Broadway actor and Walkerton native Robert Creighton will be returning to his theatre roots this summer at the Drayton Festival Theatre.
Creighton will be starring in Cagney, a musical biography of silver-screen legend James Cagney, Hollywood’s iconic hoofer. Creighton co-wrote the production, which will make its Canadian premiere at the Drayton Festival Theatre from June 30 through July 24.
“Robert has a distinguished history with Drayton Entertainment,” said artistic director Alex Mustakas, who first met Creighton in 1988. “We are thrilled that, after all of his success in New York, he has chosen to return to the Drayton Festival Theatre and give local audiences the opportunity to see this fascinating musical biography.”
Creighton made his debut at the Drayton Festival Theatre in 1991, in the theatre’s inaugural production of Vaudeville, followed by a memorable turn as the precocious Eugene in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs.
“Since day one, Drayton Entertainment has cultivated a reputation for nurturing artists,” said Mustakas. “It is fitting that Robert Creighton returns to the stage that launched his career as the Drayton Festival Theatre commemorates its 20th anniversary season.”
Creighton appeared in other Drayton productions over the next few years before securing the role of Goody King in the national tour of Fame in 1998. His Broadway debut came in 2003, when he appeared in Jackie Mason’s Laughing Room Only. He then accepted roles in the Broadway productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Little Mermaid, and, most recently, as Timone in the stage adaptation of The Lion King.
Creighton, who has a BA in vocal performance from Wilfrid Laurier University, has already received a lot of praise for his work in Cagney, which features music and lyrics that he co-wrote. The production won a 2010 Carbonell award for Best New Work, and was nominated in a number of other categories including Best Actor in a Musical for Creighton. Along with New York’s Drama Desk and Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson awards, the Carbonell awards are among the United States’ premiere senior regional arts awards.
“There is a sort of juxtaposition in this production that really engages audiences,” said Mustakas. “On one hand we have the tough-guy character that Cagney portrayed on the silver screen, while on the other we have the light-hearted humour and music that is written into the script that is a closer resemblance to Cagney’s real-life personality.”
Audiences will especially enjoy the renditions of the brilliant song and dance numbers Yankee Doodle Dandy and Give My Regards to Broadway.
Tickets may be purchased through the Drayton Festival Theatre box office at 519-638-5555 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463. For more information please visit www.draytonfestivaltheatre.com.
