It's that time again; time to start reviewing performances at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals for the summer season. I look forward to this every year, as theatre is one of my great loves and as I discovered earlier this year, I'm closing in on 30 years of attending shows at both festivals, so I've seen more than a few.
Last weekend I made my first pilgrimage to Stratford for the season, and this weekend I visit Shaw for the first time this season. So, let's take a look at the first two shows at Stratford so far, which happen to be the big musical offerings this season.
A lot of people have been anticipating the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, and with good reason. This was a landmark show when it first appeared in 1970, a couple of years after Hair, and together they really paved the way for the later rock musicals like Tommy. Oddly with Jesus Christ Superstar, the stage musical was an outgrowth of the original album, so it should come as no surprise there is really no book to speak of here, except, of course, The Bible, which provided the story on which the musical is based. The story, as you probably are aware, deals with the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
If you have seen J.C. Superstar before, you know there is absolutely no spoken dialogue at all; it is a musical in its purest form. All of which means you find yourself awash in song after song for almost two hours, many of which have become standard popular music repertoire. This is, to be perfectly honest, a welcome change from some later A.L. Webber shows, which seem to present one or maybe two great songs and the rest is largely forgettable. That's why I have never been a fan of the musical Cats, for example, although I know I am in the minority there.
Who hasn't, over the past 40 years, heard songs like "Everything's Alright", "Herod's Song" and of course, "I Don't Know How to Love Him". Now, it is nice to hear them all in their original context within the show; and for the record, they all sound just as good today as they did 40 years ago.
This new Stratford production, directed by Artistic Director Des McAnuff, is a spectacular show. It holds surprises at almost every turn, with many clever touches that never go over the line. However, unlike Stratford's earlier production of Evita, this new show doesn't rely as heavily on those 'spectacle' aspects to wow the audience; the music and the story themselves more than handle that part, thank you very much.
The cast is impressive: Paul Nolan appears as Jesus Christ, and Josh Young as an acerbic Judas Iscariot, who betrays Christ. Young is a huge presence on stage, almost overshowing Nolan in the title role. Chilina Kennedy makes a dynamic Mary Magdalene, and Brent Carver is wonderful to watch as Pontius Pilate. But special mention goes to the irrepressible Bruce Dow, who makes the most of his time on stage as King Herod, albeit a slightly over-the-top King at times.
Jesus Christ Superstar will thrill many and offend almost no-one, which shows how far we have come in forty years. Many will feel as comfortable with this show as they do pulling on a familiar old pair of jeans. It plays at the Avon Theatre until October 29th and rates a strong 3 out of 4 stars.
Now, once you get over the wailing guitars and soaring harmonies of Jesus Christ Superstar, you can head down to the Festival Theatre, as I did on Sunday afternoon, for the even bigger musical spectacle this year, Lerner & Loewe's classic Camelot, directed by Gary Griffin. Lots of money was invested in this show, and it does show, as the sets and costumes are almost always spectacular, yet never overdone. Griffin's direction never goes over the edge and keeps everyone in line for an enjoyable and substantial musical experience.
Everyone who knows the musical will remember that original production from 1960 that introduced the world to a dashing young singer with a fabulous stage presence, Robert Goulet, as Lancelot. In this new production, the role goes to Jonathan Winsby, who although doesn't possess quite the good looks of Goulet years ago, certainly makes up for it with a great voice and commanding stage presence. His love interest, of course, and Guenevere, played by Kaylee Harwood, who possesses a wonderfully sweet and strong voice and as such, makes quite the impression on stage.
As King Arthur, Geraint Wyn Davies presents the legendary character with a good deal of humility and humour, and his heartbreak when he finds out about Lancelot and Guenevere appears genuine. Other strong performances in the cast include Dan Chameroy as Sir Dinadan and Mike Nadajewski as the appropriately-named Mordred. It is great to see Lucy Peacock, however briefly, as Morgan le Fey, and Bruce Dow as Squire Dap. But special mention must go to Brent Carver, who imbues the duel roles of Merlyn and King Pellinore with a great deal of colour and humour. He is always a pleasure to watch.
Camelot is an ageless musical that just seems to get better with age, and this new Stratford production does it full justice. It continues at the Festival Theatre until October 30th and rates, again, a strong three out of four stars. Overall, I would give Camelot the edge for guaranteed crowd-pleaser status this year, but both productions will do well and fill a lot of seats this season at the Stratford Festival. You can't go wrong with either one!
Incidentally, while you can pick up soundtracks to both shows at the Theatre Store, you can order them locally through my website, A Web of Fine Music, which you can find at http://www.finemusic.ca/.
June 18th, 2011.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Legends of Ballet with Veronica Tennant in Hamilton June 13
Every now and then I like to write about one of my true loves, dance, and an event coming up this week serves as a launching-point for sharing some memories of a very special lady and her love of dance.
This coming Monday evening, June 13th at 6 pm, Veronica Tennant presents Legends of Ballet: Dance-Film; A Fresh Look. This close up and personal evening with Canada's now-retired Prima Ballerina features her award-winning Vida y Danza, Cuba, her personal experiences in Cuba and with The Ballet National de Cuba. Also screened will be clips from her other films, including A Pairing of Swans with Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington, her dance documentary, "Celia Franca: Tour de Force", as well as exploring the art creativity of marrying dance and the camera, which she knows more than a little about!
The event takes place at the Hamilton Club at 6 Main Street East in Hamilton, and tickets are $ 110 per person for one lecture or $ 200 for two. That price includes a light evening snack and beverages, and a full charitable tax receipt will be issued. Tickets might still be available by calling 905-512-1453 or emailing info@cbye.ca.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Veronica for many years now on a casual basis, although I have not run in to her for a few years now, unfortunately. During her years as Prima Ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada from 1964 to 1989, I interviewed Veronica many times about her work, and always tried to schedule my performances around her schedule, whenever possible. She was then, and is now, one of the most approachable, elegant, endearing people I have ever met, and I miss the Tennant evenings at the ballet which ended over twenty years ago. Boy, that makes me feel old!
When Veronica retired from the National Ballet of Canada with a gala performance at the old O'Keefe Centre back in 1989, I made a point of being there, and it remains one of the few times I stood at the end with a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. Over the years, her art and talent had touched me so much. In later years, as she and husband spent time at their summer home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I would run into her at Shaw Festival openings almost every year, and even just on the street while shopping in the old town, you would often find her doing just as we were doing.
It's hard to imagine a bigger Canadian star in the arts world than Veronica during much of her ballet career, although Karen Kain, the present Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada, quickly rose to that level herself after joining the company in 1969. In those days, you had the enviable task of choosing a performance at the National Ballet that featured Veronica, Karen, Frank Augustyn, Rex Harrington and a host of other great dancers of the day in lead roles. They all contributed mightily to the world-class stature of the National Ballet of Canada in a time when people couldn't even imagine a performance venue devoted solely to ballet and opera; all performances back then were at the cavernous and acoustically-challenging O'Keefe/Hummingbird/Sony Centre at Front and Yonge Streets in Toronto. Now of course, we have a new breed of ballet stars making their mark with the company at their new home at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, which I might add, is designed by the same firm we've hired to design the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines: Diamond + Schmitt.
Those were heady days back then, and I had the pleasure and honour to regularly attend performances with the National Ballet from about 1978 to about 2005. I miss those special evenings with all the magic unfolding onstage, but life goes on and there is so much to handle on a local level now I rarely make the trip to Toronto anymore unless it is a family or friend event I am invited to. No matter, the memories are there, as they always will be. And the memories of Veronica Tennant burn brightest of all.
If you ever have a chance to meet this talented producer/director and filmmaker, such as this coming Monday evening in Hamilton, it will be an experience you'll long remember!
June 11th, 2011.
This coming Monday evening, June 13th at 6 pm, Veronica Tennant presents Legends of Ballet: Dance-Film; A Fresh Look. This close up and personal evening with Canada's now-retired Prima Ballerina features her award-winning Vida y Danza, Cuba, her personal experiences in Cuba and with The Ballet National de Cuba. Also screened will be clips from her other films, including A Pairing of Swans with Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington, her dance documentary, "Celia Franca: Tour de Force", as well as exploring the art creativity of marrying dance and the camera, which she knows more than a little about!
The event takes place at the Hamilton Club at 6 Main Street East in Hamilton, and tickets are $ 110 per person for one lecture or $ 200 for two. That price includes a light evening snack and beverages, and a full charitable tax receipt will be issued. Tickets might still be available by calling 905-512-1453 or emailing info@cbye.ca.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Veronica for many years now on a casual basis, although I have not run in to her for a few years now, unfortunately. During her years as Prima Ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada from 1964 to 1989, I interviewed Veronica many times about her work, and always tried to schedule my performances around her schedule, whenever possible. She was then, and is now, one of the most approachable, elegant, endearing people I have ever met, and I miss the Tennant evenings at the ballet which ended over twenty years ago. Boy, that makes me feel old!
When Veronica retired from the National Ballet of Canada with a gala performance at the old O'Keefe Centre back in 1989, I made a point of being there, and it remains one of the few times I stood at the end with a lump in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. Over the years, her art and talent had touched me so much. In later years, as she and husband spent time at their summer home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I would run into her at Shaw Festival openings almost every year, and even just on the street while shopping in the old town, you would often find her doing just as we were doing.
It's hard to imagine a bigger Canadian star in the arts world than Veronica during much of her ballet career, although Karen Kain, the present Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada, quickly rose to that level herself after joining the company in 1969. In those days, you had the enviable task of choosing a performance at the National Ballet that featured Veronica, Karen, Frank Augustyn, Rex Harrington and a host of other great dancers of the day in lead roles. They all contributed mightily to the world-class stature of the National Ballet of Canada in a time when people couldn't even imagine a performance venue devoted solely to ballet and opera; all performances back then were at the cavernous and acoustically-challenging O'Keefe/Hummingbird/Sony Centre at Front and Yonge Streets in Toronto. Now of course, we have a new breed of ballet stars making their mark with the company at their new home at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, which I might add, is designed by the same firm we've hired to design the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines: Diamond + Schmitt.
Those were heady days back then, and I had the pleasure and honour to regularly attend performances with the National Ballet from about 1978 to about 2005. I miss those special evenings with all the magic unfolding onstage, but life goes on and there is so much to handle on a local level now I rarely make the trip to Toronto anymore unless it is a family or friend event I am invited to. No matter, the memories are there, as they always will be. And the memories of Veronica Tennant burn brightest of all.
If you ever have a chance to meet this talented producer/director and filmmaker, such as this coming Monday evening in Hamilton, it will be an experience you'll long remember!
June 11th, 2011.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
A blow to the arts in Niagara
It seems just as we're on the upswing with support for the arts in Niagara generally, and St. Catharines specifically, something comes along to set the whole movement back again, and this week, arts organizations received some very unfortunate news.
In an email distributed to members yesterday (me being one of them), it was announced the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council has ceased operations, following the June 1st meeting of the Board of Directors. The reason given, plain and simple, is the organization is no longer able to function as an arts council. As the email explained, the Arts Council has experienced a number of years of uncertainty regarding its mandate and its role in the arts community.
That may be so, but the real telling admission in the email is the fact the Council has not been able to achieve financial stability in recent years, and they now find themselves in a position of insolvency with, as they put it, "little prospect of significant revenue over the next 6-12 months." So, in other words, they have their collective backs against the wall and had to do something, and dissolving the Council seemed the only option available.
As a result, the space at 31 James Street will be vacated and all relevant documents will be stored, although just where is not specified. They did, however, state the electronic mailing list they have compiled over the years is their one remaining asset of value and they are currently looking for a new home for the mailing list, obviously with the wherewithall to maintain and make appropriate use of it. In the meantime, members have the option to have their contact information removed immediately from the list; if not, there will be an opportunity when the list is handed over to another organization for people to unsubscribe should they wish to at that time.
So, all the appropriate steps appear to be taken, and the news is very unfortunate, indeed. I do, however, wonder why the Board, when drawing up the email, did not BCC the recipient list thus keeping the information private as to who is on the list. Printing it out as I did so I could write my blog entry today, all the recipients' names appeared on a page-and-a-half before the email actually starts. Not a big deal, but I think keeping the recipient list suppressed might have been a better option.
As a member of the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council and a keen follower of the arts in Niagara, I can't help but feel dismay things have come to this. It was little more than a month ago I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Council and paid my dues for the year as usual, and even though I arrived a few minutes late for the meeting, I don't recall any words being spoken at the meeting in this regard. As a result, I think many will be shocked by the news contained in the email.
It has been well-known the Council has had a difficult time of it the last couple of years keeping an Executive Director to guide the membership with a steady hand, and perhaps that was part of the problem. But dissolve the organization entirely? I don't think any of us saw that coming, and I wish we did know so people could react in a positive way to perhaps save the organization before it came to this. Just a thought on my part, but you have to wonder, why were we not informed of all this beforehand?
So, at a time when the arts community in Niagara and specifically in St. Catharines seems geared up for bigger and better things with the new performing arts centre taking shape downtown, their collective voice has been stifled due to lack of funds. I hope, in the aftermath of all this, some good will come of it, and perhaps someone or some people will step up to offer another opportunity for a collective voice for the arts community in the Garden City. It is not a body blow, but it is a definite setback the organizations don't need right now.
On another, somewhat related note, I received word the Friday evening performance of Lakeside Players' new show, Breaking and Entering by Vin Morreale, Jr., had been cancelled due to low ticket sales. I had planned to attend the show, and now will try to move it to another, later performance of the play. The problem here, clearly, is trouble getting the word out the Port Mansion Dinner Theatre is still open and doing business in Port Dalhousie.
With all the talk over the past year the redevelopment of Port Dalhousie was finally moving ahead, and in fact last year was the last season for Lakeside Players at the present location, it is understandable people figured there was no more live theatre in Port Dalhousie to speak of. But they are carrying on in the true spirit of live theatre, and hope past and present patrons of Lakeside Players will take notice and come back to the Port Mansion for one more season.
I understand the show, directed by Paul Wintemute, is great, and I can't wait to find out first hand. Yes, the space is small at the Port Mansion, but that is really part of the charm of taking in some good quality summer theatre right in our own backyards. The quality programming continues this season; now all they need are the proverbial bums to fill the seats.
If you're interested in rediscovering or even discovering Lakeside Players for the first time this summer, call the box office at 905-934-0575, ext. 226 and book either a show-only or dinner or Sunday brunch and show package before the show closes on July 10th. You'll not be disappointed!
June 4th, 2011.
In an email distributed to members yesterday (me being one of them), it was announced the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council has ceased operations, following the June 1st meeting of the Board of Directors. The reason given, plain and simple, is the organization is no longer able to function as an arts council. As the email explained, the Arts Council has experienced a number of years of uncertainty regarding its mandate and its role in the arts community.
That may be so, but the real telling admission in the email is the fact the Council has not been able to achieve financial stability in recent years, and they now find themselves in a position of insolvency with, as they put it, "little prospect of significant revenue over the next 6-12 months." So, in other words, they have their collective backs against the wall and had to do something, and dissolving the Council seemed the only option available.
As a result, the space at 31 James Street will be vacated and all relevant documents will be stored, although just where is not specified. They did, however, state the electronic mailing list they have compiled over the years is their one remaining asset of value and they are currently looking for a new home for the mailing list, obviously with the wherewithall to maintain and make appropriate use of it. In the meantime, members have the option to have their contact information removed immediately from the list; if not, there will be an opportunity when the list is handed over to another organization for people to unsubscribe should they wish to at that time.
So, all the appropriate steps appear to be taken, and the news is very unfortunate, indeed. I do, however, wonder why the Board, when drawing up the email, did not BCC the recipient list thus keeping the information private as to who is on the list. Printing it out as I did so I could write my blog entry today, all the recipients' names appeared on a page-and-a-half before the email actually starts. Not a big deal, but I think keeping the recipient list suppressed might have been a better option.
As a member of the St. Catharines & Area Arts Council and a keen follower of the arts in Niagara, I can't help but feel dismay things have come to this. It was little more than a month ago I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Council and paid my dues for the year as usual, and even though I arrived a few minutes late for the meeting, I don't recall any words being spoken at the meeting in this regard. As a result, I think many will be shocked by the news contained in the email.
It has been well-known the Council has had a difficult time of it the last couple of years keeping an Executive Director to guide the membership with a steady hand, and perhaps that was part of the problem. But dissolve the organization entirely? I don't think any of us saw that coming, and I wish we did know so people could react in a positive way to perhaps save the organization before it came to this. Just a thought on my part, but you have to wonder, why were we not informed of all this beforehand?
So, at a time when the arts community in Niagara and specifically in St. Catharines seems geared up for bigger and better things with the new performing arts centre taking shape downtown, their collective voice has been stifled due to lack of funds. I hope, in the aftermath of all this, some good will come of it, and perhaps someone or some people will step up to offer another opportunity for a collective voice for the arts community in the Garden City. It is not a body blow, but it is a definite setback the organizations don't need right now.
On another, somewhat related note, I received word the Friday evening performance of Lakeside Players' new show, Breaking and Entering by Vin Morreale, Jr., had been cancelled due to low ticket sales. I had planned to attend the show, and now will try to move it to another, later performance of the play. The problem here, clearly, is trouble getting the word out the Port Mansion Dinner Theatre is still open and doing business in Port Dalhousie.
With all the talk over the past year the redevelopment of Port Dalhousie was finally moving ahead, and in fact last year was the last season for Lakeside Players at the present location, it is understandable people figured there was no more live theatre in Port Dalhousie to speak of. But they are carrying on in the true spirit of live theatre, and hope past and present patrons of Lakeside Players will take notice and come back to the Port Mansion for one more season.
I understand the show, directed by Paul Wintemute, is great, and I can't wait to find out first hand. Yes, the space is small at the Port Mansion, but that is really part of the charm of taking in some good quality summer theatre right in our own backyards. The quality programming continues this season; now all they need are the proverbial bums to fill the seats.
If you're interested in rediscovering or even discovering Lakeside Players for the first time this summer, call the box office at 905-934-0575, ext. 226 and book either a show-only or dinner or Sunday brunch and show package before the show closes on July 10th. You'll not be disappointed!
June 4th, 2011.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Architecturally speaking, a stellar week in Niagara!
I am now officially excited. I know it doesn't take much, really, but let me explain.
Much has been written about the equally much-anticipated performing arts centre coming to downtown St. Catharines in a couple of years. This past Wednesday evening, Niagara residents were given their first look at several proposals on the table from Toronto's Diamond + Schmitt Architects. Gary McCluskie, lead architect on the project, addressed the large crowd at the Dunlop Drive Senior Centre in St. Catharines Wednesday evening with a wealth of valuable information that left this reporter finally excited about this project and almost giddy with the realization this thing is finally getting off the ground.
McCluskie spoke in terms everyone could understand, and spoke with a knowledge of the local area landmarks that I frankly found reassuring. In other words, he gets it. He knows what's important to us and what makes a performing arts centre an important part of the community. Speaking with him afterwards, his genuine enthusiasm for the project is quite evident, as if he were right here in the community sharing in the excitement with us.
There is a long way to go on this, of course; the preliminary designs are just that: preliminary. But the focus of this first community meeting was to tap into the community's thoughts and feelings and try to get a sense of what works for us. McCluskie promises more such meetings to come, and that will help feed the optimism that we are indeed on the right track with this project and everything is working out the best possible way.
One look at some of the other examples of their work in recent years on display at the meeting suggest we have hired the gold standard for designing attractive, viable and workable performing arts centres the world over. The new home of the Detroit and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, for example, and even the New Mariinsky Theatre in Russia are some recent examples on display for our perusal, as well as, of course, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
So as I say, I am now officially excited. Let the fun ride now begin! But that's not all this week. That same afternoon I attended a media conference at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls at which the Falls Management Company, operators of the Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara, announced plans are in the works for a 7,000-seat Entertainment Centre for Niagara Falls. The new facility, to be likely situated on land adjacent to the Fallsview Casino Resort and connected to it, will be a magnet for both top-flight entertainment and economic development in the tourism sector year-round in Niagara.
It comes at a price, of course. Try about $ 311-million to construct the new facilty. But FMC thinks it can be done, and is confident their feasibility study conducted at their expense by Deloitte will bring people on-board to build a complex able to house international-scale concerts as well as sports and entertainment events that should keep the facility open well over 300 days of the calendar year. What it won't have, we discovered this week, is a rink to house the Niagara IceDogs or any other sports team that wears skates, so that means St. Catharines' bid to build their own 5,000-seat 'spectator facility' to house the IceDogs should not be affected by it.
What would concern me, though, is the aim of both facilities to book major international acts such as Celine Dion, for example, on an ongoing basis. Build it and they will come...but how many bums will there be in the seats, you have to ask. There are only so many entertainment dollars to go around for most Niagarans, and both venues working on bringing lots of entertainment and sports events to the area on a regular basis might be doable, but at what cost? Do other local events suffer as a result as so many other events are then competing for our entertainment dollars? We'll have to see.
If this new vision from FMC becomes a reality, it will certainly put Niagara on the map as a destination for world-class entertainment to complement the already world-class accomodation, dining and tourism events already in place. The concept is extremely exciting, and I wish them well as they work towards the completion of this project. If it happens, we'll all gain from the added economic impact on an area that depends more and more on tourism dollars to increase our standard of living.
Finally, a couple of quick notes of things also happening this week I attended that brought with them their own level of excitement. Friday afternoon I was on hand for the launch of the new Food & Wine Expo that filled a large exhibition space at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre and will be open throughout this weekend. It is a marvellous showcase for the food and wine industry here in Niagara, and I can imagine this becoming bigger and better in coming years. But for now, get out and see what Niagara has to offer from our area restaurants and wineries in one convenient convention space in Niagara Falls.
I was also on hand for the Open House down at the Welland campus of Niagara College on Thursday evening. In spite of wet weather, everyone came out to see the realization of a vision for expansion at Niagara College on a scale never seen before. The $ 80-million makeover is part of the College's $ 90-million master plan to add 1,700 new student spaces at Niagara College. The new facilities are simply breathtaking, and the lucky students there now and those who will attend in the future will now have all the tools necessary to help prepare them for the future, as the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus has done for several years now.
What an exciting week in Niagara! Could anyone have imagined this much investment in the area even ten years ago? Likely not, but all of these projects will work together to make Niagara an even more attractive destination for those to live, work and play. What could be better than that?
May 28th, 2011.
Much has been written about the equally much-anticipated performing arts centre coming to downtown St. Catharines in a couple of years. This past Wednesday evening, Niagara residents were given their first look at several proposals on the table from Toronto's Diamond + Schmitt Architects. Gary McCluskie, lead architect on the project, addressed the large crowd at the Dunlop Drive Senior Centre in St. Catharines Wednesday evening with a wealth of valuable information that left this reporter finally excited about this project and almost giddy with the realization this thing is finally getting off the ground.
McCluskie spoke in terms everyone could understand, and spoke with a knowledge of the local area landmarks that I frankly found reassuring. In other words, he gets it. He knows what's important to us and what makes a performing arts centre an important part of the community. Speaking with him afterwards, his genuine enthusiasm for the project is quite evident, as if he were right here in the community sharing in the excitement with us.
There is a long way to go on this, of course; the preliminary designs are just that: preliminary. But the focus of this first community meeting was to tap into the community's thoughts and feelings and try to get a sense of what works for us. McCluskie promises more such meetings to come, and that will help feed the optimism that we are indeed on the right track with this project and everything is working out the best possible way.
One look at some of the other examples of their work in recent years on display at the meeting suggest we have hired the gold standard for designing attractive, viable and workable performing arts centres the world over. The new home of the Detroit and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, for example, and even the New Mariinsky Theatre in Russia are some recent examples on display for our perusal, as well as, of course, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
So as I say, I am now officially excited. Let the fun ride now begin! But that's not all this week. That same afternoon I attended a media conference at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls at which the Falls Management Company, operators of the Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara, announced plans are in the works for a 7,000-seat Entertainment Centre for Niagara Falls. The new facility, to be likely situated on land adjacent to the Fallsview Casino Resort and connected to it, will be a magnet for both top-flight entertainment and economic development in the tourism sector year-round in Niagara.
It comes at a price, of course. Try about $ 311-million to construct the new facilty. But FMC thinks it can be done, and is confident their feasibility study conducted at their expense by Deloitte will bring people on-board to build a complex able to house international-scale concerts as well as sports and entertainment events that should keep the facility open well over 300 days of the calendar year. What it won't have, we discovered this week, is a rink to house the Niagara IceDogs or any other sports team that wears skates, so that means St. Catharines' bid to build their own 5,000-seat 'spectator facility' to house the IceDogs should not be affected by it.
What would concern me, though, is the aim of both facilities to book major international acts such as Celine Dion, for example, on an ongoing basis. Build it and they will come...but how many bums will there be in the seats, you have to ask. There are only so many entertainment dollars to go around for most Niagarans, and both venues working on bringing lots of entertainment and sports events to the area on a regular basis might be doable, but at what cost? Do other local events suffer as a result as so many other events are then competing for our entertainment dollars? We'll have to see.
If this new vision from FMC becomes a reality, it will certainly put Niagara on the map as a destination for world-class entertainment to complement the already world-class accomodation, dining and tourism events already in place. The concept is extremely exciting, and I wish them well as they work towards the completion of this project. If it happens, we'll all gain from the added economic impact on an area that depends more and more on tourism dollars to increase our standard of living.
Finally, a couple of quick notes of things also happening this week I attended that brought with them their own level of excitement. Friday afternoon I was on hand for the launch of the new Food & Wine Expo that filled a large exhibition space at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre and will be open throughout this weekend. It is a marvellous showcase for the food and wine industry here in Niagara, and I can imagine this becoming bigger and better in coming years. But for now, get out and see what Niagara has to offer from our area restaurants and wineries in one convenient convention space in Niagara Falls.
I was also on hand for the Open House down at the Welland campus of Niagara College on Thursday evening. In spite of wet weather, everyone came out to see the realization of a vision for expansion at Niagara College on a scale never seen before. The $ 80-million makeover is part of the College's $ 90-million master plan to add 1,700 new student spaces at Niagara College. The new facilities are simply breathtaking, and the lucky students there now and those who will attend in the future will now have all the tools necessary to help prepare them for the future, as the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus has done for several years now.
What an exciting week in Niagara! Could anyone have imagined this much investment in the area even ten years ago? Likely not, but all of these projects will work together to make Niagara an even more attractive destination for those to live, work and play. What could be better than that?
May 28th, 2011.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Shaw Festival and new Performing Arts Centre part of this coming week in the arts
Even though we are well into our first summer holiday weekend of the season (well, okay, it is still spring, but for most this is the unofficial start of summer...), your humble scribe is already looking ahead to the coming week that includes two important arts-related events on the local calendar. We'll address both in this space this week.
First, Wednesday evening, May 25th, many of us with an interest in the local arts scene will want to be on hand at the Dunlop Drive Seniors Centre at 80 Dunlop Drive in St. Catharines for a presentation by the architects involved in the design of the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines. The Open House runs from 6 to 7:30 pm, with a presentation of proposed designs by the project architect from Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc., Gary McCluskie. The firm wants the public's opinions on three sketched layouts being proposed so they can get a better feel for what works and what doesn't within the community here.
The new performing arts centre will house an 800-seat concert hall, a 285-seat recital hall, a 180-seat film theatre and a 150-seat dance performance hall and community theatre space. That's the main performance spaces; also included will be a 1,000-square-foot multi-purpose room, central offices, as well as the lobby and front-of-house space and of course, backstage area including receiving and storage and dressing room area for performers. So essentially, a lot to pack into that downtown space. It has to be user-friendly, of course, so that is where we come in. We have a say in all this, and this Wednesday evening is the first opportunity to do just that.
We have a long way to go on this, but the wheels are turning and we are moving forward, so that is a good sign. Let's get out and show our support for the project this week and let them know we are on board and ready to go!
Also Wednesday evening, the Shaw Festival kicks off - officially - their 50th season. Previews have been ongoing since April, of course, but all the fine-tuning comes to an end on Wednesday and much like spring training gives way to the 'real' games of baseball at the beginning of April, this Wednesday is the start of the Shaw's 'regular season.' And what a season it promises to be!
In all, there are 11 productions on four stages this year, ranging from the flagship Festival Theatre to the smaller Court House Theatre, the Royal George Theatre, and the more recent Studio Theatre space just across from the Festival Theatre. The season ranges from looks back to their illustrious past to looking ahead to bold new horizons for the Shaw Festival.
One of the most-anticipated openings will be the musical version of Shaw's play Pygmalion, known of course as My Fair Lady. This Lerner & Loewe classic has never been performed at Shaw before, hard as that is to believe. But it makes a grand entrance at the Festival Theatre this season. Also at the Festival Theatre are Shaw's Heartbreak House and J.M. Barrie's The Admirable Crichton.
On the Court House stage, Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish - A Comedy will be one to watch. Also at the Court House will be Shaw's On The Rocks, and the first Shaw-produced musical from day one: Maria Severa, written by Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli of Shaw, and directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell.
Over on the Royal George stage, a new mounting of their first-ever play 50 years ago, Shaw's Candida takes pride of place, as well as Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Molnar's hilarious one-act lunchtime show, The President, starring Lorne Kennedy. Anyone who saw this show a couple of seasons back will want to return to the mayhem again - it is an astounding performance by Kennedy and his cohorts!
Finally, at the Studio Theatre space, TopDog/UnderDog by Suzan-Lori Parks shares the space with Andrew Bovell's When the Rain Stops Falling, which seems rather appropriate after this very wet spring we've been experiencing here in Niagara.
All in all, it promises to be an exciting season, and I am personally looking forward to returning for shows again this year; it will be my 30th year reviewing shows at Shaw, unbelievably! Once again this year, I will be providing reviews in this space throughout the summer, as well as ratings on the calendar page of my website (http://www.finemusic.ca/) and updates on my monthly newsletter, Fine Music News, which you can subscribe to by emailing your email address to me at music@vaxxine.com.
Other news from Shaw this week is the fact they are collaborating with Vintage Hotels of Niagara-on-the-Lake to secure property which overlooks Lake Ontario and the Niagara River now home to the Anchorage Motel and Restaurant. The Shaw has entered into an agreement to purchase this property within the next five years in order to use the site as an additional performance space. That is exciting news, although the loss of the Anchorage will not be good news to many, I suspect. Oh well, time marches on...more news on this as it develops.
Enjoy this week in the arts!
May 21st, 2011.
First, Wednesday evening, May 25th, many of us with an interest in the local arts scene will want to be on hand at the Dunlop Drive Seniors Centre at 80 Dunlop Drive in St. Catharines for a presentation by the architects involved in the design of the new performing arts centre in downtown St. Catharines. The Open House runs from 6 to 7:30 pm, with a presentation of proposed designs by the project architect from Diamond & Schmitt Architects Inc., Gary McCluskie. The firm wants the public's opinions on three sketched layouts being proposed so they can get a better feel for what works and what doesn't within the community here.
The new performing arts centre will house an 800-seat concert hall, a 285-seat recital hall, a 180-seat film theatre and a 150-seat dance performance hall and community theatre space. That's the main performance spaces; also included will be a 1,000-square-foot multi-purpose room, central offices, as well as the lobby and front-of-house space and of course, backstage area including receiving and storage and dressing room area for performers. So essentially, a lot to pack into that downtown space. It has to be user-friendly, of course, so that is where we come in. We have a say in all this, and this Wednesday evening is the first opportunity to do just that.
We have a long way to go on this, but the wheels are turning and we are moving forward, so that is a good sign. Let's get out and show our support for the project this week and let them know we are on board and ready to go!
Also Wednesday evening, the Shaw Festival kicks off - officially - their 50th season. Previews have been ongoing since April, of course, but all the fine-tuning comes to an end on Wednesday and much like spring training gives way to the 'real' games of baseball at the beginning of April, this Wednesday is the start of the Shaw's 'regular season.' And what a season it promises to be!
In all, there are 11 productions on four stages this year, ranging from the flagship Festival Theatre to the smaller Court House Theatre, the Royal George Theatre, and the more recent Studio Theatre space just across from the Festival Theatre. The season ranges from looks back to their illustrious past to looking ahead to bold new horizons for the Shaw Festival.
One of the most-anticipated openings will be the musical version of Shaw's play Pygmalion, known of course as My Fair Lady. This Lerner & Loewe classic has never been performed at Shaw before, hard as that is to believe. But it makes a grand entrance at the Festival Theatre this season. Also at the Festival Theatre are Shaw's Heartbreak House and J.M. Barrie's The Admirable Crichton.
On the Court House stage, Lennox Robinson's Drama at Inish - A Comedy will be one to watch. Also at the Court House will be Shaw's On The Rocks, and the first Shaw-produced musical from day one: Maria Severa, written by Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli of Shaw, and directed by Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell.
Over on the Royal George stage, a new mounting of their first-ever play 50 years ago, Shaw's Candida takes pride of place, as well as Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Molnar's hilarious one-act lunchtime show, The President, starring Lorne Kennedy. Anyone who saw this show a couple of seasons back will want to return to the mayhem again - it is an astounding performance by Kennedy and his cohorts!
Finally, at the Studio Theatre space, TopDog/UnderDog by Suzan-Lori Parks shares the space with Andrew Bovell's When the Rain Stops Falling, which seems rather appropriate after this very wet spring we've been experiencing here in Niagara.
All in all, it promises to be an exciting season, and I am personally looking forward to returning for shows again this year; it will be my 30th year reviewing shows at Shaw, unbelievably! Once again this year, I will be providing reviews in this space throughout the summer, as well as ratings on the calendar page of my website (http://www.finemusic.ca/) and updates on my monthly newsletter, Fine Music News, which you can subscribe to by emailing your email address to me at music@vaxxine.com.
Other news from Shaw this week is the fact they are collaborating with Vintage Hotels of Niagara-on-the-Lake to secure property which overlooks Lake Ontario and the Niagara River now home to the Anchorage Motel and Restaurant. The Shaw has entered into an agreement to purchase this property within the next five years in order to use the site as an additional performance space. That is exciting news, although the loss of the Anchorage will not be good news to many, I suspect. Oh well, time marches on...more news on this as it develops.
Enjoy this week in the arts!
May 21st, 2011.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Chorus Niagara closes out the season with Feel the Spirit
It's hard to believe the choral season in Niagara is all but done this weekend, but it is. Chorus Niagara performs their final concert of the season this evening at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria in downtown St. Catharines with a concert titled Feel the Spirit. The concert takes its name from the John Rutter suite of spirituals he recorded with his Cambridge Singers just a few years ago.
Some of the gospel favourites given the Rutter touch include Deep River, Steal Away, Every Time I Feel the Spirit and of course, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Rutter is no stranger to Chorus Niagara, of course, as his works have been performed many times over the years and in fact, he appeared with the Chorus a few seasons back. He is undoubtedly the finest choral composer/conductor of our generation, and in fact wrote a piece specifically for the recent wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, the current Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Another nice aspect of this concert is Feel the Spirit will feature a jazz singer well-known in the Region, Tianna H., who along with her group perform regularly at venues both large and small. I have had the pleasure of knowing Tianna H. for a few years now, dating back to my first narration duties for the annual Black History Month concerts staged by Choralis Camerata. Her voice is a powerhouse, and her interpretative skills are exceptional, so she will be a great addition to the evening's proceedings.
The other half of the concert is a commission jointly funded by Chorus Niagara as well as choirs in Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa, written by Imant Raminsh. Titled Quarternity: A Cantata for Seasons, the work is a lush and harmonic contemporary work exploring the four seasons, much as Vivaldi, Haydn and others have done over the years, as well as the four cycles of life. In spite of being a contemporary choral work, Cooper assures everyone it is still very accessible to the ear and quite exciting to hear.
Joining Chorus Niagara for the concert tonight will be the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Cooper's 'other' choral initiative, as well as the Chorus iagara Side-by-Side High School Chorale, which is made up of young singers with a love of choral music, who might someday join the adult choir. Musical accompaniment is provided by the Talisker Players.
Should be a great wind-up to a season that has seen a series of "highs" for the folks at Chorus Niagara, beginning of course with their now infamous "flash mob" performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, performed at the food court of the Seaway Mall in Welland last November. To date, that performance has reached 32-million hits worldwide on YouTube, and continuing to grow. Just a phenomenal achievement!
Incidentally, although I won't be selling at the concert this weekend, you can order the John Rutter Feel the Spirit CD conducted by the composer himself through my website, http://www.finemusic.ca/, where you'll find it listed on the Mike's Picks page. Or, you can email me directly at music@vaxxine.com. It's a tremendously uplifting recording and one you'll want in your collection after you hear the performance this evening.
Happy listening!
May 14th, 2011.
Some of the gospel favourites given the Rutter touch include Deep River, Steal Away, Every Time I Feel the Spirit and of course, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child. Rutter is no stranger to Chorus Niagara, of course, as his works have been performed many times over the years and in fact, he appeared with the Chorus a few seasons back. He is undoubtedly the finest choral composer/conductor of our generation, and in fact wrote a piece specifically for the recent wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, the current Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Another nice aspect of this concert is Feel the Spirit will feature a jazz singer well-known in the Region, Tianna H., who along with her group perform regularly at venues both large and small. I have had the pleasure of knowing Tianna H. for a few years now, dating back to my first narration duties for the annual Black History Month concerts staged by Choralis Camerata. Her voice is a powerhouse, and her interpretative skills are exceptional, so she will be a great addition to the evening's proceedings.
The other half of the concert is a commission jointly funded by Chorus Niagara as well as choirs in Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa, written by Imant Raminsh. Titled Quarternity: A Cantata for Seasons, the work is a lush and harmonic contemporary work exploring the four seasons, much as Vivaldi, Haydn and others have done over the years, as well as the four cycles of life. In spite of being a contemporary choral work, Cooper assures everyone it is still very accessible to the ear and quite exciting to hear.
Joining Chorus Niagara for the concert tonight will be the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Cooper's 'other' choral initiative, as well as the Chorus iagara Side-by-Side High School Chorale, which is made up of young singers with a love of choral music, who might someday join the adult choir. Musical accompaniment is provided by the Talisker Players.
Should be a great wind-up to a season that has seen a series of "highs" for the folks at Chorus Niagara, beginning of course with their now infamous "flash mob" performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, performed at the food court of the Seaway Mall in Welland last November. To date, that performance has reached 32-million hits worldwide on YouTube, and continuing to grow. Just a phenomenal achievement!
Incidentally, although I won't be selling at the concert this weekend, you can order the John Rutter Feel the Spirit CD conducted by the composer himself through my website, http://www.finemusic.ca/, where you'll find it listed on the Mike's Picks page. Or, you can email me directly at music@vaxxine.com. It's a tremendously uplifting recording and one you'll want in your collection after you hear the performance this evening.
Happy listening!
May 14th, 2011.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Niagara Symphony wraps up Pops! season this weekend
Well, here we are, a fine spring weekend, and Mother's Day on Sunday, too. Any plans for Mom's Day? Aside from the flowers or perhaps brunch or dinner out with Mom, how about another idea she would be thrilled with? The Niagara Symphony wraps up their Pops! season this weekend with performances tonight and tomorrow afternoon at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University, and either performance would likely fit Mom to a "T".
Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk returns to conduct the orchestra this weekend in a programme titled "Light Classics to Broadway", and will be joined by Niagara-on-the-Lake native Theodore Baerg and wife Irena Welhasch-Baerg on stage. Selections will range from Bizet to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Strauss to even some classic Rodgers & Hammerstein II from Broadway. Lots of operetta on the programme as well, including selections by Lehar from The Merry Widow and Giuditta.
All in all, this should be a nice, light and airy way to end up the Niagara Symphony season, and hopefully make you want more when Maestro Thachuk takes over the podium full-time in the fall to start the new season. Overall, the Symphony has performed well this year under various conductors, but I still feel they have more to offer, and hopefully Bradley can start to draw it out of them on a regular basis when he takes over next season. For now, let's sit back and enjoy some great music for a spring Mother's Day weekend!
A couple of quick notes to keep in mind, though. Tickets are going fast, but some are still available for both performances, so I would suggest you call the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 for tickets in advance if you have not already done so. And parking will be interesting this weekend, as Brock University is hosting a dance competition all weekend long as well. Niagara Symphony General Manager Jack Mills sent out a notice this week outlining the situation and making people aware of the extra competition for parking. But this year, a plan is in place to provide dedicated parking for Niagara Symphony patrons, either in Lot D or Lot B, which will be reserved exclusively for Niagara Symphony patrons.
Normally, I would be in the lobby manning my customary table at intermission, before and after the concerts this weekend, but a prior committment will keep me away from the Saturday evening performance, unfortunately. I will be there Sunday afternoon, however, so please stop by and say hello, and check out the great last-minute musical gifts for Mom this weekend.
Happy Mother's Day, and enjoy the weekend with the Niagara Symphony!
Music Director Designate Bradley Thachuk returns to conduct the orchestra this weekend in a programme titled "Light Classics to Broadway", and will be joined by Niagara-on-the-Lake native Theodore Baerg and wife Irena Welhasch-Baerg on stage. Selections will range from Bizet to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Strauss to even some classic Rodgers & Hammerstein II from Broadway. Lots of operetta on the programme as well, including selections by Lehar from The Merry Widow and Giuditta.
All in all, this should be a nice, light and airy way to end up the Niagara Symphony season, and hopefully make you want more when Maestro Thachuk takes over the podium full-time in the fall to start the new season. Overall, the Symphony has performed well this year under various conductors, but I still feel they have more to offer, and hopefully Bradley can start to draw it out of them on a regular basis when he takes over next season. For now, let's sit back and enjoy some great music for a spring Mother's Day weekend!
A couple of quick notes to keep in mind, though. Tickets are going fast, but some are still available for both performances, so I would suggest you call the box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257 for tickets in advance if you have not already done so. And parking will be interesting this weekend, as Brock University is hosting a dance competition all weekend long as well. Niagara Symphony General Manager Jack Mills sent out a notice this week outlining the situation and making people aware of the extra competition for parking. But this year, a plan is in place to provide dedicated parking for Niagara Symphony patrons, either in Lot D or Lot B, which will be reserved exclusively for Niagara Symphony patrons.
Normally, I would be in the lobby manning my customary table at intermission, before and after the concerts this weekend, but a prior committment will keep me away from the Saturday evening performance, unfortunately. I will be there Sunday afternoon, however, so please stop by and say hello, and check out the great last-minute musical gifts for Mom this weekend.
Happy Mother's Day, and enjoy the weekend with the Niagara Symphony!
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