New season of outdoor shows coming to Shaw Festival

Even with the Shaw Festival returning to a full indoor season this year, the great outdoors will still be part of the schedule.

The 2022 “Outdoors @ The Shaw” slate will include more musicals, concerts and theatrical walking tours starting June 5 and continuing into October. These are shows in addition to the Shaw’s already hefty 60th anniversary season, which started in February.

Like last year, the series will feature much of the Shaw acting ensemble.

The outdoor shows were born out of necessity during the 2020 season. With its entire season cancelled, the company instead staged a series of outdoor concerts with limited seating.

Last year, the first full “Outdoors @ The Shaw” series consisted of nearly 100 shows and events on five performance spaces on the grounds of the Festival Theatre and Royal George Theatre. They were a nod to the company’s “Fair & Fete” festivities of past years, serving up a carnival/theatre atmosphere with plenty of music.

This year’s outdoor shows:

■ “Coffee Concerts” (June 5, Aug. 28, Oct.2). Classical concerts performed by members of the Shaw orchestra at the Festival Theatre

■ “A Year With Frog and Toad” (June 12 to July 24). Children’s show based on the Arnold Lobel series, starring Drew Plummer and Mike Nadajewski. At the Festival Theatre.

■ “What’s In Your Songbook?” (June 15, Aug. 31, Sept. 16). Shaw ensemble members share their favourite audition songs. At the Festival Theatre.

■ “Fairground” (July 2 to Sept. 28). Family musical set in the Festival Theatre’s lush fairgrounds.

■ “Speakeasies” (July 16, Aug. 27 and Sept. 24). Shaw music director Ryan deSouza leads the orchestra through an evening of jazz favourites at the Festival Theatre.

■ “Gospel Choir” (July 17, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4). Gospel music presented by the Shaw ensemble and community members at the Festival Theatre.

■ “Shawground” (July 20 to Oct. 6). Veteran Shaw actress Marla McLean directs this hourlong Victorian fair set in the Festval Theatre grounds.

■ “A Short History of Niagara” (July 21 to Aug. 4). Last season’s acclaimed puppet show returns to Fort George and the Court House.

■ “1922 – In Concert” (Aug. 17 to Oct. 2). Hourlong tribute to the 1920s written and directed by Shaw actor Jay Turvey. At the Festival Theatre.

Tickets to all outdoor Shaw shows are available at www.shawfest.com.