Like other arts organizations, Stratford participated in Lottario. The props department built a darling little kiosk that looked like a small circus tent, brightly coloured with pennants on top. I think that may have been my daughter Kate’s first summer job, selling Lottario tickets from the Stratford stall. Of course there were winners and in those early days the news of the winner needed to be spread around. (They do it on TV now). So it came Stratford’s turn to be the centre for the news. Bill saw that the delivery of the tickets (for the random selection of the winner) and all the paraphernelia was to be by the Wells Fargo company. Of course! So he staged a holdup at noon in the centre of the city right by the City Hall. He had horses, he had a wagon (or something), he had actors. And he had imagination. It was fun, and great publicity not only for Lottario but for the theatre.

Long before Broadway musicals became the income leader to keep the serious theatre afloat, Stratford did produce musical theatre: Gilbert & Sullivan*, and the occasional light opera (mostly directed by the brilliant Brian Macdonald*)

*Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created.

*Sullivan's music would go into public domain at the end of 1950, but Gilbert's lyrics were still in copyright until 1961. (Wikipedia)

“ Brian Ronald Macdonald, dancer, choreographer, director (born 14 May 1928 in Montréal, QC; died 29 November 2014 in Stratford, ON). In a 50-year career Macdonald became one of the most prolific and internationally renowned directors and choreographers Canada has ever produced.(The Canadian Encyclopedia)

I remember more “serious “ productions, one I will never forget: Rose Latulippe.*

“Rose Latulippe was premiered 16 Aug 1966 by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet at the Stratford Festival in a production also presented 12 Apr 1967 on CBC TV's 'Music Canada' and repeated 8-19 Aug 1967 at the Charlottetown Festival and 25-26 Aug 1967 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.”

“ The legend inspired the first Canadian full length ballet, Rose Latulippe, composed by Harry FREEDMAN and choreographed by Brian Macdonald for the Royal Winni;eg Ballet in 1966. “ (both from The Canadian Encyclopedia)

You can look up the legend and more information. I looved it, and I have never seen it again. I wish… Bt we all have wish lists, don’t we?

You will pardon the pause for Stratford history. We lived, ate, breathed and dreamed Stratford during those halcyon years.

halcyon adjective, denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. (online dictionary)

Well, on we go. I seem to be on a roll.

La Cenerentola 1968

The opera was first performed in Rome's Teatro Valle on 25 January 1817. Rossini composed La Cenerentola when he was 25 years old, following the success of The Barber of Seville the year before. La Cenerentola, which he completed in a period of three weeks, is considered to have some of his finest writing for solo voice and ensemble. (Wiklipedia)

I have searched and searched and I can’t find the name of the soprano who sang the role of Cinderella.

I’lll leave it for now….

No, I’ll finish this one: Cinderella had a Prince Charming, right? So Bill persuaded (not hard) Bruno Gerussi (1928-1995) by this time a television star (The Beachcombers) but our first Romeo, opposite Julie Christie (b.1941) as Juliet, to take Cinderella to the ball—that is, the opening night party at (Stratford’s only) country (golf) club.- in a carriage, which took them from the Avon Theatre in downtown Stratford (Downie Street) to the club at the end of Morningside. Another beautiful photo op, and the newspapers gobbled it up.

I don’t remember whyI had to go to the Festival offices the next morning but I ran into Bill’s Secretary, Fran Tompkins, who was furious that someone else had taken credit for that romantic idea. She told me that Bill had already told her not to worry . “It happened, ”he said. “That’s all that matters.”

As for the person who took the credit, de mortuis nil nisi bonum. “The Latin phrase De mortuis nihil nisi bonum (also De mortuis nil nisi bene [dicendum]) "Of the dead, [say] nothing but good", abbreviated as Nil nisi bonum, is a mortuary aphorism, indicating that it is socially inappropriate to speak ill of the dead.” (Wikipedia)

And so with the other delightful things that happened during those—as I said—halcyon years.

Bill didn’t mind as long as the good things kept on happening, but when his suggestions (financial arrangements, direct orders) were not carried out (by a different person) but left in abeyance or with a waffling response, to the detriment of the Festival, he didn’t like that.

More anon.

It was as if he’d been preparing for Stratford his whole career. Everything he’d ever done laid down the skills he needed for the multi-faceted job he was facing—with great enthusiasm, I might add. He had tried to buy the direct mail advertising company he had been with working for an absentee boss, but he was turned down. That’s why he was open to a good offer from MTC (Manitoba Theatre Centre) to be the new manager—for four years before he moved to Stratford. So he had done publicity and promotion and fundraising. His humour and zest were his own.

That first spring he discovered the Stratford swans. They are natives, if you will, and live there year round. Their wings are clipped so they can’t fly south. When winter comes they are taken to a barn? shelter?resort? not far from the lake, to live out the bad weather. Then they are taken back to the lake. (The Avon River becomes Lake Victoria in the summer, thanks to the Thomas Orr Dam.) When I say taken, you can’t drive a swan—

Well, actually, you can fly one. We took one to Montreal as a gift when The Festival played there. It was presented to the Mayor (was it Duplessis then?- I can’t remember. I didn’t keep a diary i in those days.) During a formal ceremony when the swan was officially donated to the city of Montreal the swan shat on the Mayor’s carpet. He was very gracious about it and thanked us for leaving a bit of Stratford with him.

But in Stratford the swans were herded—led—to the lake. It wasn’t a formal occasion but you know how swans are — very elegant. When Bill found out about them, he created a photo op. The swans were harbingers of the new season, after all. He got Bobby Gimby to lead the swans. This was 1968, remember, and 1967, our Centennial Year, had left Canadians with joy and hope and eagerness for whatever came next. Bobby Gimby in his special coat and bejewelled trumpet, was the Pied Piper of Hamelin but this time there was a happy ending.

Veronica Tennent, the prima ballerina of the National Ballet, led the corps the following year. I think the Procession of the Swans became a tradition until it was stopped, I think by the SPCA because it was exploiting the swans, but I have to find out about this.

To be continued….oh, but,here’s Bobby Gimby:

“Bobby Gimby (1918-1990) was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer-songwriter. In 1967, he wrote and recorded a song for Canada's Centennial that would have the entire nation humming and thousands of kids marching down main street. "Ca-na-da, a Centennial Song" ("Ca-na-da, la Chanson du Centenaire") broke every music-industry record, but more importantly, it became an anthem of unity for a Canada deeply divided.” (online)