Gotta Getta Gimmick
Contents
Overview
Gotta Getta Gimmick is a theatre company and non-profit society from Victoria, BC, Canada.[1]
GGG began as an adhoc group of students from the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria in 2002. GGG’s name is derived from the title of a song from the musical Gypsy (music by Jules Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim).
History
Early Years
GGG was founded by Clayton Baraniuk, Jane Gaudet, RJ Peters, Brad L’Écuyer and Shane Snow in early 2002. Over the following eight years Gotta Getta Gimmick became a central source of professional opportunity for emerging theatre artists in Victoria, presenting annual summer and winter productions on stage and around the property at the Butchart Gardens. GGG incorporated as a non-profit society in 2007. GGG has created work for and with the Butchart Gardens, the Mary Winspear Centre, Theatre SKAM, The Belfry Theatre, Oldfield Orchard, Intrepid Theatre, and the Firehall Arts Centre among others.
2007-Today
Gotta Getta Gimmick incorported as a non-profit society in 2007 in Victoria, BC. Founding member Clayton Baraniuk maintained his role of Artistic Producer, with a mandate to develop a more consistent presence for the company both as a source of opportunity as well as originality. In 2009, GGG created the role of Artistic Director for Brad L’Écuyer. Brad and Clayton are co-administrators and co-creators in the gimmick, and have been since 2002. In 2012 Sarah Carlé became an Associate Artist of Gotta Getta Gimmick, after performing for almost a decade and assisting with the internal developments of GGG’s artistic work. Each year Gotta Getta Gimmick has and continues to create, collaborate, develop or experience the craft of musical theatre with artists from across the region and beyond.
While carving out a niche in Victoria, GGG has generated interest and excitement for their brand of music theatre, attracting support, partnership and collaboration with some of Victoria’s most exciting theatre and arts institutions and organizations. GGG’s fresh approach to music theatre has seen a variety of unconventional locations from basements to orchards, sidewalk to staircases, steadily building a community audience and feeding the regions hunger for quality professional productions. Opportunities continue to blossom though Gotta Getta Gimmick’s uncanny ability to provide detailed, innovative productions, adapted to their surroundings and audience.
chorus|line|cabaret series
In January 2011, GGG launched the chorus|Line cabaret series, an ongoing exploration of the many facets and voices of musical theatre.
Gotta Getta Gimmick’s unique chorus|line exists to provide accessible opportunities to study and develop skills and knowledge in the genre of Musical Theatre, to build community by fostering artistic relationships and interactions, and to provide accessible, enlightening and unique performance experiences to a broad and diverse community. This is accomplished through a series of creative workshops facilitated by GGG and lead by local artistic leaders and emerging professional directors and choreographers. During the workshops participants study rare and unique selections of musical theatre over six sessions, culminating in a public performance of the curated material.
The chorus|line enhances the artistic palette of audiences and participants alike by exposing them to unique or under appreciated selections of musical theatre through purposeful curation. These workshops create a unique collective experience for those involved, building relationships and partnerships throughout the broader community in addition to enhancing comprehension and skill. The cabaret performances provide direct engagement with the public, during the less formal Act Two audience members are invited to “jump up” and perform musical theatre numbers, or participate through sing-alongs and trivia. The cabarets also provide insight and reflection on the craft and artistry of the selected material; thereby enhancing communal knowledge and appreciation of an often-misunderstood genre. The chorus|line also enables mentorship and engagement opportunities between professional artists and the public through out all of these activities, providing a vehicle for community building and artistic exploration.
Production History
- ’’A Pirates Vow’’ (2002)
- ’’The Magic Garden’’ (2002)
- ’’A Wiz Thru Oz’’ (2003)
- ’’The Pied Piper’’ (2004)
- ’’Arlen in the Gardens’’ (2005)
- ’’The Feast’’(2006)
- ’’Little Shop of Horrors’’(2006)
- ’’The Princess and the Pea’’ (2007)
- ’’Falsettos’’ (2008)
- ’’Parlor Party’’ (2008)
- ’’Samuel’’ (2009)
- ’’Chapter 2 Page 5’’ (2009)
- ’’Paul Bunyan’’(2009)
- ’’Sweeney Todd’’ (2009)
- ’’Vaudeville Christmas’’ (2009)
- ’’Evelyn’’ (2010)
- ’’Tragic Animal Stories’’ (2010)
- ’’Kids Game’’ (2010)
- ’’Tea with the Queen’’ (2010)
- ’’21st Century Ideas’’ (2011)
- ’’Such Happy Noises’’ (2011)
- ’’Fringe Mob’’ (2011)
- ’’Harvey and Antonia’’ (2012)
- ’’The Anniversary Show’’ (2013)
- ’’Almost Paradise’’ (2014)
chorus|line|cabaret
- ’’Kander & Ebb’’ (2011)
- ’’Cy Coleman’’ (2011)
- ’’William Finn’’ (2012)
- ’’Jules Styne’’ (2012)
- ’’Maury Yeston’’ (2012)
- ’’Boch and Harnick’’ (2012)
- ’’Stephen Sondheim Early Years’’ (2013)
- ’’Jerry Herman’’ (2013)
- ’’Marvin Hamlisch’’ (2013)
- ’’Stephen Schwartz’’ (2014)
- ’’Rogers and Hammerstein’’ (2014)
- ’’Flahery and Ahrens’’ (2014)
