The Highland Arts Theatre is a historic building, first constructed as a Presbyterian Church, now operating an arts and culture centre in Sydney,

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Cape Breton Regional Municipality (often referred to as simply "CBRM") is the Canadian province of Nova Scotia's second largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2016 the municipality has a population of 94,285. The ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada. It was initially constructed as St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. In June 2014 St. Andrew's reopened as the Highland Arts Theatre, a live play and film

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...

venue located in Sydney's waterfront district.

History

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, construction of which started in 1910 and completed in 1911, was the third

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

built by the Sydney and

Mira Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a vari ...

Presbyterian congregation, originating from 1852. The congregations outgrew the two previous Sydney churches, and so St. Andrew's was built to contain over 1,000 people for services. In 1925, St. Andrew's Church joined with

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

and

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

churches to form the

United Church A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations. Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...

and St. Andrew's then became St. Andrew's United Church. This was a dramatic change for some members of the congregation and many members were lost, however new were gained. St. Andrew's United Church continued as a church with full-time clergy until 2013 when it was decommissioned after the dwindling congregation decided the heating bills for the 104-year-old sanctuary were too expensive. On Wednesday, July 31, 2013, the congregation of St. Andrew's United Church gathered for the Decommissioning Service as the chimes played a call to worship for one final time. Hat Exterior HDR2

Architecture

The

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

at the time of planning and construction, Rev. Dr. John Pringle, D.D., travelled to

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

and met with

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s Curry and Sparling to develop the plans for the church. The contract for construction of the building on Bentinck St. was awarded to Rhodes and Curry Company at a cost of $41,635 and when fully completed was $62,945. This is a very fine structure, built using red brick from Mira, a local brickyard. Architecturally, the end result was a beautiful house of worship, with impressive towers, bells chiming on days of worship and the steadfast permanence of the Gothic Revival style, rare within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Some of the Character-defining elements of St. Andrew's / Highland Arts Theatre relate to its Gothic Revival style and include its

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral ( ...

ed belfry towers of differing heights, the arched windows,

dentil A dentil (from Lat. ''dens'', a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice. Dentils are found in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and also in later styles such as Neoclassical, Federal, Georgian R ...

moulding and cornice on the belfry towers, the three-over-three arched windows in upper belfry of taller tower, the three arched windows in upper belfry of lower tower, the wide entry staircase leading to the three arched entries containing two wooden doors each, a large

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

derivative window above entry. Other character-defining elements are its construction of locally made brick, all original interior elements including: Casavant Frères pipe organ, railings, columns, trim and barrel vaulted ceiling arcing above the theatre floor; ten bells, inscribed with Biblical verses in bell tower.

Casavant Frères Pipe Organ

The 2,045

pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circular ...

, three- manual pipe organ made by the famous

Casavant Frères Casavant Frères is a Canadian organ building company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building pipe organs since 1879. As of 2014, the company has produced more than 3,900 organs. Company history Brothers Joseph-Claver (1855–1 ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

is the largest such instrument on Cape Breton Island. Its facade, casing, pipes, swell and chorus boxes completely fill the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

of the theatre. The organ was purchased for the new church, then under construction, in 1911 for $5,595 as Casavant Brothers, Ltd., Opus 452. The original specification was for three manuals, 4 divisions, 29 stops, 27 registers, 29 ranks, 1843 pipes. A Stoplist for the 1911 instrument copied from the factory specifications for Casavant Op. 452 1911 3/29, courtesy of the Casavant Frères Archives, St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada is available by following this link
Original Stoplist
The organ was rebuilt in 1946 by Casavant Frères Ltée. as Op. 1841, with 3 new Choir stops, a traditional style

console Console may refer to: Computing and video games * System console, a physical device to operate a computer ** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device ** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...

with roll top, three manuals, 4 divisions, 33 stops, 30 registers, 32 ranks, 2045 pipes. Manual compass is 61 notes,

pedal A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to: Computers and other equipment * Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse * In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...

compass is 32 notes. Equipped with electro-pneumatic (EP) chests, drawknobs in vertical rows on angled jambs, balanced swell shoes/pedals, standard AGO placement, adjustable combination pistons, AGO Standard (concave radiating) pedalboard, reversible full organ/tutti toe stud, combination action thumb pistons, combination action toe studs, coupler reversible thumb pistons, coupler reversible toe studs. Added in 1962 were a Clarion 4' to the Swell and a hooded Harmonic Trumpet, 68 pipes, with new pipework supplied by Casavant via Ledoux & MacDonald Organ Service Co., Halifax.

Wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ho ...

is supplied by a 3 hp electric blower located in the basement directly below the organ. The following link leads to a Stoplist for the 1946 instrument, copied from the factory specifications for Casavant Frères Ltée., Opus 1841, 1946
Stoplist
The 18-ton organ underwent $15,000 in repairs to its bellows in 2008.

Chime (Bells)

The chime, consisting of ten

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

s located in the south bell tower, is still in use today. The bells were

cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

in bronze ( bell metal) for St. Andrew's Church by the

McShane Bell Foundry The McShane Bell Foundry, located in St. Louis, Missouri, is a maker of church bells founded in 1856. Over the past 150 years, the firm has produced over 300,000 bells. In 2019, the company moved its headquarters from Glen Burnie, near Baltimo ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, USA and are dated 1911. The bells are arranged as a traditional chime of 10 bells and are played using the original unmodified McShane "pump handle" chimestand with deep key-fall on all notes. Nine of the bells are hung fixed in position in the main chime frame in the belfry, the tenth, the heaviest bell, is mounted in a rotary iron yoke on iron stands above the main chime frame. This bell, the tenor bell, is equipped with both a spring clapper and a tolling hammer so can be played either by swing chiming or by using the chimestand located in the ringing room immediately below the Bell Chamber in the bell tower. All the bells have the foundry's name cast onto their waist. The nine smaller bells are also decorated with inscriptions, quotes from

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

from the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

, cast onto their waist, while the largest bell's inscription reads "St. Andrews Church, Sydney NS". This largest bell weighs about and its pitch is E in the middle octave. The chime is attuned to

concert pitch Concert pitch is the pitch reference to which a group of musical instruments are tuned for a performance. Concert pitch may vary from ensemble to ensemble, and has varied widely over music history. The most common modern tuning standard uses ...

, to the eight notes of the octave or diatonic scale with two bells added, one bell a

semitone A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent no ...

, a flat seventh, and one bell, the treble bell, above the octave. This smallest bell, at about , rings an F. In December 2015 a

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

posted on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

of Sydney native Glenda Watt playing the

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

"Angels We Have Heard on High" on the chime was viewed more than 1.6 million times within the first nine days of it being uploaded to the social networking site. Follow this link to a page of videos of the chime being played
The Chimes ~ Christmas Music

Heritage designations

Municipal Heritage Property: On September 18, 2007 the Cape Breton Regional Municipality formally recognized St. Andrew's United Church as a Municipally Registered Property under the Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act, Chapter 199 of the revised Statutes, 1989, amended 1991, c. 10; 1998, c. 18, s. 561; 2010, c. 54 The Cape Breton Regional Municipality designated St. Andrew's Church and the property it sits on, recognizing St. Andrew's for its early and continuing presence in the community as well as the striking architecture. It is one of the few brick buildings in the area, and is impressive for its size and beauty. Provincial Heritage Property: On August 29, 2012 the Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Heritage Property Act entered St. Andrew's United Church into the Provincial Registry of Heritage Property resulting in provincial heritage protection for the theatre.

Concerts

While still serving as a church, St. Andrew's was considered to be perhaps the finest concert venue in the city of Sydney. Before its rebirth as an arts centre, the building had a distinguished background as a performance space. Classical musicians regularly held recitals and concerts there over the years because of the building's outstanding acoustical properties and its Casavant Freres organ. In the mid 1950s St. Andrew's was a regular stop for one of the incarnations of the Halifax Symphony Orchestra whose performances at St. Andrew's were broadcast regionally and even nationally by

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

. Thomas Mayer was the conductor. He would often invite local performers to join them, at the time there were several operatic sopranos and mezzo-sopranos from Cape Breton who gained a national following because of these broadcasts. More recently, due to its seating capacity of over 1,000, and excellent acoustics it was sought after by organizations such as

Celtic Colours Celtic Colours International Festival is a Celtic music festival held annually in October in communities on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. First held in 1997, the festival has featured musicians from the Celtic world and attracted vi ...

The Barra MacNeils The Barra MacNeils are a Canadian musical group from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. The founding members of the group are siblings Sheumas, Kyle, Stewart, and Lucy MacNeil.Bowman, Durrell.Barra MacNeils, The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved Januar ...

, and the Cape Breton Chorale. Since reopening as the Highland Arts Theatre many concerts have been presented. The following are some of the artists that have performed at The HAT : *

Karan Casey Karan Casey (born 1969) is an Irish folk singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She resides in Cork, Ireland. Early years Casey was born in Ballyduff Lower, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, Ireland. Her family encouraged her to si ...

*CBC Mainstreet Cape Breton - LIVE BROADCAST to the Atlantic Region *

Cherish the Ladies Cherish the Ladies is an American female super group that plays Celtic music. The band began as a concert series in New York in January 1985. It was the brainchild of Mick Moloney who wanted to showcase the brightest female musicians in Ameri ...

* J. P. Cormier * East Coast Music Week: Folk Stage, featuring Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers, Kim Harris, Quiet Parade, and Jordan Musycsyn *East Coast Music Week: Classical Showcase, featuring Peter-Anthony Togni, Tristan De Borba, Simon Docking, Saint John String Quartet, Members of

Symphony Nova Scotia Symphony Nova Scotia is a Canadian orchestra based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their primary recital space is at the Dalhousie Arts Centre's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. History Symphony Nova Scotia began in 1983 with 13 full-time musicians. ...

, Martin Kutnowski, Jeff Reilly,

Dinuk Wijeratne Dinuk Wijeratne (born 1978) is a Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist, living and working in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His work ''Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems'' won both the Juno Awards of 2016, 2016 Juno Award for Classical Composition o ...

, and Derek Charke *East Coast Music Week: Bluebird North, featuring Tristan Horncastle, Steve Maloney and the Wandering Kind, Kim Harris, Keith Mullins, Tomato/Tomato, Norma MacDonald, Kat McLevey, Dylan Menzie, Dave Sampson, and Ian Sherwood *East Coast Music Week: Warner Music Roots Room, featuring J. P. Cormier, Chrissy Crowley, :fr:Danny Boudreau, Jordie Lane, and Ken Tizzard *

Lennie Gallant Lennie Gallant, CM is a Canadian singer-songwriter and instrumentalist from Prince Edward Island. His music crosses into the folk rock and country music genres, while celebrating the musical heritage of his home province. He has been presented ...

* Terry Kelly * The Lemon Bucket Orkestra *

Old Man Luedecke Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...

Lúnasa Lughnasadh or Lughnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called , in gd, Lùnastal, and in gv, ...

* Makem and Spain * John McDermott *

Murray McLauchlan Murray Edward McLauchlan, (born 30 June 1948) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits "Farmer's Song," "Whispering Rain," and "Down by the Henry Moore". Early life Mc ...

* Heather Rankin

Live theatre

Highland Arts Theatre, or "The HAT" as it is affectionately called, is the name of the newly renovated St. Andrew's Church. When the church was decommissioned in 2013, local musician and businessman Kevin Colford stepped up to instigate a transformation of the beloved historical building into a state of the art centre for arts and culture. The venue officially re-opened on Tuesday, June 3, 2014 with an original musical comedy, "The Wakowski Brothers - A Cape Breton Vaudeville". Sound and lighting were all upgraded, with new

mixing console A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for Audio mixing (recorded music), mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals fro ...

s, sound reinforcement systems, lighting grid, lighting control console, dimmers, and

intelligent lighting Intelligent lighting refers to lighting that has automated or mechanical abilities beyond those of traditional, stationary illumination. Although the most advanced intelligent lights can produce extraordinarily complex effects, the intelligence l ...

installed. The pews were replaced with 475 stadium-style theatre seats, converting the space to a "soft seater". A large re-enforced

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

was constructed and a flexible stage curtaining system,

projection screen A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the ...

, and

video projector A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. Video projectors use a very bright ultra-high-performance lamp (a special mercury arc lamp), X ...

s were installed. The three large Dressing /

Green Room In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on stage. Green rooms typically have ...

s were upgraded, a

Grand Piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

was brought in and the fully functioning Pipe Organ was serviced. Renovations have thus far been for function only — the natural aesthetic and acoustics remain intact. While the venue is available for rent the theatre has begun to host many of Cape Breton's finest in the fields of music, dance, and entertainment. The management's intention is to create a reliable theatrical presence downtown, producing quality productions with a special emphasis on Cape Breton songs and stories. The Highland Arts Theatre is now actively used for concerts, lectures, weddings, and of course performances of any kind. A Fall and a Winter/Spring season of plays are offered each year as well as a Summer Repertory theatre season.

Past productions

The following is a list of theatrical plays and musicals performed since reopening as The HAT : 2014:
The Wakowski Brothers - A Cape Breton Vaudeville
Book, Music, Lyrics, & Direction by Wesley J. Colford
The Lieutenant of Inishmore
by Martin McDonagh, Directed by Kristen Gregor
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens, Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey 2015:
Shit Song for Some Island
Written and Directed by Kyle Capstick
Theatre Brouhaha's Punch Up
by Kat Sandler, Directed by Kristen Gregor
Heart of Steel
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
Zadie's Shoes
by

Adam Pettle Adam Pettle (born 1973) is a Canadian playwright, radio producer, and television writer, most noted as the showrunner and executive producer on the CTV and Ion Television hospital drama '' Saving Hope''. Biography Theatre Born in Toronto in 1 ...

, Directed by Sarah Blanchard
First Time Last Time
Written and Directed by Scott Sharplin
Heart of Steel (re-mount)
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
Mature Young Adults
by Wesley J. Colford, Directed by Anna Spencer
No Great Mischief
by

Alistair MacLeod Alistair MacLeod, (July 20, 1936 – April 20, 2014) was a Canadian novelist, short story writer and academic. His powerful and moving stories vividly evoke the beauty of Cape Breton Island's rugged landscape and the resilient character of m ...

, Adapted for stage b
Davis S. Young
Directed by Todd Hiscock
The True Meaning of Cape Breton
by James FW Thompson, Directed by Wesley J. Colford
Alice in Wonderland
Adapted and Directed by James FW Thompson
Black Jack
by Jason Burke, Walter Carey, James FW Thompson, and Jenn Tubrett, Directed by Jenn Tubrett, James FW Thompson, Erin Thompson, Jason Burke, and Mary-Jean Doyle
Communion
by

Daniel MacIvor Daniel MacIvor (born July 23, 1962) is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director, and film director. He is probably best known for his acting roles in independent films and the sitcom '' Twitch City''. Personal MacIvor was born in Sydney, No ...

, Directed by Sarah Blanchard
A Christmas Carol (re-mount)
by Charles Dickens, Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey 2016:
The Wakowski Brothers - A Cape Breton Vaudeville (re-mount)
Book, Music, Lyrics, & Direction by Wesley J. Colford
All in the Timing
by

David Ives David Ives (born July 11, 1950) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is perhaps best known for his comic one-act plays; ''The New York Times'' in 1997 referred to him as the "maestro of the short form". Ives has also written ...

, Directed by Tom McGee
Dream - A 1950's Midsummer Musical
Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Assistant Direction by Hilary Scott, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
Extinction Song
Written and Directed b
Ron Jenkins
starring Ron Pederson
Herstory
Book, Music, Lyrics, & Direction by Lindsay Thompson, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
Dream - A '50's Midsummer Musical - Encore Production
Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Assistant Direction by Hilary Scott, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey *

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change ''I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'' is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. It is the second-longest running Off-Broadway musical.Gans, Andrew"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change Ends NYC R ...

, Book and Lyrics by

Joe DiPietro Joe DiPietro (born 1961) is an American playwright, lyricist and author. He is best known for the Tony Award-winning musical ''Memphis'', for which he won the Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score as well as for writi ...

, Music by

Jimmy Roberts Jimmy Roberts (born 1957) is a sportscaster for NBC Sports. Roberts joined NBC in May 2000 after serving as a sports reporter for almost 12 years at ESPN and ABC Sports where he won 11 Sports Emmy Awards. Early life and career Roberts grew up i ...

, Directed by Marc Richard, Music Directed by Chris Mounteer
Kitchen Party
Written and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, with additional writing by The Ensemble, Music Direction by Chris Mounteer, Choreography by Courtney Fiddis & Cynthia Vokey
Halo
Written by Josh MacDonald, Directed by Todd Hiscock, Music Direction by Ken Chisholm
Sucker
Written by Kat Sandler, Directed by Ron Jenkins
Vigil
by Morris Panych, November 9 to 13.
A Christmas Carol (re-mount)
by Charles Dickens, Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey, November 28 to December 2.
Holiday on Christmas Island
a new musical by Wesley J. Colford, December 14 to 18. 2017 Winter-Spring Season:
Morro & Jasp Do Puberty
by Amy Lee, Heather Marie Annis & Byron Laviolette, January 9 to 13
Criminals in Love
by George F. Walker, February 6 to 10
Return of the Cape Breton Liberation Army
a new musical by Wesley J. Coldford, March 22 to 30
The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence
by Madeline George, April 19 to 23 *

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' (stylized in all lowercase) is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing ...

, Music by Tom Kitt, Book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey
May 17 to 212017 HAT-A-Versary Variety Spectacular
June 10 2017 Summer Repertory Season:
Marion Bridge
by

, Directed by Todd Hiscock, Thursday Nights, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3
Tribe of One
by Michael McPhee, Directed by Tayves Fiddis, Friday Nights, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11 *

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spe ...

, Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Directed by Ron Jenkins, Music Direction by Chris Mounteer
Saturday Nights, July 8, 15, 22, 29, August 5, 12DREAM - A 1950s Midsummer Musical, 2017 Remount
Adapted and Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Direction by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey, Assistant Direction by Hilary Scott, Sunday Nights, July 9, 16, 23, 39, August 6, 13 The 2017 Fall Season:
Three Men In A Boat
Based on the novel by Jerome K. Jerome, Adapted by Mark Brownell, Directed by Sue Miner, Sept 27 - Oct 1
Theatre Brouhaha's Punch Up
by Kat Sandler, Directed by Kristen Gregor, Oct 25 - 29
She Loves Me
Book by Joe Masteroff, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick & Music by Jerry Bock, Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Directed by Barb Stetter, Nov 22 - 26
A Christmas Carol 2017
Written by Charles Dickens, Adapted & Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Directed by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey, December 13 –17 The 2018 Winter-Spring Season:
Of Mice, Morrow & Jasp
Created and Performed by Amy Lee and Heather Marie Annis, Direction & Dramaturgy by Byron Laviolette, January 16 to 20 *

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

, by Tennessee Williams, Directed by Mark Delaney
February 6 to 10Disco Nights
A new musical by Wesley J. Colford, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey, March 13 to 18, 20, 21
The Penelopiad
by Margaret Atwood, Directed by Birdie Gregor, Choreography by Thomas L. Colford, April 17 to 22
The Happy Prince
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Leslie Arden, Based on the story by Oscar Wilde, Directed by Ron Jenkins, May 15 to 20
Tribute to the Rotary Show
a new new star-studded revue, June 5 to 10 HAT 2018 Summer Season:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Encore
a Tony-Award winning musical comedy straight from Broadway! 8:00 pm every Tuesday, July 10, 17, 24, 31 & Aug. 7, 14, 21
Disco Nights - Encore
a pulsating, gyrating, full-on comedy of the highest order. 8:00 pm every Wednesday, July 11, 18, 25 & Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22
Kitchen Party - Encore
this musical collage celebrates the unique history of Canadas East Coast, contrasted with new voices sharing tales of the contemporary East Coast lifestyle, 8:00 pm every Thursday, July 12, 19, 26 & Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23
Heart of Steel- 2018 Encore
for 50 years, the Sydney Steel Plant produced the finest steel in the world. But when War breaks out and the men are gone overseas, what will happen when women take change of the workplace for the first time? 8:00 pm every Friday, July 13, 20, 27 & Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 HAT 2018 Fall Season:
Mary's Wedding
by Stephen Massicotte. Directed by Ron Jenkins. On the night before her wedding, Mary dreams of a thunderstorm, during which she unexpectedly meets Charlie sheltering in a barn beside his horse. But the year is 1914, and the world is collapsing into a brutal war. Sept 20 to 23 at 8:00 pm
West Moon
by Al Pittman. Directed by Sarah Blanchard. Once a year, on All Souls Night, the occupants of a small Newfoundland graveyard are given the gift of speech and the ability to once again gossip with their ghostly neighbours. The fisherman, the shop keep, and the busy-body all have their usual complaints but rumours of resettlement lurk in the shadows and the haunting are about to become the haunted... Oct 24 to 28 at 8:00 pm
She Loves Me - Encore
Book by Joe Masteroff, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick & Music by Jerry Bock, Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Directed by Barb Stetter, Nov 21 - 25 at 8:00 pm
A Christmas Carol 2018
Written by Charles Dickens. Adapted & Directed by Wesley J. Colford. Music Directed by Barb Stetter. Choreography by Cynthia Vokey. December 12 – 16 at 8:00 pm HAT 2019 Winter-Spring Season:

by Scott Sharplin Directed by Michael McPhee, featuring: Mark Delaney, Amy Fedora, Andy Gouthro, & Hilary Scott. January 8–13 * The Glace Bay Miners' Museum, by Wendy Lill Adapted from the novel by Sheldon Currie Directed by Ron Jenkins
February 19 - 24
a new musical by L. M. Thompson, Book & Lyrics by Lindsay Thompson Music by Suzanne Doane Directed by Alison Crosby Choreography by Thomas L. Colford. March 12–17

by Hannah Moscovitch Directed by Richie Wilcox. A professor of Victorian Literature is confronted by the ghosts of her own sexuality in this dangerous and disorienting play about repressive social convention, personal inhibition and desire unleashed. It’s a romance. It’s sexy. Not always at the same time. April 9–14 *

The Drowsy Chaperone ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' is a Canadian musical with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. The story concerns a middle-aged, asocial musical theater fan who, feeling "blue", decides to p ...

, Book by Bob Martin & Don McKellar Music & Lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison Directed by Wesley J. Colford
May 14 - 19
'
HAT 2019 Summer Season:
''

a new musical by Wesley J. Coldford, 8:00 pm every Thursday, July 11, 18, 25 & Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22

Music Director Chris Mounteer, 8:00 pm every Friday, July 12, 19, 26 & Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23

Book and Lyrics by

, Music by

, Directed by Marc Richard, Music Directed by Chris Mounteer, 8:00 pm every Saturday, July 13, 20, 27 & Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 '
HAT 2019 Fall Season:
''

by Trina Davies, Directed by Ron Jenkins, September 17 to 22 at 8:00 PM * Little Shop of Horrors, Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menkin, Directed by Ron Jenkins, Music Directed by Barbara Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
October 29 to November 3 at 8:00 PM
by Daniel MacIvor, November 19 to 24 at 8:00 PM

by Charles Dickens, Adapted & Directed by Wesley J. Colford, Music Directed by Barb Stetter, Choreography by Cynthia Vokey, December 10–15 at 8:00 PM

Current production

'
HAT 2020 Winter-Spring Season:
'' *

The Drawer Boy ''The Drawer Boy'' is a play by Michael Healey. It is a two-act play set in 1972 on a farm near Clinton, Ontario. There are only three characters: the farm's two owners, Morgan and Angus, and Miles Potter, a young actor from Toronto doing resea ...

, by Michael Healey. Directed by Ron Jenkins
Tuesday 14 January 2020 to Sunday 19 January 2020

Upcoming productions

Morro and Jasp Morro and Jasp are a Canadian clown duo created by Heather Marie Annis, Byron Laviolette and Amy Lee. Based in Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 i ...

: Save the Date, created by Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee
Tuesday 18 February 2020 to Sunday 23 February 2020
* As You Like It, adapted by Wesley J. Colford. Tuesday 10 March 2020 to Sunday 15 March 2020 * A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, by Lucas Hyath, Tuesday 14 April 2020 to Sunday 19 April 2020 *The Clockmaker, by Stephen Massicotte. Tuesday 12 May 2020 to Sunday 17 May 2020
Tribute to the Rotary Show
a new new star-studded revue, Tuesday 2 June 2020 to Sunday 7 June 2020

Film

Film at the Highland Arts Theatre debuted in December 2014 with three afternoon matinees and three evening showings of six Black & White movies from the 1930s through to the 1950s. This was followed up on November 11, 2015 with a ''Free Screening of New Short Films from Atlantic Canada'', courtesy of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative. Films shown were: *The Canoe, Alex Balkam, 8 mins, experimental *Some Things Won't Sleep, Leah Johnston, 11 mins, drama *ALIA, Raghed Charabaty, 5 mins, drama *A Horse Throat, Jenna Marks & David Barlow-Krelina, 2 mins, animation *Cabinet of Wonders, Jim MacSwain, 10 mins, animation *What You Did Before You Were Born, Ariella Pahlke, 22 mins, documentary Top Hat Pictures, a subsidiary of Highland Arts Theatre, officially launched in January 2016, concentrating on newly released Canadian and internationally acclaimed films not available at other venues. Screenings using The HAT's Barco 30,000 lumen, 2K three-chip DLP

digital cinema Digital cinema refers to adoption of digital technology within the film industry to distribute or project motion pictures as opposed to the historical use of reels of motion picture film, such as 35 mm film. Whereas film reels have to be sh ...

projector occurred on Mondays at 7 pm., monthly. The premiere showing was Trumbo (2015) on Monday, January 25, 2016. The following is a list of films previously shown at The HAT : * Trumbo (2015) * Al Purdy Was Here (2015) * Brooklyn (2015) * Carol (2015) * Spotlight (2015) - Academy Awards winner, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. * The Princess Bride (1987)

Upcoming screenings

'
Movie Musical Sing-along Series
'' * Mamma Mia!, 15 February 2020 * Jesus Christ Superstar, 11 April 2020 *

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

, 13 June 2020 *

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

, 8 August 2020 * Little Shop of Horrors, 24 October 2020 * White Christmas, 19 December 2020 Other films *I Am Skylar, 26 January 2020, written and directed by Rachale Bowers. 15 min. (Official Selection 2019 FIN Atlantic International Film Festival), * The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
6 February 2020

Box office

The Highland Arts Theatre's Box Office is located at the side door of the Theatre at 40 Bentinck Street.

Gallery

References

External links

Official Highland Arts Theatre Site
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