The Frog Prince
The Frog Prince Adapted by Garner Butler and Jeff Unger, Music by Jeff Unger, Directed by Farren Timoteo, Gloriana: Kendra Connor, The Frog: Matt Alden, Photos by Kevin Liu
Hop over to the mysterious bog at the side of the castle for an adventure in friendship with Princess Glorianna and her royalty-struck frog. Alberta Opera’s The Frog Prince contains all the classic elements of the traditional fairy tale plus many comic touches that will take your students on a wondrous journey as they learn lessons about acceptance and the importance of friendship. The spoiled and lonely Princess whose only friend is a golden ball, the frog who discovers a place to belong, and the ravenous Bogman comes to life in this fast-paced and uplifting tale that your students will long remember.
Cast and Crew
Brian Bast
Costume Designer
An Actor, Director, Designer and Writer. Brian has been designing costumes for Alberta Opera for the last 3 years on their productions of The Frog Prince and Cinderella: for which he received an Edmonton Sterling nomination for best costumes. Brian has designed for many theatres in Edmonton and around Western Canada including Shadow Theatres, Theatre Network, Red Deer College, Grande Prairie Live Theatre, Theatre Yes, Sound and Fury Theatre and Theatre Prospero. Brian has been the resident Costume Designer for Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts for the last 8 years. A few of his favourite productions he has designed include: Ten x Two, Suessical: The Musical, The Weir, Thoroughly Modern Millie, My Name is Rachel Corrie, As You Like It, The Music Man, Macbeth, Little Shop of Horrors, The Mercy Seat and My Fair Lady. Brian is also a multiple Sterling Award nominee for theatre design and winner for Costume Design for Shadow Theatres 2006 production of 10 x 2. As well as the recipient of the 2007 Beta Sigma Phi Theatre Arts Scholarship Endowment.
Jamie Betts
Stage Manager
Jamie is a recent graduate of Red Deer College’s Technical Theatre Program. She has been acting and stage managing since the age of 12 and has enjoyed being involved in over 21 professional and amateur productions. Her most recent stage management credits include Sad Victoria’s Pelican Day, which debuted at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 2008 and Concrete Theatre’s Smokescreen in the fall of 2008. She is looking forward to working with Alberta Opera for the first time on her second touring show.
Brad Duffy
Lily, The King and The Bogman
An Alberta-ish based actor, Brad's most recent credits include playing Dr.House in "Grey's House of Anatomy," and Jack Bauer in "29" with Jubilations. He has never been a bogman before now however, and has been getting into character by sampling odd cuisines such as mudpies and princess-stew. Travelling out to B.C. will be a nice change from his usual routine of touring the exotic tundra of central Canada; he would describe his life as vagabondish had not someone else in the cast already used that particular description. Maybe tomorrow he'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow he'll just keep movin' on.
Ellie Heath
Princess Gloriana
Ellie Heath is an actress based out of Edmonton. She graduated the Theatre Arts program at Grant MacEwan College in 2007. Since then, she has become a vagabond drama queen, travelling across Canada to act. This past year took her to Canmore and Niagara Falls to sing and dance and make funnies in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," and then she drove through B.C. with Alberta Opera for a tiny spring tour. She also had an awesome summer in Edmonton, lapping it up at Nextfest in a fun show called Surprise! and then playing a crazy butterfly in Anime the Play. This year, she will once again grace the stages of Niagara Falls at Christmas time. Then she will cross the country in the springtime to play Princess Gloriana in Alberta Opera's B.C. tour of the Frog Prince. Travelling and acting and playing a princess... What more could a girl ask for?
Hilary Hornberger
Musican
Pianist, Composer, Performer, Arranger/Transcriber, Choreographer is excited to be accompanying for Alberta Opera this season. Credits include: Lucky Stiff (Annabelle), Into the Woods (Cinderella), See How they Run (Ida), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Alice, Millie u/s), 42nd Street (Phyllis), Candide (2nd Sheep). Choreography; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hello Dolly, Guys and Dolls and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Hilary was privileged to compose and perform the score for the stage productions of “Macbeth” and “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” and has been involved in composing and arranging music for numerous theatre projects and artists around Alberta. She received a BMUS from the University of Calgary in piano and a Theatre Arts Diploma from Grant MacEwan College. Hilary has studied and loves all forms of dance but holds a certain fondness for Jazz and Tap and she is currently working on a Demo recording of original music. Hilary has previously accompanied for Ballet and Musical Theatre and is excited to be returning to the bench once more.
Marissa Kochanski
Set Designer
Marissa opened the Fringe season as set/costume designer and co-creator of Firefly Theatre's production of Duck Duck Bang. Cinderella is Marissa's second design for Alberta Opera; last year she joined the team as set designer for The Frog Prince.
Matt Van Boeyen
The Frog
Based out of Edmonton, but hailing from Cranbrook BC, Matt Van Boeyen is excited to be working with Alberta Opera. Over the past year, Matt has been fortunate enough to perform in shows such as The Hot Mikado, Beauty and the Beast, Calamity Jane and My Blue Heaven. During the summer months Matt spent his time writing, directing and performing in his own musical comedy, One Fine Day, for The Carriage House Theatre in Cardston AB. Matt is also a recipient of the Cranbrook Community Theatre Award and Scholarship, as well as the Jaquie Daly Memorial Award for excellence in choral music. In the future Matt hopes to keep performing, traveling, and seeing more of the country. He is certainly excited to find his frog legs, and spring into action with this great show.