Ontario Seniors Fall In Love With Sweethearts.

Smile Theatre, Canada’s only professional theatre company dedicated to performing in seniors citizens’ homes, care facilities, hospitals and activity centres presents the romantic musical revue Sweethearts, written and directed by Canadian theatrical legend Tom Kneebone. Sweethearts will be presented throughout Ontario from August 25, 2003 to October 19, 2003. Click here for the Tour Schedule.

This light musical romance features Joe Donahue as the debonair Nelson Eddy and Catherine Goosney as the delicate Jeanette MacDonald, with voice-over narration provided by the incomparable Dinah Christie. Alongside the direction of Tom Kneebone is the wispy choreography of Kiri-Lyn Muir. The production is designed by Jennifer Triemstra, with musical arrangements by Mark Rutherford. Bill Brillinger Stage Manages the eight week tour appearing throughout Ontario.

This dreamy, romantic one-hour original musical is based on the unforgettable careers of the silver screen romantic duo, Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy.

Between 1935 and 1942, Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy were one of the silver screen’s most popular romantic pairs, and among the best loved singing duos ever. Their movies together include Naughty Marietta, Rose Marie, Maytime, The Girl Of The Golden West, Sweethearts, New Moon, Bittersweet and I Married An Angel.

The Smile Theatre production is a glimpse of the romantic aura this unforgettable team created when they sang their love for each other at the foot of an MGM papier-mâché tree, a hint of the scent of apple blossoms lingering in the air. It is a tribute to an indelible and cherished part of movie lore, and the memory of those lovers reunited in eternity.

Artist Biographies
Dinah Christie, Narrator
Dinah Christie, the performer, has been singing, dancing and acting all over North America with indefatigable energy since her twelfth birthday when her father gave her a guitar. The writer Dinah Christie has been creating musicals for Smile Theatre for the past several years. She writes with Tom Kneebone as well and sometimes directs for the touring company. Between them, Tom and Dinah have over 20 one-hour musicals that are tried, tested and true originals. Sir Peter Ustinov dubbed her, “A tall cool mind on the rocks… with a twist”.
Joe Donahue, Nelson Eddy
Smile Audiences May Remember Joe Donahue from last season's presentation of Beautiful Dreamer -- The Music Of Stephen Foster. Joe has appeared in performance across North America over the course of the past fifteen years. Displaying a great affinity for the music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, Joe currently lives in Toronto where his schedule is split evenly between Musical Theatre performances and appearances on the concert stage.
Catherine Goosney, Jeanette MacDonald
Catherine Goosney is delighted to be joining the Smile Theatre Company. Her love of theatre has taken her in many different directions over the years, from twentieth century opera to vaudeville. Favorite credits include: Christine Daae in The Music Of The Night: The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (R.U.G Productions), Gina in The Magic Of Love (Lighthouse Festival Theatre) and Papagena in Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Symphony In The Barn). Catherine currently resides in Burlington with her husband and their adored dog and cat and is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s music program.
Bill Brillinger, Stage Manager
Sweethearts marks Bill’s second production with Smile, following a successful run of Two On A Toonie last season. He spent the summer seasons of 2001 and 2002 in Nova Scotia with Ship’s Company Theatre, and was fascinated by the enormous tides in the Bay of Fundy. He has toured with a production of Bush Ladies, a show about the early experiences in Canada of Susannah Moodie, Catherine Parr Traill and Anne Langton. Bill is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the audiences of Smile Theatre.
Tom Kneebone, C.M., O.ONT., Writer & Director
Tom has been the Artistic Director of The Smile Theatre Company for fifteen wonderful years. As a performer, Tom has appeared with the London Old Vic, The Stratford Festival, The Shaw Festival, The Canadian Opera Company, The National Ballet Of Canada, The Charlottetown Festival, on Broadway and in countless films and television productions. The Smile Theatre Company is very proud that Tom has been honoured this year with the Order Of Ontario, the Order Of Canada and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, for his work creating theatre for Ontario’s seniors.

Kiri-Lyn Muir, Choreographer
Kiri-Lyn is delighted to be back working for Smile Theatre and with the creative genius of Tom Kneebone! She had the privilege of working on In Peggy's Garden for Smile in 2002. She brings to her work as a choreographer ten years of experience as a dancer, including working at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, on Broadway, and in such shows as Beauty And The Beast, Cats, and Joseph. Kiri-Lyn has choreographed many shows in the musical theatre genre, including Fiddler On The Roof, Jasper Station, Eighteen Wheels, Blue Skies, A Christmas Carol, and Sweeney Todd. This past May, Kiri-Lyn worked on My Fair Lady for the Thousand Islands Theatre.

Jennifer Triemstra, Set, Costume & Props Design
This is Jennifer’s sixth show with Smile Theatre. Other credits include: The Tempest for Festival Of Classics, Almost There for Brookstone Performing Arts, Crimes for Alianak Productions, Blithe Spirit for Sudbury Theatre Centre and In The Wings for Theatre Passe Muraille. Jennifer has also designed for Factory Theatre, The Theatre Centre, Workman Theatre, George Brown Theatre School, The Blyth Festival and The Winter Garden Theatre. Jennifer is a costume instructor at York University.