Officially exiting 'Weaseltown'.
Duke of Weselton was my most-performed role with an ambitious 12-show run of Frozen. It was a very special one; sharing the stage with my amazing little princess, Danika. We watched and acted out Frozen many times when she was young, and so it was such a joy seeing her shine on stage and have so much fun with this musical.
Weselton was the type of role I adore, where I'm allowed to be goofy, and I was given a lot of freedom to ham it up and play him very big and campy. I was also trusted to play a few subtle moments and hint at what would be a little redemptive moment at the end.
I'm grateful my take on Weselton was such a huge hit with audiences. I was humbled by the end-of-show responses on my bows, and the laughs I was able to garner throughout the show. I was touched by how many people told me this smaller supporting role turned out to be a favourite for many audiences and kids. This always shocks me, but I'm grateful I can connect with audiences and bring them joy.
This was also a show that really put my ego in check. I was put in my place, clearly shown my job for this production, and how I was perceived by others. This was a team effort, and I am so thankful for the talented directors, cast, crew, designers, and volunteers that made this a production that was such a massive hit with audiences in Fergus and Kitchener. I want to send out a Mount Everest-sized thank-you to everyone who came out to see us, too.
Everyone in this show deserves to be proud of their incredible effort and amazing work, from performing and set and prop creations to wizardry in the tech and backstage realms. I wanted to do a few quick shout-outs to specific people (and would love to acknowledge everyone, but then this would be skipped for being TLDR).
It has been a crazy and wild few months for Malakai Darien Fox and Marissa Kate Wilson, but despite that, they poured their all into directing and supporting this cast and crew. This production has some very unique and fun takes on this beloved story and musical, and that is due to its direction. I also learned so much from the natural charisma and stage presence Kai displayed as Kristoff, and it was such a joy playing off Marissa as her Elsa had to stomach my sleazy Weselton.
If you came to see the shows, you know Grace Course is a powerhouse performer, and she is one of the most talented people I've ever had the honour and gift to perform with. But what amazed me was that despite her amazing skills and stage presence, she was always so humble, willing to encourage others, make the backstage feel like a family, and is a truly remarkable human being. It was such a joy to get to know her; I really hope to share the stage with her again, and I'll never forget how kind she was to me and Danika.
It was wonderful to perform again with Andy Dominick, Lex Green, and Robert Scott. Andy has become someone I would call a true friend, and it was such a pleasure to get to do most of my scenes with him. He is so easy to play off, and my character would not have gotten the reactions it did if it wasn't for the great timing and facial expressions of Andy to work off. Plus, the great sets existed because of the gift and skills of this multi-talented phenom.
I've said it before, but again I want to say Rob is a major reason I stuck with theatre when I first felt so out of my element and that I didn't belong back in 2023. He is such a kind and encouraging person, but also his Oaken was an easy highlight of every show.
It was such a delight to see Lex grow as a performer and create a definitive Olaf. He was a crowd pleaser every night and afternoon, and has become such a gifted performer.
It was also a joy to meet young performers like Hayley Brown and Elizabeth Yeomans who are so gifted, but also were such kind and thoughtful people. The future of theatre is great with young people like this.
I must acknowledge Sarah Palermo, who every single night was such fun to do the tango with, and she was such a huge part in making sure that scene got a great response every single time. As well, she is such a sweet and empathetic person. When I was having a very rough show for outside reasons, I'll never forget the very generous and warm hug she gave me to help lift my spirits.
I am also grateful for meeting Diem Morriswala and their incredible wisdom and thoughtfulness that led to many nourishing backstage chats. I loved how a very small interaction on the stage grew into something very fun.
I'll end this by thanking Lars the Lackey, or more specifically, Andrew Moran, who is one of the friendliest and most joyful people I've met, and it was a lot of fun acting off each other. Once again, he was crucial in helping my character get laughs, and he is an incredible talent.
But the whole cast and crew were great. Please know that. This was a memorable experience, and definitely one I learned a lot from.
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