“Trespassers will be prosecuted!” So warns the sign at the base of the new wall surrounding the Giant’s beautiful Garden. What will the Children do without their beloved playground? Can one Child make a difference?

Westben presents “The Selfish Giant’s Garden”, an original, fully-staged musical starring Robert Longo (Beauty and the Beast, Les Mis), Donna Bennett (Rapunzel, The Pencil Salesman), Gabrielle Prata (Canadian Opera Company, Saving Hope) and a colourful garden full of singing Flowers with the Westben Youth & Teen Choruses.

Bringing to life the short story by Oscar Wilde, the musical explores the precarious beauty and power of nature and our responsibility to future generations.

Greed becomes Giving in this beautifully moving and joyful musical written specially for the Westben stage.

A musical written for Westben by Brian Finley and Ken Tizzard based on the short story  “The Selfish Giant” by Oscar Wilde. 

SHOW DATES & TIMES

Fridays, June 14 & 21 at 7 pm

Saturdays, June 15 & 22 at 2 pm

Sundays, June 16 & 23 at 2 pm

TICKET PRICES

(all ticket prices + HST)

$45.00 Adult | $43.00 Senior

$30 Under 30 | $5 Under 18

Robert Longo - The Giant

Westben has been a long-time home away from home for Robert Longo and he has enjoyed wearing many hats for the Festival. Bob enjoys a diversified career as Singer/Actor, Director and Teacher. On stage, he made his Broadway debut in the revival of SHENANDOAH! His favorite credits are Javert in Les Miserables (Mirvish, Canadian National Tours, U.S. National Tour, Westben Festival); The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Disney/Mirvish); and Anatoly in CHESS in concert (Royal Alex Theater). He has sung on Opera, Concert and Theater stages all across North America and can be seen in Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope and Comfort and Joy. He is currently the Arts (Music) Consultant for the Toronto Catholic District School Board and teaches Singing for the Randolph College for the Performing Arts. In New York, Bob taught at CAP 21 at New York University and was Adjunct Professor of Voice at William Patterson University. Producing, performing and music directing BROADWAY NITES, a retro Broadway Cabaret, with Gabrielle and Rod has been a passion project. Bob looks forward to revisiting the role of Norman Biggs.

Donna Bennett - Linette

Donna and her musical and life partner Brian Finley are co-founders of the Westben. Donna Bennett has sung with the Canadian Opera Company, Opera Atelier, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Tafelmusik, and orchestras across the country. Having performed in England, Germany, Italy and in the US, she has also toured extensively across Canada with pianist and husband Brian Finley. Donna's discography includes Henze's opera The English Cat and a collection of Mozart Arias and Lieder recorded live at the Olympic Music Festival in Washington, A Christmas of Love & Light, Lullabies for Benjamin, and Love's Old Sweet Songs along with the world premiere recordings of Brian's Rapunzel and Requiem for a Millennium. She has also recorded for CBC, CFMX, KING-FM (Seattle) and the BBC in London. Currently Donna is Westben's Director of Marketing, also leads the Westben Youth, Teen, and Cookie choruses with Brian.

Gabrielle Prata - Virginia Snow

Over the course of the last two decades, Gabrielle Prata has graced the Westben stage in 48 gowns, 6 wigs and a towel. She has been featured on International Opera, Musical and Film Stages, including an extensive repertoire with The Canadian Opera Company. Gabrielle has appeared in varied operatic and concert repertoire with the festivals of Bermuda, Ravinia, Colorado and Oregon Bach, as well as Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera, Opera Atelier, Anchorage Opera, Gold Coast Opera, FL and Boheme Opera, NJ. She has enjoyed performing with the Cincinnati Pops, Toronto, Detroit, Spokane, Peterborough, Winnipeg and Saskatoon Symphonies, as well as the Rochester Philharmonic in many Pops and Broadway concerts.

Film credits include Closing the Ring, Impulse, and featured singing roles on Saving Hope, Copper and Christmas Inc. Most recently Gabrielle has produced and performed in BROADWAY NITES, a retro Broadway Cabaret, which opened at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto. She is very happy to reprise the role of Snow in The Selfish Giant.

Dion Drewlo - Roary Potts

Dion is very excited to join the cast of The Selfish Giant’s Garden with Westben. This will be his third time playing a role with Westben. He performed as Asher in Joseph and Technicolor Dreamcoat. He also performed as Fred in the Westben Christmas Carol. He has also performed as the Pastor in an original musical Summer of ’67 by Shaer Productions. When Dion is not on stage, he works in the Engineering Department at Mirmil Products in Campbellford. His passion for Music and Musical Theatre began at age 13 when he first learned how to play guitar. He also takes time to share his love of music both at open mics and posting videos on Youtube. He would like to thank his wife Angie, his parents Marion and Larry and all his family and friends who have supported him on his musical journey.

Ruth Fleming - Helen Hail

Ruth lives in Hastings and has sung in choirs most of her life. She grew up singing in the church choir and has sung with the Westben choir for many years. She currently sings with the Trent Hills Village voices. Ruth has worked in Allen insurance Group for over 30 years and has recently cut back her hours, hoping to spend more time with her five grandchildren, two of which she introduced to Westben; Bridgette in the Selfish Giant and Addison in the Cookie choir.

Jonah McLean - Jack Frost

Jonah McLean is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Warkworth, Ontario. He was drawn to the arts at an early age, but pulled back in order to pursue a career in golf. When that didn’t work out he traded in his golf clubs for a guitar, and debuted on stage for the first time at age 23. After years of wading through the mud and honing his craft, he is finally on the verge of releasing original music as a soloist and with his band The Gimmicks. He looks to embody the spirit of soul with his old school influences while bringing a modern flair to his songs of passion, pain, and pleasure.”

Lauren Lafayette Brooks - Spirit of the Forest

Lauren Lafayette Brooks attended Humber College in Toronto, to study the performing arts. She graduated the three-year program with her diploma in Theatre Performance. Lauren has studied many forms of movement, and styles of performing. Most recently, Lauren has been performing with the Belleville Theatre Guild, Westben, JG Elite, BeGlee, Shatterbox, and Lang Pioneer Village. She is a trained voice and vocal artist, and has narrated a number of audiobook, available on Audible. She teaches, trains and competes at Ontario Dance Academy in Belleville, in numerous styles of dance. Lauren is thrilled to be apart of Selfish Giant, and working with the amazing team at Westben again.

Brian Finley – Composer/Librettist, Producer, Music Direction

Pianist and composer Brian Finley enjoys a multi-faceted artistic career. As a pianist, Brian has performed with orchestras from Dallas to Calgary as well as at venues ranging from Wigmore Hall in London, England to and the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. His recordings include solo piano music from Wigmore Hall, three critically acclaimed CDs with his musical and life partner, soprano Donna Bennett, as well as world premiere recordings of his Intimacies (2023), Preludes to Canada (2017), Rapunzel (2005), and Requiem for a Millennium (1999).

As a composer, Brian’s work includes music for piano, voice, choral works and arrangements for full orchestra. He has written and produced several full-length opera-musicals including SAMSON (2001), Rapunzel (2005) and The Selfish Giant (2010) and most recently, an opera based on his own original story The Pencil Salesman inspired and commissioned by Dr. Agnes M. Herzberg (2016).

Together with Donna, Brian co-founded the Westben Centre for Connection & Creativity near Campbellford, Ontario in 1999, serving ever since as the organization’s Artistic & Managing Director. Presenting an ever-growing list of local, emerging and international artists and activities in an array of genres, Westben has contributed to community-building in the region and has played an important role in supporting Canadian music and emerging artists. Brian was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and, together with Donna, the Order of Canada in 2017.

Ken Tizzard - Composer/Librettist

From Newfoundland, living in Campbellford(ON) Ken Tizzard writes songs and makes records. Bassist for The Watchmen, Ron Hynes, Thornley/(ex)Big Wreck. Currently performing a new album THE DAGG SESSIONS with the new band Ken Tizzard and Music For Goats.

Tizzard has made a major mark on the Canadian rock scene as the powerhouse bassist in The Watchmen and Thornley, and remains an active member of The Watchmen. Between those two bands, he is featured on six gold and platinum records, and, wearing his rock 'n roll hat, Ken has toured internationally, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and played such major venues as Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. In recent years Ken has performed at many major festivals including Merlefest, Philadelphia Folk Fest, Americanafest, Jam In The Trees and more.

Edward Franko - Stage Director

Edward Franko has distinguished himself as one of Canada's most energetic and experienced stage directors with over 120 productions directed. His career has also included stints as producer, artistic director, educator, actor and lyric tenor. Mr. Franko has been hailed for his vivid imagination and his interpretations of theatre, traditional and contemporary opera and musical theatre. He has work with Opera Anonymous, TrypTych Concert and Opera, Opera Belcanto of York, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, Opera York, Opera Mississauga, Westben (The Selfish Giant and Fiddler on the Roof), and many others. He made his successful European directorial debut with his original production of Frid's The Diary of Anne Frank (also a Canadian premiere) at the Three Rings Festival in Prague, Czech Republic and Britten's The Beggar's Opera as part of the Summer Opera School in Chichester, Great Britain. He directed the world premiere of The Selfish Giant (Westben), Frankenstein (TrypTych); the Canadian premiere staging of Verdi’s first opera Oberto and Beckwith/ Quesnel’s Lucas et Cecile. He is Co-Artistic Director of TrypTych Concert and Opera in its 25th season and President of the Kenora District Festival of the Arts. Most recently, he has directed and produced 9 videos for TrypTych entitled Opera on the Lake of the Woods.

Rebecca Baptista - Choreographic Collaborator

Rebecca’s love of dance began with lessons in a small ballet studio in Brampton Ontario. After training professionally in contemporary dance at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, she then performed internationally with the Brazilian-Canadian Newton Moraes Dance Theatre. She choreographed independent site-specific dance works for fringe festivals and immersive events in collaboration with multi-genre arts collectives. After moving to Northumberland County over 13 years ago, she co-founded the Northumberland Contemporary Dance Collective with the goal of creating and performing new dance work for our rural communities. As a dance educator, Rebecca enjoys exploring the artistic expression of movement, with all ages.

Caroline Langill - Design

Caroline Seck Langill is a writer and curator whose research and curatorial work looks at intersections between art and science. Her interests in non-canonical art histories have led her to writing and exhibition-making that challenge disciplinary constraints. Caroline has always worked in community by volunteering at various levels and serving on the boards of many artist-run-centres across Ontario. Her interest and experience in installation art, film and sculpture have led her to embrace theatre design as a novel avenue of exploration. Caroline holds an MFA from York University, and a PhD in Canadian Studies from Trent University. She is currently in the position of VPAP at OCAD University.

Gord Langill - Design

Gord Langill has lived and worked in the confluence of mental health and community arts throughout his career. Since 1980 Gord has provided mental health and addiction services to children, youth and families in various settings, including the wilderness, the street, group homes, schools, hospitals, community mental health programs and in his own counseling practice. Since 1976 Gord has worked on various community arts projects, including several Westben musical theatre productions, from Jesus Christ Superstar to the Selfish Giant’s Garden. Gord is currently Executive Director at Peterborough Youth Services while continuing to serve people directly through counseling and consultation.

Beth Puttkemery - Design

Bethany Puttkemery is a floral artist. She received a B.F.A at OCAD University in 2012 for Criticism and Curatorial practice. Puttkemery started her floral business, Smells Like Flowers (SLF), in 2019. While the majority of her work with SLF is focused on weddings and events, she is always looking for opportunities that allow her to work “outside of the box”. Her true passion is for creating large scale sculptural works with natural materials. The purpose of her life is to understand the ever connected world of plants and to creatively communicate their magic to a curious audience. Puttkemery works and resides in Campbellford, ON. Her studio is located at The Little Farm That Could, just down the road from Westben!

Koren Smoke – Design

Koren Smoke grew up in her community of Alderville First Nation home of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg of Rice Lake.

Growing up on the reserve Koren was able to learn and practice Ojibway traditions and culture and it is reflected in her work.

Koren has always been passionate on pursuing a career in art. She also beads, sews, crafts, paints, designs and is a professional tattoo artist under her own label Painted Turtle Studios located in Alderville First Nation.

Koren also shares her knowledge and traditions with her community and local schools within in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. She plans to continue to learn and perfect her craft and inspire others to pursue their passions.

Sarah Lewis - Creative Consultation

Sarah Lewis (she/her) is an Anishnaabe Kwe (Ojibwe and Cree) spoken word artist, activist, community organizer and mother of Sawyer. She has ancestral roots in Curve Lake First Nation and Pukatawagon, Manitoba. She served as Peterborough's inaugural Poet Laureate and has been featured on CBC Arts, Global News, and stages across the world – including at The Barn. Sarah utilizes poetry as an act of resistance, giving voice to Indigenous resurgence and reclamation of identities, culture, strength and sovereignty. She encourages aspiring poets to speak their truth…, and to envision a decolonial society where sexism, the patriarchy, capitalism and racism do not exist.