finemusic

Niagara Symphony presents a couple of winter bonuses

2012-01-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the dead of winter, or what is passing for winter in Niagara this season, and you feel the need to get out of the house and hear some great music, right? Well, the Niagara Symphony has you covered on a couple of fronts in the coming days, so we'll cover both of those this week in the column.

First of all, this Sunday afternoon at 2:30 the Niagara Symphony presents a Bonus Masterworks concert with not one, but two Thachuks on stage. Maestro Bradley conducts, of course, and his twin brother Steven is the guitar soloist on the Guitar Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi. So don't be concerned if you appear to be seeing double on Sunday afternoon. Also on the programme is the Symphony No. 44 by Franz Joseph Haydn, In Memoriam Alberto Guererro by R. Murray Schafer, and one of my all-time favourite works by Tchaikovsky, the lovely Serenade for Strings.

There is also a special price for the concert, since a lot of regular patrons will be down south at this time of year, so the Symphony wisely chose to offer a specially-discounted price to get people through the doors, and hopefully more than a few newcomers as well. Just $ 25 gets you a seat to the concert and even birthday cake afterwards to celebrate the Niagara Symphony's 64th birthday. Not a bad deal when you consider what a trip to Toronto, Buffalo or even Hamilton would cost at this time of year. So save the trip and consider supporting your Niagara Symphony, why don'tcha?

As always, I will be in the lobby before, after and at intermission with lots of great music you might just want to take home with you, so be sure to stop by and take a look and say hello. One of the interesting new items I have with me, by the way, is a fabulous new EMI Classics box set of 50 discs covering 150 ballets, titled oddly enough, A Festival of Ballet. You can grab it now before it shows up on the website in February.

Tickets should still be available for the Sunday concert, so either purchase them at the box office prior to the concert or call the box office in advance at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.

On another front, In This Life - Chantal Kreviazuk makes its broadcast debut on HBO Canada and The Movie Network this coming Monday evening, January 30th at 6:45 pm. It will also air on HBOC HD at 6:45 pm and HBOC 2 HD at 8:45 pm. The one-hour documentary runs throughout the week and celebrates the life and career of renowned singer Chantal Kreviazuk, including footage of her exclusive engagement last summer with the Niagara Symphony, performing at the outdoor theatre at Jackson-Triggs Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I remember when this concert was announced and it garnered a lot of attention at the time, so this promises to be an interesting look at one very special artist as she connects with her audience on many levels.

The Niagara Symphony is at the half-way mark of what is shaping up to be a reasonably well-attended season, so that is good news. One of the mandates of Maestro Thachuk was to grow the audience, and perhaps we are starting to see those efforts begin to bear fruit.

See you at the Symphony!

January 28th, 2012.

Coffee, Tea or Bach?

2012-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend, a most interesting concert will be taking place at St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street in St. Catharines, Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. Primavera Concerts, one of the more creative local musical presenters, are presenting The St. Catharines Chamber Music Society in a concert titled simply, "Coffee!"

Now, I am not a coffee drinker. I have always been an avowed tea drinker, save for my first few years in the radio business almost 40 years ago when everyone around me drank coffee, so I did, too. Yes, the ubiquitous "double-double" was my drink back then, which I believe was a quarter a cup at the local greasy-spoon next door to the radio station in Toronto back then. One day, I thought about it and decided I really preferred tea to coffee, so why drink coffee just because everyone else does. I have been something of a lone wolf ever since then, even forsaking more convenient tea bags for traditional loose-leaf tea I feel gives me a better cup of tea. I even use an automatic tea-making machine every morning at the radio station made for awhile by TriniTea in the United States. I love the fact it brews the tea and keeps it warm in the pot on it's own hot plate element, so throughout the morning I have a hot cup of tea waiting for me. I know, I am more of a tea aficionado than most, but I can't sacrifice quality for convenience, even when it comes to tea.

But I digress. Even though the concert is titled "Coffee!", I won't feel left out Sunday afternoon, since the concert is being presented in a coffee-house setting with coffee and cake being served. Next to tea, cake is very near and dear to my heart. That explains why I am a regular at the 'Y', by the way...anyway, what more could you want than great music, the drink of your choice and...cake? Sounds like a deal, right?

The centre-piece of the concert, of course, is the secular cantata # 211, known as the "Coffee Cantata" by J.S. Bach. This is about as close as Bach ever came to musical comedy; he was a notoriously serious musician who laboured long and hard in churches creating some of the greatest sacred music ever written. But even Bach knew people had a weakness for coffee, so when he wanted to write a lighthearted piece, coffee was an easy choice for the subject matter.

In Bach's time, coffee was still rather new to Europe and a bit of a novelty. But there was no denying the drawing power of the beverage, and in fact coffee houses soon sprang up throughout Germany at the time where people would gather, drink, and discuss the news of the day. It was a much earlier version of our modern-day Tim Hortons, if you will. The Coffee Cantata, in fact, premiered at Zimmerman's Coffee House in Leipzig and was presumably a big hit. The cantata tells the tale of a father who takes away his daughter's privileges, one after the other, unless she stops drinking coffee. The daughter is not swayed and continues drinking coffee until her father threatens to prevent her from getting married. However, the daughter outsmarts dear ol' Dad by making a secret deal with the groom whereby the groom must allow her to drink coffee even after they are married. History does not seem to record if the groom liked coffee as well, although I would imagine he would.

All of which brings us to Sunday afternoon's concert at St. Barnabas, featuring musicians from the St. Catharines Chamber Music Society, including Jonathon Dick, baritone; Charlotte Knight, soprano; Paul Williamson, tenor; as well as musicians Charlene Nagel and Xiaoling Li, violins; Andree Simard, viola; Gordon Cleland, cello; and Karin Di Bella, keyboard. It promises to be a fun afternoon of music and food and of course, drink. In addition to the Coffee Cantata by Bach, other caffeine-related music by the likes of Satie, Weill, Bolcom and others will also be featured, I'm told.

If, after you attend the concert, you decide you need a copy of Bach's Coffee Cantata for your personal collection, I am featuring a fine recording of both Cantatas 210 and 211 in my Fine Music Newsletter this month, out this past week, and will be featured on the website in the Mike's Picks section starting this week. The performance includes soloists along with the Bach Collegium, Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki on the Bis label. Just go to www.finemusic.ca and click on the Mike's Picks page this week to find out more.

For tickets to the concert tomorrow, you can book in advance at www.primaveraconcerts.ca or pick them up at the door.

See you at the concert tomorrow, oh, and save some tea for me, will you?

January 21st, 2012.

Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects suffers a setback this season

2012-01-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

I have often written about Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects in St. Catharines, the little upstart theatre company that was founded by Kelly Daniels and husband Ric Reid about seven years ago. I find their productions are of a consistently high quality and the programming is always inventive. They do, however, suffer the problems that often befall smaller theatre companies without the financial resources to keep a stable of regular actors and other technical staff on hand to fill in when needed.

Such is the case with Lyndesfarne at the moment. Just after announcing their winter production of John Murrell's Memoir would be moved from Grace United Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake to the beautifully renovated Seneca Theatre in downtown Niagara Falls, they have had to cancel the production entirely.

The show, which was scheduled to open at The Seneca February 2nd and run to the 12, has been cancelled due to ill health on the part of Shaw Festival actor Lorne Kennedy, who was to appear in the show. The specifics of the illness has not been specified, nor should they be, but it is a terrible blow to the company that boldly decided to take advantage of the available theatre space in Niagara Falls at a time of year that part of the city could desperately use the added evening traffic downtown.

The show, according to a press release issued by the theatre company this week, has been postponed indefinitely. That leaves open a couple of options for those who have already bought tickets to the production or hold season passes to Lyndesfarne. You can either donate the price of the ticket to Lyndesfarne and they will issue a charitable tax receipt for the amount, or they will issue a refund of the ticket price if that is your preference. Either way, they are asking patrons to call or write to them with your preference for the outstanding amount.

There is still one more production to go this current season, Thornton Wilder's Our Town, opening at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines from April 10th to the 21st. The production, performed by the Young Company ensemble of emerging artists, has an admission charge of only $ 10, and tickets are available by calling the box office at 905-938-1222, or going online to www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.

I was very much looking forward to attending Memoir, especially since it was moving to The Seneca in downtown Niagara Falls. The theatre, renovated a few years ago at considerable cost, has stood empty for much of that time, as theatre companies struggle to meet budgets with audiences reluctant for one reason or another to venture downtown after all the work done in recent years. I have heard it is now an absolute jewel of a theatre, but it might just remain one of Niagara's best-kept secrets unless someone manages to make a go of it in the near future.

This raises concerns over a larger problem in downtown Niagara Falls, which has had trouble keeping shops open along historic Queen Street the last while due to lack of people coming into the core. I plan to write more about this in a future column after I have some time to visit the area again and talk to some people, but for now, Lyndesfarne pulling out of The Seneca is yet another blow to an area of Niagara that deserves a much better fate.

Why do people still avoid the area? We'll investigate and report back soon. As for Lorne Kennedy, a man whose work I have long admired at Shaw for many years? Get well, sir, your considerable talents are missed more than you will ever know!

January 14th, 2012.

New Year's Levee tradition continues in Niagara

2012-01-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to attend a New Year's Levee here in Niagara, usually held on New Year's Day, of course. I have not missed this annual event since, as it is a perfect way to welcome in the New Year. This year we had not one but two on the same day, and one more to go next weekend.

There was a time in St. Catharines when the Mayor and Council held a levee separate from the traditional military levee held at the Lake Street Armouries with the Lincoln & Welland Regiment. But a few years back they decided to combine the two events into one, and it proved to be a popular decision. That's probably about the time I started to attend, in fact. So every New Year's Day from 11 to 1, people gather at the Armoury to welcome in the New Year, talk, snack, and imbibe if so inclined. There is the now legendary drink I believe is referred to as Bull's Milk which is a rather potent brew, I'm told, offered to a select few in the know as it were. But for most of us, the punch bowl is the place to be for some liquid refreshment to start the year.

I have never attended one of these events and not run into several people I know either personally or professionally or both. It is certainly encouraging to see so many people come out after a rather late night the night before welcoming in the New Year. It is just one of those feel-good events you shouldn't miss.

This year, however, there was stiff competition from 1 to 4 in the afternoon at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where Ontario's Lt. Governor, David Onley, hosted a levee to kick off the 1812 Bicentennial events in Ontario. The coming couple of years will be full of special events to commemorate the many historic events that occurred between Canada and the United States from 1812 to 1814; this will prove to be one of the major commemorations anywhere and a lot of it originally happened right here in Niagara, of course.

So Mr. Onley decided it was a good time to move the traditional levee he would hold on New Year's Day out of Toronto to where the famous battle began, and it too proved to be a tremendously successful event.
We arrived about 2:30 and the old fort was packed with people on a windy, wet day. There was mud - oh there was mud! - but everyone managed to get around the grounds with little trouble. The estimates beforehand were for 500 to 1,000 people attending, but the final tally was at least twice that, so obviously people around Niagara are in the mood to recognize the Bicentennial in the coming years.

We missed the reception line for meeting the Lt. Governor altogether, unfortunately, and by the time we made it to the tent where the speeches were to take place, all the food was gone and although there was wine, there were no more wine glasses! So we had to participate with the various toasts with something resembling an "air glass." No matter; it was a wonderful day and a nice kick off to the year 2012.

I had the pleasure of talking to the Lt. Governor by phone this week and he was astounded by the turnout and thrilled with the enthusiasm shown by all who attended; no doubt he will be back in Niagara several times more in the coming years as the commemorations continue. He is a delight to talk to and I hope some day to actually, finally, meet him in person. But for now, the celebrations are underway and everyone seems ready to participate.

There is another levee planned for the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls next Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon, I'm told, also tied into the Bicentennial celebrations. The Mayor and Council in Niagara Falls will be in attendance along with other dignitaries, and everyone is invited to attend. I hope to make it out on Saturday myself and finally see this new facility everyone in Niagara has been talking about. It will be just one of many such celebrations coming up throughout Niagara, so keep an eye out for others along the way.

Let's make this special year even more so by taking part in as many events as possible; many are free to attend, and why shouldn't we celebrate our glorious past right here in Niagara!

January 7th, 2012.

Saying goodbye to 2011...and a couple of theatrical titans

2011-12-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone compiles and/or reviews year-end lists at the end of December, as we look back on the year that was and reflect on the impact those events might have later on. I've done that and I suppose most people have as well. But as I review the many arts-related events that have unfolded this past year, especially locally, there is no shortage of things to reflect upon.

The final designs of the new St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre and adjacent Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts would have to top this list around these parts. The excitement builds, as does for some the anxiety of how we keep the proverbial bums in all those seats once it opens. The folding of the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council in the spring has to be considered one of the low points in this area, as it probably could have - and should have - been avoided. Plus, the start of Bradley Thachuk's tenure as new Music Director of the Niagara Symphony this season would have to be considered a newsworthy event in the arts as well.

There are others, of course. Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects' first annual Busker Festival in August was an absolute hit with the public and will be a tough act to follow; and speaking of Lyndesfarne, their fall show at the Sullivan Courthouse Theatre, Willy Russell's "Educating Rita" was a very special show indeed. Of course, we would certainly be remiss if we didn't mention the 50th Anniversary season for the acclaimed Shaw Festival, which brought in record crowds for some exceptional live theatre, highlighted by the huge hit production of Lerner & Loewe's "My Fair Lady", never staged at Shaw before, oddly enough.

But two events I will remember for a long time involved Stratford Festival pioneers Peter Donaldson and John Neville, both of whom passed away this past year and both of whom I would like to remember here for a few moments.

Peter Donaldson was a consummate pro: he excelled in drama, comedy and even musicals. He was a mainstay at the Stratford Festival for many years and there is not a single performance I ever saw him give that was not exceptional in one way or another. His dramatic acting was without equal; yet he know how to get the most of a comic turn with the best of them. And one performance in particular a few seasons back in the Stratford 'family' show "The Scarlet Pimpernel" remains forever etched in my memory banks. It was not his best performance, to be sure, but the aplomb he brought to the heroic character with dazzling fights and feats of daring onstage thrilled many that season, I know. It was typical of Donaldson: a role you might not think he was right for initially and after you see it, you can't help but imagine anyone else doing a better job with it. Donaldson was just that good, over and over again.

Peter had been battling cancer for many years, finally succumbing to the disease in January of this year. He was only 58 and had so many more years ahead of him as a great actor. Sadly, lung cancer claimed him far too soon.

The second passing received surprisingly little press, I found. The former Artistic Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, as it is now called, John Neville, passed away in November at the age of 86. From his time at London's Old Vic in the 50s through to his memorable years when he came to Canada, first as Artistic Director of Edmonton's Citadel Theatre from 1973 to 1978, Halifax's Neptune Theatre from 1978 to 1983 and later as Artistic Director at Stratford from 1985 to 1989, Neville met many challenges head on and never flinched. He made a lot of friends and theatrical fans along the way, too, including this reporter who unfortunately never had the honour to meet him, only know him through is exemplary work at Stratford.

When Neville came to Stratford first as an actor and ultimately as Artistic Director, he always exuded a calm demeanour and almost patrician air I found, in addition to perfect diction and a voice that was truly one of a kind. My best memory of Neville was in the title role in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice at the Festival Theatre. I recall the production caused no small amount of controversy at the time, but it is one of those roles I will always remember him for.

He came to the helm of the Stratford Festival at a critical time: in dire financial straits at the time with some pretty uninspiring theatre before he arrived, Neville turned the Festival's fortunes around in just three seasons with the savvy that comes from someone who has seen the best of times and the worst of times. He was the first Artistic Director to stage a musical on the main stage, for example. Now, you can't imagine going to Stratford without seeing one on the Festival Stage. He also programmed Shakespeare's three late romances in one season; it proved to be a gamble that for the most part paid off handsomely. I remember all three of those productions to this very day! This past season I came across a poster for the final season during Neville's time as Artistic Director and it is amazing what good memories remain to this day of so many of them from that one season alone. John Neville made the Festival a far better place in his time there, and they have never really looked back since.

In later years, Neville starred in the title role in Terry Gilliam's epic The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen, and later still he became famous for his role as "The Well-Manicured Man" on the cult series "The X Files." But for me, his time at Stratford holds the greatest memories for me.

Neville had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for some time, finally succumbing in Toronto in late November.

A lot of great theatrical notes this past year, and some tragic losses, too. Peter Donaldson and John Neville remain for me, two of the most tragic as 2011 draws to a close.

Happy New Year!

December 30th, 2011

How do you spend Christmas Eve?

2011-12-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

We are almost at the end of another furious holiday buying season, with most people going down to the wire Christmas Eve afternoon, I gather. I have been done my shopping for almost a week now, since I know this final week is so busy with my duties at CKTB RADIO and running my music business, A Web of Fine Music. Saleswise, I don't think this will be my best December ever, but it should at least be respectable. I will tally up the numbers next week once I have a chance to catch my breath and analyze the proverbial tea leaves then.

For me personally, Christmas has been a much too hectic and stressful time, and I have made efforts to alleviate that stress over the past several years. I have had some success, but those successes are still rather small. That said, I look forward most of all to what comes after the commercial aspect of the season is done and before the big day actually arrives. That, of course, means Christmas Eve.

For 21 years, I have had the pleasure and honour of hosting the radio broadcast of Midnight Mass, live from the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines, as I will again this year, my 22nd consecutive. Since 1989, I have not missed a single broadcast, although I did come close in 1998 when I slipped on ice and fell a few days before Christmas, thoroughly destroying my right arm and landing me in hospital. I had to beg the surgeon to release me in time for the broadcast, which I did in a very poor state of health before collapsing in bed very late. I should have stayed in hospital, of course, but you know how it is when you feel you simply have to do something that means a lot to you.

In the early years, I wrote the script from scratch every year on an old Underwood manual typewriter I still own. By the turn of the new century, I was dipping my fingers into the computer technology age, with somewhat mixed results. Nowadays, with a completely modern Apple iMac computer and the ability to save the script each year and simply update the pertinent information each time, I have managed to cut down my scriptwriting time by over half. That is one good thing about computers, I will concede. This year will be somewhat different, though, as I plan to have the script written in the afternoon rather than Christmas Eve itself as in past years. With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, I don't expect a very busy December 24th this year, and I certainly won't be out until early evening making final deliveries as in past years. So I might actually be able to relax and enjoy some peace and contentment Christmas Eve before the broadcast begins at 11:30.

Over the years I have made music a very important part of my Christmas Eve ritual, putting aside the more popular fare for more traditional choral music reflecting the solemnity of the moment and the impending joy of Christmas morning. Often I would pull out my historic 1959 recording of Handel's Messiah with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting, now long out of print, unfortunately. I have also for many years enjoyed the glorious Archiv recording by Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort & Players of the Lutheran Mass for Christmas Morning by Michael Praetorius. It has a sound that simply takes your breath away and I never tire of it.

More recently, I have enjoyed a Chandos recording by Richard Hickox and the City of London Sinfonia along with The Joyful Company of Singers, performing Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols/The First Nowell/On Christmas Night. It is a simply beautiful recording of glorious carol singing by an expert group. It is still in stock at www.finemusic.ca. I will be adding two new recordings to my Christmas Eve listening this year, both of which are also currently available through my website A Web of Fine Music. The first is A Steinway Christmas Album by pianist Jeffrey Biegel, who appeared last month with the Niagara Symphony. It is a stylish piano collection of familiar and not-so-familiar carols and seasonal music, ranging from Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride to December from Tchaikovsky's The Seasons. The second is a Chandos Super Audio recording by the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, entitled On Christmas Night. Familiar material such as Coventry Carol and Silent Night are here, of course, as well as less-familiar choral pieces such as The Lamb by Sir John Tavener and Out of Your Sleep by Sir Richard Rodney-Bennett. The sound is amazing and expansive, and the singing is superb. Any of these discs in stock would make great additions to your personal Christmas music collections, and are still available through my website, www.finemusic.ca by using the order form provided, or by simply emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

So, however you choose to celebrate or observe the night of December 24th, I hope you do it with music. For my part, I want to take this opportunity to thank you both for your patronage of A Web of Fine Music and reading my blog postings in this space every week. It is nice to know you are out there, and I appreciate the support on both fronts. Whatever this season means to you and however you choose to observe it, I wish you only the best for the season and the coming New Year ahead. Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, whatever you are celebrating and however you choose to celebrate it. Celebrate with music, and hopefully great music for the season courtesy of A Web of Fine Music!

Happy Holidays!

December 23rd, 2011.

T'was the weekend before Christmas...

2011-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

I know that title suggests I am going to wax poetic this weekend, but that isn't necessarily the case. I will, however, offer up three ideas for holiday entertainment this weekend you might want to take in, assuming of course you are through with your Christmas shopping. If you are, congratulations! If not, I have some concluding thoughts just for you...

I have often written about the quality theatre Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects provides at the Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. Well today, you have two opportunities to catch some nice theatre and help support the fledgling company at the same time. This afternoon at 3 and again this evening at 7, Shaw Festival actor Ric Reid will be reading the holiday classic "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas. It is just a reading, rather than fully acted out, but Ric can handle it with great panache, so you'll be more than well entertained. This also happens to be a benefit for Lyndesfarne; your ticket includes a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres, and a chance to win a case of Jackson Triggs wine! For more information and tickets, call Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects at 905-938-1222.

The second of two Christmas concerts by the Niagara-area chamber group Glissandi takes place this evening at 7:30 at Fonthill United Church in Fonthill. "Glissandi Christmas" features Deborah Braun on harp, David Braun on violin and Douglas Miller on flute. They are joined by Shaw Festival actor Guy Bannerman for an evening of poems and short stories intertwined with seasonal music. The Christmas spirit will be celebrated with narratives by Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens and many others. Tickets are available through the Gallery Players website, www.galleryplayers.ca or by calling 905-468-1525.

Finally, down in Hamilton this afternoon and this evening, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra will present their annual Holiday Pops concert, titled "A Gospel Christmas." The Toronto Mass Choir joins the HPO and Music Director James Sommerville for gospel arrangements of favourite Christmas carols along with some familiar orchestral selections. Performances at the Great Hall of Hamilton Place are this afternoon at 2 and this evening at 7:30. There is even a special dinner/show combo special offered for the evening show, with a three-course dinner at Incognito Restaurant and Wine Bar along with a ticket for the evening show. Just call the box office for more details, at 905-526-7756, or go online to www.hpo.org.

Now, as I write this, many people are out holiday shopping this weekend, as I will be briefly this afternoon. But for all intents and purposes, my Christmas shopping is done. But do you give any thought to how and where you do your Christmas shopping? I know you've heard this before, but I can't stress enough, especially in these challenging economic times, to show support for local business and service organizations who are there ready to serve you all year 'round. The local economy should be important to you, even if you might find a slightly lower price elsewhere. I say this because all too often people head out of the area and many cross the border in order to save a few dollars. But what you save now might cost you later.

Think about it this way: if something has to be returned or proves defective in some way, a local business you support throughout the year will be more inclined to accommodate your requests after the sale because, quite simply, you have invested in the business by buying there throughout the year. I can't stress enough how important this is. I speak, incidentally, as both a retailer myself and a consumer. Just this morning I picked up my last two official Christmas gifts at the St. Catharines Farmers' Market. I see these people all year 'round, so why would I not buy from them for the holidays as well? It just makes sense. Oh, and by the way, the items I purchased were well priced and exactly what I was looking for.

As a retailer, I will say in the music business, this is the busiest time of year, but I am never too busy to help you and find exactly what you are looking for to please the music lover on your Christmas list. It is tight for ordering special requests now, but it is possible in some cases, but I also have stock that might just be what you're looking for. I also offer gift certificates for those hard to buy for people on your list. My website, A Web of Fine Music (www.finemusic.ca) is ready to help you out throughout the year. I offer a complete list of Mike's Picks selections and a complete Calendar of Events throughout the year, but if you don't see what you are looking for, simply use the order form provided on the site or just email me directly at music@vaxxine.com. And being a website, that means we never close!

Happy Holidays from A Web of Fine Music, and from all local retailers who benefit from your loyalty throughout the year!

December 17th, 2011.

Getting into the Christmas spirit this weekend in Niagara

2011-12-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

I am a little tired tonight following a very long day, but I have some thoughts I want to share before putting my head down to rest in advance of a very busy weekend in Niagara for this reporter.

I don't know about you, but I have had a heck of a time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Maybe it is the weather; maybe it is all the news the last few weeks that works against getting all warm and fuzzy as usual at this time of year. I don't know...but I do know this journalistic Grinch had his hard heart softened up more than just a little today as I was heavily involved again this year with the annual Great Holiday Food Drive put on by Astral Radio stations at 12 Yates Street in St. Catharines. My full-time job is, of course, morning show producer on Newstalk 610/CKTB, who along with 97.7 HTZ-FM and 105.7 EZ Rock, joined forces on the front lawn to fill a couple of St. Catharines Transit buses with food and toys for Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold. It was, to put it simply, an amazing day.

When things wrapped up at 6 pm and the last bus pulled away with Santa himself at the wheel, under police escort of course, residents of St. Catharines-Niagara had come through with an astounding total of $ 238,000 in food and cash to help out those less fortunate in the community at a difficult time of year for many. What can you say after a display of human caring of that magnitude? Yes, it warmed my heart for sure, as it did many others. But more than that, it helped make Christmas a more bearable time for many in the community who really need our help. On behalf of all of us involved today, thanks to everyone who took part and helped out a very worthwhile cause again this year.

Now, if you feel like doing a little holiday celebrating this weekend, the Niagara Symphony joins forces with Chorus Niagara for a triple-bill Christmas celebration at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at Brock Centre for the Arts. The concert, titled Home for the Holidays, features Niagara's premier 100-voice ensemble teamed up with your Niagara Symphony, directed by Chorus Niagara Artistic Director Robert Cooper. It promises to be a truly festive event, with one of the many highlights being a reading of the ever-popular Brother Heinrich's Christmas by former CBC As It Happens host, Barbara Budd.

What is especially interesting is the fact there are three, rather than the customary two performances of the Holiday Pops! concert this weekend: Saturday afternoon at 2:30 and evening at 7:30, and Sunday afternoon at 2:30. All three will be near sellouts I would imagine, but your best bet for tickets at this stage would likely be the Saturday evening performance. For tickets, call the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or log on to www.arts.brocku.ca. If you're going, it is suggested you bring a new, unwrapped toy or gift card to benefit Gillian's Place, formerly Women's Place in St. Catharines.

Needless to say, I will be in the lobby for all three performances before, after and at intermission, with lots of great musical ideas for gift giving for yourself or others on your Christmas list. Yes, lots of Christmas music, too. But if you don't see exactly what you want, I will do my very best to find it for you in time for the big day on the 25th. Time is getting tight, but I always find myself working some musical magic in the final two weeks leading up to Christmas.

Finally, one other event coming up on Sunday might be worth your attention as well. Suitcase in Point Theatre presents their annual Christmas Cabaret Sunday evening at The Merchant Ale House in downtown St. Catharines. Performance times are 7 and 10 pm, with admission Pay What You Can, although $ 10 is respectfully suggested.

The cabaret is titled Lethal Reindeer Games II - No One is Safe! and declares war on Christmas...sort of. Only the best team of reindeer detectives can save the holidays from the usual gang of bad guys, we're told, and through sketch comedy, surprise guests and lots of Christmas cheer, it all works out in the end. Oh, and a nice touch is a suggestion to bring a non-perishable food item or more for Community Care.

So there you have it. Lots to do this weekend to rid your soul of any remaining Grinchiness this holiday season. Enjoy!

December 9th, 2011.

All Hail Handel's Messiah!

2011-12-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

It is the time of year for pilgrimages to concert halls around the country for a performance of Handel's beloved oratorio, Messiah. If you scan the arts listings for almost any community with either an orchestra or choir or both at this time of year, there is bound to be a performance of Messiah somewhere. But how often do you even think of Messiah at Easter, much less see a performance at Easter?

This is the odd history of arguably Handel's most famous work. He wrote it between August and September 1741, based on a libretto supplied by clergyman and writer Charles Jennens, who had been trying to persuade Handel to return to English oratorio following his last two Italian operas, which were poorly received. An offer to participate in a season of oratorio performances in Dublin, Ireland the following year provided the impetus Handel needed to return to a musical form he knew very well.

So it was Messiah, based on the birth and Passion of Christ, premiered at the New Music Hall in Dublin on April 13th, 1742, with revisions coming in 1745 for the famous Foundling Hospital performances. It remained immensely popular until his death in 1758 and has been a standard-bearer for Christmas performances the world over to this very day. The sacred, non-dramatic oratorio was a first for Handel, with a text divided by Jennens into three parts: the first deals with the Prophecy of the Messiah and its fulfillment. The second goes from the Passion to the triumph of the Resurrection and the final part deals with the role of the Messiah in life after death.

Around these parts, we have the advantage of two choirs who perform Messiah regularly. Chorus Niagara performs the work every other year at Christmas, with Artistic Director Robert Cooper wisely choosing to leave you wanting alternate years so he can create another Christmas program to fill the seats. However, those who need their Messiah fix every year can catch a performance during those alternate years with Laura Thomas' choir, Choralis Camerata, as is the case this year.

Robert Cooper is leading the Niagara Symphony and Chorus Niagara next weekend in a Christmas programme at Centre for the Arts, Brock University, as the two groups join forces again on the stage of the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre. I will write more about those performances next week, but this weekend, your Messiah fix is provided by Choralis Camerata with two performances. The first is tonight at 7:30 at First Grantham United Church in north St. Catharines; the second is tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 at the modern and expansive St. Alexander Roman Catholic Church in Fonthill. Tickets for both performances are available at the door.

I try to catch at least one Messiah performance every year, but some years it just won't happen, which might be the case this year. Once a number of years ago, I decided to do two performances in a single day in separate cities for some unexplainable reason, so in the afternoon I was at the Chorus Niagara performance in St. Catharines and Sunday evening I attended another performance at the River Run Centre in Guelph with the Guelph Chamber Choir. Theirs is a very traditional performance done every year, but Gerald Neufeld always presents a finely-tuned performance I have enjoyed many times in the past. Cooper for his part, always works to present a different angle to Messiah, partly I suspect to keep the audience interested, but more importantly to keep the singers on their toes. It usually works.

If you need a recording of Messiah, there is no shortage of available recordings ranging in price from $ 20.00 to almost $ 100.00, depending on the label and performance. One of my favourites "old-school" performances dates from 1959 with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the RPO and Beecham Choral Society on RCA Victor. The full-length work is out of print, I believe, but I do have stock on the highlights disc if that interests you. A more contemporary, smaller-scale recording that is highly-recommened is on the Naxos label, with the Choir of New College, Oxford, directed by Richard Higginbottom. It has been around for a few years now, but remains one of the better contemporary recordings of Messiah currently available.

Messiah recordings of every description, along with everything else musical you want or need for Christmas are always available through my website, A Web of Fine Music, at www.finemusic.ca. Just send me a request on the order form provided or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com. Oh, and don't forget to stand during the Hallelujah Chorus!

December 3rd, 2011.

Niagara Symphony and John Laing Singers both perform in separate concerts this weekend

2011-11-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

We're fast approaching the time of year when there are almost too many concerts and theatrical events to handle, but with some careful planning you can catch a number of worthy musical events in the coming weeks, many of which will put you in the mood for the holidays.

This weekend for example, the Niagara Symphony Masterworks 2 concert takes place Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre, Brock University. Now, the concert itself isn't holiday themed, per se, but the off-stage attractions certainly are. This is the annual Silent Auction event, held every year to help raise funds for the Niagara Symphony and hopefully strike a few names off your gift list. Last year I successfully bid on a couple of winery group tour events that just were not gathering many bids, so both I acquired at ridiculously low prices. But that is the magic of the event. You never know what you'll find, and what you will successfully bid on, until the end of the concert.

Along with original art, gift items, cultural events and attractions, winery tasting tours and more, there is the annual opportunity to successfully bid to conduct the Niagara Symphony and be a "Maestro for a Moment." I toyed with bidding on this last year, and this year just might. But I don't know if I would have the nerve to actually get up and conduct the orchestra, given the fact I have no prior experience doing so. Oh sure, they provide you with a lesson and a baton, but the rest is up to you and I don't know if I could withstand the jitters to be successful.

All that aside, there is also a concert to enjoy onstage tomorrow as well, leading off with the sublime Symphony No. 35 by Mozart, the one known as "Haffner." The concert ends with Mendelssohn's wonderfully evocative Symphony No. 4 in A Major, known of course as the "Italian." In between is the Canadian premiere of "Shadows" by Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, a globally-commissioned piano concerto featuring the pianist who performed the world premiere of the concerto recently, Jeffrey Biegel. Jeffrey gained some sort of notoriety in recent years for recording for Naxos the Piano Concerto by Leroy Anderson, performed by the Niagara Symphony just last season. I have the concerto in my personal library, and the Naxos recording is readily available through my website at any time, by going to www.finemusic.ca and sending a request on the supplied order form.

Tickets should still be available for the concert either through the box office in advance or at the door. In advance, call the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257. Normally I would be set up in the lobby with lots of music for you to purchase from A Web of Fine Music, but with the Silent Auction taking up so much space in the lobby before the concert and at intermission, I will simply be there as a listener and prospective bidder, so I will hopefully see you there!

Also on this weekend in the Hamilton area is the critically-acclaimed John Laing Singers, who perform a concert Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon titled ""Sumptuous, Satisfying, Sublime and Simple." The Saturday concert is all but done as I write this, of course, but if you are in the Hamilton-Burlington area tomorrow afternoon you can catch the performance at 3:30 at St. Matthew-on-the-Plains Anglican Church on Plains Road in Burlington. I have never been inside the church but have had an opportunity to see it from the outside and it looks impressive.

The concert will feature Christmas music from a wide diversity of sources, from Bach to Poulenc, Vaughan Williams and Sandstrom, as well as carol settings from Poland and Peru. Guest artists joining the John Laing Singers will be soprano Charlene Pauls and organist Paul Grimwood. This is the first Christmas concert designed by their new artistic director, Dr. Roger Bergs, who takes over from the retiring John Laing himself.

Tickets are available in advance by calling 905-628-5238 or going online to www.johnlaingsingers.com, or picking them up at the door prior to the concert.

Incidentally, the John Laing Singers have a wonderful Christmas disc out titled "Merrily Sing We" that I love to listen to throughout the holiday season. I have copies available through A Web of Fine Music (www.finemusic.ca) or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

Enjoy the weekend!

November 26th, 2011.

Update on the new Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines

2011-11-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

There has been much anticipation about the new St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre, set to rise on the vacant site at the corner of St. Paul and Carlisle Streets in downtown St. Catharines. This week, city council heard a presentation from Gary McCluskie, lead architect from Diamond + Schmitt Architects in Toronto on the project, and there was both good news and bad news on Monday evening.

The good news is council unanimously endorsed the design and budget for the project; the bad news is the endorsed project is both smaller and costlier than originally planned. Smaller insofar as fewer seats in each of the four venues in the complex and less office space and front-of-house space than originally proposed. Most people seem to agree the reductions are manageable, although Janis Barlow, representing the user group committee providing input on the project, has suggested in no uncertain terms any further reductions would clearly reduce the viability of the centre. In other words, smaller is not always better.

But the increased costs involved are somewhat troubling. The original price tag of $ 54 million has now grown to $ 60.7 million, up $ 6.5 million. Government funding remains the same, at $ 42 million combined from the federal and provincial governments, with the remainder expected to be raised within the community. To that end, the city has decided to hire a professional fundraiser to narrow that gap and come up with the necessary extra funds. Let's hope that person is very good, whomever he or she may be, as one worries this might not be the only increase in the cost of the project. In addition, while I sense many in the community are behind the project as it stands, further increase in costs would not be welcome by the public at large, I suspect.

So, basically, we are left with a smaller complex that will cost more. Where have we heard that before, eh? Seriously, though, I doubt many would care about the shrinking office or front-of-house space unless it directly impacts them, of course, and the reduction in seating in each venue is not large, so most will not even notice it, one hopes.

I echo those thoughts, but worry about the costs involved for the tenants we are building the performing arts centre for. I have stated in this space before we have to keep it affordable for the groups using the facility, but a discussion on this with one member of one of those user groups last month signalled alarm bells for this reporter many tenants might well be priced out of the marketplace if they have to increase ticket prices in order to meet the increased rent to use the facility. Then where will we be? A white elephant while those same user groups retreat to their old venues once again? We can't afford to let that happen, so it is imperative everyone involved realize this has to be affordable for all concerned, on both sides of the footlights.

There is still time to work out the problems and keep this project on the rails, but with final design details nearing completion, I think it would be best to deal with any concerns people have sooner rather than later. I have long been a big supporter of the new St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre and remain so to this day; but let's keep this a user-friendly facility everyone will be proud of for years to come. It will be the jewel of our downtown and indeed our Region so long as costs are kept under control and the design is not further watered down.

November 24th, 2011.

News and Notes on local theatre in November

2011-11-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about some of the local theatre in the area on right now, from Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, Department of Drama a Brock University and Garden City Productions. I still have to get to GCP's production of Gypsy before it closes next weekend, and unfortunately this weekend I have too much on the plate to catch anything at all, but I did attend the season opener for Lyndesfarne and want to pass along a few comments here before getting on to other things.

I have often written of the quality of the productions from Kelly Daniels, Artistic Director of Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects. Most shows have a small cast and the set changes are kept to a minimum if needed at all. Most times, the set stays the same throughout the show, which is great in the theatre space they use, the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. The season opener is Willy Russell's entertaining Educating Rita, starring Daniels' husband Ric Reid and Jenny L.Wright, both members of the Shaw Festival acting ensemble.

Ric played Dr. Frank Bryant in two previous productions of Educating Rita over the past number of years, the last one a few years ago when he suffered a heart attack while onstage. He came through it, of course, and is probably a lot healthier now than he was at the start of the last production. He also has experienced a lot more about life since the first time years ago as a young man, making this portrayal of Bryant a much more rewarding and richer experience for both him and us. His co-star in this production, Jenny L. Wright, has great fun with her role, a 30-something mother in England who feels her education is wanting. She turns to Bryant for some special tutoring, and in the process teaches him more than he probably teaches her.

Both have interesting perspectives on their respective characters, making for a fairly satisfying theatrical experience for the audience. The pivotal scene happens in the second act when Jenny, playing Rita, finally overtakes her teacher when it comes to what has been learned, vividly illustrated as each is finally seated in the other's spot on the stage; Frank sits in the guest's chair while Rita takes charge behind his desk. It is then you see the fundamental shift in focus take place.

Educating Rita may not be the best production Lyndesfarne has given us, but it is a darned good one, and well worth your consideration during the month of November. You have performances this evening and Sunday afternoon this weekend, and performances again next week from Wednesday to Sunday at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. Tickets for all performances are available by calling the box office at 905-938-1222 or going to www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.

Now, some news to get caught up on at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake before we call it a day today. The 50th season ended October 30th, and the season was a good one both artistically and financially. Shaw reported a 5% increase in attendance over the 2010 season, due in no small part to the smash hit musical My Fair Lady at the Festival Theatre. In fact, My Fair Lady is the best-selling production in Shaw Festival history.

Financially, the numbers tell the tale: according to Executive Director Colleen Blake, season attendance numbers reached 274,800, an increase of 13,000 over the past season. Box office revenues translate into an overall economic impact of more than $ 100-million annually for the Province of Ontario, bringing added tourism to the Niagara Region in particular and Ontario in general.

Now, the 51st season gets underway in April, 2012, with eleven different productions on four stages, with casting being announced for many shows this past week. For the flagship musical Ragtime, for example, the musical will showcase Thom Allison and Kate Hennig and will be directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell. More information on the upcoming season can be found on the Shaw Festival website, at www.shawfest.com. And if you just can't wait to get your tickets, call the box office at 1-800-511-7429. If you are a member, you can order tickets now; if not a member yet, you have to wait until January 14th.

Enjoy the weekend!

November 12th, 2011.

Theatre is alive and well in Niagara in November

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Now that we're in November and the Shaw Festival has wrapped up for another year, you might think we're deficient in live theatre in Niagara at this time of year. Nothing could be further from the truth, as many smaller, local theatre venues thrive in the winter months with some pretty inventive programming. Take the next week for example: we have two openings this weekend and one next weekend, all of which I will touch on today.

First up is Garden City Productions' fall show, Gypsy, the musical based on the life of burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. The musical has been hugely popular for years now, with a wonderful production at Shaw not that many years ago, in fact, with Nora McLellan as a fabulous Mama Rose. This new production is directed and choreographed by Di Nyland-Proctor, a local legend when it comes to staging musicals and dance-themed productions. I have known Di and her husband Frank for about thirty years now, as they were two of the first people I got to know when I moved to St. Catharines in 1981. Both Frank and Di did work for CKTB Radio back then; Frank as the popular morning man and Di hosted a short little feature each day on cooking, titled, if I remember correctly, Someone's In the Kitchen with Di-nah...ah yes, the memories are flooding back now. Amazing what you remember as you get older, eh?

But I digress. Gypsy is a sometimes gritty musical that can be a disaster if not handled properly, but Di knows what to do with it as she has been in productions of Gypsy herself in the past. This new production with Garden City Productions features Laurel Broczkowski as Rose and Breton Lalama as Louise, among others. I have a personal connection to this cast as well, as Laurel has been an acquaintance of mine for years now, and Chelsea Di Franco of St. Catharines plays the part of Elektra and lives just up the street from me.

GCP puts on some pretty ambitious shows, and this one promises to be no different. Gypsy officially opens tonight and runs Thursday to Saturday evenings with a Sunday matinee through to November 20th at the Mandeville Theatre at Ridley College. Tickets are available by calling 905-682-1353 or going online to www.gcp.tix.com.

Also opening tonight and one I will be attending, is the season opener for Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects in St.Catharines, celebrating their seventh season with the award-winning English comedy Educating Rita by Willy Russell. The play was first commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered in June, 1980 at the RSC's Warehouse. It went on to tour successfully more than once, and was eventually made into a successful movie as well.

Lyndesfarne specializes in small, intimate cast productions best suited to their space downtown at the Sullivan-Mahoney Courthouse Theatre. There are only two people in the cast: Ric Reid as Frank and Jenny L. Wright as Rita. Both are Shaw Festival alumnus, and Ric is also married to Lyndesfarne's Artistic Director and director of this production, Kelly Daniels.

Educating Rita is a story about discovery - a woman's journey and transformation through her education, and a man's desire to live life again. From what I saw in the preview rehearsal last week, we're in for a treat starting tonight.

Educating Rita opens tonight and runs through to November 18th, Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with a Sunday matinee. Tickets are available through the box office by calling 905-938-1222, or online by going to www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.

Finally, next weekend the Department of Dramatic Arts at Brock University presents Tennessee Williams' American classic Orpheus Descending at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts at Brock. It opens Thursday evening and runs through until Saturday only. Directed by Virginia Reh and designed by Brock Dramatic Arts graduate Michael Greves, the play showcases the talents of students in the Department of Dramatic Arts at Brock: Trevor Ketcheson, Rebekka Gondosch, Cassandra Van Wyck, Robyn Cunnigham, Josh Davidson, Evan Mulrooney, Derek Ewert, Nadia Watts, Vanessa Ancevicius, Brad Deiter, James Lowe, Matt Viviano, Justine Benteau, Mallory Rivest, Lauren Beaton, Anna MacAlpine and Madison Rosca. That's a good-sized cast, but as I have found in the past, the students at Brock rise to the challenge every time out and I have no doubt this time will be no different.

Orpheus Descending opened on Broadway in 1957 and was adapted for the screen two years later, starring Marlon Brando. This particular production celebrates the 100th birthday of this great twentieth century American playwright whose works have been prominently featured in recent seasons at both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals.

Tickets are very reasonably priced and available through the Centre for the Arts box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or going online to box-office@brocku.ca.

Enjoy the theatre!

November 5th, 2011.

Marilyn I. Walker Centre for Fine & Performing Arts takes shape downtown

2011-10-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Much has been written, by myself and many others, about the forthcoming St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre on St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines. It is easily the most visible change coming to the downtown core in several generations; however, it is just part of the massive complex soon to take shape downtown.

The less-publicized part of the whole project, so far at least, is the new Marilyn I. Walker Centre for Fine & Performing Arts, located adjacent to the performing arts centre and incorporating the now vacant Canadian Hair Cloth building below St. Paul Street. Plans have started and stalled over the last while as the provincial government came on board with $ 26.2 from the Open Ontario project, and of course the ball got rolling with a $15 million donation from the Walker family. Now, plans begin to take shape and we can see the fruits of the last several years' labour finally come to bear.

This past week, members of the media and public were invited to Market Square in downtown St. Catharines to hear from the Dean of Humanities at Brock University, Douglas Kneale, and the lead architect on the project, Michael Leckman, Principal with Diamond + Schmitt Architects in Toronto. What we saw was a short slide show of what plans are taking shape for the Centre, with ground scheduled to be broken on the site in the spring.

The plans are, to say the least, exciting and ambitious. There will be new facilities built, of course, but the main focus for many is on the re-purposing of the Canada Hair Cloth building, which will be a very prominent part of the whole complex. Architect Leckman was excited to report two other, smaller buildings on the present site will also be incorporated into the overall design, so there is really minimal loss of what is already there. You could not ask for a better outcome on this, and it comes off looking like a win-win situation for everyone involved.

More detailed plans and notes can be found on the website www.buildingtheartsdowntown.ca, from Brock University. You'll be able to see how everything is integrated into the overall design and how it will coexist with the performing arts centre. Between the two, that entire stretch of St. Paul Street, while not all visible from the street, will be totally transformed within a few years. If you approach the site from the 406, especially heading northbound, the change will be astounding. Finally, a use for at least part of the lower level parking lot!

The new complex is set to welcome students and faculty by September, 2014, and will bring 500 new people to the downtown core on a daily basis. That alone will help to transform the downtown; just think of the events next door at the performing arts centre in the evening and on weekends primarily, and you can see a lot of extra bodies coming into the downtown core on a regular basis.

Now, all we have to do is see if the much talked-about spectator facility will come to pass downtown, and if it does occupy the remainder of the lower level parking lot, that will make for a pretty vibrant downtown, don't you think?

That last plan is still a ways away, of course, but it might just happen. If it does, we should be able to please the sports, arts and academic crowds in one huge location downtown. Let's hope it all comes together, but even if the spectator facility does not actually happen for some time yet, this dual-role complex combining the performing arts centre and the School of Fine & Performing Arts will do quite nicely, thank you very much.

We should be able to get all this done; the old Jack Gatecliff Arena was built in the depths of the depression in 1934, and by the turn of the last century we had an actual opera house near the foot of Ontario Street, so all this building is not without precedent. If our forefathers could do those projects back then, surely we can find the wherewithal to get the job done today. Let's hope so; I hope we don't grab and hold on to that proverbial brass ring.

Exciting times ahead!

October 29th, 2011.

Niagara Symphony Pops! series gets underway this weekend

2011-10-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Niagara Symphony Pops! series gets underway this weekend at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre down at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, and it promises to be a fun couple of concerts. They go this evening at 7:30 and again tomorrow afternoon at 2:30. In keeping with the time of year, they are calling this a Hallowe'en Spooktacular.

Music Director Bradley Thachuk and Associate Conductor Laura Thomas team up to lead the Niagara Symphony in music ranging from music from Star Wars and Phantom of the Opera to Pirates of the Caribbean; from the March to the Scaffold from Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique to Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain and Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King. In other words, music for next weekend, this weekend to inspire you for kids coming to the door trick or treating. Heck, the Symphony is even inviting people to dress in costume for the concerts, although I would be rather surprised if many actually do.

Tickets should still be available for either concert, although I would imagine this evening would be easier than Sunday afternoon for getting good seats. Contact the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 for ticket availability, or just show up at the box office before either concert and take your chances. For both shows, I will be in the lobby with a wide selection of music available for purchase from A Web of Fine Music, many at special sale prices. If you don't see what you want, let me know and I will do my best to get it for you.

Earlier this month the Niagara Symphony got their season underway with their first Masterworks concert of the season, and generally speaking it was a well-performed and very well-attended start to the new season as Bradley Thachuk began his new tenure with the orchestra. The McMillan Overture, rarely heard these days, was nice to hear again, and the second half performance of the Dvorak Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" was very well performed and great to hear again. The Romeo & Juliet Fantasy-Overture by Tchaikovsky that rounded out the concert was interesting, but a little ragged in spots, I found. But overall, a good start to an important season for the Niagara Symphony.

Maestro Thachuk has said he wants to reach out and find new ways to communicate with the audience and build the audience, and to that end this week many people who attend the Niagara Symphony received an email called "In Your Ear", which is basically a short version of program notes and recommended recordings near and dear to the conductor's heart. I like the idea, and it is quite well done. Keep in mind, though, not all the recommended recordings might be available at the moment; with that in mind, you can always contact me through my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com to see if one you're interested in is indeed available. If it is, I can certainly get it for you; if not, I can usually come up with a suitable substitute.

So, a new and so far promising season gets underway for the Niagara Symphony, and the first with Bradley Thachuk at the helm officially. Time will tell if the 64th season will turn out to be a vintage year for music-making, but let's hope it is. The Niagara Symphony needs to grow their audience and at the same time, fulfil the hope and promise generated by the extensive talent search of a couple of seasons ago.

See you at the symphony!

October 22nd, 2011.

Final two weeks at Shaw & Stratford Festivals

2011-10-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

My apologies for being a little late getting this written this weekend, but I am battling a cold and as a result I am in slow motion mode for a couple of days while I try to recuperate. Better late than never, as they say...

We are now, as of this writing, two weeks away from the end of the 2011 seasons for both the Shaw and Stratford Shakespeare Festivals. If you think you are out of luck this season, you are in for a pleasant surprise, as there are several shows available for your enjoyment still. To be honest, this is the ideal time to go to either festival, in fact, as the fall colours are still in full blaze, as it were, and the crowds are thinner on the area streets. Well, perhaps somewhat...but each town, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Stratford offer lots for the visitor even at this late point in the season, from shopping to sightseeing to exceptional dining experiences.

Show-wise, lets quickly review what is still open at both festivals for the remainder of the season:

Shaw Festival - The big show this year, of course, is the 50th anniversary celebration production of Lerner & Loewe's My Fair Lady, the first time oddly enough the festival has produced the classic musical. I found the show captivating due mainly to the performances, with Deborah Hay as Eliza Doolittle and Benedict Campbell as Henry Higgins. I found the Stratford production a few seasons back to be more lavishly dressed, but this production had much more meat on the proverbial bones, as it were. The performances are all first rate. But as good as this show is, and it is good, don't overlook the other shows still open at Shaw. Tennessee Williams' classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof continues until October 23rd at the Royal George Theatre and although is a long sit, is well worth the commitment. I loved the set and most of the performances, including Jim Mezon as Big Daddy and Moya O'Connell as Maggie. Also at Shaw, the production of Candida, while not the best effort of this show they have produced over the years, is still worth seeing. It is the Shaw play that opened the festival 50 years ago, so for that reason alone, I think, it is worth your time this season. Look for good performances by Nigel-Shawn Williams and Claire Jullien. Finally, the main stage production of The Admirable Crighton by J.M. Barrie continues to the end of the month as well. I was less enamoured with this production, frankly, but the staging is exceptional and the performances are great. Just not a lot of meat in the script, I found. Maybe Barrie was saving his best for Peter Pan, after all, which debuted a couple of years later. Several shows have specially-priced tickets available for the remainder of the season, so go to www.shawfest.com

Stratford Shakespeare Festival - There are several recommendable productions still running at Stratford this year, including two of the season's big hits this year: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Webber/Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar. Twelfth Night is even more musical than ever, with several new songs written for the show; director Des McAnuff has crafted a beautifully modern and sleek production, and due to an exceptional cast it all works. Look for standout performances by Brian Dennehy as Sir Toby Belch and Stephen Ouimette as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, companion to Sir Toby. Moliere's The Misanthrope is lavishly designed for the Festival stage, and features some outstanding performances as well, most notably by Ben Carlson as Alceste and Sara Topham as the woman he loves, Celimene. The two big musicals at the festival this year, Jesus Christ Superstar and Camelot, have been packing them in all season and continue to do so. Jesus Christ Superstar is pretty much a sellout for the year, but you might be able to score a last-minute ticket or two just before the show starts; Camelot is big and a spectacle in its own right, as befits the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In JCS, the cast includes Paul Nolan in the title role and Chilina Kennedy as Mary Magdalene, and the entire cast will be heading to La Jolla, California for a run after it closes in Stratford, and finally makes it to Broadway next spring. In Camelot, Geraint Wyn-Davies makes a magisterial King Arthur, and Kaylee Harwood plays his Guenevere, ultimately wooed by Jonathan Winsby as Lancelot. At the Avon stage, two productions continue: the adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, and Harold Pinter's The Homecoming. Grapes is pretty grim, as you can imagine, but some exceptional performances make it all worthwhile, including Evan Buliung as Tom and Chelina Kennedy as Rose of Sharon. Pinter's The Homecoming is gritty and quirky, and definitely an acquired taste. But standout performances by Brian Dennehy as Max and again, Stephen Ouimette as his brother Sam make it all worthwhile. A late-season opener, The Homecoming was lightly attended when I was there in late August, so you might have a good chance to get some great seats for this show. For all shows this season in Stratford, go to www.stratfordshakespearefestival.com.

Both festivals have announced their lineups for next season, of course, and each looks promising. At Shaw, the big musical will be Ragtime, which has had a checkered history of performances both in Toronto and on Broadway. In Stratford, the family show will be the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. There have been complaints already about Shaw not having main stage performances of Shaw's plays next season; they will be featured at the Court House and Royal George Theatres next season. Over at Stratford, there are complaints their playbill includes only three of Shakespeare's plays. Well, you can't please everyone in both cases, of course, but they have to put bums in the seats, and if it works, how can you argue with their logic? We'll see how next season plays out and assess the results this time next year.

So that's it; enjoy some great theatre before the month is done and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

October 16th, 2011.

Two Niagara ladies of song making their mark this Thanksgiving weekend

2011-10-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

As the Thanksgiving weekend is upon us, I wanted to share a few words about a couple of ladies in Niagara I have had the pleasure of knowing for awhile now, and whose music brings a lot of pleasure to a lot of people - myself included.

TiannaH and her group, Jazz with a Twist, perform throughout the Niagara area and beyond throughout the year, doing everything from private and corporate functions to open-air performances in the summer and clubs throughout the year. TiannaH is a jazz singer who has her musical roots firmly entrenched in the gospel and spiritual music of her ancestors. For several years, in fact, she was the featured soloist with Laura Thomas' Choralis Camerata choral group, who would perform a tribute to Black History Month each February at a church or two in some part of Niagara.

I know the concert well because I was always honoured to be asked to be the narrator and as such, I had a ringside seat to some of the best spiritual singing you'll hear in Niagara. Last summer, I took myself down to Charles Daley Park to hear the other, more familiar side of TiannaH, as a jazz singer with her group at the amphitheatre. She was back again this summer but alas, I missed the performance in August.

If you ever get a chance to catch a performance with TiannaH, do so; you will not be disappointed. In fact, although it is really short notice, you can tonight at one of her regular haunts, the Jordan House Hotel in Jordan, right where Regional Road 81 (otherwise known as Old Highway 8) turns left and heads down into the Jordan Valley. She'll be there from 9 to midnight tonight; if you miss that performance there will be many more in the months to come, so keep an eye out for her at a nice bar near you!

The other lady I love to hear is Juliet Dunn, who has made her home in St. Catharines for some time now with her husband Peter Shea, after spending several years living in Paris and travelling the world. In fact, to this day the pair spend part of the winter months performing on cruise ships in the warmer climes, a gig many other singers would kill for, I suspect.

Juliet's years in Paris have inspired her most recent CD, titled "C'est Si Bon", recorded with her group known collectively as Le Trio Parisien. The disc covers a lot of musical ground, ranging from the familiar title track to the Piaf classic, La Vie En Rose and Padam, among others. The disc actually came out about a year ago now, but Juliet told me on the phone this week she had been so busy, they just hadn't had a chance to celebrate the release before now.

Celebrate they did last evening in downtown St. Catharines as Juliet and Peter and their musical friends held a CD release party at Stella's on James Street. I unfortunately had to miss the event, since it was a busy election night and my more serious job too precedence last evening. The evening provided a chance to hear music from the disc, of course, and also to find out more about Juliet's ambitious "Twilight Jazz" series, to be held every Thursday night at Stella's featuring performances by some of Niagara's best jazz musicians. When I get the lineup I will be posting it on the calendar page of my website, at www.finemusic.ca.

Also on my website, on the Mike's Picks page in the jazz section, you'll find Juliet Dunn's newest disc for sale. It is a fine recording and I encourage you to give it a try. You can order it through my website or just email me directly at music@vaxxine.com and I will take care of it for you.

There is another opportunity to hear Juliet in an entirely different venue each weekend now, too, as she has nicely settled in to the early morning 6 - 9 am spot hosting the weekend morning jazz programme at Toronto's JazzFm, 91.1. I caught a bit of her show last Saturday, and she sounded great on her first time on the air there. Juliet sounded absolutely giddy about the regular gig when I talked to her this week, but of course, let her get used to those cold January mornings driving to Toronto early in the morning and we'll see how she feels! I know; I do it every day on my way to work down at CKTB Radio here in St. Catharines.

Happy Thanksgiving, and let's give thanks for some of the great talent we have right here in Niagara!

October 7th, 2011.

A busy first weekend of October in Niagara

2011-10-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

I usually like to get my weekend blog entry done first thing Saturday morning, but the day has been so busy already, the first chance I have had to sit down and write is now, so here goes...

There has been no shortage of events this weekend in Niagara, three of which I will recount here as I will be involved in all of them. The first, actually, I already have been, and I have the sore feet to show for it! Now, I know this doesn't have anything to do with the arts, per se, but it has everything to do with giving back to the community and helping out a charitable organization worthy of our help.

This morning I was down at the Pen Centre as preparations were underway for the sixth annual Walk a Mile in HER Shoes event, benefitting Gillian's Place in St. Catharines. If you know of Gillian's Place, you know of the important work they do in the community; if you don't, you should know they provide shelter and vital help to women escaping abusive relationships in St. Catharines.

A couple of years ago when the former Women's Place moved from their cramped downtown quarters to the renovated Victoria School on Niagara Street, I toured the facilities at the opening and was impressed with the new facility and the exceptional care they provide for clients who come to them. There might indeed be a day when these services are not needed, but until then, places like Gillian's Place will need our help to raise funds and awareness for this problem.

So once again this morning, myself and many, many other like-minded men strapped on stilettos, pumps, and just about anything else with high heels to walk the one mile perimeter of the Pen to raise funds or awareness for Gillian's Place. It is quite an event now, with record crowds turning out both to participate and to watch at the Pen.

I arrived just in time to pluck a promising-looking pair of black high-heels in a men's size 8 that I thought would do the trick, and after some buckle hassles, I was ready to go, teetering back and forth. I did the walk with no problem, but I am finding as I get older (!) my back is aching by the end of it, but that is a small price to pay for the help we try to give to Gillian's Place cause. I can rest the next day, sort of, but for clients of the shelter and the workers, there really is no rest.

After the walk and the awards had been given, it was announced a record number of donations came in this year: $ 74,500 was raised for Gillian's Place, about $ 20,000 more than last year. Phenomenal! I offer a teetering tip of the hat to my fellow participants and supporters, as well as the tireless volunteers and workers from Gillian's Place who really need our help. Well done, boys!

Now, on to other things happening this weekend in the arts I want to highlight. Sunday morning at 11 am, the public is invited to the Shaw Festival rehearsal halls for a free, one-hour presentation by actors Sharry Flett and Guy Bannerman on manners and related topics from the past to the present day. Shaw Festival actors know more than a little bit about this, of course, as they deal with it all season long as they present plays from the past and the present that will at some point involve manners in some shape or form.

The presentation is part of the provincial Cultural Days events planned for this weekend throughout Ontario, and this one in particular interests me, as an avid theatre goer for many years now. The discussion is free and no tickets are required; just go to the stage door at the festival theatre prior to 11 am to attend the event.

Later on Sunday, the Niagara Symphony will kick off their new season, their first with Musical Director Bradley Thachuk on the podium full-time. It promises to be a gala event as a season full of musical promise gets underway, and I am hoping the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre is almost full to the rafters to welcome our Niagara Symphony back for another season.

On the programme Sunday afternoon are three orchestral works: an Overture by Sir Ernest MacMillan; the Romeo & Juliet Fantasy-Overture by Tchaikovsky, and in the second half, the ever-popular Symphony No. 9 in E Minor by Antonin Dvorak, the one known, of course, as "From the New World." All three works will test the orchestral prowess of the Niagara Symphony, and will offer a suitable launching pad for what promises to be an exciting symphony season down at the Centre of the Arts, Brock University.

Once again this season I will be attending, too, with my table set up in the lobby before, after, and during intermission at the concert with a wide selection of music for you to (hopefully!) purchase. I will have an added surprise tomorrow, as well, but that won't be disclosed until I am set up before the concert. So if you go, be sure to pay me a visit and say hello.

Tickets are still available for the concert, and can be had by stopping at the Brock box office before the concert or calling them at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.

Who says there is nothing to do in Niagara after the Niagara Wine Festival is done for the season?

October 1st, 2011.

New performing arts centre in St. Catharines one step closer

2011-09-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I attended a special open house on the future site of the new St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre downtown on St. Paul Street. Lots of others took the city up on their invitation as well, resulting in a real crush of people huddled under tents and umbrellas due to the rain Wednesday afternoon, but even the weather failed to dampen the spirits of those in attendance, myself included.

On hand for the first look at conceptual design plans supplied by architect Gary McCluskie of Diamond and Schmitt Architects in Toronto was a real cross-section of people throughout Niagara, all keenly aware of the importance of this project and the fact we have but one chance to get this thing right. For that reason, I think many might have been pleasantly surprised by what they saw, as the design is basically set now; there is still a six-week period before the plans are finalized, during which time some tweaking of the design can take place.

But overall, what we saw this week is basically what we'll see once the project is completed in a couple of years or so. Some people were suggesting the facade was rather bland, based on the graphic included in the electronic invitation sent out by city hall earlier this month. But it wasn't really a true reflection of what was to come, and once we saw detailed design plans this week, everything seemed to be falling into place quite nicely.

In total, the $ 54-million centre will house an 800-seat concert hall, a 150-seat dance and theatre hall, a 180-seat film theatre and a 250-seat recital hall. That is in addition to the adjacent space, also designed by Diamond and Schmitt, that will be the new home of Brock's School of Fine Arts. Together, they will totally transform that stretch of St. Paul Street and with it, hopefully much of the downtown core altogether. But more on that in a moment.

As for me, I like the plans, calling for a sort of three-pod design backing onto the sloping area towards Highway 406, with the front facade made up of glass and limestone right on St. Paul Street. It is clean, modern, and at the same time in keeping with what buildings will remain on St. Paul Street. Lots of wood on the interior, as it appears, will lend a warmth I think will certainly contribute to the overall acoustic of all the spaces, especially the large concert hall.

That is the key, of course, getting the acoustics right. Many a lovely-looking concert hall has had terrible acoustics, such as Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, which received a major makeover years ago to help improve the sound there. It is one of those things you simply have to get right the first time, so here's hoping this design team headed up by Gary McCluskie brings all their experience to the design table in that regard.

Now, to the surrounding area. I noted while visiting the site this week, already surrounding buildings are looking better, as many landlords are now investing more money into their properties and attracting many new, more upscale tenants. Just look across the street from the new home of the performing arts centre to see proof of that: a nicely rejuvenated facade housing many businesses, including a stylish new cafe named Mahtay. This is only the tip of the iceberg, of course. There is money being spent to rejuvenate the old Leonard Hotel, for example, and the new parking garage on Carlisle is well on its way to completion. So gradually that whole area will look better, and we can only hope that eventually spreads down the rest of the street and along adjacent streets in the years to come. It will be a slow process, but the ball is now rolling, and things look good so far.

So, the early report card on progress on the new venue? I would give all parties an A at this point, as real progress is being made, and we can finally see the transformation taking place. It can only get better, and when was the last time we said that about our downtown core? Interesting, and fun times are on the horizon.

Let's enjoy the ride!

September 23rd, 2011.

Another great season of entertainment coming to downtown St. Catharines

2011-09-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, I paid my annual visit to the Courthouse Theatre in downtown St.Catharines for the season launches for eight Niagara arts companies that use the venue, known collectively as DAPA, the Downtown Alliance for the Performing Arts. Collectively, the organizations are presenting 26 different productions, special events and festivals in Niagara the coming season, with 15 of them at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre downtown.

Here's a brief overview of what was presented and what we can expect in the coming months:

Carousel Players: They've created three new plays for young children for their 40th anniversary season; in fact, there will be a 40th anniversary party everyone is invited to at Market Square on June 3rd.

Essential Collective Theatre: ECT produces contemporary Canadian playwrights, and in fact their newest production takes the stage starting September 30th, Trout Stanley by Claudia Dey. There will also be the 6th annual reading series featuring new works by Niagara playwrights, and even Shakespeare will make an appearance of sorts at the Courthouse Theatre on March 3rd with Raoul Bhaneja's Hamlet.

Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects: Artistic Director Kelly Daniels has decided this year to move the Young Company production of Our Town to the Courthouse for performances next April. There will be two additional plays in their subscription series, Educating Rita in November and Memoir in February.

neXt Company Theatre: NCT brings back the cult classic The Rocky Horror Show in February, and in the more immediate future, this weekend they present a documentary celebrating Niagara's migrant workers Sunday evening at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University.

Niagara Dance Company: Niagara Dance Company will expand their programming of contemporary dance works, workshops and mentorship opportunities for Niagara performers and choreographers this season.

Stray Theatre: They will be presenting Where's My Money by Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Patrick Shanley, the author of Moonstruck and Doubt.

Suitcase in Point: They will be presenting their 10th season with the return of the ever-popular In the Soil Festival in April, as well as offering four special cabaret events in downtown St. Catharines. There will also be a premiere of a new play about female daredevils at the Courthouse Theatre next February.

Theatre Beyond Words: The creators of the famous Potato People have been expanding their horizons in the past few seasons, and this season will be presenting two plays for families on both sides of the border at the Leary Theatre at Niagara University as well as at the Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines.

The groups that make up DAPA have shown in the past they can provide creative, thought-provoking professional theatre for downtown audiences for several years now, and I expect this season to be no different. I have often found the performances to be on a par with what you'll find in larger theatre cities if not better, and they are successfully filling the void for live performing arts in the city's core during the fall/winter/spring months. They depend on your patronage to a great extent, however, so I would suggest you give serious consideration to some of their offerings this season when you want a night out on the town. DAPA has a great deal to offer patrons of the arts throughout Niagara!

Most of the companies in DAPA have their own websites, but I will provide links to their sites on my website, at www.finemusic.ca this coming week. Just click on the Calendar page and you'll find complete listings for many groups throughout the Niagara Region and beyond.

Just before we wrap up, a couple of other arts-related notes to pass along as well. This coming Wednesday afternoon, the latest plans for the new Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines will be presented at the site of the new venue on St. Paul Street. I plan to attend and will be writing about it shortly afterwards, but you can attend yourself and get a first-hand look at what is to come for the much-anticipated St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre. Also, the Niagara Wine Festival kicked off last evening, with lots of events planned throughout this weekend and next at Montebello Park in downtown St. Catharines. This evening, in fact, I will be emceeing the musical acts onstage at Montebello Park, beginning with Canadian musician Mark Lalama at 6 pm and the Eagles tribute band, Hotel California at 8 pm. If you have some wild vicarious thrill to meet me for some reason, that's where I'll be this evening. If you come by, be sure to stop and say hello!

Enjoy the weekend!

September 17th, 2011.

Final two shows at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival

2011-09-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

I always find it hard to believe when I come to the end of another summer theatre season, as it seems I have barely just begun when it all comes to a screeching halt again. Of course, the season ends for me, but there is still plenty of time for you to enjoy some great summer theatre either at the Shaw or Stratford Festivals. Later this month, in fact, we'll review the late-season offerings at both festivals in case you want to pay a visit in September or October.

The last two shows I have to look at in Stratford this season are a couple of great shows, both of which continue until later October, so still lots of time to get to the Festival City to enjoy some great theatre.

Moliere's The Misanthrope opened at the Festival Theatre in August and is a beautifully staged version of the French master's classic tale of the love of several men for a winsome young lady. The adaptation to English verse by Richard Wilbur is very well done and quite lyrical, almost making you forget it was actually written in French originally. David Grindley's direction provides a good pace and just enough of a light touch to keep things from lagging behind. The fabulous sets and costumes by John Lee Beatty and Robin Fraser Paye, respectively, are almost worth the price of admission alone.

But as beautifully staged as this production is, it is the cast that makes it really fly, as it were. Ben Carlson plays the well-to-do Alceste, totally infatuated with the most sought-after widow in all of Versailles, Celimene, played by Sara Topham. Sara is breathtakingly beautiful; Carlson is very earnest and convincing in his love for the lady. Yet, Celimene's desire to enjoy the attentions of several suitors besides Alceste drives him to distraction, setting up some wonderful fireworks between the two in the second act. The pivotal scene makes this production all worthwhile as both Carlson and Topham go at it on the subject of love and commitment.

The supporting cast is up to the task as well, including Juan Chioran as Alceste's friend, Philinte, and Peter Hutt as Alceste's main rival, Oronte. Special mention must be made of Kelli Fox, a mainstay for many years at the Shaw Festival, of course, who makes a wonderful turn here as Celimene's friend Arsinoe. Finally, Brian Tree is his usual reliable and likeable self as Alceste's valet, Dubois.

Moliere knew his audience and knew how far he could go satirizing them as he entertained them, even if they failed to recognize themselves. But this light and airy look at the privileged class and their foibles I found left me a little indifferent at the end, wondering if we should really care about them after all is said and done. No matter, the ride taking us to that point is an enjoyable one.

The Misanthrope plays at the Festival Theatre until October 29th and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Meantime, over at the Avon stage, Harold Pinter's The Homecoming opened in late August and continues until October 30th. It is a play both fascinating and unnerving at the same time, dating as it does from 1964. How interesting, though, and perhaps reassuring in a way, there were grossly dysfunctional families portrayed on stage back then as well, and they don't come much more dysfunctional than this one.

Almost immediately we are introduced to the central character, Max, a crusty old widower played with great skill by Brian Dennehy. He can praise his late wife in one breath and then do a complete 360 and trash her the next, leaving you to wonder how he can possibly be so kind one moment and cruel the next? His nemesis right off the bat is his son, Lenny, played with razor-sharp wit by Aaron Krohn. He is the grown-up version of the know-it-all kid, sparrring constantly with Max, finally meeting his match in the lovely Ruth, the wife of brother Teddy. Ruth, played by Cara Ricketts, is wonderfully understated and as a result, very sexy. Her husband, Teddy, played by Mike Shara, really has no idea what is coming in the second act, almost appearing as a deer in the headlights lost soul. The other son is Joey, a fighter who shall we say, gets to know Ruth better than one could imagine.

Special mention goes to Stephen Ouimette's Sam, the put-upon brother of Max who never married and is a professional driver to and from the airport. Stephen and Dennehy have a real chemistry here, first seen in their comedic roles in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Festival Theatre. I suspect Brian wanted Stephen for this role, and if that is the case it was a wise choice to agree on the part of director Jennifer Tarver.

The Homecoming is typical Pinter, which means an acquired taste; that was perhaps evidenced by the smallish crowd at the performance I attended in late August, but for those who choose to go, you're in for some very special performances that make it worth the effort.

The Homecoming continues until October 30th and rates a very strong 3 out of 4 stars.

September 12th, 2011.

Two late-season offerings at our two major theatre festivals

2011-09-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

We're getting down to the final few shows at both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals this season, so we'll look at the final Shaw show opening this season and another late season offering at Stratford today, and next week wrap up the Stratford shows for the season.

The Shaw Festival has been going from strength to strength at their small Studio Theatre the last couple of seasons, and the final offering this season which opened a week ago Friday, is no exception. Australian playwright Andrew Bovell wrote When the Rain Stops Falling as a commission for the Adelaide Festival of Arts, where it premiered in February, 2008. The Shaw Festival production is the play's Canadian premiere, directed by Peter Hinton.

The play, to put it bluntly, is a bit of an enigma. It looks at the Law, York and Price family histories in the context of the future, if you will. As such, the play's first hour is more than a little confusing for many in the audience, as we struggle to come to grips with several people playing the same characters at different times in their lives. We go from London in 1959 to Australia in the year 2039, with the plot-line following the many events that happen in the lives of the characters over that 80 year period. Thanks to director Hinton who had the presence of mind to include a "family tree" on one page in the programme to help us understand the family lineage in each household.

Hinton has also decided to project the time/place of each scene over top of the set, which does help you put each scene in the proper context. He also added character's names and birth & death (if applicable) dates on the backs of chairs surrounding the huge table that makes up a large part of the stage. Trouble with this, of course, is you have to really squint to see what they say, and you can only see the chairs in front of you; the other three sides of the table are out of view to you, and with no intermission to allow you to walk around the stage and read them, you get only some of that helpful information. By the time you realize this fact it is too late, and you have to struggle to keep up with the myriad of time and place changes.

Each character present has their own form of emotional baggage, and all effect what happens in the play at some point, as we see what happened in the past as well as in the future. It is a fascinating concept, and quite a challenge, but suffice it to say the challenge is worth the effort. This is a play, as Hinton points out in his Director's Notes, wherein the characters are haunted by the past; it is a play about family and secrets and the ways in which we pass on our unresolved struggles from one generation to another. I don't want to give away too much of the storyline, as it is difficult to do in a small space with this play, and besides I don't want to jeopardize the ending in any way. But the journey, however convoluted it may be, will bring the audience to a heartfelt, compassionate conclusion in the year 2039, resulting in more than a few tears in the audience, at least at the performance I attended.

The cast rises to the challenge of presenting this difficult play with some degree of clarity, and each and every one is perfect for the role. Ric Reid opens and closes the play in the year 2039 as Gabriel York, a man who is faced with the prospect of his son coming to visit him after many years apart. Donna Belleville as the older Elizabeth Law and Tara Rosling as the younger Elizabeth Law are both great, as is Peter Millard as almost an odd-man out in the role of Joe Ryan, the second husband of Gabrielle York, played by Wendy Thatcher, who is sent packing by a wife suffering from a memory disorder. Others in the cast worthy of note include Krista Colosimo as the younger Gabrielle York, who runs a cafe in Australia and falls for Gabriel Law, played by Jeff Meadows, who is on a mission to find out what happened to his father, sent to Australia by his wife for indiscretions back home in London. Graeme Somerville as the disgraced Henry Law is very good and manages to pull at our heart-strings in spite of his indiscretions. You can see the story is a complicated one just from this brief description, right?

Anyway, you don't have much time left to catch When the Rain Stops Falling; it runs only until September 17th at the Studio Theatre, and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Meantime, over at the Stratford Festival, we have the prospect of another difficult storyline at their Studio Theatre, with Michel Tremblay's Hosanna, set in early 70s Montreal, when the country as a whole was coming to grips with the acceptance of gays moreso than in the past, and two men who live together in a Montreal apartment who find themselves on a journey of self-discovery.

Hosanna, as director Weyni Mengesha mentions in her Director's Notes, is "an investigation of the classic human struggle to face who we truly are." The two characters in the play, Hosanna, played by Gareth Potter, and Cuirette, played by Oliver Becker, both have to come to grips with their own insecurities and acceptance of each other if they are to continue living together.

Hosanna is a former farm boy from the countryside, who now lives fast and loose in the big city as a hairdresser by day, and a transvestite prostitute by night. His male companion, a leather-clad biker boy nicknamed Cuirette, still likes to think of himself as able to play the field whenever he likes. Trouble is, Hosanna is needs him more than he realizes, and by the end of the play he realizes he is in the same boat.

Now, as When the Rain Stops Falling can be seen as a confusing collection of characters, how about this with Hosanna: Gareth Potter plays Hosanna, who is the alter ego of Claude Lemieux, the farm-boy from the sticks. On this particular night as the action of the play unfolds, Hosanna is playing the role of his idol Elizabeth Taylor, in her role as Cleopatra. How's that for confusing?

It all comes together in the end, as both characters come to realize the compelling universal truth that love is all that really matters. While some parts of the play may appear to be somewhat dated to some, in many respects the story is entirely relevant today. The seedy set and characters are as real today as they were when the play premiered in 1973, and in this production they become much more human as the play progresses, allowing the audience to actually care about them despite their insecurities and lot in life.

I can't imagine either character is easy to play, with Gareth Potter having a deeply troubled character to explore; both rise to the challenge, however, making Hosanna a challenging play worth catching this season. Hosanna continues until September 24th at the Studio Theatre, and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

September 3rd, 2011.

Two Shakespeare plays at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival

2011-08-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from Stratford and caught my last two shows of the season, The Homecoming and Hosanna, which I will write about next week as we wrap up the reviews of Stratford plays this season. This weekend, a look at a couple of the larger-scale Shakespearean plays onstage at the Festival Theatre, both of which have much to recommend them.

The first one, The Merry Wives of Windsor, is a lesser-known Shakespeare play, but certainly a lighter work that works well for summertime theatre fun getaways. It perhaps is not the Bard's best work, but it makes a nice change from, say, Titus Andronicus or Richard III, both onstage at the Tom Patterson Theatre this season.

Director Frank Galati has fashioned a production with just enough flash and no unnecessary props cluttering up the stage, with a cast that works well together to make a worthwhile theatrical experience. The strong cast includes James Blendick as Master Robert Shallow, a justice of the peace who is fed up with Falstaff's constant insults. Blendick's deep, rolling voice always resonates on the Festival stage, and as always, his presence is felt whenever he is onstage. Master George Page, a wealthy Windsor citizen, is ably played by Tom McCamus; Laura Condlln plays his wife, Meg Page. The other wealthy Windsor citizen, Master Francis Ford, is played a little over-the-top by Tom Rooney, and Lucy Peacock gives a typically strong performance as his wife, Alice Ford.

Enter the ever-popular, ever-broke Sir John Falstaff, who schemes to woo the wealthy Windsor wives of Page and Ford in order to solve his ever-increasing money problems. Trouble is, of course, they are married; they also receive identical letters from Sir John and decide to act on it and basically outwit Falstaff with some mischief of their own. Now, I am of two minds on this Sir John Falstaff, played by Geraint Wyn Davies. On the one hand, I admire his comic abilities and the fact he really starts to make you believe he really is Falstaff, but being a traditionalist at heart, I still can't get good ol' Douglas Campbell out of my mind as the quintessential Sir John from years ago. Oh I know, the late Douglas Campbell was from another era, and we need another Falstaff now, so Davies makes an effective Falstaff for this production. He really comes off being quite loveable.

Others in the cast worth mentioning are Dan Chameroy as Ensign Pistol, Nigel Bennett as the French physician Doctor Caius, and Janet Wright making a strong appearance as Mistress Quickly.

This won't be the best Merry Wives you've ever seen, but let's face it, it does not show up on the playbill all that often, so this likeable production is definitely worth catching. The Merry Wives of Windsor runs to October 14th at the Festival Theatre, and rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.

Next, the much-anticipated Des McAnuff production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, also on the Festival Stage until October 28th. From almost every perspective, this is a spectacular show, although it relies a little too much on glitz and special effects to make it a really slick show. But you can tell almost from the get-go, this is a Shakespeare production geared to a younger audience. It is really skewed to bring in those future theatre subscribers the Festival will need in the years ahead.

I am not against that approach; both Stratford and Shaw have to cultivate those younger patrons now rather than later, but the fear is a generation brought up on lots of special effects will expect it here as well, and eventually those effects will overtake the production so you forget the wonderful story Shakespeare has written.

Okay, that concern aside, you cannot help but like this production; even though it is modern-dress Shakespeare, it all makes sense in this very contemporary take on the classic Twelfth Night story. Well, maybe not the sword fights, but there you go...anyway, it is a wonderful show. The sets and costumes are at times eye-popping, and the extra music Des McAnuff and company have added to the original Shakespeare songs in the play all work very well. If anything, this is more a musical than a play, a fact that will also appeal to a younger audience.

There are strong performances all around, led by the wonderful Sir Toby Belch of Brian Dennehy. Brian has the time of his life here, and there is much to savour in his portrayal of the party animal Sir Toby. His side-kick, as it were, is Sir Andrew Aguecheek; this production benefits mightily from the casting of Stephen Ouimette, who almost steals the show all on his own. The two work so well together, you know there is a wonderful chemistry at play here.

Others in the cast include Juan Chioran as Fabian, Tom Rooney as Malvolio, and Sara Topham as a lovely Olivia. Mike Shara makes a regal Orsino, Duke of Illyria, and Cara Ricketts puts in a strong performance as Maria. But the special mention has to go to Ben Carlson's multi-talented Feste, a jester who sings with a great deal of heart and passion. Carlson is just great both as a singer and actor.

From start to finish, this is a Twelfth Night almost everyone will enjoy; from the brilliant performances to the clever staging to the three original songs added to the original seven Shakespeare supplied, this show is a winner. It rates a very strong 4 out of 4 stars, and runs at the Festival Theatre until October 28th.

August 27th, 2011.

Thought-provoking, contemporary theatre this season at both Shaw and Stratford

2011-08-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals introduced their smaller, studio theatres a few seasons back, and both use the opportunity of a smaller space to program more cutting-edge, riskier productions. In most cases, the gamble pays off handsomely with some great productions open for only a short run. Such is the case this season with two productions currently onstage at each festival, which we'll look at in this space today.

The Shaw Festival presented the Canadian premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Topdog/Underdog, from playwright Suzan-Lori Parks late this season, and in fact it closes this weekend at the Studio Theatre. I attended one of the final performances this week, and it is both crude and exhilarating at the same time, employing more foul language than we are used to hearing in Shaw theatres, to be sure. In fact, a few years ago I doubt this production would have made it to the stage at Shaw, but it has, and the work is a triumph.

Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell knew this would be a gamble, especially given the age of a large part of the audience base at Shaw, but looking around me at the performance I attended this week, young and old shared space in the audience in almost equal numbers, and almost everyone gave the performers a resounding standing ovation at the end.

The two performers, Kevin Hanchard and Nigel Shawn Williams, each give exceptional performances here, directed with a sure hand by Philip Akin. Hanchard plays the part of Booth; Williams the part of Lincoln. Yes, the irony is not lost on the audience, of course, as the two young men, cast adrift by their parents years before, struggle to find themselves in a tough world that is often unforgiving.

The older brother, Lincoln, plays the late American president in a carnival show, dressing up with white-face and sitting there while carnival-goers pay for the opportunity to "shoot" him. How demeaning! Younger brother Booth, meanwhile, shares his apartment with Lincoln, who has left his wife. Booth, although unemployed, knows how to "acquire" things with great regularity, so manages quite well, thank you very much.

Their trials and tribulations in a seedy apartment in a seedy part of town make up the play, a telling expose on the hopelessness of the poor and how difficult it can be for them as they struggle to make a go of it. The whole thing is very sad and quite unsettling, but also makes for some riveting theatre.

Topdog/Underdog continues at the Shaw Festival Studio Theatre until August 27th, and rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.

Over at Stratford, their production of Canadian playwright John Mighton's The Little Years continues at their Studio Theatre until September 24th, with a larger cast than the Shaw show, and just about as much of an edge.

Director Chris Abraham assembled a strong cast for this tough, soul-searching play about what matters most in life, or at least what should matter most. It begins in the 1950s with a young Kate, played by Bethany Jillard, being fed the female stereotypical career paths by both mother and her teacher. The play progresses through Kate's life with its ups and downs and the characters she meets along the way.

The older Kate, played by Irene Poole, is a much wiser Kate, but also quite bitter and angry with the world. Others in the cast also age and learn from life, including Grace, played by Yanna McIntosh, whose husband is away and never appears in the play. She ends up having an affair with an artist named Roger, played by Evan Builung, who discovers much later having his work compared to the music of Barry Manilow is not necessarily a good thing.

It is amazing watching some of the characters age right before our eyes, including Kate. But most interesting of all is Kate's mother Alice, played by Chick Reid, who is so convincing as both young mother and very old mother near the end of her life. Bethany Jillard appears later in the play as Tanya, a young lady who found her way through life with the help of Kate's diary entries, which she read while Kate was away. The fact Tanya learned from Kate's life experiences heartens and softens Kate somewhat at the end, and she winds up thinking perhaps, her life was not so bad after all.

There is a lot of content to this soul-searching play making it a little hard to follow at times, but it is a journey and challenge worth taking as we watch the characters age and learn from youth through to old age, and the life experiences that bring them there.

The Little Years continues until September 24th at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre, and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

August 25th, 2011.

Shaw Festival presents two challenging productions this summer

2011-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

I know that heading suggests the rest of the Shaw Festival season is not challenging, but that is not true. There is lots of challenging theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake this season, with the two offerings I will write about today being of particular interest.

At the Royal George Theatre, Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs until October 23rd and is a must-see this season. I remember the Stratford Festival production of a few seasons back and while both have their particular idiosyncracies, both would rank as exceptional productions. In the current Shaw production, director Eda Holmes secures the considerable talents of a capable cast to present a tough, realistic and somewhat abrasive interpretation of the classic play.

The story, of course, involves the young couple Maggie and Brick and their inability to produce a child; she is more than willing while he is more than not. In short, the flame has gone out in their marriage, and the constant conflict at the southern home of Maggie's parents, Big Mama and Big Daddy, during Big Daddy's birthday party is at the crux of the play. Add to this news Big Daddy is dying from cancer and refuses to accept or even believe it, and you have lots of conflict for one evening's theatre. And a long evening it is, as this production runs about three and a quarter hours, but it never drags and never releases its grip on you.

As Brick, the young man Maggie loves no matter what, suffering from a broken leg, Gray Powell is great to watch. His avoidance of members of the family as well as his wife is handled with skill, and I can't imagine being onstage all that time with one of those casts on his leg and hobbling around, either with or without his crutch. His wife Maggie, played with great passion by Moya O'Connell, is an absolute firecracker, and her almost constant talking in the first act is masterful. Imagine talking almost non-stop for over an hour in the first act alone. On a basic level here, how do you remember all those lines? Ah, the magic of theatre!

The supporting cast is also very impressive, with Jim Mezon as Big Daddy making a powerful impression whenever he is onstage; Mezon is made for this role and nobody else at Shaw does anger fits quite like Mezon does. His long-suffering wife, Big Mama, played by Corrine Koslo, is a tortured individual in a long-running marriage she refuses to do anything about; that is just the way things are and she accepts it and Big Daddy, prejudices and all. The rest of the ensemble is up-to-the-task, with the young children succeeding in being absolutely annoying and grating on everyone's nerves.

This Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is not light summer theatre, of course, but if you go, you will be riveted by the portrayals. It runs at the Royal George Theatre until October 23rd and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Meantime, over at the Court House Theatre, another tortured family resides in a dirt-poor part of 1850's Lisbon, Portugal. The late-season offering of the musical Maria Severa has garnered a lot of attention this season at Shaw, as it is a very ambitious project by Shaw ensemble member Jay Turvey and Shaw Music Director Paul Sportelli. It runs only until September 23rd, so you'll have to look into this one sooner rather than later if you are interested.

The story, which Turvey and Sportelli read about while visiting Portugal in 2005, is based on actual characters that typify the dangerous and poor conditions people lived with at the time, with prostitution one of the few ways the women could help to put food on the table for their families. Into this dangerous world strolls acclaimed bullfighter Armando de Vimioso and his brother, Fernando. Fernando is looking for a woman to satisfy his sexual desires, but Armando is more interested in the woman, rather than what she can give him. He encounters Maria in their tavern, and refuses her offer of sex, although lets her keep the money. He falls hard for the Portuguese beauty, and after awhile she also falls for him.

But all is not what it seems. Maria needs to work the streets to make ends meet, so any time away from that job can be hard to justify. But in Armando, she finds a supposedly wealthy man who is willing to marry and support her, so things seem to be looking up. Lucky Maria! Ah, but the conflict of supposed wealth marrying dirt poor, in other words before their class, is never an easy thing, and in this case Armando's mother, Constance de Vimioso, is dead-set against the match. That sets the stage for the final conflict that ultimately tears apart the young lovers and sends Maria's family into a tailspin.

When you enter the Court House Theatre, you are immediately struck by the dramatic and beautiful set design by Judith Bowden, which makes the best use of the small stage space at the Court House while allowing us to imagine we are actually in Portugal. The musicians are onstage, off to the corner, visible throughout the show.

But it is the character of Maria, played by Julie Martell, that is centre-stage for the entire show, and with good reason. She is a commanding presence, and her singing of the painful Fado music of Portugal is exceptional. What a beauty! No wonder that devil Armando, played by Mark Uhre, falls hard for her...

Beyond Martell and Uhre, the supporting cast is also good, with top marks going to Maria's work-mate and friend, Jasmine, played very expressively by Saccha Dennis, and Jeff Irving as young Carlos, the guitar-playing accompanist for Maria who also loves her, although she realizes the depth of his love too late. Neil Barclay is good as Father Manuel, the local priest who is pressured by Armando's mother, Constanca, to force the Bishop to alert the police to the nefarious goings on in the tavern Maria's family runs, ultimately to shut it down. As Constanca, Sharry Flett is suitably snooty and bitchy, but I was taken by how good a singing voice she has. I have known Sharry from her many stage appearances for years, but never realized how good a singer she is! Finally, Maria's mother, played by Jenny L. Wright, offers some regular humourous takes to help ease the tension between the two factions. Her rendition of "Fountain in the Square" is hilarious.

The first act moves along at a good clip and shows great promise as it sets up the conflict to come in Act 2. But the second act doesn't quite satisfy, with an ending that appears a little on the clunky side. I see why it is set up as it is, but perhaps some rewriting might be in order once the present production ends. Don't get me wrong: I really like the show and the cast is great; it just seems to still be a work in progress.

So, while Maria Severa might indeed be viewed as a work in progress; I would not let that stop you from catching this particular production of it. Artistic Director and director of this production, Jackie Maxwell, has shown great courage programming the piece in this 50th anniversary season, but I think her decision is worthy and reflects the importance they put on supporting new works being produced at the Festival along with the tried and true. It may not be a box-office winner, but Maria Severa will be viewed as a successful addition to the season's offerings when all is said and done.

Maria Severa continues at the Court House Theatre until September 23rd, and although it isn't perfect, I think a 3 out of 4 rating for the show should encourage additional work on the project in the future.

August 20th, 2011.

Seana McKenna shines brightly at the Stratford Festival this season

2011-08-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

One of the major in-house stars at the Stratford Festival for many years has been Seana McKenna, an actor who imbues almost everything she does with a depth few others can match. She can also make you believe, more than many others, she is something she isn't. Such was the case a number of years ago when she played a sprightly 16-year-old Juliet in Shakespeare's play about the ill-fated lovers on the Festival stage, even though she was obviously not anywhere near 16 years of age at the time. But she played the role and we bought into it.

So it is again this season, as Seana plays two difficult roles with total assurance and impressive results, even though with one of them, you really have to get your head around the fact she is playing a male lead character. I had difficulty with that at first, as I suspect others will as well this season, but Seana is just so darn good in the title role in Shakespeare's Richard III, you soon put aside your qualms and buy into her character yet again.

Let's start our review of Seana's two star turns this season with, obviously, Richard III. I've seen several productions of the play before, but Seana takes this male role and makes it uniquely her own, with just a right mix of evil and malice plus a certain vulnerability I don't think most males in the role could match. Although she appears rather slight, physically, on stage, her strong presence is felt from beginning to end. The physical deformity of Richard is not played up so much in this production, which is probably a wise move on the part of director Miles Potter and McKenna. She appears real, yet suitably challenged, without taking that part of the character to the next level.

The acting ensemble supporting McKenna is uniformly strong as well, including good performances by Martha Henry as the widow of King Henry VI, and Roberta Maxwell as the King's mother. Andrew Gillies missed all of the performances I was scheduled to attend that particular week, which is unfortunate, as I was looking forward to seeing his work this season after missing his considerable presence on stage in any major roles for several years. No explanation given for his absence, but I hope he is well and back onstage now at Stratford. In Richard III, incidentally, he would be playing the role of Lord Stanley.

Overall, this Richard III benefits from good direction and a strong cast, but it is a long sit and clearly not a production for everyone. Those who do go, however, will be impressed by McKenna's performance once they adjust their expectations at the door.

Richard III continues until September 25th at the Tom Patterson Theatre, and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

The second McKenna show this season, which I saw the afternoon following Richard III, incidentally, is McKenna's one-woman, one-act play by Vern Thiessen, Shakespeare's Will, which the author freely admits is his own take on what might have transpired once Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, returns home from burying her husband and finally, if slowly, faces the fact of dealing with her late husband's last will and testament.

The marriage of William and Anne was a long and generally solid one, although Will spent much of his professional career in London writing his plays and acting, while his wife and kids were back home in Stratford-upon-Avon. When he retired from the theatre a wealthy and well-respected man, he returned to Anne and the family to live out his final years, starting sometime after 1610. He died in 1616 at the age of 52; Anne lived until 1623, dying at the age of 67. He did indeed leave a will, which offers the springboard to what Thiessen imagines transpired after his death in this play, Shakespeare's Will.

To be sure, their marriage was a most unusual one for a number of reasons, but one that evidently worked for these two. Both Anne and Will were more sexually engaged than we might have imagined, with Will known to have several dalliances outside the marriage and Anne telling Will before their marriage she likes the company of "lots and lots of men."

The simple set design at the tiny Studio Theatre by Peter Hartwell and effective lighting by Kevin Fraser leave the small stage almost entirely to Seana, who together with director Miles Potter again, make the most of a very interesting character and a most intriguing performance by McKenna.

Seana is one of our great Shakespearean actors, and both of her performances this season, in Richard III and Shakespeare's Will, prove the fact beyond a shadow of a doubt. Her stage presence in both productions make them both must-sees at Stratford this season.

Shakespeare's Will runs only until September 2nd at the Studio Theatre and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

August 18th, 2011.

Shaw Festival brings back the past for the present season

2011-08-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

As part of the Shaw Festival's 50th Anniversary season, they are celebrating with a couple of shows from their past: one from the not-too-distant past and the other from their very first season 50 years ago. Both bring with them a good deal of entertainment at the small Royal George Theatre.

The annual Lunchtime Show at the Royal George is often a hit-and-miss affair, but three years ago when they staged Morwyn Brebner's wonderful adaptation of Ferenc Molnar's the President, people had no idea what they were in for. What they were in for, as it turned out, was a one-act farcical tour-de-force with a good-sized cast lead by Shaw stalwart Lorne Kennedy.

This year, knowing the show is back again, the people are returning in droves for the Lunchtime Show, and many, many more are taking advantage of an opportunity missed the last time. If that includes you, I suggest you run, not walk, to your phone or computer now to order tickets before the run ends October 9th.

Kennedy is the glue that holds this whole thing together, of course, displaying comic timing and a rapid-fire delivery that leaves the audience breathless. He is, if anything, even better this time out than last time, and the fact he is only doing the lunchtime offering this year is an indication just how demanding the role is. Imagine learning all those lines and delivering them faster than almost humanly possible for the better part of an hour!

But he's not alone. Kennedy is surrounded by an all-star cast of Shaw regulars who know what is needed with this production and deliver with style to spare. Peter Millard's Bartleby, The President's assistant, is up to the task of keeping up with the boss, and Kennedy's comic foil for much of the play is Jeff Meadows as Tony Foot, the love of the life of Julie Martell's Lydia, the young lady Kennedy has been charged with "guarding' on behalf of her parents who are on their way for a visit with their daughter.

The daughter, of course, couldn't have picked a worse candidate for her husband, and it is up to Kennedy to bring him up to snuff, as it were, and make him into a titan of business in under an hour in order to impress Lydia's parents. He does it, but the road to that end is full of bumps and for us, laughs.

You will not find a better ensemble-piece anywhere this summer, and this is the perfect show to add to your one-day or weekend theatre stay in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The President, directed by Blair Williams with a sure hand, and impeccable timing, continues at the Royal George Theatre until October 9th and rates a very strong 4 out of 4 stars.

The second historical offering at the Shaw Festival this season is a remount of their very first show 50 years ago, Shaw's Candida. It continues at the Royal George Theatre until October 30th.

Directed by Tadeusz Bradecki with a beautiful set design by William Schmuck, this Candida has flashes of life and some lovely, tender moments between husband and wife as well as said wife with not-so-distant admirer, but there doesn't appear to be a lot of fire ignited between the three main protagonists. They do well enough, but I can recall earlier productions of Candida at Shaw that have proven more memorable than this one.

That being said, we have some good, solid performances here, beginning with The Reverend James Mavor Morell, played with a lot of enthusiasm by Nigel Shawn Williams. His wife, Candida Morell, is nicely played by Claire Jullien, who shows a lot of spirit in her confrontations with her husband and young suitor. That suitor is played by Wade Bogert-O'Brien, as Eugene Marchbanks, an idealistic young man who challenges Rev. Morrell for the hand of his wife. This Marchbanks is all very well and good, but I found myself wondering just what the attraction was for Mrs. Morrell with this young lad; but then, his desire for a mother-figure perhaps aroused some special feelings in her that logic can't quite explain.

There are more laughs in Candida than we are used to in a Shaw play, and since it is an earlier work by Shaw, dating as it does from 1897, it is much less of a Shavian Rant and more of a real play. And a relatively brief one at that.

Candida rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars, and continues at the Royal George until October 30th.

August 15th, 2011.

International Busker Festival off to a great start!

2011-08-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Before we head back inside to the theatres for the rest of the month, I thought it would be timely to remind people the International Busker Festival - the first-ever in downtown St. Catharines - is set to get underway late Friday afternoon. The weekend will be full of entertainers of almost every description, performing throughout the downtown core.

Some area streets are going to be closed off to traffic, of course, and that will likely prove to be a mixed blessing to downtown businesses, who might benefit from the added pedestrian traffic downtown depending on what line of business they are in. But overall, the fact lots of people will be in a good mood and wandering downtown being entertained by buskers from all over the world shouldn't be too hard to handle.

There are a total of 14 buskers representing six countries performing on six stages from Friday to Sunday, presented by Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects and organized by Lyndesfarne's Artistic Director, Kelly Daniels. Performers range from Alakazam from Sydney, Australia; Alex Kazam from Toronto; Daredevil Chicken Club Presents A Honeymoon Cabaret from Sonoma, California; Fireguy from Toronto; Hoop Girl from Toronto; Kobbler Jay from Niagara Falls; Magic Brian from New York City; Marie Antoinette from Toronto; Mr. Istvan from Barcelona; Seven O Four from right here in St.Catharines; Silver Elvis from Toronto; Witty Look from Tokyo; and the headliner this year, Rob Roy Collins from York, England.

You likely have heard by now of Rob's big event yesterday to get interest going in the Buskerfest this year: the reknowned British Escapologist set a new world record yesterday on Canadian soil (or rather, just above it) by escaping from a straight jacket while hanging by his ankles from a helicopter in flight in the Niagara Falls area. The stunt, held over water at a height of over 100 feet, saw Rob set a new world record by taking only one minute and 22 seconds go successfully escape the straightjacket, a personal best for him as well. I spoke with Rob this morning and he sounds thoroughly relieved it is over, and plans to enjoy the rest of the Buskerfest on terra firma, apparently.

It was a great kickoff to a great weekend of entertainment, which will be presented in the James Street & King Street area downtown, including of course the Market Square. There is also a fundraising Inaugural Busker Ball set for tonight at Jackson Triggs Winery, a partner in the event. All of the buskers will be in attendance at the Thursday evening Busker Ball, and they will then take to the streets of downtown St. Catharines starting with the opening ceremonies downtown at 5 pm on Friday.

If you want more information, go to their website, www.stcbuskerfest.com. Hope to see you downtown this weekend for some great family entertainment!

August 11th, 2011.

Stratford Festival provides some challenging theatre this season

2011-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a few days in Stratford, catching five more plays in what is proving to be a generally impressive season at the annual Shakespearean Festival. So from now to the end of the summer we'll be alternating back and forth between Stratford and Shaw, providing my reviews in this space on our two major theatre festivals in Ontario.

Today, we'll look at a couple of the more challenging plays offered at the Stratford Festival, both of which bring rewards for those who choose to accept the challenge. Musicals they are not, but there is no denying their impact at the Festival this season.

Firstly, we'll look at Frank Galati's adaptation of John Steinbeck's epic The Grapes of Wrath, directed by Stratford's General Director, Antoni Cimolino. It continues at the Avon Theatre until October 29th. As you can imagine, the play's subject matter, dealing as it does with the the escape of a half-million people from Oklahoma to supposed new hope in California during the dreadful "dirty thirties", can be hard to watch at times, but Galati's faithful adaptation of Steinbeck's novel manages to inject some flecks of humour amongst the grey, dreary landscape faced by all those people years ago as they made their way across the country.

To many today, it is almost impossible to comprehend what our parents and their parents would have endured back then, with little or no social safety net to fall back on at the time. The strife is almost unbearable to watch, let alone endure, but the journey for both us and characters in the play is ultimately worthwhile. There might be very little light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, but at least there is a little light.

Director Cimolino has provided some lovely touches here, such as a pool onstage at one point the characters splash around in, and some timely music to break up the scenes performed by Anna Atkinson and George Meanwell, both of whom provide a delightful musical balm for the hardships played out onstage.

Performances are generally very good, with top marks going to Evan Buliung as Tom Joad, Victor Ertmanis as Pa Joad, Chilina Kennedy as Rose of Sharon, and Chick Reid as Granma Joad. Special mention goes to Janet Wright as Ma, and Tom McCamus as Jim Casy, a defrocked priest who tags along with the Joad family on their trek across North America.

The set design is quite evocative of the landscape and period, provided by designer John Arnone, and costumes are provided by Carolyn M. Smith.

The Grapes of Wrath continues until October 29th at the Avon Theatre, and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Meanwhile, over at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus presents its own set of challenges, both for the audience and the cast. It is a Shakespeare play we don't often get a chance to see, and perhaps infrequently is just as well. Not to say director Darko Tresnjak doesn't get the job done here; he does, but the rampant brutality of the play, not glossed over in this production, makes it tough to endure, I found.

Shakespeare was a relatively young man when he wrote Titus about 1594. The Roman characters depicted in the play never actually existed, and their brutal vengeful ways are all products of Shakespeare's very fertile imagination. It probably is not too much of a stretch to suggest Roman society at the time was at least somewhat accurately depicted in Shakespeare's play, but boy, you have to wonder about a so-called 'civilized' society that treats subjects the way this play depicts them.

As the director emphasizes in his program notes, the violence in Titus is indeed extreme, and in fact, essential to tell the story. That may very well be, but for this seasoned theatre-goer who has seen just about everything over the years, I still found myself turning away when Lavinia, daughter to Titus, is raped and her hands and tongue cut off afterwards. Yes, I know it is theatre and not real, but the act is so brutal you find many squirming in their seats in the theatre.

In the climactic final scene when death after death eliminates most of the main characters from the play, the audience is left breathless at the sheer magnitude of the violence, as they witness the brutality of a regime that simply knows no other way. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, as they say, but Titus raises the idea to a whole different level.

The performances are largely very strong, with top marks going to John Vickery in the title role, losing his hand during the play and ultimately his life at the end. As his daughter Lavinia, Amanda Lisman handles a difficult role with great skill. Meantime, Claire Lautier's Tamora, the Queen of the Goths is the picture of evil, as she directs her sons Chiron and Demetrius to perform the unspeakable atrocities on Lavinia. As the sons, Brendan Murray and Bruce Godfree actually bring some comic relief during much of the play, presenting themselves almost as a Frick & Frack pairing. It doesn't always work, but it does help relieve the tension. Finally, Dion Johnstone puts in a very effective performances as Tamora's virile lover, Aaron.

The set is simply yet beautifully executed, and the costuming is pretty much period, which is a nice change. But make no mistake, this is not a play for the faint of heart, so prepare yourself beforehand. That being said, I found it intriguing theatre, and worth the effort.

Titus Andronicus plays at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 24th, and rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.

August 8th, 2011.

News and Notes around Niagara and beyond

2011-08-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Since I am enjoying a few days off this week and spending part of it catching some shows in Stratford, I thought I would take a break from the reviews of Shaw and Stratford this week and pass on some information about other events this summer I have received information on or have caught myself that are worthy of mention.

This past weekend, the annual Elora Festival in Elora, Ontario, finished a record-breaking season with 8 sellouts and total attendance breaking records for the July event. We were up in Elora on the weekend, in fact, and the Gambrel barn was full to capacity Saturday evening for the Swingle Singers performance we attended. Well worth it, too, as they sang everything you could imagine from Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, no less, as a closer. They brought the house down with the latter piece, showing vocal dexterity that is simply jaw-dropping. I have long admired the Swingle Singers, but this youthful group is miles apart from Ward Swingle's original group that gave us classy, jazzy, interpretations of Bach, Mozart, et al. This group, including a Torontonian, in fact, is on their first Canadian tour and you can bet it won't be their last.

What was nice to see, in addition to the performance, was the fact the audience was very much into the music and responded enthusiastically to most everything on the programme. The standing ovation at the end was genuine, and everyone had a great time. Noel Edison and company are to be congratulated for not only this great performance on the weekend, but also a first-class festival that just keeps getting better every year. If you have never visited Elora, do yourself a favour and keep it in mind next summer or even this fall when their winter season gets underway.

Closer to home, I attended the belated opening of Norm Foster's rollicking play Office Hours on Friday evening at the Port Mansion Dinner Theatre in Port Dalhousie. Contrary to popular belief, the theatre is open until the fall with more shows to come, but the final production for Lakeside Players is Office Hours, which runs through to September 4th. The opening was delayed a week due to an air-conditioning system that gave out the hottest week of the year, so all is now cool and comfortable for the remainder of the run.

Director Brian DiMartile refers to Foster as Canada's own Neil Simon, and that isn't far off the mark, really. Foster is nothing if not prolific, producing so many clever plays that have become staples of summer theatre thoughout the country for many years. It is hard to imagine a summer theatre season without at least one Foster play being programmed somewhere.

Even though Norm Foster is prolific, he is also inventive and exceptionally clever, and Office Hours is no exception. Six characters dominate six scenes over two acts, all happening about the same time on a Friday afternoon, and all converging in the final scene, bringing everything together. It is a funny play, made all the more so by an accomplished cast of amateur actors who deserve credit where credit is due, so here's to Laurel Broczkowski, Krissy Neumann, John Dickout, Nick Tripe and Mike Ceci for a job well done.

For tickets and dinner/show information, go to www.lakeside-players.com. Office Hours continues until September 4th.

Meanwhile, on the other coast of Niagara, the South Coast as it is called, Port Colborne's Showboat Festival Theatre at the Roselawn Centre opened their new show last Thursday, Back in '59, a 50s-60s Musical conceived by Thom Currie, Showboat's Artistic Director. The show has been created entirely in Port Colborne, drawing on top 10 radio hits from 1959 to 1964, as four old friends reminisce about the good old days when they get together at their 10th high school reunion in the summer of 1973. Lots of great music and choreography in the show, I'm told, and it promises to be one of the highlights of the summer in Port Colborne. Tickets are available at the Roselawn box office by calling 905-834-0833.

Music Niagara continues at several locations throughout Niagara-on-the-Lake until August 13th, with a wealth of classical, jazz and crossover performances still to come before the festival wraps up with a gala closing concert on Saturday evening, August 13th at St. Mark's Church. Coming up this week, for example, Quartetto Gelato returns this Thursday evening, followed by the Cecilia String Quartet on Friday and Canadian pianist Andre Laplante on Saturday evening. All the remaining performances can be found on my website, www.finemusic.ca and going to the calendar page, or going to www.musicniagara.org.

Finally, a bit of an oddity, if you will, this week in Niagara with The Keith Richards One Woman Show Niagara Bar Tour, put on by Suitcase in Point Theatre of St. Catharines, and starring that Keith Richards female clone, Deanna Jones. She really takes the part and makes it believable, and fun, too. The one-person show is created by Jones and Cole Lewis, with a musical score by Kevin Richardson. The tour kicks off at The Jordan House Wednesday night, moving on to The Angel Inn on Thursday, The Rex Hotel on Friday, the Victoria Inn on Saturday, and wrapping up in Port Colborne at Canalside on Sunday evening. For more information, call 289-477-102.

Enjoy some summer theatre and music and have some fun this week!

August 1st, 2011.

A hit and a miss at the Shaw Festival

2011-07-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

Of all the shows at the Shaw Festival this season, and there are many recommendable shows, none is garnering more interest than the 50th Anniversary season celebration on the Festival stage of Lerner & Loewe's musical "My Fair Lady." Everyone agrees it was about time this timeless musical, based of course on Shaw's play Pygmalion, made it to the Shaw Festival during this celebratory season; after seeing the show, you have to ask, "Lady, why did it take you so long?"

The musical version of Pygmalion, which premiered on Broadway in 1956, remains for me one of the most perfect of all examples of the golden age of the American Musical Theatre. The book and lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner is perfectly married to the music of Frederick Loewe, resulting in a veritable cornucopia of classic songs almost everyone has heard before and yet, they have not aged one bit. Who doesn't have memories of Julie Andrews' thrilling "I Could Have Danced All Night"; Rex Harrison's touching "I've Grown Accustomed to her Face" or Stanley Holloway's rollicking "With a Little Bit of Luck"? They have all stood the test of time and remain standard musical theatre fare to this very day.

So how does the Shaw production measure up? Well, in a word, wonderfully, thank you very much. Oh, the Stratford Festival production of a few seasons back was a far more lavish affair, to be sure, but I think we have the superior cast here, and that makes for a very satisfying production overall. The sets are, comparatively speaking, rather simple overall, and have trouble filling that cavernous stage, but the costumes spare no expense. You won't so much be wowed by the sets in this production as feel comfortable with them.

The cast is huge and almost without exception very strong. As Henry Higgins, Benedict Campbell is marvellous: his singing is acceptable and he doesn't come off as quite a cad as he could when he shows disregard for Eliza after the ball. As Eliza, Deborah Hay is amazing; her transformation from cockney flower girl to a cultured society woman is handled so effortlessly and with such skill it is simply breathtaking. The only disappointment, I found, was Patrick Galligan's Colonel Pickering. Galligan just seems to go over the top too often to make the character all that likeable, I found.

Supporting cast members are all strong, from Sherry Flett's Mrs. Higgins to Neil Barclay's Alfred Doolittle, on down the line. The large cast never fails to impress with their ensemble work.

Director Molly Smith has crafted a very enjoyable revival of My Fair Lady, and it deserves the full houses it will garner through to the end of the season. It plays at the Festival Theatre until October 30th and rates a very strong 3 out of 4 stars.

The second show at the Festival Theatre we'll examine here is a bit of an oddity by J.M. Barrie, The Admirable Crichton. Not Admiral Crichton, as at least one newspaper erroneously reported recently. Barrie is best known, of course, for Peter Pan, and there is some Peter Pan in this show that predates his popular classic by two years. Crichton premiered in 1902 and Pan in 1904. Like Peter Pan, a well-to-do English family is transported to another land; in this case an island when their ship goes down in the ocean. They are left to fend for themselves as help never arrives, and those stiff-upper-lip English upper class folk gather round their servant, Crichton, to help them survive their ordeal.

It is a nice enough story, but not of the calibre Barrie later perfected with Peter Pan. There is not much meat on them bones, as it were, and as a result the rather flimsy plot line means director Morris Panych has chosen to flesh it out and dress it up with some clever touches that bring a lot of music and humour to an otherwise mundane play.

The animal characters that string the play together, including The Wolf played by Billy Lake and The Crow played by Heather McGuigan bring much-needed comic relief at regular intervals, weaving the story together with music everyone will remember growing up with. They are almost the stars of the show, really. Panych has also chosen to add credits to the start of the show on a screen in front of the stage that works particularly well, as if we're watching an old movie.

The rest of the cast is good, considering what they have to work with here. Steven Sutcliffe's Crichton is clever, gentle and never over-the-top, and David Schurmann's The Earl of Loam, the head of the English household stranded on the island, is good, if not particularly memorable. Other cast members worthy of mention include Guy Bannerman as Mr. Tompsett; Gray Powell as Lord Brocklehurst; and Patty Jamieson as Mrs. Perkins.

The Admirable Crichton is a nice enough way to spend an evening at Shaw, but really, there are better alternatives for your theatre dollar at Shaw this season. It continues to October 29th at the Festival Theatre and rates two out of four stars.

Incidentally, the pit orchestra for both shows includes a lot of local talent of note, including Doug Miller on flute and for My Fair Lady, Toronto's own Erica Goodman on harp. Both orchestras sound great, by the way. Oh, and the original soundtrack to My Fair Lady, with Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway, is available through my website, A Web of Fine Music, and you can find it at www.finemusic.ca.

July 29th, 2011.

Busy weekend at the Shaw Festival

2011-07-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was full of Shaw events and interesting theatre, so now the weekend is done, I thought I would gather my thoughts together and offer up some observations on events both onstage and off this weekend.

Last week, I received an invitation from Don Rubin, President of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association, to join a group of critics in town for the Festival for a lunch in the Heaslip Lounge to talk with Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper in London, England. Michael was in Niagara-on-the-Lake to take part in a weekend conference, The Speed of Ideas, a theatrical forum, along with award-winning playwrights Tony Kushner and Suzan-Lori Parks. Mr. Billington was to lecture at the forum on Sunday, following several days attending plays at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals.

It was wonderful to hear Mr. Billington's thoughts on the newspaper industry in general, the theatre critic's role today in particular, and what he thought of some of the plays he has seen over the past several days. An affable and easy-going gentleman, Mr. Billington has been theatre critic for The Guardian for 40 years now, which is rather phenomenal when you stop and think about it. I have been reviewing live theatre and musical events for over thirty years myself, but not full-time. I have done it simply as a sideline. Here is someone who's life begins late morning and ends late in the evening after filing his daily column; truly a marathon man in the world of theatre!

On the Shaw plays he had seen the last few days, it was interesting to note Mr. Billington observed a couple of plays on the bill this season are so rarely staged even he hasn't seen them before, and if he hasn't, likely nobody else living has, either! It was a nice tip of the hat from someone outside our immediate area who recognized the value of the theatre we sometimes tend to take for granted here in Niagara year in and year out. His comments were very positive, and that was good to hear.

Theatre critics from the print and electronic media were invited to the luncheon, so I considered myself fortunate indeed to be included in some very accomplished company. I used to be a member of the Toronto Drama Bench and the Canadian Theatre Critics Association years ago, but gave them up when I started to see less and less live theatre for awhile. But now that I am doing more than ever, I might have to reconsider that decision from years ago; it was a great feeling sharing time and thoughts with several like-minded individuals in the industry.

On Sunday, I attended one of the more interesting Shaw productions this season, playing at the Courthouse Theatre until October 8th, On The Rocks. This play, subtitled A Political Comedy, dates from 1933, published the following year. The play was first produced at London's Winter Garden Theatre in November, 1933, where it ran for 41 performances. There was a British revival in 1975, and the only major production of the play in the United States was in New York in 1938, where it ran for 66 performances. Not a long run on either side of the Atlantic, to be sure, and when you consider the first and only Canadian production came at the Shaw Festival, directed by Christopher Newton, in 1986, you can see this play has not had a lot of exposure over the years.

Part of the problem, as is so often the case, is the fact Shaw plays are not the easiest to sit through depending on what the actual production is like. I remember that 1986 production at the Courthouse Theatre, which provided significant challenges even then for Newton. This time, the political commentary Shaw provides is suitably updated by Michael Healey and is directed by Joseph Ziegler. Much of the same challenges remain, but at least the dialogue is not quite as archaic as it once was thanks to Healey. You know he has tinkered with the script when you hear someone say they "wanted to puke!" That was not Shaw, you can be sure! But overall, the adaptation is workable and worthwhile, making On The Rocks a much more enjoyable vehicle for this very strong cast.

The plot involves the British Prime Minister, embroiled in coalition talks at 10 Downing Street to keep his government afloat amid tough economic times during the Great Depression. As Prime Minister Sir Arthur Chavender, Peter Krantz is quite effective, even though he appears more of a dolt than statesman at times. His nemesis, Sir Dexter Rightside, played with great pervasiveness by Steven Sutcliffe, almost owns the entire first act as he rails upon the government and their misguided socialist plans born of the prime minister's two-week vacation when he actually had time to 'think.' The tension reaches its apex when Sutcliffe, in full flight and turning his venom on Dame Adhira Pandranath, who emigrated from India years before, referring to her as a 'bitch' with the dreaded N-word as the adjective. The audience audibly gasped at the cruelty of the remark.

This is a cast that can make something of this difficult play: in addition to Krantz and Sutcliffe, strong performances are offered by Thom Marriott as Sir Broadfoot Basham; Mary Haney as Miss Hilda Hanways and Cherissa Richards as Pandranath.

This will not be the most popular play this season, a fact driven home on Sunday by a very small audience in attendance; however those who do venture to enter Shaw's world refocused by Michael Healey will not be disappointed. On The Rocks is a challenge worth taking this season, and rates a respectable three out of four stars. It continues at the Court House Theatre until October 8th.

July 25th, 2011.

Some outdoor entertainment to take your mind off the heat this summer

2011-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not writing on the weekend as is my custom, but I had a few days off and promised myself I would unplug myself for the week as well as my old computer, as I set up my new I-Mac, which I am still learning how to operate, by the way. But this is the first blog written on the new beast, so we are making progress. I also had several Shaw shows to attend on the weekend, so I will be writing extensively about those in the coming weeks as the season continues for our two major theatre festivals in Ontario.

In spite of the heat, or perhaps because of it, just a short little entry here with a couple of ideas for some outdoor entertainment that is always around us here in Niagara. The first is an event happening this evening (July 20th) at Montebello Park in downtown St. Catharines. Driftwood Theatre is on the road again this summer with their so-called "Bard Bus Tour" that brings Shakespeare to the masses in several Ontario communities. They stop in St. Catharines this evening for their one local appearance, beginning at 7:30.

Shakespeare's Scottish play, Macbeth, is the offering this year, so not many laughs out in the park this evening. But well-acted Shakespeare is always welcome, and this group appears to have a pretty good track record for producing open-air Shakespeare. Macbeth is referred to as "the Scottish play", of course, by those superstitious thespians who fear mentioning the title alone could curse the production given past experiences over the years. Whether you believe the curse exists or not, you should try to get out and enjoy the play tonight.

The performance is a pay-what-you can affair, although it is suggested the donation should be around $ 15.00. That's pretty affordable Shakespeare if you ask me!

Another idea involves a quick drive down the QEW to Charles Daley Park in Lincoln for their Sunset Music Series, which runs Tuesday evenings during July and August, rain or shine, at the amphitheatre overlooking Lake Ontario. Performances range from Sandy Vine and The Midnights next Tuesday evening, for example, to Jimmy Marando's Orchestra on August 2nd; the Lincoln Concert Band on August 9th; TiannaH & Jazz with a Twist on August 16th; Steve Burnside Blues Band on August 23rd; and wrapping up with Flat Broke on August 30th.

I attended the TiannaH performance last season and plan to attend again this year. She is a great local singer and has a great backup band to accompany her, and having met this wonderful lady on many occasions, I always look for an opportunity to catch some great music when my schedule allows.

The venue is very scenic, with seating on the lawn leading down to the amphitheatre, and food is usually available on site from local vendors as well. Best part of all? The concerts are free, so you can't beat that.

Get out and enjoy a little slice of summer one evening and forget about the heatwave for a little while!

July 20th, 2011.

Shaw Festival 50th Anniversary season gets underway

2011-07-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake celebrates their 50th anniversary this season, and you know the creative minds in charge plan to pull out all the stops this year to make it a year to remember. The musical My Fair Lady, never before performed at Shaw, is the big draw this year as you can imagine. I finally get to see the show this weekend. But what of some of the other offerings at Shaw this season? I've been to my first two shows, and let's get the season underway with a look at what I've seen so far.

The big Shaw play this season, at the Festival Theatre through to October 7th, is Heartbreak House directed by Shaw's Artistic Director Emeritus, Christopher Newton. I am thrilled to see Newton's work back on the mainstage this year; his productions almost always fit like a comfortable old pair of shoes you can't part with. So it is with Heartbreak House, an unwieldy play at the best of times, and definitely a long sit here as well.

By nature, Heartbreak House is a very long, wordy play in the best (or worst) Shaw tradition (depending on your point of view on Shaw...). But sure direction from Newton, who knows how to get the best out of a very strong cast paired with fabulous set design work by Leslie Frankish go a long way to make this beast at least more bearable. Don't get me wrong, it can get pretty tedious at times, with actors going on and on with Shaw's interminable speeches, so as such this will not be a play for everyone. But Newton makes it all worthwhile in the end, even if the end comes after 11 pm, three acts and two intermissions.

The story, of course, revolves around the house of Captain Shotover, brilliantly designed to resemble a ship, and a grand one at that. People come and go, all the while under the watchful eye of the grizzled old Captain, played here to perfection by Michael Ball. He claims to be near death throughout the play but in the end, manages to steal away young Ellie Dunn, played by Robin Evan Willis, from the wealthy and progressively befuddled Boss Mangan played by Benedict Campbell. This is after Shotover regularly reminds Mangan that HE is too old for Ellie - what a wily old guy the Captain proves to be!

Others in the cast also put in great performances here, particularly Patricia Hamilton as Nurse Guinness and Laurie Paton as Ariadne, Lady Utterwood. The Hushabyes, Hesione and Hector, played by Deborah Hay and Blair Williams, respectively, also put in good performances.

Heartbreak House may not be to everyone's liking, but if you can withstand the three-plus hours, you will be rewarded with some fine ensemble work. It rates a three-out-of-four stars at the Festival Theatre. For others, they will be reminded of writer David Randolph's quote after attending a performance of a certain Wagner opera years ago: "Parsifal - the kind of opera that starts at six o'clock, and after it has been going three hours, you look at your watch and it says 6:20." Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the idea...

The second show I have attended this season is a little gem at the Court House Theatre by Irish playwright Lennox Robinson, Drama at Inish - A Comedy. Robinson is another of those rare finds for the Festival; his plays are not widely known on these shores, although I suspect this is not the last we'll see of his plays at Shaw. Directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell, this is a lovely little tale of a touring theatre company taking high-quality theatre out into small backwater towns and villages in Ireland, hopefully entertaining the masses who are more used to circus shows and other low-brow entertainment.

The theatre troupe, led by husband-and-wife team of Hector de la Mare and Constance Constantia, stop in the little Irish seaside town of Inish and stay at the Seaside Hotel. There, the action of the play unfolds as the locals get their first, close-up look at so-called 'real actors'; of course, Hector and Constance played by Thom Marriott and Corrine Koslo respectively, are suitably over-the-top in every respect, full of themselves and the importance of their mission. The proprietors of the hotel, played by Ric Reid and Donna Belleville, earnestly want to bring some real culture to their townsfolk; still, many of the performances show few paying customers actually in attendance. Was it ever thus...

The set design by William Schmuck is wonderful right down to the finest detail, and Maxwell keeps things moving along at a good pace. The cast is uniformly strong; along with the aforementioned Marriott, Koslo, Reid and Belleville, all of whom put in solid performances here, top marks also go to everyone's favourite class clown, Mary Haney as Lizzie Twohig, trying valiantly to keep things humming along at the little hotel, and Peter Krantz as councillor Peter Hurley, who just can't seem to get a handle on things going on around him.

Drama at Inish - A Comedy is a nice way to spend an afternoon or evening at Shaw; it isn't going to big one of the really big shows this year, but it doesn't have to be. It will, however, make you glad you made the effort to attend. Sometimes, that is compliment enough, Mr. Robinson. It plays at the Court House Theatre until October 1st, and rates a respectable three out of four stars.

July 8th, 2011.

Some thoughts on Canada Day weekend and good news stories on the arts

2011-07-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

As we continue through the Canada Day long holiday weekend in Niagara, I hope you're enjoying some time off to spend with friends and family. I found myself in Niagara-on-the-Lake twice yesterday; first for a fabulous lunch on the patio at Strewn Winery on Lakeshore Road, and wandering the shops in the Old Town along with several thousand other tourists who had the same idea. It was fun, though, and the Canada Day celebrations at Simcoe Park were a real treat. Even snagged a small slice of the Canada Day cake being handed out late in the afternoon!

In the evening, we were back in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a performance of Drama at Inish - A Comedy by Irish playwright Lennox Robinson. I'll have more to say on this production when I review the first two shows at Shaw this season next week, but for now, consider it a definite 'go see' this season at Shaw.

Today, a couple of local good news stories involving the arts I thought I would share with you. First, I know I wrote extensively about the Niagara Symphony last weekend; that was before I realized I missed one important performance coming up for them this summer, and that is this Friday evening at 8 pm in Welland. Once again, the Niagara Symphony will be performing at the annual IlluminAqua 2011 music festival at the Merritt Park Amphitheatre in downtown Welland. The Niagara Symphony kicked off the inaugural season there a few years ago, and it is nice to see them back again this year. Associate Conductor Laura Thomas leads the orchestra along with featured soloist Elton Lammie; the same pairing at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines on Canada Day. Tickets are available online at http://www.illuminaqua.com/.

I have never made it down to Illuminaqua, I am sorry to say, but I have promised myself to catch the Niagara Symphony this coming Friday night. Working as early in the morning as I do, even Friday evening is a challenge for me to stay up late now, but since I am having a stay-at-home vacation this week, I should be fine and ready to go on Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing and hearing what all the positive comments have already told me about this great summer music venue. Should be fun!

The 50th anniversary Summer Music Camp also kicks off for children enrolled this summer on Monday, at Ridley College. Countless musicians have come through the Niagara Symphony Summer Music Camp over the years, including some who now play with the orchestra. Associate Conductor Laura Thomas also directs the program, and will be busy in the coming weeks directing her young charges at Ridley College.

The other good news arts story this week involves Carousel Players, the theatre group based out of the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Catharines. Carousel Players is devoted primarily to school children and introducing them to theatre at a very young age. Artistic Director Pablo Felices-Luna and General Manager Jane Gardner work diligently to provide intelligent, thought-provoking theatre for the young 'uns to get them started on theatre and the arts early, and they are to be congratulated for their efforts. I remember a couple of months back attending an annoucement MPP Jim Bradley was to make at the start of a performance brimming with children in the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre, and Jim mentioned to everyone there he wanted to stay for the performance himself as he loves seeing the childrens' reactions to the events unfolding on stage.

Well this week, the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the Toronto-area theatre awards handed out each year, held their annual shindig, and Carousel Players were nominated for two Doras over the past season, and that is great news! Unfortunately they didn't win, but even being nominated is quite an honour for our group here, as they are up against some pretty high-powered competition for the awards. Jane told me this week they were thrilled to be nominated, and she has good reason to be proud of the achievements of Carousel Players over the years.

Speaking of years, Carousel Players just announced their 40th anniverary season, and they are indeed in a celebratory mood these days. You can check out the new season listings on the calendar page of my website, A Web of Fine Music, found at http://www.finemusic.ca/, or going to http://www.carouselplayers.com/.

Have a great remainder of the holiday weekend!

July 2nd, 2011.

Niagara Symphony set to rock Niagara this week!

2011-06-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's not too often we find a lot of material to write about the Niagara Symphony in the off season, as musicians, like teachers, tend to take a break for at least part of the summer. Many will perform in summer festivals around the area, but even then, the pace likely is somewhat slower than during the winter months. That being said, the Niagara Symphony is hard at work with a couple of big events over the next few days.

It was announced a few days ago the Niagara Symphony has accepted an invitation to perform with singer Chantal Kreviazuk Saturday night this weekend at the sold-out Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The conductor will be none other than the new Music Director for the Symphony, Bradley Thachuk. In addition, the concert will be video-taped as part of a documentary produced by Corkscrew Media for HBO Canada and Country Music Television for future broadcast. And that's not all: the concert will also be recorded by Corkscrew Media for a live audio CD to be released later.

This is not the first time the Winnipeg-born Kreviazuk has performed with a live symphony orchestra. During an interview this morning, she said many western-Canadian orchestras have backed her up in the past and even now, the sound of a full orchestra behind her is simply magical. I can imagine that; just compare the sound of the strings swelling in the background, for example, rather than just a keyboard or small group backing you up. Sure, it is not as nimble as a small backup group, but the big sound makes a big difference in many performances I find.

This is great news for the symphony, coming off a successful 63rd season that saw Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk share the podium with several guest conductors. In the fall, Maestro Thachuk takes the helm officially, and will conduct most but not all the season's performances. These are, comparatively speaking, heady days for the Niagara Symphony; it was not too many seasons back the organization was wallowing in debt, looking for an Executive Director and then, a new Music Director. It was not easy being enthusiastic over the orchestra in those days, but I am glad to say most of the dedicated patrons stuck by their orchestra and now, as the new season approaches, new bums appear to be filling the seats. Not only that, we're seeing many more younger bums, too!

All is not perfect, of course. But it never is with an arts organization in this day and age. But considering what the Niagara Symphony has been through the past several seasons, the problems they face now seem almost trivial in comparison to recent history. Building the audience base and lowering the demographic, while not impossible, will prove difficult for the symphony, but with a young conductor and motivated musicians, good things can and will come in the near future.

Unfortunately, as I understand it the concert with Chantal Kreviazuk is sold out, but the good news is lots more concerts at the Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre are to come, and you can check out the listings on my website, http://www.finemusic.ca/, by going to the Calendar page.

Even though you might not be able to catch the weekend performance unless you already have your tickets, the Niagara Symphony will be performing their annual Canada Day concert at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines next Friday afternoon beginning at 4 pm. Associate Conductor Laura Thomas will lead members of the orchestra in a free concert, part of the city's day-long party celebrating Canada's 144th birthday. The theme of the day, incidentally, will be Cowboys and the Wild, Wild West, which should prove interesting.

Guesting with the Niagara Symphony on Canada Day will be Elton Lammie of the Ridgeway-Fort Erie area; he is well-known to Niagara audiences now for his operatic voice that was showcased in a musical competition a few seasons back. In addition to singing opera, Mr. Lammie adds some down-home renditions of classic country and western tunes, so that should make for a varied musical menu on Canada Day.

The best part of all? It's all free at Market Square in downtown St. Catharines, so make a point of joining in for the fun and support our Niagara Symphony as well as the city's celebration of Canada's 144th birthday.

It's never too early to get your subscriptions to the Niagara Symphony's 64th season, of course. Just call the Brock Centre for the Arts box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 or log on to the orchestra's website at http://www.niagarasymphony.org/ for more information on the season. It's also never too early to add music to your collection, either tied in with the symphony season or just something you're looking for. That's where my website comes in: http://www.finemusic.ca/. At A Web of Fine Music, we pride ourselves on supporting the Niagara Symphony as well as providing you with the music you want!

Enjoy the Canada Day holiday weekend.

June 24th, 2011.

Stratford Festival scores with two magnificent musicals this summer

2011-06-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's that time again; time to start reviewing performances at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals for the summer season. I look forward to this every year, as theatre is one of my great loves and as I discovered earlier this year, I'm closing in on 30 years of attending shows at both festivals, so I've seen more than a few.

Last weekend I made my first pilgrimage to Stratford for the season, and this weekend I visit Shaw for the first time this season. So, let's take a look at the first two shows at Stratford so far, which happen to be the big musical offerings this season.

A lot of people have been anticipating the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, and with good reason. This was a landmark show when it first appeared in 1970, a couple of years after Hair, and together they really paved the way for the later rock musicals like Tommy. Oddly with Jesus Christ Superstar, the stage musical was an outgrowth of the original album, so it should come as no surprise there is really no book to speak of here, except, of course, The Bible, which provided the story on which the musical is based. The story, as you probably are aware, deals with the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

If you have seen J.C. Superstar before, you know there is absolutely no spoken dialogue at all; it is a musical in its purest form. All of which means you find yourself awash in song after song for almost two hours, many of which have become standard popular music repertoire. This is, to be perfectly honest, a welcome change from some later A.L. Webber shows, which seem to present one or maybe two great songs and the rest is largely forgettable. That's why I have never been a fan of the musical Cats, for example, although I know I am in the minority there.

Who hasn't, over the past 40 years, heard songs like "Everything's Alright", "Herod's Song" and of course, "I Don't Know How to Love Him". Now, it is nice to hear them all in their original context within the show; and for the record, they all sound just as good today as they did 40 years ago.

This new Stratford production, directed by Artistic Director Des McAnuff, is a spectacular show. It holds surprises at almost every turn, with many clever touches that never go over the line. However, unlike Stratford's earlier production of Evita, this new show doesn't rely as heavily on those 'spectacle' aspects to wow the audience; the music and the story themselves more than handle that part, thank you very much.

The cast is impressive: Paul Nolan appears as Jesus Christ, and Josh Young as an acerbic Judas Iscariot, who betrays Christ. Young is a huge presence on stage, almost overshowing Nolan in the title role. Chilina Kennedy makes a dynamic Mary Magdalene, and Brent Carver is wonderful to watch as Pontius Pilate. But special mention goes to the irrepressible Bruce Dow, who makes the most of his time on stage as King Herod, albeit a slightly over-the-top King at times.

Jesus Christ Superstar will thrill many and offend almost no-one, which shows how far we have come in forty years. Many will feel as comfortable with this show as they do pulling on a familiar old pair of jeans. It plays at the Avon Theatre until October 29th and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.

Now, once you get over the wailing guitars and soaring harmonies of Jesus Christ Superstar, you can head down to the Festival Theatre, as I did on Sunday afternoon, for the even bigger musical spectacle this year, Lerner & Loewe's classic Camelot, directed by Gary Griffin. Lots of money was invested in this show, and it does show, as the sets and costumes are almost always spectacular, yet never overdone. Griffin's direction never goes over the edge and keeps everyone in line for an enjoyable and substantial musical experience.

Everyone who knows the musical will remember that original production from 1960 that introduced the world to a dashing young singer with a fabulous stage presence, Robert Goulet, as Lancelot. In this new production, the role goes to Jonathan Winsby, who although doesn't possess quite the good looks of Goulet years ago, certainly makes up for it with a great voice and commanding stage presence. His love interest, of course, and Guenevere, played by Kaylee Harwood, who possesses a wonderfully sweet and strong voice and as such, makes quite the impression on stage.

As King Arthur, Geraint Wyn Davies presents the legendary character with a good deal of humility and humour, and his heartbreak when he finds out about Lancelot and Guenevere appears genuine. Other strong performances in the cast include Dan Chameroy as Sir Dinadan and Mike Nadajewski as the appropriately-named Mordred. It is great to see Lucy Peacock, however briefly, as Morgan le Fey, and Bruce Dow as Squire Dap. But special mention must go to Brent Carver, who imbues the duel roles of Merlyn and King Pellinore with a great deal of colour and humour. He is always a pleasure to watch.

Camelot is an ageless musical that just seems to get better with age, and this new Stratford production does it full justice. It continues at the Festival Theatre until October 30th and rates, again, a strong three out of four stars. Overall, I would give Camelot the edge for guaranteed crowd-pleaser status this year, but both productions will do well and fill a lot of seats this season at the Stratford Festival. You can't go wrong with either one!

Incidentally, while you can pick up soundtracks to both shows at the Theatre Store, you can order them locally through my website, A Web of Fine Music, which you can find at http://www.finemusic.ca/.

June 18th, 2011.

Legends of Ballet with Veronica Tennant in Hamilton June 13

2011-06-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I like to write about one of my true loves, dance, and an event coming up this week serves as a launching-point for sharing some memories of a very special lady and her love of dance.

This coming Monday evening, June 13th at 6 pm, Veronica Tennant presents Legends of Ballet: Dance-Film; A Fresh Look. This close up and personal evening with Canada's now-retired Prima Ballerina features her award-winning Vida y Danza, Cuba, her personal experiences in Cuba and with The Ballet National de Cuba. Also screened will be clips from her other films, including A Pairing of Swans with Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington, her dance documentary, "Celia Franca: Tour de Force", as well as exploring the art creativity of marrying dance and the camera, which she knows more than a little about!

The event takes place at the Hamilton Club at 6 Main Street East in Hamilton, and tickets are $ 110 per person for one lecture or $ 200 for two. That price includes a light evening snack and beverages, and a full charitable tax receipt will be issued. Tickets might still be available by calling 905-512-1453 or emailing info@cbye.ca.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Veronica for many years now on a casual basis, although I have not run in to her for a few years now, unfortunately. During her years as Prima Ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada from 1964 to 1989, I interviewed Veronica many times about her work, and always tried to schedule my performances around her schedule, whenever possible. She was then, and is now, one of the most approachable, elegant, endearing people I have ever met, and I miss the Tennant evenings at the ballet which ended over twenty years ago. Boy, that makes me feel old!

When Veronica retired from the National Ballet of Canada with a gala performance at the old O'Keefe Centre back in 1989, I made a point of being there, and it remains one of the few times I stood at the end with a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. Over the years, her art and talent had touched me so much. In later years, as she and husband spent time at their summer home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I would run into her at Shaw Festival openings almost every year, and even just on the street while shopping in the old town, you would often find her doing just as we were doing.

It's hard to imagine a bigger Canadian star in the arts world than Veronica during much of her ballet career, although Karen Kain, the present Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada, quickly rose to that level herself after joining the company in 1969. In those days, you had the enviable task of choosing a performance at the National Ballet that featured Veronica, Karen, Frank Augustyn, Rex Harrington and a host of other great dancers of the day in lead roles. They all contributed mightily to the world-class stature of the National Ballet of Canada in a time when people couldn't even imagine a performance venue devoted solely to ballet and opera; all performances back then were at the cavernous and acoustically-challenging O'Keefe/Hummingbird/Sony Centre at Front and Yonge Streets in Toronto. Now of course, we have a new breed of ballet stars making their mark with the company at their new home at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, which I might add, is designed by the same firm we've hired to design the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines: Diamond + Schmitt.

Those were heady days back then, and I had the pleasure and honour to regularly attend performances with the National Ballet from about 1978 to about 2005. I miss those special evenings with all the magic unfolding onstage, but life goes on and there is so much to handle on a local level now I rarely make the trip to Toronto anymore unless it is a family or friend event I am invited to. No matter, the memories are there, as they always will be. And the memories of Veronica Tennant burn brightest of all.

If you ever have a chance to meet this talented producer/director and filmmaker, such as this coming Monday evening in Hamilton, it will be an experience you'll long remember!

June 11th, 2011.

A blow to the arts in Niagara

2011-06-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

It seems just as we're on the upswing with support for the arts in Niagara generally, and St. Catharines specifically, something comes along to set the whole movement back again, and this week, arts organizations received some very unfortunate news.

In an email distributed to members yesterday (me being one of them), it was announced the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council has ceased operations, following the June 1st meeting of the Board of Directors. The reason given, plain and simple, is the organization is no longer able to function as an arts council. As the email explained, the Arts Council has experienced a number of years of uncertainty regarding its mandate and its role in the arts community.

That may be so, but the real telling admission in the email is the fact the Council has not been able to achieve financial stability in recent years, and they now find themselves in a position of insolvency with, as they put it, "little prospect of significant revenue over the next 6-12 months." So, in other words, they have their collective backs against the wall and had to do something, and dissolving the Council seemed the only option available.

As a result, the space at 31 James Street will be vacated and all relevant documents will be stored, although just where is not specified. They did, however, state the electronic mailing list they have compiled over the years is their one remaining asset of value and they are currently looking for a new home for the mailing list, obviously with the wherewithall to maintain and make appropriate use of it. In the meantime, members have the option to have their contact information removed immediately from the list; if not, there will be an opportunity when the list is handed over to another organization for people to unsubscribe should they wish to at that time.

So, all the appropriate steps appear to be taken, and the news is very unfortunate, indeed. I do, however, wonder why the Board, when drawing up the email, did not BCC the recipient list thus keeping the information private as to who is on the list. Printing it out as I did so I could write my blog entry today, all the recipients' names appeared on a page-and-a-half before the email actually starts. Not a big deal, but I think keeping the recipient list suppressed might have been a better option.

As a member of the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council and a keen follower of the arts in Niagara, I can't help but feel dismay things have come to this. It was little more than a month ago I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Council and paid my dues for the year as usual, and even though I arrived a few minutes late for the meeting, I don't recall any words being spoken at the meeting in this regard. As a result, I think many will be shocked by the news contained in the email.

It has been well-known the Council has had a difficult time of it the last couple of years keeping an Executive Director to guide the membership with a steady hand, and perhaps that was part of the problem. But dissolve the organization entirely? I don't think any of us saw that coming, and I wish we did know so people could react in a positive way to perhaps save the organization before it came to this. Just a thought on my part, but you have to wonder, why were we not informed of all this beforehand?

So, at a time when the arts community in Niagara and specifically in St. Catharines seems geared up for bigger and better things with the new performing arts centre taking shape downtown, their collective voice has been stifled due to lack of funds. I hope, in the aftermath of all this, some good will come of it, and perhaps someone or some people will step up to offer another opportunity for a collective voice for the arts community in the Garden City. It is not a body blow, but it is a definite setback the organizations don't need right now.

On another, somewhat related note, I received word the Friday evening performance of Lakeside Players' new show, Breaking and Entering by Vin Morreale, Jr., had been cancelled due to low ticket sales. I had planned to attend the show, and now will try to move it to another, later performance of the play. The problem here, clearly, is trouble getting the word out the Port Mansion Dinner Theatre is still open and doing business in Port Dalhousie.

With all the talk over the past year the redevelopment of Port Dalhousie was finally moving ahead, and in fact last year was the last season for Lakeside Players at the present location, it is understandable people figured there was no more live theatre in Port Dalhousie to speak of. But they are carrying on in the true spirit of live theatre, and hope past and present patrons of Lakeside Players will take notice and come back to the Port Mansion for one more season.

I understand the show, directed by Paul Wintemute, is great, and I can't wait to find out first hand. Yes, the space is small at the Port Mansion, but that is really part of the charm of taking in some good quality summer theatre right in our own backyards. The quality programming continues this season; now all they need are the proverbial bums to fill the seats.

If you're interested in rediscovering or even discovering Lakeside Players for the first time this summer, call the box office at 905-934-0575, ext. 226 and book either a show-only or dinner or Sunday brunch and show package before the show closes on July 10th. You'll not be disappointed!

June 4th, 2011.

Architecturally speaking, a stellar week in Niagara!

2011-05-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I am now officially excited. I know it doesn't take much, really, but let me explain.

Much has been written about the equally much-anticipated performing arts centre coming to downtown St. Catharines in a couple of years. This past Wednesday evening, Niagara residents were given their first look at several proposals on the table from Toronto's Diamond + Schmitt Architects. Gary McCluskie, lead architect on the project, addressed the large crowd at the Dunlop Drive Senior Centre in St. Catharines Wednesday evening with a wealth of valuable information that left this reporter finally excited about this project and almost giddy with the realization this thing is finally getting off the ground.

McCluskie spoke in terms everyone could understand, and spoke with a knowledge of the local area landmarks that I frankly found reassuring. In other words, he gets it. He knows what's important to us and what makes a performing arts centre an important part of the community. Speaking with him afterwards, his genuine enthusiasm for the project is quite evident, as if he were right here in the community sharing in the excitement with us.

There is a long way to go on this, of course; the preliminary designs are just that: preliminary. But the focus of this first community meeting was to tap into the community's thoughts and feelings and try to get a sense of what works for us. McCluskie promises more such meetings to come, and that will help feed the optimism that we are indeed on the right track with this project and everything is working out the best possible way.

One look at some of the other examples of their work in recent years on display at the meeting suggest we have hired the gold standard for designing attractive, viable and workable performing arts centres the world over. The new home of the Detroit and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, for example, and even the New Mariinsky Theatre in Russia are some recent examples on display for our perusal, as well as, of course, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

So as I say, I am now officially excited. Let the fun ride now begin! But that's not all this week. That same afternoon I attended a media conference at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls at which the Falls Management Company, operators of the Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara, announced plans are in the works for a 7,000-seat Entertainment Centre for Niagara Falls. The new facility, to be likely situated on land adjacent to the Fallsview Casino Resort and connected to it, will be a magnet for both top-flight entertainment and economic development in the tourism sector year-round in Niagara.

It comes at a price, of course. Try about $ 311-million to construct the new facilty. But FMC thinks it can be done, and is confident their feasibility study conducted at their expense by Deloitte will bring people on-board to build a complex able to house international-scale concerts as well as sports and entertainment events that should keep the facility open well over 300 days of the calendar year. What it won't have, we discovered this week, is a rink to house the Niagara IceDogs or any other sports team that wears skates, so that means St. Catharines' bid to build their own 5,000-seat 'spectator facility' to house the IceDogs should not be affected by it.

What would concern me, though, is the aim of both facilities to book major international acts such as Celine Dion, for example, on an ongoing basis. Build it and they will come...but how many bums will there be in the seats, you have to ask. There are only so many entertainment dollars to go around for most Niagarans, and both venues working on bringing lots of entertainment and sports events to the area on a regular basis might be doable, but at what cost? Do other local events suffer as a result as so many other events are then competing for our entertainment dollars? We'll have to see.

If this new vision from FMC becomes a reality, it will certainly put Niagara on the map as a destination for world-class entertainment to complement the already world-class accomodation, dining and tourism events already in place. The concept is extremely exciting, and I wish them well as they work towards the completion of this project. If it happens, we'll all gain from the added economic impact on an area that depends more and more on tourism dollars to increase our standard of living.

Finally, a couple of quick notes of things also happening this week I attended that brought with them their own level of excitement. Friday afternoon I was on hand for the launch of the new Food & Wine Expo that filled a large exhibition space at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre and will be open throughout this weekend. It is a marvellous showcase for the food and wine industry here in Niagara, and I can imagine this becoming bigger and better in coming years. But for now, get out and see what Niagara has to offer from our area restaurants and wineries in one convenient convention space in Niagara Falls.

I was also on hand for the Open House down at the Welland campus of Niagara College on Thursday evening. In spite of wet weather, everyone came out to see the realization of a vision for expansion at Niagara College on a scale never seen before. The $ 80-million makeover is part of the College's $ 90-million master plan to add 1,700 new student spaces at Niagara College. The new facilities are simply breathtaking, and the lucky students there now and those who will attend in the future will now have all the tools necessary to help prepare them for the future, as the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus has done for several years now.

What an exciting week in Niagara! Could anyone have imagined this much investment in the area even ten years ago? Likely not, but all of these projects will work together to make Niagara an even more attractive destination for those to live, work and play. What could be better than that?

May 28th, 2011.

Shaw Festival and new Performing Arts Centre part of this coming week in the arts

2011-05-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Even though we are well into our first summer holiday weekend of the season (well, okay, it is still spring, but for most this is the unofficial start of summer...), your humble scribe is already looking ahead to the coming week that includes two important arts-related events on the local calendar. We'll address both in this space this week.

First, Wednesday evening, May 25th, many of us with an interest in the local arts scene will want to be on hand at the Dunlop Drive Seniors Centre at 80 Dunlop Drive in St. Catharines for a presentation by the architects involved in the design of the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines. The Open House runs from 6 to 7:30 pm, with a presentation of proposed designs by the project architect from Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc., Gary McCluskie. The firm wants the public's opinions on three sketched layouts being proposed so they can get a better feel for what works and what doesn't within the community here.

The new performing arts centre will house an 800-seat concert hall, a 285-seat recital hall, a 180-seat film theatre and a 150-seat dance performance hall and community theatre space. That's the main performance spaces; also included will be a 1,000-square-foot multi-purpose room, central offices, as well as the lobby and front-of-house space and of course, backstage area including receiving and storage and dressing room area for performers. So essentially, a lot to pack into that downtown space. It has to be user-friendly, of course, so that is where we come in. We have a say in all this, and this Wednesday evening is the first opportunity to do just that.

We have a long way to go on this, but the wheels are turning and we are moving forward, so that is a good sign. Let's get out and show our support for the project this week and let them know we are on board and ready to go!

Also Wednesday evening, the Shaw Festival kicks off - officially - their 50th season. Previews have been ongoing since April, of course, but all the fine-tuning comes to an end on Wednesday and much like spring training gives way to the 'real' games of baseball at the beginning of April, this Wednesday is the start of the Shaw's 'regular season.' And what a season it promises to be!

In all, there are 11 productions on four stages this year, ranging from the flagship Festival Theatre to the smaller Court House Theatre, the Royal George Theatre, and the more recent Studio Theatre space just across from the Festival Theatre. The season ranges from looks back to their illustrious past to looking ahead to bold new horizons for the Shaw Festival.

One of the most-anticipated openings will be the musical version of Shaw's play Pygmalion, known of course as My Fair Lady. This Lerner & Loewe classic has never been performed at Shaw before, hard as that is to believe. But it makes a grand entrance at the Festival Theatre this season. Also at the Festival Theatre are Shaw's Heartbreak House and J.M. Barrie's The Admirable Crichton.

On the Court House stage, Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish - A Comedy will be one to watch. Also at the Court House will be Shaw's On The Rocks, and the first Shaw-produced musical from day one: Maria Severa, written by Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli of Shaw, and directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell.

Over on the Royal George stage, a new mounting of their first-ever play 50 years ago, Shaw's Candida takes pride of place, as well as Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Molnar's hilarious one-act lunchtime show, The President, starring Lorne Kennedy. Anyone who saw this show a couple of seasons back will want to return to the mayhem again - it is an astounding performance by Kennedy and his cohorts!

Finally, at the Studio Theatre space, TopDog/UnderDog by Suzan-Lori Parks shares the space with Andrew Bovell's When the Rain Stops Falling, which seems rather appropriate after this very wet spring we've been experiencing here in Niagara.

All in all, it promises to be an exciting season, and I am personally looking forward to returning for shows again this year; it will be my 30th year reviewing shows at Shaw, unbelievably! Once again this year, I will be providing reviews in this space throughout the summer, as well as ratings on the calendar page of my website (http://www.finemusic.ca/) and updates on my monthly newsletter, Fine Music News, which you can subscribe to by emailing your email address to me at music@vaxxine.com.

Other news from Shaw this week is the fact they are collaborating with Vintage Hotels of Niagara-on-the-Lake to secure property which overlooks Lake Ontario and the Niagara River now home to the Anchorage Motel and Restaurant. The Shaw has entered into an agreement to purchase this property within the next five years in order to use the site as an additional performance space. That is exciting news, although the loss of the Anchorage will not be good news to many, I suspect. Oh well, time marches on...more news on this as it develops.

Enjoy this week in the arts!

May 21st, 2011.

Chorus Niagara closes out the season with Feel the Spirit

2011-05-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe the choral season in Niagara is all but done this weekend, but it is. Chorus Niagara performs their final concert of the season this evening at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines with a concert titled Feel the Spirit. The concert takes its name from the John Rutter suite of spirituals he recorded with his Cambridge Singers just a few years ago.

Some of the gospel favourites given the Rutter touch include Deep River, Steal Away, Every Time I Feel the Spirit and of course, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Rutter is no stranger to Chorus Niagara, of course, as his works have been performed many times over the years and in fact, he appeared with the Chorus a few seasons back. He is undoubtedly the finest choral composer/conductor of our generation, and in fact wrote a piece specifically for the recent wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, the current Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Another nice aspect of this concert is Feel the Spirit will feature a jazz singer well-known in the Region, Tianna H., who along with her group perform regularly at venues both large and small. I have had the pleasure of knowing Tianna H. for a few years now, dating back to my first narration duties for the annual Black History Month concerts staged by Choralis Camerata. Her voice is a powerhouse, and her interpretative skills are exceptional, so she will be a great addition to the evening's proceedings.

The other half of the concert is a commission jointly funded by Chorus Niagara as well as choirs in Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa, written by Imant Raminsh. Titled Quarternity: A Cantata for Seasons, the work is a lush and harmonic contemporary work exploring the four seasons, much as Vivaldi, Haydn and others have done over the years, as well as the four cycles of life. In spite of being a contemporary choral work, Cooper assures everyone it is still very accessible to the ear and quite exciting to hear.

Joining Chorus Niagara for the concert tonight will be the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Cooper's 'other' choral initiative, as well as the Chorus iagara Side-by-Side High School Chorale, which is made up of young singers with a love of choral music, who might someday join the adult choir. Musical accompaniment is provided by the Talisker Players.

Should be a great wind-up to a season that has seen a series of "highs" for the folks at Chorus Niagara, beginning of course with their now infamous "flash mob" performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, performed at the food court of the Seaway Mall in Welland last November. To date, that performance has reached 32-million hits worldwide on YouTube, and continuing to grow. Just a phenomenal achievement!

Incidentally, although I won't be selling at the concert this weekend, you can order the John Rutter Feel the Spirit CD conducted by the composer himself through my website, http://www.finemusic.ca/, where you'll find it listed on the Mike's Picks page. Or, you can email me directly at music@vaxxine.com. It's a tremendously uplifting recording and one you'll want in your collection after you hear the performance this evening.

Happy listening!

May 14th, 2011.

Niagara Symphony wraps up Pops! season this weekend

2011-05-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are, a fine spring weekend, and Mother's Day on Sunday, too. Any plans for Mom's Day? Aside from the flowers or perhaps brunch or dinner out with Mom, how about another idea she would be thrilled with? The Niagara Symphony wraps up their Pops! season this weekend with performances tonight and tomorrow afternoon at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, and either performance would likely fit Mom to a "T".

Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk returns to conduct the orchestra this weekend in a programme titled "Light Classics to Broadway", and will be joined by Niagara-on-the-Lake native Theodore Baerg and wife Irena Welhasch-Baerg on stage. Selections will range from Bizet to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Strauss to even some classic Rodgers & Hammerstein II from Broadway. Lots of operetta on the programme as well, including selections by Lehar from The Merry Widow and Giuditta.

All in all, this should be a nice, light and airy way to end up the Niagara Symphony season, and hopefully make you want more when Maestro Thachuk takes over the podium full-time in the fall to start the new season. Overall, the Symphony has performed well this year under various conductors, but I still feel they have more to offer, and hopefully Bradley can start to draw it out of them on a regular basis when he takes over next season. For now, let's sit back and enjoy some great music for a spring Mother's Day weekend!

A couple of quick notes to keep in mind, though. Tickets are going fast, but some are still available for both performances, so I would suggest you call the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 for tickets in advance if you have not already done so. And parking will be interesting this weekend, as Brock University is hosting a dance competition all weekend long as well. Niagara Symphony General Manager Jack Mills sent out a notice this week outlining the situation and making people aware of the extra competition for parking. But this year, a plan is in place to provide dedicated parking for Niagara Symphony patrons, either in Lot D or Lot B, which will be reserved exclusively for Niagara Symphony patrons.

Normally, I would be in the lobby manning my customary table at intermission, before and after the concerts this weekend, but a prior committment will keep me away from the Saturday evening performance, unfortunately. I will be there Sunday afternoon, however, so please stop by and say hello, and check out the great last-minute musical gifts for Mom this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day, and enjoy the weekend with the Niagara Symphony!

Some thoughts on the Royal Wedding and In The Soil

2011-04-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

I had planned to write about In The Soil midweek after attending the preview on Wednesday evening, but with the weather on Thursday and a myriad of computer problems rearing their collectively ugly heads again this week (look at this! I just discovered my computer was manufactured by Yugo!), my plans were waylayed until now. So I'll briefly touch on In The Soil here first before getting to yesterday's Royal Wedding.

There is lots to enjoy still with our own Homegrown Arts Festival, which continues until tomorrow, May 1st, at various locations in downtown St. Catharines. One of the most interesting, and one I briefly touched on last week, is The Living Archive, running from 3 to 7 pm today and tomorrow at 104 St. Paul Street, downtown. This is a FIXT POINT production for In The Soil, and they invite you to donate a story about St. Catharines; perhaps a memory of something special that happened here you remember or a particular business or building you remember that is no longer there. You can donate your story in person at 104 St. Paul Street, or you can call the toll-free hotline at 1-877-269-9133, or log on to http://www.thelivingarchive.ca/.

Lots of musical entertainment abounds this weekend downtown, and you can access all the information at http://www.inthesoil.ca/. One of the highlights tomorrow is the Barley & Hops! Rock n' Roll Brunch sponsored by the Merchant Ale House. This outdoor brunch with plenty of beer, food and entertainment takes place at the former site of Jerry's Alley at the corner of James and St. Paul Street. If it rains, and unfortunately it just might, you can repair indoors to the Merchant Ale House. The brunch runs from about 11 am and is only $ 5 at the door, plus your food and drink.

Enjoy the spring weekend in Niagara and the wonderful sounds of In The Soil!

Now, I can't let this week pass without a few comments about yesterday's Royal Wedding of William and Kate, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The early-morning spectacle (our time) was well worth getting up for, although for me I am up at that hour every day anyway, so it was no trouble for me. The perfect balance of pomp and circumstance was struck, I think, and there was enough accessibility for everyday folks, given the security no doubt on hand, I would imagine people cannot complain too much.

The ceremony itself was rather brief, all things considered; it was all the related pomp and pageantry that took up most of the time on the broadcast, and that's fine. But you have to admire the service for how beautifully it was handled, with nothing over-the-top. I found most of the music, typically British church-choir proper, of course, to be particularly enjoyable, especially John Rutter's new piece premiered at the wedding. It was also nice to see James O'Donnell, the Master of Music at Westminster Abbey, in full flight conducting the choir. He was in St. Catharines just a couple of months ago and sadly, his wonderful organ recordings are all but gone from the catalogues now. There are plenty still available of the choirs of both Westminster Cathedral and the Abbey, and most of those are readily available on order through my website at http://www.finemusic.ca/, or emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

It you can wait until late May, the offical Royal Wedding album will be released May 23rd by Decca Records, and it will also be readily available through A Web of Fine Music. I am taking pre-orders now, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you are interested. The soundtrack will include music from the day, including hymns; pictures of the wedding; wedding vows, blessings, readings, and a special collector's booklet. Musicians featured on the recording include, of course, James O'Donnell and the Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Chapel Royal Choir; The London Chamber Orchestra and the Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. Should be a great-sounding package!

As for the dress and the kiss? Hey, the dress looked fine to me, and since she has to wear it, if she's happy, I'm happy. Some have complained the kiss didn't look all that romantic, but would you want to go overboard with about 2-billion people watching you? You'd likely wait until a private moment, too, I would think.

Overall, it was a great day, and time will tell if tourism gets a boost from the big event; I suspect it will, and that is great news. London has had a tough time of it of late, and I have always enjoyed my visits there, including the Abbey. I am overdue for a return visit, so we'll see when that happens...

Have a great weekend!

April 30th, 2011.

In the Soil ready to kick off in Niagara this week - Can you dig it?

2011-04-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I maybe overdid it a bit with the heading there...what the heck, a fun arts festival like In the Soil knows how to laugh at itself, so why not have some fun now, too?

Yes, the third annual In the Soil - Niagara's Homegrown Arts Festival kicks off Wednesday of this coming week in downtown St. Catharines, running through to May 1st, and already the festival is causing more than a little buzz in the community. If you are not familiar with In the Soil, it is a nice, friendly, down-to-earth grassroots sort of festival of many facets of the arts right here in Niagara, with most performances taking place in various locations in downtown St. Catharines. The previous two festivals have done very well both financially and artistically, proving once again if you give people a decent reason to get out in the evening and come downtown, they will. In the Soil is more than decent; it is the perfect tonic as we launch headfirst into Spring 2011!

I will be attending the festival launch this coming Wednesday evening at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines, so I hope to write more that evening about all the exciting events coming up. For now, though, by way of a preview, a couple of things I can tell you about right now. One of the most interesting aspects of this year's festival is a theatre showcase at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse theatre. Known as a "Three Play Crop Rotation", three plays will run in repertory during the festival, with admission to each show only ten dollars at the door.

Former Welland resident Katie Hood is set to premiere The Animal Show, a touching and quirky tale of an animal rescue worker. Twelve Fold Theatre's Richard Varty, a hard-working Brock theatre student, has written and will direct an ensemble of emerging artists in Room for Improvement. And professional locals, Stolen Theatre Collective will take on The Nona in what promises to be a rather physical and musical show, I'm told.

Another new concept this year is provided by Toronto-based company FIXT POINT, who will be in town with an extension of their Tale of a Town series. Their project, The Living Archive, is phase one of The Tale of a Town - St. Catharines, which is inspired by countless hours of oral histories gathered from local residents about the recent history of St. Paul Street. The group will open a storefront space at The Foss Building at 104 St. Paul Street throughout the festival to illuminate some of the stories they've collected so far from the likes of Mayor Brian McMullan, Walter Ostanek, Kurt Swinghammer, Marilyn I. Walker and many more. Some of the stories collected touch on some of the storied sites in St. Catharines, including the recently transplanted Art's Restaurant, the late, lamented Diana Sweets, and Jerry's Alley among others.

Also recently announced, a group from Toronto will share the stage with local youth talent at the festival on Friday evening at 7 at Robertson Hall at 85 Church Street in the Folk Arts Centre. The three local emerging bands participating are Tyganda, Check Lester and Autumn Crush, some of whom are still in high school. They get to share the state with Toronto's conceptual punk pioneers known as...wait for it: "F**ked Up. Okay. Nice to know they can grab your attention with that name, eh?

Here is where I verify my membership in the age-old club known as Old Fogeydom. As good as they apparently are, and as successful as they obviously have become, why do they have to use a name like that to identify the band? I mean, what do you think of when you see that? Exactly. Now I know, I know, the name is just a name and all that, and look at The Barenaked Ladies years ago unable to perform at a Toronto event since the mayor of the day, June Rowlands, thought the name "Barenaked Ladies" was offensive. What an embarrassment that turned out to be! But still, there must have been SOME other name they thought of before settling on that one. Hmmm, maybe they are on to something here, as they just got more electronic ink than they otherwise would have had, had they used a different name. Okay, fine. End of tirade on my part. But jeezzzzz...

In the Soil kicks off April 27th and will feature over 250 artists in 15 events, and new this year is a $ 25 festival pass available for all downtown events, subject to capacity. For more information, go to inthesoil.on.ca.

Happy Easter weekend!

April 23rd, 2011.

Niagara College Teaching Brewery now open for business

2011-04-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

I thought that title would catch your eye! Let me be the first to admit two things: first, this column will have nothing whatsoever to do with music or the arts this week, which does occasionally happen; and second, I have never become a beer drinker. My Dad used to brew the stuff in the basement at our home in Toronto years ago, and from all reports from all the kids in the neighbourhood who seemed to frequent our place when a new batch was ready for tasting, it was pretty potent stuff. Me, I never developed a taste for it, really, but then, I am more of a tea drinker than anything else these days. That being said, I was invited by my good friend Lynn Ogryzlo, local food afficionado of the highest order, to attend the opening of the new Teaching Brewery at Niagara College this past Wednesday evening and stay for the Brewmaster Dinner planned that evening. Lynn has the inside track on these things at the College as her husband Jon is Dean of the Canadian Food & Wine Institute at Niagara College. It was an evening of great food, interesting beer and a significant upgrade of my own knowledge of the drink forever associated with Canadians. When I arrived late afternoon, just after the skies started to finally dry up, I was immediately ushered into the new brewery location on campus, where the First Draft Campus Brew is made. There, Kevin Somerville, who is an on-site Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Manager for the new operation, gave us the grand tour and described in minute detail how the process works and we achieve a fine local brew you can buy on-site and take home with you. It is a fascinating story, and although I couldn't possibly absorb all the information, I managed to grasp at least a basic understanding of the brewing process as it applies to the Niagara College operation. Kevin, young though he is, knows his product well and should go far in the beer industry should he choose to. After awhile it was off to the newly-renovated and reopened Benchmark Restaurant, a space I have enjoyed many a fine dinner at in the past before the most recent makeover. The head chef and professor in the Culinary Arts programme at Niagara College, Michael Olson, presided over the Brewmaster Dinner much as a proud father shows off his young family to visitors, making sure to introduce individually each of the ten student chefs hard at work in the kitchen for the event, as well as the regular and volunteer wait staff for the evening. Michael also went to great lengths to explain each course as each individual brewmaster described the beer they had provided to be paired with each dish. Okay, so what did we have, you ask. I can't believe I'm doing this, but here is a rundown of the evening's food and beer pairings, just in case you are wondering what you missed: First course: Terrine of Quebec Foie Gras with Spent Grains Brioche and Bok Jelly, paired with Niagara College Teaching Brewery Educator Dopple Bock. The Foie Gras was to die for, the Dopple Bock very dark and rich, and I actually enjoyed it! Second course: Erie Whitefish "Waterzui" with Hothouse Peppers, Yukon Gold Potatoes and Sweet Shallots in an aromatic coriander citrus beer broth, paired with Muskoka Summer Weiss beer. The whitefish was wonderfully moist and tender, and the broth was very fragrant and light. The beer was about as light and summery a brew as I've ever experienced. Palate cleanser: Wort Sorbet, light and refreshing and using a byproduct of the brewing process. Third course: Roast Tenderloin of Black Angus Beef on Barley Root Vegetable Stew and roasted Garlic Lemon Hollandaise, paired with Neustadt 10W30 Brown Ale. The tenderloin was just that, very tender, but I would have preferred it cooked just a little more, but it was a magnificent dish. The appropriately named beer, very dark and robust, proved a bit too bitter for my tastes, but you can't help but love the name! Fourth course: Black Forest Bok Washed Niagara Gold Cheese with Rye Toast and Thyme Honey, followed by Dark Prinz Espresso Torte with Laurel Cream, paired with Russian Gun Imperial Stout. The first dish, summery and light, was a delight, with the Niagara Gold Cheese truly extraordinary; the espresso tort was so rich many couldn't finish even the small slice supplied, but it was worth trying for sure, and yes, I did finish mine! The Imperial Stout was a beer that ensured a strong finish to the evening, and although it was quite dark, I found it smoother and easier on the palate than the Neustadt. So, there you have it, my culinary column, which has to be a first! But, I love good food and some of the wonderful places to visit for same in Niagara and beyond, so as Shakespeare wrote, "If music be the food of love, play on!" Perhaps I will write about food again sometime. In the meantime, my heartfelt thanks to Lynn and husband Jon for inviting me, and Michael and his charges for putting on a spectacular show. Although they can't promise a grand dinner on that scale all the time, the Benchmark Restaurant is a great destination for either lunch or dinner, and the new brewery operation makes it all the more worthwhile to pay them a visit at Niagara College. Bon appetit! April 15th, 2011.

Arts and tourism centre stage in Niagara this weekend

2011-04-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

This is turning out to be a banner weekend in Niagara, with two events in two cities taking centre stage in tourism and the arts, respectively. Let's start with Niagara Falls, which hosted a much-anticipated gala opening of the new Scotiabank Convention Centre on Stanley Avenue this weekend. This is a dream literally years in the making, and it is almost hard to believe the dream is now a reality. City fathers in Niagara Falls have been working on a viable plan for literally decades, in hopes of turning what Mayor Jim Diodati says was once a 100-day industry (tourism) into a year-round industry to help drive the local economy. Attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday afternoon, I noted smiles all around, both from attending dignitaries and the general public, who came out in droves to toast the event, packing the lone parking lot out back long before the event started. As a result I arrived a little late, but soon enough to hear Mayor Diodati list the many people, both past and present, who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality in 2011. Far too many to list here, of course, but suffice it to say, it is a wonder all levels of government and interested business groups all worked together to come up with the $ 105-million cost of the new convention facility. Some nay-sayers may wonder about the cost, but from my vantage point, it will quickly prove to be money well-spent. A medium-market convention facility such as this can do quite well for itself, all the while posing no threat to larger convention markets such as Toronto or Ottawa. The one big advantage this facility will have over similar-sized counterparts, aside from state-of-the-art design and equipment, will be all the city has to offer conventioneers while not attending the convention. Think of all the restaurants, hotels and entertainment options already in place, and you can't help but think this will all come together to fill the yearly calendar for convention dates in the city. In addition to Mayor Diodati, I chatted with former mayor and Tourism Chair Wayne Thompson and Convention Centre President and General Manager Kerry Painter, and both are simply brimming with pride at what they have achieved. Time will tell if the good feelings and wishes are well-placed, but I suspect it won't take all that long for people to see the results of all this hard work in action. Following this event yesterday afternoon, I walked down to the friendly confines of St. Catharines' old courthouse next to the Saturday farmers' market for an announcement at the Sullivan Mahoney Theatre prior to a performance of Peg and the Yeti by Carousel Players. Word came yesterday St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley would be making an annoucement, along with Livia Martin, a volunteer with the Ontario Trillium Foundation, of provincial government support for our local arts community. Hot on the heals of the announcement of federal funding for the Marketing the Arts of St. Catharines last month, which I wrote about in March in this space, the provincial government has announced that Inspire! Niagara Arts in Niagara Schools, part of that marketing initiative outlined in March and involving Carousel Players and the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, would receive a $ 19,500 commitment from the Ministry of Tourism through the Cultural Strategic Investment Fund. But that's not all. Both Mr. Bradley and Ms. Martin also announced an additional $ 45,000 grant from the Foundation to help the Carousel Players purchase a new touring vehicle to transport sets, costumes and equipment to schools throughout the Niagara Region, part of the mandate to bring the arts to the schools of Niagara on a regular basis. Talking to Jane Gardner of Carousel Players after the announcement, she says this is a great example of governments realizing the need and also the opportunity to expose young people to the arts at an early age, and help launch the transition to our own crown jewel still a few years away, the much-anticipated performing arts and school complex in the city core. There will be several performance spaces in the new facility, and Jane expects although the space they will occupy, along with several other smaller groups, will be more expensive to rent than their present facilities, the accessibility advantages and modern facilities will make the extra expense worthwhile. Plus, a larger space than they presently have means a chance to fill more seats on a regular basis as well. I know our own landmark facility hasn't even been designed yet, let alone started construction, but the wheels are certainly in motion, and one only has to travel down that stretch of St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines to see the work already done to ready the site for future development. I know supporters of our complex must be looking at Niagara Falls' achievement and looking to the future when they will host dignitaries and the public alike at a shining new complex that will do wonders for our local economy, too. The big difference, aside from the intended use of both facilities, is ours is in the heart of downtown, rather than outside the downtown core as is the case in Niagara Falls. Still, downtown Niagara Falls cannot help but benefit from the economic advantages as well as the facility gets up and running. So what we have here are two facilities in two cities, each with a specific design and use in mind, and each intended to give a shot in the arm to each cities' local economy. That is what several levels of government and private parties working together can achieve: in short, great things. I can hardly wait for the gala opening in downtown St. Catharines not too far in the future! April 9th, 2011.

Niagara Symphony wraps up Masterworks season this weekend

2011-04-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but this weekend we are already at the final Masterworks concert of the current Niagara Symphony season. It seems hardly possible we're so many months removed now from that gala opening to the season back in October, when Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk took to the podium for the first time after winning the competition almost a year ago. Bradley is still only with the orchestra part-time, of course; next season he will spend much more time with the Symphony, although even then, according to the new season brochure, he won't be conducting all the performances. Still, his presence is being felt as the orchestra appears to be responding to his conducting style already this season. Reading some of the FaceBook posts from members of the Niagara Symphony earlier today, I can see there is much anticipation of this Sunday's concert, as those who posted comments genuinely appreciate the talents of Conductor Laureate Uri Mayer. With good reason, too. A couple of seasons back when the Niagara Symphony was scrambling to fill the post on a concert-to-concert basis following the untimely departure of former Music Director Daniel Swift, Mayer stepped in and conducted a solid, more-than-respectable concert that clearly reminded both orchestra and audience members alike what a fine conductor he is. This time out, I think both sides are anticipating the return visit from Mr. Mayer as a very special homecoming to an orchestra he led so many years ago. The programme includes the lovely and too-rarely heard Danse Villageoise by French-Canadian composer Claude Champagne. It was recorded several times many years ago on LP, but I have not seen a recent recording of it for some time now. It is a joyful, rustic dance full of colour and spirit. The concert concludes with the equally evocative Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56 by Felix Mendelssohn, the one known as the "Scottish" Symphony. I don't even remember the last time the Niagara Symphony tackled a Mendelssohn work at all, let alone one of his symphonies, so this will be a treat. In the middle, featuring Niagara pianist Blair Salter, will be the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467. This is a wonderful concerto in and of itself, not even taking into consideration the so-called "notoriety" of the famous Adagio movement. If you have not seen the movie Elvira Madigan, which came out about 1968 and used this movement in a pivotal scene in the movie, well, you'll just be enjoying the music on its own considerable merit. I recall at the time both the movie and this particular movement stirred up quite a bit of interest, and ever since the Piano Concerto has been tagged "Elvira Madigan," at least unofficially. There is no shortage of recordings of the concerto around today, with the most famous of all being the actual recording used in the film, released by DGG with pianist Geza Anda. It is still in the classical catalogue after all these years, and in fact I will have that recording along with several others for sale at the concert on Sunday afternoon at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University. Of course, I'll have the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony, too, along with a host of other great recordings for you to buy. Just look for my table in the lobby both before and after the concert, as well as at intermission. Can't make it to the concert but want the music anyway? Drop me an email either through the website (www.finemusic.ca) or directly at music@vaxxine.com and and I will be sure to reserve a copy of either work for you. Tickets are still available for the concert on Sunday afternoon, although the latest word from the Niagara Symphony is paid attendance is at more than 87% of capacity this season, and that is music to the ears of everyone connected with the Symphony after several lean years as management went through several upheavals. But that is all behind us now, the orchestra is sounding good, and there is a new-found optimism amongst its members that they have finally turned the corner. Subscriptions for the next season are already available, of course, but if you only need tickets for the remainder of this season at the moment, call the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 and book your tickets for Sunday afternoon. or the final Pops! concerts in early May. See you at the Symphony on Sunday! April 1st, 2011.

Arts events this weekend to keep you busy in Niagara

2011-03-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

As usual, we have another busy weekend in Niagara for those interested in the arts; two events I will write about this weekend that might interest you, and the best part is, you can do both if you want to!

First, we have what are billed as the 45th annual Big Time World Theatre Awards scheduled for this evening at the Robertson Hall, behind the Folk Arts Centre on Church Street in downtown St. Catharines. This is the fifth annual fundraiser for Suitcase in Point Theatre of St. Catharines, with lots planned for those attending this evening.

This is a decidedly tongue-in-cheek send-up of awards shows, and each year they pick a year to highlight, with fashions and more reflecting that year. This year, the highlighted year is 1957, and all proceeds raised from the evening go towards their newest show, apparently dealing with the daredevils of Niagara Falls.

The evening gets underway at 7 with the Red Carpet, Silent Auction Reception, followed by the actual ceremony at 8 and an after-party Sock Hop sponsored by the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, at 9:30. Food and drink are being generously provided by The Merchant Ale House, Great Lakes Brewery, Creekside Wines, The Office Tap & Grill, City Lights, Rise Above Bakery, and others.

What's all this revelry cost you? Only $ 20.00 at the door if you have not already purchased your tickets, or $ 15.00 for students and artists, starving or otherwise. If you need more information call 289-477-1025, or just show up at the door tonight in your best 50s garb and have a great time. It's for a great cause, and why not support the arts in a fun and creative way?

Meantime, at the other end of the arts spectrum, we have the annual spring concerts for Choralis Camerata this weekend, taking place this evening in Port Colborne and tomorrow afternoon in St. Catharines. Artistic Director and conductor Laura Thomas has titled the concert "A Love Triangle", focusing on the relationship between Robert and Clara Schumann and that other giant of the Romantic era, Johannes Brahms. Specifically, the concert will concentrate on the period after Brahms moved into the Schumann family home in 1853.

There is no evidence to suggest, of course, Brahms and Clara had an affair after Robert was admitted to an asylum; their letters to each other hinted at the fact, though. We do know, however, Brahms took over the family home to help Clara with her family following Robert's departure, so the prospects of something more there will always be open to speculation.

The story is told through music, of course, with the bulk of the concert featuring the two sets of Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 and Op. 65 by Brahms. The choir is joined by four hands piano accompaniment, with the pianists Lynne Honsberger and Edward Moroney. The music is essentially a collection of love songs, waltzes written for four voices and piano duet, inspired by Viennese traditional music. These classics of the Romantic repertoire run the whole gamut of love, and are truly a joy to listen to.

This evening, the choir performs at 7:30 at Central United Church at 39 Delhi Street in Port Colborne, and tomorrow afternoon at Grantham United Church at 415 Linwell Road in north St. Catharines. For tickets, call 905-646-9225 or 905-354-4348, or just pick them up at the door.

By the way, I will be at both concerts this weekend, Port Colborne and St. Catharines, with lots of great music to purchase through my website, A Web of Fine Music. If you can't make it to the concerts but there is something you're looking for, send me an email at music@vaxxine.com or through the website, at www.finemusic.ca, and I will do my best to get what it is you're looking for.

Enjoy the weekend!

March 26th, 2011.

Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects scores another winner!

2011-03-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

I promised I would do a mid-week entry on the latest Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects production of John Buchan's The 39 Steps, which opened March 12th at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. I was unable to attend the opening, so we went this past Saturday evening, March 19th, and joined an almost capacity-crowd audience for the show.

If you love farce, or even just a great, rollicking comedy, this production will be right up your alley. Oh sure, it bears only a passing resemblance to the Alfred Hitchcock film, also based on Buchan's novel of many years ago in terms of structure, but the story remains relatively intact and this stage adaptation by Patrick Barlow is a heck of a lot more fun to watch. The two-time Tony award-winning play sees four performers spinning through over 150 characters in about two hours of fast-paced comedy that director Kelly Daniels calls a "theatrical fest of sight and sound."

The story, such as it is, revolves around Richard Hannay, trying to bust out of a bit of a funk by going to a live theatre show featuring a magical man with an amazing memory for facts. From there, Hannay is joined by a mysterious woman on the run who asks to stay at his apartment for a bit. She doesn't last long, of course, taking the secret she holds with her. It's up to Hannay to solve the mystery while being pursued by seedy types as well as the authorities regarding the death of a woman in his London flat. I can't give away any more than that, but suffice it to say the numerous twists and turns in the story make for much discussion at intermission, and laughter during the course of the show.

The four performers are all first rate, beginning with Jason Cadieux, no stranger to the Lyndesfarne stage, as Richard Hannay, who sports dashing good looks and very precise comic timing. The ladies he finds himself associated with at various times in the play, all portrayed by the Shaw Festival's Jenny L. Wright, are just over-the-top enough to add that extra comic dimension to the mix. But it is the second half of the cast, known in the programme simply as "Clown 1" and "Clown 2", who really make the play take flight. Playing about 100 or so characters between them, Jon Osbaldeston and Lorne Kennedy from the Shaw Festival both execute their myriad of character and costume changes with razor-thin precision. How they manage to keep it all together for the entire show is almost too much to fathom, but they do, and it makes for wonderful comic moments throughout the show.

The 39 Steps manages to break lots of social and theatrical rules with wild abandon, beginning with Lorne and Jon appearing in some scenes with black tie and tails, which anyone who watches old Fred Astaire movies knows is a definite no-no. White tie with tails, of course, but these two provincial dolts portrayed by Jon and Lorne obviously don't know any better. But they know how to get a laugh.

Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects' production of The 39 Steps continues through to this weekend at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre, and good seats should still be available. For tickets, call the box office at 905-938-1222, or go to www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com to book online.

After the show, incidentally, we walked down James Street to St. Paul and stopped in to the newly-opened Dani's Bistro, where the old Cask 22 wine bar used to be, for an after-theatre meal, and were very impressed. The food is very well-priced, well presented, and the service and decor are both first-rate. I would recommend Dani's Bistro either before or after the show this weekend!

March 23rd, 2011.

Arts update in Niagara for March

2011-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

There's been quite a bit of news the last few weeks relating to the arts in Niagara, so I thought I would group them all together in today's entry to update you on a number of fronts. If you have any doubts the arts are a force to be reckoned with in Niagara, read on...

As you have no doubt noticed if you have been through downtown St. Catharines lately, work has begun on clearing land on St. Paul Street for the much-anticipated performing arts centre and Brock's School of Performing Arts, which will incorporate the old Canada Hair Cloth building. It is almost eery seeing all that empty space after all these years; even with the hoarding to protect people from mishaps on the site, you can easily see the scope of this project and how it will fundamentally change the cityscape in downtown St. Catharines. Now, the new complex will not be built for a little while yet, but just the fact the old buildings are coming down to make way for the new project to begin shows you this dream will indeed become a reality someday soon. I can hardly wait!

Tied in with that was the news earlier this week a new plan will be launched to boost the local arts industry in Niagara, with the joint initiative led by Carousel Players, the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, and the City of St. Catharines. The plan is receiving a significant financial contribution from the Department of Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Investment Fund. At a news conference at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines earlier this week, MP Rick Dykstra announced the government is providing up to $ 102,212.00 through the Strategic Initiatives Component of the Canada Cultural Heritage Fund.

What all this means is the new initiative, Marketing the Arts of St. Catharines-Niagara will, over the lifespan of the plan's 18 months, develop three innovative projects that are designed to strengthen management practices, encourage financial growth, provide professional development, share best practices and raise the profile of arts and cultural organizations in the region. In a nutshell, the three projects are: 1.) CultureinNiagara.com, led by the City of St. Catharines; 2.) Developing our Marketing Expertise, led by the Centre for the Arts, Brock University; and 3.) Inspire! Niagara Arts in Niagara Schools, led by Carousel Players.

The reason for the 18-month lifespan of the initiative is to ensure support for a successful launch of the new performing arts centre in St. Catharines and ultimately benefit arts organizations in Niagara. Essentially the arts organizations will be able to hit the ground running as of April 1st of this year and put the framework in place for the new centre before shovels are in the ground. This is significant, as we have to be prepared for the new centre when it opens, and it is especially important the arts groups who will benefit the most from the centre are all on the same page and ready to go with their strategic initiatives to make the entire project a success.

The new performing arts centre will not only be a bricks and mortar operation, but also a living, breathing part of a vibrant arts community in the heart of Niagara, and we have to develop the game plan now in order to make this whole idea a success and ensure it is successful after the opening. I think this new initiative will go a long way towards achieving that goal. It's in all our best interests this vision for the downtown continues to grow and achieve success.

Two other notes about people in the arts in Niagara are also worth noting this week. Last month, the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council announced the appointment of their new Executive Director, Michelle Sigouin, who comes to the area from Prince Edward Island, where she was Executive Director of the Guild on the island. Beginning her new role in St. Catharines on February 21st, Ms. Sigouin says she is "honoured to belong to a membership that is focused on promoting the value of the arts and culture in Niagara." I have not met the new Executive Director yet, but I am sure that will come soon as the annual general meeting of the Arts Council should be coming up this spring sometime.

As well, the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake announced this week their Artistic Director, Jackie Maxwell, has renewed her contract for another four years. This is especially good news, given the fact the Shaw Festival is embarking this year on its 50th season, which promises to be a rather memorable one if early indications hold true. During the season, Maxwell will direct the Canadian premiere of Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish - A Comedy and the world premiere of the Jay Turvey/Paul Sportelli musical aria Severa. Oddly, Ms. Maxwell will not be directing anything by the Festival's namesake this year.

Anyway, that gets you up-to-date on the arts news for this week; I will be reporting early in the week on the current Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects' latest production, 39 Steps, which I have heard good things about. A good laugh is always a good thing!

March 19th, 2011.

Theatre in Niagara worth catching this month

2011-03-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

This week I'll move away from music for a look at some of the local theatre we can catch this month, including a surprise offering at a place I bet you have not thought of going to for awhile, but you really should.

First, a quick preview of the new production opening tonight at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects opens their new show, John Buchan's The 39 Steps, which runs through to March 27th. I can't attend the opening tonight due to a prior commitment, but I will be there next Saturday evening to review on the full production. Last week, however, I attended a media preview that included a couple of short scenes and a chance to meet the actors, and from that short experience I think I'm pretty safe in saying this should be a pretty funny show on a winter's night.

Artistic Director Kelly Daniels directs the show, which stars Jason Cadieux of Essential Collective Theatre; Jon Osbaldeston who does a lot of work locally with several groups and has performed in London's West End; and two Shaw Festival members, Lorne Kennedy and Jenny L. Wright. Between them there are about 100 characters portrayed over the course of the play, so count on several lightening fast costume changes between scenes.

I will write more about the show after attending next Saturday's performance, but if you can't wait and want to go sooner, by all means call the Lyndesfarne box office at 905-938-1222 or go online at www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.

Now, last evening, we attended the World Premiere musical On The Radio at the Oh Canada Eh? dinner theatre on Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls. The show opened February 17th and runs right through to April 2nd., so given the fact the run is half-way through already, the well-attended show last evening suggests word is getting around this is one fun musical to catch this winter.

Written and directed by Lee Siegel, who is now preparing for roles in a couple of Stratford Festival musicals this season, the show is a two-hour long, fast-paced review of popular music from the 40s right through to the current day. I must say, though, older people in the audience such as myself identified with the first half music more than the second half, generally speaking, and the younger people in the audience must be wondering what we were doing in the 70s and 80s with some of the outfits worn during the show!

Almost all the music is readily identifiable, from Glenn Miller's In the Mood to Bobby Vinton's Blue Velvet; from Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody to My Heart Will Go On from the film "Titanic". There are some I might question including in the show that might be lost on some audience members, but overall, the music is solid and fun to listen to again. Some, even painful, in a nice reflective way!

The cast of six young singers is amazing. I could never remember the lyrics to 100 songs as well as dance steps and song introductions; these six young performers make it look easy. The six cast members, all of whom have performed at Oh Canada, Eh! on numerous occasions, know their stuff and avoided making the music sound too bland; they all get their solo spots and make the most of them. The six, Melissa Penner, Meaghan Chapin, Kelly Holiff, Craig Maguire, Jean-Francois Grenier and Patrick Whalen, have fun with the music and that fun transfers beyond the stage to the audience as well.

A word about the food before I finish. I have been to dinner shows before and even some restaurants that can't serve up a dinner as quickly and efficiently as this group did at Oh Canada, Eh. From the moment we sat down at our table and introduced ourselves to our fellow table guests shortly after 6 pm, the different courses were presented quickly but never in a rushed fashion. In fact, dinner was completed in plenty of time to chat with your neighbours for a good 20 minutes or more before the show started. Our particular server, Meaghan, had to excuse herself early to get ready for the show; now that is a busy evening, serving tables and then appearing in the show!

The food, by the way, was exceptional given the size of the crowd and the time constraints they have to work under. All the food was beautifully presented, served piping hot and delicious. Even my far better half Sophie, who is now vegetarian, was impressed with the accomodations made for her menu selections.

Great job all round, and well worth your time before the show closes on April 2nd. For tickets, call 905-374-1995 or go online to ohcanadaeh.com.

March 12th, 2011.

Lots to do this weekend in Niagara!

2011-03-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

Even though the weather doesn't hold out much promise other than the fact we'll likely lose most or all of our remaining snow over the weekend, we have lots of entertainment to take in as we celebrate the great indoors in Niagara!

First off, tomorrow morning (Saturday), Primavera Concerts celebrates the International Women's Day Centenary at St. Barnabas Church in St. Catharines, with three short concerts celebrating the achievements of women in the arts: music, painting, sculpture and cuisine. Concerts are by Musathena, featuring baroque and renaissance music and a specially-commissioned setting by Elizabeth Raum of a poem celebrating Queen Elizabeth I; the Oriana Women's Choir will be heard in a programme of works by contemporary Canadian composers such as Ruth Watson Henderson and Eleanor Daley; and finally, soprano Agnes Zsigovics, accompanied by flute and piano, will perform music by Hildegard von Bingen, Handel and Vivaldi.

Lunch will be available, along with a brief talk about women and music by professor Karin de Bella of Brock University's music department. The event kicks off at 10:30 in the morning and runs to 3 in the afternoon. Tickets should still be available at the door at St. Barnabas prior to the start of the first concert in the morning.

Speaking of Womens' Day Concerts, Broadband's 19th annual celebration of women in music takes place Sunday afternoon at 4 at the Ukrainian Black Sea Hall at 455 Welland Avenue in St. Catharines, with Laura Thomas and friends entertaining for the afternoon. Proceeds go to Hospice Niagara and tickets are on a pay-what-you can basis, with the suggested price being $ 20 a ticket. Tickets should be available at the door, or in advance at Ryson's Music downtown and The Peanut Mill on Welland Avenue.

Saturday evening, the next concert by Chorus Niagara takes place at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria at Church and Lyman Streets downtown. Titled "Sounds of Light", the concert, featuring the chorus along with members of the Niagara Symphony conducted by Artistic Director Robert Cooper, will feature visual projections selected by film and culture historian Joan Nicks, and inspired by the textures and themes of light expressed in the music to be performed at the concert.

Speaking of music, the concert features choral works from Canada, the United States, Latvia, New Zealand and Russia, with the centerpiece being the lovely Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen. Also featured will be music by the American composer Eric Whitacre, whose music is featured on the newest Naxos release by the Elora Festival Singers, conducted by Noel Edison. The disc, nominated this year for a Grammy award, is available through my website, www.finemusic.ca, and is well worth having in your collection if you love great contemporary choral music.

Tickets should be available at the door, or in advance through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.

Finally, although the opening is still a week away, I wanted to get the interest going early for the latest production by Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, who peform at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. I was down there this morning for a media preview of the new play, John Buchan's The 39 Steps, and from what little I saw rehearsed today, we're in for a fun evening's entertainment starting next Saturday evening. Basically it is Monty Python meets Alfred Hitchcock, so that should give you an idea how far-ranging the play is. The cast of four, featuring jason Cadieux from Essential Collective Theatre, Jon Osbaldeston, and Lorne Kennedy and Jenny L. Wright from the Shaw Festival, runs through to March 27th.

I'll write more about this show once I attend a performance later this month, but if you are already interested and want tickets, call the Lyndesfarne box office at 905-938-1222.

So you see, lots to see and do in Niagara to kick off the month of March!

March 4th, 2011.

Niagara Symphony pulls out all the stops with Pops! 3 this weekend!

2011-02-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Even though we are still in the depths of winter, shovelling out yet again here in Niagara, a wonderful diversion will be offered this weekend with the Niagara Symphony's presentation of their Pops! 3 concerts Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Titled "Hey Niagara, You've Got Talent!", Associate Conductor Laura Thomas leads the orchestra and a bevy of guest artists through an eclectic mix of music both well-known and unfamiliar.

Over the course of several months, Maestro Thomas auditioned a number of aspiring artists, all hoping to show what they can do onstage this weekend with the Niagara Symphony. The results will be showcased in a diverse programme featuring music by such composers as Offenbach, Bernstein, Berlin and Copeland, as well as the rarely-heard Piano Concerto by Leroy Anderson. Also on the programme are a comic duet from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" and a so-called "Fiddle Summit" finale bringing together five Celtic fiddlers plus the full symphony orchestra. The fiddlers include Brennan and Conner Doherty, Amanda Botts, and several members of the Symphony's violin section: Gail Poulsen, Michael van Dongen and Mary Beth Doherty. Other guest artists include pianist Brian Barber; baritone Jonathon Dick; Jocelyn Fralick, soprano; as well as recording artist Tara Hart and local jazz guitar legend Warren Stirtzinger. All in all, it sounds like a great programme!

On Sunday afternoon, local lawyer and businessman Patrick Little gets his wish to conduct the Symphony himself in a performance of the familiar "Can-Can" from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann." Back in November, you may remember, the Symphony held their annual silent auction in the lobby, and one of the hotly-contested auction items that day was the opportunity to be a Maestro for a Moment, and conduct the Niagara Symphony. I considered bidding on that prize myself, but thought better of it before actually signing on the dotted line. I think this will be much more relaxing, watching Mr. Little do his thing while I sit in the audience! Good luck, Patrick!

As always, I will be in the lobby before, at intermission and after the show both this evening and Sunday afternoon with a table laden full of great musical treasures just looking for a new home. In addition, I'll have copies of the Simple Gifts CD Gail Poulsen recorded with musical friends at Christ Church McNabb a few years ago, with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity Niagara. It is a wonderful disc, and if you don't have one yet, I'll have lots on display for you to purchase this weekend.

The Niagara Symphony has been having fun lately, now the pressure of auditioning new Music Directors is over and done with, so this should be a great musical party this weekend. If you don't have your tickets yet, you can get yours either at the door or through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257. Best choice of seats I would imagine will be Saturday evening, but you can try your luck on Sunday afternoon if that works out better for you.

See you at the Symphony!

February 26th, 2011.

Remembrances and looking ahead musically this week

2011-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Although I am a little late getting my blog entry out this weekend, I have a lot of ground to cover as many thoughts are swimming around in my head, so bear with me. There is a connection to all the thoughts, I can assure you!

The community lost two individuals in the past week or so that bear mention in this space. The first, of course, is the passing of Henry Burgoyne, the last of the family dynasty to head up the St. Catharines Standard before selling the company to Southam in 1996. Henry had been publisher since 1975, when he was all of 26 years of age and groomed for the position for several years. I never new Henry; however I did know another member of the Burgoyne family, Mary, who ran the radio station I work at, CKTB RADIO. In fact, I was the last hire for the Burgoyne family at the station before ownership changed hands in 1982. I didn't get much of a chance to get to know Mary back in those days, but it was interesting being part of a family tradition going back decades in the community.

Henry passed away earlier this month from cancer at the age of 61 - far too young for a man with so much more to do with his life. The visitation was Friday, which I attended in the evening at Hulse & English Funeral Home, in the same two rooms I stood in almost two years ago when my father passed away. I didn't know many in the room that evening, but I did know Janet & Peter Partridge, both of whom have been long-time clients of mine with my music business, A Web of Fine Music (www.finemusic.ca). Janet was also a Burgoyne before marrying Peter; in my early years at CKTB RADIO both Janet and Peter would be in the station in the evening preparing to record the classical-music show they hosted on our FM sister station back then.

The memorial service for Henry was Saturday morning at 11 at the Ridley College Chapel, where Henry had a long association both in his early student years as well as much later on in his life. I unfortunately could not attend, as I was at another funeral service for the second individual I want to write about today: The Reverend Canon David Vincent Blackwood, who passed away earlier this month in Hamilton, where he lived out his final years after leaving St. Catharines. In fact, David and his second wife Lorraine lived just a few doors down from us here in the city, and we got to know them quite well over the years.

The first time I met them was before I moved to my present house; I happened to be walking down their street on a cold but sunny February day, and noticed a very vocal cat stuck on their roof. Ringing their doorbell and informing them of the fact, it discovered I had been about the tenth or so person to do so that day! I presume the cat finally made it down at some point, but for me, I was welcomed into their home for tea and spent a goodly part of the afternoon getting to know the Blackwoods. I always remember that day!

Reverend Blackwood spent many years in retirement at St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street, another of my favourite houses of worship in the city. He is perhaps best known for sewing the elaborate vestments the ministers wear; his talent was truly exceptional and in fact, received coverage in The Standard a few years ago. David's funeral was also Saturday morning at 11 am, and St. Barnabas was packed to the rafters with people from all walks of life, all touched by his gentle manner and humility. I, along with many more, were relegated to the church hall to watch the service on the big screen set up. It was clearly the largest turnout for a funeral at St. Barnabas anyone could remember for a long, long time. Certainly a fitting tribute to a man who touched so many lives during his.

So, how do I connect all these in some way? Perhaps not totally, but I will say the music at St. Barnabas is very much in the Anglican tradition, which means absolutely glorious, and that also describes the acoustics at the church as well. Music also plays into my association with the Partridges as well, beyond the fact they are long-time clients of mine. Peter has been orchestrating an organ recital this coming Tuesday evening at another downtown church I have long admired, St. Thomas, featuring the acclaimed organist James O'Donnell. Mr. O'Donnell last appeared at St. Thomas for a recital in October of 2008 and literally brought the house down with his peformance. This coming Tuesday evening, history will likely repeat itself with a varied programme of music both familiar and unfamiliar played on the organ at St. Thomas' Church. Mr. O'Donnell is Master of the Music at Westminster Abbey and Cathedral in London, so will be deeply involved in planning for the upcoming nuptuals of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It promises to be a full house on Tuesday evening, so I suggest you get there early to get a good seat. If all goes according to plan, I hope to be there as well, with a number of recordings by James O'Donnell to sell.

There are not many organ recordings available now, but plenty of discs featuring him as Master of Music and/or conducting the choirs at both the Abbey and the Cathedral, so I will do my best to cover all the bases on Tuesday evening. If you attend, be sure to stop by my table and say hello!

February 20th, 2011.

Some 'other' ideas for Valentine's gifts this year

2011-02-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not writing my weekend blog entry sooner, but my main computer has decided to cause major headaches again, so I am using a secondary computer for the time being, which delayed my writing today until now. That being said, so what are you planning to do for Valentine's Day this year?

Most people think of the obvious things, of course, such as chocolates or roses, or maybe even sexy lingerie. I heard one suggestion on the radio today for 'sexy ladies' to wrap their gift for their lucky man in sexy lingerie, which is an interesting concept I had best leave up to your imagination at the moment. But anyway, if you have not made any specific plans yet for a gift of some sort, may I make a few interesting suggestions?

This first one will likely be a little last minute, as it actually happens on Sunday rather than Monday, but Primavera Concerts are holding a concert Sunday afternoon titlted "Follow the Chocolate Road", featuring a group known as Folia. Made up of Linda Melsted on baroque violin, Terry McKenna on baroque guitar and lute, Justin Haynes on viola da gamba and Borys Medicky on harpsichord, Folia will be accompanied by Tamara Bernstein as narrator, providing colourful readings from period diaries, letters and even recipes. The concert celebrates chocolate's glorious conquest of Baroque Europe, with stops in Spain, Italy, France, and finally to the coffee houses of England. The concert begins at 3 pm at the acoustically lovely St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street in St. Catharines, and tickets should still be available at the door. In the evening, incidentally, there will be a Valentine's Eve Dinner featuring a three-course dinner, flowers and more chocolates. If you're interested, I would suggest calling ahead to see if there is room available at the dinner; call 905-934-9285. Even if there is no space left for the dinner, the concert itself will be a wonderful prelude to the day on Monday.

The second idea has nothing whatsoever to do with music, but everything to do with showing you care. I was over to the Lincoln County Humane Society today to learn more about their RescueMe campaign, which is designed to raise much-needed funds to help equip the new spay and neuter clinic presently under construction at the Fourth Avenue site. For a donation to the campaign in your sweetie's name, your sweetheart will know you care about the pets still residing at the Humane Society and how you can help towards reducing the overpopulation of cats and dogs in Niagara at the present time. I plan to take advantage of this unique fundraising effort myself on Monday, and hope you will give it your consideration, too.

A tasty idea for a quick and easy dinner for Monday, and a way to show your support for a downtown business as well: how about ordering a heart-shaped pizza from Bella Noella Pizza on Summer Street just off James Street? I was in to see owner Steve Turcin this week, and he says the biggest challenge to getting people to venture to his shop is simply knowing where Summer Street is, so if you head down James Street just past King Street, you turn right on a small sidestreet that is in fact Summer Street, and right up at the top of the street is a small stand-alone building housing Bella Noella Pizza. It is worth the trip, too. Steve makes a great pizza, with a creative flair you simply don't find in run-of-the-mill establishments. Vegan pizzas, vegetarian pizzas and gluten-free pizzas are all part of a day's work for Steve and his crew, so there is simply no excuse to say no to a heart-shaped pizza this Valentine's Day. You'll find them listed in the Yellow Pages or simply Google Bella Noella in St. Catharines.

Finally, I would be remiss if I were not to plug my own web-based music business, especially around this particular day, since music is always a romantic part of any Valentine's Day. Although it is too late to special order your request, you still have a wide array of choices for music I might just have stock on. One example you might want to consider is a brand-new CD from EMI Classics featuring Placido Domingo. The title of the CD says it all, really: Passion - The Love Album. This two-disc set features the great tenor in a variety of musical styles ranging from romantic ballads to latin-tinged numbers such as Granada and Perfidia. All for only $ 25.00 for the two-disc set! Email me at music@vaxxine.com if you're interested, or order through the website, at www.finemusic.ca. Of course, the Mike's Picks page on the website has a great variety of musical options perfect for any special occasion you might have coming up.

So there you go: everything from music to dinner for that romantic day. What more could you possibly want? Happy Valentine's Day!

Dance the weekend away in Niagara

2011-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have not written much about dance the last little while, which is strange, really, as I have always loved dance - especially ballet. Back in the late 70s I began attending performances of the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto and fell in love with classical ballet the moment I first saw it. I went to everything - full-length classical ballets to shorter, more contemporary offerings. I always found the language of body movement to be very descriptive and, well, frankly sexual at times. The saying that all guys who dance ballet must be effeminate, which I regularly heard in those less-enlightened times, would certainly be put to rest the moment you got past your preconceived notions and actually watched them dance. These people (both male and female, incidentally) are true athletes who prepare for a dance programme just as hard as a football player, for example, prepares for the next big game.

I had a long association with the National Ballet that lasted well into this century (boy, that makes me feel old!) as well as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and various and sundry other companies from around the world who would visit the Toronto area. Alas, I have not been in several years, and I do miss it. The ballet for me is simply the perfect blending of brain and brawn; the intellectual and the sexual. One of these days I will have to go again and enjoy the experience all over again.

This weekend, in fact, you and I can enjoy two superb Canadian solo dancers come together for a shared programme of contemporary dance and music. From different generations and different training backgrounds, Peggy Baker and Nova Bhattacharya explore the intersections of east and west in "Whole Wide World", a world premiere from Peggy Baker Dance Projects and Ipsita Nova Dance Projects.

On the programme, Baker will present her 2006 choreography "Krishna's Mouth", set to a haunting cello score by the noted Japanese-American composer Karen Tanaka, and "Strand", performed to music for piano written by Canadian composer Ann Southam. Bhattacharya, meantime, will present "Map of the Known World", choreographed for her by Peggy Baker, as well as her latest work, "Unspoken", both featuring original music from Toronto tabla virtuoso Ed Hanley. The programme will conclude with both performers in the world premiere of "Aleatoric Solo Duet."

There are two performances this weekend at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines: Saturday evening at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 2:30. Anyone who has attended a performance at the Courthouse Theatre knows it is an intimate space, so as such it will be limited seating this weekend. You can try at the door, but it might be best to call the Brock box office for tickets to either performance: 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or order online at www.arts.brocku.ca/performances.

Enjoy the weekend!

February 5th, 2011.

Niagara Symphony presents Afternoon Delights

2011-01-29T09:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Niagara Symphony season continues Sunday afternoon at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, with the third Masterworks concert titled, appropriately enough, Afternoon Delights. The conductor will be Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk and the soloist will be Austin Hitchcock, Principal Horn for the Niagara Symphony.

It seems like it has been forever since we last attended a Niagara Symphony concert; in reality the Christmas concert was only about 6 weeks ago, but with Christmas and New Year's and all the business over the holidays, it seems much longer. All the more reason to get down there and enjoy some great music and support the Niagara Symphony over the winter months when many head south for the winter.

Maestro Thachuk leads the orchestra in a performance of the much-loved Beethoven Symphony No. 6, the Pastorale, subtitled "Recollections of a Country Life." Anyone who has seen and loved the Disney film Fantasia will know this music well; however, that truncated version of the work doesn't really begin to to the work justice, lovely though the adaptation may be. The fully-fledged symphony is one of the most evocative works in the symphonic repertoire, and I am very much looking forward to hearing the Niagara Symphony perform the work tomorrow afternoon.

Also on the programme will be the Horn Concerto in E-flat major by Richard Strauss. This heroic work features Principal Horn player Austin Hitchcock, recently returned from an extensive tour with the Canadian Brass to Venezuela, working with that country's extraordinary outreach programme, El Sisterna. This is a difficult work to perform and not many recordings are currently available of it, so this will be a golden opportunity to finally hear the work live.

As always, I will be in the lobby before, after and during intermission with lots of great music for you to purchase, or to take your special orders. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

Tickets are still available through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or in person tomorrow afternoon before the concert.

See you there!

January 29th, 2011.

Writing about events at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University

2011-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

You never know, sometimes, where life can lead you; nor can you possibly know when a new opportunity may present itself, usually when you least expect it. For the last few years I have been writing on local events in the arts community in this space, and I am constantly amazed the number of people who read it and take the time to comment on it. I always look forward to people's feedback, no matter what form it may take. That leads me to this week's blog entry.

I received an email last fall from Michael Chess, the Marketing Production Coordinator at the Centre for the Arts at Brock, asking if I would be interested in writing the program notes for an upcoming concert. After some initial hesitation, I agreed, and shortly afterwards found myself on the phone making arrangements to interview the people appearing at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre Sunday afternoon of this weekend: Voices of Showtime and guest artist Peter Appleyard. I had to do the interviews separately, and with Peter I was able to record the interview in the studio at CKTB Radio, so I was able to listen back to the interview for writing the article and also to air the edited interview on the morning show, which I produce. We aired the interview, in fact, this past Monday morning.

Voices of Showtime is a vocal group that loves the great music of the 30s, 40s and 50s, and they perform it in a somewhat jazzy style I find reminiscent of the Singers Unlimited. They swing just that little bit, and truly love the music they sing. The group goes back a number of years now and primarily perform in the Toronto area, where the group is based, although individual members come from far and wide to perform with the group. This is a rare tour date for Voices of Showtime, and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to offer tomorrow afternoon. Peter Appleyard I have spoken to a few times over the years, and in fact I emceed the first jazz fundraising concert down at Willowbank in Queenston a number of years ago, where Peter was the headliner. He is still very much a going concern, and he told me in the interview he has absolutely no plans to retire from making the music he loves. That's great news for us, as he is every bit as vibrant and dynamic now as he was when I first met him many years ago.

Tickets are still available for the show Sunday afternoon by calling the box office at Brock: 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or you could likely pick them up at the door before the concert, which begins at 2:30 pm.

This week, I was asked to write program notes for a second concert, so the first one I wrote must have been well received, I suppose. Canadian singer Louise Pitre will bring her musical tribute to Edith Piaf and all things French to the Centre for the Arts at Brock on March 27th, as she performs with her trio at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre. I emailed Louise this week and talked to her on the phone today from her farmhouse near Alliston, Ontario. I will again be writing the notes based on that interview, and ultimately editing the interview for broadcast on CKTB Radio at a later date.

Louise has become a tour-de-force in her own right, and the concert of French chansons promises to be a great concert, even if you are, like me, largely unilingual. Somehow, I suspect the language barrier will be a problem while listening to Louise any more than it would have been years ago while listening to Edith Piaf.

Who knows? This might become another sideline for me: writing program notes for concerts. I never would have thought about that years ago, although I have had a lot of experience interviewing entertainers over the years, ranging from Peggy Lee to the infamous cross-dresser Divine. It is a part of my career I think I am ready to resurrect, so we'll see how things go in the future. In the meantime, if you go to the Voices of Showtime performance Sunday afternoon at Brock, I hope you enjoy the program notes!

January 22nd, 2011.

The best of times and the worst of times for the Shaw Festival

2011-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

There has been lots of attention paid towards the upcoming season for the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, especially since this will be Shaw's 50th season and plans are in place to truly celebrate the achievement.

Ticket sales are reported to be strong for the 2011 season, and the box office is now open to process orders from the general public as of today. Members and sponser cardholders ticket sales began in November and December, respectively, and Shaw reports the results so far are encouraging, with Member ticket sales ahead of last year's pace by 5%, and group sales reaching the $ 1 million mark, 15% ahead of the same time last year. There is also a remarkable 143% increase in family package sales so far this season, due largely to the anticipation surrounding two key productions this coming season: the musical My Fair Lady and J.M. Barrie's comedy The Admirable Crichton, both appearing on the Festival stage.

Also on the playbill this year are Shaw's most celebrated play, Heartbreak House, as well as Candida, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, On the Rocks, Drama at Inish - A Comedy, and the world premiere of the newly-developed musical Maria Severa at the Court House Theatre. The popular Lunchtime show this year is a remount of The President, which was done a couple of seasons back to rave reviews. On the smaller Studio Theatre stage, we'll see the Canadian premieres of Topdog/Underdog and When the Rain Stops Falling.

But all the news is not good at Shaw early in this landmark year: we have had two significant players at Shaw pass away in the last month alone. On December 30th, we lost director Gina Wilkinson, who was scheduled to direct Shaw's Candida, to cervical cancer. Stepping in to take over directorial duties will be Tadeusz Bradecki, who last directed the spectacular 2009 production of Shaw's The Devil's Disciple.

Just this past week, news spread of the passing of veteran actor Al Kozlik, who suffered a stroke and died at the GNGH on Tuesday. Oddly, Al had just retired from the Company at the end of last season, having played the role of "Firs" in The Cherry Orchard, a part he had always wanted to play. Al came to the Shaw Festival in 1980, the same year Artistic Director Emeritus Christopher Newton arrived at Shaw. They had both been at the Vancouver Playhouse before Newton accepted the position to head up the Shaw Festival, and the two had worked together on countless productions over a period of 45 years. Christopher said in a statement from the Shaw Festival this week: "He was a great trooper, he was a great company member and he was one of those people who simply loved to be on the stage. Whether playing a small or large part, they were always alive, vibrant and fully realized - Al Kozlik was a consummate company member."

Indeed he was; I remember his performances in such productions as The Cassilis Engagement, Detective Story, Getting Married and countless others. Al was one of those important cogs in the theatrical wheel you would notice when he wasn't there; when he was, he added another dimension to the production.

Last year, of course, the Shaw Festival lost beloved actress Goldie Semple to cancer, and in 2009 director Neil Munro, whom I had known casually for many years, passed away suddenly while preparing the production of Born Yesterday, one of the runaway hits of the 2009 season. Oddly enough, Gina Wilkinson came in to replace Munro on that production in 2009, and now she is gone too.

It is funny in a way, but we tend to take some of these great talents for granted as we expect them to be there year after year, entertaining us again and again. They are human, after all, and are susceptible to the same problems we all face in life. But we often seem surprised to find one of our personal favourites is no longer there to entertain us. Such is life as an actor; we let them into our lives year after year, and yet we don't know about their own lives until it is too late.

The Shaw Festival will recover from these two recent losses and I have no doubt the 50th anniversary season will be spectacular. Fortunately for Shaw, the talent pool they can draw from is huge, and every time a new face appears we haven't seen before, they often become "one of the family" too, which is as it should be. We'll mourn the passing of Gina and Al, as we mourned the passing of Neil and Goldie, but as they say in the theatre, "the show must go on!", so on with the shows for the 50th anniversary season at Shaw, and thanks to those who have helped to bring the company this far.

January 15th, 2011.

Happy New Year with friends old and new

2011-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here we are, into a New Year, as we are now officially a week into 2011, and the Christmas rush is but a distant memory again until next year. While I was taking some time over the holidays to rest and recover from the hectic pace of December, I started to think of some of the people I've gotten to know over the past year that have added such a nice musical dimension to my life.

Over Christmas I had a couple of brief visits from our local renaissance woman of music, Laura Thomas, who was busy buying some great music for the holidays from A Web of Fine Music. I have known Laura almost since I moved to Niagara almost 30 years ago, and we've been good friends ever since. If ever there was someone with connections to the local musical establishment here, she is the one. Unfortunately I missed her annual Open House this year, but hopefully next year I'll be better organized. Happy New Year, Laura, and best wishes for a musical New Year! By the way, Laura is conducting the next Pops! concert in February with the Niagara Symphony, titled "Hey Niagara, You've Got Talent!", at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, February 26th and 27th. The concert will be featuring talent from across the Niagara Region, so it promises to be an interesting mix of musical entertainment.

Laura is also Artistic Director of the local choir Choralis Camerata, and for several years now they have staged a concert to coincide with Black History Month in February, and each year I am honoured to join the choir for the performance as narrator, as the music explores the history of the so-called Underground Railroad that began in the deep south and ended around Fort Erie. The featured soloist for the concert each year is Teresa Holierhoek, who sings spirituals with such passion she often brings the house down at these concerts. She is a rare talent who sings jazz the rest of the year under the name of TiannaH with her group Jazz with a Twist. The group expands and contracts in size depending on the size of the venue and of course, the budget they are working with. I finally got a chance to hear TiannaH and her band at the weekly summer concert series at Charles Daley Park in Lincoln this past summer, and she is a treat to listen to.

Upcoming performances by TiannaH and co., by the way, include next Friday evening at the Niagara Icewine Gala at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, and then Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th at the Winter WineFest on Main Street in Jordan all afternoon long. Teresa lives with her family in the Vineland area and is steadily making a name for herself in jazz circles locally for her full, rich voice and stage presence. She also happens to be a pretty neat person, too, and I count her among the great musical finds for me over the past year.

The third person I have gotten to know over the past year, who in fact performed with the Niagara Symphony just last spring, is Juliet Dunn. Juliet, along with her husband Peter Shea, perform throughout the Region and elsewhere on a regular basis, and they make their home right here in St. Catharines. For the Niagara Symphony performances last spring, Juliet was delayed getting back to Niagara due to the closure of the airports in parts of Europe due to that volcanic ash problem that developed, but she made it just in time and wowed the audiences at both performances.

I only really got to know Juliet when, out of the blue, she stopped by our CKTB Radio studios one morning after we were finished the show, and dropped off a couple of her CDs for us to listen to. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately booked her for a spot on the show that week to promote her Christmas CD, titled, not surprisingly, "Christmas in Niagara." The next day, I had the pleasure of hearing Juliet and Peter perform at Chapters at the Fairview Mall for December 24th last-minute shoppers, and she became a client of my website, www.finemusic.ca for some last-minute Christmas shopping of her own.

Just this past week, I ran into Juliet again as we were both leaving the Y; me after a workout and her after teaching a gentle Zumba class. That's Juliet: always moving and always on the go. But her voice is wonderfully expressive and she herself possesses a genuine good nature that is simply infectious. If you ever get a chance to catch a performance by Juliet and husband Peter, make a point of doing so. And if you want one of her CDs, I currently have their first release, "C'est si bon", featuring Juliet with Le Trio Parisien, on my website on the Mike's Picks page. You can order through the website or by emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com. I can also supply the Christmas disc as well, but don't have it featured on the site now that Christmas is over. You can also go to Juliet's own website, www.julietdunn.ca.

Finally, on New Year's Eve we were out to dinner at one of our favourite local hotspots, Paris Crepes on Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls, and providing the musical entertainment all evening long were Beth Bartley and Mark Crawford, otherwise known to local music fans as Vox Violins. Beth and Mark perform regularly around the Region, and on this night it was great to hear them in a relaxed, joyful setting on New Year's Eve at a great venue. They are also active in the local musical scene in the teaching end as well: Beth is a music instructor at Ryson's Music on Court Street in downtown St. Catharines, for instance. I have known both for a number of years now, and their association with Paris Crepes is a relatively new one, as the restaurant is part of the current renaissance of downtown Niagara Falls. They've been open for well over a year now, and are fast becoming one of the real dining jewels in Niagara.

So, to begin the year, a musical tip of the hat to some local talent I have known either for a long or a short period of time, but in all cases, glad to know them all, as they contribute so much to the local fabric in Niagara on a regular basis.

Happy New Year!

January 8th, 2011.

My Top Five noteworthy arts events of 2010

2010-12-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow evening is New Year's Eve, so the week leading up to same we tend to collate a number of lists of 'best of' and 'worst of' for the year, along with Top Ten lists of everything from news events to most popular food trends for the year. Not to be outdone, I humbly present this week my Top Five noteworthy events in the arts during the past year in Niagara and beyond. I could have done a Top Ten, I suppose, but these are the real noteworthy events as I see them, and anything else would have been just padding out the list. So, let's get to it...

NUMBER FIVE
The return of actor extraordinaire Christopher Plummer to the thrust stage at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Stratford, Ontario, in a breathtaking production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. As I wrote at the time, this production had it all: amazing special effects that didn't detract from the play but rather augmented it; a stellar supporting cast; great design and direction; and of course, Christopher Plummer, who presented a beautifully crafted Prospero. This was a production for the ages, and one we'll likely not see again. Hope you got tickets this season...

NUMBER FOUR
Staying with live theatre, the continuing evolution of first-quality, exciting and vibrant live theatre in downtown St. Catharines courtesy Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects and their Artistic Director, Kelly Daniels. Yes, Virginia, there is great theatre in the heart of downtown St. Catharines in the dead of winter when the Shaw Festival is hibernating. The last three productions for Lyndesfarne, going back to the fall of 2009, have shown the quality of theatre we're capable of producing in our own backyard: Ric Reid's delightfully manic and funny take on Steven Berkoff's hilarious one-man show, "Shakespeare's Villains" this past fall; Kelly Daniels and Ric Reid romping through Michelle Riml's comedy "Sexy Laundry" in the spring; and in the fall of 2009, Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's gritty play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane", starring Daniels and featuring a great performance by Shaw actor Jennifer Phipps. Yes, there is great theatre to be had in downtown St. Catharines; the challenge now is to get that word out and fill more seats in the new year.

NUMBER THREE
The announcement this past May of the new Music Director Designate for the Niagara Symphony, Toronto-born Bradley Thachuk. After a season-long search for a new Music Director and an audition process that saw four eminently-qualified candidates for the position show what they could do as each conducted a Pops and Masterworks concert, the audience was asked to vote for their favourite following each concert. How much influence the audience had on the final selection process is open to speculation, I suspect, but the final outcome, announced at a press conference at the Centre for the Arts at Brock University in May, seemed to please most people, and Brad said all the right things that day as he accepted the position. This season, we don't get to see Maestro Thachuk every time out, since he has to fulfill his final committments in Fort Wayne, Indiana this season, but he is conducting about half the season. Next season we get all Bradley all the time, and then we truly get to experience what this energetic young conductor has to offer. A sidelight to the entire selection process for me personally was a lovely email from candidate Diane Whittry thanking me for my comments in this space following her two outings with the Symphony last season. A classy touch, I found.

NUMBER TWO
The second most noteworthy event in the arts has to be the November 'Flash Mob' unfolding amongst unsuspecting food court patrons at the Seaway Mall in Welland on November 13th. The people at Alphabet Photography, who devised the idea as a sort of video 'thank-you' for their clients, never imagined the thing would go viral within days, with about 30-million hits the last time I checked on YouTube. What a thank-you! What great promotion for Alphabet Photography and especially for Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara. Cooper arranged the music for that specific location, and the photographers and chorus members executed the game-plan flawlessly. The result, singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's oratorio "Messiah", is four minutes of sheer pleasure: watching the faces of the stunned food court patrons; the quick appearance of digital cameras to record the event; and the sheer exhuberance of a skilled choir who simply knows this music backwards and forewards. The downside to this whole story? The numerous copycat versions now out there, with each of them apparently claiming the idea was theirs. Go figure. But we were first here in Niagara. Bravo to everyone involved for creating some Christmas magic in the most unusual place: a shopping mall food court. What can they do for an encore!?

NUMBER ONE
The summer announcement by all four levels of governement: federal, provincial, regional and municipal, to work together and bring significant funding to the table to help make the dream of a downtown performing arts centre a reality in St. Catharines. The announcement, though not totally surprising, was still significant considering the scope of the funding and the determination from all levels of government to see this thing through to its conclusion. There was some tension as we waited, on the edge of our collective seats, no less, for the funding to come from the provincial government for the Brock portion of the project, which will see the construction of a centre for their arts programs and students in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. We are still a few years away from seeing this project reach completion, but significant strides have already been made, giving downtown merchants the incentive to improve their own premises as we work collectively to make the downtown a destination place once again. This project has the potential to totally transform not only our own downtown, but the entire peninsula. Handled properly, we can bring more performances to Niagara from outside the area, as well as showcasing our own homegrown talents such as Chorus Niagara, the Niagara Symphony, and a host of smaller arts organizations. The trick will be making it affordable both for the tenants and the patrons. We have time to do this right, and we had better, for we have all waited so long for this project to move forward at a pace not seen before. Let's show everyone how good a job we can do on this!

So there you have it, my Top Five for the year 2010. I hope your 2011 is just as interesting, and I wish you all a Happy and prosperous New Year. I have lots more to write about in the New Year, including some announcements I will be making in due time, so please keep reading this space, and please always send your comments in; I love the feedback!

December 30th, 2010.

Down to the wire for Christmas 2010!

2010-12-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

As always, Christmas is closer than you think, and believe me, I have been running hard the last several weeks trying to catch up! I fear the day will overtake me in the passing lane any moment now; I haven't even got my Christmas cards written and in the mail yet - now that is bad! But most people know not to expect them until the new year anyway, so...

I don't know yet if A Web of Fine Music will be setting any sales records this month, but I will do my end-of-month calculations late next week and see where we stand. Based on that, we'll chart the course for the next year and see where life leads us. In the meantime, if you have any last-minute music-buying needs, I can certainly do my best to fulfil them if you go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

For many people, Christmas is a time to be close to family, but for me my family is now quite far away for the most part. My sister and her family live in Kenora and my brother and his family live in Aurora, so it is basically Sophie and I with the two cats here at home base at Christmas, making for a quiet day. Frankly, I like it that way now, since I run so hard for most of the month I enjoy the fact I can just stop and rest for a change on Christmas Day. The week between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally very quiet in the music business, so I am able to catch up on paperwork in the office, pay some bills and catch up on sleep and reading. That sounds so inviting at this point!

If Christmas means more to you than the simple commercialization of the day, and I certainly hope it does, you likely will be attending a church service either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If that is the case, you will be bathed in some glorious music of the season that helps to re-establish the meaning of the season. For me, personally, my Christmas begins about 11 pm on Christmas Eve, when all the important preparations are done.

It is then I, having donned my tux and walked to the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines, I prepare for the annual radio broadcast of the Midnight Mass, which begins with a live carol service at 11:30, both broadcast on radio station 610/CKTB here in St. Catharines, where I have been employed for almost 30 years now. This is a great tradition that goes back 78 years, making it the longest-running radio broadcast of its kind in North America and perhaps the world. I have been the host for the broadcast for 21 years now, which is amazing to me; I hardly imagined when I took the reigns from the late Johnny Morrison in 1989 I would still be doing this on Christmas Eve. In fact, in the 78 years of the broadcast, I am only the third voice of the broadcast, and that is something to think about.

I still have to write the script, which hopefully will be later this evening if I am lucky, but I have a knack for getting it done under pressure if it has to wait until tomorrow evening. The difference now is I keep the script saved on my computer, which means I don't have to completely re-write it every time out. The first decade or so I had to pull out my trusty old Underwood manual typewriter (which I still have, by the way) and write it from scratch each and every year. I don't miss those days...

After the broadcast, about 2 in the morning, comes my all-time favourite Christmas moment: walking home in the cold night air, stars overhead, peaceful thoughts as I see the remainder of the Christmas light displays still on in home windows in my neighbourhood. At that moment, all alone and at one with the season, Christmas has arrived for me.

Anyway, it would be wonderful to know you were listening on the radio if not attending in person; just dial 610 on your AM band by 11:30 tomorrow night and you won't miss the broadcast. Let me know if you do; I would love to hear from you!

Merry Christmas, and I will be back at my usual post before the end of the year.

December 23rd, 2010.

Last minute Christmas gift ideas from A Web of Fine Music

2010-12-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe, but we're less than a week away from Christmas Day, and judging by the lines of cars entering mall parking lots in Niagara this weekend, lots of people are still out there looking for the perfect gift for that special someone. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't recommend a few good holiday recordings available through my website, A Web of Fine Music (www.finemusic.ca) in time for Christmas gift-giving. As of this writing, all these are currently in stock and ready to go; all you have to do is email me either through the website or directly at music@vaxxine.com.

JOY TO THE WORLD - PINK MARTINI (HEINZ MUSIC)
This is turning into the must-have Christmas disc of the season. Anyone who knows the group Pink Martini will not be the least bit surprised this disc is a hot item: they are wonderfully creative and inventive, with every track getting a thorough re-working and coming out sounding almost brand-new. The music is largely standard Christmas fare: White Christmas, Santa Baby, Little Drummer Boy, Do You Hear What I Hear? and We Three Kings are some of the more familiar tracks. Reflecting the international flavour of the disc, we also hear Shchedryk (Ukrainian Bell Carol), La Vergine Degli Angeli and Ocho Kandelikas. A nice touch, the lyrics are reprinted in the accompanying booklet in several different languages. The album graphics are first rate, as is the production of the disc itself, and this collection rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.

HOLIDAY CLASSICS - SEATTLE SYMPHONY; GERARD SCHWARZ, COND. (NAXOS)
The retro graphics set the tone for this new recording with the Seattle Symphony, sounding just fine, thank you very much, on the popular Naxos label. The collection features some pretty standard fare, including several selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ( Miniature Overture; March; Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy; Russian Dance and the Waltz of the Flowers), plus several pieces from the Water Music Suites by Handel, which is a nice addition. Also heard are the ubiquitous Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, and the Christmas carols Gesu Bambino and Coventry Carol. The production values are first-rate, which is typical of the Naxos engineering team, and the orchestra sounds in fine form. Granted, they break no new ground here, but the programming is varied enough you'll enjoy listening to this disc time and time again. Holiday Classics rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.

LULLABIES AND CAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS - MONICA WHICHER, SOPRANO; JUDY LOMAN, HARP (NAXOS)
A brand-new disc out just in time for the holidays, this collection of carols both old and new features the soprano voice of Monica Whicher, described by The Guardian as"poignantly expressive" teamed with acclaimed harpist Judy Loman, former Principal Harpist with the Toronto Symphony. Loman also did many of the arrangements on this disc, incidentally, and her music-making is always a joy to hear. Some of the familiar carols given lovely treatments here are The Garden of Jesus; In the Bleak Mid-Winter; Noel Nouvelet; Six Noels Pour la Harpe; and In Dulci Jubilo. The recording, made in Newmarket, Ontario's St. John Chrysostom Church earlier this year, has a lovely warm sound to it, and the performances are both first-rate. This is the disc for after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, as you're setting the milk and cookies out for a special visitor overnight. I really like this disc, and it rates a strong 4 out of 4 stars.

J.S. BACH: CHRISTMAS ORATORIO - THE KING'S SINGERS; WDR BIG BAND, ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED BY BILL DOBBINS (2CD)(SIGNUM CLASSICS)
I don't quite know what it is about the music of Bach, but it lends itself to so many different interpretations, both classical and otherwise, it is hard to find a bad recording of Bach's music at all. He was such a prolific writer of music for Christmas, too, you have a perfect opportunity to take liberties with his original music and make something uniquely different and special, which is what arranger Bill Dobbins has done on this brand-new recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. The King's Singers are totally in control here, keeping the meaning of the music in focus throughout, in spite of the decidedly jazzy arrangements provided by Dobbins. This may not be a disc for the purists, but rather, those open-minded individuals who also happened to enjoy the big-band Christmas presentation offered by Chorus Niagara last year at this time. This set is an adventure! It rates a positive 4 out of 4 stars.

CHRISTMAS DANCING - JAMES LAST ORCHESTRA (POLYDOR)
I think everyone grew up listening to this disc, coming out as it did in the 60s when James Last was at the peak of his popularity. I took a long time to make it to disc, however, but the wait was worth it. The sound is quite amazing given the age of the recording, and the arrangements, although showing their age just a bit, still are fun to listen to today. I can't imagine many actually 'dancing' to this music, but listening will be easy: Last just knows how to handle a good tune and make it fun. Most of the medleys are made up of German carols, although some familiar international carols can be heard, including Silent Night and I Wonder as I Wander. Go ahead, listen to this disc again and relive those heady days of the 60s when people thought we could do just about anything! Christmas Dancing rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.

Just a few items of interest this week; remember, all of these are currently in stock as of this writing, but don't delay. If you're interested in more information, go to my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me at music@vaxxine.com and I will take care of the rest.

The countdown is on - let's enjoy the ride!

December 19th, 2010.

The Countdown is on to Christmas - ready or not!

2010-12-16T17:39:00.001-08:00

So here we are, as I write this, just over a week away from Christmas Day, and there is still so much to do. That's the trouble with this time of year; too much to do and too little time to do it in. But we somehow manage, and after Christmas is all said and done for the year, we usually say next year we'll be better organized. But it never happens. At least we know we have a lot of company...

I was thinking of all this for a couple of reasons this week; I was out last evening on a whirlwind Christmas shopping spree, and everything is pretty much done now. An hour out of my life at targeted locations, and I had most everything done - now that is lucky, and good news! I always have to get my shopping done early, for two reasons: firstly, much of my family now lives up north in Kenora, so I have to send everything up to them, which I did earlier today. But I also can't afford, being in the retail business with my website, A Web of Fine Music, to leave things to the last minute when I am busy enough as it is filling and sending out last-minute orders for my customers. So I have never been one to be wandering the mall on December 24th, lamely looking for something - anything - that might remotely resemble a present someone I know might appreciate receiving.

So, what has all this got to do with the arts, you ask? Well, I have devoted a lot of time lately to writing in this space about the myriad of Christmas concerts and other events scheduled for December, and the fact you almost need all your spare time just to attend them all, should you wish to. By now, December 16th, you would think they would all be done, but no, not yet. We still have several concerts coming up, including A Glissandi Christmas tomorrow evening at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the annual Christmas Choir Concert at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines, which comes up at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.

Out of town, we have the National Ballet of Canada presenting their ever-popular Nutcracker performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts through to January 2nd, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra has their annual Christmas Pops performances this coming Saturday afternoon and evening at Hamilton Place. I just received word yesterday the annual Festival of Carols peformances at St. John's Church in Elora, featuring The Elora Festival Singers scheduled for early next week are all sold out, so we're both out of luck on that one.

The problem has always been, of course, balancing your pleasure with what simply has to be done this month. For me, I am always so busy with my website (www.finemusic.ca), I often don't have time for many of the concerts unless I happen to be set up in the lobby, as I usually am with the Niagara Symphony and Choralis Camerata, for example. So it was I was looking at my schedule this week when the 20th annual Civic Christmas Carol Concert rolled around Tuesday at noon. Now, I have never been to this wonderful musical event before, and although I had a lot on my plate that snowy Tuesday, I decided "What the heck, everything else can wait!" as I made my way over to St. Thomas' Anglican Church for the annual event.

As always, it was a sellout, and well worth the small donation to Community Care that was requested of people attending. The choirs of Laura Secord Secondary School and Holy Cross Secondary School, along with the Chorus Niagara Children's Choir and the Civic Brass Ensemble were all in fine form, filling the church with glorious sounds of the season. It is hard not to get caught up in the spirit of the season when you hear those youthful voices ring out in song, and we, doing the best we can, joining in on occasion. The icing on the cake was the Christmas message delivered by The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the special guest for the occasion. I have had the pleasure of speaking to him before and he is the most down-to-earth, kind and gentle soul you could imagine. The fact his roots take him back many years to his radio broadcasting days, about the time I was getting into the business myself, well, he just made us all so proud in the radio business! His words, echoing those of the Queen in her 1957 Christmas Day address, still ring true for us today, and his blending of then and now was a pleaure to hear.

So, will I go for number 21 next year? You bet I will! I wish I had become part of this annual tradition, a unique one in a city our size I imagine, years ago. But better late than never, and the tradition now begins for me.

Another tradition at Christmastime for many is going to Niagara-on-the-Lake the weekend before Christmas for the annual reading of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, featuring several members of the Shaw Festival acting ensemble. This is the sort of thing you need, like Tuesday's Civic Christmas Carol Concert, to take you out of the commercialization of the season and ground you to the true meaning of Christmas. So it will be this Sunday afternoon at 3, when Peter Millard, Ijeoma Emesowum, Kelly Wong, Gabrielle Jones, Peter Krantz and Guy Bannerman will present A Christmas Carol at St. Mark's Anglican Church on Byron Street, with musical interludes presented by music director at St. Mark's Michael Tansley, along with singer Patty Jamieson. This should be a great afternoon; in fact it usually sells out, so if you have not already done so, you might want to get your tickets in advance from the Shaw Festival boxoffice at 905-468-2172. Tickets are only $ 12 for adults and $ 6 for children; a small price to pay for the magic of Christmas without sugar-coated carols piped in to the mall shops everywhere at this time of year. There, I feel better already just thinking about it!

There is much to do in Niagara to bring you back to what Christmas is all about; all you have to do is look around and marvel at the possibilities. Enjoy!

December 16th, 2010.

Niagara Symphony and Chorus Niagara celebrate the season this weekend

2010-12-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

This is what would be called by some a Big Weekend in local arts circles, as both Niagara Symphony and Chorus Niagara unleash their always-popular Christmas programmes on what are expected to be for both groups, sellout crowds. And since the season is so full of things to do at other times, this is the perfect weekend to set aside some time for yourself to just relax and enjoy some great music.

First off, both this evening at 7:30 and tomorrow afternoon at 2:30, the Niagara Symphony presents their Pops! 2 programme, titled "A Niagara Holiday Fantasy". This is always a popular event, and I imagine it gets tougher each year coming up with new ideas. This year, the Chorus Niagara Children's Choir will be featured, along with young Annette Malinowski singing the lovely "Allelujah" from Mozart's Exultate Jubilate. There will also be the requisite audience singalong, and several Leroy Anderson classics, including the ever-popular Anderson arrangement of "A Christmas Festival". Needless to say, I will be in the lobby before, at intermission, and after both concerts this weekend with lots of seasonal sounds to hopefully tempt you, including several recordings of Leroy Anderson classics.

The guest conductor this weekend is St. Catharines native Rosemary Thomson, who will be joined by her sister Elspeth Thomson playing viola at this concert. Thomson now resides in B.C., where she is Music Director of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.

Meantime, Chorus Niagara rides the wave of popularity generated by their much-watched "Flash Mob" video on YouTube, now approaching something like 15-million hits, last time I checked, and counting. Handel's Messiah is much more than the celebrated Hallelujah Chorus, of course, which was featured in the video, but those in the know will be there this weekend to hear the every-other-year event in the Chorus Niagara calendar. I would not be surprised if both performances, this evening at 7:30 in Grimsby at Mountainview Christian Reformed Church and tomorrow afternoon at 3 at Calvary Church in St. Catharines, are total sellouts due to the popularity of the video on top of those who would normally not want to miss this event. So be forewarned, and hope for the best!

Ideally, you can go to the Niagara Symphony for one performance, and Chorus Niagara for the other this weekend, and if that sounds like an ideal way to avoid the mall this weekend, there is still time to call the Brock boxoffice at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or take your chances at the door for both events.

Enjoy the sounds of the season this weekend!

December 11th, 2010.

Chorus Niagara celebrates the season in syle!

2010-12-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

What a season it has been so far for Chorus Niagara! Every year, they put on several performances of great choral music throughout Niagara, with Handel's Messiah performed every other Christmas. Their performances this year take place next weekend, in fact.

This year, however, Chorus Niagara is riding a wave of unprecedented popularity due to the production of a 5-minute 'flash mob' video on YouTube that has gone viral, with more than 6-million views the last time I checked. The worldwide interest the video has garnered has meant coverage on Good Morning, America, Inside Edition, CNN and ABC World News. Now, the choir is set to perform the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah from the food court at the Seaway Mall in Welland again this coming Wednesday morning at 6:30 am, as they broadcast live from the mall on Canada AM. Life just doesn't get any better for Chorus Niagara these days!

It all began when Jennifer Blakeley and her team at Alphabet Photography in Niagara approached Chorus Niagara with the idea to record something seasonal in a public location. The result was an early-morning visit with choir members, recording equipment and such back on Saturday morning, November 13th. The set up crew apparently got there at 5 am; choir members began arriving at 6, and rehearsals began shortly thereafter. Once the mall opened for the day around 9, choir members, dressed in their Saturday street clothes, milled about and basically blended in with mall shoppers visiting the food court that morning. When Lynn Honsberger, their accompanist, finished playing endless Christmas carols on the electronic keyboard in the food court, the cue was given for her to launch into the opening chords of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's oratorio 'Messiah' and the fun began. One by one, choir members joined in, surrounding startled patrons of the food court with glorious music for the holiday season.

What is interesting watching the video now is how quickly - likely within seconds - people's cell-phone cameras began recording the event, which is a part of everyday life now, it seems. All went well for the few minutes the choir sang, with everyone bursting into exhuberant applause at the end. Success! But it took a lot of work to get to that point and everything was planned out and rehearsed in advance. You can tell from the quality of the photography everything was orchestrated to the second, yet it looks spontaneous and very matter-of-fact. The video, which you can find on YouTube, or just go to the Chorus Niagara website, www.chorusniagara.ca, and there it is on the home page for you to enyoy, is one of the classiest, well-done and inspiring videos you're ever likely to see.

What I like about this whole idea is bringing quality music to the masses by way of modern technology. Literally millions around the world will log on to view the video, and even if their interest in the choir or the music itself doesn't go beyond that, it is a victory for those who feel classical music has taken a back seat in society today. Here is an example of great music being performed exceptionally well in the unlikeliest of locations, and everyone wins. The choir gets great exposure, as does the Seaway Mall, and everyone feels good from watching a few minutes of video magic unfold. You might not be able to catch lightening in a bottle, but capturing the performance in a video is the next best thing, I suspect.

If you want to catch the entire performance of Messiah, keep in mind the Hallelujah Chorus is but a small part of the entire work, but every note Handel wrote is glorious, and nothing else will put you in the spirit of the Christmas season like Messiah will. Performances are next weekend on Saturday evening at 7:30 at Mountainview Christian Reformed Church in Grimsby, and Sunday afternoon at 3 at Calvary Church in north St. Catharines. Tickets always go fast for Chorus Niagara's presentations of Messiah, so don't wait. Likely the best seats are to be had for the Grimsby performance, I should think, but you can check with the Brock box office for ticket availability at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.

By the way, the early-morning performance at the Seaway Mall food court this coming Wednesday at 6:30 am is open to the public, so if you are free, why not head down and watch the action as Canada AM broadcasts the choir live to a national television audience?

Yes, life is good for Robert Cooper and Chorus Niagara. And it is about to get so much better, I bet. Congratulations!

December 4th, 2010.

News and Notes on Christmas in Niagara

2010-12-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

There is so much happening these days in Niagara, as the Christmas season is upon us, I thought I would devote my midweek entry to a round-up of things coming up over the next few days in the area. First, though, I want to quickly look back on the Niagara Symphony performance on the weekend.

As mentioned in my last entry, the second Masterworks concert of the season was conducted by Associate Conductor Laura Thomas Sunday afternoon, as they performed Buhr's Akasha and Mozart's Symphony No. 41, the "Jupiter" symphony. Laura, I find, is a very democratic conductor, giving credit to everyone in the orchestra who deserves it, perhaps since she is also a member of the orchestra herself. Oddly, though, I don't feel the orchestra sounded as sharp as it usually does, and I can't put my finger on just why that would be. The other notable piece on the programme was Vivaldi's familiar The Four Seasons, Op. 8, performed by members of the strings conducted from the violin by young Julia Wedman, who spends a lot of her time in Toronto performing with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. This was not a period instrument performance, of course, but the Symphony under Wedman presented a rather rustic, rough-hewn version of Vivaldi's greatest hit, with its own particular charm. A notable change was the fact all the violins and violas stood during the performance, which added a different visual dimension to the performance I quite enjoyed. Wedman for her part was poised and took control of the situation without dominating it. The other nice addition to the mix was Shaw Festival actress Sharry Flett, who narrated the sonnets attributed to Vivaldi that subsequently inspired him to write the music for The Four Seasons. Again, it added another dimension to the performance, changing it from just another performance of a classical warhorse to a work with exceptional grace and charm. Overall, a pleasant performance; I also scored a couple of winning bids at the silent auction tables after the performance. Bonus!

Now, on to other things happening this weekend. Staying at Brock University, tomorrow evening (Friday) from 6 pm to midnight, Nuit Blanche Brock 2010 takes place - a multidisciplinary celebration of installation, time-based and performance art. It's a free community event organized by the Department of Visual Arts, with over 30 student artists and performers participating from Dramatic Arts, Music and Visual Arts. Art works include drawings, sculpure, dance, photography, video, installation and performances. Locations are throughout the campus, including the Thistle Complex, James A. Gibson Library, Market Hall and the MacKenzie Chown complex. For a complete listing of art works and dowloadable maps, you can visit www.brocku.ca/visualarts/visaexhibits.html. Should be a great evening, and it's free!

On the weekend, the Avanti Chamber Singers present Christmas Suites: Seasonal Music from Niagara and Beyond at St. Barnabas Anglican Church on Queenston Street. Tickets are available at the door or through the Department of Music at Brock. The concert begins at 7:30 on Saturday evening. Also at St. Barnabas Church, which is one of the acoustic jewels of Niagara, by the way, the next Primavera Concerts performance takes place Sunday evening at 7:30, and features Graham and Ian Shaw as narrators in a performance of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. This is a perennial favourite, and the old recording of Dylan himself reciting it is still available on CD; you can order it through my website, www.finemusic.ca, or just emailing me directly, music@vaxxine.com.

Both Saturday and Sunday, Laura Thomas' choral group, Choralis Camerata, presents their annual Christmas concert, and since Chorus Niagara is doing Messiah this year, they are not. This season, the concert includes a number of seasonal favourites, with the highlight being Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl & the Night Visitors, which premiered on television in 1951. There's an indication how television has changed over the years: the world premiere of an opera on television was broadcast LIVE on NBC back in 1951, so the 50th anniversary comes up next year. Laura and her singers jump the gun this weekend, with performances Saturday evening at 7:30 at St. Andrews United Church in Niagara Falls, and Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the expansive St. Alexander Roman Catholic Church in Fonthill. Tickets are available at the door for both performances, and on Sunday afternoon I will be in the foyer at intermission and after the show with lots of seasonal music for sale, including the only CD recording of Amahl currently available, on the Naxos label. It is a great recording; sadly the original from 1951 which I still own on LP, is long out of print. If you can't make it to the concert but want a copy of the CD, send me an email at music@vaxxine.com and I can get a copy for you.

A little further afield, over in Lewiston, New York, their annual Christmas Walk takes place on Center Street with many area merchants getting into the act, and tied in with it this year is the grand opening of the Opera Hall Gallery at 736 Center Street. Many local artists' work will be featured, not just this weekend, but on an ongoing basis.

In Hamilton, one of the best area choirs down that way, the John Laing Singers, present their annual Christmas concert on Saturday evening, 7:30, at Central Presbyterian Church on Charlton Avenue in Hamilton. Titled Gloria in Excelsis, the concert features music from Palestrina to Whitacre and lots of other music in-between. The John Laing Singers have a great sound, and their lovely Christmas CD, Merrily Sing We, is a joyful celebration of the season in words and music. I have it featured on my website at www.finemusic.ca, or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com and I can get a copy out to you in time for Christmas.

So, as you can see, we have lots going on not far from our own front doors. More to come, too, and I will have some thoughts on the upcoming Messiah performances with Chorus Niagara this coming weekend in my next blog entry.

Enjoy the season!

December 2nd, 2010.

Niagara Symphony presents Vivaldi's Four Seasons this weekend

2010-11-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe we are just about at the end of November already! No snow yet, but that doesn't appear to be deterring people from getting into the Christmas spirit, so that is good to see. I'm not quite there yet, but I am getting there. One or two more Christmas bazaars this weekend and I might be in the Christmas spirit officially...

Now, one way to celebrate the season and in fact, every season, is to attend the second Masterworks concert for the Niagara Symphony, coming up Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University. This concert is a big deal on a number of levels. First, we welcome Associate Conductor Laura Thomas back to the podium for performances of Glenn Buhr's Akasha and the wonderful Symphony No. 41 by Mozart, the so-called "Jupiter" symphony. But we also welcome a young violinist and guest conductor, a mainstay at the Shaw Festival for many seasons, and of course, the annual silent auction tables in the lobby.

Laura always does great work with the Symphony, and I am always happy to hear what she can do in the Masterworks concerts in addition to her more frequent appearances in the Pops! series. She'll be joined this weekend by young violinist Julia Wedman, who was in town just last Friday evening at Robertson Hall for the launch of the new CD by the Eybler Quartet, of which she is a member. The CD, incidentally, featuring music by Mozart and Backofen, is a sheer delight to listen to, and is featured in my November Fine Music Newsletter, as well as on my website at www.finemusic.ca. You can order a copy of the disc through my website or by simply emailing me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

Julia is on a leave from her full-time position with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra in Toronto, so she can spend some time travelling the world. But she stops in St. Catharines this weekend to perform and guest-conduct the Vivaldi Four Seasons, Op. 8 with the Niagara Symphony. Julia told me last week at the recital at Robertson Hall the violinist doesn't necessarily need to go through all the traditional gestures the conductor normally does to conduct the orchestra while playing; eye contact or even a head nod is often all that is required, so we'll see how it all comes together this Sunday afternoon.

Joining Julia and the Niagara Symphony is narrator Sharry Flett, a long-time member of the Shaw Festival acting ensemble, who will be reading a sonnet attributed to Vivaldi that subsequently inspired him to write the music for The Four Seasons. I must admit, I have never heard the sonnets before, so this will help make a very-familiar classical piece appear fresh and new again. The Four Seasons, of course, is a four-part work that has become in the last 70 years or so Vivaldi's most famous work, and certainly one of the most famous classical works, period. Adding Sherry's narration to the mix changes the whole complexion of the work for many, I suspect, and adds a new dimension to this popular work.

I have always been a fan of Sherry: her work at Shaw is always solid and interesting, and years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing her for a theatre production in Toronto where she quite simply captivated me with her charm and grace. What a lady! Can't wait to hear what she does tomorrow afternoon.

Finally, the annual silent auction fundraiser for the Niagara Symphony is also part of the afternoon's proceedings, taking up every available table in the lobby before the concert and at intermission, so you can peruse the offerings and hopefully bid often on many items in time for Christmas. Just think how much Christmas shopping you can do while supporting the Niagara Symphony! Since space will be at a premium in the lobby, I won't have my usual table set up for this concert, unfortunately, but I will be there for the concert, and if anyone has any musical enquiries about the music or any other musical question about something you're looking for, be sure to stop me in the lobby and I can take down the information for when I get back into the office.

Still don't have your tickets yet? The Brock box office can set you up by calling 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or you can pick them up at the door prior to the concert.

Enjoy the show!

November 27th, 2010.

The Ultimate Christmas Gift for the serious music lover

2010-11-24T13:51:00.000-08:00

As I write this, we are just a month away from Christmas Eve, so for most men, that means about 29 days before they seriously start to thing of their Christmas shopping, it seems. For others of either gender, they get at it early and get the best ideas and deals long before things run out of stock. I'm saying this now, as I hope I run out of stock on this particular item this Christmas, because it is so great!

My business, A Web of Fine Music, which you can find at www.finemusic.ca, is primarily devoted to classical and jazz CDs, although sales are not confined to those two particular musical genres. I order whatever you like, at Christmas and throughout the year. But I also issue my Fine Music Newsletter each month, and included are my Top Ten Mike's Picks for the month; these are new or recently released CDs and sometimes just old favourites I think you might like, that I suggest for you in case you would like to purchase them from A Web of Fine Music. By November, I have an eye towards Christmas, and try to offer some Christmas music in the mix, of course, and also some great items for holiday gift-giving.

This year, I think I have the ultimate Christmas gift for the serious music lover on your gift list, and it is the feature item both in the newsletter this month and on my website. Hanssler Classic has recently reissued a 10th-anniversary edition of their Complete Bach Edition at a very special price, and from what I have heard from the copy I've been sampling so far, it is a spectacular set! It comes in two formats this time, something that wasn't possible at the first issue ten years ago. The first format is the familiar CD format, in a slim long box that flips open to reveal 172 CDs of the entire J.S. Bach ouvre, featuring Helmuth Rilling and his various ensembles recorded over a period from 1975 to 2000. This Limited-Edition set includes a CD-ROM with 5,000 page eBook, including all song texts, introductions, and biographical notes; as well as two books with complete track listings. Over 200 hours of glorious music, meticulously recorded by Hanssler and all packaged in an elegant, matt-black box.

The second format is a fully-loaded iPod Classic, also in matt black finish, including OEM headphones, USB cable, backup DVD-ROM discs with the Complete Bach Edition in AAC format. The jury may still be out on whether MP3 files are as good-sounding as traditional discs, but there is no denying the compactness of having everything Bach wrote in the palm of your hand! Granted, the iPod version is more expensive, but either way, the set constitutes a real bargain when you consider what this set originally cost as a box set ten years ago, or as the discs were originally released over a 25-year period.

So, you're asking, "What's the cost, Mike?" The 172-CD box set is specially priced at $ 350 for the holiday season; the iPod format is $ 600 for the holiday season. Granted they are not cheap, but consider everything you get, and the fact this is globally recognized as the only authoritative edition of Bach's complete works, and you begin to realize just how valuable this set really is.

I have the CD box in stock now, and ready to ship. Once it is gone, I can get more, but keep in mind Christmas is fast approaching and I suspect this will be a popular item this season, so if you are interested, drop me a line through my website or directly at music@vaxxine.com and I can make arrangements to get a copy of either format to you in time to place under the Christmas tree this season!

Happy listening!

November 24th, 2010.

News & Notes on the arts in Niagara

2010-11-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Just the other day I posted a reminder about Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects' latest production of Shakespeare's Villains, which stars Ric Reid and runs through this weekend at the Sullivan-Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. I suggest again if you have not seen the show, make tracks to the theatre before the end of the weekend as you will not be dissapointed!

Hot on the heals of that news is the latest release just out from Lyndesfarne, announcing their winter production will be the Tony award-winning play The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, adapted from the novel by John Buchan and the film by Alfred Hitchcock. The play will star Lorne Kennedy and Jenny L. Wright from the Shaw Festival, along with John Osbaldeston and Jason Cadieux. The release states it is a "smart and fast-paced comedic thriller that sees four performers spinning through over 150 characters and a mysterious storyline - a seductive woman, a missing finger and accusations of espionage." Once again the director will by Kelly Daniels, Artistic Director for Lyndesfarne, who calls the play "a theatrical feast of sight and sound." More details will follow on this production but the play opens on March 10th at the Courthouse Theatre, so that will be something to look forward to come the new year.

In the more immediate future, we have a couple of important musical concerts coming up this Saturday afternoon, so you'll have to choose your favourite if either or both of these interest you, which I hope they will. First off, the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre will present 'Hear Freedom's Ring', a celebration of southern Ontario's history in a musical journey along the Underground Railroad, with tenor Michael Toby Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. During the performance visitors will discover the hidden meanings behind some of the world's most beloved spirituals. Having hosted concerts annually with Choralis Camerata on this same theme, I can say some of the hidden meanings in the lyrics is really quite astounding.

The concert takes place at the St. Catharines Museum, Welland Canals Interactive Centre at Lock 3 along the Welland Canal and tickets are only $ 20; you can call 905-684-8880 or simply pick them up at the door.

Also on Saturday at 1:30, and this is one I have a particular interest in myself, the St. Cathairnes General Hospital Foundation will be hosting a 25th anniversary Christmas Concert at the Bethany Commuty Church in St. Catharines. The concert will feature the popular Chorus Niagara, all 100 voices strong, along with special guest artist, singer Michael Burgess. You'll certainly remember Michael from his role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. There will be other musical acts taking part, including the Niagara Star Singers
as well on Saturday afternoon, and I am happy to report I have been asked to emcee the event, which I am all too happy to do.

The proceeds from the concert will be directed toward the 2010 Tree of Lights Campaign, one of the most successful fundraising initiatives for the Foundation, raising a remarkable 1.3 million over 24 years. The money is much needed and well spent: funds have been used to purchase urgently needed patient care equipment for departments including the Operating Room, Emergency Room, Critical Care and Paediatrics at the St. Catharines General Site. Specifically, funds from the 2010 campaign will be directed toward urgently needed electric beds for the SCGH site.

The afternoon promises to be a perfect kickoff to the holiday season, and with tickets only $ 20, how can you refuse? Students & seniors are only $ 15, and children 12 and under get in for only $ 10. If you don't have your tickets yet, call 905-323-3863 or go to www.scghfoundation.com.

I have spent a lot of time at the SCGH over the years, first with my mother passing away in 2000, my father passing away in 2009, and me in Emergency three times in that same year, so I know intimately what is needed now at the hospital, and we all hope you'll help out by coming out to the concert Saturday afternoon beginning at 1:30.

November 18th, 2010.

A busy week for the arts in Niagara!

2010-11-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing I am off on vacation this week, as there is simply so much to do in and around Niagara this month in general, and this week in particular. First of all, let's get to the Clerical Chefs dinner Sunday evening at the synagogue I wrote about on the weekend...

It was a marvellous affair, with good food, lots of familiar faces, and some pretty interesting music from the B'Nai Israel Melody Makers. No, I didn't dance the Hora on Sunday night, but most everyone else did, and that was fun to watch. At times in resembled a sort of ring-dance, and at other times, a sort of Jewish conga line. But everyone had a great time, and I am, in fact, returning to B'Nai Israel Synagogue in the morning for a guided tour of the actual house of worship, which I am particularly interested to see.

Now, on to this week proper. If you have not yet booked your tickets for the first production of Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects' new season, you have until this weekend to catch Steven Berkoff's marvellously witty and devilishly clever Shakespeare's Villains. It runs Wednesday through Sunday at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines, and if you go, you will not be disappointed. I attended the opening a couple of weekends ago, and Ric Reid, the lone actor in this one-act tour de force performance, gives us a compelling look at several familiar - and some not-so-familiar - of Shakespeare's villains. Don't worry if Shakespeare's actual plays don't interest you; this play certainly will. It is an amazing performance and a great start to Lyndesfarne's season, and I know for a fact tickets are readily available for the remainder of the performances. Call the box office at 905-938-1222 for tickets.

Two events this Friday evening will interest arts lovers in Niagara: first, The Gallery Players present a musical celebration of the new CD by the Eybler Quartet with Jane Booth playing Backofen and Mozart. The disc is just out on the Analekta label, and autographed CDs will be available at the event for purchase, or you can simply order a copy through my website, www.finemusic.ca. If you go, the launch party takes place at Robertson Hall at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre at 85 Church Street in downtown St. Catharines. Admission is $ 10 unless you are a Gallery Players subscriber, in which case admission is free.

The second event Friday evening takes place at The Market at Brock University, with doors opening at 8 pm for the eleventh annual wearable art show known as Strutt. Benefitting the Niagara Artists Centre, this has developed into the largest wearable art show in Canada, which is really quite something. You never know what - or whom - you'll see there; but we can guarantee you'll see some pretty amazing wearable art developed locally at the show, which gets underway at 9 pm. General admission is $ 30; NAC members and students pay $ 20 and those on Curator's Row pay $ 50. They say to wear what you dare, so that leaves things open to all sorts of possibilities! For tickets, call the Brock Centre for the Arts boxoffice at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257.

Enjoy the week in the Arts!

November 16th, 2010.

Primavera Concerts fundraiser this weekend

2010-11-13T09:10:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a recent posting, there is just so much going on in the area at this time of year, it is hard to cover it all, but I am trying! I wanted to write today about an event coming up Sunday evening that is quite simply taking the community by storm; in fact it is totally sold out at this point, so if you don't have your tickets, you'll unfortunately be out of luck this year.

Primavera Concerts, that innovative musical group based at St. Barnabas Church on Queenston Street in St. Catharines, is holding their fall fundraiser this Sunday evening, and this is a new idea: an elegant kosher dinner prepared by two clerical "celebrity chefs", Rabbi Eli Courante of B'Nai Israel Synagogue, and Father Keith Whittingham of St. Barnabas Church. St. Barnabas and B'Nai Israel Synagogue are just around the corner from each other, and the event will take place at the larger of the two locations, namely the synagogue. Following the dinner, klezmer music will be provided by the B'Nai Israel Melody Makers.

I love the idea of this, and in fact, when I first heard of it late last month I ordered my tickets right away. I have always been fascinated by Jewish traditions, even though I am not of that faith, and I like the cooperation shown by both sides to sort of bring the people together as one for at least one evening. There will be dancing after dinner, of course, with people dancing the Hora; I don't know if I would even dare to try, but we'll see...

The dinner, not surprisingly, looks fabulous. Both chefs are known for their culinary skills; in fact we attended a dinner at St. Barnabas a few years ago where Fr. Keith held court, and it was amazing. He has a fully equipped kitchen in the church hall that could rival many a restaurant and knows his way around in there. This will be my first experience with the Rabbi as chef, although I am told he is no slouch in that department, either.

The menu choices reflect a wide range of tastes and great humour: Oi Vey Pasta Shells, for example, or Hava Nagilah Baked Fish. I think most people are looking forward to the desserts, however: how about a serving of Frozen Hell, or the one I plan to experience, Seven Mortal Sins. That's the dessert I am looking forward to experiencing, by the way... Anyway, it looks like a great menu and we know the chefs are experienced enough to pull it all off.

The music, being klezmer, will be decidedly Jewish, of course, and that is great, too. I have always had a love of klezmer music, going back to my first exposure to the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band out of Toronto, who have put out a few recordings, and of course the better-known recordings featuring Itzhak Perlman with klezmer musicians recorded for EMI Classics. If you have not had a chance to hear the spirited, ebulliant joy of real klezmer music, you're in for a treat. And if you want to be introduced to it by way of recordings, email me at music@vaxxine.com or go to my website, www.finemusic.ca and send a message from there, and I can find a good recording or two of authentic klezmer music in case you want to have your own kosher dinner party this season.

As for the fundraiser tomorrow night, congratulations to Primavera Concerts for selling out a fundraiser and getting the whole community talking about an innovative concept they will likely have to repeat again in the future!

November 13th, 2010.

Bishop Bergie installed Tuesday evening in St. Catharines

2010-11-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Every now and again, I step outside my usual realm of writing and touch on something of interest to me, and I hope by extension, to you, too. I'm doing that with this entry today, although there is a musical connection towards the end, so there is rhyme to my reason.

Last evening, Gerard Bergie was installed as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of St. Catharines, in a lavish ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria. When I say lavish, I don't mean in an over-the-top way; rather, it was a marvellous celebration of renewal for the Catholic church, as the new Bishop moves the Diocese forward into the future. Incidentally, November 9th was the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of St. Catharines, so it was a fitting date for the Installation.

On hand for the ceremony were over 180 clergy, priests and deacons from the Diocese of St. Catharines and Hamilton. There were 38 Bishops in attendance as well, including Bishop O'Mara, now retired as Bishop of the Diocese, who himself was installed at the same Cathedral in 1994. So there was certainly a celebratory tone for the evening, with greetings offered from many people in attendance, most notably from Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Apostolic Nuncio, the Pope's official representative in Canada.

As for me, I was honoured to be asked once again to handle broadcast duties on our local cable provider, Cogeco, who taped the evening's events for later broadcast. As well, I was a reader at the ceremony itself. It's funny, but I realized last evening I have now handled broadcast duties for three Bishops for the Diocese of St. Catharines, which means I have been around for all but the first two Bishops of the Diocese since it was founded!

The new Bishop is younger than I am by a couple of years, I was surprised to find, and was born and raised in Hamilton, where he has served in many capacities for a number of years now. He has an engaging personality and quick wit, and articulates his points with considerable precision. In his homily last evening, he both honoured the past and looked to the future, inviting everyone in attendance to pray for him as he begins his new journey.

Now, about the music. I have a friend who has long considered the music heard in the Anglican Church to be superior to that heard in the Catholic Church, for the most part. While I have often enjoyed glorious music over the years at Anglican churches in many cities and even countries, I personally feel last evening's music provided by a massed choir, several instrumentalists and soloists directed by David Holler along with Music Director Lucas Chorosinski at the organ to be of the highest calibre, and as good as anything you'll hear anywhere. For me, nothing beats a large choir and grand organ at full tilt to lift the spirits as well as the pulse rate!

As for the broadcast itself, it went quite well, I'm told, and if you desire to experience some wild vicarious thrill watching me introduce the evening's proceedings while all around me got into position, I understand Cogeco will be broadcasting the Installation this coming Friday evening as well as Saturday and Sunday mornings. I don't know yet if I will watch, as I have always been my own worst critic with these things, but we'll see...

Welcome to St. Catharines, Bishop Bergie!

November 10th, 2010.

Shakespeare's Villains a devilishly clever play!

2010-11-08T11:51:00.001-08:00

As I wrote Friday in my last entry, one of the anticipated arts events this month was the opening Saturday evening of Steven Berkoff's Shakespeare's Villains at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines. It served as the season opener for Lydesfarne Theatre Projects and was, in fact, the Canadian premiere of the one-man tour de force.

Artistic Director Kelly Daniels showed a certain amount of daring in being the first to present Berkoff's play in Canada, which up to now he had only performed himself. But the gamble has payed off nicely, with huge applause Saturday evening for her husband, actor Ric Reid in the Berkoff role. Ric, I have long felt, is one of those underestimated Canadian actors who just goes about his work and continues to impress quietly. All that may change after this play, as Reid romps through a myriad of Shakespeare's characters, some you would expect to be villainous and others not so much, with almost lightning speed.

Oh sure, there was a line or two needing prompts at the opening (was it intentional?) but consider all the lines he has to remember. And he's carrying the whole darned thing himself! I think it was a pretty impressive performance you would do well to see before it closes November 21st.

My far better half was almost reluctant to go with me, since sitting through a Shakespeare play is about as pleasant as a root canal while suffering from a migraine, but I encouraged her to come, as I had attended the Media Day preview the week before and knew she would enjoy it. She not only enjoyed it, she was laughing even more than I was at the witty lines Berkoff has come up with.

As Reid himself has said, this is the role of a lifetime, and I believe him. Although only 85 minutes in length with no intermission, the play packs a lot of sharp dialogue into that time frame and more characters than you can imagine, both male and female. R.J. Conn has provided a simple, yet effective stage design, and director Kelly Daniels successfully manages to keep Reid reigned in while at the same time giving him room to breathe.

Lydesfarne Theatre Projects has been going from strength to strength the last couple of seasons at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre, and this new production kicks off a very intriguing season.

Do yourself a favour and catch the show before it closes November 21st. Performances are Wednesday to Sunday this week and next, and tickets are very affordable: general admission is $ 25 with students and seniors paying only $ 15. Call the boxoffice at 905-938-1222.

November 8th, 2010.

A busy weekend in Niagara and beyond in the arts!

2010-11-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here we are, barely a week into the month of November already, and we have lots of things going on both here in Niagara and beyond. This weekend, for example, along with the plethora of Christmas bazaars and other seasonal events already getting underway, we have three noteworthy arts events I want to touch on today.

First off, Chorus Niagara gets their new season underway with two performances at St. Thomas' Anglican Church on Ontario Street, Friday and Saturday evenings. Titled CN Cinema, this is a mixed-media presentation of The 1923 silent film classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, starring Lon Chaney. I think most of us have seen the film at one time or another; this weekend, the film will be projected on a screen while the members of Chorus Niagara, out of sight but not out of earshot, provide a live choral "soundtrack" to the film. I talked to Artistic Director Robert Cooper about it this week and he says it is a challenge keeping everything in sync, but doesn't anticipate any problems. He adds popcorn will be available to make the evening truly an event, which is a nice touch.

The Friday performance is now done, of course, but you can try for tickets for Saturday night; call the Brock Centre for the Arts boxoffice at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 for ticket availability. It will be a tight fit at St. Thomas' Church, but this looks like a performance not to be missed.

Meanwhile, over at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre in downtown St. Catharines, the season opener for Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects continues until November 21st. Previews were Thursday and Friday; opening night is Saturday for the Canadian premiere of Steven Berkoff's one-man show Shakespeare's Villains, starring veteran actor Ric Reid. Ric is directed by his real-life wife, Lyndesfarne Artistic Director Kelly Daniels, in a tour-de-force performance examining many of the well-known villains in the Shakespeare canon. Everyone from Iago from Othello to the Macbeths to Shylock from The Merchant of Venice and even Richard III get a going-over by Reid, courtesy the insightful dialogue created by Berkoff, who has been the only actor to headline the play thus far. So Reid has big shoes to fill, but from what I saw at the media preview a week ago, he is more than up to the challenge. This is the sort of play an actor relishes: as Reid says, "It demands a great range of playing that few plays ever ask of the actor."

The play, 90 minutes long without an intermission, launches the new season for Lyndesfarne, which has given us some thought-provoking live theatre over the winter months the past several years. For tickets, call the Lydnesfarne boxoffice at 905-938-1222. Although there may still be a few seats left for Saturday's opening, you might do better to attend one of the later performances which offer a greater variety of seating choices. I look forward to attending the opening and will report on it next week.

Finally, there's a concert in Elora Sunday afternoon with a distinctly local connection: Thorold-born organist Andrew Henderson launches his new CD with a special recital at 4 pm on Sunday at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, at the corner of Henderson and Smith Streets in Elora. This is the very church the CD was recorded at this past June, on the glorious Casavant organ I love to hear whenever I visit Elora during the summer festival season. Not surprisingly, much of the music at the concert will be taken from the new CD, including Handel's Organ Concerto in F, Op. 4, No. 4; Barrie Cabena's Eine kleine Morgenmusik, and Elgar's familiar Imperial March. Also featured will be music by Bach, Bonnet and Gounod.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Andrew Henderson several times over the years, and have met him more than once. He has this disarmingly calm demeanor and a thorough knowlege of the music he plays; he may not be the flashiest organist on the circuit these days, but he is certainly one of the best of the new breed. The CD will be sold at the concert for only $ 15, which is a bargain, and afterwards at the Elora Festival Office. I will have to look into getting hold of the CD to feature on my website over the holiday season, which you can find at www.finemusic.ca.

If you're thinking of travelling up to Elora for the recital, it is a lovely drive up through Guelph, about 2 hours from Niagara. Admission is by donation, by the way, with tax receipts issued for gifts over $ 10. You can't beat that!

November 5th, 2010.

Halloween Hits Past & Present

2010-10-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

So, here we are on that final weekend of October; a weekend when we used to turn the clocks back one hour and revert to Standard Time. Now, we do that in early November, which makes for a little extra daylight for the kids to go about their rounds trick or treating on Halloween. Mind you, I have seen the little ones out just after 5 pm, when I have not even got the candy out yet.

These days, I don't even bother shelling out to the kids on Halloween; not because I am a grinch, but because I rarely get anyone coming to the door. The last couple of years, I got one bag of goodies to give out, which would cover at best a dozen kids, and by the end of the evening, I had all of it to myself. So now I don't bother; I figure if I want my Halloween candy fix I can head to the store on Monday and stock up on what's left at about half-off the price.

I got to thinking today of some of the music we associate with Halloween, and how we have a dearth of newer recordings appropriate for scaring the pants off the little ones as they come to your door. So, we always fall back on the tried and true standards, much as we do at Christmas.

Back in 1994, I picked up a disc on the Rhino label titled simply Halloween Hits, and it proved to be a pretty complete collection of Halloween material for any get-together. But you have to realize, being pretty complete means on this disc at least, we have only ten cuts and the entire length of the disc is barely half an hour. No wonder it is now long out of print! But you'll recognize much of the material on it, leading off as it does with the classic recording of Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers, a giant hit when it first came out in the late 50s during the sci-fi and monster movie era. Oddly, it became a big hit twice more over the years, and now you can barely get through Halloween without hearing it on almost any radio station or in the shopping mall. It is one of those songs, like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" that transcends time and just seems to go on forever.

Other tracks on the disc reflect the changing times somewhat and the fact most of the material is over 40 years old now: "Haunted House" by Jumpin' Gene Simmons; "The Blob" by The Five Blobs, a 1958 hit from the movie of the same name I grew up with as a kid (incidentally, the song is by Burt Bacharach of all people, and the movie starred "Steven McQueen" in one of his very early roles); "The Twilight Zone Theme" (not the familiar one but the - I think - better one by Bernard Hermann) recorded here by Neil Norman & His Cosmic Orchestra; Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater"; Vic Mizzy with the main title from "The Addams Family"; "I Put a Spell on You" with Screamin' Jay Hawkins (whose act, you might recall, was to start singing this song while climbing out of an open casket); The Ran-Dells with "The Martian Hop" and believe it or not, Lewis Lee with "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". Whatever happened to Lewis Lee, eh? Couldn't have been the material he was recording...could it? Anyway, the newest track on the disc, from the 80s is Ray Parker Jr. with the theme from "Ghostbusters". And that's as new as it gets.

Some the material is pretty dated now and a lot of it is truly awful, but we keep coming back to these, um, gems for Halloween every year, because not much else has come along over the years. Good thing Halloween only happens once a year.

In classical music, a lot of the material was not intended for Halloween, of course, it just worked out that way. Could you imagine J. S. Bach taking some of his 20 offspring out trick or treating while someone played his familar Toccata & Fugue everyone associates now with Halloween? The mind boggles...but Bach never imagined the work would become one of his biggest hits, thanks in no small part to Leopold Stokowski's lush orchestration of the work for the Disney classic "Fantasia". From the same film, Mussorgsky's Night on Bald (or Bare) Mountain will always be associated with Halloween, as will Paul Dukas' greatest hit, The Sorcerer's Apprentice. In the world of classical music, Harry Potter films seem to be the greatest supplier of appropriate music for Halloween now, especially since Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" isn't heard with much regularity anymore after being associated for many years with Alfred Hitchcock. And what could be creepier than that association? Speaking of marches, the March to the Scaffold from Berlioz' opium-inspired Symphonie Fantastique still sounds great at this and any other time of year, but you rarely hear it now without some kind of association with Halloween.

What will our kids do in the future for scary inspiration? I suppose Lady Gaga is doing her best to keep the "creep" factor at a high level, and teen sensation Justin Bieber can be considered a little scary to some, given his mammoth popularity in a relatively short period of time. But associations with Halloween over the long term? I doubt it.

So, enjoy the night of October 31st, however you choose to celebrate it, and if that includes music, you have a wide variety of choices from the world of classical and pop music for the night. Of course, for all your musical requirements, scary or otherwise, A Web of Fine Music is here to serve you. Granted, it's too late to fill orders for Halloween this year, but for anything else you may be looking for, contact me through my website at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.

Happy Halloween!

October 29th, 2010.

Niagara Symphony launches their Pops! season this weekend

2010-10-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Even though we have lots to do around the house this weekend, including raking leaves, yardwork, painting and general cleaning up after a busy week, I know I won't be alone when I say all that will have to work around the launch of the Niagara Symphony's Pops! season Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Granted, most people do one or the other, but I, of course, do both, as I set up my table in the lobby for CD sales from A Web of Fine Music; if you plan to go to either concert, I hope you'll stop by for a visit and say hello.

Earlier this month, the Niagara Symphony launched their Masterworks series with a well-attended concert of music by Robert Turner, Faure, Tchaikovsky and Brahms, with guest soloist Shauna Rolston. The new Music Director Designate for the Niagara Symphony, Bradley Thachuck, made his debut at the concert and turned in a pretty impressive performance, particularly in the Brahms Symphony No. 2 that closed the program.

Maestro Thachuk is on the podium this weekend as well to launch the Pops! season with a programme titled Symphonic All-Stars. In these tough economic times it is hard to pay for a guest soloist for every concert, especially when you have some great musicians already performing within the ranks of the orchestra. So, Thachuk and Co. wisely chose to forego the extra expense and showcase some of their own musicians who certainly deserve the recognition. So, over the course of the concert, we'll be hearing from Laura Thomas on Anderson's The Typewriter, for example; we'll also hear trombonist Steve Fralick on Hoagy Carmichael's Georgia On My Mind; cellist Gordon Cleland on the Hungarian Rhapsody by David Popper; violinist Xiaoling Li performing the Tango from the movie "Scent of a Woman"; concertmaster Valerie Sylvester performing the theme from John Williams' score to the movie "Schindler's List"; flute players Douglas Miller and Patricia Dydnansky performing the Rondo, Op. 25 for two flutes by Franz Albert Doppler; and the entire trumpet section on Leroy Anderson's popular Bugler's Holiday.

Lots of other orchestral music will fill out the programme, too, including music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Kander's music from "Chicago" and Richard Hayman's popular "Pops Hoe-Down". So all in all, it promises to be a lively concert! Now, none of this is exactly cutting edge, but it's guaranteed to fill the seats for both concerts, which will serve to introduce a lot of people - some of them new visitors, it's hoped - to the new Maestro, Bradley Thachuk. After all, the real challenge now is to fill those seats and broaden the audience base.

The Saturday evening concert begins at 7:30; the Sunday afternoon is at 2:30; both performances are at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University. I suspect tickets will be easier to come by for the Saturday evening performance, but you can check on either one with the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or stop by before the concert. And as mentioned, I will be there in the lobby before, at intermission and after the concert both days with lots of music you'll hopefully take a liking to, so be sure to stop by the table. Of course, you can also check out the latest Mikes Picks on my website, www.finemusic.ca, and email any and all requests you have to music@vaxxine.com.

See you at the Symphony this weekend!

October 23rd, 2010.

James Street Night of Art all set to go Friday!

2010-10-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Every year at this time, the St. Catharines and Area Arts Council teams up with a number of local business partners to present the James Street Night of Art, and this year the event comes up tomorrow night, Friday October 15th from 6 to 9 pm. I look forward to this every year, despite the fact the weatherman (person?) doesn't always appear to be a lover of art.

I can't remember what the weather was like last year, oddly enough, but I do recall the year it poured rain as we all walked from venue to venue downtown with umbrellas, determined souls that we were. This year actually looks promising, with clear skies on the sked making for a lovely sunset to accompany the festivities.

Basically, the entire block of James Street from King to St. Paul is blocked off to vehicular traffic and then taken over by art-loving pedestrians for three full hours. There is music, theatre and visual art in various forms performed both inside and outside all along the street. The idea is, you get a program going in, see what times performances are, and basically just meander from one art station to another, taking in as much or as little as you like. It's sort of like an art buffet, if you will, and it is all absolutely free.

I've caught a recital at The Watering Can, visual art in the window of Sandercott & Evans, and enjoyed a sublime hot chocolate while listening to authentic Indian tabla music at the Fine Grind Cafe. And those are just three of the highlights over the last few years; many more each year happen that I don't even get to see myself, and each and every one of them is well attended.

This year, the actual James Street boundary is stretched to include BBBlooms and Critelli's Fine Furniture on King Street, and Transitions New Lifestyle Furniture and Coffee Culture on St. Paul Street as well. Performances range from barbershop quartet singing to jazz with the Shea D Duo to Earthbeat African drumming and even Deanna Jones channeling Keith Richards in a dark alley. Visual artists include Melani Pyke painting nine canvasses in one evening in the window of the Arts Council offices at 31 James Street, and media art lights up the night at the site of the former Russell Hotel at the corner of James and St. Paul.

In other words, there is literally something for everyone, and it is all absolutely free of charge. Sure, you pay for whatever refreshments you choose to consume, but other than that, you're free to go from one end to the other for three hours. This is a deal you shouldn't refuse if you have even a passing interest in the arts. If nothing else, it will open your eyes - and ears - to the myriad of arts groups and individuals working here in Niagara, and in particular in downtown St. Catharines,

I would suspect once the new Performing Arts Centre becomes a reality in a few years, some of the performances might be transferred to the lobby area there, and probably by then the entire evening could be expanded in scope. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, right? Let's enjoy the intimate, cozy arrangement we have right now while we can.

New this year is an art party scheduled at Rodman's Hall VERVE following the James Street Night of Art events, although you'll have to drive to that one at Rodman Hall. For complete details on the 5th annual James Street Night of Art, to to www.stcartscouncil.ca/pages/jsna; you can also join the event page on Facebook as well. Now that's something that wasn't there when it all began five years ago!

If you don't have plans yet for tomorrow night, make plans now to attend the James Street Night of Art from 6 to 9 pm. I can guarantee you the trip will be well worth it!

October 14th, 2010.