Dani Girl remounts in Toronto!
I’m very excited about this news. After a successful run in Barrie last winter, Talk is Free Theatre/Show One Productions’ Dani Girl will be remounted in Toronto starting this week!
Told from a child’s perspective, Dani Girl is the inspiring and humorous story of a young girl’s battle with a life-threatening disease. Far from sitting back and accepting her condition, Dani transforms her struggle into a fantastical adventure. This provocative musical explores the universal themes of life in the face of death, hope in the face of despair, and the indomitable power of imagination.
This year, we are in the backspace of Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto (16 Ryerson Ave. – near Queen and Bathurst). The show stars Jeff Madden, Jono Logan, Amanda LeBlanc, and yours truly in the title role. We are musical directed by the fabulous Wayne Gwillim and directed by Richard Ouzounian.
This show means a lot to me and it would mean a lot to me if you all came. Feb. 16th-March 4th. All info can be found at http://www.showoneproductions.ca/event-details-179.aspx
Hope to see you there! xo
Related show
Zachary Florence concert Feb. 6th!
I want to let you all know about a wonderful concert I am singing in on Monday February 6th in Toronto at the Berkeley St. Theatre. For all of you who either have my CD “Show Off”, or have seen my cabaret show, you KNOW I am a Zachary Florence fan. We have been friends and colleagues for years and on Feb. 6th he is showcasing some of his new work at the Berkeley St. Theatre as part of Acting Up Stage’s Dark Night Cabaret Series. The evening will feature yours truly as well as the fabulous Thom Allison, Eric Craig, Sara Farb, and Susan Henley and accompanied/musical directed by the illustrious Lily Ling. Tonight. 8pm. Tickets are available:
In person: Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St.
Online: www.canadianstage.com
Over the phone: 416-368-3110
Please come come check us out! Who knows– maybe you’ll be the first to hear the new gem that appears on my follow up CD…
Hope to see you tonight xo
Broadway World Awards!
Friends! Today, I received the wonderful news that I was nominated for a 2011 Broadway World Award in the Leading Actress in a Musical category for my performance in “To Life”! I am humbled and thrilled but need your help. If y’alls want me to win you have got to vote. Please visit http://toronto.broadwayworld.com/vote2011region.cfm?region=Toronto to vote for your favourite Toronto performers/performances (which hopefully includes me!)
Cheers and happy voting,
xo Gabi
Pender? I hardly know her!
Greetings cabaret lovers. Blood Brothers has come to an end and as amazing of an experience it was, I am so excited for what’s to come this year. Literally days after our closing performance, I had the unbelievable opportunity to do my very own solo cabaret show in… drumroll please… PENDER ISLAND, BC! I had never been out west before… (I’m a bad Canadian, I know…) and so to have the opportunity to go there and perform a show was just great. Accompanied by piano-playing, Shaw-interning, fabulous-being James Smith, we certainly gave Pender Island something to sing about. Favourite audience comment of the show: “Where do you get the moxy to perform like that with such confidence?” to which I replied: “It’s called “chutzpah” where I come from”. Not sure if she knew what the heck I was talking about but whatever…
All in all, I love Pender Island. James and I had a fabulous time. It was only heightened by the fact that we got to spend the whole next day in Vancouver before our evening flight. And… you know… who doesn’t like bike riding through Stanley Park, lunch in North Vancouver, and many a splendid walk through Gastown?
It was a lovely way to spend my first week sans the Blood Brothers and makes me even more excited for my next adventure in… drumroll please… BELLEVILLE, ON! Yep, this Epstein’s coming to the B-Town to play Christine in “The Panto of the Opera”… yes you heard correctlly… that’s “Panto” not “Phantom”… Only will I play Christine in the “Panto” of the Opera. Please visit http://www.theempiretheatre.com/the-panto-of-the-opera/ for tickets! There are both “famiy” and “naughty” shows so just make sure you pick the right one to avoid any awkward situations with children/grandparents etc… 
That’s it for now! Will update you on my Panto-tastic adventures in a couple of weeks. Until then, don’t forget that my CD, “Show Off” makes for an AMAZING Christmas/Hanukkah present… and I’m not just saying that because everyone I knew got one last year….. honest. Please visit my music page for info on purchasing it!
Cheers xo
Blood Brothers!
So, despite the lack of posts my summer has actual been pretty busy. I am, for the second year in a row working for Drayton Entertainment in their phenomenal production of Willy Russell’s “Blood Brothers” directed by the Artistic Director of the company, Alex Mustakas.
This production features Charlotte Moore as Mrs. Johnstone (you may remember her from my production of “To Life” here in Toronto), Paul McQuillan as Mickey, and Tory Doctor as Eddie.
I, in addition to playing Donna Marie, the eldest Johnstone, play about 6 other characters that appear for brief moments throughout the play… Not quite the feature that “To Life” was but still a lot of fun. I am really honoured to be a part of this great show with such a stellar cast.
We’ve been in Grand Bend and Penetanguishene, Ontario this summer and we hit the St. Jacobs Playhouse in Waterloo in October. Check out www.draytonentertainment.com for more information. Hope to see you there!