Introducing Musical Theatre Productions (MTP)

This is the twelfth in a series of Q&A Profiles of London area theatre companies and groups. Today, we profile Musical Theatre Productions.

Q. When was your company founded? By whom and why?

Musical Theatre Productions (MTP) was founded in 1988, with the mounting of our very first musical – ‘Evita’. The founding members were Kevin Bice, Suzan Bingemann, Noreen DeShane, Eleanor Ender, Art Fidler, Vicky Fuss, John Gerry, John Hart, James Hill, Roger Macaulay, Ann MacMillan, Deborah Mitchell, Stephen Mitchell, and Alec Richmond.

Q. Is your company best described as professional or not-for-profit community theatre? Or both? 

Musical Theatre Productions is a registered not-for-profit community theatre company. With nothing to do regarding the sale of our productions or caliber of talent on our stages, we are an amateur theatre company. This means that folks on-stage, backstage, or even on the creative side, are all passionate volunteers dedicated to bringing musicals to life in London. 

We do offer a small honorarium for certain creative positions as well as musicians, which is very different from what an artist would make working for a professional theatre company. 

Q. What venue(s) do you use to stage your productions? 

MTP does not have a dedicated performance space and has been lucky enough to partner and rent from many different venues across the city in our 30+ years of operation. Currently, we are very lucky to have an ongoing relationship with the Grand Theatre and are renting their Auburn Stage for all of the productions in our upcoming season. This is a wonderful space that acts as a blank canvas that our directors and designers adore! 

(Pictured: Jacob Wiley, Publicity Director/Board of Directors, Musical Theatre Productions)

Q. Does your company have a Mission or Statement of Purpose? 

Our mission is simple, to consistently produce and advocate for high-quality community musical theatre for London, Ontario, Canada and the surrounding area.

Q. Does your company have a Board of Directors and paid staff? 

MTP has an operating board of currently twelve members (with a vacant seat). This dedicated group of community members work tirelessly to keep the registered charity afloat and ensure that Musical Theatre Productions is recognized for not only the theatre we create, but the experience of our volunteers and ticket holders. We are constantly working to create new policies and procedures, improving our EDI and Community Engagement initiatives – all to ensure that everyone regardless of identity, ethnicity or experience feels welcome, safe, respected, and embraced by MTP.  

Q. Tell me about your 2025-2026 Season. Does it have any underlying theme?

Everyone at MTP is so excited for our 2025/ 26 BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL SEASON. This season we invite you to join us in the bright and beautiful world of showbiz! We can’t wait to explore the golden age glamour, the rush of a live studio, and the surprise of the season that is certain to excite any fan of film or stage. We have something for everyone in the season ahead!

MTP’s upcoming season wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for our Season Sponsors: The London Arts Council, Old Oak, Ad Home Creative and The London Community Foundation. We are also immensely thankful to this season’s Printing Partner,: Andrus Direct.

Q. What shows will you be staging this season? Tell me a little bit about each. 

This December, join our 55+ branch, Silver Spotlight, for a taste of golden-age glamour with SST’s SHOWTUNE. Prepare yourself for a slice of musical theatre heaven. All Jerry Herman, all the time. Showtune delivers everything that its title promises… and then some! No lyric is left unsung in this top-notch retrospective of Herman’s phenomenal career in songwriting, presented by the Silver Spotlight Theatre wing of Musical Theatre Productions. Familiar tunes from such illustrious titles as Hello Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles will be stuck in your head long after this charming show ends. A performer-driven piece that has its heart in Herman’s words, it is the perfect celebration for the recipient of the 2009 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Are we live? Roll camera this February on a live studio set with MTP’s BRIGHT & BOLD. Take a seat in our studio audience to witness the magic (and mishaps) of a live television variety show with BRIGHT AND BOLD – A Golden Age Winter Special. Our performers will enchant you on stage while revealing some of the behind-the-scenes antics that keep this show alive! Come see us recreate the golden age of television with star-studded performers that represent the beauty and diversity of our communities today. We’re not just recreating history, we’re rewriting it, in technicolour!

Finally, we have our unannounced surprise of the season! Due to our license agreement, we aren’t able to announce this popular title, fans of film and stage adore, but we are certain that it will leave Londoners feeling like an ALL STAR! Stay tuned for the BIG reveal January 10, 2026!

Q. Do you have any thoughts about the London area theatre community and your place in it?

The London area is so lucky to have such a thriving local theatre scene. With so many wonderful companies and so much talent, there is always something to see and  talk about. With a dedication to only producing musicals, and 30 plus years of experience, we have a refined and distilled skill to bringing musicals to the stage in a unique way that only MTP can. From our shows to our gatherings and events, everything we do is infused with a unique MTP flair that we are proud to bring to the community. 

To learn more about Musical Theatre Productions and the 2025-2026 Season, visit https://www.mtplondon.ca/

Follow MTP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mtplondon

Follow MTP on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mtplondon/