Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life

A celebration of the life for the mysterious and magnetic spiritual leader Dr. Leonard P. Silver. A sung-through, psychedelic dissolution into the transcendental power of music.

Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life was our inaugural co-production with Outside the March, Canada’s leaders in immersive theatre, created by two of the most exciting and innovative artists in Canadian musical theatre, Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson.

Dr. Silver was presented as part of The Crescendo Series, a three-year commitment by The Musical Stage Company to produce the work of Britta Johnson and her collaborators.

VIDEO GALLERY

PHOTO GALLERY

A Musical Stage Company and Outside the March Experience.

Crescendo Series Leading Light

Anne-Marie Canning

★★★/ 4 – “There’s no escaping the effects of Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life. An experiential marvel. The Globe & Mail

★★★/ 4 – “It’s full of dazzle, charm, convincing performances and crafty slogans. It’s easy to get sucked in. The Toronto Star

★★★★/ 5 – “Unlike anything you’ve seen before. Stage Door

This is prime, mature musical theatre writing with echoes of Sondheim. Mooney on Theatre

Credits

Book, Music & Lyrics by Anika Johnson & Britta Johnson
A Musical Stage Company and Outside the March Experience
Part of the Crescendo Series

Dr. Silver was originally commissioned by The Musical Stage Company and Outside the March (FORWARD MARCH).

Dr. Silver has been developed in part with the Luminato Festival and through The Collaborations at Canada’s National Arts Centre.

Dr. Silver has been supported in part by the National Fund for New Musicals, a program of National Alliance for Musical Theatre and in part by the Innovation & Exploration Grant, a program of National Alliance for Musical Theatre, with funding from The Alhadeff Charitable Foundation – www.namt.org

The playwrights acknowledge the assistance of the 2018 Banff Playwrights Lab – a partnership between the Banff Centre and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Company

Book, Music, and Lyrics by
Anika Johnson & Britta Johnson

Directror
Mitchell Cushman

Music Director & Supervisor
Elizabeth Baird

Accompanist & Conductor
Adam Sakiyama

Featuring
Rielle Braid, Peter Deiwick, Bruce Dow, Donna Garner, Kira Guloien & Edge of the Sky Young Company from Wexford Collegiate as The Silver Singers

Production Designers
Nick Blais, Anahita Dehbonehie & Ken Mackenzie

Video Designer
Nick Bottomley

Sound Designer
Richard Feren

Stage Manager
Kate Sandeson

Apprentice Stage Manager
Lucy McPhee

Production Manager
Oz Weaver

Associate Production Manager
C.J. Astronomo

Choreographer & Assistant Director
Barbara Johnston

Arrangements by
Bram Gielen

Venue

Venue Info

The Toronto Heliconian Club is the oldest association of its kind in Canada. Founded in 1909 to give women in the arts and letters an opportunity to meet socially and intellectually, the Club holds to its original purpose while responding to the changes of contemporary life. The hall itself dates from 1875 when Yorkville was a rural village on the outskirts of Toronto. Originally a church and then the headquarters of a painters’ union, the building was bought by the club in 1923 and named Heliconian Hall. Its architecture is Carpenter’s Gothic with a simple board and batten exterior, and with the embellishment of a Victorian rose window and carved rafters in a high vaulted ceiling. Its good acoustical properties are a boon to this day to the Club’s musicians and other performers. Heliconian Hall is one of the few church buildings of this style in southern Ontario. It was designated a Toronto historic site in 1990 and a National Historic Site in 2008.

Heliconian Hall is centrally located at 35 Hazelton Avenue, in the heart of Yorkville.

Outside the March and The Musical Stage Company are committed to making the experience of Dr Silver as accessible as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Show Calendar

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

WINNER! Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble – 2019 Dora Award

September 13 - October 21, 2018