A masterpiece in the making, in the open air

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 22, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Huntsville’s downtown will take on the air of Quebec City’s Old Quebec Lane, when 25 artists (plus some artists-in-training) set up their easels on July 30, to paint whatever tickles their fancy.

The finished masterpieces will then be auctioned off from the town hall steps at 3 p.m. that afternoon. Sponsored by Kelly Holinshead, the Shutterbug Gallery and the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, en Plein Air painting and auction is a new, totally unique idea to raise money for an art bursary(ies) for local students pursuing a fine arts post-secondary education.

GREAT PAINTS: Some of the artists participating in en Plein Air on July 30 gather on the steps of town hall. From left, front, Gerry Lantaigne, Sharon Stock Feren and Jennifer Pimentel. At back, from left, Kelly Holinshead, Johanne Stewart, Huntsville mayor Claude Doughty and Catherine O'Mara.

The participating artists will set up their easels at 10 a.m. on Main Street or in River Mill Park, having been supplied with a stretched 16 x 20-inch canvas and a box of acrylic paints in red, blue, yellow, black and white. They will then use their imagination and talent to produce a completed painting by 2 p.m.

“They can paint whatever they want, a self portrait, from a photograph, from memory or what they see around them,” Holinshead said.

Once finished, the paintings will be displayed on the town hall steps for the public to view prior to the auction. To entertain the prospective buyers, music will be provided by guitarists/vocalists David Crombie, Luc Pattison and Luke Pombiere.

Promptly at 3 p.m., arts patrons, the public at large and anyone looking for an original piece to hang on their walls, will have an opportunity to bid and possibly obtain the painting of their choice. With actor/comedian James Carroll conducting the proceedings, the auction promises to be a lively and entertaining affair.

Some of the artists who are taking part are Wendy Moses, Catherine O’Mara, Sara Hall, Helena Renwick, Johanne Stewart, Sharon Stock Feren and muralist Gerry Lantaigne. Artists-in-training include mayor Claude Doughty and councillors Fran Coleman and Mary Jane Fletcher.

Doughty, a former dentist, is not much known for his artistic endeavours, although he does confess to having an architectural eye. “When I was eight, I was given a Jon Nagy learn-to-draw kit and I had it licked by noon. That was the last time I did anything that wasn’t a building,” he said. “Then, when I was 16, I didn’t know if I was going to be a dentist or an architect. The guy next door was a dentist and had a nice car and that cemented my decision.”

Lantaigne has been busy of late with Group of Seven mural renderings but said he will probably choose a building to paint, such as the Shutterbug Gallery, which is one of his favourite buildings in town. “When I paint, I’m usually done in two hours but, with four hours, I can really spend some time on it.”

With the other participants still mulling over their options, Doughty said he has to first get the hang of mixing paints. “Can we have a Coles' Notes colour chart?” he asked of Holinshead.

Patsy Cline comes to life on stage, July 25

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 22, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Leisa Way is returning to the town where, three years ago, she debuted her Patsy Cline tribute show.

Sweet Dreams – A Tribute to Patsy Cline takes the Algonquin Theatre stage this Saturday, July 25, at 8 p.m.

“Huntsville and the Algonquin Theatre were the start of what has become an amazing tour,” said Way, who also portrayed Cline in the stage musical A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline.

WAY TO GO: Leisa Way takes time out for a photo with Tom Thomson outside the Algonquin Theatre earlier this month. Way brings Sweet Dreams: A Tribute to Patsy Cline to Huntsville this Saturday, July 25.

The perky, petite blonde, becomes Patsy Cline in an instant when kitted out in black wigs, cowboy hat, boots and adopting the singer’s trademark deep voice. Quite the change for the soprano who once played Peter Pan and Anne in Anne of Green Gables for the Charlottetown Festival.

Way was born in Kitchener, raised in Sudbury and has deep northern Ontario roots. Her mother hailed from Callander and her father from Powassan. From a musical background with family gatherings full of music and laughter, she says of the three children in her family she was the lucky one who got all the musical talent.

Way loves the Huntsville area, and she and her husband, actor David Nairn, who is also the artistic director of Theatre Orangeville, often vacation at the Nor’Loch Lodge in Dwight. “We were just there a few weeks ago. Our tax guy is in Huntsville,” Way said, with a tinkly laugh.

It was at the Banff School of Fine Arts that Way developed a love of musical theatre, starring over the years in shows such as Crazy For You, Showboat, The Sound of Music and Grease. During that time, Way found her ‘musical belt,’ which allowed her to hit the back wall of a theatre when she sang in a lower vocal range. That opened up a whole new world for the soprano.

“A lot of people don’t have a great belt voice. Barbra Streisand is one and Patsy Cline another, ” she said.

The show Way is bringing to Huntsville differs from the last in that there are more songs and less dialogue, Way said. “I told so many stories about Patsy Cline last time; I could talk all day about her there are so many funny stories, but I’ve honed it, so there is more music - 29 songs in total.”

Included in that number are several songs that Cline only ever sang live and were never recorded. There are a couple of songs, which are lovely, that people will not know Patsy did unless they were at one of her shows, Way explained.

Way has just completed a 22-concert tour playing to sold-out audiences everywhere. “In one theatre in Morrisburg, we did several shows and close to 5,000 people came to see us,” she said.

After three years, Way still enjoys portraying her alter ego. “She was so loving, so giving, so full of life. It’s a joy to embody someone who was so well loved.” Patsy Cline was killed in an air crash at the age of 30, but lives on in the hearts of many of her fans. This is one show that is sure to sell out, organizers say.

Tickets are $35 and $20 for youth under 18 and available at the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975 or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

Multi-sensory show brings Paris life to Huntsville stage, thanks to HHS grads

(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 22, 2009.)

By Gillian Brunette

Busking with her violin on the streets of Paris was an exciting and rewarding experience for 28-year-old Nisha Coleman.

“I busked on the streets for three years and it worked well. I made more money busking in Paris than I would have in any other job anywhere,” she said.

While busking is officially illegal in Paris, so are many other things but that doesn’t stop the French, Coleman said. “The police don’t bother you unless they receive a complaint. I had a few encounters with the police, but nothing too serious. One time, a lady complained, saying she didn’t like the violin. The police came and questioned me, checked my passport, and that did make me feel a bit uncomfortable.”

There are some areas to be avoided, such as the Champs Elysees, where busking is strictly forbidden. Conversely, there is a designated area for artists and musicians, but it was too busy, Coleman said. “I went to non-designated places, under bridges and archways, where sound can resonate a bit more, which is better for the violin.”

While in Paris, Coleman re-connected with former fellow Huntsville High School student Brigitte Reid, who made a 17-minute documentary about her busking experiences. “That inspired both of us to complement the film with other multi-media to capture the essence of Paris,” said Coleman.

The result can be seen tomorrow night, July 23, at the Algonquin Theatre, when the Huntsville Festival of the Arts presents Une Soiree Parisienne. The show will begin with the documentary,
followed by a text, written and related by Coleman, that will take the audience through a day in Paris, as seen through the eyes of all who encompass the city: children, homeless people, Parisiennes on their way to work, even the pigeons, said Coleman.

“I begin with the day at 6 a.m. through to 10 a.m. Then the theatre will go dark and there will be a two-minute electro-acoustic recording of Paris sounds – the cacophony of traffic, the birds, the metro.” The evening will continue with more text, music and a couple of short films accompanied by Coleman and Reid on violin and piano.

“There will be lots of little surprises throughout the evening. We want to bring four of the five senses to the experience, and make it a holistic revisitation of the city,” Coleman said. One of those senses, taste, will be introduced to patrons during the intermission with offerings of French wine, cheese and baguette.

Recently returned from her sojourn in France, Coleman is settling down in Montreal with her boyfriend, whom she met in Paris. Reid is living in Mexico City with her husband, teaching English and French, filming and working on various other projects. The couple is expecting their first child soon.

Tickets for what promises to be a delightfully different evening are $15 and available at the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975 or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

PLAYING IN PARIS: There is nothing like the sound of Bach to soothe the soul on a sunny afternoon in Paris. Passer-by Herve Blandin caught former Huntsville High School student Nisha Coleman busking not far from the Palais-Royal and posted it on the web. Coleman and fellow alumna Brigitte Reid bring Une Soiree Parisienne to the Algonquin on July 23.

Festival warms up with hot country trio Doc Walker, followed by tenor Mitch Seekins

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

By Gillian Brunette

One of North America’s hottest country acts, Doc Walker, comes to the Algonquin Theatre tomorrow night at 8 p.m.

Combining the free-spirited country-rock style of the Eagles with the blended vocal bliss of bands such as Alabama and America, this trio, with its trademark country-rock sound and pitch-perfect, high-flying harmonies, is sure to fire up all country music fans. Doc Walker band members Chris Thorsteinson, Dave Wasyliw and Murray Pulver are three childhood friends from small-town Manitoba who managed to stick it out for the long haul – through school band practices, tour after tour, marriage, children and through the good and the bad,

Three albums into their career, Doc Walker released Beautiful Life, an album that won the band a 2009 Juno Award for Country Recording of the Year, six Canadian Country Music Awards in 2008 (including Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Fan’s Choice Award) and three top-10 country singles.

On Aug. 25, Doc Walker will release their fifth, hotly anticipated, full-length album, tentatively entitled Go. The album echoes the multi-award winning Beautiful Life in a number of ways. The three band members co-wrote the majority of the album and worked with acclaimed Nashville songwriters Bruce Wallace and fellow Canadian Victoria Banks.

With a busy set of summer festival dates, a major fall tour and a brand new album, Doc Walker will drive their dream further than they imagined when they were 14 years old and just fooling around with guitars in a tiny Manitoba town.

On Saturday, July 18, the celebrated tenor Mitch Seekins brings the popular music of Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli to the Algonquin stage. This show makes for a wonderful evening full of energy, humour and class all at the same time with songs such as Home, Fever, Time to Say Goodbye, The Prayer, as well as hits with Tony Bennett and Josh Groban.

Mitch Seekins has, for more than 20 years, been performing pop, rock and R&B in nightclubs from coast to coast in Canada. In 1996, he was encouraged to make a crossover into classical music and has since performed in operas by Puccini, Mozart and many others.

Performing the music of Andrea Bocelli was a perfect marriage of both the pop and opera genres, showcasing Seekins’ abilities. The idea of Bublé to Bocelli was really in response to the demands of audiences wanting to hear the old standards with Bublé’s new, lively arrangements, but also with the great renditions of Andrea Bocelli’s music.

One interesting piece of trivia: Seekins is also the founder of his own vocal school, where he has instructed internationally known artists, including Huntsville’s own two-time Juno award winner Hawksley Workman.

Tickets for all festival shows are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, by dialing 789-4975, or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.

TRAIL BLAZERS: One of the hottest country acts
in North America, Doc Walker takes the Algonquin
stage on Thursday, July 16, at 8 p.m.

Lake of Bays diva performs at Algonquin Theatre with top-notch string quartette

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

Internationally renowned opera star Pamela Hoiles brings a variety of guests to her Huntsville concert

By Gillian Brunette

Internationally recognized soprano and Lake of Bays resident Pamela Hoiles appears in concert this Friday, July 17, and says she is thrilled to be performing in Huntsville.

“It is such a pleasure to be back here with such wonderful friends and supporters of the arts in beautiful Muskoka.”

The July 17 concert, titled Festival Friends, promises to offer a cross section of music to suit all tastes, said Hoiles. “It is a very interesting program and I think that everyone will enjoy it. Arkady (Yanivker, violinist) has played many times (at the theatre) and he will perform pop with me, as well as classical pieces.”

Hoiles has lived in Lake of Bays for about eight years. “One of the reasons I decided to get a cottage up here is because of the Festival of the Arts. I heard about it and have been impressed with all that they do. My friend Pamela Smyth really did a great job of getting it to the Algonquin Theatre,” she said.

“It is great to have that theatre in Huntsville because of the citizens of the area, who understood the need for such a facility. I admire them for that and so am thrilled to be singing for them.”

IN CONCERT: Lake of Bays resident and internationally acclaimed soprano Pamela Hoiles performs at the AlgonquinTheatre on Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m.

Hoiles, who has been a major benefactor of the Algonquin Theatre and the Huntsville Festival of the Arts over the years, spends much of her time in Muskoka when she is not on tour.

“I usually come up in the winter but, this year, I had to have a back operation and couldn’t come, so I am very happy to be back. I do have lots of friends up here and am really looking forward to seeing them on the 17th and over the rest of the summer.”

Friday’s concert will include a string quartet led by Yanivker, who is well known to long-term festival supporters as the concertmaster of the festival orchestra and first violin for the Toronto Symphony. They will be performing Mendelssohn’s String Quartet, first movement, opus 44, in D major. “It is a very energetic, very upbeat selection,” said Yanivker.

The second piece will be the melodious second movement from Borodin’s musical Kismet. Hoiles will then take the stage, performing some popular tunes arranged for her by composer Bob Goldstone. These will include a medley of Night and Day, The Continental, Embraceable You, Bewitched, Sooner or Later and, possibly, I Was Beautiful.

Hoiles will be backed by the string quartet, piano and a quartet of brass, woodwind and bass (all top professionals from across North America) to create a dynamic and unique sound. She will then be joined by New York City’s internationally renowned pianist and vocal coach Myron McPherson to perform the following pieces: Strauss’s Zueignung; Dos cantares populares; and Ravel’s Vocalise en forme de Habanera. Yanivker will return to open the second half in recital with a pianist and perform two pieces before being joined by the quartet to conclude the concert with an arrangement of Porgy and Bess.

Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Hoiles attended Occidental College in Los Angeles and graduated as a drama major. She then went to Rome for one year and studied with the eminent vocal coach Maria Theresa Pediconi of the St. Cecilia Academy.

Before concentrating on her career as a soloist, Hoiles performed throughout the United States and Europe as a singing actress, recreating roles in plays such as the Mikado, Carousel and the Sound of Music.

Most recently, Hoiles has been performing in Europe. “After a wonderful success in Sofia and Italy, I am now looking forward to doing a more relaxed and fun program at the Algonquin Theatre,” she said.

Tickets for Festival Friends are $32 ($20 for youth under 18) and are available at the Algonquin Theatre box office on Main Street, by dialling 789-4975, or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.