NEWS RELEASE – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

~ Words by Vickie Sam Paget, Sky Blue Content ~

BARD ON THE BEACH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL’S 28th SEASON – TICKETS NOW ON SALE

April 6, 2017, VANCOUVER, B.C. – Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival begins its 28th season in beautiful Vanier Park on June 1, with an exciting lineup of plays, concerts and special events. All tickets for the Bard on the Beach’s 2017 season, which runs from June 1 to September 23, are now on sale.

The Festival’s summer-long celebration of the Bard features four classic Shakespeare plays plus a short-run contemporary drama. Together they transport audiences from ancient Greece to modern-day Venice and contemporary Vancouver.

Opening the Festival is a new production of an audience favourite, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, set in 1959 Italy. Inspired by the era’s glamorously extravagant Italian films, it’s directed John Murphy (Measure For Measure, 2013). Alternating with Much Ado is THE WINTER’S TALE, a magical and poignant family drama, set in ancient Greece and Bohemia and directed by Bard’s Associate Artistic Director Dean Paul Gibson (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2014).

On the Howard Family Stage, award-winning Canadian actor-director Nigel Shawn Williams directs a provocative new staging of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, set in contemporary Italy. It will alternate with a new production of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, directed by Bard Artistic Associate Scott Bellis (The Comedy of Errors, 2015).

Rounding out the 2017 lineup is a short-run production in September to complement The Merchant of Venice. SHYLOCK is a single-hander written by B.C.’s Mark Leiren-Young. First produced at Bard in 1996, it imagines a modern-day actor playing Shylock as he wrestles with the timely issues of censorship and political correctness.

Pay Run Dates and Special Events for 2017 are:
• MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: June 1 – September 23 (BMO Mainstage) – Opening Night is Thursday, June 15.
• THE WINTER’S TALE: June 8 – September 22 (BMO Mainstage) – Opening Night is Thursday, June 22.
• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE: June 22 – September 16 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Thursday, July 6.
• THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA: June 29 – September 17 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Wednesday, July 12.
• SHYLOCK: September 6 – 15 (Howard Family Stage) – Opening Night is Thursday, September 7.
• BARD-B-Q & FIREWORKS: July 29; August 2 & 5 (BMO Mainstage). Includes Much Ado About Nothing or The Two Gentlemen of Verona, dinner, entertainment from the Dowco Triumph Pipe Band and a private view of the Celebration of Light Fireworks.
• CHOR LEONI: MANELY/FUN: June 19 & 26 (BMO Mainstage) – Vancouver’s award-winning men’s choir guarantees surprises, costumes, choreography and fun.
• FAMILY NIGHTS: July 11 and August 8 & 22 (BMO Mainstage & Bard Village) – Make lasting memories with a trip to Much Ado About Nothing. Arrive at the Village early for family-friendly activities with Luminous Elephant, the PIXSTAR photobooth, the Emelle’s food truck and an exclusive pre-show talk designed just for kids.
• THE BARBER OF SEVILLE: August 28 and September 4 (BMO Mainstage) – Rossini’s masterpiece of the comic opera stage.
• TALKBACK TUESDAYS: Begin July 4 (BMO Mainstage) & 18 (Howard Family Stage) – Q&A session with members of the cast following select Tuesday evening performances.
• WINE WEDNESDAYS: July 19; August 9 & 23; September 6 (Bard Marquee) – Intimate pre-show wine tasting events.
• THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LIVE AT THE BARD: July 10 (BMO Mainstage) – The VSO entertains in front of the spectacular Bard backdrop.
• EXPLORING SHAKESPEARE: June 24; July 8 & 15; August 12 (BMO Mainstage) – Go beyond the story and explore Shakespeare’s influences with Simon Fraser University’s Paul Budra.

Tickets for Bard on the Beach’s 28th season are now on sale. Ticket prices for 2017 include all applicable fees and taxes and begin at $20. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection. Many performances sell out in advance. The full performance schedule, site information and play and special events details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559.

Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges its major corporate sponsors, including our Mainstage sponsor BMO, 2017 Season Sponsor Goldcorp, Bard-B-Q & Fireworks Presenting Sponsor Grosvenor, Official Caterer Emelle’s Catering, Media Sponsors Vancouver Sun and Global BC, as well as major supporters: Remax, Visual College of Art and Design of Vancouver, Lonetree Cider, BlueShore Financial, BMO 200 and Starbucks. Bard also thanks the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Department, the Vancouver Foundation, the B.C. Arts Council, the Province of B.C. and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continuing support.

About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, Bard is an annual summer festival with a mission to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare, surrounded by the natural beauty of Vancouver, British Columbia. Play performances run Tuesday through Sunday with matinees on selected weekends and weekdays and some special events on Monday evenings. All evening performances start at 7:30 pm.

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