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De Tourdonnet, Vincent

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Writer/director of musical theatre, Vincent de Tourdonnet was born in 1959. His introduction to musical theatre was watching Jesus Christ Superstar from the back of a'69 Mustang at a drive-in theatre in Vernon, British Columbia.

He wrote the book and lyrics for the epic historical musical about the Acadian diaspora, Pélagie, with Allen Cole, (book and music), which was co-produced in 2004 by Canadian Stage in Toronto and National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and broadcast by CBC Radio Two. It tells the story of Pélagie LeBlanc, a fictional Acadian woman who in the 1770s gathers up a group of other Acadians dispersed throughout the American colonies in order to return to Grand Pre. According to Ray Conlogue in The Globe & Mail (10 April 2004), “This project has been six years in the making, and it has been realized with admirable courage, flair and occasional brilliance.” In 2005 de Tourdonnet directed a new production of Pélagie on an Atlantic Canada tour with Two Planks and a Passion Theatre. A bilingual cast alternated performances between French and English. The French translation was by Antonine Maillet, author of the novel Pélagie-la-charrette, on which the musical is based. Two Planks and a Passion toured Pélagie in Québec in 2007.

De Tourdonnet directed the premiere production of his Snappy Tales, Short Satirical Musicals (book & lyrics) at the Factory Theatre. It was nominated in 2003 for seven Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Globe and Mail critic Rebecca Caldwell called Snappy Tales a delightfully sharp look at moral righteousness… smart, tightly constructed, finely executed” (10 June 2002).

Other book and lyrics include a Joan of Arc musical entitle Jeanne la pucelle, which opened in Montreal at the Saidye Bronfman Centre, under de Tourdonnet’s co-direction. Jeanne la pucelle went on to a commercial run at the 1400-seat Place des Arts and La Capitole in Quebec City in 1997, staged by Martin Charnin. (French version by Antonine Maillet.)

Book, lyrics and direction for other projects include adaptations of Threepenny Opera for Vancouver’s Touchstone Theatre and for APA in Montreal, as well as shows for BC’s Caravan Farm Theatre, including Strange Medicine, a satire on the medical profession, in 1990.

He is currently working on an electronic musical, based on The Real McCoy by Andrew Moodie.

President since 1999 of the Canadian Association of Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, de Tourdonnet has taught musical theatre writing at Long Island University in New York City, where he was also a writing member of the BMI musical theatre writers workshop under Maury Yeston.

He moved to Prince Edward County from Toronto in 2016.

Web site: www.vincentdetourdonnet.com

Last updated 2020-06-24