The Last Romance

Van Wilmott

Artistic Director

Welcome to the Mayfield Dinner Theatre and to the last show of our 2013/2014 season. The Last Romance is a beautiful play about how choosing a different path one day changed a man’s life forever. It explores a person’s love of life and love of family, thru heartbreak and humour, delivering the message to seize life with passion! Jamie Farr was last here four years ago, starring in Tuesday’s with Morrie. We are thrilled to have him back on our stage starring in this production, perhaps more than ever as Jamie is celebrating his 80th birthday with us during the run of this show. Joining Jamie on stage is a great supporting cast, all directed by the incomparable Ron Ulrich.  A quick reminder that the 2014/2015 season is now on sale, so consider taking this opportunity to become a season ticket holder and enjoy all the benefits and savings that come with it.  Thank you for your continued patronage and enjoy your evening at the Theatre.

Ron Ulrich

Director

I am currently Artistic Director of Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton Ontario. Through the course of my career, I’ve  been Artistic Director of Neptune Theater in Halifax, Executive Director of the Mayfield Dinner Theater, Artistic Director of Stage West, Artistic Director of Huron Country Playhouse, and Artistic Director of the Muskoka Festival. Among the favourite shows I’ve directed here at this theatre are Jesus Christ Superstar, Guys and Dolls, Tuesdays with Morrie starring Jamie Farr, Driving Miss Daisy with Michael Learned, The Foreigner with Gary Sandy, Double Act with George Segal, The Rocky Horror Show, The Last Night of Ballyhoo with Joyce DeWitt, … oh, heck, the list goes on and on. But one of the great joys is still coming back here to the Mayfield. This is a terrific theater that does terrific work and I love being a part of it.

Glenn Nelson

Ralph

Glenn is truly thrilled to be back with the Mayfield family. Some favorite shows he has done here over the years include: The Rocky Horror Show, The Foreigner, Gypsy, Buddy, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Rumors, Selected credits in Edmonton include: Amadeus, 1984, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Wizard of Oz, Equus, Death of A Salesman, Beauty and the Beast and A Christmas Carol, at the Citadel. My One And Only at Workshop West. The Odd Couple, Uncle Vanya, Fly Fishers Companion, Sexy Laundry, Mistakes Were Made And Little Elephants at Shadow Theatre.

Joan Gregson

Carol

Theatre: Theatre Aquarius – The Last Romance; Mayfield Dinner Theatre – Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks; Drayton Festival and Huron County Playhouse – Steel Magnolias; Tarragon Theatre – Chimera; Alberta Theatre Projects – My Fair Lady; Theatre New Brunswick – The Gin Game. A member of the original Neptune Theatre company, Joan performed there in many productions over a period of 31 years. These include Major Barbara, The Fourposter, Broadway Bound, the title role in Candida, Equus, Same Time Next Year, Dear Liar, Blithe Spirit, and Love’s Labours Lost. Film & TV: The Masked Saint (Oct. 2014); Copper; The Great Martian War; Haven; Skins; Murdoch Mysteries; My Babysitter’s a Vampire; Anne of Green Gables – A New Beginning; The Last Round; Hollywoodland; The Good Shepherd; Sea People; The Scarlet Letter. It’s good to be back in Edmonton and I’m delighted to return to the Mayfield Dinner Theatre and to be reprising this charming comedy, The Last Romance, with Jamie Farr.

Michael Nyby

Young Man

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Canadian-American baritone Michael Nyby has performed with the Vancouver Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, Minnesota Opera, the Caramoor Festival, Burnaby Lyric Opera, Opera Atelier, Theatre Aquarius, Duluth Festival Opera, the Toronto Operetta Theatre, and others. Michael sang the world premiere of Scott Wheeler’s 200 Dreams from Captivity in 2014 with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and created the role of William Dale in Minnesota Opera’s world premiere production of Kevin Putz’s Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night in 2011. Michael was praised for his “stentorian masculinity” by Musical Toronto after his performance in Carmina Burana with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and singled out by the New York Times for his “standout” performance in the supporting role of Leuthold in Caramoor’s Guillaume Tell. Michael was a winner of the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition’s Western Canada District, and won third place in the 2013 Opera Columbus Irma M. Cooper International Vocal Competition. An accomplished concert artist, Michael is scheduled to perform in the 2014-15 season with the Thunder Bay Symphony, The Niagara Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Classical Singers. When not performing, Michael resides in Toronto with his wife and two cats.

Maralyn Ryan

Rose

A 30 veteran of the Canadian Stage, Ms. Ryan’s romance with theatre has taken her across the country from New Brunswick to Victoria. Selected acting credits include: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Lend Me a Tenor and A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre), Vivian Bearing in Wit (Globe Theatre), A Guide to Mourning (Theatre Alberta), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Theatre Calgary), Homeward Bound (Grand Theatre and the National Arts Theatre), Maria Callas in Master Class, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Joy, The Shop at Sly Corner (Shaw Festival), Crackpot (Prairie Theatre Exchange and the Belfry), Lend Me a Tenor (Manitoba Theatre Centre), Thirteen Hands (Canadian Stage and National Arts Centre), Hamlet (Free Will Players), True West (Theatre Network), Private Lives (Northern Light Theatre), Maggie’s Getting Married, Sheer Madness (Mayfield Theatre), The Last Train (Shadow Theatre), Our Country’s Good (Phoenix Theatre), Rabbit Hole (Persephone Theatre), Should’ve (Consortium of Chemical Scientists in Turin, Italy), and numerous Fringe Theatre roles. Ms. Ryan has also been a member of the Banff Colony of Actors and has performed for the Magnetic North Festival. She earned three Sterling Awards for Outstanding Performance and nine nominations. As the founder of St. Albert Children’s Theatre she directed there for ten years, after which she joined Robin Phillips at the Citadel Theatre as Associate Director of the Theatre School, Children’s International Festival and Teen Festival of the Arts. She has taught at Artstrek, Keyano College, Grant MacEwan University and The University of Alberta. Directing credits include Grant MacEwan, Red Deer College, Phoenix Theatre, Mayfield Theatre, Atco Energy Theatre, the Citadel Theatre and Opera Nuova. She continues to teach at Northern Light Children’s Theatre and Fort McMurray Heritage Park Theatre Camps. She’s directing Anne of Green Gables with the Youth Performance Troupe for the Edmonton Fringe Fest this summer. Ms. Ryan is honoured to work with such a fabulously talented Director, cast and crew. She sends much gratitude to her family – all theatre artists – for their support, love and passion.