From a media release:
Bravo! Celebrates Canada’s Famous Faces with New Original Series STAR PORTRAITS, Premiering Sept. 12
- Canadian celebrity muses include Alex Trebek, Ashley MacIsaac, Elvis Stojko, Enrico Colantoni, Dr. Roberta Bondar, Senator Pamela Wallin, and Colin Mochrie –
Bravo! marries Canadian celebrity and Canadian art in the new series STAR PORTRAITS. Part art, part bio, and wholly captivating, the new 13-episode original Canadian series premieres Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, exclusively on Bravo! Hosted by Broadway star Louise Pitre, and based on the hit BBC program, each episode of STAR PORTRAITS brings together three Canadian painters to paint portraits of the same celebrity. Art lovers can also enjoy the series online at www.bravo.ca beginning at 1 a.m. ET, following each premiere broadcast.
STAR PORTRAITS features an impressive line-up of celebrity guests, including Alex Trebek, Dr. Roberta Bondar, Enrico Colantoni, Ashley MacIsaac, Elvis Stojko, Senator Pamela Wallin, Margaret Trudeau, Measha Brueggergosman, Rome Dallaire George Chuvalo and others, in addition to 39 talented Canadian portrait artists.
“With STAR PORTRAITS, Bravo! has not only delivered an entertaining and revealing series about some of our most notable Canadians, but has also played a key role in commissioning beautiful works of art,†said Ismé Bennie, Vice President / General Manger, Bravo!.
In each 30-minute episode, three Canadian painters are brought together to paint the same celebrity’s portrait. With the clock ticking, the artists have mere hours to get to know their subject. After meeting their celebrity muse, the artists are left with only two weeks to create their masterpieces. Pitre visits the artists’ studios to get a glimpse of their process. When the clock runs out, the paintings are revealed to the celebrity sitter, who must choose only one portrait to add to their personal collection. Of the remaining portraits, six are chosen by the Portrait Gallery of Canada for their permanent collection and the rest are auctioned off at Joyner Waddington’s Auction of Important Canadian Art, with proceeds going to the celebrities’ charity of choice.
The full list of episodes air as follows:
Elvis Stojko – Sept. 12
(artists: Daniel Hughes, Laurie McGaw, Alan Harding Mackay)
Romeo Dallaire) – Sept. 19
(artists: Elaine Goble, Carrie Colton, Reid McLachlan
Measha Brueggergosman – Sept. 26
(artists: Opal Dunbar-Adams, Veronica Kvassetskaia-Tysglan, Wageh Yassa)
George Chuvalo– Oct. 3
(artists: Brian Smith, Paul Robert Turner, Gertrude Kearns)
Margaret Trudeau – Oct. 10
(artists: Christina Sealey, Isabella Stefanescu, Manny Neubacher)
Enrico Colantoni – Oct. 17
(artists: Sara Sniderhan, Kristy Gordon, John Viljoen)
Debbie Travis – Oct. 24
(artists: Katherine Stone, Natalie Majaba Waldburger, Jaime Bradbury)
The Amazing Kreskin – Oct. 31
(artists: Catto Houghton, Stefan Galvanek, Marie Finkelstein)
Alex Trebek – Nov. 7
(artists: Heather Cooper, Juan Martinez, Daniel Ross)
Roberta Bondar – Nov. 14
(artists: Kim Van Stygeren Medland, Shannon Reynolds, Travis Shilling)
Ashley MacIssac – Nov. 21
(artists: Eric Dzenis, Maria Gabankova-Brezina, Tom Campbell)
Senator Pamela Wallin – Nov. 28
(artists: Jason Kronenwald, Judy Finch, Gabor Paul Mezei)
Colin Mochrie – Dec. 5
(artists: Natasha Gregory, Sean Damery, Mark Thompson)
STAR PORTRAITS is produced by PTV Productions, in association with Bravo! and with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund, the Portrait Gallery of Canada, and Library and Archives Canada. STAR PORTRAITS is based on a format created and devised by Hotbed Media. Executive Producers are Andrea Nemtin and Ian Dunbar of PTV Productions. The series was directed and series produced by Theresa Kowall-Shipp, and produced by Andrea Nemtin.
