Talk Is Free Theatre will present the musical that has book by Andrew Sabiston and Timothy Williams, lyrics by Andrew Sabiston and music by Timothy Williams.

TIFT artistic producer Arkady Spivak announced the cast will be headed by Brazier (Broadway's Woman in White and Toronto's We Will Rock You) and Blythe Wilson (Sound of Music in Toronto, Oklahoma! and Oliver! at Stratford Shakespeare Festival) as Josephine. The cast will also feature Eric Craig as Lucien, Kevin Dennis as Anton, Gabi Epstein as Clarice, Stephanie Martin as Thérèse and Charles Mitchell as Talleyrand. Other cast members include Daniel Abrahamson, Elizabeth Beeler, Parris Greaves, Mark Harapiak, Jocelyn Howard and Andrew McAllister.

Napoleon will be directed by Richard Ouzounian (theatre critic for the Toronto Star and a vertean director of works at Stratford and around the country, as well as TIFT's Variations on a Nervous Breakdown, Anyone Can Whistle in concert and Emily).

TIFT characterizes Napoleon as "Canada's answer to mega-musical…a musical as big as the man it is about."

This is the first time Napoleon is produced in Canada since its initial commercial run at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in 1994. "Napoleon is Canada's first and perhaps the only mega-musical," stated Spivak. "Yet, in preparing for the re-written and re-imagined version of the show we discovered how intimate and personal the material is."

Ouzounian said, "I have loved this show for 15 years and have been waiting for a chance to see it done as the authors originally intended. Andrew and Tim have worked hard to restore a lot of their original vision. They've also added a dazzling new historical perspective. I couldn't be more excited to work on it."

Other members of the creative team include assistant director Sam Manchulenko, musical director Konrad Pluta, set and costume designer Brandon Kleiman, sound designers John Lott and Emily Porter and stage manager Pamela Craig.

According to TIFT, "Napoleon shaped modern Europe, recast France and its institutions, spent millions of Francs and hundreds of thousands of lives, loved passionately and lost bitterly the Empress Joséphine."

Napoleon-In Concert will play April 16 at 8 PM, April 17 at 11 AM and 8 PM, April 18 at 8 PM.

Performances are at the Gryphon Theatre at 1 Georgian Drive, Building C in Barrie, ON.

Single tickets are $32 or four tickets for $116. Group and student discounts are also available. Contact the box office at (705) 792-1949 or visit Suite 533-80 Bradford St. in Barrie or visit www.tift.ca.