What can be better than helping people find love connections?”

The show takes a multifaceted approach to meeting new friends and potential partners. She aims to take the pressure out of awkward blind dates or superficial online chatting by simply connecting Montrealers on a human level first, through events or designated meetup locations across the city. Encouraging singles to be, above all, sociable will maximize their chances of making new friends and eventually finding love.

 “Very few people find love at first sight, or first swipe on Tinder,” added Cheryl, touted by her publicist as a fixture of Westmount’s social scene who has created exclusive events like The Angel Ball benefiting the Jewish General Hospital, thrown dinner parties for Dom Pérignon and hosted elite soirees for celebrities like Mia Farrow and Sir Richard Branson. “Let’s take the pressure down a notch and just get people talking! Maybe the person next to you at a Solo event won’t be the one, but knows a friend who could be. If you can’t be a little sociable and comfortable in your own skin, it will be that much harder to find love.” 

Check out the all-new website, solointhecity.tv,   featuring event listings, blogs and content geared toward Montrealers looking for love. A parallel Solo in the City dating site has also been launched with  the theme: Coffee, tea and we -  meet local singles at designated spots in town for a low-pressure cup of coffee!

If you cannot catch the show live, you can access the podcast anytime at solointhecity.tv.

Segal Centre for Performing Arts unveils blockbuster 2015-16 season schedule

While the Segal Centre for Performing Arts has not yet completed its present season, Artistic and Executive Director Lisa Rubin opened the curtain for the media and the VIP crowd on March 25 for what’s in store in 2015-2016.

It has been a great year for the Segal so far on stage, highlighted by blockbusters Les Belles Soeurs and Forever Plaid. Still to come, of course, Mordecai Richler’s landmark coming of age novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz will  be getting the all-star musical treatment in a world premiere musical adaptation   from June 7  to 28.   Duddy Kravitz has an original score by Alan Menken, the Tony- and Oscar-winning composer of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Little Shop of Horrors. The legendary composer is responsible for some of the most beloved songs and musical scores of our time. But here is our first look at next year and what a lineup it is, with no less than seven  spectacular Montreal premieres .

Funny Girl,  the poignant musical rags to riches story of Vaudeville sensation Fanny Brice made famous by Barbra Streisand in film, will kick off the new season (October 11 to November 1, 2015) in an 18-person song and dance spectacular under the direction of  Peter Hinton. Multi-talented Canadian musical performer Gabi Epstein will hold down the  titular role immortalized by Streisand in the classic 1968 movie.

“I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world,” Epstein actually sang out in a video message recorded from Toronto where she is performing for Mirvish Entertainment.

Next up  (November 29 to  December 20, 2015) will be British playwright Nina Raine’s internationally-acclaimed play Tribes, a powerful look at the meaning of language, love and what it means to be understood. Jack Volpe (Seeing Voices Montreal) makes his professional theatre debut as Billy, the only deaf member of an eccentric, intellectual family.  Volpe, who works by day at the Mackay Centre School in NDG, is deaf. He attended the press conference and delivered words of appreciation for getting the role via  sign language interpreter.

Jack Volpe at the press conference

 “When Jack completed his audition, the electricity in the building was palpable,” said Rubin. “This show will be done with American Sign Language. We are very excited to see how the deaf community can be involved and see what the story can bring to them.”

From January 31 to February 21, 2016, The Secret Annex will invite audiences  to use their
imaginations of what life would have been like for beloved historical icon Anne Frank, had she survived the war. In what is being described as “a stirring and romantic new play out of Winnipeg by young playwright Alix Sobler and directed by Marcia Kash,”  Sara Farb will take on the lead role. She will soon be starring in the Stratford Festival’s Diary of Anne Frank. In Montreal she will portray the same title character as a 25-year old coming of age in New York City. Farb expressed her joy with the role via a video message. “Doing the Secret Annex is something I am really excited about,” she said.

Gemini and Dora Award-winning performer Rick Miller (MacHomer, Venus in Fur) will explode  on to the Segal stage (March 20 to April 10, 2016) with his newest one-man, tour-de-force Boom. This Kdoons & Wyrd production will be co-presented by Copa de Oro Productions, the folks behind Les Belles Soeurs and Forever Plaid. Part explosive performance, part riveting documentary, and part nostalgic trip, Boom is expected to capture the defining historical and musical moments of the baby-boom generation. 
  
In what promises to be a comedic highlight of the season (May 1 to 22, 2016), Joshua Harmon’s breakout hit Bad Jew will  ask the biting question: what do you choose to believe, when you’re chosen?  It will focus on three cousins gathered in a cramped Manhattan apartment to mourn the death of their grandfather and fight over a precious family heirloom. Rubin herself will direct this  critically-acclaimed exploration of faith, family and legacy that has had North America abuzz since its Off-Broadway premiere in 2013. “I always thought my directorial debut would have been a musical,” said Rubin, whose golden pipes blew away many an audience during her performing career.

Also co-produced with Copa de Oro, will be a new production of Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro’s laugh-out-loud musical comedy  I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (May 8 to 29, 2016), directed by Wade Lynch. Witty and whimsical, this incredibly popular Off-Broadway musical sensation deftly lampoons the stages and stumbling blocks of romantic relationships.

Lisa Rubin, Anisa Cameron, Aron Gonshor, Anthony Housefather, Mitchell Brownstein and myself.

The lights of Broadway will also shine brightly on the explosive final production of the season,  the world Yiddish-language premiere of Mel Brooks’ record-breaking musical The Producers, winner of twelve Tony Awards. The hysterically-funny tale of scheming showbiz producers Bialystock and Bloom will be revived in Yiddish by the esteemed Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre (June  19 to July 10, 2016).  The company is proud to be associated with the Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society and director Anisa Cameron for their most ambitious production to date. “Mel Brooks is on Twitter so we will all be harassing him to come to this show,” says Rubin.

A very proud Mitchell Brownstein, my colleague on Côte Saint-Luc City Council who created the Dramatic Society with Cameron from scratch only three years ago, was pinching himself. Ditto for Mayor Anthony Housefather, whom by the time this show hits the stage hopes to be the Liberal Member of Parliament for Mount Royal.

Beyond the stage the Segal will  welcome Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre film series. 
Audience Engagement plays a vital role in the Segal Centre’s mission. To complement the productions being presented on stage, the Segal offers the ever-popular Sunday @ The Segal pre-show lecture series, an opportunity to explore the history, themes and ideas behind each production, and Monday Night Talk backs a post-show chat with the creators of the play.

New next season, as part of the Segal’s Beyond the Stage programming, will be Shakespeare`s Globe on Screen film series, presenting critically-acclaimed performances from Shakespeare’s home, London’s World Famous Globe Theatre. Screenings will take place in the intimate 77-seat CinemaSpace and be preceded by a pre-show discussion hosted by Repercussion Theatre, Montreal’s home for Shakespeare in the Park. Official programming to be announced soon.

Finally, the Segal continues to be an artistic resource and hub for Montreal’s independent, emerging and community artists and organizations to play, explore and grow. Next year they will  welcome  back such diverse guest theatre companies as Teesri Duniya Theatre (State of Denial by Rahul Varma: October 8-25), Tableau D’Hôte Theatre (Angélique by Lorena Gale: November 30 – December 13), Youtheatre (Dreaming Now: January 11-15, 2016 & P@ndora: February 2-5, 2016) and Les Productions Pas de Panique (Le Visiteur by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, in French, March 20 – April 3, 2016).

Six-time Grammy nominated American jazz vocalist Tierney Sutton will launch the Segal’s Power Jazz   music Series in October. The eighth season, always as rich and diverse, also features the Jason Rosenblatt Quartet, Laila Biali, Piano Chameleons (John Roney & Matt Herskowitz) and a concert in partnership with the Consulate General of Israel.

Also as part of the Segal’s additional programming: Broadway Café, an intimate open mic night for musical theatre aficionados to sing or simply enjoy their favourite showtunes; the Segal’s own performing arts Academy. with unique after-school courses for aspiring performers running from October to May, and many more guest events with such valued community partners as the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, the Hebrew Theatre of the Jewish Public Library and The Communauté Sépharade Unifiée du Québec (CSUQ).

Segal subscribers enjoy world-class theatre plus many outstanding benefits, including free indoor parking, up to 30 percent off ticket prices, free ticket exchange and exclusive savings.

Log on to www.segalcentre.org.