Montreal, April 2006 – An all new season of First Class Theatre comes to Montreal next year as Segal Theatre Artistic Director Bryna Wasserman proudly announced the 2006-07 lineup today. Headlined by Amanda Plummer, in Shakespeare For My Father, the 2006-07 season will also feature a journey through the worlds of jazz, classical and klezmer music in The Satchmo’ Suite, Amadeus and Those Were The Days.

We consistently strive to produce for each person, on both sides of the stage, such moments and memories as those that initially sparked and that continue to sustain our passion for theatre. “That’s our vision, crafted together as a theatre team,” Wasserman said. “All of us at The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre take pride in the fact that our goal, always, is to provide a First Class Theatre experience.”

Amanda Plummer is one of the most accomplished actors in North America today. She is the recipient of numerous, prestigious awards for her work, including multiple Emmy Awards and a Tony Award in 1982 for her role as Agnes in Agnes of God. Ms. Plummer most recently appeared on stage at the Stratford Festival in last season’s production of The Lark. But she is perhaps best known for playing the part of Honey Bunny, created specifically for her by Quentin Tarantino in his film, Pulp Fiction. Shakespeare for my Father will be presented as part of The Montreal High Lights Festival. Ms. Plummer recreates an exhilarating homage to a larger than life father through reminiscences and interwoven snippets from some of Shakespeare's most memorable works.

In October, Diana Leblanc (Rose) returns to direct Fallen Angels, a comic gem by the man whom friends and colleagues called “The Master,” Noël Coward. Fallen Angels is one of his finest comedies, a tale of two happily married couples whose friendship is put to the test upon the arrival of a handsome gentleman carrying ties to their pasts.

The Satchmo’ Suite by Hans Böggild and Doug Innis is a musical play about the relationship between a modern day black classical cellist and the 'Father of Jazz' himself, Louis Armstrong. The cellist summons Louis Armstrong to get help with a difficult musical passage from Bach’s Six Suites for Solo Cello. It's about the polarities between the head and the heart, the intellect and intuition. This collaboration with Eastern Front Theatre is The Segal’s first with its colleagues in the Maritimes. “Doug and I are thrilled to be doing our jazz musical with the Segal Theatre in one of the world’s greatest jazz and music cities,” says co-creator and director, Hans Böggild. “Key parts of the story happen in Montreal and Louis Armstrong visited the city regularly, so we’re unbelievably excited to stage the show here.”

Director Chris Abraham (The Glass Menagerie, Hedda Gabler) returns to The Segal Theatre with Doug Wright’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-inning play, I Am My Own Wife. Inspired by interviews conducted by the playwright over several years the play tells the fascinating story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite who managed to survive the rise and fall of the Third Reich as well as the post-war Communist regime. I Am My Own Wife is a striking solo performance; a portrayal of more than 40 characters, including the controversial figure herself, and the American writer who became intrigued with her.

The English language portion of the season is rounded off with Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, directed by Alexandre Marine. This is the multi award-winning play about the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri, two master composers at the top of their games in 18th century Vienna. Says Alexandre Marine: “Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus is a play about envy recounted by Salieri himself; a man, who, being a good musician, understands perfectly well the place Mozart holds in the world of music, a place Salieri can never come close to even in the slightest bit.”

The 2006-07 season culminates with The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre’s presentation of Those Were The Days by Zalmen Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld, a musical tribute to the history of Yiddish Theatre, directed by Bryna Wasserman. “It is a vehicle to express the beloved folk songs that were actually created for the Yiddish stage,” Wasserman noted. “It takes us back to a time when people went to the theatre to forget their troubles; a time of the ‘Wandering Stars’, troubadours who traveled from town to town, devoting their lives to building the Yiddish theatre. It was the training ground for future icons of the modern entertainment industry like Stella Adler, Sidney Lumet and Paul Muni.” Those Were The Days is a celebration of music and heritage that crosses age, cultural and linguistic barriers.

The wildly popular Sunday-@-the Saidye lecture series will once again be presented by CBC Radio One next season but under a new name, Sunday-@-the Segal. Wasserman: “We consistently strive to give our audience a real voice in what happens at our theatre, to transmit our passion for the stage and what inspires great theatre. We are so thankful to our loyal audience and to CBC Radio for helping make this program into the jewel of our theatre’s crown. Although the name may change slightly next season, it’s still the same great program.”

Another program gaining in popularity with each passing season is Monday Night Talkbacks. The Segal Theatre is proud once again to be partnered with Pratt and Whitney Canada in presenting this opportunity for audiences and artists to talk about their shared theatrical experience. Monday Night Talkbacks are a reflection of the drama, emotion, the here and now of live theatre. Wasserman adds: “The success of Monday Night Talkbacks and Sunday-@-the Segal are perhaps a reflection of a need for people in this age of virtual relationships to participate in actual relationships. We couldn’t be more delighted to provide that to our audience.”

Wasserman concluded: “This season will feature first class artists performing in first class plays. On behalf of the whole Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre family, I look forward to another season of First Class Theatre. “