Freewill Shakespeare Festival returns to Hawrelak Park
Much Ado About Nothing and Broadway musical Something Rotten! play the newly renovated Heritage Amphitheatre June 17–July 12.
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After years of displacement due to COVID-19 and park renovations, Freewill Shakespeare Festival is returning to its spiritual home—the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park—with a new format and two ambitious productions.
Artistic director Dave Horak is equal parts excited and nervous. "To get back to the park and fill that big space is a big challenge," he says. The pandemic and park closure forced the company to downsize; rebuilding to fill the vast amphitheatre requires rethinking everything.
The festival opens June 17 with Much Ado About Nothing, a classic comedy directed by Ian Leung and featuring 10 Freewill favourites including Nadien Chu, Ron Pederson, Troy O'Donnell, and John Ullyatt. It runs through June 28.
Then comes the wildcard: Something Rotten!, a Shakespeare-inspired musical opening July 1 and running through July 12. Horak, who taught musical theatre at MacEwan University for two decades, directs this 2015 Broadway production, which earned 10 Tony nominations. The show follows two brothers trying to compete with Shakespeare himself on the Elizabethan stage—think mistaken identities, catastrophic mishaps, and elaborate song-and-dance numbers.
Starring Edmonton artists Stephen Allred, Brian Christensen, Eli Yaschuk, and Melenie Reid, the musical was made possible through partnerships with Edmonton Pops Orchestra (whose artistic director Michael Clark is music director) and Shelley's Dance Company (founder Shelley Tookie designs choreography). These collaborations brought funding and personnel—a full orchestra, dancers, and chorus—that the festival couldn't have assembled alone.
The renovated amphitheatre now has new, more comfortable seating and closer proximity between audience and stage. There are improved dressing rooms and easier access for vendors and tents. Horak and his team have secured an impressive set used previously by Edmonton Opera, featuring a two-storey structure that works for both productions.
"We really want to fill the space with colour and the set and costumes…but still try to hold on to the intimacy of telling these stories," Horak says.
Unlike previous years, the two shows don't alternate on alternating nights. Instead, the festival runs one production, then transitions to the next. Horak encourages audiences to see both and experience the full range of what the company has rebuilt.
Tickets start at $30 for the comedy and $40 for the musical. Children under 12 are free, and numerous Pay-What-You-Will performances are available. The festival runs rain or shine. "Everything is brand new and clean," Horak says. "There's nothing like it."