Hamlet, The Sound of Music headline Stratford Festival 2015
Sara Farb stars in The Diary of Anne Frank; Steven Page composes score for Hamlet
Hamlet, The Sound of Music and The Diary of Anne Frank will headline this year's Stratford Festival in Ontario in a program that celebrates several milestone anniversaries.
Sara Farb stars as Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, 60 years after the first stage adaptation of the Jewish teenager's diary, which has become the most famous chronicle of life under Nazi occupation during the Second World War.
- Colm Feore's King Lear performance in Stratford Festival to premiere on the big screen
- The Sound of Music returns to theatres as movie industry seeks new money from old films
Farb had previously played two of the most iconic women in Shakespeare's canon, Cordelia in King Lear and Jessica, daughter of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
Stephanie Rothenberg plays lead Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music. The iconic 1965 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, though the original stage version debuted four years earlier.
"Like many of the titles on this season's playbill, The Sound of Music tells an inspiring story of emotional and spiritual self-discovery," artistic director Antoni Cimolino said in a press release. "Maria's realization of her true destiny awakens her heart and leads to one of the most enduring love stories of our time."
Runs May 25 to October 18
As for The Bard's headliners this year, Jonathan Goad stars in Hamlet; Ben Carlson and Deborah Hay star in The Taming of the Shrew; Evan Buliung stars in The Adventures of Pericles; and Mike Shara stars in Love's Labour Lost.
Goad moves up the card in the title role for Hamlet, after earning critical praise as Kent in King Lear last year, as well as alternating as Titania and Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Canadian music fans will also appreciate Hamlet's score, composed by former Barenaked Ladies member Steven Page.
The festival runs until October 18 in Stratford, Ont. Click here for tickets and the full list of productions.