Forte Musical Theatre
Show Name
Previous show title - Photographed by Grace Wolff
About the Show
This is a show about singers and dancers, where they sing and dance for about two hours. If you are interested in singing and dancing, you will love this show! Do you want to book tickets? Click the button to learn more. Here is the button. Do you see it?
The Forte Musical Theatre Writers' Unit
Forte is thrilled to partner with Theatre Alberta and Banff Centre to present a three day musical theatre writing intensive with David Hein, co-creator of the hit Broadway musical, Come From Away. As part of that partnership, Forte has established our first ever Writers’ Unit creating a support system for musical theatre writers to share ideas and present new work.
Alixandra Cowman
Alixandra Cowman (she/her) is an award-winning sound designer, composer, music director and theatre artist who splits her time between Calgary and Rosebud, Alberta. She is a diehard musical theatre fan, and a passionate advocate for music interacting with and enhancing live storytelling. Alixandra's first musical Home For The Holidays, written with playwright Cayley Wreggitt, received its world premiere at Lunchbox Theatre in December 2022. Home For The Holidays received 2 Betty Mitchell Awards for both Best Sound Design/Composition and Best Musical. Her next musical, co-written with Kodie Rollan, is Little Elves: a dark folk parable inspired by one of the miracles of St. Nicholas. Little Elves will have its world premiere with Chromatic Theatre in Fall 2026. Alixandra also works at Rosebud Theatre & School of the Arts as Music Director and Instructor. She is thrilled to be able to take part in this writer's unit with musical theatre writing giants such as these!
Jocelyn Hoover
Jocelyn Hoover (she/her) is a multidisciplinary settler artist based in Moh’kinsstis (Calgary). She has extensive experience in collective creation and new work development, and is thrilled to be collaborating with Grant Tilly on their new musical Susan’s Dream Date. Her performance practice spans musical theatre, physical theatre and contemporary dance, classical voice, and collaborative piano. Jocelyn has worked most recently with Lunchbox Theatre, Quest Theatre, Rosebud Theatre, Forte Musical Theatre, Jubilations Dinner Theatre, The Shakespeare Company, Occasional Notes, BrownCow Collective, and kloetzel&co. She is also a Betty Mitchell Award nominated Choreographer, using her multidisciplinary approach to help performers unlock authenticity and freedom in physical storytelling in all forms. She works as a freelance instructor of voice, dance, and movement for actors with institutions in Calgary and surrounding areas. Jocelyn is a graduate with distinction of the University of Calgary with degrees in Dance (Choreography and Performance) and Music (Voice). @hoovey
Maren Ord Burnham
Maren Ord Burnham is a singer-songwriter/playwright/producer. Having signed a major record deal at the age of eighteen (Capitol Records/Sony/Nettwerk Records), Maren was able to work alongside some incredibly talented producers (Randy Bachman, Stephen Hague), and executives in the music world earning her a Juno nomination for Best New Solo Artist as well as a Canadian Radio Music Award for Best New Song. This gave her many opportunities to tour, including Lilith Fair (1997-98) with Sarah McLachlan. Maren has spent the past fifteen years working with various mentors and dramaturgs to learn the art of creating story through musical theatre which earned her eight CAT award nominations for “The Gardener” (2023) and another eight for “The Night of the Murder” (2025). She is currently producing her fifth original musical, “Christmas Tree Confessions” (Nov 19-28th, 2026) through her theatre company, Feather Pen Theatre.
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Kodie Rollan
Kodie Rollan is a Philippine-born, Scarborough-raised, Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary)-based playwright, dramaturg, lyricist, arts leader, producer, and emerging director. He is a passionate community-builder and always aims to create spaces for shared storytelling and arts equity within the nonprofit sector. As a storyteller, Kodie is drawn towards explorations of justice within racialized bodies and how we can move towards more abolitionist futures. As a playwright and dramaturg, he was worked with a variety of organizations such as Chromatic Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, and Lunchbox Theatre, and was the Associate Dramaturg for the Banff Playwrights Lab from 2022 - 2024. He received his musical theatre creation training from the Noteworthy Program at the Musical Stage Company. He is also the Artistic Director at Chromatic Theatre. Kodie’s first musical, Little Elves co-created with Alixandra Cowman will have its debut production in October 2026.
Kathryn Smith
Kathryn Smith is a queer and trans theatre creator who has worked across Canada for the last 10 years. They are an active artistic leader, facilitator, designer, director, and singer songwriter currently calling Mohkinstsis (Calgary) home.
Since 2022, Kathryn (or KP) has been the Artistic Director of Verb Theatre - a Calgary based independent theatre company that focuses on producing ‘tomorrows theatre today’. For the past 18 months, they also have been working with Quest Theatre as the Drama Education Associate helping bring drama and theatre to youth across Alberta. They are active in the community as a director and sound designer/composer, and have written three musicals to date. Currently they are expanding one of their pre-existing musicals, working towards producing a completed musical, and writing a brand new, one person musical performance about the Garden of Eden. Kathryn is also an award winning singer songwriter under the name KP Smith, and has played in numerous venues across Western Canada.
Musical Projects:
Timmy, Tommy, and the Haunted Hotel (Book by Kathryn Smith and Ali DeRegt; Music and Lyrics by Kathryn Smith)
Vasilisa & Baba Yaga (Book by Camille Pavlenko; Music and Lyrics by Kathryn Smith)
A Dress With Pockets (Book by Lara Schmitz; Music and Lyrics by Kathryn Smith)
Something in the Garden (Book, Music, & Lyrics by Kathryn Smith) *currently in development
Grant Tilly
Grant is a playwright, composer, and lyricist. His musical, Bingo Ladies (which was developed and premiered at Lunchbox Theatre), recently received its eighth production at the Stephenville Festival in NL. His works have won Best of the Toronto Fringe and been shortlisted for the Tom Hendry Musical Award from the Playwrights Guild of Canada. He is currently developing the musical Susan’s Dream Date with Jocelyn Hoover.
Tilly has also worked as an actor across Canada. He spent two years with the original Canadian National Company of Jersey Boys and ten summers with Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity, NL. In Alberta, he’s worked with Vertigo, the Citadel, Rosebud, Lunchbox, and Stage West. He received his BFA with distinction from the University of Calgary, where he also completed his MFA in Playwriting and was awarded a SSHRC scholarship. Visit granttilly.com for more information on past shows and works in development.
Previous show title - Photographed by Grace Wolff