Christopher Plummer, Serena Ryder, Matt Good, Stuart McLean, and more highlight Banff Centre fall events season

Banff, Alberta, August 21, 2013 -- It makes sense that an actor like Christopher Plummer can indulge in picking favourites. One of the pre-eminent Shakespearean actors of the 20th century, an Academy Award winner whose acting career spans 60 years on stage and in film, on September 28, Plummer will be at The Banff Centre for Shakespeare and Music, a unique evening of Shakespeare-inspired scores by Mendelssohn and Prokofiev, and favourite excerpts from plays including The Tempest and Hamlet.  

The evening is part of a full lineup of events planned for the fall season at The Banff Centre – concerts, readings, dance, and theatre. The season kicks off September 14 with an evening of stories and dialogue between Maori novelist Witi Ihimaera, author of The Whale Rider, and Cree playwright Tomson Highway. Juno Award-winning alt country band Elliott Brood is in The Club September 23.  

In October, The Banff Centre hosts three days of Wordfest, including an appearance by Banff Distinguished Author Joseph Boyden, reading from his new novel The Orenda, workshopped here earlier this year. Also in October, singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith plays the Margaret Greenham Theatre October 10 with Juno nominee Jenn Grant. Following the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival (October 26 to November 3), Canadian rock musician Matthew Good plays the Eric Harvie Theatre on November 18 with openers Gentlemen Husbands. On November 23, Alberta Ballet brings one of their most recent original works, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, to Banff, based on the folk pop songs of Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.  

In early December, a weekend of holiday-themed family events includes performances by Motus O dance company, childrens’ songwriter Fred Penner, and the Bow Valley Chorus. The same weekend, on December 7, broadcaster and writer Stuart McLean returns to the Eric Harvie Theatre with his popular Vinyl Café Christmas.       

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About The Banff Centre: The Banff Centre's mission is inspiring creativity. Thousands of artists, leaders, and researchers from across Canada and around the world participate in programs at The Banff Centre every year. Through its multidisciplinary programming, The Banff Centre provides the support needed to create, to develop solutions, and to make the impossible possible. Moving forward, the Centre will disseminate art and ideas developed in Banff through initiatives in digital, web, radio, and broadcast media.