The Celtic Tenors, Lunch at Allen’s and The Arrogant Worms wrap up August for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts
By Gillian Brunette
While celebrating their most successful summer season to date, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts concludes August with the return of three popular groups.
A few tickets are still available for the Celtic Tenors tomorrow night, Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. The Tenors played to a sold-out crowd in the fall of 2005 and are considered to be the most successful classical cross-over group to have ever come out of Ireland.
On Friday Aug. 10 some of Canada’s finest individual performers, Marc Jordan, Murray McLaughlin, Ian Thomas and Cindy Church, come together to present the extraordinary musical revue Lunch at Allen’s.
The show is an intimate and humorous performance that all began as a regular get-together at Allen’s in Toronto, with Canadian music icon McLaughlin, and old friends Thomas and Jordan. After adding the voice of Church, “lunch at Allen’s” turned into an outstanding band who performs some of Canada’s (and the world’s) most enjoyed songs from each of these songwriters’ impressive catalogues.
Jordan and Thomas’ songs have been recorded by everyone from Rod Stewart to Bette Midler, and Diana Ross to Santana. McLauchlan’s hits have covered Canadian airwaves from coast to coast. Church’s voice and songs are well known on the folk festival circuit through her solo work and as a member of Quartette with Sylvia Tyson.
Each singer is accompanied by the others on a variety of instruments and vocal harmonies, with laughs and a few tall tales in between.
Enjoy the irreverence of friends who make exceptional music together during a magical Lunch At Allen’s. This is a truly wonderful show that leaves audiences feeling as if they’ve experienced something very special.
Next Tuesday, Aug, 14 the “Clown Princes of Musical Comedy” bring their razor-sharp wit and marvellous musicianship to the Algonquin Theatre stage.
The Worms have performed on three previous occasions at the festival, all resulting in capacity audiences and a great evening’s entertainment.
The Arrogant Worms – Mike McCormick, Chris Patterson and Trevor Strong – began their journey to musical comedy success on campus radio in 1991 in Kingston, Ontario. Those nine listeners were very impressed and the Worms could have retired at the top of their game. However, they kept going, jumping into the frightening world of live shows.
They were quickly abandoned by the nine radio listeners, who preferred not to leave their homes. A new audience was cultivated and the meagre income from those early shows was enough to record their self- titled debut album in 1992. The Arrogant Worms received airplay on national radio in Canada and were soon touring across their vast homeland.
McCormick sings and plays the guitar. He has two degrees but he can’t find them anywhere. Chris Patterson sings and plays the bass. Oh, and he dances. He was turned down for Dancing With The Stars because he was in that grey area between dancer and star.
Trevor Strong sings and plays instruments when he remembers to bring them.
Since their first CD was released the Worms have released nine more independent albums and have consistently topped the sales charts for their distributors. They have sold more than 150,000 albums to date.
However, it is their show that keeps the people coming back for more. The Arrogant Worms have provided tuneful and silly escapism all over North America and Australia in venues of all shapes and sizes, from small clubs to theatres to arenas to Disney to Central Park to the Grand Canyon. All shows begin at 8 p.m. and tickets are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office, by calling 789-4975 or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca. Tickets will be sold at the door on the night of the show, if available.
