Art of Time Ensemble presents
in association with Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage
The War of the Worlds
Orson Welles’ radio drama with music by Bernard Herrmann
starring a powerhouse cast of Nicholas Campbell, Don McKellar and Marc Bendavid

Toronto, February 23, 2011 – The acclaimed Art of
Time Ensemble, in association with Harbourfront
Centre’s World Stage, proudly presents The War of
the Worlds, a celebration of the music of Academy
Award-winning film composer Bernard Herrmann to
mark the centenary of his birth. Featuring some
of Canada’s most outstanding artistic talents,
The War of the Worlds runs Thursday, March 31
through Sunday, April 3, 2011 at Enwave Theatre.

This staging of Orson Welles’ notorious 1938
radio drama adaptation of the 1898 novel of the
same name by H.G. Wells features a powerhouse
cast – Nicholas Campbell, Don  McKellar and Marc
Bendavid – a live 5-piece band and sound effects
by foley artist John Gzowski. Art of Time
Ensemble Artistic Director Andrew Burashko
directs as well as conducts.

Herrmann was the musical director on Orson
Welles’ radio adaptation of The War of the
Worlds, originally broadcast on October 30, 1938.
Aired as a hoax, it famously caused widespread
panic as its news bulletin format led many
listeners to believe a Martian invasion was
actually happening in real time. Art of Time is
using the same script.

Also on the program is the world premiere of an
instrumental suite – Herrmannthology – newly
composed by Dan Parr based on 20 of Herrmann’s
film scores, accompanied by a live mix of stills
and footage from the various films. One of
Hollywood’s most iconic composers, Bernard
Herrmann was responsible for most of Alfred
Hitchcock’s film scores as well as the music for
Orson Welles’ films and radio dramas including
Hitchcock’s Psycho, Vertigo and North by
Northwest and Welles’ Citizen Kane and The
Magnificent Ambersons. He also penned the music
for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, the original
Cape Fear (1962) and The Day the Earth Stood
Still (1951).

Conducted by Andrew Burashko, Herrmannthology is
performed by some of the finest musicians in the
country: Les Allt (flute/alto flute), Ben
Cruchley (piano), Max Christie (clarinet), Tom
Hazlett (bass), John Johnson (saxophone), Al Kay
(trombone), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Trevor
Tureski (percussion) and Joan Watson (french
horn).

A multiple Gemini Award-winner for his leading
role in the popular television series Da Vinci’s
Inquest, and with over 40 film and television
starring credits, Nicholas Campbell recently
earned accolades in Company Theatre’s Through the
Leaves at Tarragon Theatre. Award-winning writer
and actor Don McKellar has been associated with
some of the most acclaimed film and television
shows in Canada including collaborations with
director Bruce MacDonald on Roadkill and Highway
61 (actor and screenwriter), This Movie is Broken
and Trigger; authoring screenplays for Thirty Two
Short Films About Glenn Gould and The Red Violin;
acting in television treasures such as Twitch
City and Slings & Arrows; winning a Genie Award
for his performance in Atom Egoyan’s Exotica;
winning a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
for The Drowsy Chaperone, and more. Up and coming
actor Marc Bendavid was recently seen in Art of
Time Ensemble’s Shakespeare: If Music Be and
Factory Theatre’s The Madonna Painter.

The Art of Time Ensemble is one of Toronto’s most
innovative and artistically resonant music
ensembles. The ensemble provides a unique musical
experience that breaks down barriers between
artistic and musical disciplines, and reveals the
vibrancy of classical music as a contemporary
artistic expression, appealing to a range of
audiences. John Terauds of The Toronto Star calls
the group in performance “a delicate balance
between classical expression and modern
sensibility,” and said of Shakespeare: If Music
BeŠ this season that ” there was something in
theŠperformance to enchant just about anyone who
had walked through the doors.” Paula Citron in
The Globe and Mail notes of the same concert that
Art of Time “fuses the arts in beautifully
crafted, themed programsŠ. hard to overstate the
stylishnessŠ. a class act that attracts top
talent.” The Art of Time Ensemble season sponsor
is BMO Financial and The War of the Worlds
performance sponsor is Invesco Trimark.

Art of Time Ensemble presents, in association
with Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage,
The War of the Worlds
Orson Welles’ radio drama to mark the centenary
of composer Bernard Herrmann’s birth
Starring Nicholas Campbell, Don McKellar and Marc
Bendavid with foley artist John Gzowski
Directed and conducted by Art of Time Ensemble
Artistic Director Andrew Burashko
Music composed and arranged by Don Parr
Thursday, March 31 – Sunday, April 3, 2011
Thursday-Saturday at 8pm; Matinees Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 4pm
Harbourfront Centre’s Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay West
Tickets: $25-$59 ¬- Box Office: 416-973-4000 or www.artoftimeensemble.com