By Keith Tomasek, Dec. 29. 2024

In October, I had the good fortune to attend a performance of Drayton Entertainment’s “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” where I had the pleasure of witnessing the fabulous Elena Howard-Scott play Sibella Hallward, an enchanting upper-middle-class woman with aspirations above her station.

Elena Howard-Scott, Daniel GreenbergHoward-Scott’s performance in the production, directed and choreographed with panache by Adam Cates, was outstanding, and I look forward to seeing her perform more here in Southwestern Ontario.

Readers in Toronto can see Howard-Scott as a featured performer in Richard Ouzounian’s “Into the Woods in Concert” at Koerner Hall.

Ouzounian has had great success with his Koerner Hall concerts, and this family-friendly production of Stephen Sondheim’s classic features a 20-piece orchestra.

Photo Stewart LoweHoward-Scott is a classically trained versatile soprano who completed her Artist Diploma in Voice at the Glenn Gould School (Royal Conservatory of Music) under the tutelage of Adrianne Pieczonka and Peter Tiefenbach. She also holds a Bachelor of Music (Vocal Performance) from the University of Manitoba, where she studied with Tracy Dahl.

Emma Pennell, Jennifer Routhier, Elena Howard-Scott in Les Dialogues des Carmélites. Photo Dahlia KatzAs well as playing the role of Sibella in Drayton’s “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” she played Blanche de la Force in The Royal Conservatory of Music’s production of “Les Dialogues des Carmélites” and Janine in “The Handmaid’s Tale” at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

This December, Howard-Scott debuted on the Stratford Festival Theatre stage, appearing in “A Stratford Christmas,” where she delivered a magnificent rendition of John Rutter’s carol “Mary’s Lullaby.” She also appeared in “A Starbright Christmas” at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.

I had a chance to ask Howard-Scott a few questions:

1) Your brother is a cellist, and your mother is a violinist and violist. You started playing violin at age 5.

String instruments and music were a dominant force in your formative years. How did the influence of string instruments impact how you use your voice and interpret lyrics?

Playing violin from such a young age greatly helped my ear as a singer – I was a Suzuki kid, so I learned a lot of music by ear when I was very young. This early training in pitch and memory has always benefitted me!

Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency Program Concert. Photo Stewart Lowe2) You studied with the internationally celebrated Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, who rose to the highest echelon in Opera.

How did working with Pieczonka impact your technique?

I have been very fortunate to have always been in great hands when it comes to my teachers.

I studied with Tracy Dahl in my undergrad at the University of Manitoba, and she is an absolute master at setting up a voice healthily.

Adrianne helped me craft my instrument in a new way – she helped me find more levity and consistency and encouraged me to sing a higher repertoire.

3) As a soprano, you’re often singing songs with themes of love, heartbreak, nature, etc.

What are the last five songs you chose to listen to? Not music related to work but rather five songs that you sought out, be they new discoveries or comforting classics from your life?

Ooo! I am a huge fan of Canadian songwriter Tim Baker and have been playing his new Christmas album on repeat. “It’s Tonight” is particularly beautiful.

Sabrina Carpenter’s album “Short n’ Sweet” has been on repeat for months as well. It’s fun and silly, and I love to sing along. Jacob Collier is a mainstay for me – I love all of his music, but some to shout out at this time are “Time to Rest Your Weary Head,” “All I Need,” and “Summer Rain.”

Fellow Stratford Christmas performer & friend Michael Vanhevel just released a Christmas album, and he is amazing – oh, and of course, I must mention Cynthia Erivo’s “Defying Gravity.”

L’Opera de Montreal. Photo Brenden Friesen

4) You are a featured performer in “Into the Woods in Concert” at the legendary Koerner Hall in Toronto.
When did you discover Sondheim, and how did his music impact your life?

My first time performing Sondheim was in my grade 12 production of “Sweeney Todd” (bold for a high school, I know!), where I played Mrs. Lovett. His music has had my heart ever since. He requires you to be honest and raw as a storyteller – the words always come first and he will tell you how to perform them, if you listen!

Either / Or
Please select 3 or 4 of the pairs. Then select one of the pairs and explain your preference, ideally in no more than two sentences.

“Last Christmas” by Wham! or “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
Both are great, but for the purposes of singing along, Mariah Carey!

Candy Canes or Gingerbread Men?
Gingerbread!

Ice skating or Tobogganing?
Tobogganing for the laughing and low effort involved.

The cast of “Into the Woods in Concert” includes a who’s who of Canadian theatre:

• Tess Benger as Cinderella (previously performed in both Sondheim shows at the RCM, and recently starred as Carole King in “Beautiful” in Montreal and Winnipeg);
• Gabi Epstein as the Baker’s Wife (a Dora Award-winning performer and recording artist);
• Sara Farb as the Witch (previously performed at the Stratford Festival, and made her Broadway debut in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” in 2019);
• Eric Peterson as the Narrator/Mysterious Man (Canadian TV and theatre icon, recipient of the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award);
• Mike Nadajewski as the Baker (recently performed in Talk is Free Theatre’s “La Bête,” a veteran of Stratford and Shaw, and had appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway);
• Fiona Reid as Jack’s Mother/Giant (a theatre icon with five seasons with the Stratford Festival and 13 at the Shaw Festival, along with a career that has taken her to stages in the UK and US);
• With Nicole Joy-Fraser, Robert Markus, Ben Page, and Heeyun Park;
• Featuring Dillan Chiblow, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper, Will Parry, Emma Pennell, and Mirabella Sundar Singh.

Paul Sportelli conducts the 20-piece, on-stage orchestra featuring The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School students. Genny Sermonia is the choreographer.

DETAILS DETAILS
Into the Woods in Concert
Dec., 28, 29, 30, 31 (3:00pm)
Koerner Hall
273 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1V6
Book Online: https://www.rcmusic.com/events-and-performances
Call the box office: (416) 408-0208