My apologies for not writing in this space over the last week but life has taken a sudden turn for your humble scribe.
I won't go into the details at the present time but I just wanted to post briefly here that due to a sudden illness in the family I am stepping away from my writing duties here at least for the month of July in order to deal with life.
I am fine physically although emotionally not so much. But please respect our privacy at this time and understand when I have the heart to continue I will do so in this space.
For now, thanks for your support and I will be in touch again later this summer, hopefully.
Mike.
July 11th, 2020.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Some uplifting news for the week
It's nice to report some uplifting news in this space this weekend, rather than all the closures and such as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Oh things are still far from normal to be sure, but at least we can report on some more hopeful signs this weekend and that is nice to see. So let's get right to it.
If you are downtown this weekend you'll notice a couple of changes. First, the always-popular St. Catharines Farmers Market is still underway with restrictions of course, but now the time has been extended on Saturday mornings through to 1 pm, and more vendors have been added to the mix. For the first time since before the lockdown prepared food vendors will be allowed to join the market mix, and that will be nice to see. So if you have not already done so, why not plan to make a visit to our wonderful farmers market this morning?
Downtown streets will be an issue this weekend and many summer weekends going forward, however. Beginning yesterday afternoon and through much of the weekend St. Paul Street between William and Carlisle will be closed to vehicular traffic, in order to accommodate restaurant patios to open on the sidewalks and for the street itself to become a pedestrian walkway.
With restaurants only able to serve on patios for the time being during Stage 2 of the reopening plan from the provincial government, this really is the only fair and viable option to help our struggling restaurant scene downtown try to regain some of their lost business during the lockdown.
Even if you choose to just pick up take out it would be encouraged to help patronize our downtown eateries. To help in this regard, there are Curbside Pick Up zones on Queen Street and James Street near St. Paul. There will also be designated parking spots in the parking lot at 135 St. Paul Street, accessible via Summer Street off James. These spaces are reserved for free short-term 15-minute parking.
The two downtown parking garages will also offer free parking this weekend.
Downtown retailers are also being encouraged to set up outdoor displays for open-air shopping through the weekend, which is also a wise move as clearly the more time we remain outside during this recovery period the better. Physical distancing should be observed at all times, of course, and wear a face mask if required to do so by the business you are visiting.
The hours for the street closures this weekend are today through to 11 pm and tomorrow from 10 am to 9 pm. Assuming this continues through the summer months the street closures will also be in effect on Fridays from 3 to 11 pm.
I received an email update from the Cheng2 Duo this week, and they have three events coming up in the near future that will be of interest to classical music fans. The duo, Sylvie and Bryan, charmed local audiences at the spring recital with Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts last April (2019) in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their spirited playing and engaging personalities were hard to resist.
Recently they have been holding livestream concerts from their New York City living room, and the latest livestream will be today. But this one will be from their home base in Canada, as this week they just played in the semi-final round of the inaugural Bader & Overton Canadian Cello Competition, live-streamed from Ottawa.
Bryan has been selected as one of the finalists now, and the virtual final round will be this afternoon with the livestream happening at 2:15 ET. You can find out how to register to view through their website at www.cheng2duo.com and catch their performances via their YouTube and Facebook channels.
Meantime the Ottawa Chamber Music Society has been offering Chamber Chats during the lockdown, hosted by Canadian broadcaster & writer Eric Friesen. In April I caught a wonderful Chamber Chat with Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt in fact.
This Thursday, July 2nd at 2 pm ET you can catch the latest episode on ZOOM as Eric talks with both members of the Cheng2 Duo.
The third event is currently available online through to July 2nd, and it is from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM). The orchestra has chosen Bryan's debut concert with the orchestra in a live performance just prior to the lockdown to be rebroadcast online. Bryan, the Grand Prize winner of the 2019 OSM competition, is performing the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the OSM with Matthias Pintscher conducting.
You can check it out via the OSM's You Tube channel and it will be available to the public through to July 2nd.
Finally, this is Pride weekend but of course everything is online this year to the pandemic, and in honour of Pride month the Brock University Human Rights & Equity Department along with various community partners will be hosting a Digital Black and Indigenous Pride Concert & Fundraising event this evening from 7 to 9:30 pm.
The aim of the concert is to celebrate Pride with Brock students and other St. Catharines community members, all the while honouring the importance of anti-racism work in the 2SLGBTQ+ movement.
Featuring a varied array of Black and Indigenous musicians, poets and artists from the local community and throughout the province, the concert hopes to put a spotlight on Black and Indigenous performers while also raising funds for various social organizations and anti-racism causes through raffle ticket sales.
You can find it online by going to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre You Tube channel.
That's it for this week. Stay safe, wash your hands and support our local businesses now and in the future!
June 27th, 2020.
If you are downtown this weekend you'll notice a couple of changes. First, the always-popular St. Catharines Farmers Market is still underway with restrictions of course, but now the time has been extended on Saturday mornings through to 1 pm, and more vendors have been added to the mix. For the first time since before the lockdown prepared food vendors will be allowed to join the market mix, and that will be nice to see. So if you have not already done so, why not plan to make a visit to our wonderful farmers market this morning?
Downtown streets will be an issue this weekend and many summer weekends going forward, however. Beginning yesterday afternoon and through much of the weekend St. Paul Street between William and Carlisle will be closed to vehicular traffic, in order to accommodate restaurant patios to open on the sidewalks and for the street itself to become a pedestrian walkway.
With restaurants only able to serve on patios for the time being during Stage 2 of the reopening plan from the provincial government, this really is the only fair and viable option to help our struggling restaurant scene downtown try to regain some of their lost business during the lockdown.
Even if you choose to just pick up take out it would be encouraged to help patronize our downtown eateries. To help in this regard, there are Curbside Pick Up zones on Queen Street and James Street near St. Paul. There will also be designated parking spots in the parking lot at 135 St. Paul Street, accessible via Summer Street off James. These spaces are reserved for free short-term 15-minute parking.
The two downtown parking garages will also offer free parking this weekend.
Downtown retailers are also being encouraged to set up outdoor displays for open-air shopping through the weekend, which is also a wise move as clearly the more time we remain outside during this recovery period the better. Physical distancing should be observed at all times, of course, and wear a face mask if required to do so by the business you are visiting.
The hours for the street closures this weekend are today through to 11 pm and tomorrow from 10 am to 9 pm. Assuming this continues through the summer months the street closures will also be in effect on Fridays from 3 to 11 pm.
I received an email update from the Cheng2 Duo this week, and they have three events coming up in the near future that will be of interest to classical music fans. The duo, Sylvie and Bryan, charmed local audiences at the spring recital with Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts last April (2019) in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their spirited playing and engaging personalities were hard to resist.
Recently they have been holding livestream concerts from their New York City living room, and the latest livestream will be today. But this one will be from their home base in Canada, as this week they just played in the semi-final round of the inaugural Bader & Overton Canadian Cello Competition, live-streamed from Ottawa.
Bryan has been selected as one of the finalists now, and the virtual final round will be this afternoon with the livestream happening at 2:15 ET. You can find out how to register to view through their website at www.cheng2duo.com and catch their performances via their YouTube and Facebook channels.
Meantime the Ottawa Chamber Music Society has been offering Chamber Chats during the lockdown, hosted by Canadian broadcaster & writer Eric Friesen. In April I caught a wonderful Chamber Chat with Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt in fact.
This Thursday, July 2nd at 2 pm ET you can catch the latest episode on ZOOM as Eric talks with both members of the Cheng2 Duo.
The third event is currently available online through to July 2nd, and it is from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM). The orchestra has chosen Bryan's debut concert with the orchestra in a live performance just prior to the lockdown to be rebroadcast online. Bryan, the Grand Prize winner of the 2019 OSM competition, is performing the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the OSM with Matthias Pintscher conducting.
You can check it out via the OSM's You Tube channel and it will be available to the public through to July 2nd.
Finally, this is Pride weekend but of course everything is online this year to the pandemic, and in honour of Pride month the Brock University Human Rights & Equity Department along with various community partners will be hosting a Digital Black and Indigenous Pride Concert & Fundraising event this evening from 7 to 9:30 pm.
The aim of the concert is to celebrate Pride with Brock students and other St. Catharines community members, all the while honouring the importance of anti-racism work in the 2SLGBTQ+ movement.
Featuring a varied array of Black and Indigenous musicians, poets and artists from the local community and throughout the province, the concert hopes to put a spotlight on Black and Indigenous performers while also raising funds for various social organizations and anti-racism causes through raffle ticket sales.
You can find it online by going to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre You Tube channel.
That's it for this week. Stay safe, wash your hands and support our local businesses now and in the future!
June 27th, 2020.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
The latest updates from the local arts scene for this week
A few notes crossed my desk this week via email I'll pass along this weekend, all regarding the local arts scene...
From the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, it was announced this week due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Celebration of Nations Indigenous Arts Gathering will be moved online this year.
The gathering, set for the weekend of September 11th to the 13th, has as its theme this year Mighty Niagara and the Great Lakes Watershed. This stems from the abundance of water in Niagara and the obvious need to practice responsible stewardship of the region's environment.
The news release, quoting Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett, states "attendees can still expect the same high-quality diverse programming that distinguishes Celebration of Nations as a premier Indigenous performing, visual and intellectual arts event."
The event will launch on Friday September 11th with the Celebration of Nations Outstanding Achievement Awards and many of this years' programmes will focus on this particular theme through the online platform.
New this year will be the Indigenous Niagara Living Museum Tour, a virtual tour that will guide visitors to several significant cultural and historical Indigenous locations throughout the region.
You'll be able to learn more about the annual gathering this Sunday at 4 pm for the latest episode of #NiagaraPerforms, featuring a conversation with Artistic Director Burnett, Artistic Producer Tim Johnson and a special guest performance by Canadian Mohawk Two Spirit singer/songwriter Shawnee.
You can access the #NiagaraPerforms online performances via the FirstOntario PAC Facebook and Youtube platforms.
The FirstOntario PAC also announced this week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will not proceed with a traditional 2020-2021 HOT TICKET Season or Film House programming. That is a tremendous loss to the community at large but given the current climate it is perhaps the wisest decision.
However, management is currently working to find alternative ways to engage with artists, audiences and the community via the digital landscape for the time being, and then introduce in-venue programming when it is finally safe to do so.
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Executive Director Colleen Smith also asked if any of their existing or community clients and partners still want to explore possibilities in or around the downtown facility, they are encouraged to reach out to the PAC team in order to find ways of bringing your recording, event or performance to life in a virtual way. She says "We are ready and waiting. We are still open for opportunity."
Last week I included in this space a couple of updates on two downtown arts organizations working hard to provide alternative ways to entertain and engage audiences during the summer months while the pandemic puts a stop to regular programming, and both have short updates to mention again this week.
The Foster Festival has extended the deadline for submissions for the first of three Normflix online sessions featuring Canadian playwright Norm Foster. Originally set to expire yesterday, the submission deadline for part one, Ask a Legend, has now been extended to tomorrow, Sunday June 21st.
You can send in your questions for Norm on video keeping one of the three themes in mind: The Early Years, Storytelling and Order out of Chaos (How COVID has changed our world).
You can send your video submission link via Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer, and email them to info@fosterfestival.com.
Finally, Suitcase in Point Theatre announced this week applications for The Nest Residency are now open. This initiative, launched in 2019, offers a new generation of theatre artists in the Niagara Region a creative home for 12 months to gain exposure, training and hands-on experience.
Through the programme artists are mentored and supported to build and develop new work, as well as learn how to hone their creative and collaborative skills.
The release this week states that while individuals are welcome to apply, "we encourage collectives, companies and collaborators to apply as a group." Residency in The Nest includes the opportunity to showcase work developed as part of the annual In The Soil Festival.
Of course, the current pandemic means access to studio, office space and public gatherings are curtailed pending restrictions resulting from COVID-19.
You can go to the Suitcase in Point website to learn more and view application details.
That's it for this week. As Niagara enters Stage 2 of reopening the economy we are taking small steps to regain a semblance of normalcy in our everyday lives. We are still a long way off to be sure, but baby steps are better than nothing at the moment, so let's stay vigilant and make the recovery stick so we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.
Have a great and safe week!
June 20th, 2020.
From the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, it was announced this week due to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Celebration of Nations Indigenous Arts Gathering will be moved online this year.
The gathering, set for the weekend of September 11th to the 13th, has as its theme this year Mighty Niagara and the Great Lakes Watershed. This stems from the abundance of water in Niagara and the obvious need to practice responsible stewardship of the region's environment.
The news release, quoting Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett, states "attendees can still expect the same high-quality diverse programming that distinguishes Celebration of Nations as a premier Indigenous performing, visual and intellectual arts event."
The event will launch on Friday September 11th with the Celebration of Nations Outstanding Achievement Awards and many of this years' programmes will focus on this particular theme through the online platform.
New this year will be the Indigenous Niagara Living Museum Tour, a virtual tour that will guide visitors to several significant cultural and historical Indigenous locations throughout the region.
You'll be able to learn more about the annual gathering this Sunday at 4 pm for the latest episode of #NiagaraPerforms, featuring a conversation with Artistic Director Burnett, Artistic Producer Tim Johnson and a special guest performance by Canadian Mohawk Two Spirit singer/songwriter Shawnee.
You can access the #NiagaraPerforms online performances via the FirstOntario PAC Facebook and Youtube platforms.
The FirstOntario PAC also announced this week due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will not proceed with a traditional 2020-2021 HOT TICKET Season or Film House programming. That is a tremendous loss to the community at large but given the current climate it is perhaps the wisest decision.
However, management is currently working to find alternative ways to engage with artists, audiences and the community via the digital landscape for the time being, and then introduce in-venue programming when it is finally safe to do so.
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Executive Director Colleen Smith also asked if any of their existing or community clients and partners still want to explore possibilities in or around the downtown facility, they are encouraged to reach out to the PAC team in order to find ways of bringing your recording, event or performance to life in a virtual way. She says "We are ready and waiting. We are still open for opportunity."
Last week I included in this space a couple of updates on two downtown arts organizations working hard to provide alternative ways to entertain and engage audiences during the summer months while the pandemic puts a stop to regular programming, and both have short updates to mention again this week.
The Foster Festival has extended the deadline for submissions for the first of three Normflix online sessions featuring Canadian playwright Norm Foster. Originally set to expire yesterday, the submission deadline for part one, Ask a Legend, has now been extended to tomorrow, Sunday June 21st.
You can send in your questions for Norm on video keeping one of the three themes in mind: The Early Years, Storytelling and Order out of Chaos (How COVID has changed our world).
You can send your video submission link via Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer, and email them to info@fosterfestival.com.
Finally, Suitcase in Point Theatre announced this week applications for The Nest Residency are now open. This initiative, launched in 2019, offers a new generation of theatre artists in the Niagara Region a creative home for 12 months to gain exposure, training and hands-on experience.
Through the programme artists are mentored and supported to build and develop new work, as well as learn how to hone their creative and collaborative skills.
The release this week states that while individuals are welcome to apply, "we encourage collectives, companies and collaborators to apply as a group." Residency in The Nest includes the opportunity to showcase work developed as part of the annual In The Soil Festival.
Of course, the current pandemic means access to studio, office space and public gatherings are curtailed pending restrictions resulting from COVID-19.
You can go to the Suitcase in Point website to learn more and view application details.
That's it for this week. As Niagara enters Stage 2 of reopening the economy we are taking small steps to regain a semblance of normalcy in our everyday lives. We are still a long way off to be sure, but baby steps are better than nothing at the moment, so let's stay vigilant and make the recovery stick so we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.
Have a great and safe week!
June 20th, 2020.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
June Updates on the local arts scene
Just a couple of updates crossed my desk by way of my inbox this week, so we'll get to those today and some other thoughts on the current state of things regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week we wrote about updates including the online edition of the In The Soil Festival and a new appointment of an old friend at The Foster Festival. Both have brief updates to offer this week as well, so let's start there.
ITS Online, or the reimagined Mult (p)Arts festival that replaced the traditional In The Soil Arts Festival for this year, is still suspended as of this writing but hopefully will be resumed at some point in the near future. The announcement from June 3rd to postpone the majority of the remaining programming came in response to the racial unrest felt not only in America but also here in Canada and elsewhere in the world.
The show of respect and support for their community of artists, audiences, colleagues and others at this difficult time is also being backed up by a pledge to offer 50% of all donations made to In the Soil to the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association (NRARA) through to June 15th. So there are still a couple of days left to donate and have half the money go to NRARA.
This is an important decision on the part of organizers of In The Soil and their parent organization Suitcase in Point Theatre. At a time when arts organizations everywhere are feeling the pinch from suspended performances and no audiences they are doing their part to help others in a meaningful way.
One interesting byproduct of the online version of In The Soil is the fact people not only across Ontario but across Canada and beyond can view the work of the artists involved, rather than just those who traditionally would flood into the downtown core of St. Catharines for the on-the-street version of the Festival. The increased exposure can only help these artists at a time they need all the help they can get.
You can view all of the performances during ITS Online for free by visiting In The Soil's Youtube and Facebook channels.
Over at The Foster Festival, which of course cancelled their entire summer season at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines earlier this spring, they announced this week their new Normflix series. This is a three-part online series that will continue to deliver the humour with heart both playwright Norm Foster and The Foster Festival have, well, fostered over the past few years.
The first instalment of Normflix invites viewers and fans to ask Norm Foster a question about his writing process, his early career or even something as off the wall as what his favourite food is. Looking at Norm Foster both the playwright and the person, you're being invited to send in your questions for Norm via video submission via Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer.
The Festival asks you to keep one of these three themes in mind: The Early Years, Storytelling, and Order out of Chaos (How COVID has changed our world). With each episode of Normflix you'll be invited to watch Norm listen to your questions for the first time and answer on the spot and in the moment.
I'm not sure if Norm will be briefed on some of the questions beforehand or not, but either way knowing his comedic mind it should be a fun experience. Hopefully Norm will be comfortable being in the video hot seat during these sessions as well!
You can email your video submissions for Ask a Legend to the Festival directly at info@fosterfestival.com. The deadline for submissions is this Friday, June 19th.
These are a couple of great examples of the local arts community being incredibly resourceful in finding ways to reach out to their patrons in order to keep them engaged and in touch during a time of great upheaval in the community. There are others of course, but these two are certainly worthy of note this weekend.
In general, although things are not opening as quickly as some would like here in Niagara and the rest of the GTA, I am willing to wait it out and be ready when these areas graduate to Stage Two of the reopening process. Yes it is difficult and a hardship for many in the area, especially small business owners and especially those in the food service industry, but hopefully the second stage will begin for us sooner rather than later.
I personally will be keeping my distance as I have been all through this pandemic and only shopping when I have to, and of course patronizing our local restaurants for take out on a weekly basis as we have done from the beginning. I encourage everyone to do the same and slowly allow the recovery to take its course.
Have a great weekend and stay safe. Better days are ahead!
June 13th, 2020.
Last week we wrote about updates including the online edition of the In The Soil Festival and a new appointment of an old friend at The Foster Festival. Both have brief updates to offer this week as well, so let's start there.
ITS Online, or the reimagined Mult (p)Arts festival that replaced the traditional In The Soil Arts Festival for this year, is still suspended as of this writing but hopefully will be resumed at some point in the near future. The announcement from June 3rd to postpone the majority of the remaining programming came in response to the racial unrest felt not only in America but also here in Canada and elsewhere in the world.
The show of respect and support for their community of artists, audiences, colleagues and others at this difficult time is also being backed up by a pledge to offer 50% of all donations made to In the Soil to the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association (NRARA) through to June 15th. So there are still a couple of days left to donate and have half the money go to NRARA.
This is an important decision on the part of organizers of In The Soil and their parent organization Suitcase in Point Theatre. At a time when arts organizations everywhere are feeling the pinch from suspended performances and no audiences they are doing their part to help others in a meaningful way.
One interesting byproduct of the online version of In The Soil is the fact people not only across Ontario but across Canada and beyond can view the work of the artists involved, rather than just those who traditionally would flood into the downtown core of St. Catharines for the on-the-street version of the Festival. The increased exposure can only help these artists at a time they need all the help they can get.
You can view all of the performances during ITS Online for free by visiting In The Soil's Youtube and Facebook channels.
Over at The Foster Festival, which of course cancelled their entire summer season at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines earlier this spring, they announced this week their new Normflix series. This is a three-part online series that will continue to deliver the humour with heart both playwright Norm Foster and The Foster Festival have, well, fostered over the past few years.
The first instalment of Normflix invites viewers and fans to ask Norm Foster a question about his writing process, his early career or even something as off the wall as what his favourite food is. Looking at Norm Foster both the playwright and the person, you're being invited to send in your questions for Norm via video submission via Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer.
The Festival asks you to keep one of these three themes in mind: The Early Years, Storytelling, and Order out of Chaos (How COVID has changed our world). With each episode of Normflix you'll be invited to watch Norm listen to your questions for the first time and answer on the spot and in the moment.
I'm not sure if Norm will be briefed on some of the questions beforehand or not, but either way knowing his comedic mind it should be a fun experience. Hopefully Norm will be comfortable being in the video hot seat during these sessions as well!
You can email your video submissions for Ask a Legend to the Festival directly at info@fosterfestival.com. The deadline for submissions is this Friday, June 19th.
These are a couple of great examples of the local arts community being incredibly resourceful in finding ways to reach out to their patrons in order to keep them engaged and in touch during a time of great upheaval in the community. There are others of course, but these two are certainly worthy of note this weekend.
In general, although things are not opening as quickly as some would like here in Niagara and the rest of the GTA, I am willing to wait it out and be ready when these areas graduate to Stage Two of the reopening process. Yes it is difficult and a hardship for many in the area, especially small business owners and especially those in the food service industry, but hopefully the second stage will begin for us sooner rather than later.
I personally will be keeping my distance as I have been all through this pandemic and only shopping when I have to, and of course patronizing our local restaurants for take out on a weekly basis as we have done from the beginning. I encourage everyone to do the same and slowly allow the recovery to take its course.
Have a great weekend and stay safe. Better days are ahead!
June 13th, 2020.
Saturday, June 6, 2020
News and notes to start the month of June
The month of June is not even a week old and I already have several arts-related items that have crossed my desk to share with you today. Like last week there is a mix of good and bad news, so again like last week lets go from the bad news to the good news...
The worst news of the week and for many in a very long time came earlier in the week with the news Oh Canada Eh! dinner theatre in Niagara Falls was closing for good. The dinner theatre founded by local travel agent Ross Robinson and local theatre performer Jim Cooper had been operating in the Falls since 1994, so the upcoming season would have been their 27th.
The reason for the closure? COVID-19 of course. Oh Canada Eh! thrived on the tourist trade along with a loyal local base, but with both of those drying up in March due to the pandemic it was perhaps inevitable the theatre company would have a tough go of it going forward.
With much of the tourist traffic coming during the summer months and no idea when that will return, plus the seating arrangements used in the Lundy's Lane log cabin they call home it was not going to be easy for the company to weather this latest storm.
They survived SARS and 9/11 but this pandemic has been devastating to the company. The flood of requests for refunds for cancelled performances was just too much for them, and a benefit performance they staged in May to help keep the company afloat was simply not enough. There was even a recent GoFundMe campaign to save the company, and now those funds will be returned to donors.
There will be eight full time employees affected by the closure, plus about 40 or so cast members and musicians. Almost all were local and every single one of them was extremely talented.
Oh Canada Eh! began at the now-defunct Pyramid Place and moved into the present custom-built log cabin in 1999. That building will now be put up for sale.
Will another similar dinner theatre rise from the ashes to take its place? We can only hope, as Oh Canada Eh! consistently provided exceptional quality for the money year in and year out. The precedent will be hard to match but the present management team is not ruling it out.
Thanks for the memories, Oh Canada Eh!, and know you will be missed.
In other news, the popular local In The Soil arts festival has shelved even their online programs for the time being. The traditional festival was to be held this weekend throughout the downtown core and that had to be changed to accommodate the pandemic closures, so a summer-long online festival was devised and launched in May to replace it.
But in a statement released this week by Suitcase in Point Artistic Director Deanna Jones, they decided to pause the festival for now in light of the current racial unrest going on across North America right now. Jones wrote: "We can't justify moving along, business as usual, while acknowledging what is happening in city after city."
The statement adds: "We stand in solidarity with all black creatives, artists and people in our community and beyond." As a show of support they have decided to donate 50% of all contributions received through the online festival to the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association.
The company will also be participating in a peaceful demonstration being organized for later today in Niagara Falls.
When the online festival is back up and running again I'll update you on the details in this space of course.
Meantime The Norm Foster Theatre Festival, operating at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre downtown during the summer months, made a happier announcement this week. Of course, they had to cancel the entire summer season for this year earlier due to the current pandemic. But a familiar face is returning to the Festival to help guide the company through the effects of COVID-19.
The board of directors announced the return of founder Emily Oriold as incoming Artistic Producer for the Foster Festival. Emily was Founding Executive Director for four years after the Festival began in 2015.
Emily, an actor in her own right, was part of the World Premiere cast of Alison Lawrence's Too Close to Home at Theatre Orangeville this past March until it, too, closed due to COVID-19.
Oriold will play a critical role in the coming months working alongside well-known Arts Management Consultant Candace Turner-Smith.
Welcome back, Emily Oriold!
And finally this week, The Elora Festival announced the release of the new CD by The Elora Singers, This Love Between Us, which launched officially yesterday. It will be an unorthodox launch of course due to COVID, but excerpts from the recording will be presented for one week now on the Singers' YouTube channel. There you'll also find interviews with the two featured composers on the disc along with the Festival's Artistic Director.
The new disc is available on Spotify and iTunes and a CD copy can be ordered directly from the group by sending a request via email at info@elorasingers.ca. They are also shipping free in the month of June, by the way.
I'll try to get a copy of the new disc myself to help support the Singers and Festival and write about it here in the near future.
That's it for this week; have a good week, keep well and do the best you can to make your community a better place in which to live.
Take care!
June 6th, 2020.
The worst news of the week and for many in a very long time came earlier in the week with the news Oh Canada Eh! dinner theatre in Niagara Falls was closing for good. The dinner theatre founded by local travel agent Ross Robinson and local theatre performer Jim Cooper had been operating in the Falls since 1994, so the upcoming season would have been their 27th.
The reason for the closure? COVID-19 of course. Oh Canada Eh! thrived on the tourist trade along with a loyal local base, but with both of those drying up in March due to the pandemic it was perhaps inevitable the theatre company would have a tough go of it going forward.
With much of the tourist traffic coming during the summer months and no idea when that will return, plus the seating arrangements used in the Lundy's Lane log cabin they call home it was not going to be easy for the company to weather this latest storm.
They survived SARS and 9/11 but this pandemic has been devastating to the company. The flood of requests for refunds for cancelled performances was just too much for them, and a benefit performance they staged in May to help keep the company afloat was simply not enough. There was even a recent GoFundMe campaign to save the company, and now those funds will be returned to donors.
There will be eight full time employees affected by the closure, plus about 40 or so cast members and musicians. Almost all were local and every single one of them was extremely talented.
Oh Canada Eh! began at the now-defunct Pyramid Place and moved into the present custom-built log cabin in 1999. That building will now be put up for sale.
Will another similar dinner theatre rise from the ashes to take its place? We can only hope, as Oh Canada Eh! consistently provided exceptional quality for the money year in and year out. The precedent will be hard to match but the present management team is not ruling it out.
Thanks for the memories, Oh Canada Eh!, and know you will be missed.
In other news, the popular local In The Soil arts festival has shelved even their online programs for the time being. The traditional festival was to be held this weekend throughout the downtown core and that had to be changed to accommodate the pandemic closures, so a summer-long online festival was devised and launched in May to replace it.
But in a statement released this week by Suitcase in Point Artistic Director Deanna Jones, they decided to pause the festival for now in light of the current racial unrest going on across North America right now. Jones wrote: "We can't justify moving along, business as usual, while acknowledging what is happening in city after city."
The statement adds: "We stand in solidarity with all black creatives, artists and people in our community and beyond." As a show of support they have decided to donate 50% of all contributions received through the online festival to the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association.
The company will also be participating in a peaceful demonstration being organized for later today in Niagara Falls.
When the online festival is back up and running again I'll update you on the details in this space of course.
Meantime The Norm Foster Theatre Festival, operating at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre downtown during the summer months, made a happier announcement this week. Of course, they had to cancel the entire summer season for this year earlier due to the current pandemic. But a familiar face is returning to the Festival to help guide the company through the effects of COVID-19.
The board of directors announced the return of founder Emily Oriold as incoming Artistic Producer for the Foster Festival. Emily was Founding Executive Director for four years after the Festival began in 2015.
Emily, an actor in her own right, was part of the World Premiere cast of Alison Lawrence's Too Close to Home at Theatre Orangeville this past March until it, too, closed due to COVID-19.
Oriold will play a critical role in the coming months working alongside well-known Arts Management Consultant Candace Turner-Smith.
Welcome back, Emily Oriold!
And finally this week, The Elora Festival announced the release of the new CD by The Elora Singers, This Love Between Us, which launched officially yesterday. It will be an unorthodox launch of course due to COVID, but excerpts from the recording will be presented for one week now on the Singers' YouTube channel. There you'll also find interviews with the two featured composers on the disc along with the Festival's Artistic Director.
The new disc is available on Spotify and iTunes and a CD copy can be ordered directly from the group by sending a request via email at info@elorasingers.ca. They are also shipping free in the month of June, by the way.
I'll try to get a copy of the new disc myself to help support the Singers and Festival and write about it here in the near future.
That's it for this week; have a good week, keep well and do the best you can to make your community a better place in which to live.
Take care!
June 6th, 2020.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Lots of news and notes to share amid COVID-19 this week
There has been plenty of information that has crossed my desk this week via email relating to the arts, so let's get right to it and update you on some important news. We'll go from sad to glad in order of presentation here...
Late last week the Lewiston Council on the Arts announced their popular summer events schedule for 2020 has been cancelled. This includes Bug Fest, the Summer of '69 concert, Blue Monday concert series and the Lewiston Art Festival and Keybank Chalkwalk Competition, all of which will return in 2021.
Artists who were accepted into this year's arts festival will have an opportunity to exhibit and sell their work on the Lewiston Arts Council Facebook page. Meantime the Chalk Walk Competition will be taken online and opened up as a virtual competition so everyone can become a chalk artist. The arts council says there is no specific theme for the competition; they want to see what inspires you in your own neighbourhood.
Other unfortunate news from Lewiston includes the fact the ever-popular Brickyard Brewing Co. on Center Street was recently gutted by fire. The roof collapsed over the the new banquet hall on the second floor, along with plenty of damage to the rest of the structure.
There were no people in the building at the time of the fire, and owners Ken Bryan and Eric Matthews say they will reopen bigger and better than ever in the future. In the meantime people can contribute to the Brickyard and the employees on a GoFundMe page. There will also be a Brick by Brick benefit fundraiser to help displaced Brickyard employees on Saturday, June 13th. Details on these and other ways to help can be found on the Brick by Brick Facebook page.
The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake has now cancelled events and performances throughout the month of July. At this point the balance of the season has not yet been scrubbed as has been the case at Stratford, and the Festival is following all public health directives regarding when they can safely reopen.
It is good to see the Festival has managed to keep almost all their artists and arts workers employed, although as we mentioned earlier this month about 70 ensemble members, musicians and other independent contractors have been suspended, and several part-time seasonal staff have also been laid off.
The Festival has re-engaged almost all the artists along with others from the local Shaw Festival family as temporary, full-time employees under a new program supported through the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The team of nearly 80 Education and Community Outreach Specialists will work to increase the Festival's connection with the rest of the community by increasing the amount of digital patron engagement, creating online events for Friends of the Shaw and other projects.
As has been the case with earlier season cancellations, a small team of box office representatives is currently working remotely to contact ticket holders to provide options such as holding money on account for future exchanges, converting the ticket value to a charitable donation or if preferred, issuing a full refund.
If you have any questions or concerns you can visit the Shaw Festival website.
This past Thursday afternoon Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts took part in a virtual charity concert entitled United in Music, to aid UNHCR's coronavirus response. The UN Refugee Agency's COVID-19 response aims to help protect refugees and the communities that welcome them in the ongoing global fight against coronavirus.
This musical charity fundraiser was initiated by Shlomo Mintz, the renowned violinist and conductor as a response from Bravo Niagara! founders Christine Mori and Alexis Spieldenner's invitation to collaborate on a virtual performance. That performance included several works including the Concerto for Four Violins by Vivaldi, together with musicians from several orchestras based here in Canada as well as in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The concept then grew to include professors, concert artists and students from as many as 29 countries, with all the music being recorded remotely in each artists' respective homes.
All donations from the concert will go to UNHCR and you can still donate by going to the UNHCR website. You can also view the concert on YouTube by going to www.BravoNiagara.org.
The Niagara Symphony Orchestra announced this week they have appointed a new Interim Executive Director in order to guide the organization through this difficult period for any arts organization, but especially one already looking for a new Executive Director.
Ms. Gerry Callaghan joins the NSO on contract, bringing years of experience in operations and change management, primarily in the financial services industry, along with several years experience with a local community orchestra. Ms. Callaghan will be with the NSO for the next few months as the orchestra and Maestro Bradley Thachuk lay out plans for the coming 20/21 season starting this fall.
While one person arrives on board, another leaves. It was also announced this week Annie Slade will be concluding her time with the NSO as of this weekend following a 5-year journey with the orchestra, helping with the transition from Brock University to their new home downtown at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Annie will be off to pursue her Master's Degree in the field of Arts Leadership through Queens University this fall.
Finally the latest concerts in the ongoing #NiagaraPerforms online concert series hosted by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre have been announced. The virtual concerts, held each Sunday afternoon at 4 and Thursday evening at 7 have so far attracted more than 20,000 livestream patrons to date.
The latest lineup looks like this:
Singer-songwriter Ariana Gillis - Sunday, May 31st, 4 pm.
Niagara's premiere jazz pianist John Sherwood - Thursday, June 4th, 7 pm.
Singer-songwriter Whitney Pea - Sunday, June 7th, 4 pm.
Shaw Festival Artistic Director Tim Carroll and members of the Shaw ensemble - Thursday, June 11th, 7 pm.
Tony Dekker of indie folk act Great Lakes Swimmers - Sunday, June 14th, 4 pm.
Superstar Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman and Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts - Thursday, June 18th, 7 pm.
Celebration of Nations Artistic Director Michele Elise Burnett & Artistic Producer Tim Johnson - Sunday, June 21st, 4 pm.
Yellow Door Theatre's Artistic Director Andorlie Hillstrom - Thursday, June 25th, 7 pm.
Local artists Lori Cullen & Kurt Swinghammer - Sunday, June 28th, 4 pm.
All of these #NiagaraPerforms virtual concerts can be viewed via the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre website and YouTube channels.
So I told you we'd go from sad to glad, right?
Have a great week, and stay safe!
Saturday, May 30th, 2020.
Late last week the Lewiston Council on the Arts announced their popular summer events schedule for 2020 has been cancelled. This includes Bug Fest, the Summer of '69 concert, Blue Monday concert series and the Lewiston Art Festival and Keybank Chalkwalk Competition, all of which will return in 2021.
Artists who were accepted into this year's arts festival will have an opportunity to exhibit and sell their work on the Lewiston Arts Council Facebook page. Meantime the Chalk Walk Competition will be taken online and opened up as a virtual competition so everyone can become a chalk artist. The arts council says there is no specific theme for the competition; they want to see what inspires you in your own neighbourhood.
Other unfortunate news from Lewiston includes the fact the ever-popular Brickyard Brewing Co. on Center Street was recently gutted by fire. The roof collapsed over the the new banquet hall on the second floor, along with plenty of damage to the rest of the structure.
There were no people in the building at the time of the fire, and owners Ken Bryan and Eric Matthews say they will reopen bigger and better than ever in the future. In the meantime people can contribute to the Brickyard and the employees on a GoFundMe page. There will also be a Brick by Brick benefit fundraiser to help displaced Brickyard employees on Saturday, June 13th. Details on these and other ways to help can be found on the Brick by Brick Facebook page.
The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake has now cancelled events and performances throughout the month of July. At this point the balance of the season has not yet been scrubbed as has been the case at Stratford, and the Festival is following all public health directives regarding when they can safely reopen.
It is good to see the Festival has managed to keep almost all their artists and arts workers employed, although as we mentioned earlier this month about 70 ensemble members, musicians and other independent contractors have been suspended, and several part-time seasonal staff have also been laid off.
The Festival has re-engaged almost all the artists along with others from the local Shaw Festival family as temporary, full-time employees under a new program supported through the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The team of nearly 80 Education and Community Outreach Specialists will work to increase the Festival's connection with the rest of the community by increasing the amount of digital patron engagement, creating online events for Friends of the Shaw and other projects.
As has been the case with earlier season cancellations, a small team of box office representatives is currently working remotely to contact ticket holders to provide options such as holding money on account for future exchanges, converting the ticket value to a charitable donation or if preferred, issuing a full refund.
If you have any questions or concerns you can visit the Shaw Festival website.
This past Thursday afternoon Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts took part in a virtual charity concert entitled United in Music, to aid UNHCR's coronavirus response. The UN Refugee Agency's COVID-19 response aims to help protect refugees and the communities that welcome them in the ongoing global fight against coronavirus.
This musical charity fundraiser was initiated by Shlomo Mintz, the renowned violinist and conductor as a response from Bravo Niagara! founders Christine Mori and Alexis Spieldenner's invitation to collaborate on a virtual performance. That performance included several works including the Concerto for Four Violins by Vivaldi, together with musicians from several orchestras based here in Canada as well as in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The concept then grew to include professors, concert artists and students from as many as 29 countries, with all the music being recorded remotely in each artists' respective homes.
All donations from the concert will go to UNHCR and you can still donate by going to the UNHCR website. You can also view the concert on YouTube by going to www.BravoNiagara.org.
The Niagara Symphony Orchestra announced this week they have appointed a new Interim Executive Director in order to guide the organization through this difficult period for any arts organization, but especially one already looking for a new Executive Director.
Ms. Gerry Callaghan joins the NSO on contract, bringing years of experience in operations and change management, primarily in the financial services industry, along with several years experience with a local community orchestra. Ms. Callaghan will be with the NSO for the next few months as the orchestra and Maestro Bradley Thachuk lay out plans for the coming 20/21 season starting this fall.
While one person arrives on board, another leaves. It was also announced this week Annie Slade will be concluding her time with the NSO as of this weekend following a 5-year journey with the orchestra, helping with the transition from Brock University to their new home downtown at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Annie will be off to pursue her Master's Degree in the field of Arts Leadership through Queens University this fall.
Finally the latest concerts in the ongoing #NiagaraPerforms online concert series hosted by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre have been announced. The virtual concerts, held each Sunday afternoon at 4 and Thursday evening at 7 have so far attracted more than 20,000 livestream patrons to date.
The latest lineup looks like this:
Singer-songwriter Ariana Gillis - Sunday, May 31st, 4 pm.
Niagara's premiere jazz pianist John Sherwood - Thursday, June 4th, 7 pm.
Singer-songwriter Whitney Pea - Sunday, June 7th, 4 pm.
Shaw Festival Artistic Director Tim Carroll and members of the Shaw ensemble - Thursday, June 11th, 7 pm.
Tony Dekker of indie folk act Great Lakes Swimmers - Sunday, June 14th, 4 pm.
Superstar Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman and Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts - Thursday, June 18th, 7 pm.
Celebration of Nations Artistic Director Michele Elise Burnett & Artistic Producer Tim Johnson - Sunday, June 21st, 4 pm.
Yellow Door Theatre's Artistic Director Andorlie Hillstrom - Thursday, June 25th, 7 pm.
Local artists Lori Cullen & Kurt Swinghammer - Sunday, June 28th, 4 pm.
All of these #NiagaraPerforms virtual concerts can be viewed via the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre website and YouTube channels.
So I told you we'd go from sad to glad, right?
Have a great week, and stay safe!
Saturday, May 30th, 2020.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
As retailers start to reopen after COVID-19, do this...
We've seen some baby steps towards what will become the New Normal in society in the last week; namely, some stores and businesses starting to reopen again after the Covid Curve has started to flatten if not decline to any great extent.
Here in Ontario, stores with street entrances will be allowed to open now provided they follow strict guidelines to protect both the public and their employees. That means any store within a mall will have to wait for now.
What this means to you and me is we can access more locally and hopefully rely on the internet a little less. But will we?
I have fears that will not necessarily be the case as people are either A.) still afraid to shop in traditional bricks & mortar shops or B.) simply have gotten used to the convenience of ordering online and having it ready for pickup or delivered right to your door.
The former concern may be reduced over time, although for the time being I understand completely people who feel that way. Especially those with compromised immune systems or otherwise cannot easily access a traditional store for some reason. This has become an increasingly scary time and fears are not necessarily unfounded when it comes to community transmission of the virus.
The latter point, that people are now accustomed to ordering online, presents us with a far greater problem. And it is one I am afraid time will not erase. If anything it could grow exponentially over the coming years.
Working as I do sorting parcels and such for mail delivery at the Canada Post depot here in St. Catharines early in the morning, I see first hand the effects of rampant online shopping. Everything from golf clubs to gaming chairs to backup generators have come through the depot for delivery in recent months.
Most popular items to order online regularly still appear to be toilet paper, cat litter and oddly, wine.
I can understand perhaps the attraction of ordering wine online, as just yesterday afternoon while out on my weekly errands I passed the LCBO store in the plaza I was at in the north end and the liquor store had by far the longest lineup to enter. But I'm not convinced this is the best course of action to take.
With the avalanche of orders for inane things coming in from China, I wonder what people are thinking when say, I see a single sponge being ordered online from China. Don't laugh. It happens with great regularity.
Yes it is convenient and yes, the selection is usually great. But consider this: if we continue to order online at our present pace we could very well face the realization it is the only way to acquire things, as most stores will have closed up shop.
I know, it is perhaps a little far-fetched at the moment, but look at the bankruptcies we're seeing at an alarming rate these days: Neiman-Marcus, J.C. Penny and others in the States and Pier One Imports and many others in North America as a whole.
Shopping on Amazon can be a very rewarding experience if you're careful, but Amazon being the only retailer of choice for many people is simply not healthy, for a lot of reasons. Eventually that will be all we have and I can't see that being for the better in the long run.
There is a fairly recent phenomenon called "show-rooming", where people will go into a traditional store to actually see an item and then go home and order it at a cheaper price online. Sometimes from the online portal of the same retailer but not always. You can only take advantage of that luxury for so long before the local store simply doesn't exist anymore.
Working in a CD store many years ago shortly after the dawn of the internet, I used to have people regularly come into the store trying to find a piece of music they heard on the radio. We would do the legwork usually calling the radio station that played the piece (if indeed they knew the station) and get the details for the customer. Often they were grateful and would then order the CD from us, but in later years we were increasingly frustrated by people who would use us as a library of sorts to search out the information and then take it and go home and order the CD online from somewhere else.
Eventually we wisely decided to take a different course of action and simply say we knew what they heard and say yes, we can get it for you, without actually telling them the details. Not the best thing to do but it did cut down on the number of so-called "show-roomers".
The point I'm trying to make here is simple. Local retailers count on us - you and me - to stay in business. Today especially as they slowly start to reopen after being closed for the better part of two months or longer, they need our business more than ever.
I realize not everyone has been working steadily during this pandemic and for many of them shopping now is simply not in the cards when they still have monthly bills they have to somehow pay. But for those of us who can, who do plan to shop in the near future, I can't stress enough just how important it is to shop local.
Your local shopkeepers depend on your - and my - business in order to survive. If you are not comfortable entering the shop yet, that's fine. Arrange for someone else to pick it up or even take advantage of curbside pickup or delivery options if at all possible.
Please consider this as we start to reopen. Amazon may always be there but your local retailer may not always be, unless we make it worth their while to stay open.
Thanks for your time and have a great weekend!
May 23rd, 2020.
Here in Ontario, stores with street entrances will be allowed to open now provided they follow strict guidelines to protect both the public and their employees. That means any store within a mall will have to wait for now.
What this means to you and me is we can access more locally and hopefully rely on the internet a little less. But will we?
I have fears that will not necessarily be the case as people are either A.) still afraid to shop in traditional bricks & mortar shops or B.) simply have gotten used to the convenience of ordering online and having it ready for pickup or delivered right to your door.
The former concern may be reduced over time, although for the time being I understand completely people who feel that way. Especially those with compromised immune systems or otherwise cannot easily access a traditional store for some reason. This has become an increasingly scary time and fears are not necessarily unfounded when it comes to community transmission of the virus.
The latter point, that people are now accustomed to ordering online, presents us with a far greater problem. And it is one I am afraid time will not erase. If anything it could grow exponentially over the coming years.
Working as I do sorting parcels and such for mail delivery at the Canada Post depot here in St. Catharines early in the morning, I see first hand the effects of rampant online shopping. Everything from golf clubs to gaming chairs to backup generators have come through the depot for delivery in recent months.
Most popular items to order online regularly still appear to be toilet paper, cat litter and oddly, wine.
I can understand perhaps the attraction of ordering wine online, as just yesterday afternoon while out on my weekly errands I passed the LCBO store in the plaza I was at in the north end and the liquor store had by far the longest lineup to enter. But I'm not convinced this is the best course of action to take.
With the avalanche of orders for inane things coming in from China, I wonder what people are thinking when say, I see a single sponge being ordered online from China. Don't laugh. It happens with great regularity.
Yes it is convenient and yes, the selection is usually great. But consider this: if we continue to order online at our present pace we could very well face the realization it is the only way to acquire things, as most stores will have closed up shop.
I know, it is perhaps a little far-fetched at the moment, but look at the bankruptcies we're seeing at an alarming rate these days: Neiman-Marcus, J.C. Penny and others in the States and Pier One Imports and many others in North America as a whole.
Shopping on Amazon can be a very rewarding experience if you're careful, but Amazon being the only retailer of choice for many people is simply not healthy, for a lot of reasons. Eventually that will be all we have and I can't see that being for the better in the long run.
There is a fairly recent phenomenon called "show-rooming", where people will go into a traditional store to actually see an item and then go home and order it at a cheaper price online. Sometimes from the online portal of the same retailer but not always. You can only take advantage of that luxury for so long before the local store simply doesn't exist anymore.
Working in a CD store many years ago shortly after the dawn of the internet, I used to have people regularly come into the store trying to find a piece of music they heard on the radio. We would do the legwork usually calling the radio station that played the piece (if indeed they knew the station) and get the details for the customer. Often they were grateful and would then order the CD from us, but in later years we were increasingly frustrated by people who would use us as a library of sorts to search out the information and then take it and go home and order the CD online from somewhere else.
Eventually we wisely decided to take a different course of action and simply say we knew what they heard and say yes, we can get it for you, without actually telling them the details. Not the best thing to do but it did cut down on the number of so-called "show-roomers".
The point I'm trying to make here is simple. Local retailers count on us - you and me - to stay in business. Today especially as they slowly start to reopen after being closed for the better part of two months or longer, they need our business more than ever.
I realize not everyone has been working steadily during this pandemic and for many of them shopping now is simply not in the cards when they still have monthly bills they have to somehow pay. But for those of us who can, who do plan to shop in the near future, I can't stress enough just how important it is to shop local.
Your local shopkeepers depend on your - and my - business in order to survive. If you are not comfortable entering the shop yet, that's fine. Arrange for someone else to pick it up or even take advantage of curbside pickup or delivery options if at all possible.
Please consider this as we start to reopen. Amazon may always be there but your local retailer may not always be, unless we make it worth their while to stay open.
Thanks for your time and have a great weekend!
May 23rd, 2020.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Some virtual music offerings during COVID-19
As I wrote last week, there are signs of optimism and creativity amongst the local music and arts scene in Niagara as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. More indications of such creativity and resilience on the part of local artists manifested itself in many of the press releases I received this week, so let's take a look at what's new.
First up, Bravo Niagara! for the Arts actually held an online event this past Thursday I didn't receive word on prior to my blog post last week, but it is still relevant now. They've introduced Bravo Niagara! AMPLIFIED, a new virtual video recording series designed to bring their family of artists together with local audiences. The artists involved go beyond the Bravo Niagara! roster that have or will be performing in their inventive concert series locally.
The first project in the series was "We are the World", featuring over 150 artists and students recording remotely from their respective homes. The concept of course harkens back 35 years to the original iconic We are the World recording written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones.
As Bravo Niagara! notes on their website, the words still ring true today: "Now more than ever, music has the power to uplift our spirits and give hope for a better day." How true.
Headlining the performance is superstar Measha Brueggergosman along with Quincy Jones protege Emily Bear and Bakithi Kumalo, who of course performed on the iconic Paul Simon album "Graceland" years ago. Also appearing are the Laura Secord Secondary School concert choir and the Chorus Niagara Children's Choir.
Now the premiere of this new version took place this past week but you can still watch it on their website, at www.bravoniagara.org.
As mentioned in an earlier post here, Suitcase in Point Theatre is partnering with a wide array of regional and national artists to deliver part one of the reimagined In the Soil (p)Arts Festival, ITS Online!
Of course the original three-day celebration was to take place throughout downtown St. Catharines between June 5th and 7th, but that annual arts and culture festival had to be scrubbed due to COVID-19, so the new online version will be presented throughout the rest of the year online, with Part One premiering this coming Friday May 22nd at 6 pm.
Part One of the reimagined online series will continue until Sunday, June 7th, and will literally feature something for everyone, including music, comedy, dance, aerial, theatre and comedy performances, dance parties, panel discussions, family-friendly arts making workshops, a collage party and more. And it's all online. Amazing.
For more details of events coming up in Part One, go to their website, www.inthesoil.on.ca.
If you plan to catch any or all of the events online, In The Soil suggests ordering in from one of your favourite local restaurants to complete the experience and help out our great restauranteurs that make St. Catharines a destination for foodies of all kinds. Nice touch.
Just yesterday the 2020 TD Niagara Jazz Festival announced their hugely popular local jazz festival has not been cancelled either. Rather it has also been reimagined into what they term a "Virtually Possible" version of the event, culminating in the ever-popular Summer Mardi Gras event on Saturday, July 18th.
Between now and then, there will be nine virtual "Big Easy-centric Sessions" as they put it, curated and hosted by musician and New Orleans resident Christopher Butcher of Heavy Weights Brass Band fame. The nine virtual sessions will explore the art, history, food, famous locations and especially the music of New Orleans. Think of it as a sort of "Mardi Gras 101" that culminates in the big event itself on July 18th.
The first of the nine New Orleans sessions will premiere this coming Tuesday, May 19th from 6 to 7 pm, featuring New Orleans' own "Windex Pete". You can catch it on the TD Niagara Jazz Festival Facebook and YouTube channels.
In addition to the Mardi Gras event, the Festival will also be live-streaming their weekly "LIVEStream.LOVE.JAZZ series hosted by Juliet Dunn every Friday and Saturday night during this period of self-quarantine, social distancing and beyond.
For more details on all events go to www.niagarajazzfestival.com.
Finally, the #NiagaraPerforms free online concert series launched last month by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines has announced some new dates.
Tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm local favourites Vox Violins, made up of Beth Bartley and Mark Clifford will perform their lively brand of music drawing from Celtic fiddle tunes, Canadian folk ballads, blues and much more.
The Garden City Comedy Festival kicks off next Thursday, May 21st at 7 pm featuring director David Green performing a live stand-up comedy performance with special guests Thomas Calnan and Fiona O'Brien.
Local musician, songwriter and producer Joe Lapinsky will guide the audience through a wide range of music spanning his varied career, including some new, never-before-heard songs. That performance takes place next Sunday afternoon, May 24th at 4pm.
Finally, Niagara's premiere choral group Chorus Niagara with Artistic Director Robert Cooper will host a watch party of the recent premiere by Chorus Niagara of "Who We Are" by local composer Glen Rhodes along with "Earth and Fire" from the Elements Suite by Katerina Gimon. Both were performed and filmed previously in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario PAC and will be presented Thursday May 28th at 7 pm.
You can check out all the performances on the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's Facebook and YouTube channels.
That's it for this week. Keep well and wash your hands, be careful and remain optimistic. We will get through this together.
Have a great weekend!
May 16th, 2020.
First up, Bravo Niagara! for the Arts actually held an online event this past Thursday I didn't receive word on prior to my blog post last week, but it is still relevant now. They've introduced Bravo Niagara! AMPLIFIED, a new virtual video recording series designed to bring their family of artists together with local audiences. The artists involved go beyond the Bravo Niagara! roster that have or will be performing in their inventive concert series locally.
The first project in the series was "We are the World", featuring over 150 artists and students recording remotely from their respective homes. The concept of course harkens back 35 years to the original iconic We are the World recording written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones.
As Bravo Niagara! notes on their website, the words still ring true today: "Now more than ever, music has the power to uplift our spirits and give hope for a better day." How true.
Headlining the performance is superstar Measha Brueggergosman along with Quincy Jones protege Emily Bear and Bakithi Kumalo, who of course performed on the iconic Paul Simon album "Graceland" years ago. Also appearing are the Laura Secord Secondary School concert choir and the Chorus Niagara Children's Choir.
Now the premiere of this new version took place this past week but you can still watch it on their website, at www.bravoniagara.org.
As mentioned in an earlier post here, Suitcase in Point Theatre is partnering with a wide array of regional and national artists to deliver part one of the reimagined In the Soil (p)Arts Festival, ITS Online!
Of course the original three-day celebration was to take place throughout downtown St. Catharines between June 5th and 7th, but that annual arts and culture festival had to be scrubbed due to COVID-19, so the new online version will be presented throughout the rest of the year online, with Part One premiering this coming Friday May 22nd at 6 pm.
Part One of the reimagined online series will continue until Sunday, June 7th, and will literally feature something for everyone, including music, comedy, dance, aerial, theatre and comedy performances, dance parties, panel discussions, family-friendly arts making workshops, a collage party and more. And it's all online. Amazing.
For more details of events coming up in Part One, go to their website, www.inthesoil.on.ca.
If you plan to catch any or all of the events online, In The Soil suggests ordering in from one of your favourite local restaurants to complete the experience and help out our great restauranteurs that make St. Catharines a destination for foodies of all kinds. Nice touch.
Just yesterday the 2020 TD Niagara Jazz Festival announced their hugely popular local jazz festival has not been cancelled either. Rather it has also been reimagined into what they term a "Virtually Possible" version of the event, culminating in the ever-popular Summer Mardi Gras event on Saturday, July 18th.
Between now and then, there will be nine virtual "Big Easy-centric Sessions" as they put it, curated and hosted by musician and New Orleans resident Christopher Butcher of Heavy Weights Brass Band fame. The nine virtual sessions will explore the art, history, food, famous locations and especially the music of New Orleans. Think of it as a sort of "Mardi Gras 101" that culminates in the big event itself on July 18th.
The first of the nine New Orleans sessions will premiere this coming Tuesday, May 19th from 6 to 7 pm, featuring New Orleans' own "Windex Pete". You can catch it on the TD Niagara Jazz Festival Facebook and YouTube channels.
In addition to the Mardi Gras event, the Festival will also be live-streaming their weekly "LIVEStream.LOVE.JAZZ series hosted by Juliet Dunn every Friday and Saturday night during this period of self-quarantine, social distancing and beyond.
For more details on all events go to www.niagarajazzfestival.com.
Finally, the #NiagaraPerforms free online concert series launched last month by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines has announced some new dates.
Tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm local favourites Vox Violins, made up of Beth Bartley and Mark Clifford will perform their lively brand of music drawing from Celtic fiddle tunes, Canadian folk ballads, blues and much more.
The Garden City Comedy Festival kicks off next Thursday, May 21st at 7 pm featuring director David Green performing a live stand-up comedy performance with special guests Thomas Calnan and Fiona O'Brien.
Local musician, songwriter and producer Joe Lapinsky will guide the audience through a wide range of music spanning his varied career, including some new, never-before-heard songs. That performance takes place next Sunday afternoon, May 24th at 4pm.
Finally, Niagara's premiere choral group Chorus Niagara with Artistic Director Robert Cooper will host a watch party of the recent premiere by Chorus Niagara of "Who We Are" by local composer Glen Rhodes along with "Earth and Fire" from the Elements Suite by Katerina Gimon. Both were performed and filmed previously in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario PAC and will be presented Thursday May 28th at 7 pm.
You can check out all the performances on the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's Facebook and YouTube channels.
That's it for this week. Keep well and wash your hands, be careful and remain optimistic. We will get through this together.
Have a great weekend!
May 16th, 2020.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Some musical hope amongst the ruins of COVID-19
There is music available online during this current pandemic, and that is going a long way to help some of us through a very difficult time without a lot of the Arts we typically rely on to sustain us. So this week, a little bit of good news to share that hopefully will lift your spirits as much as they did mine.
I received an email last month from Margaret Gay, Artistic Director of The Gallery Players of Niagara, reminding me and by extension all of you about the new CD release by the Eybler Quartet and the planned launch party that was to take place in St. Catharines tomorrow afternoon. I say planned, of course, because that had to be scrubbed due to the Coronavirus lockdown we're still currently enduring, but it will be going ahead nevertheless with the new recording now available through Gallery Players' website at www.galleryplayers.ca.
The Toronto-based quartet, internationally-renowned for their varied performances and pioneering efforts in presenting music by hitherto obscure composers of the past such as Vanhal, Backofen and of course their namesake Eybler, have done it again with their latest recording. The new release features the music of Viennese composer Franz Asplmayer, who lived from 1728 to 1786.
Never heard of Franz Asplmayr? Not to worry; most people including myself hadn't.
But the Eyblers had, and they are presenting the first-known recording of the entirety of his Six Quartets, Op. 2, published in 1769. It was group violist Patrick Jordan who stumbled upon a copy of the modern edition of these quartets by American musicologist Dennis C. Monk in a used bookstore in Toronto back in 2006. They sat on a shelf collecting dust in Jordan's home for awhile, before he found the first edition parts in the Bibliotheque National de France five years ago. From then to now the Eyblers have been studying and ultimately perfecting their performances of the works and have now released the premiere recordings of the Quartets.
In his day Asplmayr was a busy musician and prolific composer in several genres, producing at least 41 symphonies, 43 string quartets and 70 trios, but during his lifetime he was best known for his works for the theatre, including at least 25 complete ballets, of which 11 survive, and the first German-language melodrama.
The Eybler Quartet is made up of violinist Julia Wedman and violist Patrick Jordan, both members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; violinist Aisslinn Nosky is concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society, and cellist Margaret Gay is Artistic Director of the Gallery Players of Niagara as well as being much in demand as both a modern and period instrument players.
The new recording is also available for download from the iTunes and Google Play stores.
Meantime concert pianist Daniel Vnukowski has been keeping busy during the pandemic with live streamed performances throughout the month of April, reaching over a million hits on Facebook and over half-a-million video views. He is not letting up in the month of May, either, and his next live stream concert comes up at 3pm today. If you miss it you can check out the archive of past broadcasts and catch it there.
Vnukowski is based now in southern California but his roots are here in Canada, and in fact he founded the Collingwood Summer Music Festival last year to bring live concert music to a beautiful part of Ontario situated on the south shore of Lake Huron. He performs regularly around the world but of course now, due to COVID-19 he is performing digitally through his website and Facebook.
The New Classical FM radio station in Toronto is currently re-broadcasting the virtual concerts on their station as well.
The live streams are sponsored by Fazioli, who have provided Vnukowski with their largest grand piano, the celebrated F308, which in fact is the largest grand piano in the world. It has several features not found on other concert grands and is the choice of many classical pianists the world over.
The general public cannot access the live streams, but you can if you become a member. It's free if you register for the full HD broadcasts on his official website, or in lower resolution they can be accessed on his Facebook page.
Again, the next performance is today at 3 pm.
Speaking of concert pianists who favour the Fazioli, I have become a regular viewer of Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt's daily performances on Twitter and Facebook the past month or so. On Twitter you'll find Angela at @HewittJSB, by the way.
Ottawa-born Hewitt is without a doubt the finest exponent of the music of J.S. Bach alive today, with her many recordings for Hyperion records as well as earlier recordings from CBC Records regularly receiving rave reviews.
I met Angela at the Windsor Arms Hotel in downtown Toronto I believe it was 1985 after she won the International Bach Piano Competition earlier that year and secured a debut recording contract with DGG. Members of the press including your humble scribe had lunch with a very young Angela and for myself, I was very much taken by her poise and demeaner even back then.
The first time I saw Angela perform live was at the River Run Centre in Guelph several years ago as she performed to a typically packed house and was as always tremendously gracious both on stage and off.
Now living in a comfortable flat in London, Angela is feeding her - and our - love of great classical music with daily pieces recorded on her phone and uploaded to both Facebook and Twitter. They are short, as Twitter has a limit of 2:20 for audio recordings. Just last week Angela compiled all the performances together, all 40 of them, and they are available for viewing now as well.
I sat in on a video conference and virtual performance from her flat just this past week as Angela talked to Canadian broadcaster Eric Friesen about the current situation and highlights of her career thus far. It was a most enjoyable hour in the afternoon remembering such a storied career that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The conference was coordinated with Ottawa's Chamberfest, where Angela regularly comes back to perform and in fact was scheduled again for this year.
Incidentally, her CDs are available through her online shop on the Angela Hewitt website and she'll even autograph it for you. I have my dibs on a 2-disc set on the site and plan to order it for myself shortly.
That should give you some musical food for thought during these difficult times...
Have a great weekend and stay strong. We are all in this together!
May 9th, 2020.
I received an email last month from Margaret Gay, Artistic Director of The Gallery Players of Niagara, reminding me and by extension all of you about the new CD release by the Eybler Quartet and the planned launch party that was to take place in St. Catharines tomorrow afternoon. I say planned, of course, because that had to be scrubbed due to the Coronavirus lockdown we're still currently enduring, but it will be going ahead nevertheless with the new recording now available through Gallery Players' website at www.galleryplayers.ca.
The Toronto-based quartet, internationally-renowned for their varied performances and pioneering efforts in presenting music by hitherto obscure composers of the past such as Vanhal, Backofen and of course their namesake Eybler, have done it again with their latest recording. The new release features the music of Viennese composer Franz Asplmayer, who lived from 1728 to 1786.
Never heard of Franz Asplmayr? Not to worry; most people including myself hadn't.
But the Eyblers had, and they are presenting the first-known recording of the entirety of his Six Quartets, Op. 2, published in 1769. It was group violist Patrick Jordan who stumbled upon a copy of the modern edition of these quartets by American musicologist Dennis C. Monk in a used bookstore in Toronto back in 2006. They sat on a shelf collecting dust in Jordan's home for awhile, before he found the first edition parts in the Bibliotheque National de France five years ago. From then to now the Eyblers have been studying and ultimately perfecting their performances of the works and have now released the premiere recordings of the Quartets.
In his day Asplmayr was a busy musician and prolific composer in several genres, producing at least 41 symphonies, 43 string quartets and 70 trios, but during his lifetime he was best known for his works for the theatre, including at least 25 complete ballets, of which 11 survive, and the first German-language melodrama.
The Eybler Quartet is made up of violinist Julia Wedman and violist Patrick Jordan, both members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; violinist Aisslinn Nosky is concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society, and cellist Margaret Gay is Artistic Director of the Gallery Players of Niagara as well as being much in demand as both a modern and period instrument players.
The new recording is also available for download from the iTunes and Google Play stores.
Meantime concert pianist Daniel Vnukowski has been keeping busy during the pandemic with live streamed performances throughout the month of April, reaching over a million hits on Facebook and over half-a-million video views. He is not letting up in the month of May, either, and his next live stream concert comes up at 3pm today. If you miss it you can check out the archive of past broadcasts and catch it there.
Vnukowski is based now in southern California but his roots are here in Canada, and in fact he founded the Collingwood Summer Music Festival last year to bring live concert music to a beautiful part of Ontario situated on the south shore of Lake Huron. He performs regularly around the world but of course now, due to COVID-19 he is performing digitally through his website and Facebook.
The New Classical FM radio station in Toronto is currently re-broadcasting the virtual concerts on their station as well.
The live streams are sponsored by Fazioli, who have provided Vnukowski with their largest grand piano, the celebrated F308, which in fact is the largest grand piano in the world. It has several features not found on other concert grands and is the choice of many classical pianists the world over.
The general public cannot access the live streams, but you can if you become a member. It's free if you register for the full HD broadcasts on his official website, or in lower resolution they can be accessed on his Facebook page.
Again, the next performance is today at 3 pm.
Speaking of concert pianists who favour the Fazioli, I have become a regular viewer of Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt's daily performances on Twitter and Facebook the past month or so. On Twitter you'll find Angela at @HewittJSB, by the way.
Ottawa-born Hewitt is without a doubt the finest exponent of the music of J.S. Bach alive today, with her many recordings for Hyperion records as well as earlier recordings from CBC Records regularly receiving rave reviews.
I met Angela at the Windsor Arms Hotel in downtown Toronto I believe it was 1985 after she won the International Bach Piano Competition earlier that year and secured a debut recording contract with DGG. Members of the press including your humble scribe had lunch with a very young Angela and for myself, I was very much taken by her poise and demeaner even back then.
The first time I saw Angela perform live was at the River Run Centre in Guelph several years ago as she performed to a typically packed house and was as always tremendously gracious both on stage and off.
Now living in a comfortable flat in London, Angela is feeding her - and our - love of great classical music with daily pieces recorded on her phone and uploaded to both Facebook and Twitter. They are short, as Twitter has a limit of 2:20 for audio recordings. Just last week Angela compiled all the performances together, all 40 of them, and they are available for viewing now as well.
I sat in on a video conference and virtual performance from her flat just this past week as Angela talked to Canadian broadcaster Eric Friesen about the current situation and highlights of her career thus far. It was a most enjoyable hour in the afternoon remembering such a storied career that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The conference was coordinated with Ottawa's Chamberfest, where Angela regularly comes back to perform and in fact was scheduled again for this year.
Incidentally, her CDs are available through her online shop on the Angela Hewitt website and she'll even autograph it for you. I have my dibs on a 2-disc set on the site and plan to order it for myself shortly.
That should give you some musical food for thought during these difficult times...
Have a great weekend and stay strong. We are all in this together!
May 9th, 2020.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
The COVID-19 Pandemic claims another Arts victim
There was some troubling news in the Canadian arts community this week with the announcement the Stratford Festival has decided to put the entire 2020 season on hold.
The word came Monday morning from Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, Executive Director Anita Gaffney and Board Chair Carol Stephenson. In a press release the three expressed obvious regret for the decision, and acknowledged it is devastating news for both the Festival and the City of Stratford.
Not only does it put on hold the entire season for the time being, but also the planned opening this season of the new Tom Patterson Theatre. That being said, I think most would agree they would rather wait for a more auspicious time to celebrate the opening of a new venue rather than right after the pandemic has ended. That might not be a view shared by others but for me, leave it until next year to unveil the new venue and make the whole season a real celebration.
There are obvious repercussions from the announcement, of course. Earlier in the season about 500 Festival workers both on stage and off were laid off indefinitely due to the pandemic, and they will now likely lose their entire season's work as well. Beyond that, the Festival is an economic engine for the entire region, driving about $135-million in economic activity each and every year. It is no exaggeration to say that, like in Niagara-on-the-Lake with the Shaw Festival, thousands of people and literally hundreds of business owners rely on both Festivals for their livelihood.
For Stratford, they note in their release this week they have not ruled out the possibility of mounting specially-scheduled fall or holiday programming if and when public health conditions allow. Still and all, it will never make up for the shortfall in revenue the season would otherwise generate for both the Festival and the City of Stratford.
It is a bitter pill, to be sure, and there will be more to come. But at the end, whenever that may be, the Arts will help us all to heel and recover from the current situation.
Meantime over at the Shaw Festival, it was also reported this week by esteemed arts reporter John Law in the Niagara Falls Review layoff notices have finally been sent out by the Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Not the entire company, mind you, as some are currently working from home or other remote locations while taking a 25-per-cent wage cut.
The Festival has continued to pay its 400 members through the pandemic but as of now, about 20 part-time and seasonal workers have received layoff notices. While acting ensemble members are still rehearsing at home and still receiving 100 per-cent of their pay, there is an escape clause for the Festival if they need it.
Executive Director Tim Jennings told John Law the company has now instituted a two-week notice to terminate their contracts for this season, although he hopes to extend it each week as the season progresses. Not great news for the acting company but really, it appears to be the only option available at the moment short of terminating all their contracts outright.
Unlike Stratford, Shaw has not cancelled their entire season yet. They are still going with a shortened season planned to start up again at the beginning of July, pending public health announcements that will allow such gatherings at that point as well.
There could be another delay in the season beyond that but no-one is saying anything yet, and cancelling the season outright as was done this week in Stratford is not in the cards at the present time, it seems.
So far only one show has been cancelled outright, "Mahabharata", a collaboration between Shaw and Toronto's Why Not Theatre.
Finally this week, the #NiagaraPerforms livestream series developed by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines continues with another two weeks of performances announced on Thursday.
The series launch earlier this month has been quite successful, all things considered, with more than 8,000 livestream patrons viewing the series to date. It is a modest start but an important one, as those staying at home are exploring other options for entertainment at this time. FirstOntario PAC has stepped up to the plate with some innovative programming to keep people connected and entertained during the pandemic.
Tomorrow afternoon at 4, multi-award-winning roots and blues singer Suzie Vinnick will perform in the Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series, at the sponsor B4 Networks' Fonthill boardroom. Next Thursday at 7 pm, local jazz artists Juliet Dunn and Peter Shea of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival will share music from their home studio in the north end of St. Catharines. Next Sunday, May 10th, Spencer Burton will perform from his home in Fenwick, and on Thursday, May 14th Carousel Players' Artistic Director Monica Dufault will share a reading of Peg and the Yeti by Kenneth Oppell. The 7 pm reading will be followed by a demonstration of how to make your own Yeti craft at home.
All of the Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series performances are available for viewing through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's website and YouTube channels.
Things may not be perfect right now, but the arts community is showing their collective resilience and creativity in so many ways at the moment. And when this is all over, to quote William Shakespeare himself, we'll look forward to a time when we can "live, and pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh."
That time for many of us can't come soon enough.
Have a great weekend and keep well!
May 2nd, 2020.
The word came Monday morning from Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, Executive Director Anita Gaffney and Board Chair Carol Stephenson. In a press release the three expressed obvious regret for the decision, and acknowledged it is devastating news for both the Festival and the City of Stratford.
Not only does it put on hold the entire season for the time being, but also the planned opening this season of the new Tom Patterson Theatre. That being said, I think most would agree they would rather wait for a more auspicious time to celebrate the opening of a new venue rather than right after the pandemic has ended. That might not be a view shared by others but for me, leave it until next year to unveil the new venue and make the whole season a real celebration.
There are obvious repercussions from the announcement, of course. Earlier in the season about 500 Festival workers both on stage and off were laid off indefinitely due to the pandemic, and they will now likely lose their entire season's work as well. Beyond that, the Festival is an economic engine for the entire region, driving about $135-million in economic activity each and every year. It is no exaggeration to say that, like in Niagara-on-the-Lake with the Shaw Festival, thousands of people and literally hundreds of business owners rely on both Festivals for their livelihood.
For Stratford, they note in their release this week they have not ruled out the possibility of mounting specially-scheduled fall or holiday programming if and when public health conditions allow. Still and all, it will never make up for the shortfall in revenue the season would otherwise generate for both the Festival and the City of Stratford.
It is a bitter pill, to be sure, and there will be more to come. But at the end, whenever that may be, the Arts will help us all to heel and recover from the current situation.
Meantime over at the Shaw Festival, it was also reported this week by esteemed arts reporter John Law in the Niagara Falls Review layoff notices have finally been sent out by the Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Not the entire company, mind you, as some are currently working from home or other remote locations while taking a 25-per-cent wage cut.
The Festival has continued to pay its 400 members through the pandemic but as of now, about 20 part-time and seasonal workers have received layoff notices. While acting ensemble members are still rehearsing at home and still receiving 100 per-cent of their pay, there is an escape clause for the Festival if they need it.
Executive Director Tim Jennings told John Law the company has now instituted a two-week notice to terminate their contracts for this season, although he hopes to extend it each week as the season progresses. Not great news for the acting company but really, it appears to be the only option available at the moment short of terminating all their contracts outright.
Unlike Stratford, Shaw has not cancelled their entire season yet. They are still going with a shortened season planned to start up again at the beginning of July, pending public health announcements that will allow such gatherings at that point as well.
There could be another delay in the season beyond that but no-one is saying anything yet, and cancelling the season outright as was done this week in Stratford is not in the cards at the present time, it seems.
So far only one show has been cancelled outright, "Mahabharata", a collaboration between Shaw and Toronto's Why Not Theatre.
Finally this week, the #NiagaraPerforms livestream series developed by the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines continues with another two weeks of performances announced on Thursday.
The series launch earlier this month has been quite successful, all things considered, with more than 8,000 livestream patrons viewing the series to date. It is a modest start but an important one, as those staying at home are exploring other options for entertainment at this time. FirstOntario PAC has stepped up to the plate with some innovative programming to keep people connected and entertained during the pandemic.
Tomorrow afternoon at 4, multi-award-winning roots and blues singer Suzie Vinnick will perform in the Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series, at the sponsor B4 Networks' Fonthill boardroom. Next Thursday at 7 pm, local jazz artists Juliet Dunn and Peter Shea of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival will share music from their home studio in the north end of St. Catharines. Next Sunday, May 10th, Spencer Burton will perform from his home in Fenwick, and on Thursday, May 14th Carousel Players' Artistic Director Monica Dufault will share a reading of Peg and the Yeti by Kenneth Oppell. The 7 pm reading will be followed by a demonstration of how to make your own Yeti craft at home.
All of the Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series performances are available for viewing through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre's website and YouTube channels.
Things may not be perfect right now, but the arts community is showing their collective resilience and creativity in so many ways at the moment. And when this is all over, to quote William Shakespeare himself, we'll look forward to a time when we can "live, and pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh."
That time for many of us can't come soon enough.
Have a great weekend and keep well!
May 2nd, 2020.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Latest updates this week...
It has been another tough week in the Arts and elsewhere due to COVID-19, so we'll update a few things here this week along with a few collected thoughts on what we're going through at the moment.
The only arts-related announcement to cross my desk this week was from the Niagara Symphony, which announced, not surprisingly, their annual Summer Camp is cancelled for this year due to COVID-19. That will be tough for all the musically-inclined kids who look forward to the musical education they receive in the summer months, but really, the NSO really had no other choice. As with most arts organizations this year, planning for the future is very difficult right now.
The Niagara Symphony also announced this week the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre will be in touch with subscribers about refunds and/or possible donations in light of the now-cancelled season, and will put on hold the new season announcement for the time being. So stay tuned and I'll pass whatever information I get when it becomes available.
In other matters, life continues along in some way or another for most people, although it is much different now and likely will be for some time to come. I have enjoyed a week off from work this week and other than my daily walks I rarely leave the house. I have been cleaning out the basement and the garage and both are almost done now, so that gives me a feeling of accomplishment.
Yes, it is tough to do without so much of our daily routines right now but we simply have to for the greater good. We will all benefit in the near future if we simply follow the directives from public health and the government and get this over with in relatively short order.
But the toll in the meantime is mounting here in our country and indeed in our community, further magnifying the importance of practicing social distancing and using good common sense. Just yesterday we heard of the passing of Wilma Morrison in Niagara Falls, who was still sharp and active at the age of 91 when she passed away due to Covid. It struck me as so sad as I had long known and respected this local giant of the Black community in Niagara, as I had often spoken to her on the phone to book her for interviews on the CKTB radio programme I used to produce.
Wilma was a leader in so many ways and I know the Niagara community will greatly mourn her loss. Even at 91 I feel she still had much to contribute to the betterment of our society as a whole. Hopefully in the future we can come together as one and honour her and her great work in Niagara and beyond.
Her passing is just one of many, of course, and we should be careful not to put more importance on one at the expense of others. We all have a roll to play in this world and all our contributions are important. So every life lost is a great loss not only to the family involved but to the community as a whole. Let's never forget that.
So, that's it for this week. Perhaps a bit of fatigue is setting in at this point for me, so I will leave it at that and wish you a good week, good health and best wishes to you and yours. Take care and be good.
Have a good weekend!
April 25th, 2020.
The only arts-related announcement to cross my desk this week was from the Niagara Symphony, which announced, not surprisingly, their annual Summer Camp is cancelled for this year due to COVID-19. That will be tough for all the musically-inclined kids who look forward to the musical education they receive in the summer months, but really, the NSO really had no other choice. As with most arts organizations this year, planning for the future is very difficult right now.
The Niagara Symphony also announced this week the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre will be in touch with subscribers about refunds and/or possible donations in light of the now-cancelled season, and will put on hold the new season announcement for the time being. So stay tuned and I'll pass whatever information I get when it becomes available.
In other matters, life continues along in some way or another for most people, although it is much different now and likely will be for some time to come. I have enjoyed a week off from work this week and other than my daily walks I rarely leave the house. I have been cleaning out the basement and the garage and both are almost done now, so that gives me a feeling of accomplishment.
Yes, it is tough to do without so much of our daily routines right now but we simply have to for the greater good. We will all benefit in the near future if we simply follow the directives from public health and the government and get this over with in relatively short order.
But the toll in the meantime is mounting here in our country and indeed in our community, further magnifying the importance of practicing social distancing and using good common sense. Just yesterday we heard of the passing of Wilma Morrison in Niagara Falls, who was still sharp and active at the age of 91 when she passed away due to Covid. It struck me as so sad as I had long known and respected this local giant of the Black community in Niagara, as I had often spoken to her on the phone to book her for interviews on the CKTB radio programme I used to produce.
Wilma was a leader in so many ways and I know the Niagara community will greatly mourn her loss. Even at 91 I feel she still had much to contribute to the betterment of our society as a whole. Hopefully in the future we can come together as one and honour her and her great work in Niagara and beyond.
Her passing is just one of many, of course, and we should be careful not to put more importance on one at the expense of others. We all have a roll to play in this world and all our contributions are important. So every life lost is a great loss not only to the family involved but to the community as a whole. Let's never forget that.
So, that's it for this week. Perhaps a bit of fatigue is setting in at this point for me, so I will leave it at that and wish you a good week, good health and best wishes to you and yours. Take care and be good.
Have a good weekend!
April 25th, 2020.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Creative souls are getting creative during COVID-19
There appears to be no end in sight to the cancellations, postponements and such in the arts community, hit hard by the current COVID-19 pandemic. We will get through this and rebuild our lives to some extent, but one can't help but wonder what life will be like "on the other side" as it were, especially regarding the Arts.
I know some businesses and indeed some arts organizations might not survive this current shutdown, but every one of us can and should show our support any way we can both now and afterwards by patronizing the businesses and organizations we have relied on beforehand once things are returning to some semblance of normalcy. It could be awhile before we get there, but we will get there...
Three updates to pass along today that crossed my desk this past week.
First off, Suitcase in Point Theatre, the artistic force behind our celebrated In The Soil Arts Festival, announced this week they have "reimagined" their plans for the 12th annual In the Soil Arts Festival.
The original three day celebration was set to take place in downtown St. Catharines June 5 to 7, with a programme to include a large roster of artists presenting innovative work in genres including live theatre, music, comedy, film, interactive workshops, site-specific installations and much more. It is always a popular draw in the downtown core every spring.
The originally planned three-day Festival has now been cancelled, but the release from In the Soil this week emphasizes they have reimagined the Festival as what they refer to as "In the Soil: A Multi (p)Arts Festival over the next several months. There will be an online series through the spring and summer as well as a variety of public events to be scheduled once it is safe to do so. There is no firm time line on when that will be, of course, but the best guess at this point is perhaps between September of this year and March of next year.
Artists originally booked for the three day Festival will be incorporated into the new reimagined series as much as possible, which is good news for all of them, as so-called "gig" work is at a total standstill at the moment during the pandemic which means, of course, they have little or no income at all.
Suitcase in Point hopes to announce the new list of artists and schedule in the coming weeks.
Just yesterday the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines announced a new online performance series to shine a spotlight on Niagara artists. #NiagaraPerforms will provide a platform and professional artists fees for local artists to share performances with online audiences as sort of a home-grown take on Ottawa's National Arts Centre's #CanadaPerforms series.
The first batch of local artists were selected by the programming team at the PAC from previous editions of the popular Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series as well as existing partnerships with local arts organizations. The new online series will be announced two weeks at a time as the current pandemic continues.
The first online performance of #NiagaraPerforms kicks off this Sunday, April 19th at 4 pm with a performance from the home studio of local musician and producer Mark Lalama, to commemorate what would have been the final Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series performance of the current Hot Ticket season.
Right now the lineup continues with a performance at 7 pm on Thursday, April 23rd by Gordon Cleland, principal cellist with the Niagara Symphony and Music Department instructor at Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts. Next Sunday the 26th at 4 pm Laurel Minnes and Taylor Hulley will bring their vocal harmonies to the online series, and on Thursday April 30th at 7 pm, Suitcase in Point Theatre will bring some quarantine comic relief to the series with more of their familiar sketch comedy cabarets.
It was also announced this week the PAC Film House will provide virtual cinema experiences with simple screening options every Wednesday. That series kicked off this past week with CatVideoFest 2020, which I am personally hoping to check out this weekend!
For more details on how to view any and all of these online events go to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre website.
Finally, the Stratford Festival announced this week they are launching a film festival during this period, offering free streaming of 12 Shakespearean productions captured as part of its Stratford Festival On Film series. This will be the first time the full-length versions of these productions have been available for free.
The online series launches on April 23rd, Shakespeare's birthday of course,, with King Lear directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and featuring Colm Feore in the title role.
The choice of this production of King Lear is not just because of the undeniable draw of actor Colm Feore, either. Cimolino noted in the press release from the Festival this week the Bard was himself in quarantine in 1606 while writing King Lear, due of course to the plague.
The roll-out of the the films has been scheduled around four themes that seem pertinent during this difficult time: Social Order, Isolation, Minds Pushed to the Edge, and Relationships. Each film will debut with a 7 pm viewing party and remain available for free for a three week period on the Stratford Festival website.
The list is as follows:
Social Order and Leadership:
King Lear - April 23 to May 14; Coriolanus - April 30 to May 21; Macbeth - May 7 to 28.
Isolation:
The Tempest - May 14 to June 4; Timon of Athens - May 21 to June 11; Love's Labour's Lost - May 28 to June 18.
Minds Pushed to the Edge:
Hamlet - June 4 to 25; King John - June 11 to July 2; Pericles - June 18 to July 9
Relationships:
Antony and Cleopatra - June 25 to July 16; Romeo and Juliet - July 2 to 23; The Taming of the Shrew - July 9 to 30.
Each film is captured live with a full audience at the Festival during a single performance, with additional "pick-up" shots of key performance elements captured on stage immediately following the performance, again with the audience present.
In all the films, produced by Barry Avrich through Melbar Entertainment Group, have received four Canadian Screen Awards and 16 nominations, including Best Performing Arts Program for King Lear, which kicks off the series on April 23rd.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the Arts online during this period of self-isolation!
April 18th, 2020.
I know some businesses and indeed some arts organizations might not survive this current shutdown, but every one of us can and should show our support any way we can both now and afterwards by patronizing the businesses and organizations we have relied on beforehand once things are returning to some semblance of normalcy. It could be awhile before we get there, but we will get there...
Three updates to pass along today that crossed my desk this past week.
First off, Suitcase in Point Theatre, the artistic force behind our celebrated In The Soil Arts Festival, announced this week they have "reimagined" their plans for the 12th annual In the Soil Arts Festival.
The original three day celebration was set to take place in downtown St. Catharines June 5 to 7, with a programme to include a large roster of artists presenting innovative work in genres including live theatre, music, comedy, film, interactive workshops, site-specific installations and much more. It is always a popular draw in the downtown core every spring.
The originally planned three-day Festival has now been cancelled, but the release from In the Soil this week emphasizes they have reimagined the Festival as what they refer to as "In the Soil: A Multi (p)Arts Festival over the next several months. There will be an online series through the spring and summer as well as a variety of public events to be scheduled once it is safe to do so. There is no firm time line on when that will be, of course, but the best guess at this point is perhaps between September of this year and March of next year.
Artists originally booked for the three day Festival will be incorporated into the new reimagined series as much as possible, which is good news for all of them, as so-called "gig" work is at a total standstill at the moment during the pandemic which means, of course, they have little or no income at all.
Suitcase in Point hopes to announce the new list of artists and schedule in the coming weeks.
Just yesterday the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines announced a new online performance series to shine a spotlight on Niagara artists. #NiagaraPerforms will provide a platform and professional artists fees for local artists to share performances with online audiences as sort of a home-grown take on Ottawa's National Arts Centre's #CanadaPerforms series.
The first batch of local artists were selected by the programming team at the PAC from previous editions of the popular Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series as well as existing partnerships with local arts organizations. The new online series will be announced two weeks at a time as the current pandemic continues.
The first online performance of #NiagaraPerforms kicks off this Sunday, April 19th at 4 pm with a performance from the home studio of local musician and producer Mark Lalama, to commemorate what would have been the final Hear! Here! Niagara Music Series performance of the current Hot Ticket season.
Right now the lineup continues with a performance at 7 pm on Thursday, April 23rd by Gordon Cleland, principal cellist with the Niagara Symphony and Music Department instructor at Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts. Next Sunday the 26th at 4 pm Laurel Minnes and Taylor Hulley will bring their vocal harmonies to the online series, and on Thursday April 30th at 7 pm, Suitcase in Point Theatre will bring some quarantine comic relief to the series with more of their familiar sketch comedy cabarets.
It was also announced this week the PAC Film House will provide virtual cinema experiences with simple screening options every Wednesday. That series kicked off this past week with CatVideoFest 2020, which I am personally hoping to check out this weekend!
For more details on how to view any and all of these online events go to the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre website.
Finally, the Stratford Festival announced this week they are launching a film festival during this period, offering free streaming of 12 Shakespearean productions captured as part of its Stratford Festival On Film series. This will be the first time the full-length versions of these productions have been available for free.
The online series launches on April 23rd, Shakespeare's birthday of course,, with King Lear directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and featuring Colm Feore in the title role.
The choice of this production of King Lear is not just because of the undeniable draw of actor Colm Feore, either. Cimolino noted in the press release from the Festival this week the Bard was himself in quarantine in 1606 while writing King Lear, due of course to the plague.
The roll-out of the the films has been scheduled around four themes that seem pertinent during this difficult time: Social Order, Isolation, Minds Pushed to the Edge, and Relationships. Each film will debut with a 7 pm viewing party and remain available for free for a three week period on the Stratford Festival website.
The list is as follows:
Social Order and Leadership:
King Lear - April 23 to May 14; Coriolanus - April 30 to May 21; Macbeth - May 7 to 28.
Isolation:
The Tempest - May 14 to June 4; Timon of Athens - May 21 to June 11; Love's Labour's Lost - May 28 to June 18.
Minds Pushed to the Edge:
Hamlet - June 4 to 25; King John - June 11 to July 2; Pericles - June 18 to July 9
Relationships:
Antony and Cleopatra - June 25 to July 16; Romeo and Juliet - July 2 to 23; The Taming of the Shrew - July 9 to 30.
Each film is captured live with a full audience at the Festival during a single performance, with additional "pick-up" shots of key performance elements captured on stage immediately following the performance, again with the audience present.
In all the films, produced by Barry Avrich through Melbar Entertainment Group, have received four Canadian Screen Awards and 16 nominations, including Best Performing Arts Program for King Lear, which kicks off the series on April 23rd.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the Arts online during this period of self-isolation!
April 18th, 2020.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
More updates on cancellations due to COVID-19
On this Easter weekend just a quick update on some cancellations in the arts world to tell you about. Sadly, these seem to be a weekly occurrence now. But better to be safe than sorry during a pandemic...
First off, the Shaw Festival is now cancelling all public events and performances through to June 30th. This is in response to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake's declaration of a state of emergency through to June 30th, which requires the cancellation of all in-person events, meetings and programming until then.
Ticket holders to the affected performances will have the full value of their tickets held on their account as the administrative and box offices are both closed until April 20th by provincial order. There is a small team of box office representatives working from home that are contacting ticket holders about the changes and to offer exchanges or refunds, so be patient. They will get to you.
In addition, the Shaw Festival and Why Not Theatre have decided to cancel the 2020 Mahabharata production, a modern retelling of the Sanskrit epic. They have jointly decided the production will not go ahead as planned this season due to the uncertainty over scheduling, so it will appear in a future Festival season, apparently.
Although the production was not set to begin rehearsals until June with performances starting in August, the work on constructing sets, props and costumes was set to get underway shortly, so that just couldn't be realized in the present environment.
Again, box office staff will be contacting ticket holders at some point in the near future about their cancelled tickets.
Meantime the Gallery Players of Niagara have joined many other local musical organizations in cancelling the remainder of their current season. There are two performances still scheduled before the season ends late spring so those will now not go ahead as planned.
Admittedly, this is not how Gallery Players wanted to celebrate their 25th anniversary season, but public safety and the safety of the artists involved is the greatest concern at this point, so the decision had to be made.
The organization will be in touch with ticket holders later this month about either converting the remaining tickets into a donation, or issuing a refund for the cancelled performances. If at all possible, opt for the former rather than the latter, as musicians everywhere are feeling the pinch at the moment.
There is also news about two new recordings coming later this month, too. One is music by Franz Asplmayr performed by the Eybler Quartet; the other is a Gallery Players/Capella Intima/Nota Bene Baroque Players co-production of the music of Scarlatti. Both these new recordings will be available from the shop available through the Gallery Players website at www.galleryplayers.ca/shop/music.
Up in Elora, the Elora Festival's summer 2020 season is now postponed. It was set to run from July 10th to the 26th. They do hope to hold the summer season later than originally planned, but a lot of that will depend on scheduling issues, so we'll have to see how doable that actually is.
Still, some performances will be better than none and by the time this pandemic is over we'll all need something to uplift our spirits!
Once again, staff will be in touch with ticket holders about either donating the cost of tickets to the Festival for a charitable tax receipt, issue a partial or full refund, or issue a gift certificate for the value of the tickets to be used towards a future concert.
You can contact the Festival for further enquiries at info@elorafestival.ca or call the office at 1-519-846-0331.
In light of all this, I was interested to read a release from Brock University's Department of Dramatic Arts at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts this week. In it, Professor Karen Fricker, who also reviews theatre for the Toronto Star, says there is a resiliency amongst artists in the midst of all these cancellations, so although it will be a tough go for most in the short term, hopefully most will be able to bounce back over time.
Fricker notes the Stratford Festival, which so far has cancelled performances through to late May, has temporarily laid off 470 employees, including actors, technicians and box office workers. At Shaw, no workers have been laid off at the present time and they are conducting rehearsals online whenever possible.
Fricker notes some Toronto-based companies are even putting on telephone plays: one on one shows in which an audience member gets a hand-made personal story delivered to them over the phone. Now that, although not ideal, is at least a glimmer of hope for the survival of the arts in this pandemic.
So, be patient, keep well and practise social distancing and proper hand washing techniques. We'll get through this, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow might just be a great performance just waiting for an audience to join them. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later!
Happy Easter and have a great weekend.
April 11th, 2020.
First off, the Shaw Festival is now cancelling all public events and performances through to June 30th. This is in response to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake's declaration of a state of emergency through to June 30th, which requires the cancellation of all in-person events, meetings and programming until then.
Ticket holders to the affected performances will have the full value of their tickets held on their account as the administrative and box offices are both closed until April 20th by provincial order. There is a small team of box office representatives working from home that are contacting ticket holders about the changes and to offer exchanges or refunds, so be patient. They will get to you.
In addition, the Shaw Festival and Why Not Theatre have decided to cancel the 2020 Mahabharata production, a modern retelling of the Sanskrit epic. They have jointly decided the production will not go ahead as planned this season due to the uncertainty over scheduling, so it will appear in a future Festival season, apparently.
Although the production was not set to begin rehearsals until June with performances starting in August, the work on constructing sets, props and costumes was set to get underway shortly, so that just couldn't be realized in the present environment.
Again, box office staff will be contacting ticket holders at some point in the near future about their cancelled tickets.
Meantime the Gallery Players of Niagara have joined many other local musical organizations in cancelling the remainder of their current season. There are two performances still scheduled before the season ends late spring so those will now not go ahead as planned.
Admittedly, this is not how Gallery Players wanted to celebrate their 25th anniversary season, but public safety and the safety of the artists involved is the greatest concern at this point, so the decision had to be made.
The organization will be in touch with ticket holders later this month about either converting the remaining tickets into a donation, or issuing a refund for the cancelled performances. If at all possible, opt for the former rather than the latter, as musicians everywhere are feeling the pinch at the moment.
There is also news about two new recordings coming later this month, too. One is music by Franz Asplmayr performed by the Eybler Quartet; the other is a Gallery Players/Capella Intima/Nota Bene Baroque Players co-production of the music of Scarlatti. Both these new recordings will be available from the shop available through the Gallery Players website at www.galleryplayers.ca/shop/music.
Up in Elora, the Elora Festival's summer 2020 season is now postponed. It was set to run from July 10th to the 26th. They do hope to hold the summer season later than originally planned, but a lot of that will depend on scheduling issues, so we'll have to see how doable that actually is.
Still, some performances will be better than none and by the time this pandemic is over we'll all need something to uplift our spirits!
Once again, staff will be in touch with ticket holders about either donating the cost of tickets to the Festival for a charitable tax receipt, issue a partial or full refund, or issue a gift certificate for the value of the tickets to be used towards a future concert.
You can contact the Festival for further enquiries at info@elorafestival.ca or call the office at 1-519-846-0331.
In light of all this, I was interested to read a release from Brock University's Department of Dramatic Arts at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts this week. In it, Professor Karen Fricker, who also reviews theatre for the Toronto Star, says there is a resiliency amongst artists in the midst of all these cancellations, so although it will be a tough go for most in the short term, hopefully most will be able to bounce back over time.
Fricker notes the Stratford Festival, which so far has cancelled performances through to late May, has temporarily laid off 470 employees, including actors, technicians and box office workers. At Shaw, no workers have been laid off at the present time and they are conducting rehearsals online whenever possible.
Fricker notes some Toronto-based companies are even putting on telephone plays: one on one shows in which an audience member gets a hand-made personal story delivered to them over the phone. Now that, although not ideal, is at least a glimmer of hope for the survival of the arts in this pandemic.
So, be patient, keep well and practise social distancing and proper hand washing techniques. We'll get through this, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow might just be a great performance just waiting for an audience to join them. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later!
Happy Easter and have a great weekend.
April 11th, 2020.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Updates from Niagara Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic and FirstOntario PAC
The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to grow, but there is some good news out this week in the local arts world to report on as well, and we'll include that in our weekly update in this space as well.
First of all, I hope you are weathering the pandemic as best you can right now. It is not easy with all the bad news to deal with, but know there is help for those in need through your community and your network of friends; all you need to do is reach out.
Just announced moments ago, the Niagara Symphony Board Chair Brent Harasym along with Music Director Bradley Thachuk have jointly concluded the current season of the NSO will have to be cancelled due to the pandemic. As the FirstOntario PAC itself is closed until at least May 31st, that effectively wipes out the balance of the NSO's season.
So as of now, ticket holders of all remaining 2019/2020 season concerts will be impacted. As is the case with many arts organizations, the NSO is suggesting you donate your tickets for a charitable tax receipt. The losses incurred by many businesses will be hard to absorb and that's especially so for arts organizations.
However, if you wish not to do so, you can receive a gift certificate for the value of your remaining tickets to put towards the following season. They do ask you hold off on requesting that option until you are contacted directly by PAC box office staff at the end of April.
As for the upcoming season, the announcement of the new season starting in the fall will be put on hold for the time being, and it is hoped they can announce that sometime in May.
Meantime the Hamilton Philharmonic Board Chair Anne Tennier and Interim Executive Director Kim Varian have jointly announced the remainder of their current season, set to run until the end of June, will be cancelled. That includes all remaining MainStage concerts and Intimate & Immersive concerts as well as all community and education programs.
The Board has decided, however, in order to ensure their core musicians are supported as much as possible, they will continue to be paid for all April and May MainStage performances that have been cancelled. All administrative and artistic staff will also be retained as they plan for the upcoming season.
An email has already been sent out regarding next steps for all ticket holders for April and May MainStage concerts. Again, patrons have the option to donate the value of their tickets back to the organization for a charitable tax receipt or if desired, may request a refund. And those requests will be dealt with at a later date so they ask for patience in the interim.
As with the Niagara Symphony, the Hamilton Philharmonic will delay the new season announcement until later in the spring.
Finally, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre announced earlier this week they have appointed Colleen Smith as the organization's new Executive Director. The release this week states Ms. Smith will play a critical role in supporting the arts community as they deal with the effects of COVID-19.
Colleen Smith will start her new duties as of May 4th of this year.
This will be a difficult time to start a new position such as this, but it is important to have a full-time Executive Director in place before any further planning goes ahead for the new season rather than maintain an interim director and muddle through. Granted, many events for the new season will have already been booked, but with a sure hand at the controls for the future, the remainder of the planning can now go ahead.
Smith, who has over 12 years of senior management experience in performing arts centres including stints at Theatre Calgary, Massey Hall, Roy Thompson Hall and The Factory Theatre, succeeds the first Executive Director of the FirstOntario PAC, Steve Solski, who exited earlier this season.
That's it for this week. Keep washing your hands and practising social distancing, be patient with others and be ready to listen if someone in need needs help at this time. Together we'll get through this...
Have a good weekend!
April 4th, 2020.
First of all, I hope you are weathering the pandemic as best you can right now. It is not easy with all the bad news to deal with, but know there is help for those in need through your community and your network of friends; all you need to do is reach out.
Just announced moments ago, the Niagara Symphony Board Chair Brent Harasym along with Music Director Bradley Thachuk have jointly concluded the current season of the NSO will have to be cancelled due to the pandemic. As the FirstOntario PAC itself is closed until at least May 31st, that effectively wipes out the balance of the NSO's season.
So as of now, ticket holders of all remaining 2019/2020 season concerts will be impacted. As is the case with many arts organizations, the NSO is suggesting you donate your tickets for a charitable tax receipt. The losses incurred by many businesses will be hard to absorb and that's especially so for arts organizations.
However, if you wish not to do so, you can receive a gift certificate for the value of your remaining tickets to put towards the following season. They do ask you hold off on requesting that option until you are contacted directly by PAC box office staff at the end of April.
As for the upcoming season, the announcement of the new season starting in the fall will be put on hold for the time being, and it is hoped they can announce that sometime in May.
Meantime the Hamilton Philharmonic Board Chair Anne Tennier and Interim Executive Director Kim Varian have jointly announced the remainder of their current season, set to run until the end of June, will be cancelled. That includes all remaining MainStage concerts and Intimate & Immersive concerts as well as all community and education programs.
The Board has decided, however, in order to ensure their core musicians are supported as much as possible, they will continue to be paid for all April and May MainStage performances that have been cancelled. All administrative and artistic staff will also be retained as they plan for the upcoming season.
An email has already been sent out regarding next steps for all ticket holders for April and May MainStage concerts. Again, patrons have the option to donate the value of their tickets back to the organization for a charitable tax receipt or if desired, may request a refund. And those requests will be dealt with at a later date so they ask for patience in the interim.
As with the Niagara Symphony, the Hamilton Philharmonic will delay the new season announcement until later in the spring.
Finally, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre announced earlier this week they have appointed Colleen Smith as the organization's new Executive Director. The release this week states Ms. Smith will play a critical role in supporting the arts community as they deal with the effects of COVID-19.
Colleen Smith will start her new duties as of May 4th of this year.
This will be a difficult time to start a new position such as this, but it is important to have a full-time Executive Director in place before any further planning goes ahead for the new season rather than maintain an interim director and muddle through. Granted, many events for the new season will have already been booked, but with a sure hand at the controls for the future, the remainder of the planning can now go ahead.
Smith, who has over 12 years of senior management experience in performing arts centres including stints at Theatre Calgary, Massey Hall, Roy Thompson Hall and The Factory Theatre, succeeds the first Executive Director of the FirstOntario PAC, Steve Solski, who exited earlier this season.
That's it for this week. Keep washing your hands and practising social distancing, be patient with others and be ready to listen if someone in need needs help at this time. Together we'll get through this...
Have a good weekend!
April 4th, 2020.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
The arts world grinds to a halt during COVID-19
Week 3 of updates on changes to events in the arts world that you should know about...
This is just a partial update list of course; for any organization you have an interest in you have not already heard from, I would suggest contacting them directly. Mind you, pretty much everything is on hold for the time being, so chances are your event is either cancelled or at least postponed for the time being.
Before we get to this week's list, I should mention almost all arts organizations are being hurt by the pandemic by having to cancel or postpone performances, and it is hard for them to recoup those losses later on. Often, performances cannot be rescheduled because many guest artists are booked months or even years in advance. It is hoped all performances can be salvaged but the reality is many of them cannot.
In light of this, we have to make the best of a bad situation and do what we can to help out. Not everyone can afford to, but again I'll remind you if you can, donate your ticket or subscription money back to the organization as a charitable donation. They will benefit and so will you.
Once we are out of this situation, be it weeks or even months from now, all of us will need some entertainment to return to, and they will need an audience willing and ready to come back again. It is not easy for everyone, I understand, but for those who can, please support your favourite arts organization once they are up and running again. They will all need us more than ever you can be sure.
Now, this weekend Choralis Camerata was to perform Mozart's Requiem tomorrow afternoon in north St. Catharines but that concert has been postponed. It is hoped they will be able to reschedule for a later date, in which case your ticket for Sunday's concert will be honoured at that later performance. If a refund is required, you can email them at choraliscamerata@gmail.com.
Up in Guelph the Guelph Chamber Choir performance of John Rutter's Requiem, scheduled for tonight at the River Run Centre, has so far also only been postponed. The situation for many organizations is fluid, of course, but right now they hope to reschedule. For further updates go to www.guelphchamberchoir.ca, although this morning that was the only information available at this writing.
I wrote earlier about the Stratford Festival putting everything on hold until June, and now the Shaw Festival has done the same. At Shaw all operations are on hold until May 25th. As with Stratford, Shaw cannot hold rehearsals and still maintain social distancing at the same time. This week coming work on Charley's Aunt was to begin in earnest but alas, not under the present circumstances.
Both Shaw and Stratford posted modest surpluses last year so that will help a little bit, but facing such losses incurred by so many cancellations for the better part of two months will certainly take its toll on both Festivals this year. No doubt both will be reaching out to longtime patrons with a variety of offers to lure them back into seats if and when the seasons finally do get underway.
Bravo! Niagara has decided to postpone their April and May performances for the time being. Those include the Brubeck Brothers Quartet concert on April 5th, From Broadway with Love on May 2nd and the May 3rd concert featuring Cho-Liang Lin and Jon Kimura Parker.
Ticket holders and Flex Pack holders have all been contacted directly with options available to them from Bravo! Niagara. If you want further information you can contact them directly at music@bravoniagara.org.
Finally, the Foster Festival made the decision earlier this week to suspend all public events and performances, including of course the entire 2020 season at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. The season was set to run from June 24th to August 22nd and while by August one would hope the theatres would all be open again, there are preparations between now and then, and those simply cannot be done under the present circumstances. So, the season is done, unfortunately.
The Foster Festival asks that patrons do not call the box office with ticket enquiries at this time; rather, they will be in touch directly with options available to ticket holders, probably in the next week or so.
As a side note, the Festival also announced this week playwright Norm Foster was hospitalized last weekend with a serious health issue, but stressed it was unrelated to COVID-19. Still, our thoughts and prayers go out to Norm, his wife Helena and the rest of the Foster family at this time and wish Norm a speedy recovery.
One suspects a new Foster comedy at the Foster Festival in the future will revolve around a hospital stay...we can only hope!
So that's it for now. In closing let me say we are all feeling the stress of this pandemic and at times it seems almost too much to handle. But know we are all in this together and we are here for each other. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need help, and if you can help, keep in touch with others who might be vulnerable at this time.
Keep well, wash your hands, and we will win!
Have a good weekend.
March 28th, 2020.
This is just a partial update list of course; for any organization you have an interest in you have not already heard from, I would suggest contacting them directly. Mind you, pretty much everything is on hold for the time being, so chances are your event is either cancelled or at least postponed for the time being.
Before we get to this week's list, I should mention almost all arts organizations are being hurt by the pandemic by having to cancel or postpone performances, and it is hard for them to recoup those losses later on. Often, performances cannot be rescheduled because many guest artists are booked months or even years in advance. It is hoped all performances can be salvaged but the reality is many of them cannot.
In light of this, we have to make the best of a bad situation and do what we can to help out. Not everyone can afford to, but again I'll remind you if you can, donate your ticket or subscription money back to the organization as a charitable donation. They will benefit and so will you.
Once we are out of this situation, be it weeks or even months from now, all of us will need some entertainment to return to, and they will need an audience willing and ready to come back again. It is not easy for everyone, I understand, but for those who can, please support your favourite arts organization once they are up and running again. They will all need us more than ever you can be sure.
Now, this weekend Choralis Camerata was to perform Mozart's Requiem tomorrow afternoon in north St. Catharines but that concert has been postponed. It is hoped they will be able to reschedule for a later date, in which case your ticket for Sunday's concert will be honoured at that later performance. If a refund is required, you can email them at choraliscamerata@gmail.com.
Up in Guelph the Guelph Chamber Choir performance of John Rutter's Requiem, scheduled for tonight at the River Run Centre, has so far also only been postponed. The situation for many organizations is fluid, of course, but right now they hope to reschedule. For further updates go to www.guelphchamberchoir.ca, although this morning that was the only information available at this writing.
I wrote earlier about the Stratford Festival putting everything on hold until June, and now the Shaw Festival has done the same. At Shaw all operations are on hold until May 25th. As with Stratford, Shaw cannot hold rehearsals and still maintain social distancing at the same time. This week coming work on Charley's Aunt was to begin in earnest but alas, not under the present circumstances.
Both Shaw and Stratford posted modest surpluses last year so that will help a little bit, but facing such losses incurred by so many cancellations for the better part of two months will certainly take its toll on both Festivals this year. No doubt both will be reaching out to longtime patrons with a variety of offers to lure them back into seats if and when the seasons finally do get underway.
Bravo! Niagara has decided to postpone their April and May performances for the time being. Those include the Brubeck Brothers Quartet concert on April 5th, From Broadway with Love on May 2nd and the May 3rd concert featuring Cho-Liang Lin and Jon Kimura Parker.
Ticket holders and Flex Pack holders have all been contacted directly with options available to them from Bravo! Niagara. If you want further information you can contact them directly at music@bravoniagara.org.
Finally, the Foster Festival made the decision earlier this week to suspend all public events and performances, including of course the entire 2020 season at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. The season was set to run from June 24th to August 22nd and while by August one would hope the theatres would all be open again, there are preparations between now and then, and those simply cannot be done under the present circumstances. So, the season is done, unfortunately.
The Foster Festival asks that patrons do not call the box office with ticket enquiries at this time; rather, they will be in touch directly with options available to ticket holders, probably in the next week or so.
As a side note, the Festival also announced this week playwright Norm Foster was hospitalized last weekend with a serious health issue, but stressed it was unrelated to COVID-19. Still, our thoughts and prayers go out to Norm, his wife Helena and the rest of the Foster family at this time and wish Norm a speedy recovery.
One suspects a new Foster comedy at the Foster Festival in the future will revolve around a hospital stay...we can only hope!
So that's it for now. In closing let me say we are all feeling the stress of this pandemic and at times it seems almost too much to handle. But know we are all in this together and we are here for each other. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need help, and if you can help, keep in touch with others who might be vulnerable at this time.
Keep well, wash your hands, and we will win!
Have a good weekend.
March 28th, 2020.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Week 2 of living in the COVID-19 world
With the first wave of COVID-19 related closures now in effect, we'll revisit the situation again this week to update things and add some observations from your humble scribe on the way matters are unfolding.
For the most part, people are adhering to government requested restrictions such as going out unnecessarily and at least trying to maintain some semblance of social distancing. I still find people too close for comfort in many situations such as at the grocery store, but by and large I am able to increase my distance even if they won't.
It really isn't that much of a hardship keeping your distance, unless of course you were on a beach in Florida this week for March break with other like-minded misguided souls unconvinced they'll catch the virus. One even commented he would rather get it than give up his partying on the beach! Yeeesh...check back with us once you get through the two-week quarantine buddy and let us know if you still feel that way.
I am a walker by nature and thankfully I can keep my exercise levels up while the YMCA is closed by walking several times a day. I have been logging up to 11 miles a day most days, so it can be done. My far better half is not thrilled but hey, a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do...
As far as the arts are concerned, we have some updates to pass along since last week's posting in this space. In local community theatre, Firehall Theatre in Niagara Falls has announced their spring production of Separate Beds will be postponed until the fall season, so those who already have tickets to the spring scheduled shows will not have to return them; those tickets will be honoured for the fall shows. They'll update us on more developments as they occur.
I wrote last week the Stratford Festival had delayed the start of their season, which was scheduled to get underway early next month. Now they have pushed the start date back even further, cancelling all shows and even rehearsals through to the end of May. The rehearsals simply were not compatible with social distancing, so everything had to be put on hold.
Actors the world over abide by the maxim "The show must go on!" but indeed, this is not the first time they have not. The Festival noted in their news release this week the bubonic plague of 1608 forced the closure of all theatres as actors were terrified of contracting the disease. Some feared the theatres would not reopen once it was safe to do so but indeed they did, and people returned to the theatre to be entertained once again.
This will happen again I am sure. Yes the closure is painful for all on both sides of the footlights but it is necessary to stem the growth of COVID-19 at this time. But just think of how great it will feel to celebrate the return of normalcy later this year with some great theatre that was worth waiting for!
Similarly the Shaw Festival has altered their season as well, although there does not appear, as of yet at least, to be as much of a delay in the start of their season than at Stratford. They plan to reopen their offices April 6th and begin performances for the season by May 1st. That could change of course, but right now that is the plan.
Meantime the Hamilton Philharmonic will reopen their offices on April 5th and hopefully they can resume their performance schedule sometime next month as well. They did, however, offer in their news release this week some worthwhile diversions to keep you occupied during the hiatus of live performances at the moment. For example, the Met Opera is streaming some past live performances beginning this past week, so that will be worth checking out. This week they live-streamed a 2008 production of La Boheme, for example.
You can check out Google Arts and Culture where users can virtually tour more than five-hundred museums across the globe, including The Met, London's National Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art. And the Berlin Philharmonic has made their Digital Concert Hall available to all for free during the suspension of live performances, so that will be worth checking out as well.
So while the present situation is not ideal, at least there are options out there we would not have had years ago before the digital age. Besides, you can't spend your entire time shopping online now, can you?
Can you?!
Have a great weekend and hang in there!
March 21st, 2020.
For the most part, people are adhering to government requested restrictions such as going out unnecessarily and at least trying to maintain some semblance of social distancing. I still find people too close for comfort in many situations such as at the grocery store, but by and large I am able to increase my distance even if they won't.
It really isn't that much of a hardship keeping your distance, unless of course you were on a beach in Florida this week for March break with other like-minded misguided souls unconvinced they'll catch the virus. One even commented he would rather get it than give up his partying on the beach! Yeeesh...check back with us once you get through the two-week quarantine buddy and let us know if you still feel that way.
I am a walker by nature and thankfully I can keep my exercise levels up while the YMCA is closed by walking several times a day. I have been logging up to 11 miles a day most days, so it can be done. My far better half is not thrilled but hey, a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do...
As far as the arts are concerned, we have some updates to pass along since last week's posting in this space. In local community theatre, Firehall Theatre in Niagara Falls has announced their spring production of Separate Beds will be postponed until the fall season, so those who already have tickets to the spring scheduled shows will not have to return them; those tickets will be honoured for the fall shows. They'll update us on more developments as they occur.
I wrote last week the Stratford Festival had delayed the start of their season, which was scheduled to get underway early next month. Now they have pushed the start date back even further, cancelling all shows and even rehearsals through to the end of May. The rehearsals simply were not compatible with social distancing, so everything had to be put on hold.
Actors the world over abide by the maxim "The show must go on!" but indeed, this is not the first time they have not. The Festival noted in their news release this week the bubonic plague of 1608 forced the closure of all theatres as actors were terrified of contracting the disease. Some feared the theatres would not reopen once it was safe to do so but indeed they did, and people returned to the theatre to be entertained once again.
This will happen again I am sure. Yes the closure is painful for all on both sides of the footlights but it is necessary to stem the growth of COVID-19 at this time. But just think of how great it will feel to celebrate the return of normalcy later this year with some great theatre that was worth waiting for!
Similarly the Shaw Festival has altered their season as well, although there does not appear, as of yet at least, to be as much of a delay in the start of their season than at Stratford. They plan to reopen their offices April 6th and begin performances for the season by May 1st. That could change of course, but right now that is the plan.
Meantime the Hamilton Philharmonic will reopen their offices on April 5th and hopefully they can resume their performance schedule sometime next month as well. They did, however, offer in their news release this week some worthwhile diversions to keep you occupied during the hiatus of live performances at the moment. For example, the Met Opera is streaming some past live performances beginning this past week, so that will be worth checking out. This week they live-streamed a 2008 production of La Boheme, for example.
You can check out Google Arts and Culture where users can virtually tour more than five-hundred museums across the globe, including The Met, London's National Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art. And the Berlin Philharmonic has made their Digital Concert Hall available to all for free during the suspension of live performances, so that will be worth checking out as well.
So while the present situation is not ideal, at least there are options out there we would not have had years ago before the digital age. Besides, you can't spend your entire time shopping online now, can you?
Can you?!
Have a great weekend and hang in there!
March 21st, 2020.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the arts world as well
This has been a very difficult week for many of us, trying to stay on top of the latest developments regarding the coronavirus known as COVID-19. We knew about it some time ago but until it finally hits home in a significant way - as it did this week - we don't keep it top of mind as perhaps we should.
To briefly recap, the World Health Organization has now officially declared it to be pandemic, with CVID-19 hitting many countries in all corners of the world now. The death toll is now significant in such countries as Italy and of course China, where it all began, but just as significant are the numbers of those affected to one degree or another.
Governments including here in Canada are responding the best they can to try to manage the outbreak and limit the deaths and those affected by the virus in some way. As a result, life as we've known it has been significantly disrupted and will continue to be for some time to come. This is not going away anytime soon, I'm afraid, so we'd best get used to what is fast becoming the new reality.
That does not, however, include panic. While concern and worry about how things will play out is understandable to some degree, full-out panic buying is not the answer, nor is it helpful for the rest of the population trying to come to grips with the same situation.
What we've seen in the past few days is remarkable, and not all for the right reasons. People are taking an every man for himself approach and not showing much if any concern for those around them. If the next person in line is unable to buy such basics as hand sanitizer or toilet paper because the person ahead of them loaded up a year's worth in one shot, well, that's their tough luck. Or so it seems.
The fact is, there is no need for the mass hysteria that seems to be breaking out. We can manage this and still be civil to one another, still show concern for our fellow man, or woman for that matter. Just use a little common sense and we'll get through this. It won't be quick, but we can lessen the pain somewhat by simply being good citizens and thinking of others as well as ourselves.
The economic impact here in Canada, as in other countries, will be far reaching and not a short-term aberration. Not to overstate the case, but it would be realistic to assume a recession of some severity will likely be the outcome with the continuous hits to the economy both here and elsewhere in the world. Some countries might manage the fallout better than others, but the grim reality could very well be a downturn in the economy as a result of COVID-19.
As hard to accept as that fact might be, it will not come without collateral damage. People might be out of work who might otherwise be gainfully employed. Consumers might be reluctant to spend once the pandemic is over for fear of a return or simply because they have taken a financial hit themselves and need to tighten their collective belts.
That is perfectly understandable under the circumstances.
But we have to be open-minded going forward and not forget those who are vulnerable, including those who rely on food banks such as Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold. There could very well be further strain on the resources available to them due to the increased number of cases, so those who can help out certainly should.
Another area that will likely suffer both long term and short term will be the arts. In the short term concerts and events have to be cancelled due to prudency on the part of management in order to protect both their employees as well as the public that comes to the events.
That is why, in the last couple of days, the cancellations have been piling up in my inbox. Some are outright cancellations and others are postponements to a later date. But either way, those organizations are taking an unexpected financial hit and some might never recover from it.
Just since yesterday, the City of St. Catharines through an abundance of caution decided to close many social and cultural venues for the time being, including the Farmer's Market, the Welland Canal Visitors Centre & Museum, all public libraries and of course, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre downtown.
Yes it hurts, especially if you have tickets to events such as tomorrow afternoon's Niagara Symphony concert in Partridge Hall at the PAC. That concert and others in the near future have to be cancelled as a result as there is simply no other venue suitable at the moment, and the management of said organizations such as the NSO are being prudent in their own right.
The ripple effect is significant. An orchestra or ensemble can't simply reschedule to another date usually, as schedules are planned out over a year in advance. So they can and will refund your ticket price because frankly, they can't honour the ticket you paid for.
But there is something you can do to help. Not everyone can afford to do this, admittedly, but if you can afford to, consider donating your ticket price back to the organization as a donation. They can use the money at a difficult time and it cuts down on their losses in a meaningful way. And make no mistake, there will be losses.
Not every concert or event has to be cancelled outright. Some can indeed be rescheduled or delayed, such as the Stratford Festival season for example. They announced yesterday they will cancel performances from April 11th, when they were originally scheduled to get underway, until May 2nd. There is little chance they can make up those lost performances later on in the season, but they can at least offer later dates for the shows affected.
Many simply cannot. The Niagara Symphony, for example, will simply have to bite the bullet and pass on tomorrow afternoon's Masterworks 5 concert at the PAC. Similarly, Gallery Players has cancelled their annual Movie Night scheduled for April 4th. Those two concerts and many others by various organizations will simply be lost.
Not all performances appear to be cancelled, however, so it is wise to check on the performance you were planning to attend in advance to make sure it is on before heading out. I reached out Friday to Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts regarding their next concert this afternoon but so far had not heard back, so I am assuming with no announcement on their website to the contrary it is still going ahead. That will be great news for fans of guitarist Milos, who is scheduled to appear at St. Mark's Anglican Church at 41 Byron Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake at 3 pm this Sunday afternoon. If you have not purchased tickets in advance they should be available at the door.
Beyond the performances though, think of those on minimum wage working in many of our restaurants for example, struggling to make ends meet at the best of times and now with perhaps reduced hours they will find it harder than ever to bridge the gap. Again if you can, why not order in from an affordable establishment thereby giving them such much needed business. And if you can increase your tip even just a little, that would be even better.
Being kind and civil to the people you meet will go a long way to making life more bearable for all, too. Especially in the case of our health-care workers throughout the system working on the front lines to deal with those affected by the virus, please be patient and above all, pleasant to them. They are doing great work and should be shown thanks and appreciation at every opportunity, not scorn.
Yes, we will be facing tough times in the days, weeks and likely months ahead. It is not going to be easy. But instead of running around thinking of where you can find more toilet paper, why not work together as a team to manage the situation in a caring, compassionate way.
What's more Canadian than that?
Have a great weekend and remember to take care of those who matter.
March 14th, 2020.
To briefly recap, the World Health Organization has now officially declared it to be pandemic, with CVID-19 hitting many countries in all corners of the world now. The death toll is now significant in such countries as Italy and of course China, where it all began, but just as significant are the numbers of those affected to one degree or another.
Governments including here in Canada are responding the best they can to try to manage the outbreak and limit the deaths and those affected by the virus in some way. As a result, life as we've known it has been significantly disrupted and will continue to be for some time to come. This is not going away anytime soon, I'm afraid, so we'd best get used to what is fast becoming the new reality.
That does not, however, include panic. While concern and worry about how things will play out is understandable to some degree, full-out panic buying is not the answer, nor is it helpful for the rest of the population trying to come to grips with the same situation.
What we've seen in the past few days is remarkable, and not all for the right reasons. People are taking an every man for himself approach and not showing much if any concern for those around them. If the next person in line is unable to buy such basics as hand sanitizer or toilet paper because the person ahead of them loaded up a year's worth in one shot, well, that's their tough luck. Or so it seems.
The fact is, there is no need for the mass hysteria that seems to be breaking out. We can manage this and still be civil to one another, still show concern for our fellow man, or woman for that matter. Just use a little common sense and we'll get through this. It won't be quick, but we can lessen the pain somewhat by simply being good citizens and thinking of others as well as ourselves.
The economic impact here in Canada, as in other countries, will be far reaching and not a short-term aberration. Not to overstate the case, but it would be realistic to assume a recession of some severity will likely be the outcome with the continuous hits to the economy both here and elsewhere in the world. Some countries might manage the fallout better than others, but the grim reality could very well be a downturn in the economy as a result of COVID-19.
As hard to accept as that fact might be, it will not come without collateral damage. People might be out of work who might otherwise be gainfully employed. Consumers might be reluctant to spend once the pandemic is over for fear of a return or simply because they have taken a financial hit themselves and need to tighten their collective belts.
That is perfectly understandable under the circumstances.
But we have to be open-minded going forward and not forget those who are vulnerable, including those who rely on food banks such as Community Care of St. Catharines & Thorold. There could very well be further strain on the resources available to them due to the increased number of cases, so those who can help out certainly should.
Another area that will likely suffer both long term and short term will be the arts. In the short term concerts and events have to be cancelled due to prudency on the part of management in order to protect both their employees as well as the public that comes to the events.
That is why, in the last couple of days, the cancellations have been piling up in my inbox. Some are outright cancellations and others are postponements to a later date. But either way, those organizations are taking an unexpected financial hit and some might never recover from it.
Just since yesterday, the City of St. Catharines through an abundance of caution decided to close many social and cultural venues for the time being, including the Farmer's Market, the Welland Canal Visitors Centre & Museum, all public libraries and of course, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre downtown.
Yes it hurts, especially if you have tickets to events such as tomorrow afternoon's Niagara Symphony concert in Partridge Hall at the PAC. That concert and others in the near future have to be cancelled as a result as there is simply no other venue suitable at the moment, and the management of said organizations such as the NSO are being prudent in their own right.
The ripple effect is significant. An orchestra or ensemble can't simply reschedule to another date usually, as schedules are planned out over a year in advance. So they can and will refund your ticket price because frankly, they can't honour the ticket you paid for.
But there is something you can do to help. Not everyone can afford to do this, admittedly, but if you can afford to, consider donating your ticket price back to the organization as a donation. They can use the money at a difficult time and it cuts down on their losses in a meaningful way. And make no mistake, there will be losses.
Not every concert or event has to be cancelled outright. Some can indeed be rescheduled or delayed, such as the Stratford Festival season for example. They announced yesterday they will cancel performances from April 11th, when they were originally scheduled to get underway, until May 2nd. There is little chance they can make up those lost performances later on in the season, but they can at least offer later dates for the shows affected.
Many simply cannot. The Niagara Symphony, for example, will simply have to bite the bullet and pass on tomorrow afternoon's Masterworks 5 concert at the PAC. Similarly, Gallery Players has cancelled their annual Movie Night scheduled for April 4th. Those two concerts and many others by various organizations will simply be lost.
Not all performances appear to be cancelled, however, so it is wise to check on the performance you were planning to attend in advance to make sure it is on before heading out. I reached out Friday to Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts regarding their next concert this afternoon but so far had not heard back, so I am assuming with no announcement on their website to the contrary it is still going ahead. That will be great news for fans of guitarist Milos, who is scheduled to appear at St. Mark's Anglican Church at 41 Byron Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake at 3 pm this Sunday afternoon. If you have not purchased tickets in advance they should be available at the door.
Beyond the performances though, think of those on minimum wage working in many of our restaurants for example, struggling to make ends meet at the best of times and now with perhaps reduced hours they will find it harder than ever to bridge the gap. Again if you can, why not order in from an affordable establishment thereby giving them such much needed business. And if you can increase your tip even just a little, that would be even better.
Being kind and civil to the people you meet will go a long way to making life more bearable for all, too. Especially in the case of our health-care workers throughout the system working on the front lines to deal with those affected by the virus, please be patient and above all, pleasant to them. They are doing great work and should be shown thanks and appreciation at every opportunity, not scorn.
Yes, we will be facing tough times in the days, weeks and likely months ahead. It is not going to be easy. But instead of running around thinking of where you can find more toilet paper, why not work together as a team to manage the situation in a caring, compassionate way.
What's more Canadian than that?
Have a great weekend and remember to take care of those who matter.
March 14th, 2020.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Gallery Players bring you Bach on a sunny Sunday afternoon
I know it's difficult being indoors on these early spring days with the sun shining and the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, but hey, everything in moderation, right? After all, you can get your fill of sunshine this morning and later in the afternoon since Daylight Savings Time is here once again.
In between, I humbly suggest an indoor diversion that will be both edifying and enjoyable at the same time, and supremely entertaining.
This afternoon at 2 The Gallery Players of Niagara present the latest concert in their current series in The Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, entitled "Songs of Life, Year 2: Bach on Turtle's Back - Death." A rather unwieldy title, perhaps, but worth further investigation.
Human expression can take many forms, not the least of which are creation, destruction and transformation, all of which present themselves as connective themes of said expression. These truths are explored through "Songs of Life" by way of solo performances by Tafelmusik violinist Julia Wedman, the dance performances of Brian Solomon and indeed the always transcendent music of J.S. Bach.
This is the second year of a three-year project, with support provided by the Pluralism Fund.
Brian Solomon is not only the dancer for the performance but also the director and choreographer for "Songs of Life". Along with violin soloist Julia Wedman, performers include soprano Sinead White, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, mezzo-soprano Jessica Wright and baritone Keith Lam. Instrumental accompaniment is provided by Alison Melville on flute, Michelle Odorico on violin, Patrick Jordan on viola, Maho Sone on keyboard and Gallery Players Artistic Director Margaret Gay on cello.
There's not a lot of explanation given about the subject matter to be explored in this edition of "Songs of Life" but for those who attended the first instalment last year the continuation will certainly make sense. For those latecomers who missed the first instalment they should readily be up to speed during the concert and even if not, the experience should still prove both interesting and enjoyable.
So with the coming of spring comes new life, new experiences, new ideas. Looks like you can experience all that and more over a two-hour span this afternoon. That to me seems to be time well spent!
Tickets for "Songs of Life" are available in advance by calling Gallery Players at 905-468-1525 or by going to www.galleryplayers.ca. You should also be able to pick up tickets at the door prior to the performance this afternoon at 2 pm.
Have a great weekend!
March 8th, 2020.
In between, I humbly suggest an indoor diversion that will be both edifying and enjoyable at the same time, and supremely entertaining.
This afternoon at 2 The Gallery Players of Niagara present the latest concert in their current series in The Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, entitled "Songs of Life, Year 2: Bach on Turtle's Back - Death." A rather unwieldy title, perhaps, but worth further investigation.
Human expression can take many forms, not the least of which are creation, destruction and transformation, all of which present themselves as connective themes of said expression. These truths are explored through "Songs of Life" by way of solo performances by Tafelmusik violinist Julia Wedman, the dance performances of Brian Solomon and indeed the always transcendent music of J.S. Bach.
This is the second year of a three-year project, with support provided by the Pluralism Fund.
Brian Solomon is not only the dancer for the performance but also the director and choreographer for "Songs of Life". Along with violin soloist Julia Wedman, performers include soprano Sinead White, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, mezzo-soprano Jessica Wright and baritone Keith Lam. Instrumental accompaniment is provided by Alison Melville on flute, Michelle Odorico on violin, Patrick Jordan on viola, Maho Sone on keyboard and Gallery Players Artistic Director Margaret Gay on cello.
There's not a lot of explanation given about the subject matter to be explored in this edition of "Songs of Life" but for those who attended the first instalment last year the continuation will certainly make sense. For those latecomers who missed the first instalment they should readily be up to speed during the concert and even if not, the experience should still prove both interesting and enjoyable.
So with the coming of spring comes new life, new experiences, new ideas. Looks like you can experience all that and more over a two-hour span this afternoon. That to me seems to be time well spent!
Tickets for "Songs of Life" are available in advance by calling Gallery Players at 905-468-1525 or by going to www.galleryplayers.ca. You should also be able to pick up tickets at the door prior to the performance this afternoon at 2 pm.
Have a great weekend!
March 8th, 2020.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Looking for a bit of serenity on this Leap Day evening?
Very early in my radio broadcasting career - I'm talking back in the mid-70s - I was invited to the opening night of one of the National Ballet of Canada performances at the then-named O'Keefe Centre in downtown Toronto. It never was the best place to view a ballet but back then that was all Toronto had for staging large-scale dance and operatic performances.
From that very first night I was hooked. I always found it to be an escape for me, no matter what the programme was. I loved the big classical ballets, of course, but always went with an open mind when a mixed programme of shorter, more contemporary works was being staged.
From there I got to know people at the National Ballet School and often attended student performances at their home base as well to see what the young and up-and-coming talent was doing.
That love affair with the ballet in particular and dance in general lasted well into this century for me, although I must admit I have not been for many years now.
My interest was piqued, however, when news came of a programme of piano music accompanied by meditative dance to be held tonight in Hamilton at the Church of St. John the Evangelist. How appropriate, I thought, an art form incorporating leaping into the mix should be performed on this evening, February 29th...leap year, of course...
The pianist in question is Hamilton-based pianist/composer Robert Bruce and the dance is provided by dancer/choreographer Kate Hilliard. Together they will present the Hamilton premiere of Eternal Spring, comprising gentle and evocative piano music composed by Robert Bruce himself, melded with specially-conceived meditative dance by Hilliard.
In this hectic world full of angst, tension and news headlines attacking us from all directions, a meditative programme for modern times might seem to be just what the doctor ordered. It's largely modelled on the aesthetic value system that existed in Western European art during the period predating our present one, roughly from 1870 to 1910.
A lot changed around the time of the nineteen-teens, not the least of which was the turmoil the world was plunged into with the start of the First World War in 1914. Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring rocked the sensibilities of ballet patrons of the day as well, leaving behind the calmer, quieter aesthetic people had enjoyed up until that time in favour of the more daring and avant-guard works to come later in the last century.
Eternal Spring strives to recreate the more intimate and daydream-y atmosphere in which subtle expressions of beauty are presented as the main content. Think of calming, gently flowing music and dance working in graceful harmony with each other and you have the picture clearly in focus.
Drawing inspiration from neo-classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau among others, Eternal Spring transports the audience into a place of serenity. If you want a modern equivalent perhaps yoga or even meditation could provide a basis on which to draw comparisons here, but really the work is highly original in its own right.
A musical balm for the senses amid the furor and clamour of the modern world? Seems like as good a place as any to escape to during a leap year or any other year for that matter...
Eternal Spring will be presented for one night only tonight at 8 pm at The Rock on Locke, the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Hamilton. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance using PayPal. There is also a seniors/student rate of $15. Advance tickets can be had by going to www.robertbrucemusic.com.
The Rock on Lock, for the uninitiated, is at 320 Charlton Avenue West in downtown Hamilton.
Enjoy the weekend!
February 29th, 2020.
From that very first night I was hooked. I always found it to be an escape for me, no matter what the programme was. I loved the big classical ballets, of course, but always went with an open mind when a mixed programme of shorter, more contemporary works was being staged.
From there I got to know people at the National Ballet School and often attended student performances at their home base as well to see what the young and up-and-coming talent was doing.
That love affair with the ballet in particular and dance in general lasted well into this century for me, although I must admit I have not been for many years now.
My interest was piqued, however, when news came of a programme of piano music accompanied by meditative dance to be held tonight in Hamilton at the Church of St. John the Evangelist. How appropriate, I thought, an art form incorporating leaping into the mix should be performed on this evening, February 29th...leap year, of course...
The pianist in question is Hamilton-based pianist/composer Robert Bruce and the dance is provided by dancer/choreographer Kate Hilliard. Together they will present the Hamilton premiere of Eternal Spring, comprising gentle and evocative piano music composed by Robert Bruce himself, melded with specially-conceived meditative dance by Hilliard.
In this hectic world full of angst, tension and news headlines attacking us from all directions, a meditative programme for modern times might seem to be just what the doctor ordered. It's largely modelled on the aesthetic value system that existed in Western European art during the period predating our present one, roughly from 1870 to 1910.
A lot changed around the time of the nineteen-teens, not the least of which was the turmoil the world was plunged into with the start of the First World War in 1914. Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring rocked the sensibilities of ballet patrons of the day as well, leaving behind the calmer, quieter aesthetic people had enjoyed up until that time in favour of the more daring and avant-guard works to come later in the last century.
Eternal Spring strives to recreate the more intimate and daydream-y atmosphere in which subtle expressions of beauty are presented as the main content. Think of calming, gently flowing music and dance working in graceful harmony with each other and you have the picture clearly in focus.
Drawing inspiration from neo-classicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau among others, Eternal Spring transports the audience into a place of serenity. If you want a modern equivalent perhaps yoga or even meditation could provide a basis on which to draw comparisons here, but really the work is highly original in its own right.
A musical balm for the senses amid the furor and clamour of the modern world? Seems like as good a place as any to escape to during a leap year or any other year for that matter...
Eternal Spring will be presented for one night only tonight at 8 pm at The Rock on Locke, the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Hamilton. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance using PayPal. There is also a seniors/student rate of $15. Advance tickets can be had by going to www.robertbrucemusic.com.
The Rock on Lock, for the uninitiated, is at 320 Charlton Avenue West in downtown Hamilton.
Enjoy the weekend!
February 29th, 2020.
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