By Gillian Brunette
The Huntsville Festival of the Arts is enjoying one of its most successful seasons in its 15-year history.
“I think there is no doubt we will have our highest sales levels from this summer’s shows.
“We knew going in we had a fairly popular lineup and by and large our patrons have supported us,” said festival general manager Rob Saunders.
(photo by Jon Snelson)BOARD TALK: Members of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts board of directors unveil the new banner that will be seen advertising various festival-sponsored events around town this summer. From left back are: Suzanne Riverin, Bruce Gowan, Susan Lowe, Kareen Burns (president), Diane Thoms, Gillian Brunette, June Salmon, Stina Nyquist and Rob Saunders (general manager). Front row from left: Sharon Stock Feren, Pam Smyth, Carol Gibson and Jon Snelson.
He continued: “This being our 15th season, we knew we wanted it to be special. Our board decided to bring back some of our most popular performers from past years, as well as introducing some first-time festival artists. Lucky for us the opportunity to present both Jim Cuddy and Bruce Cockburn just happened to work out with their schedules.”
The last week of the festival continues in the same great vein with tenor Michael Burgess taking the Algonquin Theatre stage on Friday, July 20. There are still some tickets available for this show.
Already a household name to fans of Canadian theatre, Burgess is rapidly becoming just that on the popular music scene.
He is probably best known for his role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, but Burgess has performed a variety of roles on stage from Shakespeare to O’Neill and Cole Porter to Stephen Sondheim. Last year, he recorded his first solo album, A Place In The Sun, which features pop music and renditions of songs by Freddie Mercury, Roch Voisine and others. The album is doing so well that Burgess is in the midst of completing his second solo effort, this time a collection of Christmas songs.
In addition to his music, the Regina, Saskatchewan-born Burgess has began to carve a niche for himself on the small screen. Guest appearances on television programs such as E.N.G., Street Legal, Friday the 13th, Psi Factor and Earth: Final Conflict have helped to make him quite the in-demand actor these days; he also started working on a feature film in New York last month.
Tickets for Michael Burgess are $35 for adults and $20 for youth under 18.
On Sunday, July 22, the popular Last Night at the Proms featuring the Huntsville Festival Orchestra returns due to popular demand.
This performance will also feature the Huntsville Community Choir and local singers Sherisse Stevens and Sean Connon. Connon will be performing the Celtic folk song Danny Boy.
There are still some tickets available for Last Night at the Proms. The cost is $42 for adults and $20 for youth under 18.
Huntsville playwright Stina Nyquist’s latest offering The Lost Chord wraps up July with three performances of her turn-of-the-century fictional drama taking place at the Algonquin Theatre July 26 to 28.
To celebrate its 15th great year, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts is bringing a four-night jazz festival to Huntsville in August.
“Last year we ended our summer in July as the theatre was booked in August by local theatre groups. This year with our Jazz Festival and groups like the Celtic Tenors and Lunch at Allens, I believe we will continue to see large audiences throughout August,” Saunders said.
Concluding, Saunders said the success of this year’s festival speaks well to the future of both the festival and the Algonquin Theatre.
“I think it’s great to see so many new faces coming into the theatre. At each show you hear people talking about how this is their first time in the theatre and for the most part their comments are very positive.”
(photo by Jon Snelson)GARDEN TUNES: Bill Stewart and his longtime partner Jo-Ann Robert draw a large audience to the garden at Spencer’s Tall Trees Restaurant on Sunday. The Huntsville Festival of the Arts’ Jazz in the Garden was a huge success, with dozens of people showing up to listen to live music under sunny skies.
Brochures listing all events, can be found at various outlets around the area. More information can be found at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.
Tickets are available from the festival website, at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, or by calling 705-789-4975.
