School these days…

Freezing, Bigger, Bolder…Colder the fast-paced family musical tradition that’s coming back to the Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa for a second year, is more than a fun holiday musical in our city. It’s also about how we can use the performance to educate, train and teach aspiring performers about how to work with professional actors and producers.

Ok, so let’s back up … a musical that educates? Tell me more.

The Ontario Ministry of Education reached out to the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs in the high schools to see if there was any opportunity to use their new I.C.E.(Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship) mentor program in a real life setting.

We’re already at work with Bernie Leger, from St. Peter High School in Orleans (@SPK_ocsb) who suggested that the school’s Musical Theatre SHSM could do the I.C.E. program with our Freezing – Bigger, Bolder… Colder production. It’s that perfect fit… we were in the right place at the right time for the students. And they are keen to work with us.

We have completed the six hours of class time that it takes to work through I.C.E. Program. Now the students are at work to build their ideas into plans to promote Freezing – Bigger, Bolder…Colder.

Everyone wins! The students get to work with people in the theatre and performance business. We get to put their sharp brains to work for our production. It’s a marketing and performance match made in heaven.

Visit Freezing The Musical to find out more about how you and your family can participate in this burgeoning Ottawa tradition.

Don’t forget about our @SelfieontheShelfiehe’s an up and comer in this business, and he can probably teach us all about a little bit of cold, magic and fun. You can also follow us @FreezingMusical on Twitter.

Ticket info www.FreezingTheMusical.com or call 613-­233-­4523.

This holiday spectacle is made possible by the generous support of the Preston Street BIA, Porter Airlines, Greystone Village, ReEnvision, Metroland Media and Funhaven.

 

Freezing Bigger, Bolder … Colder “A little peek behind the scenes”

Think it’s easy for @SelfieontheShelfie to bring Freezing back to Ottawa? Think again!  This year it’s Bigger, Bolder … Colder, and there is so much to do — and for a little elf — well, he loves every minute of it!

Our friend, SelfieontheShelfie getting ready for Freezing Bigger, Bolder … Colder in Ottawa. Coming next month to the Gladstone.

Today in a magical studio far, far away, our @SelfieonTheShelfie worked with his team to put together some promotional videos for the Bigger Bolder … Colder family musical that’s coming to Ottawa next month. To get everything just right, this little sprite works his team hard and he’s a pretty darned accomplished actor.

In some fantastic outfits designed and built by Lu-Anne Connell, the costume and set designer for Freezing Bigger Bolder … Colder,  (our elf friend calls her Grandma) @SelfieontheShelfie took his cast through some exercises in magic and in transforming a big snow monster into …

Oh wait, I’m not going to tell you all the secrets here, you’re going to have to wait for the videos, so that you can see and cheer on for yourself.

Grab you mittens, get your coats, @SelfieontheShelfie is back in town, you’ll see him around a lot as he gets ready for Freezing Bigger, Bolder … and Colder to blow into the cozy warm Gladstone Theatre from December 18 to January 3.

Visit Freezing The Musical for just a taste of the magic in store for you and your family. Watch this space to learn more about @SelfieontheShelfie and his imaginative adventures around town.

Ticket info www.FreezingTheMusical.com or call 613-­233-­4523.

This holiday spectacle is made possible by the generous support of the Preston Street BIA, Porter Airlines, Greystone Village, ReEnvision, Metroland Media and Funhaven.

Generous goes Bigger, Bolder…Colder

Okay, I have a fun story for you…

After seeing me perform in The Great Canadian Theatre Company‘s production of GENEROUS by Michael Healey, Directed by Eric Coates I had the pleasure of being involved in the following conversation.

Local theatre patron: Matt, I enjoyed the play.

Me: Oh, thanks.

Local theatre patron: They did a lot of work on you for the show.

Me: What do you mean?

Local theatre patron: Well, with your costumes.

Me: What do you mean?

Local theatre patron: Well, you know…

Me: Oh. (I smile) You are going to feel very uncomfortable by the end of this conversation.

Local theatre patron: What do you mean?

Me: What do I mean? What do YOU mean?

Local theatre patron: Well, I mean, with your costumes…

Me: Yes, what about my costumes?

Local theatre patron: Well, …, they padded you. (with a gesture towards my mid-section)

Me: (I pause, I smile) No they didn’t.

Local theatre patron: (Gasps, smiles) … Uhh, ummm, well they put white in your hair…

Me: (I smile and shake my head) No they didn’t.

Local theatre patron: Ahh, ohh, uhhh, you are right, (awkward laugh) I do feel uncomfortable.

Yeah, that happened.

During the run of Generous I had a wonderful time performing with Marion Day, Drew Moore, Adam Pierre, Katie Ryerson and Kristina Watt. Eric Coates was a join to work for as he always created a very open and trusting rehearsal hall. Playing in Jock Munro’s lights and Keith Thomas’ music was a joy. I look forward to the next time I get to play on the GCTC stage.

Now to move on from a wonderful regional theatre to focusing on my own production of FREEZING – Bigger, Bolder…Colder At this point we are very happy to have Porter Airlines, The Preston Street BIA, Funhaven and Metroland Media as partners for our production. These companies are helping bring Arts to their communities.

Our Christmas in July sale was well received and our tickets continue to sell online through our website. If you saw the show last year and you are wondering if you should come again, my answer to you is yes, you should come back. This year’s production is going to be bigger, bolder and colder. Jonathan Evans is writing us a couple new original songs and we are looking forward to entertaining you with our fun versions of this year’s most adored pop tunes. As our character Rubble says: “There’s so much fun to be had!”

Sarah and I have learned a lot about producing from last year and we look forward to entertaining you as we ramp up to our live show at The Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa’s Little Italy running from December 18 to January 3. This is our second annual Family Musical, please join us in having fun with the entire family.

The majority of our team is in place now as we plan all the fun videos that we are going to share with you. We will be in the Toy Parade this year with our beautiful car from K6 Media and we are hoping to be in and around the community having fun with kids and letting people know about the show.

We will be working with The Candlelighters again this year. The Candlelighters provide help for families dealing with childhood cancers. We are also partnering with The Children’s Aid Society and The Snowsuit Fund.

We are still looking for sponsors. If you are trying to connect with young families like us, maybe we could work together. Please tweet me if you would like some more information about what we have to offer other companies.

Until the next update…

…do what you love to do.

Bigger, Bolder…Generous

Well, things keep rolling along…

FREEZING – Bigger, Bolder…Colder has partnered with The Preston Street BIA again this year for the second annual family musical in Ottawa’s Little Italy. To this date, other partners include Metroland Media and ReEnvision Digital Marketing. We are working hard to reach further into our community by partnering with great organizations like Funhaven Family Fun Centre, The Candlelighters and The Snowsuit Fund. We look forward to announcing more partnerships as we establish them.

Please contact us on Twitter if you would like to find out more information about working with us. We do have a wide range of options for local businesses and organizations; including group sales for Christmas parties.

Also, I am currently acting in The Great Canadian Theatre Company‘s production of Generous. The process of putting the show together was amazing under the direction of Eric Coates and our cast has been a great deal of fun. With the Canadian election on the horizon, Michael Healey’s play is a great tool to stir the pot.

Well, enjoy the fall weather and remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain.

Until next time.

Matt

Any News Is Good News, Right?

FreezingTheMusical.com

Well, they say any news is good news right?

The Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa’s Little Italy is for sale. That is the news.

A condition of the sale is that the 2015-2016 theatre season curated by Plosive Productions must go on.

I am producing the 2nd annual Family Musical at The Gladstone this winter running from December 18th 2015 – January 3rd 2016. This year’s show is called FREEZING Bigger, Bolder…Colder.

Yes, I was surprised and concerned when I first heard of the sale but after speaking with David Whiteley of Plosive Productions I have been assured that the season will go on as planned.

I am positive that Ottawa audiences will be entertained by our fun family musical and I hope that The Gladstone will remain a theatre after the 2015-2016 season wraps up.

The good news is that the media is reporting on the sale of The Gladstone. People are reading about The Gladstone. People are talking about The Gladstone. FREEZING Bigger, Bolder…Colder will be onstage at The Gladstone. People will be reading about FREEZING at The Gladstone. People will be talking about FREEZING at The Gladstone.

Any News Is Good News, Right?

As a producer, I hope to ride the wave of publicity that now surrounds The Gladstone so that everyone in the nation’s capital will know that “There’s so much fun to be had!” with our production of FREEZING Bigger, Bolder…Colder at The Gladstone Theatre 910 Gladstone Ave. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

July Christmas Eve

Well, here we go. The box opens in less than an hour and we hope that everyone takes advantage of our wonderful ticket deal to see Freezing Bigger, Bolder…Colder at The Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa’s Little Italy. $25 for three days only. This deal is available from July 24th – July 26th. www.FreezingTheMusical.com

Freezing The Musical – Bigger, Bolder…Colder

Its Freezing in Ottawa | Freezing The Musical.

AUDITIONS for “Freezing” A Witty, Wintery Family Musical

---------------------------------------
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS NOTICE - MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMER
FREEZING - TORONTO, ON
---------------------------------------
Production name: Freezing A Witty Wintery Family Musical
Date production rehearsal/job starts: 12/01/2015
Audition date: 07/20/2015
Deadline to submit: 07/16/2015
Email applications to: itsfreezinginottawa@gmail.com
Contact name: Matthew Cassidy
Engager Website: www.itsfreezinginottawa.com

Ethno-cultural mandate or ethno-cultural casting statement: 
All submissions will be considered.

Additional information:
Artists will be engaged under The Artists Collective Policy.

Freezing A Witty Wintery Family Musical 

Produced by Sarah Cassidy and Matt Cassidy
Written and Directed by Ken MacDougall
The Gladstone Theatre, Ottawa
Dec 18, 2015 - Jan 3, 2015

Auditions will be held in Toronto for the following characters:

Princess Adele - Outdoorsy. She is a princess but tough. Athletic.

Princess Hanna - Smart. Loves reading. Can be awkward and clumsy.

Gerda - Dame - Former Beauty Queen. Mother to Adele and Hanna. 
Strong comic.

Hans - The villain. Charming yet evil. Hopes to dupe one of the 
Princesses into marriage so he can take over the Kingdom. Hates 
winter.

The Snow Globe Kingdom is a beautiful, wintery place. Ruled by the vivacious Queen Gerda and her two daughters, Princess Adele and Princess Hanna. The Kingdom is threatened by the evil Hans. A terrible man who wants to rid the world of winter. With your help, the loveable characters of the Kingdom can work together to defeat the villain. Come Boo the bad guy, root for the heroes and get a warm hug from the cuddly Beavertail. There will be singing, dancing and a whole lot of laughs. It’s Freezing in Ottawa but it is warm in the Gladstone Theatre. Gladstone Theatre – Ottawa – 2015

Produced By Sarah Cassidy and Matt Cassidy

WE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR HELPING START A TRADITION IN OTTAWA BY DONATING THROUGH OUR 2014 CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN

HEIDI CASSIDY, DEAN SMITH, LU-ANNE & DOUG CONNELL, THE MCLEANS, NATALIE CHARRON, MARION ABBOTT, JANIS & DAVID TOPP, TRISH LACKEY, PAUL & LOUISE MCKNIGHT, PAM & GARY GIBBONS, BRENDA LONGHURST, RUTH-ANN BOOS, ADAM, SARAH & ADELE HAGEN-BRUNGER, CHRIS BELLSMITH & KELLY STRAUGHAN, BLAINE TOTTEN, LORRAINE YANTHA, LUKE, DOM & AMELIA GIBBONS, DILLON FAMILY, NANCY & DICK CASSIDY, KERRY DOREY, ALISON, RON, ABBEY & TYLER LAW, CHRIS MARTIN, LOGAN & CARA BROWN, ROB & PAM HAGEN, KATHY & RICK GIBBONS, KRISTA & GORD CARTER, ADAM VAN OMME, NIKKI RENEE HECHAVARRIA, NADINE & DAVE WHITE, ILY CONNELL, ANOUSHA MCCORMACK, ED & JUDY TOTTEN, MARGARET PANTALONE, JOHN HUGHES & MARK WARRACK, RON & MARG BARLOW, ROBIN CALVERT, DAVE CONNELL, GERRAD & LAURA MAE EVERARD, CLIFF CASSIDY, KELLY, JESSE JACOB & CAMERON, LIZ CONNELL & PAUL WHITNEY, THE ESTABROOKS FAMILY, JAN WILLIAMS, SUSAN BUNTING & DONALD LAMOND, KARA BOTELHO, ESTHER VALLINS, LYNNE & TOM GIBBONS, JANE & RALPH VANDENBERG, MATT HAMILTON, SPACEMAN MUSIC, WILLARD’S ICE CREAM, MEREDITH FRANKLIN, AFRICAN BRONZE HONEY COMPANY, CARA, JEFF & SHAY, JUDY & JOHN GROVES, SHARON SMITH, SARAH PATTERSON, STEPHEN MILROY AND SYDNEY, HUDSON & BROOKLYN GIBBONS, BRUCE DEAN, SHARON SMITH, TREEHOUSE DESIGN, JERMAYNE CLAYTON, RUTH-ANN BOOS AND LOIS & MOE WELCH

A Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Production under the Artists’ Collective Policy

I appear in episode 13 of Mohawk Girls http://www.aptn.ca/mohawkgirls #mohawkgirls @mohawkgirls @aptn

I am proud to say that I was a part of the Canadian television series Mohawk Girls on APTN. Enjoy.

http://youtu.be/AjV0nIrRfzw I would like to offer to help every Dad out there with their Christmas shopping #ottawa #christmasshopping #itsfreezinginottawa

Fellow Dads,

I am producing “Freezing” A Witty Wintery Family musical at The Gladstone Theatre in Ottawa from December 18th – January 4th. http://www.itsfreezinginottawa.com I can help you fellow dads become “The best dad ever!” How am I going to help you reach this level of supremacy? Easy, I am suggesting that you buy tickets to our production and give those tickets to your wives and kids as gifts.

Can you imagine having your Christmas shopping done before December even begins? Imagine how low your stress level will be when other Dads are running around trying to figure out what to get for their wife and children? You will be relaxing watching The Sens play and your wife will be curious as to why you are not running out at the last minute to try and get all your shopping done.

Are your children going to remember the purple sweatshirt that they got for Christmas or are they going to be talking about how amazing that funny show was with Queen Gerda, the princesses, the evil Hans and the cuddly Beavertail?  Our show is going to create lasting memories for you and your family.

A show full of laughs, music and dancing. Jokes for the kids, jokes for the adults.

I am really looking forward to bringing “Freezing” to Little Italy over the holidays.

Hope to see you there with your family and friends