A Little Night Music with Stephanie Sy

Talented singer-actress Stephanie Sy returns to Dry Cold Productions this month to perform in the classic musical, A Little Night Music.

The musical, which premiered in 1973, is Stephen Sondheim’s adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s comedy of manners, Smiles of a Summer Night, and it features the iconic ballad Send in the Clowns.

Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of the love affairs of actress Desirée Armfeldt and the men who love and have loved her. When Desirée travels to perform in lawyer Fredrik Egerman’s hometown, the passion of the estranged lovers is rekindled.

Described by the company as “an artist of deep skill,” Stephanie Sy plays the Egerman’s worldly maid Petra. Her rendition of Sondheim’s show-stopping tour de force, The Miller’s Son, is sure to be a highlight of the production.

Says Stephanie, “One of my favourite experiences in my career was working with Dry Cold in Little Women and I will never forget the opportunity I was given to be a Filipino “Jo March” with blood related Caucasian sisters. Now, being given the chance to work with this company again, under the direction of Robbie Patterson, I couldn’t be more honoured and excited.

“This being my first Sondheim show, I knew it was going to be difficult, but the extent to which that goes is beyond what I imagined. This work forces you to be completely connected to his lyrics and rhythms, to know exactly what you are saying and your intention behind it at all times. Very much like Shakespeare, his poetry isn’t laid out there for you to easily consume. So much of the prep is analyzing what meaning you’re trying to communicate to the audience through the text. I am extremely excited to enter “Petra-Land” in A Little Night Music and to be able to share her with my wonderful Winnipeg family and friends.”

Stephanie is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre and Film. She has also played the endearing Ladybug in James and the Giant Peach at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People and she was in the first national tour of the Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You.

A Little Night Music, directed by Robb Paterson, runs May 18 to 21 at the RMTC Tom Hendry Warehouse. Tickets are $35 Adults, $25 Students (plus $2 facility) and are available at the RMTC box office, 174 Market Avenue, by phone at 204-942-6597 or online at www.royalmtc.ca/drycold.

Stephanie Sy as Jo March in Dry Cold's recent production of Little Women, the Musical performing the songs Take A Chance on Me (left) and Could You? (right)