CAST
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Amanda is absolutely thrilled to be back for the exciting second showing of Tweed!
It is such an honor to work with passionate, creative people, who want to develop new Canadian works.
Growing up, Amanda was lucky enough to take singing lessons from great and inspiring teachers who encouraged her to work towards a career in musical theatre.
After high school, she attended St. Lawrence College for Music Theatre Performance, and has since been doing regional theatre in Ontario. Previous credits include: Emily/Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Janet in The Rocky Horror Show (Theatre Aquarius), Sarah in Tweed!, A Taste of Broadway, Cathy in The Last 5 Years (IANA), Phillipa in the Provincial Tour of Anne and Gilbert (1000 Islands Playhouse).
Amanda would like to encourage everyone to come and support IANA, and this amazing show!
EMILEE NIMETZ as Ellie
Born in the North and raised in small town Ontario, Nathan lives and works in Toronto. Since graduating from George Brown Theatre School in 2010, he has appeared in Theatre Panik's The Corpse Bride, dabbled in TV and voiceover work, and spent a season with the Blyth Festival. After living in Western Kenya for a summer, he developed Sema: The Kenya Project, a storytelling and music piece he has toured across Ontario. When not on stage, Nathan can be found with guitar in hand, coordinating backpacking trips around the world, swimming in any type of water he can find, or singing with his folk/r'n'b band We're Sorry We're So Famous.
NATHAN CARROLL as David
JORDAN PROBST as Jake / Barker / Guitar
Having participated in the original workshop of Tweed! Mark cannot wait to get this show back on its feet and bring it to a new audience. Mark has been involved with Iana Theatre for years both on and off stage and is grateful to have been able to watch the company grow. Past work includes Dickon - The Secret Garden (Triple Threat Theatre) Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival) Lefou - Beauty and the Beast, Mike - A Chorus Line (SLC Stage) Much love to Daddy Willett!
LORRETTA BAILEY as Mother
A native Albertan, Lorretta has performed for major theatres across the country and traveled as far as the Middle East entertaining the troops.
She earned a Dora nomination for her portrayal of Eponine in Les Miserables at the Royal Alex., as well as for Cinderella in Into the Woods and Liza in Outrageous at CanStage. She won a Stirling award for Cecilia in Simpatico, and earned a Stirling nomination for her critically acclaimed performance as Maria in The Sound of Music at the Citadel. Favorite credits include: Mary in Salt Water Moon (Magnus), Barbara in Major Barbara (Neptune), Zhaboonigan in The Rez Sisters, Renee in M. Butterfly (A.T.P.), Moms the Word (Arts Club) and Joni Mitchell: River (Playhouse).
An honours graduate of the B.F.A. Acting Program at the University of Alberta,
Ms. Bailey has enjoyed sharing her passion for Music Theatre with students at St.Lawrence College in Brockville and Sheridan in Oakville, and is very proud to perform in “Tweed”, a musical created and produced by her some of her favourite students.
JOEL MacMEEKIN as Priest / Pomeroy
JUSTIN COLLETTE as Jackson / Guitar / Percussion
VAL CASAULT as Ensemble
STEPHAN DICKSON as Ensemble
SHAWN HURFORD as Father
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Creative Team
KARINE BERUBE as Rose / Piano
AMANDA STRUTHMANN as Sarah
MARK WILLETT as Ensemble
SARAH STRANGE as Veira
Shawn is honoured and humbled to be revisiting the role he had the good fortune to play last year at TWEED's premier performance run. A graduate of St. Lawrence College - Brockville's Music Theatre Performance program, Shawn is making his way (slowly but surely) in the 3 years since graduating. Most memorable performances include Rum Tum Tugger in CATS, Herr Schultz in Cabaret, Teinhoven in TOT's production of Knickerbocker Holiday, and having a blast with English Pantomime these past 2 christmas seasons working with RISA productions. Hey, last christmas he even got to wear a dress and play a dame. It doesn't get much better than this. Shawn would like to thank his family and friends for their constant support, and Tim and Andre for creating and sharing such a magical piece of original, Canadian Theatre.
VANESSA DUNNE - Costume Designer
KATY JONES - Assistant Stage Manager / Wardrobe Mistress
EMILY MEWETT - Stage Manager
ANDRE MORIN - Composer / Music Director
TIM PORTER - Writer / Director
JON DEIGHAN - Producer
JENNI WALLS - Producer
STEPHAN DICKSON - Choreographer CHRIS MALKOWSKI - Lighting & Sound Designer
Carpenter
After originating these two roles last year, Joel is so pumped to bring these characters back to the stage again! A graduate of St. Lawrence College's Musical Theatre Performance Program. Some past theatre credits include, Cogsworth in Beauty & the Beast, Amos Hart in Chicago (SLC), Dancer in Steam Heat: A Fosse Celebration (Curtain Call Players), Amos Curruthers in Operation Impervious (Toronto Fringe), and Priest & Pomeroy in Tweed! (IANA). Other IANA credits includes, Playwright for Missing In Action, and Aleck Bell: A Canadian Pop Rock Musical, Video Director for The Last Five Years.You can see Joel in the upcoming national tour as Tyrone the Moose in The Backyardigans: Quest For the Extra Ordinary Aliens.
Joel would love to thank Tim and Andre for this unforgetable opportunity. He also would like to dedicate his performance to his family. They are his main source of support and love. Welcome To Tweed!
After rocking Alexander Gram Bell back from the dead in IANA’s Aleck Bell the Musical in the actual town of Tweed, Jordan is thrilled to be back on board with IANA in Tweed: A New Canadian Musical ! A small town boy raised north of the city in the actual town of Caledon, Jordan has made his way into the city to live and complete his last year of theatre school at George Brown College. Drop by the Young Center to check out his class’s upcoming season! Also, Jordan has a passion for music and on a sunny day, when tourists are flourishing in the streets of Toronto, you can find him and Andre busking around the city ‘begging’ for money. Thank you for coming to see the show!
Karine was raised in Russell Ontario, a small town near Ottawa, where she grew up playing and teaching piano. She pursued post secondary education at the University of Ottawa where she studied music and psychology. She would postpone her education after being accepted into St. Lawrence College’s Music Theatre Performance program in Brockville. Over the next three years her credits would include Marmee (Little Women), Woman II (I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change), Rose (Unity 1918) along with several others. After graduating with distinction, Karine spent five months in Moncton, NB performing almost nightly as Ginger in the bawdy comedy Victoria’s Secret. She now lives in Toronto where she had the amazing opportunity to play Mable in iana Theatre’s new Canadian Musical, Aleck Bell. Karine is thrilled to be welcomed back to the iana team this season.
Valerie is thrilled and grateful to be performing in the remount of "Tweed: A New Canadian Musical" with Iana! A graduate from the Musical Theater Performance program at St-Lawrence College, her credits include Rumpleteazer (CATS), Fraulein Kost (Cabaret), Columbia (The Rocky Horror Show), Apache Dancer (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and Ensemble/Dance Captain (Footloose). Valerie would like to thank her moms, family and friends for all their support over the years! Love you guys! Xoxo
Justin has been involved in theater and music for over a decade. While getting his B.A. in Theater and English from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. Justin is an alumni of the Canadian Improv Games where he now serves as a national judge and trainer. As an improviser he has taken the stage in places like Vancouver, New York, Toronto, Atlanta and Montreal. On the stage, he is proud to have been part of performing several Canadian plays including: Glenny in CORKER, Harry in BLOOD RELATIONS and, most recently, as Gardiner, President, Priest, Grandfather, Scot #1, Talking Machine, Mallet, and Mark Twain in Iana Theater’s production of ALECK BELL: THE MUSICAL.
Stephan is thrilled to be back working with IANA and this amazing cast for the re-mount of this remarkable show. Stephan was a choreographer on the award winning production Ragtime, and has won several choreographic awards for his work on "Titanic" (CCMP), and " Peter Pan". Stephan was the resident Hip-Hop Choreographer for Stopping Place (Induo) and for the KODAK Ad-spot "Booming Aunty" (Spy Films). Starting his career training at Canadian Dance Company, Stephan has gone on to perform and choreograph with companies all over the world. He'dlike to thank his family, friends, Glickman Talent, and teachers for all their love and support. Enjoy the show!!!
Emilee is very excited to be working on this brand new Canadian Musical, Tweed: The Musical! Her past credits with IANA Theatre Company include Choreography as well as performing in Aleck Bell: Canada's Pop Rock Musical this past spring in the wonderful town of Tweed. Other performance credits include: Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Being turned into gold in Metamorphoses, up in the sky as Grape Girl in Pippin, an imaginary Scot in Brigadoon (Theatre Sheridan), and a very disturbed office worker in Terrorism (Passionfool). A special thanks to Stephen for his wild visions, to Tim for creating this magical show, and to Andre for his passionate, inspiring, and beautiful music. And as always, to the dancelings, without whom I would never be too in love to let it go. Welcome to Tweed everyone, and enjoy the show!
Sarah Strange is thrilled to be a part of this fantastic show with all of it's ridiculously talented cast and crew. Favourite past credits include 'Angie' in NTP's Angie, 'Polly Pry' in the workshop of CANNIBAL the Musical, 'Belle Mae Steinberg' in Theatre Sheridan's My Favourite Year, and 'Carrie Okie' in Blind Eye Productions' Karaoke: the Musical. She would like to thank her Noodle for her unending amounts of love and support! Xoxo
This is Emily’s first season working as General Manager for IANA Theatre Company – with two original musicals written by such talented Canadian artists, it’s a great season to start with! She feels honoured and blessed to be working with such a talented cast and crew as the stage manager. Past stage management credits include: Aleck Bell, Cocktails for Two Hundred, Tweed! A New Canadian Musical (the workshop), A Taste of Broadway and Last Five Years (IANA Theatre Company); Breakin’ Up is Hard to Do and The Producers (Stage West Mississauga); and several seasons with The Stirling Festival Theatre. Many thanks to Tim, Andre, her family, and YOU for supporting IANA. See you at the show!
Katy Jones has been hating writing bios since stage managing Beauty and the Beast in 2008. Since then, she has gone into Ryerson University’s performance production program, where she has had to write many bios for shows such as Choreographic Works 2010, The Breeding of Guns, and Dances 2010.. Katy has also written IANA bios for Tweed! The Musical, and for Aleck Bell, A Canadian Pop Rock Musical. Katy dreams of a world where she doesn’t have to write any bios at all, and can just sit around hugging all the cats. Many many thanks to Tim, Andre, Stephan and Emily for making such an amazing piece of theatre come to life, and to my family, Alexander, and my cat Sugar.
Hello, and welcome to TWEED! Andre and I started this adventure more than three years ago, sitting in an actor house in Stirling, Ontario. I had come to Andre with this germ of an idea. The town of Tweed had a fascinating history, one that was meant to be a musical in my opinion, but more than that, the town’s history perfectly reflected that of most small towns around Ontario, and we thought, ‘what a great thing to explore, the trials and tribulations of founding a country from scratch’. Here was born, TWEED: A New Canadian Musical. This show is first and foremost, an entertainment. A story and an exploration of beginnings, relationships, and those left behind. This show is an entirely original and entirely Canadian creation, and it has been an incredible adventure getting to this point. We have been blessed with some of the most talented performers in the country for this world premiere production, and the joy, talent, energy and dedication that they have brought to this process are overwhelming. We thank you for coming to share in this experience with us, and for being a supporter of original Canadian work. For those of you who have been to the small community of TWEED, you will know the magic that the town possesses. Our country is full of stories and history and adventure and our simple goal in creating this piece was to bring some of that to you.
Andre Morin is an actor/singer/writer from the small town of Read Ontario. He has been writing music for himself since high school and in the past few years decided to take a hand at writing a musical with his good friend Tim Porter. "Tweed" is the product of that collaboration. He couldn't be happier than working with such an amazing cast and crew. Big thanks to Mom, Dad, Alex, Grandma, Emily, Tim, and the entire cast of "Tweed" for all their hard work and dedication to the show. And a very special thanks to my musical collaborators, Justin Collette, Karine Berube, Melissa O'Neil and Jordan Probst whose suggestions and talent have been instrumental in shaping the music.
