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Ross Petty

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For other people named Ross Petty, see Ross Petty (disambiguation).

Ross Petty (born August 29, 1946) is a Canadian actor and theatre producer. He is best known for his eponymous production company, which staged what were promoted as "family musical" theatre productions in the British pantomime tradition in Toronto every holiday season from 1996 until 2022.[1]

Early career

Petty was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[1]

In Europe, he sang at Le Lido in Paris and appeared with Betty Grable in the London West End musical Belle Starr. In the United States, he made his Broadway debut in Arthur Kopit's Wings, created the role of Eddie Dorrance on All My Children, and co-starred with Ginger Rogers and Sid Caesar in a national tour of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes.

He appeared in the U.S. and Canada in the title role of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, directed by Hal Prince. His film and television credits include Extreme Measures with Gene Hackman and Hugh Grant, Perry Mason, Spenser: For Hire, Monk, Loving Friends and Perfect Couples, Forever Knight, E.N.G., Night Heat, Seeing Things, Hot Shots, All My Children, A Judgement in Stone, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Counterstrike, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Traders, F/X2 and Martha Inc: The Martha Stewart Story.

He has also done voices in several cartoon shows including X-Men, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, Bob and Margaret, Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend, Bad Dog, Redwall, Mischief City, Ned's Newt, Jacob Two-Two, Monster Force, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Freaky Stories, Free Willy, Rupert, The Adventures of Tintin, Little Bear, RoboRoach, Birdz, Pippi Longstocking and Rescue Heroes.

Ross Petty Productions Christmas pantomimes

From 1996 until the 2022/2023 holiday season, Ross Petty Productions produced what they called “Fractured Fairy Tale Musicals” during the Christmas season at Toronto’s Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre.[2] The shows were firmly in the old English pantomime tradition, incorporating many of that style’s elements — broad comedy, winking asides that break the fourth wall, audience participation, and, of course, a man in a dress.

Petty had previously been involved since the early 1980s with pantomimes staged at the Royal Alexandra Theatre by British producer Paul Elliott who imported traditional English pantos using a largely British cast with a few token Canadian actors. Petty began appearing in the shows in 1983 and became co-producer with Elliott in 1986 before launching his own version of the tradition a decade later. Unlike the Royal Alex pantos, Ross Petty Productions adapted the genre to the Canadian scene using original scripts and a Canadian cast as well as adaptations such as dropping the use of the principal boy while retaining the pantomime dame and modernizing the form with the use of current, local and/or pop cultural references and satirical versions of popular music.[3][4]

Petty appeared in the musicals, usually as the villain or pantomime dame, for 20 productions in a row. He retired from performing following the 2015 production of Peter Pan but continued as producer.[5] Petty reprised his role as Captain Hook for the company's final production, staged at the Elgin Theatre for the 2022/2023 holiday season.[6]

Petty instructed his writers to take a feminist approach to the scripts so that characters such as Cinderella and Snow White "aren’t just pining after the prince" but are more assertive and independent. His productions have been criticised for commercialism through product placement and projecting ads on a screen between acts. However, Petty argues that the shows would not be financially viable without commercial sponsorship.[5]

Productions

Personal life

He has been married to former National Ballet of Canada dancer and artistic director, Karen Kain[1] since 1983.[10] The couple reside in Toronto.

References

  1. ^ a b c Wheeler, Brad (2014-10-09). "Petty dances to his own tune". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  2. ^ Aisle Say (ONT): ROBIN HOOD
  3. ^ "Ross Petty dances to his own tune". www.theglobeandmail.com.
  4. ^ "Five things to know about the loonie's value over the years". National Post.
  5. ^ a b "Toronto's Elgin Theatre villain Ross Petty takes his last bow". Globe and Mail. November 27, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Ross Petty Productions to Present Farewell Holiday Spectacular PETER'S FINAL FLIGHT in December". Broadway World. October 2, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "Ross Petty Productions (Virtually) presents "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" – Dec 19/20, 2020". 15 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Crow's Theatre announces eight-show season for vaccinated audiences". 31 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Save Post Production company that's been entertaining Toronto for 25 years is calling it quits". BlogTO. October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  10. ^ Karen Kain, Prima Ballerina | CBC Archives
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