With four newly commissioned works by celebrated Canadian Music Theatre creators, highlights from our ever-growing canon of musicals, and songs from our acclaimed New Bad Ideas program, New Bad Ideas Live is Bad Hats' annual concert series that invites audiences into the first sparks of creation.
New Bad Ideas Live features new commissioned short stories by four writing duos:
- ROSAMUND SMALL (Vitals, Tomorrowlove, Performance Review) & SUZY WILDE (After the Rain, Predictable Holiday Rom Com: the Musical);
- MAKRAM AYACHE (Small Gods the Musical, The Green Line, A Witch in Algiers) & ANTON LIPOVETSKY (Blackout, Way Out There, Cowboy Tempest Cabaret);
- NAM NGUYAN & WILFRED MOESTCHER (A Perfect Bowl of Pho, Red Tide);
- MARIE FARSI (Fifteen Dogs) & KEVIN WONG (Soft Magical Tofu Boy(s), Polly Peel, Hyacinthia)
With sneak peaks from Bad Hats' next three mainstage musicals (Piper by Kat Sandler/Adam Sakiyama, The Chrysalids by Gregory Prest/Landon Doak, The Nutcracker by Fiona Sauder/Britta Johnson), highlights from this year's New Bad Ideas program (The Blue Castle by Saleema Nawaz/Scott Christian, The Best Friend Blanket Fort Show by Marie Beath Badian/Nicky Phillips, GIGS by Michael Ross Albert/Richard Lam) and more!
Rielle Braid holds a BFA in acting from the University of Victoria, and a BA in Psychology/Minor in Criminology from Toronto Metropolitan University. She originated the role of Ocean Rosenberg in the Canadian production and tour of “Ride the Cyclone”, and played Amy in the Crave original television show “New Eden” Other Acting Credits: Kate (“Life After”, Musical Stage Company/Canadian Stage), Harmony Silver (“Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life", Musical Stage Company/Outside the March), Quincey/Bart (“Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play”, Outside the March), Beggar Woman/Pirelli (“Sweeney Todd”, Blue Bridge Repertory), Audrey (“As You Like It”, Blue Bridge Repertory). Assistant Directing credits: “Songs by a Wannabe” and “A Moment For Frayed Nerves” (Toronto Fringe Festival), “UnCovered: Cher and Madonna” (Musical Stage Company), “In Real Life” (Sheridan College). Rielle is also a playwright, and her new play, "Closing Night" received an OAC Recommender Grant from Outside the March.
Kyle Brown is a Toronto-based Dora nominated actor and singer. Born in Montréal, Kyle found his love for singing as a child in church, later touring the United States with his college gospel choir, and now expressing that love through his work as a musical theatre performer. Select theatre credits include Come From Away (Mirvish-Toronto/Newtheatricals-Australian Tour); Jesus Christ Superstar, The Frogs (TIFT); Grow (Segal Centre) and Frozen (Drayton). Kyle is happy to be part of Bad Hats Theatre’s New Bad Ideas!
Elysia Cruz (she/her), born in the Philippines, is a Filipino-Canadian performer, ‘23 graduate of Sheridan College’s Bachelors of Music Theatre Performance. Select credits: Judith and Juliet u/s in &Juliet, Katherine Howard in SIX the Musical (Mirvish Theatre); Dawn in Waitress (The Grand Theatre, Theatre Aquarius); Grease, Christmas Carol (Drayton Entertainment). She is so thrilled to be a part of this musical night!
Shakura Dickson is a Dora – Nominated artist based in Toronto. Theatre Credits Include: Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody (Soulpepper, Just for Laughs Montreal); Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, I Am William, Freedom Cabaret (Stratford Festival); A Streetcar Named Desire,
How to Catch Creation, Bad Hats’ Alice in Wonderland, ‘da Kink in My Hair, Billie, Sarah, & Ella (Soulpepper); Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill (Theatre Calgary); Dear Evan Hansen (Mirvish); Jerusalem (Outside the March/Crow’s Theatre); Trout Stanley (Factory Theatre); Light, Girls Like That (Tarragon Theatre); Other Side of the Game (Obsidian/Cahoots); Treasure Island (Solar Stage). She also appears in: Grand Army (Netflix), Private Eyes (Global TV), Coroner (CBC).
Justin Eddy is a Chinese-Canadian actor based in Toronto, ON. SELECTED THEATRE: Slave Play (Canadian Stage), Narnia (Soulpepper, Bad Hats & Crow’s Theatre) Spring Awakening (Soulpepper), Salesman in China, Wendy and Peter Pan, Richard II, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Grand Magic (Stratford), Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, Tell Tale Harbour (Charlottetown Festival), A Christmas Carol, Evita, Cinderella (Grand Theatre); AWARDS: John Hirsch Award, Stratford Festival Tyrone Guthrie Awards (2023); TRAINING: National Theatre School of Canada TV/FILM: Murdoch Mysteries; SOCIALS: @jstneddy; www.justineddy.ca.
Selected Theatre: & Juliet (Mirvish), Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Mirvish, Crow’s Theatre; Toronto Theatre Critics’ Award), Bright Star (Mirvish/GTP), Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors (The Old Globe San Diego), The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man (Stratford Festival), The Horse and His Boy, Brigadoon (Shaw Festival), West Side Story (Citadel; Sterling Award), Million Dollar Quartet (Segal Centre). Film/television: The Holiday Sitter (Hallmark, GLAAD Award nomination), Road Trip Romance (Hallmark), A Killer Behind Closed Doors (Lifetime), 11h11, Murdoch Mysteries (CBC) Coroner (CBC/CW), The Dwelling (Breakthrough Entertainment), The Social (CTV). georgekrissa.com, @georgekrissa on Instagram.
Emry Harland (He/They) is an artist/musician from Saskatoon, now with roots in Toronto! Selected credits: & Juliet (Mirvish), Alice in Wonderland (Bad Hats Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Drayton Entertainment). Be sure to check out their solo music wherever you stream! You won’t regret it. He’d like to thank his family, his friends, and the entire team at AMI for making his dreams come true. Insta: @emry.harland
Astrid (she/they) was in the original COME FROM AWAY as Beulah & others from its first run in La Jolla to its final Broadway performance! She then switched things up to play Diane in CFA in Gander, Newfoundland for three summers! Most recently, Astrid originated the role of Gram in FREAK THE MIGHTY (Cleveland Playhouse & Seattle Rep). Other favourite roles: Aslan in NARNIA (Bad Hats); Harriet in POTUS (Segal Centre) and Mattie Fae in AUGUST, OSAGE COUNTY (St. Louis Rep). She has originated many roles including Germaine in BELLES SOEURS: The Musical and Baal in BAAL: A Rock & Roll Play. Astrid received a Dora for Outstanding Performance for playing Loraine in THIS WIDE NIGHT. Upcoming: THE RUNAWAYS & CONVERSATIONS ON THE RETURN OF SPRING at VideoCab this November.
