Mary Antonini brings depth and joy to the Shaw Festival’s 2025 season, starring in Blues for an Alabama Sky, Anything Goes, and White Christmas. Her journey from Broadway to Shaw reflects resilience, artistry, and the importance of Black joy on stage.
AfroToronto.com interviewed Mary Antonini, one of the Shaw Festival’s most dynamic performers, about her role in the Canadian premiere of Blues for an Alabama Sky. Directed by Kimberley Rampersad, the play is set in Harlem during the 1930s, weaving together joy, struggle, and resilience during the Harlem Renaissance.
Mary shares insights on playing Delia Patterson, a young woman carving out her dreams in a time of cultural brilliance and social upheaval. She also reflects on her experiences as a performer of colour, balancing three major roles this Shaw season—Delia in Blues for an Alabama Sky, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, and Judy in White Christmas.
Conversation highlights
- Why Blues for an Alabama Sky resonates today and how it portrays the Harlem Renaissance
- Playing two 1930s women in one season—Delia Patterson (Blues) and Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes)—and how their stories connect
- The Shaw Festival’s culture of community and why it’s a rare place for actors to stretch across multiple major roles in one season
- What it’s like working with director Kimberley Rampersad, who brings choreography, rhythm, and language into every production
- Mary’s journey from Winnipeg to Broadway (Aladdin, The Prom, Jesus Christ Superstar) and back to Canada
- The importance of representation, resilience, and bringing Black joy to the stage through classics like White Christmas
Selected timestamped quotes
On Blues for an Alabama Sky
[00:02:45]
“It’s set during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s. It takes place over two apartments—five people—and we follow their stories and relationships as they move through the world as Black people.”[00:04:57]
“Delia is 25. She’s learning through the people around her who she wants to be… you start seeing mirrors in people and finding your place.”
On playing two women in the 1930s
[00:03:37]
“I’m playing Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes and Delia in Blues. They’re very different journeys, but they could be the same woman at different moments in their lives.”[00:04:16]
“What excites me is Black people making a space for themselves—doing that as a community and as individuals, through art.”
On ensemble work
[00:06:36]
“These five people have different points of view and rhythms. When they come together, they come together.”[00:07:51]
“One of my favourite relationships is between Sam and Delia. We push each other and ask for truth out of love. Isn’t that how we grow?”
On the Shaw Festival
[00:09:05]
“I don’t think there are many places where an actor can do the kind of season I’m doing. The roles require so much of me—physically, mentally, emotionally.”[00:10:29]
“People will see five on stage, but it really takes 150 people to make it. Shaw values that community—and that aligns with my values.”
On working with Kimberley Rampersad
[00:13:17]
“Working with Kimberley is one of the great privileges of my career… she speaks so many languages in the room—dance, design, text.”[00:14:11]
“Every show is a dance. All the blocking is choreography. When you hear a play, you hear rhythm—that is music.”
On her artistic journey
[00:16:16]
“I came out of the womb dancing. What I loved about dance was storytelling.”[00:21:35]
“The Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre is no different than Broadway for the work I put in. The scale changes; the work doesn’t.”
On representation and Black joy
[00:28:46]
“I was told I was a dancer and nothing else—that my other skills shouldn’t be nurtured. I decided that couldn’t be true.”[00:33:56]
“In Blues, Anything Goes, and White Christmas—there is so much Black joy. I don’t think we can get enough of it.”
About Mary Antonini
Mary Antonini’s career spans Broadway (Aladdin, The Prom, Jesus Christ Superstar), Stratford, national tours, and screen roles. At Shaw, she is starring in Blues for an Alabama Sky, Anything Goes, and White Christmas in the 2025 season. A Randolph musical theatre graduate and Jeff Award winner, she continues to redefine versatility as a dancer, actor, and singer—bringing resilience and representation to Canadian stages.
IMDb: Mary Antonini
Instagram: @maryeantonini
See Mary Antonini at the Shaw Festival
Audiences have three opportunities to experience Mary Antonini’s talent during the 2025 Shaw Festival season in Niagara-on-the-Lake:
-
Blues for an Alabama Sky
Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre
Until October 4, 2025
Directed by Kimberley Rampersad, this Canadian premiere by Pearl Cleage captures the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance through five interconnected lives. Mary stars as Delia Patterson, a young woman balancing dreams with the challenges of the 1930s. -
Anything Goes
Festival Theatre
Until October 4, 2025
Set aboard the S.S. American, this sparkling revival of Cole Porter’s musical comedy features Mary as Reno Sweeney, the spirited nightclub singer leading audiences through romance, mistaken identities, and dazzling dance numbers. -
White Christmas
Festival Theatre
November 7 – December 21, 2025
Back by popular demand, this holiday classic features Mary reprising her role as Judy Haynes, one half of the beloved singing-and-dancing sister act. A festive season favourite filled with music, dance, and timeless charm.
For tickets and information, visit the Shaw Festival website or call the box office at 1-800-511-SHAW (7429).
