Renowned Canadian ballet dancer Rex Harrington will star in the Canadian premiere of Tosca Cafe at Theatre Calgary later this year.
Harrington, a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and currently artist-in-residence there, will play several characters, including Rudolf Nureyev. He joins a cast that includes Peter Anderson (The Overcoat) and Dean Paul Gibson (Vigil).
“To add a dancer the calibre of Rex is a rare and wonderful opportunity, and I know he is genuinely excited to be a part of this groundbreaking show,” said Theatre Calgary’s artistic director Dennis Garnhum in a prepared statement.
Tosca Cafe, which had its world premiere in San Francisco last year, is a theatre/dance hybrid, choreographed to a musical score that includes a wide range of works, from Puccini to Jimi Hendrix. It’s based on the real-life Tosca Cafe, founded in 1919 in San Francisco and home to artists, big thinkers and socialites ever since.
Performances of Tosca Cafe begin in Calgary on Sept. 13. A co-production with the Vancouver Playhouse, the show moves to Vancouver on Oct. 8.
