Tuesday, August 4, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Drayton Entertainment has cancelled all remaining productions in its 2020 Season due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus (COVID-19). The final cancellations include We’ll Meet Again (St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre), Return To Grace (Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge), Evita (St. Jacobs Country Playhouse), The Sound of Music (Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge) and Wizard of Oz: The Panto (St. Jacobs Country Playhouse). The Youth Education Program production of Disney’s High School Musical, which was to be the inaugural production in an annual project, is also cancelled, along with special events and rentals throughout the remainder of the year.
Drayton Entertainment operates in accordance with advice from public health authorities and in compliance with directives from government agencies. Although the province has moved into Stage Three of Ontario’s reopening plan, physical distancing and audience capacity restrictions render it unfeasible to present the remaining shows in the season as originally scheduled. The wellness of patrons, staff, artists, volunteers, and the community continues to be of paramount importance in making this decision.
“Part of the magic inherent in the live theatre experience is that it is communal. Unfortunately, every indication is that it simply is not safe at this time for audiences to gather en masse,” says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director & CEO of Drayton Entertainment. “However, should things change and we are able to open our doors and present programming to the size of audience required in order for it to be viable, we will certainly consider alternate programming later this year.”
The complete list of cancelled productions is available below and online at www.draytonentertainment.com.
“We’re disappointed not to be able to share these productions with audiences, but health and safety and long-term sustainability must be our top priorities,” says Brent Ravelle, President of the volunteer Board of Directors for Drayton Entertainment. “We know families will be particularly sad to miss out on the annual holiday panto and our highly-anticipated production of The Sound of Music. We hope that by keeping our doors closed for the fall, that we will be able to resume operations with greater confidence in 2021 and go back to sharing the magic of live theatre with our communities.”
All Drayton Entertainment Box Offices are closed to in-person traffic but continue to operate remotely through phone and email communication in a reduced capacity. Patrons who have purchased tickets for cancelled performances will be contacted by the Box Office over the next several weeks to facilitate account credits, refunds, or donations. Drayton Entertainment requests patience and cooperation as the team works to accommodate patron needs as operational capabilities permit. Due to the volume of cancellations, it may take up to six weeks until September 18 to process all return requests.
Current information regarding programming cancellations is posted on the Drayton Entertainment website at www.draytonentertainment.com/online/article/coronavirus.
The list of cancelled productions includes:
Billy Bishop Goes To War (St. Jacobs)
Buying The Farm (Drayton)
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Drayton, Grand Bend)
The Dixie Swim Club (Drayton, Penetanguishene, Grand Bend, Cambridge)
Driving Miss Daisy (St. Jacobs)
Evita (St. Jacobs)
A Few Good Men (St. Jacobs)
Fiddler on the Loose (Grand Bend, Penetanguishene, Cambridge)
42nd Street (Cambridge, Grand Bend)
A Gentleman’s Guide To Love & Murder (St. Jacobs)
Kinky Boots (Cambridge, Grand Bend)
On Golden Pond (Cambridge)
Return To Grace (Drayton, Cambridge)
Rock of Ages (St. Jacobs, Grand Bend, Penetanguishene)
Sleeping Beauty: The Panto (Penetanguishene, Grand Bend)
The Sound of Music (Cambridge)
We’ll Meet Again (St. Jacobs)
Wizard of Oz: The Panto (St. Jacobs)
Youth Education Program Production of Disney’s Frozen Jr. (Grand Bend)
Youth Education Program Production of Disney’s High School Musical (St. Jacobs)
