Singing siblings’ theatre hope no phantom dream – watch for them this summer

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on April 15, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Amy and Chris Wallace of Utterson share a lot more than the blood in their veins. The siblings are blessed with amazing sets of vocal pipes.

Chris has been heard in several local theatrical performances, including Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida and Annie, and is playing the part of the gatekeeper in the upcoming musical Wizard of Oz.

Amy’s assured operatic tones belie her youth (22) and lack of professional training. She too has received kudos for her performances in local concerts and theatre productions.

KINDRED SPIRITS: Chris and Amy Wallace, two extremely talented singers, are hoping to present a tribute to Broadway at the Algonquin Theatre in the not-too-distant future.

The Wallaces’ first love, however, is the music of Broadway, especially Phantom of the Opera. Chris, with some health challenges of his own, can relate to the Phantom, while Amy identifies with Christine.

“We’ve been interested in theatre since we were very small. We used to hang up a sheet at home for a curtain and then we would perform Phantom,” recalled Amy.

Chris has donned the Phantom mask and cape on more recent occasions. “Once at the Algonquin Theatre for a Broadway show, and twice in shows at Trinity United Church,” he said.

To date, the Wallaces have pursued their own creative paths, but would like to perform together in public. “That is our goal. We’ve done so much (singing) together behind closed doors, we now want to showcase to the public,” said 25-year-old Chris.

Recently, the siblings recorded a Phantom tribute CD. “We did it at home to give to our family and friends and to help get our voices out there,” said Chris.

Huntsville Festival of the Arts (HFA) director and assistant artistic director for Oz, Suzanne Riverin received a copy of the CD. “Chris said he wanted me to hear it and I thought it would be cute, but I was blown away by the quality of their singing,” Riverin said.

Music is in the Wallace genes. “We were brought up with music. Our grandfather was a choirboy in England, then performed in shows such as Oklahoma and others in Bolton (Ont.), where we were born,” said Chris.

He continued: “Dad was in the school choir in Bolton, and our mother (Julie) has been in several of the shows here and in the community choir.” Julie Wallace is also in Oz, playing the part of Aunt Em.

Chris and Amy went to V.K. Greer Public School (Amy transferred to Huntsville Public with the boundary change) and then to St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School in Bracebridge. After graduating, Chris studied sociology for one year at the Nipissing University campus in Bracebridge, but his long-term goal is to be an airline pilot.

Meanwhile Amy, who has won several gold awards at singing festivals in Barrie and Orillia, plans to attend Canadore College in North Bay in the fall, where she will study office administration. With a voice that has been likened to that of Sarah Brightman, she spends much of her spare time practising alongside a karaoke machine, and in duets with her brother.

For now, Amy and Chris may be virtual unknowns in the arts world, but with the help of the HFA, they are hoping their fortunes will change. Their first opportunity to perform together will be this summer when they sing at Trinity United Church for one of the HFA’s Music at Noon concerts.

And, they will continue to pursue their shared dream of bringing the songs from some of Broadway’s hit shows, such as Evita, Cats and, of course, Phantom of the Opera, to the Algonquin Theatre in the not-too-distant future.

Marché 2008 photos - see anyone you know?

It will soon be time for the 2009 May Marché, the primary fund-raising event for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts (HFA), and the season's best soireé! This is a night for sampling fine food and wine, sipping martinis and socializing, outbidding your buddies at the silent auction table and, perhaps, winning a diamond pendant valued at $5,000.

Circle May 22 on your calendar and get your tickets fast - they're $50/each until, April 24, when the price goes up to $60/each (if there are any left by then). Tickets are limited, and this event always sells out. Once again this year, the Marché will be hosted at Deerhurst Resort, 7-10 p.m.

Just to whet your appetite, or to remind you of all that went on last year, here are a few photos...

Welcome to the 2008 May Marché!
Help yourself to an icy martini and mingle....

...you never know who'll you'll be introduced to (or by)...

...or what glamorous celebrities you'll meet...

...or how they will behave (after a few martinis)...

...or which politicians will let their hair down...

...or how much fun you can have in the Deerhurst ballroom...

...before your head is finally ready to hit the pillow.

[The photos above were taken by Jon Snelson and Gillian Brunette.]

For the moment, Marché tickets are available at three locations in Huntsville: Robinson’s Independent Grocer (by the entrance), Treasures and Trophies on Main Street, the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce office.

You can also contact an HFA board member or visit our website www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca, where you will also find information about the entertainment line-up for the upcoming season.

Funds raised at this event will facilitate the HFA's many arts-related projects throughout the community, as well as making it possible to bring top-notch performers to town and to promote the arts through a variety of educational endeavors. See you there?

Lavish Wizard of Oz musical opens April 16

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on April 8, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Stunning costumes are the result of many nimble fingers and hours upon hours of hard work

After months of preparation and growing excitement, the fruits of a community’s labours finally hit the stage next week.

The Wizard of Oz opens at the Algonquin Theatre on Thursday, April 16, and runs for 10 performances, including three matinees, one of which is reserved for the schools.

Hundreds of hours of volunteer work have gone into the Oz production, from the creative crews who built and painted the sets to the folks in the orchestra meeting weekly for rehearsals and, of course, the cast, under the direction of Gregg Evans and choreographer Suzanne Baxter, who have been in rehearsal since the beginning of the year.

But, most likely for audiences, the biggest impact – the ‘wow’ factor for want of a better term – will be the stunning costumes, lovingly designed, cut and stitched by a talented team of artists led by Nicole Pantaleo.

WINDOW DRESSING: Nicole Pantaleo tweaks the costume of the Mayor of Munchkinland (Taylor Calleja) in the window of Christmas Tyme on Main Street on Saturday morning. The live window display will be repeated this Saturday, April 11 between 1 and 3 p.m.

She alone made in excess of 32 costumes, not to mention 40 Munchkin hats. “I had help with the hats though, thanks to Ashley West and Kim Gerhart,” said Pantaleo.

Pantaleo is a relative newcomer to the Huntsville area, having arrived here with husband John and two children, Connor, 15, and Ella, 11, from Toronto two years ago. They opened a business, Alberto Salon and Spa just off Brunel Road beside the high school, and almost immediately became involved in community theatre.

“I helped out with A Christmas Carol and met Gregg Evans,” she said. Pantaleo has worked extensively in theatre so, not surprisingly, Evans was quick to add her to his list of able volunteers.

“I went to George Brown for fashion, then worked in film in Toronto and theatre in Stratford and Lindsay, as well as for costume houses in Toronto,” said Pantaleo, adding that, after 10 years and with small children, she began working from home, making dance costumes.

Pantaleo has spent hundreds of hours on costumes for Oz. “It’s been a huge undertaking, but a lot of fun,” she said.

With the lead roles featuring two or three different actors, more than one costume for each character was required. Beverley Hawksley designed and made the two Cowardly Lion outfits, sculptor Brenda Wainman Goulet fashioned two costumes for the Tin Man, Jocelyne Lamoureux took care of the three Dorothys, Sherry Peddie, the two Scarecrows, Barb Hartwick, the two Wizards and three witches, Celia Finley, the three Totos, and Diane Bickley ensured the three Glindas will glitter in their gold and white finery.

When Oz hits the stage, even more volunteers will be working hard in the wings, with stage crew Jay Osborne, Zelda Dwyer, Suzanne Riverin, Don McCormick and Lisa Thomas (props), ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Down below in the dressing rooms, Carol Rhodes and Lynn Fletcher, along with more than a dozen helpers, will be applying makeup, and Carlyn Preston and Ashley White from Alberto Salon and Spa will see every hair is in place.

It’s a stage musical of mammoth proportions. An old adage states ‘build it and they will come’ and, if ticket sales are any indicator (more than 1,500 as of April 1), every seat will be filled at each performance.

That is the hope of Evans, the Rotary clubs of Huntsville, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and the North Muskoka Players, who have shouldered the production costs.

Presenting a show of this magnitude does not come cheap, said Evans. “It cost $42,000 to produce Jesus Christ Superstar, and royalties alone for Oz are in the region of $8,000.”

The Wizard of Oz is presented at 7:30 p.m. on April 16-18 and 22-25, and 2 p.m. on April 18 and 25. Tickets are $80 for a family of four, $25 for adults and $20 for youth under 18, and are on sale at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, by dialing 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.

Huntsville festival is named among top 100

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on April 8, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

The Huntsville Festival of the Arts (HFA) has been recognized for its efforts by Festivals and Events Ontario.

Out of approximately 2,500 annual festivals and events staged each year in Ontario, the HFA has been named one of the top 100. The recognition is for the period April 2008 to March 2009, and the announcement was made at the Festival and Events Ontario 23rd annual conference held March 7 at the Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and Conference Centre.

Kareen Burns, HFA president, said she was thrilled to hear about the recognition. “I have had a dream that is, quite miraculously, becoming a reality. Our dynamic and eclectic Huntsville Festival of the Arts has been delightfully acknowledged in the top 100 festivals in Ontario. I am so proud of our wonderful and creative team who made this happen. We all look forward to a wonderful and creative future.”

Solicitations for submissions from Festivals and Events Ontario were issued toward the end of the previous calendar year, and an independent jury of industry peers conducted the selection process just prior to the conference, said executive director Gary Masters. “Recognition is eagerly sought by (festival and event) organizers as evidence of their ability to stand out amongst the many deserving of the honour,” he said.

The festivals and events industry in Ontario encompasses many experiences, which include traditional festivals, agricultural fairs, exhibitions and shows, heritage, music, performing arts, sports, highland games, holiday celebrations, aboriginal events, culinary, outdoor activities and more.

To view the top 100 festivals and events winners go to www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.

Introducing Susan Lowe

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on April 8, 2009.)

By Paula Boon

Susan Lowe loves to help people succeed.

That’s why the president of the Muskoka Literacy Council (MLC) thrived in her career as a special education teacher and why she gravitated toward the literacy council when she and her husband Michael moved to Huntsville in 2002.

Lowe says the most wonderful part of both jobs is seeing people begin to feel good about themselves when they meet with success. “Relationship forming is most important,” she says. “If you have a trusting relationship, you can conquer mountains together.”

She gives the example of a favourite former Grade 6 student. “He was a nightmare on the schoolyard, a real hood. I loved him,” she says. “We had an amazing rapport. He was bright as a dollar, but it wasn’t coming out.”

Three years later, while waiting in line at a fast food restaurant, Lowe heard a booming voice calling her name, and there he was, thanking her for getting him the help he had needed. “I just about wept,” she says. “His goal was to be a truck driver. Every time I see a truck go by I think of him. I hope he made it.”

Lowe has formed those same strong relationships at the literacy council. “Each person comes in with an individual goal,” she says. “We’re not teaching a program, we’re teaching individuals.”

Born in England, just after the war, to a Canadian father and British mother, Lowe’s family moved to Huntsville in 1957, when she was 11. She met her husband Michael, whose family has a long history in Dwight, at Huntsville High School. However, the two didn’t begin dating until they reconnected in Toronto after she had attended Ottawa Teachers’ College.

The couple married in 1968 and had two children, Wendy and Jason. “Being their mom is the most important thing I have ever done,” Lowe says. She took 17 years away from teaching to be there for her family.

When Michael was ready to retire, the Huntsville area was a natural choice. Soon after arriving, Lowe responded to a newspaper advertisement for MLC volunteer tutors. Shortly thereafter, she was assigned the role of assessor because of her background. By 2003, she was on the board, and in 2005 she became president. That was a difficult time for the literacy council, which was in need of restructuring.

“The first huge change was to add computer classes,” she says. “That removed the stigma associated with coming to the literacy council.”

Now, courses are also being created that are specific to the education and skills required for jobs in different sectors. Last August, the MLC co-located with the Employment Resource Centre at 64 King William Street. “It’s seamless. It’s working beautifully,” she says. “More people are being served by both agencies as a result.”

Besides her day-to-day duties at the literacy council, Lowe’s biggest jobs as president have been running annual fundraisers the golf tournament and the Muskoka Novel Marathon, which takes place this year from July 17 to 20.

She has kept busy outside of work, too. For example, Lowe is an art aficionado and owned Gallery in the Woods in Dwight from 2002 to 2006. “I featured the works of 64 artists, 95 per cent of them local,” she says. “The whole premise was for people who travelled here to take back original local art to remind them of where they’d been.”

Lowe also organized Art Among the Pines, an annual event, in Dwight from 2003 to 2006, with help from her husband and children. She is also a member of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts board.

When asked about the future, Lowe says she plans to continue her volunteer work, but the recent death of her younger sister has reminded her of the importance of stopping to smell the roses and watch the birds. “Wendy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October and died Jan. 7,” she says. “My sister lived a very balanced life. I need to take lessons from her.”

Thanks to Doris Villemaire for suggesting that Susan be profiled.