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Former Shaw Festival artistic director remembers Queen Elizabeth II's 1973 visit there

Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library
Queen Elizabeth II at a play in the Shaw Festival's new Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1973

During a state visit to Canada in 1973, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attended a performance of "You Never Can Tell" at the Shaw Festival's then-brand new Festival Theatre.

WBFO's Mike Desmond spoke with Paxton Whitehead, who was Shaw’s artistic director at the time of the royal visit.

WBFO's Mike Desmond talks with former Shaw Festival artistic director Paxton Whitehead about Queen Elizabeth's 1973 visit there

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.