THEATRE NEWS: Canuck signed to War Horse;
Oz homage theme of Panto
9 AUG/11

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

TORONTO - Alex Furber, a relatively unknown Toronto actor who only recently graduated from the National Theatre School, has been signed to play the principal human role in the Canadian première production of the National Theatre of Great Britain’s War Horse. But while Furber’s name may not be familiar to Canadian theatre-goers, he will be surrounded by some of his better-known countrymen when the show opens at the Princess of Wales in February.

According to casting announced Tuesday, Brad Rudy, Richard McMillan, Tamara Bernier-Evans, Patrick Galligan, Melanie Doane, Tatjana Cornij, Ryan Hollyman, Neil Foster, Geoffrey Pounsett, Brendan Wall and a host of others will be a part of the production as well.

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TORONTO - Toronto audiences won't get anywhere close to Kansas this Christmas, Toto — at least not if Ross Petty has his way. The producer of Toronto's annual Christmas panto announced Tuesday that the 2011 edition of his fractured Christmas classic will be in the way of an homage to The Wizard of Oz.


Subtitled The Wickedly Wacky Family Musical, it is slated to run at the Elgin Theatre, Nov. 24 through Jan. 6. In addition to Petty himself, the cast will also include Dan Chameroy, Jessica Holmes, Elicia MacKenzie, Yvan Pedneault, Steve Ross and Kyle Blair.