gritLIT is thrilled to welcome R.F. Kuang to Theatre Aquarius in celebration of her new book, Katabasis.
Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.
R.F. Kuang will be interviewed by author Sarah Mughal Rana, author of the forthcoming epic fantasy trilogy, Dawn of the Firebird, and the acclaimed novel Hope Ablaze.
Upon purchase, guests will also have the opportunity to buy a signed deluxe limited edition copy of Katabasis. Available only on the first printing this collector’s hardcover features stenciled edges, case effects, and illustrated endpapers. Books will be pre-signed by the author.
A custom Canadian tour stamp will also be available on-site so attendees can add it to their books as a special keepsake of this exclusive event.
Additional copies of Katabasis, and other books by R.F. Kuang will be available for purchase at the event thanks to our bookstore partner Epic Books.
– #1 New York Times bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo
About Katabasis
DANTE’S INFERNO MEETS SUSANNA CLARKE’S PIRANESI in this DARK ACADEMIA FANTASY from R. F. KUANG, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek: The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld
– Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals
Oct 1, 2025 to Oct 18, 2025
Nov 19, 2025 to Dec 21, 2025
Jan 21, 2026 to Feb 7, 2026
Mar 4, 2026 to Mar 21, 2026
Apr 22, 2026 to May 16, 2026
Join us at Westinghouse HQ (286 Sanford Road) on April 2 as we welcome the creators, cast, and creative team who have travelled from across the country and celebrate the first day of rehearsals for Beautiful Scars!
Beginning at 7:00 PM in Sanford Hall, we’ll introduce you to Tom Wilson and Shaun Smyth, the writers of the new musical Beautiful Scars, our director, Mary Francis Moore, and other members of the creative team.
You’ll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the set and costume designs and be the first audience to hear songs from the show. You’ll meet some actors playing the characters in Beautiful Scars and get an exclusive chance to mingle with the creative and musical team behind the newest Canadian rock musical sensation.
Your $25 ticket includes complimentary sweet and savoury charcuterie. A cash bar will be available. Only 200 tickets for this WELCOME PARTY will be sold – so don’t delay!
Our Welcome Party host is Marie Phillips from Next Steps Planning with IPC Securities. The team at Next Steps Planning examines all aspects of your financial well-being – from evaluating your current state to understanding your dreams and aspirations – to build the plan that’s right for you.
Marie has been a fan of Tom Wilson’s music since the ’90s when she first discovered Junkhouse. Fast forward 20 years, when at Tom’s daughter Madeline’s invitation, she first sponsored Tom’s collaboration with Darcy Hepner and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonic Scars.
Marie has continued to champion Tom’s work, sponsoring Mohawk Symphony, a concert in honour of Bunny Wilson that supports the McMaster Indigenous Scholarship and showcasing his art in several pop-up art shows.
Westinghouse HQ286 Sanford Ave. NorthHamilton ON L8L 6A1
Tuesday, April 2 at 7:00 pm
HOSTED BY:
HOW WE GOT TO JERSEY: A TALE OF TWO FRANKIES
How We Got To Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear not one, but TWO Frankie Vallis in a showstopping concert revue that takes you behind the scenes of the blockbuster Boadway smash hit, Jersey Boys.
Find out how two small-town Canadian kids grew up to BOTH play a bonafide Rock-And-Roll Hall-Of-Fame superstar on stages around the world, to an audience of millions.
You’ll hear all your favourites from Jersey Boys, including SHERRY, WALK LIKE A MAN, BIG GIRLS, DON’T CRY, CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, plus deep-cut hits from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as Jeff and Adrian take you through the highs and lows, the fame and folly of playing one of the greatest legends of pop music who ever lived.
How We Got To Jersey has already vowed audiences at venues across Ontario, and is ready to send you wild with its blend of hot music, cool guys, a great story, a killer band, and photo-video projections that bring this globe-trotting story to life.
A fundraising event for Theatre Aquarius
Theatre Aquarius Mainstage190 King William St, Hamilton
gritLIT presents Margaret Atwood
gritLIT celebrates the beginning of its 20th Anniversary Festival with an evening with Canada’s most iconic author. Margaret Atwood shares stories from her long and celebrated career and discusses her latest work, Old Babes in the Wood.
Doors open at 6:00 PM, and the show starts at 7:00 PM. Please plan to arrive early. Due to the nature of this event, we may not be able to seat latecomers.
We invite you to stay after the show. The bar will be open, light refreshments available and the Epic Books table available for browsing *
This is also a great time to learn more about the rest of the 2024 gritLIT Readers & Writers Festival, as well as the final show of the Theatre Aquarius season, Beautiful Scars, written by and based on the memoir of noted Hamiltonian – and gritLIT presenter – Tom Wilson.
In partnership with Theatre Aquarius
April 9 at 7:00 pm
THE UNCOMFORTABLE PROJECT
Experience what audiences call “powerful,” “thrilling,” “moving” and “important.”
The Uncomfortable Project is an inter-arts dance show exploring the uncomfortable realities of inequality, systemic racism, misogyny, homophobia and other social justice issues through the lens of Hip-Hop. Through dance, live and recorded pieces of music and poetry, The Uncomfortable Project invites audiences to face the realities and experiences of marginalized people through the spoken and unspoken expression of dancers, poets and MCs.
CREATED AND DIRECTED BY JOSH TAYLOR
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Alyssa Nedich
Choreography: Josh Taylor, Janessa Pudwell & Miguel Ramirez
Poetry: Josh Taylor and Fareh Malik
Featuring original live music from Elley Jeeze, original audio Leon ‘Eklipz’ Robinson
Dancers: Alexi Menjivar, Amelia Menjivar, Brian Estime, Emilie Pires, Chantal Carillo, Claris Menjivar, Dylan Vandemaele, Janessa Pudwell, Jade Jager Clark, Jordan Barrack, Jenna Harris, Josh Taylor, Tyrell Black
Care Coordinator: Veronica Taylor
February 1, 2, & 3 at 7:30 pm
The HAAC Studio Theatre190 King William St, Hamilton
ADVISORY
This show contains mature themes of racism, race-based violence, misogyny, misogynoir, homophobia, transphobia, and explicit language, including racial and homophobic slurs.
16+ Parental discretion is strongly advised
Shot by Zary Photography
Edited by Josh Taylor
Cast featured: Fareh Malik, Elley Jeeze, Alexi Menjivar, Amelia Menjivar, Brian Estime, Emilie Pires, Chantal Carillo, Chris Duarte, Claris Menjivar, Dylan Vandemaele, Janessa Pudwell, Jordan Barrack, Jade Jager Clark, Jenna Harris, Josh Taylor, Tyrell Black, Vince Magcalas
BUDDY HOLLY’S ROCKIN’ PARTY
WE’VE ADDED A SECOND SHOW DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND!
Hamilton’s own Jeff Giles made his professional debut on the Aquarius stage when he was barely a teenager, but Hamilton audiences may best remember him as Rock & Roll pioneer Buddy Holly in Theatre Aquarius’ smash-hit production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, which broke box office records, saw rave reviews, and had audiences dancing in the aisles night after night.
Since then, Jeff’s kept the party going across Canada, in the U.S., and in Europe, sharing his love of Rock & Roll’s golden era alongside some of the world’s best entertainers. And now, Jeff is bringing Buddy Holly back to the Aquarius stage for a very special performance, complete with special guests and backed by a hotshot band featuring some of the area’s finest musicians.
So get ready to clap your hands, laugh, bop and sing along to the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Dion and more! Buddy Holly’s Rockin’ Party is a fun filled evening for the whole family. And remember…dancing in the aisles is encouraged!
A fundraising event for Theatre Aquarius’ 50th Season
SECOND SHOW ADDED!
March 26 & 27, 7:30pm
ANY DREAM WILL DO: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
THE FEBRUARY 8 SHOW IS SOLD OUT!
A SECOND SHOW HAS BEEN ADDED ON FEBRUARY 15 BY POPULAR DEMAND!
Any Dream Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber takes the audience on a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the life and music of the man behind ‘The Music Of The Night’. Told through story and song, the show is brought to life by top musical theatre performers from Stratford, Toronto, the West End, and Broadway, and features an avalanche of Webber’s hit songs, including Memory, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Love Changes Everything, Unexpected Song, Tell Me On A Sunday, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, and The Music of the Night.
Any Dream Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is a true triple-threat – a unique and powerful musical documentary style show; a performance featuring first-rate talent from Stratford, Toronto, the West End, and Broadway; and an engaging educational experience that will leave audiences raving about the show long after the final curtain.
Cast of Any Dream Will Do
PHOTO BY GOLDENBERG PRODUCTIONS
Creator and Performer
Performer
3rd Annual DECOLONISE YOUR EARS NEW PLAY READING FESTIVAL
Red Beti Theatre is proud to announce the launch of the 3rd annual Decolonise Your Ears New Play Reading Festival at Theatre Aquarius.
Decolonising theatre means expressing culturally specific ideas, mythologies, music, dance; IBPOC bodies occupying space in celebration of our unique identities, and subverting rigid hierarchies in favour of a more equitable approach. It means brown and black bodies having time to explore our voices, develop our practices and explore lesser-known cultural forms without having to negotiate, conform or squeeze into parameters that we did not choose.
Presented by the Red Beti Theatre
Hosted at Theatre Aquarius, in the Norman and Louise Haac Studio Theatre
190 King William St, Hamilton
“Nbwaachaadaa Nokomis” delves into generational divides, following Dawnis on her urban Indigenous journey, where enigmatic signs beckon her to decipher their meaning. Witness Dawnis grapple with the immense responsibility of healing divisions, both within herself and her family lines.
“After Prom” is a fresh and intriguing play that explores teen angst, desires, and the enduring effects of unchecked grief. Join two estranged twenty somethings as they break into their old high school on the poignant ten-year anniversary of their friend’s passing. As they revisit their prom day, questions arise: Do they truly need all the answers to decade-old mysteries?
This heartfelt tribute to South Asian mothers unfolds in the vibrant setting of Brampton. As the death of their father shatters a family, the mother embarks on a quest for freedom by divorcing her late husband. This powerful portrayal inspired by the playwrights’ own experiences within the South Asian/Punjabi culture. It explores the sacrifices immigrant families make to survive, celebrates the resilience of South Asian women, and delves into the complex dynamics of “home” & family bonds.
Embark on a mesmerizing journey as Henry, the region’s newly orphaned Duke, encounters an unexpected turn of events. An alien crashes onto Earth on a mission & immediately conscripts him into teaching her the ways of humanity. As the lessons deepen, profound truths about humanity emerge, leading to revelations neither ever thought they’d encounter. “The Foreigner” is an exploration of life, the essence of being truly seen, & a heartfelt love letter to the outsiders, the outcast, and the foreign.
“Decolonisation is about claiming space… celebrating our own stories, our unique thought processes, and our distinct forms of theatre… not limited by Western theatrical norms.”
Radha S. Menon – Founding Artistic Director, Red Beti Theatre
THE STINGTHE HAMILTON LAWYER’S SHOW 2024By David RogersAdapted from the screenplay by David WardDirected by Steven Schipper C.M, O.M.
THE LAWYERS ARE BACK! The Hamilton Lawyers’ Show is returning to the Aquarius stage. This time, Hamilton’s lawyer-actors (actor-lawyers?) are gearing up to present The Sting, based on the classic 1973 film, starring Paul Newman & Robert Redford. All of the excitement, intrigue and suspense of the big con in depression-era Chicago will come to life for Hamilton audiences in this production under the direction of Steven Schipper, one of Canada’s most celebrated professional directors.
The ‘Lawyers’ Show’ was invented by Hamilton’s lawyers 40 years ago when they staged another classic, Twelve Angry Men, by Reginald Rose. That production inspired an international phenomenon of copycat lawyer shows that have generated millions of dollars for charity throughout North America & Europe.
A joint production of Theatre Aquarius & The Hamilton Lawyers’ Club
in support of Theatre Aquarius & the Lawyers’ Legacy for Children – The Ray Harris Fund
DIAMOND
The Hamilton Lawyers’ Club
GOLD
The Effort Trust CompanyScarfone Hawkins LLPHOPA Ports
SILVER
Ingrassia Macaluso Associates
BRONZE
Bartolini Berlingieri Barrafato Fortino LLPJames CimbaEvans Philp LLPGowling WLGMarkland Property Management Inc.Nimigan Mihailovich Reporting Inc.Regency Law GroupPatricia R. Santucci LawStorage Vault Canada/Access StorageSupply-All Trim and Doors Inc.Roger Yachetti FamilyTMA Law
Camp Tanamakoon / Bartlett LodgeMark and Helen De BenedictisRon FoxcroftMackesy SmyeMathews Dinsdale & Clarke LLPNolan, Ciarlo LLPRoss & McBride LLPSilenzi Real Estate TeamStresscrete GroupPaul SzostakTim Hortons, Stone Church & Red Hill – Aaron YachettiTurnbull Resolutions Inc.
“The Lawyers are BACK and the Con is ON!”
THEATRE AQUARIUS