Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Spring musical Peter Pan is no flight of fancy

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 25, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Famous U.S. company will train actors and bring in equipment to create illusion of stage flight

Jessie Bacon is flying high these days, having just landed the lead role in the spring musical Peter Pan.

As the protagonist, the HHS Grade 12 student will soon be aspiring to even greater heights — above the Algonquin Theatre stage.

“I’m really excited (about the prospect). This is the first time flying is coming to the Algonquin Theatre and, as I’ve never been scared of heights, I think it will be a lot of fun,” she said.

Bacon (17) is no newcomer to the stage. She played Shprintze in Fiddler on the Roof and Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She is Wendy Jo in the upcoming HHS production of Footloose and has a part as one of the Silly Girls in next year’s Bracebridge Rotary production of Beauty and the Beast.

When first asked to audition for Peter Pan, Bacon had a hard decision to make. “I have to cut my hair for the part, and I will do so after the Bracebridge show,” she said.

Peter Pan is the much-loved tale of a young boy who wouldn’t grow up. A play, adapted from James M. Barrie’s book, debuted in 1904, but Peter Pan became a household name following the 1954 film starring Mary Martin as Peter.

“The role of Peter Pan has, in the last 100 years, almost always been played by a woman,” said the show’s director Gregg Evans. “It’s what the author wanted for the role, and the music was written for a female voice. Also, in the 1900s, you couldn’t use children in theatre, so they chose women to play young teenage boys.”

Peter Pan will be staged at the Algonquin between April 15 and 24. It will be the second musical production underwritten by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, in conjunction with the Huntsville Rotary Club and the North Muskoka Players. The first was the Wizard of Oz, which was presented last spring.

SPRIGHTLY, PETER AND SMEE: Ryan Burda, Jessie Bacon and Ryan Robinson-Hatton (from left), are getting ready for the upcoming production of Footloose. By January, they will be in rehearsal for Peter Pan, as Sprightly (right), Peter and Smee (left).

Recently, auditions were held at the theatre, where a cast of 54 players was chosen. “There is only one cast this time. We are not even having understudies at this point. I’m pretty confident with our leads,” noted Evans, adding he will be keeping his fingers crossed that no one gets sick.

The story of Peter Pan revolves around the Darling family. Seasoned actors Aussa Penniall from Bracebridge, and Huntsville’s Scott Roodvoets are Mr. and Mrs. Darling. Emma Gibbs of Bracebridge secured the role of Wendy Darling, and her brother Cole Gibbs plays Jonathon Darling.

The youngest Darling child is Michael, who, like Peter Pan, will be played by a female, said Evans. “Michael is the main character, usually played by a boy of seven or eight. We didn’t know if we could get someone of that age who could do justice to the part, so we went with 12-year-old Ally Renwick. Ally was in Annie and the Wizard of Oz and is a terrific actress and has a lovely singing voice.”

Added Evans: “This is Ally’s first main lead role and that’s what’s nice about this show: all the leads are teenagers, with the exception of Captain Hook.”

The part of Hook has gone to the inimitable Bob Stone, whom many will remember as one of the scarecrows in Oz. “Bob can sing, dance and act and he’s flamboyant and Captain Hook is a flamboyant character,” said Evans.

Hook’s sidekick, Smee, will be played by HHS student Ryan Burda, who was a Cowardly Lion in Oz. Burda has been in amateur theatre for 10 years and will soon be seen as Willard in Footloose. He has also been cast as the beast in Beauty and the Beast.

The show also features myriad actors playing lost children, Indians, pirates and the five animals, including Nana, the Darling family dog (Caroline Heyblom).

“Another teen lead is Tiger Lily, who is the daughter of the Indian chief in Neverland. That role requires a ballet dancer and we have Karena Leffler, who has had ballet training,” said Evans.

Five actors – Peter Pan, the three Darling children and the Darling family maid Liza, (Joann Bennett, who played one of the witches in Oz), have flying parts. To create the illusion of flight requires training of both actors and stage crew, said Evans.

“Rob Saunders (Huntsville Festival of the Arts general manager) has contracted the Foy family from New York. Their grandfather, Peter Foy, was responsible for the stage flight of Mary Martin in the 1954 movie. The family is still involved in specialized stage flight three generations later,” Evans noted. "Experts with the company, Flying by Foy, will come to Huntsville a week before the production opens to set up the rigging and harnesses and to teach the backstage crew how to operate them."

Oz costumier Nicole Pantaleo returns to spearhead the costume department for Peter Pan. Also returning are Sherisse Stevens (musical director), Neil Barlow (orchestra director), and Helena Renwick (set design). Rehearsals for Peter Pan will begin in early January.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Arts-in-education program Creative Paths kicks off Nov. 30 in Bracebridge

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 18, 2009.)

Public forum to take place at Rene Caisse Theatre

The Arts Council of Muskoka, in partnership with the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Muskoka Arts and Crafts, and Muskoka Lakes Music Festival, is kicking off a brand new regional creative arts education initiative and discussion about Muskoka’s burgeoning creative economy at the Rene Caisse Theatre on Monday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Students, educators, artists, creative professionals and the business and economic development community, as well as community organizations, are invited to attend this forum to learn about the program, how you can get involved and how it can help you.

The event will include a guest speaker, an interactive discussion with a panel of students, educators, creative professionals, business and tourism representatives, as well as performances by local talent.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be an artist in Muskoka,” said Creative Paths coordinator Carolyne Wagland. “The regional arts designation has created momentum for building Muskoka’s creative economy and for positioning Muskoka as an arts and cultural tourist destination.

“We have a new arts and culture website, the Arts Directory of Muskoka, which is a vibrant online vehicle to promote Muskoka’s creative community,” said Wagland, adding that Creative Paths, a program made possible through a grant from the province of Ontario’s Cultural Strategic Investment Fund, promises to benefit the creative community, its high school students, and its corporate partners.

Creative Paths links secondary school students to creative career opportunities in Muskoka through mentoring programs, creativity workshops and other special programs beginning this January. The program will enable students to fulfill their community volunteer hour requirements, while also honing their skills and building their portfolios for their future careers.

Students will also participate by creating an awareness campaign for the project, using exciting social media marketing techniques. The project will culminate in the fall of 2010 with an interactive educational symposium focusing on creativity and innovation, while featuring high profile keynote speakers, workshops and student presentations of exemplary projects.

“We encourage you to engage in Muskoka’s creative revolution,” Wagland added. “Learn from experienced creative professionals. Share your knowledge. Create Muskoka’s future. Connect with your community. Change your world.”

Creative Paths is a not-for-profit project, and relies heavily on volunteers for its successful operation of programs. To see how Creative Paths programming can benefit your organization and to learn more about corporate sponsorship opportunities, please contact Carolyne Wagland at 788-7062, at info@artscouncil.com or cwagland@cogeco.ca.

Arts Council of Muskoka is a non-profit organization whose vision is to enrich Muskoka through the arts, and whose mission is to identify, unite, support, promote and facilitate artists and artistic activity in Muskoka.

To learn more about the Creative Paths project and the project partners visit: www.artsdirectoryofmuskoka.com.

Those unable to attend the forum will be able to download video highlights of the event at www.artsdirectoryofmuskoka.com.

Group of Seven Nutcracker here Nov. 21-22

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 18, 2009.)

Don’t miss The Group of Seven Nutcracker ballet at the Algonquin Theatre on Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

Canada’s newest full-length ballet, created by acclaimed choreographer Bengt Jörgen to Tchaikovsky’s well-loved score, reworks this timeless classic and is destined to become a national treasure that will warm the hearts of young and old alike.

With over 100 costumes in rich fabrics, The Group of Seven Nutcracker features backdrops from Canada’s 20th Century landscape artists. The ballet’s second act is remembered for its celebration of dances and The Group of Seven Nutcracker follows this tradition with woodland creatures dancing in Ontario’s Algonquin Park.

The Group of Seven Nutcracker will have a cast of over 30, including Ballet Jörgen Canada members and two Mentorship Program dancers. For the past two months, members of the Huntsville School of Ballet, under the direction of owner Brenda Cunningham with guidance from Ballet Jörgen dance masters, have been rehearsing weekly and will join the professional dancers to help interpret the score. Funding for this outreach part of the program is provided by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, which is also presenting the concert.

Ballet Jörgen was last in Huntsville in 2006 and, while there has been another dance company presenting a Nutcracker ballet the past two years, they are excited about being able to return with their new work.

The performance is being jointly sponsored by Huntsville Hometown Drugs and Rexall Drugs. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth 18 and under. There is also a family pass available for $70.

Tickets are available at the Main Street box office by calling 789-4975 or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

To learn more about the Ballet Jörgen company, visit www.balletjorgen.ca.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Group of Seven Nutcracker ballet premieres in Huntsville for special Christmas show

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 11, 2009.)

One of Canada’s finest classical dance companies is returning to Huntsville to present a traditional Christmas classic in a new setting.

BALLET AT ITS BEST: Don’t miss The Group of Seven Nutcracker coming to the Algonquin Theatre on Nov. 21 and 22.

Ballet Jörgen Canada premiered The Group of Seven Nutcracker last season to enthusiastic reviews. This delightful re-working of the timeless classic is born from collaboration with Kleinburg’s world-renowned McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Choreographed by Bengt Jörgen to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s well-loved score, The Group of Seven Nutcracker features as a backdrop Canada’s 20th century landscape artists Franklin Carmichael’s Church and Houses at Bisset (1931), Tom Thomson’s Snow in the Woods (1916) and L.L. FitzGerald’s Trees and Wildflowers (1922). These large interpretations on canvas will act as backdrops during the various scenes.

The ballet’s second act will be placed in a Canadian summer setting with trillium flowers, loons and other distinct representations replacing the traditional Nutcracker dances. The Group of Seven Nutcracker will be a quintessential northern Canadian work with an early 20th century rural Ontario setting. The award-winning set and costume designer Sue LePage will take audiences on a grand journey through northern landscapes filled with snowflakes, dragonflies, beavers, birches, squirrels and other creatures of the woods.

The Group of Seven Nutcracker will have a cast of over 30 including Ballet Jörgen Canada members and two Mentorship Program dancers. For the past two months members of the Huntsville School of Ballet, under the direction of owner Brenda Cunningham with guidance from Ballet Jörgen dance masters, have been rehearsing weekly and will join the professional dancers to help interpret the score.

Funding for this outreach part of the program is provided by the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, which is also presenting the concert.

The Group of Seven Nutcracker will become a national treasure destined to warm the hearts of young and old alike. Ballet Jörgen was last in Huntsville in 2006, and while there has been another dance company presenting a Nutcracker ballet the past two years, they are excited about being able to return with their new work.

The concert is being jointly sponsored by Huntsville Hometown Drugs and Rexall Drugs. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth 18 and under. There is also a family pass available for $70. Tickets are available at the Main Street box office by calling 789-4975 or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca. To learn more about the Ballet Jörgen company, visit www.balletjorgen.ca.

Empire Hotel benefit strikes a chord with community, raises $31,000 for fire victims

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 11, 2009.)

By Brent Cooper

“Smoke at a fire benefit concert? Whose idea was that?”

This innocent remark by co-emcee Doug Banwell produced one of the many laughs from the audience during the The Empire Strikes A Chord benefit concert last Thursday evening. He shared the evening's emcee duties with Jenny Cressman.

The Algonquin Theatre was nearly packed with people who put their hearts on their sleeves and their hands in their pocketbooks to try to assist those who were made homeless when an Oct. 8 blaze damaged the venerable building.

However, few were giggling at the comment less than 30 minutes into the performance when the theatre’s fire alarm went off, sending the audience into the street while members of the Huntsville Fire Department arrived on scene to investigate. It is believed a sensor in the downstairs part of the theatre caused the alarm.

The situation was resolved about 20 minutes later and the audience returned to their seats to be entertained by local talent the rest of the evening, leading organizers to joke about the “unscheduled intermission.”

IN THIS TOGETHER: An appreciative crowd at the Algonquin Theatre gives a round of applause to the performers at last Thursday’s The Empire Strikes A Chord benefit concert. More than $31,000 was raised by the performance, radio-thon and silent auction to assist families without insurance who lost their belongings in the Oct. 8 blaze that damaged the Empire Hotel. [Photo by Brent Cooper]

The Empire Strikes a Chord was originated by Cressman, a member of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts board, and was organized by board members and other volunteers, such as Banwell, Linda McLean, Eric Johnson and Tina Turley.

While the concert was the centrepiece of the fundraiser, it was by no means the only part. A pledge-a-thon was hosted on Moose FM radio Thursday morning as musicians performing at the evening concert dropped in during the telecast, and Empire residents shared their stories as well.

A silent auction was held throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday in Partners Hall with members of the Huntsville Art Society displaying dozens of donated works of art there. Also donated to the cause were pottery from Eric Lindgren, coffee from Seven Main, a gift bag from Survivorman Les Stroud and Ballet Jorgen Nutcracker tickets.

Festival general manager Rob Saunders said the event was an unparalleled success. “The radio show raised $13,000 and then there was about $4,100 that came in through other donations. We sold $8,300 in ticket sales for the concert and we had about $5,000 from the silent auction. We also had about $600 in coffee sales that Seven Main Café gave us for the night. So, it is a little over $31,000.”

Saunders said the cause was aided by the donations of all of the items, theatre rental and other services. The music at the evening show was representative of the many styles that were showcased in the Empire over the years, whether at the Hideaway Pub or going back a few years the former JT’s Tavern.

However, this fundraiser was indeed unique. There was an underlying feeling of camaraderie between audience and performers, as they had come together to help alleviate the problems of some unfortunate people.

Acts such as Cabin Fever, Tobin Spring and Friends, Turley and others provided a collection of songs ranging from light rock to jazz and folk that had people clapping along all evening long. When they weren’t clapping, they were doubling over in laughter at the antics of the The Woodshed Improv Collective, a team of area performers who wowed the audience in the first half by developing their act based on a word from the crowd while singing A Do Run Run Run.

“I thought it was a really great evening. The heading on the flyer stated The Community of Huntsville Presents The Empire Strikes a Chord. It wasn’t any one group that made this happen,” Saunders said. The money will be divided equally between about residents who did not have contents insurance and lost everything.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Empire Hotel fundraiser tomorrow, Nov. 5

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Nov. 4, 2009.)

A fundraising concert to assist the displaced residents from the recent fire at the Empire Hotel will take place this Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Algonquin Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, tax included, and a large crowd is expected to show support for this worthy cause.

Besides the actual show, there will be a number of opportunities for the community to give, including a radio pledge-a-thon and silent auction. The pledge-a-thon will begin at 6 a.m. on Thursday morning and go until noon on 105.5 Moose FM. Musicians performing at the evening concert will be dropping in throughout the morning to share their music, and Empire residents will share some of their stories as well. Call 789-4461 and make a donation.

During the morning, two exciting donations will be raffled off. The first is a Muskoka Getaway Weekend at Delta Grandview Resort, valued at $600. The package includes two nights’ accommodation in a luxury one-bedroom suite and use of the pool, hot tub and recreation facilities as well as seasonal activities. The second donation is a gourmet dinner for four, cooked in your home and generously donated by Chef Mackenzie Taylor from My Chef In Muskoka. This private dining experience is valued at $400 and is sure to create a night to remember.

The silent auction portion of the event will take place in Partners Hall throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday. Members of the Huntsville Art Society will be displaying dozens of donated works of art there. From original paintings to cards and prints, there will be something for every taste, and it will all be offered in silent auction format. Even if you can’t attend the show, drop in and place a bid. Final bidding will be done at the intermission of the show, with winners announced shortly thereafter. What a great way to purchase a unique Christmas gift while supporting this worthy cause. The artists have donated their work, so it is up to you to turn it into cash for the Empire residents.

LET THE BIDS START: Seen above are samples of artwork supplied by members of the Huntsville Art Society and available for bidding by silent auction in the Partners Hall of the Algonquin Theatre today and tomorrow, Nov. 4 and 5.

Also donated has been pottery from Eric Lindgren, coffee from Seven Main, a gift bag from Survivorman Les Stroud and Ballet Jorgen Nutcracker tickets.

The music at the evening show will be representative of the many styles that were showcased in the Empire over the years, whether most recently at the Hideaway Pub or going back a few years at JT’s Tavern.

In recent years, singer/songwriter Linda McLean and her husband Andy had been developing a strong following with their Muskoka Song Night series, featuring talented local performers and seasoned stars from out of town. Likewise, Doug Banwell, who was also a resident of the Empire, led the Muskoka Jazz Guys in a jazz jam every Thursday night at the Hideaway.

Both these performers feature prominently in Thursday’s program and have helped plan the evening. Joining Linda and Andy for the songwriters’ set will be Jeff Nicholson and Wyatt Williamson, local muralist-come-crooner Gerry Lantaigne and Ruth Cassie. The Muskoka Jazz Guys, featuring Banwell on sax, Jamie Bestwick on bass, Tim Sullivan on piano and Richard Jackson on drums, will provide a four-song mini set. Opening both halves of the concert will be the Woodshed Improv Collective, who performed regularly at the Hideaway.

The second half of the show will feature some of the area’s finest musicians, Bill Stewart and Jo-Ann Robert, followed by local band Cabin Fever, which will perform some songs and then act as backup for Tina Turley and Tobin Spring. There will also be a grand finale number in which a number of the artists will join in on an audience favourite.

TV Cogeco will be broadcasting the concert live, but don’t let that stop you from dropping in and enjoying the concert in person.

While the day and evening promise to provide a lot of great moments, we should not forget the reason for the concert in the first place, and the ongoing need that has been created by this unfortunate disaster. Once again, the people of Huntsville have an opportunity to show what a caring group they are.