Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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Clooney Tunes Created, Directed and Choreographed by Dean Regan Performed by Judy Marshak, Graham Coffeng, & Jay T. Schramek Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia August 11 – 29, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson For those who remember and take pleasure in the music of Rosemary Clooney, Clooney Tunes will be an enjoyable evening at [...]
Evita Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Directed & Choreographer by Michael Lichtefeld Performed by Dena Chiarcossi, Stephen Patterson, Kyle Dadd & company Drayton Entertainment Production Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend August 12 – 29, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson To wrap up the 2009 season in Grand Bend, [...]
I’m a Soulman Based on The Blues Brothers (Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi) Performed by Geoff Dahl and Chris Dahl, with Frank Rondell and Denise Pelley London City Music Theatre, London July 24 to August 9, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson The London City Music Theatre is filling a specialty niche as [...]
See How They Run Written by Phillip King Directed by Marcia Kash Performed by Kevin Burnett, Phil Martin, Stephanie McNamara, Paul McQuillan, Jane Moffat, Nicholas Rice, Clive Walton, Robin Ward, Karen Wood. Drayton Entertainment Production Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend July 29 to August 8, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson There is [...]
West Side Story Book by Arthur Laurents, Conceived by Jerome Robbins Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Gary Griffin, Musical direction by Rick Fox Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo Performed by Chilina Kennedy, Paul Nolan and company Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production Festival Theatre, Stratford June 5 to October 31, 2009 Live! On [...]
Review by Casey Lessard Like a train ascending a mountain, See How They Run (playing now to August 8 at the Huron Country Playhouse) starts out slow but picks up speed as the comic antics get out of control. The first laughs come almost near the end of the first act, courtesy Ida the maid, [...]
Starbright Summer Festival Produced & Directed by David Hogan Imperial Theatre, Sarnia July 7 to August 16, 2009 Live! On Stage! By Mary Alderson The Heart of Broadway Musical Direction by Mark Payne Performed by June Crowley, Susan Gilmour, Marcus Nance, Cory O’Brien, Rebecca Poff, and David Rogers. Sarnia has been blessed this summer to [...]
Harvest Written by Ken Cameron Directed by Robert More Performed by Robin Craig and Patric Masurkevitch Victoria Playhouse Petrolia July 21 to August 8, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review By Mary Alderson The concept of retirement does not come easy to most farmers. They’ve said, “Farming is a way of life” so often that to [...]
Story by Casey Lessard Fresh out of college, fresh-faced Thomas Alderson of Strathroy is hogging the spotlight in Camelot, playing now to July 25 at the Huron Country Playhouse. “It’s a dream come true,” says the 21-year-old, whose mother Mary writes theatre reviews GrandBendStrip.com and other newspapers. “I grew up coming to see every show [...]
Review by Casey Lessard It’s a good thing 2 Pianos 4 Hands is running most of the summer at Huron Country Playhouse II – it’s good enough that there should be no empty seats all summer. The comedic musical (versus a musical comedy) centres around two pianists and their careers starting from their first lessons [...]
2 Pianos 4 Hands Written by Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra Directed by Richard Greenblatt Performed by Patrick Burwell and Jonathan Monro Drayton Entertainment Production Playhouse II, Grand Bend July 15 to August 29, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson Anyone who has ever taken piano lessons and hated it when your mother [...]
I’ll Be Back Before Midnight Written by Peter Colley Directed by Robert More Performed by Susie Burnett, Terry V. Hart, Andy Pogson, Elana Post Theatre Orangeville/Victoria Playhouse Production Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia June 30 to July 18, 2009 Live! On Stage! By Mary Alderson If you enjoy a thriller with dark moments of horror, then you’ll [...]
Camelot Disclaimer: the reviewer’s son appears in this production Book & lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Music by Fredrick Loewe Directed by Timothy French Musical Direction by Stephen Woodjetts Performed by Jayme Armstrong, Mark Harapiak, Gabriel Burrafato, William Fisher, Thomas Alderson, and company Drayton Entertainment Production Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend July 8 – 25, [...]
Leading lady in Camelot was finalist on CBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria Fifty years after celebrated musical writers Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote the hit, Camelot makes its Huron Country Playhouse debut this week, with eight shows a week from July 8 to 25. Set in medieval England, the [...]
Blue Champagne Conceived & Written by Ken John Grant Musical Arrangements by Bob Ashley, Ted Shadbolt, Dan Parr Directed & choreographed by David Connolly Performed by Michael Killinger, Marianne McCord, Leah Oster, Stephanie Roth, Michael Torontow Music Performed by Charles T. Cozens & Robert Mills Drayton Entertainment Production Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend June 24 [...]
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Des McAnuff Choreographed by Wayne Cilento Musical direction by Franklin Brasz Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production Avon Theatre, Stratford June 20 to November 1, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary [...]
Sexy Laundry Written by Michele Riml Directed by David Nairn Performed by Mary Long and Ralph Small Victoria Playhouse Petrolia June 9 to 27, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson Don’t mess with success – that must be the rule at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. Last summer, they had a very successful run [...]
Story and Photo by Casey Lessard Drayton Entertainment has struck gold this spring, discovering an adorable ingenue who should have audiences (especially grandmothers) coming back for more Oliver! The play, based on Charles Dickens’ story of the orphan who falls in with a gang of pickpockets, opens June 2 at the Huron Country Playhouse. Joel [...]
When it comes to making money, the Huron Country Playhouse Guild has chosen the right person for its upcoming fundraiser. Humourist and motivational speaker David Chilton, renowned author of Canada’s all-time best selling book, The Wealthy Barber, knows his finances and can help you find your way out of the current economic mess. Chilton will [...]
Oliver! Book, Music & Lyrics by Lionel Bart Directed by Ron Ulrich Musical direction by Michael Barber Choreographed by Jim White Drayton Entertainment Production Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend June 2 to 20, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson Huron Country Playhouse is kicking off its 2009 season with an old favourite – [...]
Mending Fences Written by Norm Foster Directed by Robert More Performed by Norm Foster, Heather Hodgson, Derek Ritschel Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia May 19 to June 6, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson You can’t find a better actor than Norm Foster to star in a Norm Foster play, and once again, Director Robert [...]
High School Musical Written by David Simpatico (Disney) Directed & Choreographed by David Connolly Music Director Mark Camilleri Performed by David Cotton, Melissa O’Neil, additional cast of 18, plus local high school students Drayton Entertainment St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, St. Jacobs (April 29 to May 30) King’s Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene (June 3 to June 20) [...]
Dreamgirls Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen Music by Henry Krieger Directed and choreographed by Tim French Music direction by Andrew Craig Grand Theatre, London April 14 to May 9, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson Everyone enjoys a rags-to-riches story, and I confess to having a penchant for a tale about show [...]
The Syringa Tree Written by Pamela Gien Directed by Miles Potter Performed by Carmen Grant Grand Theatre, London Marcy 17 to April 4, 2009 Live! On Stage! Review by Mary Alderson As the action begins on stage, my first thought is “how can one actor possibly play 24 roles?” As The Syringa Tree opens, Carmen [...]