_ Canada On Stage Page 9. “| = Why not join up? 4a Jake walk, _ ani. - Come winter, Canada’s ’ regional theatres: will be . showcasing’ more touring | musical shows and plays - from other’ Canadian citles.” By the same token, there will be fewer American imports. It’s not that impresarios and theatre programmers . have a: sudden surge of ; interest ‘in the high quality of Canadian shows. It’s just - that the shows cast less than . - ‘ones from the U.S. .’ The drop in the dollar 5 vexchange value has added - 20 to 25 per cent to the cost ' pf American imports of all kinds, © including : touring . theatrical, music and’ dance. companies, “ “The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, which regularly’ -Tuns a: winter series of . musicals, is not only finding there are fewer good shows from Broadway available, but ‘those: that are -being offered. for - the Canadian . showing singly, cost {oo much. American touring com- panies have always wanted to be paid in U.S. dollars or the Canadian equivalent, They. were hit a few years ago by the federal govern- ment’s imposition of income ‘tax. deductions on their . earnings in Canada, . . The arts centre cis ‘reported. to be. dickering’ . ' with the Stratford Festival © _ to get Brian. Macdonald’s ‘stellar production of The © - Mikado ‘for the musical comedy series next winter. The Stratford. Festival -has already let it be known that the production of Noel . Coward’s Bilthe Spirit, which doesn’t. open until mid-September, will go ta Royal Alexandra comedy, The, Desert Song, - ‘has been booked for a fall tour of smaller Ontario cities with the help of the - Ontario Arts Council. The ~ show has become such a hit | -early in the season “that - larger theatres, some of them. outside Ontario, are considering [t' for their ~ members -of the. board winter programs. Ed (Honest Ed) Mirvish | .of the Royal Alex, who just bought the historle Old Vic: in, London, ‘England, is dickering — with. Singin’ “and - Tonight, Dancin’ It's anew musical'review of ~ Canada’s many ‘con- tributions to Broadway — such things as. Galt Mac- dermot's music for Hair and | some old Carmen. Lom- _ Theatre in Toronto this fall ardo ballads, : The Shaw Festival's pocket-sized version of the . old Broadway. musical Gossip Column _ DYEING TO TELL: The old election time debate .as to whether President Reagan dyes. his hair or. not has sur- faced again among _ Washington gossips. The ' latest story goes like this: It, seems that, while the _president hospitalized after. the ‘assassination attempt in” _ March 1981, some gray roots started to” show. | . Nancy foff-: a of Manet A Pe] 2 . pod SM Denna . Bm cs... _ + Piet. Meta | iy Lurnsumninunye fen yMsnonins nbrenayszusurcs miei,