Sleeping Beauty

Amidst overgrown vines and crumbling walls of stone, an age-old story quietly echoes in the abandoned halls of a long-forgotten castle. The story of a kingdom in peril, and a princess cursed to an eternal sleep by a dark fairy. A story of magic, fate, and choice longing to awaken, and to be shared once more. This is the story of Sleeping Beauty.

This award-nominated re-imagining of the classic tale promises to be an experience you won’t forget!

Each performance features three professional actors, a live musician, and the chance for the entire school to sing along with the cast.

Don't miss the opportunity to experience this innovative reimagining of one of the most famous fairy tales of all time!

Farren is an Edmonton-based actor, writer and director. He became the Artistic Director of Alberta Musical Theatre Company in 2006, and has since written and directed a number of productions for the company, including Little Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, Rumpelstiltskin, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and Hansel and Gretel. Other directing credits include Songs for a New World at the 2005 Edmonton Fringe Festival; Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the Mayfield Theatre; Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s and The Infinite Shiver for Teatro La Quindicina (both of which he also wrote the lyrics for); Pippin for the Young Companies at the Citadel Theatre; The Light in the Piazza for Grant MacEwan University; and Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale for the C'Mon Ensemble at the 2018 Edmonton Fringe Festival. Acting credits include Made in Italy for Western Canada Theatre; The Light in the Piazza for Theatre Calgary; As You Like It and Coriolanus for Freewill Shakespeare Festival; Shakespeare in Love, Peter and the Starcatcher, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Monty Python’s Spamalot for the Citadel Theatre; Marvellous Pilgrims, The Scent of Compulsion and A Rocky Night for His Nibs For Teatro La Quindicina; Waiting for Godot for Wishbone Theatre; Early Bloomer for Concrete Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors for the Mayfield Theatre. Farren has been honoured by the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes on a number of occasions, most recently for his performances in Made in Italy and Monty Python’s Spamalot, as well as for his direction of AMTC's Pinocchio. In 2015, Farren was included in Avenue Magazine’s prestigious list of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40, in recognition of his artistic contributions to the city. This season, in addition to his work at Alberta Musical Theatre Company, Farren can be seen at The Citadel Theatre and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in a Beatles-inspired version of Shakespeare's As You Like It.

During his time with Alberta Opera, Jeff Unger established himself as an important creative voice in Alberta, entertained millions of students and adults across Western Canada, and watched the company grow into a major force in school touring. He co-authored and composed music for sixteen original fairy tale adaptations including Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Puss in Boots, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin. The Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards recognized Jeff’s musicals and his work as a Musical Director on several occasions, and in 2012 he received the award for Outstanding Score for his work on Pinocchio. In 2010, after more than a decade touring his works, Jeff became an Artistic Director of Alberta Opera, a position he held until his passing in 2015. 

Stephanie Urquhart is an Edmonton-based pianist and composer. She has been featured at the Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, and was selected to present her music at the 2019 International Jazz Composers' Symposium (IJCS) at the University of Northern Colorado, as well as the 2017 IJCS at the University of South Florida. She toured with Alberta Musical Theatre Company (formerly Alberta Opera) for two seasons from 2015-2017 as the accompanist for The Steadfast Tin Soldier and Hansel and Gretel. Stephanie is thrilled and honoured to be returning to the company to help contribute to Jeff Unger’s beautiful music. Recent theatre credits include music director for Triassic Parq, Xanadu (Uniform Theatre); music director The Marvelous Wonderettes, pianist//conductor Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Foote in the Door Productions); pianist/conductor Big Fish, Footloose (Scona Theatre Co.); score composition/music director Pretty Boy: The Musical (Skinny Love Productions).

Mackenzie is a graduate of MacEwan University's Theatre Arts Program, and holds certificates from the Royal Conservatory of Music in both voice and piano. Select Theatre Credits include: Triassic Parq for Uniform Theatre; Klondykes for Guys in Disguise and Theatre Network; Hedwig and the Angry Inch, American Idiot for Scona Alumni Theatre; The National Elevator Project for Theatre Yes; Marvelous Pilgrims for Teatro la Quindicina; Sleeping Beauty for Alberta Opera; Calvin Berger, Dogfight, Songs for a New World for Three Form Theatre, Merrily We Roll Along, Xanadu for MacEwan University. Musical Directing credits include: Baba Yaga, Pinocchio for Alberta Musical Theatre Company; LIZZIE, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for Uniform Theatre; The Killing Jar, Spring Awakening for SatCo.; Big Fish, Footloose, Rent, The Addams Family for Scona Theatre Co., Zanna, Don't!, Ordinary Days, Songs for a New World, I Love You Because for Three Form Theatre.  She is the founder of local company, Uniform Theatre. 

Izzy is a graduate from the University of Alberta and holds a Bachelor in fine arts in technical theatre, majoring in Stage Management. Her most recent credits include Stage Manager "Pinocchio" (AMTC), Stage Manager "Jezebel, at the Still Point" (Bumble Bear Productions), and Apprentice Stage Manager "A Christmas Carol" and "The Party" (Citadel Theatre). Izzy had an amazing time working on "Pinocchio" last season, and is beyond thrilled to be working with AMTC again this year on "Sleeping Beauty". She is so grateful to have the opportunity to create with these amazing artists as they prepare to tour for the season, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Trent is an Edmonton based artist and arts enabler with a specialty in activating non-traditional performance spaces. A graduate of Grant MacEwan's Theatre Production program and The Banff Centre for the Arts, Trent has spent the last 10 years as a Lighting Designer, Production Manager, Technical Director, Entertainment Programmer, Site Manager, and Theatre Technician.

Collaborating with the Alberta Musical Theatre team is always a joy, creating costumes for Pinnochio, Hansel and Gretel, Aladdin, and Jack and the Beanstalk.  The Edmonton based designer has worked with numerous local theatres, garnering 9 Sterling nominations and 3 Sterling awards for costume design. Currently she is the head of wardrobe and resident costume designer at Edmonton Opera where she has designed costumes for recent productions Count Ory, Cinderella, and HMS PInafore.

Patrick is a proud halfbreed of Nlaka'pamux and Irish Canadian heritage. He is always excited to work with his office mates from The Playhouse where he works as Concrete Theatre’s General Manager. Growing up in central Alberta, he has an extensive history with Red Deer’s Prime Stock Theatre, Ignition Theatre, Tree House Youth Theatre and Red Deer College. Recent works include lighting Triassic Parq (Uniform Theatre), Constellations (Flaming Peanuts), Songs My Mother Never Sung Me, CTRL-ALT-DEL and The Antyssey (Concrete Theatre), Pinocchio (Alberta Musical Theatre Company), Honour Beat (Theatre Calgary), and co-directing Reckoning (Article 11). Up next, Patrick is lighting Proof for Ignition Theatre. pbeagan.com

Alyson Horne is a graduate of the MacEwan Theatre Arts program (2018) and is thrilled to be making her AMTC debut in Sleeping Beauty. During her time at MacEwan, she appeared in Sister Act, Love and Information and City of Angels as Mallory. Since MacEwan, she has had the pleasure of working on The Nightingale (2018) and Urashima Taro (2019) with Theatre Prospero at the Thousand Faces Festival. Alyson also appeared in The Festival Player’s Singin’ In the Rain as Lina Lamont. Originally from Winnipeg MB, other favourite credits include Into the Woods as Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Hermia and Legally Blonde as Brooke Wyndham. Alyson is very excited to bring her favourite childhood fairy-tale to life with this incredible team. 

Kelsey Visscher is an Edmonton based actor and singer, and a graduate of Grant MacEwan’s Theatre Arts program. She has continued her studies in musical theatre both here in Edmonton, as well as in New York City. She has also recently completed her Gr. 8 RCM theory and was a finalist in the Alberta Music Festival’s Musical Theatre Class.  Kelsey is one of the founders of Strictly Business Theatre, along with friend and colleague Kayla Nickel. Together they produce and perform an ongoing series of cabarets. Kelsey is very excited to be joining AMTC this year and looks forward to bringing theatre to audiences across the province!

Aran Wilson-McAnally is a recent graduate from MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program (2019), appearing in their productions of 9 to 5 as Joe, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Lysander and Guys and Dolls as Nicely Nicely Johnson. Other favourite credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, Cloud Nine as Betty and A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge. Sleeping Beauty will be Aran’s second credit after his time at MacEwan, his first being Urashima Taro with Theatre Prospero at the 2019 Thousand Faces Festival. He is incredibly excited to join the AMTC team and bring this fantastic show to communities around Alberta.

Yvonne Boon is a contemporary pianist from Edmonton. She graduated from MacEwan University in 2014 with diplomas in Piano Performance and Composition. She attained her ARCT Performers with the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2019. Yvonne has accompanied at the Edmonton Kiwanis Festival, performed at Kaleido Family Arts Festivals, K-Days, Animethon, and at various other local venues. She enjoys singing and playing in pop bands and open mics.

Currently, Yvonne is having a fantastic year with Alberta Opera's Pinocchio tour, and is excited to be part of AMTC's Sleeping Beauty tour!