MusicFest chooses Carly Schroeder as one of the best music students in Canada; three SHDHS bands competing nationally

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

Grade 12 student Carly Schroeder is representing South Huron District High School and her hometown of Dashwood when she heads to Ottawa next month (May 12-18) to perform in the MusicFest Canada national concert band. But her parents won’t be there to see it.
“We’re feeling really bad about that,” says mom Brenda Schroeder. Before they knew Carly was accepted into the band as an alto saxophonist, Brenda and Steve had booked a trip to visit Carly’s brother, an RCMP officer in B.C. “We leave on Thursday and she performs on Friday. The timing’s all bad, so we’re hoping there will be CDs or DVDs that record the event. When it comes to your kids, you like to see them in such situations.”
You can’t blame the Schroeders for making plans; her selection to be part of the band was certainly a surprise to Carly.
“I didn’t expect to get chosen,” she says. “It was a little overwhelming at first. I was like, Are you sure?”
An email mix-up didn’t help. After sending the first confirmation message, something confusing happened.
“They sent me a second one that was addressed to Ryan someone. I emailed them back and a couple of weeks later, they sent me another email to say yes, that I was in. It was kind of a long process.”
That process began when music teacher Isaac Moore helped her record a CD of work learned during lessons with Ryan Fraser of London.
“The pieces I played were not your typical alto saxophone songs,” Carly notes. “The first song I played had this growling part to it, and it was really fun. I wasn’t sure what they’d think about it. Then there was another second movement to it that was more typical.”
The judges must have been impressed, says MusicFest Canada executive director Jim Howard.
“It’s very difficult to get into the saxophone section because Dr. Jeremy Brown (the head of music at the University of Calgary) is a world-renowned saxophone player,” he told the Strip from Calgary. “She must be very, very good to get in there.”
“This is kind of the ultimate honour band,” he adds, noting the band consists of 55-60 students from across the country. “It’s an amazing experience. We run it like a camp as opposed to running it like a touring band. Yamaha provides clinics to sectionals with them during the week. They get access to the MusicFest Canada master classes, and they get to play music they’re normally not going to get to play. They’re playing such a high level of music, even university bands aren’t tackling the repertoire these kids are going to play.”
University scouts will be at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa to hear Carly and the rest of the band play, bringing with them $100,000 in scholarships to attract the best to their schools.
The band will practice for nine hours a day for four days, and then perform twice as a group. Howard estimates about 2500 students will jam the hall to see them perform. A big event for a small-town teen who became attracted to the saxophone as a student with Exeter’s Lori Erb.
“My parents put me in Music for Young Children when I was six,” Carly says. “That was piano, and I picked up the saxophone in high school. I loved jazz and blues, and I played my first blues song on the piano. That’s when I decided I wanted to play saxophone.”
“At about Grade 3 piano, she was wavering and wasn’t enjoying it,” Brenda adds, “and Lori had the insight to let her have a whole year of playing blues and jazz, staying away from the conservatory pieces. That was a real turning point for her.”
Besides jazz and blues, Carly loves classic rock, favouring the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Classical music can be heard when she’s studying. And there will be many more years of that. She’s planning on becoming a high school music teacher.
“Music has always been a huge part of my life,” she says. “I don’t see my life without it. Seeing this high school music department, it’s awesome how it brings people together.”
Bringing people together is what the music department does best, and three of its ensembles are heading to Ottawa with Carly. The senior concert band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble excelled at the regional MusicFest in London last month, with the percussion ensemble earning the coveted gold status.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work we do here,” says teacher Isaac Moore. “The national thing is pretty special because it means some of the best bands in the country come from right here in Exeter, Ontario.”
The music department’s annual Cabaret will showcase some of the work being performed at the nationals. The Cabaret happens Saturday, April 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. All of the department’s bands will be featured.

Students at Parkhill’s North Middlesex District High School are preparing their annual dramatic performance, this year producing the musical Grease: You’re the One that I Want. The play runs May 8, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. at the high school. “We thought it was something the students would be excited about performing,” says music director Rod Culham. “It has 50s and 60s rock, and that’s always fun to do and yet fairly simple. And the story line is where they are: teenagers in high school. It has love relationships that involve being bad and good.
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think kids have changed that much since the 50s. There are differences, of course, but there has always been the investigation of good and evil, the excitement of sexual tension, and the element of teasing each other, the questioning of adult authority. The same sorts of things that were relevant then are still relevant today.”
Sandra Smith directs the play, with technical direction by Rick Pardo, costumes by Lindsay Denning and choreography by Andrea Wegg. The production involves a cast of more than 20 students, six instrumentalists, and many adults assisting.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, and are available by calling the school at 519-294-1128.

Cribbage teams from across the country will converge on the village as Grand Bend hosts the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion championships April 26 and 27. Grand Bend was awarded the tournament after bidding to host after a successful run at the championship in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2006. In all, 49 players will be visiting Grand Bend, including the team from Kapuskasing that won this year’s Ontario championship.
“It is not a spectator sport simply because everyone is kept to a confined area,” says Legion president Ron Crown.
The community can support the event by showing hospitality to the visitors, including socializing at some public events, including a dinner and entertainment Friday, opening ceremonies, horse races and music Saturday, and the Sunday evening awards presentation.
“It’s about meeting the people, talking to them and showing them a good time,” Crown says.
Visitors will be shown the area, including the beach, the Pinery, the Motorplex, and Huron Country Playhouse; some may choose to visit their old haunts in Centralia or Clinton.

Real Estate
By Allana Harkin
Performed by Scott Robert Fink, Keira Loughran, Carly Street, Brendan Wall.
Directed by D. Michael Dobbin
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
March 11 to March 29, 2008

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Joel is a writer, who has churned out a couple of mystery novels, but now life’s crises are getting in the way, and he’s suffering writer’s block. His wife left him for another man, and his widowed elderly father has moved into a seniors’ residence, so Joel is back living in his parents’ lakeside home. But the bills have piled up and he’s forced to sell the house, which his Dad built for his Mom when they were newlyweds. His flaky real estate agent is determined that this will be her first sale. Then things get worse – his ex-wife shows up with her pretentious boyfriend, and his Dad dies.
And somehow, this is a romantic comedy on stage at London’s Grand Theatre. The plot has all the components for laughter and the writing is fairly clever. The tale has some suspense: we know Joel will end up with a woman – but which? He would love to reconcile with his estranged wife, yet he’s interested in his real estate agent.
The cast of Real Estate is impressive – all have interesting and extensive theatre backgrounds. Yet somehow, they have missed the mark. They haven’t pulled together to create the chemistry for good romantic comedy.
Scott Robert Fink is excellent as Joel. We get comfortable with him right away. In fact, as the audience was coming into the theatre, Joel was on stage, stretching and scratching, looking in the mirror and checking out the food stuck in his teeth. Joel is just on the verge of being labelled a loser, yet we recognize some redeeming features. Fink makes Joel a likeable guy and soon we’re on his side.
But then, along comes Emma, the real estate agent. She, too, is on the edge of loser-dom, and unfortunately, Keira Loughran, in playing the part, isn’t able to save the character. I think the playwright intended that we like Emma – she’s quirky but still we’d enjoy her company. Loughran failed to bring us on side. Loughran has an impressive background at the Stratford Festival; in fact, she was outstanding as Valeria in Coriolanus. But she lacks the facial features and comedic timing to make Emma likeable. The part calls for a Lucille Ball type – slightly too chatty, a little annoying, but we still love her.
Similarly, the casting of Carly Street as ex-wife Estelle is questionable. Again, Street has a remarkable theatre background, having played in the Toronto’s Lord of the Rings. But Street was unable to make us understand why Joel would want her back, after she cheated on him. Even when they kissed, the chemistry wasn’t there.
Brendan Wall plays the pretentious boyfriend Ted. Again, the character’s comedy hasn’t been fully developed. When the city-boy snob carrying his man-purse shows up in the country, there is potential for more laughs. His manner of speaking didn’t sound like a city lawyer-turned-business-tycoon – he dropped his “ing” endings (doin’, comin’), which belied his background.
The set is very good – the lakefront home among the trees is complete. It looks like any elderly couple’s home with the tacky old couch and chair and an array of family portraits on the wall. The front of the cottage lifts up and we are invited inside, not just peeking through the windows.
Director Michael Dobbin did much better in finding the comedy a few years ago with the Black Bonspiel of Wullie McCrimmon, a delightful play about curling which the Grand presented. Real Estate, written by Canadian Allana Harkin, has the potential to be a touching story with plenty of laughs, but it requires a cast with strong comedic timing the ability to create chemistry.
This show was sponsored by the London – St. Thomas Association of Realtors and on opening night the audience was made up real estate agents (I know this, having moved twice in the last seven years and buying & selling a couple of houses. I recognized several of them….). And the real estate agents appeared to be enjoying themselves. The best laugh of the evening was when Emma said that real estate agents also have to be psychologists. Their clients are going though change and stress, and the agent has to know how to deal with it. In the audience, many heads were nodding as the chuckles rippled across.
Real Estate continues at the Grand Theatre in London until 29. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Three South Huron District High School bands have been invited to play at the national MusicFest in Ottawa in May. The senior band, wind ensemble and percussion ensemble qualified for the nationals with strong performances at the London MusicFest March 4.
Music teacher Isaac Moore heads the new wind ensemble, which performed a challenging program and earned a silver award with an invitation to the nationals.
Matthew Weston’s intermediate band performed later that morning, receiving a silver award.
That afternoon, Moore’s senior band – one of the largest concert bands at the festival – performed well enough to earn a silver-plus rating, qualifying for the nationals as well.
The last SHDHS group to perform was the percussion ensemble led by Moore and David Robilliard. An enthusiastic and curious audience appreciated the challenging program, which overwhelmed adjudicators to earn a gold award.
The Black Jazz band is awaiting a snow date.

By Tyler Kula
Special to the Grand Bend Strip

Standing between pink-draped tables in the hotel ballroom, a woman chats with her daughter-in-law. She is wearing the same wedding dress as she wore almost 40 years ago, and she smiles and glances around the room while her daughter-in-law sips champagne. The younger woman is also wearing a wedding dress.
And they’re not the only ones.
This is, after all, the Bride’s Ball, and the women – Hessenland Country Inn owners Christa and Liz Ihrig – are among more than 100 people attending the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser at London’s Lamplighter Inn.
Besides raising money for a good cause, the February 29th event was an opportunity for women to don their wedding dresses again.
“When I put it on, it made me think back when I got ready in our farmhouse with my mom and my sister,” Ihrig said, recalling her wedding in Germany.
“It was a very hot day,” she added. “It was in the summer.”
She remembers her father bringing her down the stairs of their house to the guests waiting below, and to the man she was about to marry.
“It’s different in Germany. You walk together to the church and down the aisle with your husband to be.”
The Ihrigs have hosted many weddings at Hessenland over the past 24 years; the inn opened a year after Christa and Ernst moved to Canada with their sons Eric and Frank. Frank’s wife Liz is the inn’s wedding coordinator.
One of the reasons the Ihrigs attended the ball was to see the different dresses and how styles have changed through the years. They also came to support the cause.
“[CBCF] is a charity that basically every single person can say that they’re touched by,” said Brides’ Ball co-producer Lori Eldridge of Timeless, Elegant and Professional Events. “We thought it would be a good one to showcase for the very first event.”
This was the first year for the Brides’ Ball, with another held in Kitchener the week before. Organizers plan to take the event to other places in Ontario.
“We’re probably going to expand it into other cities — for instance, into Toronto sometime in the fall,” said Eldridge. “But, it will definitely be annual in London.”
Fundraisers included the $85 ticket, 50/50 draws and raffles for various prizes. A selection of tiaras was also available, with proceeds going to the charity.
One unique fundraiser was the pink wall, a wall plastered with more than 80 pink envelopes. Participants paid $20 for the chance to open one envelope, and each one has a minimum prize value of $20 with the chance for more valuable prizes inside. Prizes included spa packages and jewelry donated by various sponsors.
Sarnia resident Wendy Blacklock late husband lost his mother to breast cancer.
“I always support fundraisers for that,” she said. But it’s more about “a fun getaway to have some girl time.
“Girls are a weird bunch,” she added. “Any excuse to get dressed up.”
Blacklock’s friend Dawn Potter also lost someone to breast cancer.
“My boyfriend’s mom just passed away in November,” she said. “So I’m doing this for Dorothy.”
She wore the same dress she did for her wedding 23 years ago, but there wasn’t any meaning to it, she said, because she’s long since divorced.
“It’s just a howl that I can still fit into this thing,” she said.

Getting married soon? There are many people in this area who can help you plan and prepare for your big day. Two bridal shows in April will show what wedding vendors in South Huron and Lambton Shores have to offer.
Here are the details:
The South Huron/Lambton Shores and Goderich branches of the Welcome Wagon are hosting their annual Bridal Showcase Tuesday, April 1 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. The event features door prizes, a a show, vendor displays, and gift bags for each bride. The grand prize is a pair of matching diamond wedding bands supplied by Bakelaar Jewellers in Exeter. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required by calling Brenda at 519-229-8176 or Faye at 519-228-7053. For more information, visit http://www.bridalshowcase.ca.
Billed as an interactive and hands-on bridal event, Exeter gown shop Bridal Elegance is hosting the first “To Have and To Hold” at Ironwood Golf Club Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. The event features demonstrations, giveaways, a fashion show, hors d’oeuvres, and take home gift boxes for brides inspired by Oprah.
“It’s going to be a little more active, a little more interactive, a little more fun, a little more laid back, but elegant at the same time,” says Wilma Truemner. “We’re one-on-one people; we like to get to know our clients on a one-to-one basis and we don’t mind sharing certain names because we feel very strongly about them.”
Bridal Elegance selectively invited vendors they recommend. Brides need to pre-register, and only a few tickets remain. The $5 admission will be donated to the Cancer Society. For more information or for tickets, call Bridal Elegance at 519-235-0858.

‘Benguin Goes Wild West’ for 2008 Grand Bend Winter Carnival

By Casey Lessard

Grand Bend’s 22nd Winter Carnival launches February 1 and runs two weekends at venues around town.
“It’s about getting the community as a whole doing stuff together in the shoulder season,” says committee chair Lynda Hillman-Rapley. “This is my second year as chair, but I’ve been to all 21 carnivals. People respond very well. That’s how we got Ontario Lottery and Gaming; someone from their organization was here last year and they thought it was great so they wanted to sponsor it.”
Hillman-Rapley wants to point out that no matter the weather, the show will go on.
“No snow, no problem,” she says. “Whether there’s snow or not, this carnival happens, and the parade is huge. Jim Southcott does an amazing job.”
She also praises her team of organizers.
“Our committee is the best of the best. We all work together; no decisions are made without everybody doing it.”

Here is the full list of events for the weekend:

Friday, February 1
6 to 9 p.m. – Grand Bend School gym
Sobey’s drive-in for the kids (free)

Saturday, February 2
12 to 5 p.m. – Grand Bend School gym
Mad Science plus crafts, sports and a movie. Free. Call 519-238-1155.

6 to 8 p.m. – Skateboard park beside Legion
First-ever Winter Carnival fireworks. Hot chocolate and hot dogs for sale.

Sunday February 3
10 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Youth Darts. Call 519-243-2452.

12 to 2 p.m. – Oakwood #8 hole and clubhouse
Free tobogganing, s’mores & hot chocolate. Parents or guardians must supervise their children.
Oakwood Inn
Registration closes for February 10 Children’s Talent Show (free). Register at Guest Services before February 3.

Saturday, February 9
1 p.m. – downtown
Rotary Club Parade. See adults section for details.

Sunday, February 10
12 to 2 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Children’s Talent Show (free). Register at Guest Services before February 3. Sing, dance, play – bring your original ideas to win prizes! Prizes for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd.
“We just want to have the kids come out and do their dancing or singing,” says Diana Simpson of Oakwood Inn Resort. “When they register they’ll have to say what they’ll be doing. We have a lot of talent in the area, and it’s a great way for them to get out and show people what they can do.”

5 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Meat draw

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Traci Kennedy

9:30 p.m. – Bikini Bob’s
Mike’s Country Band

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Gables
Rumblefish

Saturday February 2
9 a.m. to end of day each weekend – Lions Park (behind Legion)
Gables co-ed snow-pitch tournament (runs Feb. 2 & 3, 9 & 10). $150 per team. Top prize is $300. Contact Jane or John Musser: 238-6690.
Snow-pitch is slo-pitch with fluorescent orange balls (the balls are softer as well). The tournament happens regardless of the weather. Each weekend sees eight teams compete for semi-finals, and the final is the second weekend. Winners from both weekends must be available for second weekend championship game. Teams that win at least two games win money. “It’s a favourite,” says Jane Musser. “It’s pretty funny watching them hit a ball and run in their snow pants.”

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Oakwood
Snow-golf. Cost: $15 per person includes golf (club &ball), chili with bun and hot chocolate. Call 519-238-2324 to register your tee-time.
“We have a special nine-hole tire ring golf course,” says Diana Simpson of Oakwood Inn Resort. “You use a tennis ball and a regular iron, and go around the course.”

1 to 8 p.m. – Riverbend
12th Annual Olympics. Call 519-238-6919 to register.

2 to 6 p.m. – Gables
Karaoke with Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie. Prizes.

6 to 8 p.m. – Skateboard park (beside Grand Bend Legion)
First-ever Winter Carnival fireworks. Hot chocolate and hot dogs for sale. Seating at the ball diamond; parking at the Colonial and Beer Store parking lots. Legion lot will be closed for safety reasons. Four teams of professional fireworks artists from across Ontario will each present 12 to 15 minutes of fireworks using consumer fireworks. A pyro-digital display set to music will be performed during judging.
“By having the competitors use consumer fireworks, we are able to bring the audience closer to the action and create a more intimate show” says organizer Kevin Poole. Storm date is Saturday February 9th at 6:30 p.m.

Grand Bend Legion
Brad Karel and the Thrillbillies with Grand Bend’s Stephanie McClennan. Dance to new country. Presented by Grand Bend Legion and the Winter Carnival. For tickets, call 238-2001. Sponsored in whole by Ontario Lottery and Gaming.

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Traci Kennedy

9 p.m. to close – Riverbend
Karaoke with Jude

9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Bikini Bob’s
Mike’s Country Band

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – Gables
Rumblefish

Sunday, February 3
1 to 5 p.m. – Gables
Wild West ride: try out the Mechanical Bull. Cheer the cowboys on. Sponsored by 104.9 The Beach.

Bikini Bobs
Super Bowl party. Crazy cow contest at 6 p.m. $3 food and beverages all day.

4 p.m. – Oakwood
Super Bowl party – door prizes and special drink prices!

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Pine Dale Motor Inn
Craft Sale. All vendors are welcome.

Gables
Search for Talent Contest with Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie

11:30 a.m. – United Church
UCW Lunch. $6 for 13 and up; $3 for children. Hot dogs available for children.

2 to 4 p.m. – Bikini Bobs
Sleigh rides after the parade. $5/person; free for children five and under.

3 to 6 p.m. – Gables
Search for Talent contest with “Fat Kat Karaoke Bobbie.”

5 to 8 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Steak BBQ. Tickets available at Legion. 519-238-2120.

8 p.m. – Oakwood Huron Room
Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Show with Joanna Downey and Bobby Keele. Cost: $20 per person includes tax. Call 519-238-2324. Buffet dinner (seatings between 5 and 7 p.m.) & show together for only $50 including tax & gratuity.

9 p.m. – Oakwood clubhouse
Entertainment by Murray Andrews

9 p.m. to close – Riverbend
Kountry Karaoke Contest with Jude

10 p.m. – Oakwood Huron Room
Ms. and Mr. Winter Carnival Pageant Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd. Call Diana Simpson at 519-238-2324 for details. “We were looking for something different this year,” Simpson says. “We’re challe
nging all businesses in the area to send someone to represent them in the contest. There are three different rounds: a fashion round with one summer and one winter outfit of their choice; a talent round where the contestants perform a talent of their choice; and a questionnaire round where the contestants answer questions related to the winter carnival.” All contestants will be in the pageant float in the parade Saturday morning.

Sunday February 10
8 to 11 a.m. – behind Bank of Montreal
Grand Bend Firemen’s Breakfast

11 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Veteran’s Memorial Mixed Dart Tournament. Register at 11 a.m.

2 to 5 p.m. – Colonial parking lot
Waiters’ Race

For more information, call the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce: 519-238-2001

Proposed ban on leaded fuels could shut down attraction after 2008 season

By Casey Lessard

The end is near for racing at Grand Bend Motorplex if fans and community members don’t take a stand against a proposed federal ban on leaded fuels, the track’s manager warns.
“If this happens, professional drag racing in Canada is over,” Motorplex manager Ron Biekx wrote in a message on the track’s website. “The Canadian government are legislating Canada’s largest racing facilities out of business.”
The ban on lead in fuel was first proposed in 1990, but concerns over economic impacts have led to extensions that were set to end this month. Instead, the government is giving racers one more year to end their use of leaded fuels.
“It has allowed us to exist in the drag racing arena with American tracks and racers, and most importantly, American customers,” Biekx told the Strip, noting the MOPAR nationals accounts for more than half of the track’s income for the year. Most of the cars at that event are American cars that use leaded fuel. “When they take that away from us on January 1, 2009, they take away our ability to work in those markets. That lucrative market that has put us on the international map is gone overnight.”
Pat Powers of Aunt Gussie’s understands the environmental concerns, but thinks the economic impact is also important.
“They’re taking away one industry that generates revenue. I’m curious as to what the government is going to do to bolster the businesses that this decision is going to affect.”
Besides the loss of jobs at the track (the Motorplex employs 80-100 in an average year), the ban could trigger a domino effect in Grand Bend; Biekx says the MOPAR nationals alone bring about $7.5 million into the local economy.
“That money is certainly not spent in the facility. They enjoy the show and they’re done with me. Grocery stores run out of food on our national event weekend. They now plan for it. Every motel room from Sarnia to London is booked.”
“That’s huge,” said Mary Jo Schottroff Snopko of Pine Dale Motor Inn. “They bring a lot of money for occupancy from room reservations. And they’re a nice bunch of people. It’s a guaranteed weekend, and I think there’s enough factors happening in the tourism field that we don’t need a lot more between border issues, the dollar and gas prices.”
“You figure, their national weekend brings in 50,000 to 60,000 people over that three day time frame,” says Mike Rahn of Mike & Terri’s No Frills, “so those weekends it would be a larger impact. It definitely would take business away from all of the businesses in town.”
Biekx praised the Ontario tourism ministry for its work to support the track, recognizing its impact on the local economy. At the federal level, however, Environment Canada says leaded fuels are harmful to spectators and the local environment. Racing accounts for 1.5 per cent of all leaded fuels used in Canada; the rest is used for aviation, including pleasure craft, under a permanent exemption.
Noting the U.S., Britain and Australia allow leaded fuel for racing at levels 10 to 100 times the Canadian level, Biekx says the move by Environment Canada is similar to the tail that wags the dog.
“I’ve done a lot of work with a Canadian supplier who supplies excellent unleaded fuel to our races. But changes in Canada on an economic scale are meaningless. It doesn’t make sense economically for Canada to stand up and tell the U.S. how it’s going to be. We’re just going to be a ‘Remember when?’ for the American competitor.”
Biekx hopes people who are passionate about the sport and those who want the Motorplex to stay open will act immediately to stop the ban. He’s asking you to call, write and email your representative in Ottawa, at Queen’s Park, and on municipal council before the comment period ends February 13.
“Make yourself heard,” he pleads. “Those people who have seen and recognize the financial impact of having this should step forward and say, ‘We don’t want this piece of our economic pie taken away so someone can get some political mileage for it.’”

Saving 25 Years of Marriage

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Sexy Laundry
By Michele Riml
Performed by Roger Dunn and Lynne Griffin
Directed by Rosemary Dunsmore
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
January 15 to February 2, 2008

In the Grand’s current production, Sexy Laundry, a couple in their 50s spend a weekend at an upscale hotel trying to get romance back into their marriage. In the end, the audience might wonder if they succeeded – although the playwright intended they would. Instead, it seems like they just proved that they are comfortable together. While it may not be romantic, being comfortable is not a bad thing.
It’s the story of Alice (Lynne Griffin) and Henry (Roger Dunn), both fifty-plus, who have been married 25 years. Alice convinces Henry to spend a weekend together at an expensive hotel to rekindle the flame in their marriage. She brings along a copy of “Sex for Dummies” which she picked up at the library. This, of course, has to produce laughs. Alice has marked pages with sticky notes, and Henry is embarrassed about leafing through the book. They try massage, sharing fantasies, and exploring each other’s bodies while blindfolded, but nothing is really working for them.
The story moves along with some tender moments, and some arguments that get nasty. They even threaten divorce, but in the end they finally seem to be comfortable with each other.
Both Griffin and Dunn are good in the roles. Both have extensive acting experience, and have worked together in the past, once as a couple on the TV show ‘Til Death Do Us Part. They also both appeared in the Bob & Doug McKenzie cult classic, Strange Brew.
The pair handles the lines well, and the play offers some very funny moments. In those moments, both actors demonstrate very good comedic timing. And they have the facial expressions to create comedy. Carrying a two character play is a lot of work – copious lines to learn, with never a break from being on stage. But both actors call on their experience to pull it off. Director Rosemary Dunsmore has brought out interesting characters from both Griffin and Dunn.
So if there’s a weakness with Sexy Laundry, it’s in the script. Too much of it doesn’t ring true. If a couple really needs Sex for Dummies, then it is amazing that they’ve lasted 25 years together. Henry, who emphatically says he hates dancing, is then dancing around the stage. Alice’s black leather outfit is just too far over the top. The most difficult to accept are the gender stereotypes – she’s worried about her bulging midriff, he is concerned about climbing the career ladder. And their children, the one thing they truly have in common, are glossed over.
At times the script takes the pair on a roller-coaster ride – they have a affectionate moment, immediately followed by a fight. The emotional changes are too abrupt.
So while there is a good premise, with a first rate cast and periodic moments of laughter, a neater script could have sustained the comedy.
Sexy Laundry continues at the Grand Theatre in London until February 2. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

By Casey Lessard

Drayton Entertainment is sticking to a formula that works for its 2008 season at Huron Country Playhouse, presenting Broadway hits and home-grown originals on its two stages.
The season includes: My Fair Lady, Sorry… I’m Canadian, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum on the main stage, and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Playhouse II.
“After receiving so many accolades this year, people keep asking us how we can possibly top ourselves,” says artistic director Alex Mustakas. “It’s a very difficult challenge, but one that allows us to reach new heights of creativity. The result is a very diverse mix of productions, but each one will carry our signature stamp of top-quality professional entertainment at an amazingly affordable price. Now, more than ever, people can experience epic Broadway productions and esteemed talent right in their own backyard.”
Between its six venues in Grand Bend, Drayton, Penetanguishene, and St. Jacobs, Drayton sold 225,000 tickets in 2007. Already, the box office has sold 50,000 for 2008.

Here’s a summary of the season from Drayton Entertainment:
The 2008 Season kicks off with the lover-ly musical masterpiece, My Fair Lady. Egotistical professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, makes a wager that he can transform unrefined Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a lady – and fool everyone into thinking she really is one, too! But when Higgins’ scheme is too successful, he faces the prospect of losing Eliza forever. Will he admit he’s grown accustomed to her face before it’s too late? My Fair Lady runs June 3rd to June 21st.
Sorry … I’m Canadian is a pageant of political patriotism, starring gifted comedian Neil Aitchison. Join us for an entertaining trek across our vast country, and relive the magic of the Great Canadian Song Book: gems like “O’Siem”, “Alberta Bound”, “Fox On The Run,” “Black Fly,” “Song of the Mira,” “I’se the B’ye,” “Sonny’s Dream,” “Farewell to Nova Scotia” and many, many more. Sorry…I’m Canadian celebrates our distinct heritage and offers a fresh take on what it means to be a proud Canadian through a charming blend of music, humour, and political satire. The production runs June 24th to July 12th.
Drayton Entertainment has scored a major coup with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, as the Broadway sensation will be making its Canadian premiere this summer, July 16th through August 9th. Based on the popular film, the production follows the dastardly deeds of two con men engaged in a mirthful battle of wits. Prepare to have your heart stolen in this hilariously clever take on the ultimate con!
The season ends with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, August 13th through August 30th. This fun-filled vaudevillian romp traces a day in the life of Pseudolus, the craftiest slave in Rome, as he tries to win the heart of a dim-witted courtesan for his master’s son in exchange for his freedom. Armed with the witty lyrics and toe-tapping tunes of legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, this irreverent production is one of the funniest musicals ever written.
The 2008 Season is proudly sponsored by Lavis Contracting and A Channel.
Playhouse II, Grand Bend
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a frothy, fun look at the absurdity of love. Explore the entire spectrum of romance and its many forms – from dating to marriage, the agonies and triumphs of dealing with in-laws and newborns, trips in the family car, and pick-up techniques of the geriatric set. The production runs July 16th to August 30th.

Ticket Information
Drayton Entertainment offers flexible subscription packages that enable theatregoers to book tickets to any performance, at any theatre, for any date. When theatregoers buy tickets to four, five, six, or even seven different productions, they could save more than 33% off the regular ticket price. Individual theatre tickets are $37.00 for adults; $20.00 for youth 18 and under, and $30.00 for preview performances.
To receive a complimentary 2008 Theatre Guide, call the Box Office at (519) 238-6000 or 1-888-449-4463 or visit www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

Tim Long praises SHDHS

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

It’s a long road from Exeter, Ontario to Los Angeles, California, but Tim Long found his way back. When he arrived, an entire school of fans awaited.
“If you keep trying and following your dream,” said Taryn Dougall of Exeter, “you can be successful like Tim.”
Tim Long’s success comes from his long association with the Simpsons, the animated series that has fans around the world. That fan base extends to South Huron District High School, where he graduated 20 years ago.
“It’s exciting to see him come back and talk to all the kids,” says dad Earl Long, whose work at Huron Tractor brought the family to the area; he and his wife Dorothy now live in London.
“We never thought we’d have a son who would end up writing for a television show that is as widely known. I would mention to people that he writes for the Simpsons and they wouldn’t believe me, so I keep a card of his in my wallet to prove that I’m not being dishonest.”
The Longs were celebrities by proxy at South Huron November 21 when their son visited the school with his wife Miranda. Celebrating their one-year anniversary weeks before, it was Miranda’s first time in Exeter. Commenting on the school and its services, she told the Strip it was impressive compared to her high school in New York City. Her husband agrees.
“South Huron is a really, really good school,” Tim said. “In my work I’ve ended up working with a lot of people who went to fancy schools in the States. They all have one thing in common. They’re not that bright. You really are getting a first-rate education and you’re getting it for free. A kid from Exeter can do anything, even me.”
Long also noted that growing up in the area influenced his writing, including an overnight stay at Exeter Public School during a blizzard that inspired the Skinner’s Sense of Snow episode. When asked who watches the Simpsons, students showed their support. They roared and cheered while watching Long’s favourite Simpsons moments, including Homer’s failed canyon jump, the land of chocolate, Homer in space, the gay steel mill, and Bart’s White Stripes tribute.
While criticized by some for its edgy content, Long defended the Simpsons for having a moral code stronger than many other shows on television.
“Simpsons is really pro-family,” he said. “The family stays together, they look after each other, Marge and Homer stay faithful to each other, and interestingly they’re also the only (characters) on TV that regularly attend church.”
Watching television may be fun for his teen fans, but Long insists they should look forward to the real fun – being an adult.
“People will tell you that your teenage years are the best years of your life. Those people are crazy. It gets better,” he said, giving words of encouragement for his South Huron fans.
“If nothing else, I prove that an overweight Grade 9er with no friends can go on to become a Hollywood big shot. Maybe you can, too.”

Anne of Green Gables
Adapted by Donald Harron, from the novel by L.M. Montgomery
Music by Norman Campbell
Performed by Jennifer Toulmin and cast
Directed by Susan Ferley
Musical Direction by Andrew Petrasiunas
Choreography by Kerry Gage
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
November 21 to December 30, 2007

Live! On Stage!
Reviewed by Mary Alderson

Jennifer Toulmin steals the stage in the Grand’s current production of Anne of Green Gables – and well she should! She plays the lead role, Anne, capturing the precocious orphan just the way the character leaps from the pages of the classic Canadian novel.
Toulmin has electric energy as Anne, filling the Grand’s stage with activity. Her voice is Anne’s voice, keeping the gregarious chatter entertaining and endearing. Her four years’ experience playing Anne at the Charlottetown Festival is very apparent, and she makes the show a delight. Toulmin has just the right amount of “perky” without going over the top, and moves forward with Anne’s journey, maturing but not losing her charisma.
The Grand presents the musical version of the delightful novel, first penned by Lucy Maude Montgomery in 1905. It’s a story that has enchanted Canadian girls for generations, its popularity spreading round the world over the years. An aging brother and sister, Matthew and Marilla, want to adopt a boy to help out on the farm, but somehow, Anne, a gifted and very melodramatic orphan arrives at their home, Green Gables. Anne’s spirit gets her into mischief, but also brightens the lives of those around her.
Norman Campbell and Donald Harron turned the engaging story into Canada’s most popular musical in 1963, and it has continued to charm audiences in Charlottetown for 44 years. Anne of Green Gables has graced stages all across Canada, enjoyed a run in New York, appeared around the world, and is extremely popular in Japan.
The Grand’s version does justice to the institution that is Anne. An excellent set, careful attention to the music, and a strong cast are in place. Douglas Chamberlain is a wonderful Matthew, bringing more spirit to the part than is usually seen. Charlotte Moore creates humour with Mrs. Lynde, the town gossip, and Karen Coughlin (last year’s Belle in Beauty and the Beast) is a delightful Miss Stacy, the schoolteacher who is Anne’s kindred spirit.
It’s nice to see Ingersoll’s Anwyn Musico as Prissy Andrews. Anwyn is an alumna of the Grand’s High School Project, and was recently a finalist on CBC-TV’s Triple Sensation. Some local children round out the cast at Avonlea School: Henry Firmston, Seth Maraccio, and Jenna Quinn, all of London, and Kyla Musselman of Stratford.
Credit once again goes to Director Susan Ferley for her attention to detail, and to Andrew Petrasiunas for his excellent musical direction. The audience leaves the theatre singing the catchy tunes, such as “Ice Cream”, “Humble Pie”, “Open the Window” and the spunky “I’ll Show Him”. Or they are moved by “The Words” or “Wonderin’”. Choreographer Kerry Gage animates the cast, calling on her solid Charlottetown experience in the back-to-school ballet and the egg race number at the picnic.
It’s a slice of Canadiana that should be part of everyone’s education. The Avonlea School on the Grand’s stage is the best place to learn Anne’s story.

Anne of Green Gables continues at the Grand Theatre in London until December 30. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Could You Wait?
Book & Original Lyrics by W. J. Matheson
Original Music by W.J. Matheson, Louise Pitre and Diane Leah
Performed by Louise Pitre and W.J. Matheson
Directed by Miles Potter
Grand Theatre, London
October 23 to November 11, 2007

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Could You Wait?, a new musical to start the season at London’s Grand Theatre, has been billed as a war story. With Legion members greeting patrons at the Grand’s entrance on opening night, the impression was given that this was a World War II play. But Could You Wait? is a story of love, not war, set in the early 1940’s. Yes, there is a war going on, but it’s almost forgotten as the plot is wrapped up in the romance of Matt and Mary.
When the action begins on stage, we meet Matt and Mary, an elderly couple out on a seniors’ bus trip today. They are revisiting the Royal York hotel, which apparently holds significant memories for them. Mary is thrilled, but Matt says they should have taken the trip to Casino Rama.
Then the clock jumps back in time. Mary and Matt meet at a dance in Halifax. He’s in the Navy and is just heading off to war. He’s a Saskatchewan farm boy, or “plough jockey” and she’s a French Canadian Catholic. The romance develops shyly through the mail, and both express concerns about what their mother would think. Mary moves to Toronto, and Matt, on leave, has to find his way to meet him there, planning to pop the question and ask her to wait for her. The proposal is made in the luxurious Imperial Room at the Royal York.
Mary is played by Broadway star Louise Pitre (the mother in “Mamma Mia” in both the Toronto and New York productions) while Matt his played by her real-life husband Joe (W.J.) Matheson. You may remember them in the Grand’s outstanding production of For the Pleasure of Seeing You Again last February. Matheson wrote this show for Pitre, and the two obviously enjoy working together. They collaborated on some of the songs, together with musical director Diane Leah.
It’s a heart-warming story, and the music is wonderful. Their original works are mixed in with some old favourite war songs, such as “I’ll be Seeing You in All the Old Familiar Places” and “The White Cliffs of Dover”. Both Pitre and Matheson have beautiful voices – whether they’re rendering spellbinding solos, or singing together in harmony, their vocal performances are flawless.
The couple also dance together. There are some romantic waltzes, but a favourite is the lively jive to the great swing song “Steppin’ Out”. Credit goes to another husband and wife team who handled the choreography: Janet Kelley and Glen Kerr.
The story contains a few anachronisms, but Matheson can be forgiven for taking some poetic licence. The elderly Matt comes on stage carrying a Simpsons shopping bag, but says he’d rather be at Casino Rama – I don’t think Simpsons and Casino Rama ever existed together in the same time frame. Lyrics in one song mention Diefenbaker, but I doubt that Dief was making much news during the 1940s. And the song “Steppin’ Out” was not popular until after the Second World War.
But no one said that it was going to be a history lesson – instead it offers us much to learn about romance, love and life.
Could You Wait? continues at the Grand Theatre in London until Remembrance Day, November 11. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 519-672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Bliss Studio
Group Exhibition
Opening August 25, 3 p.m.
7617 Riverside Drive, Port Franks
(519) 243-3598
Featured artists: Tony Miller and Lorraine Thomson (studio owners), Stephen Shellenberger, Tamara Croxall, Sarah Kane and Kim Ange
Music by Joani Paige

Story by Casey Lessard

“I’ve been walking around here in my pajamas showing people our work,” says Tony Miller in the studio and gallery he shares with partner Lorraine Thomson. “They show up here and say, ‘Are you open?’ I’m walking around in my housecoat. We’re very low-key. We’ve taken that mystery and snobbishness out of art. We’ve got people walking in here in bikinis and stuff right off the beach.”
The beach is where the artists and former art gallery managers took their first step toward creating their studio in Port Franks. Taking a cue from American mythology professor Joseph Campbell’s “follow your bliss” philosophy, Miller asked Thomson during a vacation in Costa Rica what her bliss would be.
“Her answer was, ‘To live with you, do art and be near the water.’ I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
The two did not set out to run an art gallery out of their home, but after discovering the former fishery and setting up the Bliss art studio, they decided it would make a great gallery, too. The building was once a stable and barn; now, the upper level is their living space and the lower level is a large open gallery and storage space. Wide open doors let in natural light and the room can easily accommodate a crowd of art lovers.
“A friend of ours told us about it,” Thomson says. “A lot of people who live in the Port said that they considered buying it but it’s an unusual type of property as far as space. I think it just works perfectly for what we’re doing here.”
Outside of her work as an art instructor in local schools, Thomson has used the gallery to teach art classes for children and adults, including a course called ‘Everyone is Born an Artist,’ which has helped many local seniors discover their drawing and painting talents.
Their focus now, however, is giving new artists a place to show their work as they develop.
“It’s hard for young people to break into getting into a gallery,” Thomson says.
“It really is,” Miller adds. “To get your first exhibition is brutally hard. You usually pay the gallery a fee and then it’s 40 percent commission on all the works you sell. We don’t do that. We do take a commission, but we don’t gouge people. The main thing we want to do it show the work. We don’t rely on this for an income. We just love doing art.”
Miller and Thomson also believe in giving customers a chance to test drive art in their homes to see if it fits.
“Take it home,” Miller says. “If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, bring it back. No one leaves here with something they don’t want. That’s a number one rule.”
“A painting or a piece, any piece of art work is a very personal choice,” Thomson adds. “You can only buy art for yourself. Either you connect or you don’t. Our art work isn’t for everybody. We’re not doing high realism. There is a lot of meaning behind our pieces. A lot of emotion and meaning.”
The Port Franks community has welcomed the gallery and its owners with open arms – and a big opening party. “When we came here we weren’t sure if people would accept us,” Miller recalls. “The day before we opened the gallery, there’s a bouquet of roses on our front porch. No card. Then the day we opened there’s a parade of people walking down the street with trays of food. We hadn’t even met them, except for one couple. They all come marching down with trays of food and welcomed us. The River Road Gallery people showed up. They brought us a nice plant. We probably had 150 people our very first day. It was wonderful.
“I guess they accepted us, and they’re happy we’re here. We’ve had a lot of people come by and say, ‘This is what we needed.’”

Playhouse presentation of Norm Foster/Leslie Arden collaboration will make you laugh, shout and cheer

The Last Resort
Until July 14
Huron Country Playhouse
(519) 238-6000 for tickets

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

For a guaranteed good night out, book yourself a spot at the Last Resort, playing now at the Huron Country Playhouse. The play is masterfully written by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, and fun music by Canadian composer Leslie Arden.
A group of apparent strangers are staying the night in Saskatchewan’s Last Resort, a hotel in the middle of nowhere that will serve as the perfect hideout for mob informant Nick Galeazzo (Brett McCaig). On the run with FBI agent Angela Miller (Shelley Simester), Nick is paranoid that every other guest in the hotel is out to kill him. Everyone is a suspect, and eventually the murderous mayhem begins. Inspector Closely (Robert Latimer) is the Scottish RCMP attaché who has to sort out the situation.
“It’s so much fun from lights up to lights out,” says Stuart Dowling, who portrays Freda Heitz, the husky female hotelier. “Once you get that reaction and that rapport with an audience it’s just so much fun. Then they start laughing and the laughter builds and builds and then you have to wait for people to be quiet because we have a play to get going.”
“The play is almost making fun of itself,” says McCaig. “Even though everyone is crazy and huge and wacky, it still comes honestly. Even though I’m flailing and twisting myself and contorting myself, you’re still in the moment and you’re being there in an honest way as opposed to just flailing around for no reason.”
The actors are very much in the moment and are impeccable with their comic timing. All of a sudden, a song will emerge out of nowhere, or the cast will begin ballet dancing (one of the funniest scenes, by far, featuring John Devorski as poet Trent Balfour). And to think, the cast has only two weeks to prepare for opening night.
“It is insane,” says Cara Leslie, who has the dual role of Jessica and Julia Youngstead, who are staying at the hotel to hear the reading of their late father’s will. One of them will inherit $32 million; the other, a bracelet. “It really works out to about 10 days if you really look at it like that. I think we have done about seven shows already this week.”
The quick turnaround is one of the reasons Drayton Entertainment takes advantage of actors who have already done the play for their other venues.
“It’s good to come into rehearsal knowing all of your lines and all of your lyrics,” Leslie says, “and it serves you and it just makes things move a lot faster.”
“It’s wonderful to come back to a character that you’ve played before and loved playing,” says Sheldon Davis, referring to “Psycho” Sid Barzini, a carpet salesman who comes to the hotel with his wife Liz (Susan Johnston Collins) for their 24th anniversary. “You get back up to speed. Most of us have done this production before so (director Marc Richard) was able to layer in a few more things. Sid’s really the only guy in The Last Resort who has no agenda. He’s the guy who is just there because his wife has brought him in there and he just wants to have a good time.”
An audience that attends the Huron Country Playhouse looking for a good time will find it. The Last Resort is billed as a Hilarious Musical Whodunit, and when it comes to creating a fun night out, they all “dun it.” This is a really fun play with spot-on performances by a talented ensemble cast. Well deserving of an opening night standing ovation.

around the Bend (players)
Wednesdays – Grand Bend Farmers’ Market; other dates and locations: see website

Interview & photos by Casey Lessard

aroundtheBend(players) are seven University of Windsor theatre students living in Grand Bend for the summer and performing street theatre at venues including Evinc Studios, the Grand Bend Farmers’ Market and the Lakeview Café.

What kind of theatre do you do?
Joshua Browne: We adapt our work to whatever our audience and whatever our space is. We’re performing at the Lakeview in a few weeks – probably some Shakespeare on their patio. We’ve talked about doing a show at the mini-golf place where it has all these little houses that look very Victorian, so we had an idea of doing some Shaw there and having an evening event or even have it happen while people are playing golf. We did clowning at the Farmer’s Market last Wednesday.

Who thinks of the themes and who thinks of the ideas?
Sean Topps: It’s a collaborative effort. We want to create our own work to reflect the community rather than to dictate to the community what we’re going to perform. It’s about all of us having a really open dialogue and a form of communication to collaborate and concoct a piece.

What do you hope to get out of being part of something like that?
Allie Boak: Becoming a self-sufficient actor I think is very important, especially nowadays in theatre and just exploring different types of theatre like site-specific work and working with this excellent group of people.

What do you hope the Grand Bend audience gets out of this?
Stephanie Carpanini: We want people to make up their own story through what they are seeing. Not necessarily always presenting to them your typical kind of conventional theatre and that it doesn’t have to be on a stage. We’re trying to give our age group and younger kids a love for art.
There aren’t a lot of young people anymore that appreciate theatre – I mean there are but nowadays kids just want to go out and party and drink beer – the kids on the streets of Grand Bend last night anyways.

When you look at the work that you guys are doing, what do you hope to address in the work that you are doing with this group?
Carolyn Lawrence: It’s important to challenge the audience. I mean you take these people, like last night, that are drunk and it’s easy to label them as drunks and they aren’t coherent and they wouldn’t understand so let’s give them a couple simple jokes and make them happy but you start to realize that there’s more to it than that. You can’t just label that audience. There were older generations walking by and there were some kids that would walk by.

Based on your experience last night and the practices you guys have been doing what have you learned so far from the experience?
David Baker: The show we did last night was very crazy and sort of raunchy. We did that because we knew the audience that we were going to direct it towards. And then we got all this crazy feedback. For some reason I was a little surprised but then again the audience reflected what we were doing in the same way. Sort of what we were doing on stage was exactly what was going on off stage. They were throwing pizza at us.
Joshua: As much as getting hit with a pizza sucks and heckling is a pain and it hurts, it’s also real. It’s also a real dialogue and we learn from that.

Christine, there was a tough scene where you’re having (simulated) oral sex performed on you. It’s a public place; you’re portraying something that’s very private. There’s sodomy and all this other stuff. What do you expect the reaction to be from the audience? I saw one group of people walk away at that scene.
Christine Carr: It was a comment on the life of Grand Bend, the life of these tourists who come into town. I think people sat there and had a little click in their minds that maybe this is an experience they’ve had and that’s why they walked away, or it’s something they relate with this party scene. As an actor it’s a scary thing to do. It takes a lot of guts and being able to throw yourself out there and go for it. There’s a fine line where it becomes pornography. Yeah, it was scary to go out there. It was risqué. The things that are the scariest are the most worthwhile. It makes it exciting and challenges the audiences. As long as you are true to the story and are specific.

Sean: The piece came out of a dissatisfaction of our culture at our age. Our generation, our pop culture. And the things we think are glossed over or missed in a lot of ways. Our knowing things aren’t quite right here. What we did is very surface and that’s what our culture is. It’s sex-driven and not of the self. That’s why we wanted to show it on stage.

Joshua: We drink, we party. We are part of this culture as much as anyone. It’s poking fun at stuff, but it’s not meant to put anyone down. We’re not trying to come down from on high; we’re trying to hold up a mirror. Sometimes it’s too accurate and hard to take.

Genre-bender is a murder-mystery, musical and comedy all in one show
The Last Resort
Huron Country Playhouse
June 26 to July 14
Box office: (519) 238-6000
www.huroncountryplayhouse.com

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

Most people would be happy to see a play that is a murder mystery, a musical or a comedy; those are standard theatrical genres. Canadian playwright Norm Foster and composer Leslie Arden decided to combine the three and the result is The Last Resort, now showing at the Huron Country Playhouse.
The Last Resort is set in a resort in Saskatchewan,” director Marc Richard says, “and the idea is that these characters come to the Last Resort: there are two people there for their 25th anniversary, there’s a man who’s on the run from the mob and he’s in the witness protection program, along with the FBI agent who’s with him. There’s a poet coming to find some sanctuary to write. There are twins – one actor plays two characters – twin girls who are there for the reading of their father’s will; one of them is going to inherit $32 million. There’s the woman who is the proprietress of the Last Resort, named Freda Heights – the big joke of the show. She’s looking after everybody.
“At the end of the first act, somebody is murdered and the whole second act is trying to find out who did it. There’s an RCMP officer named Kenneth Closely, who shows up from the RCMP complete with a kilt and a Scottish accent. He tries to figure out who killed the person who died at the end of act one.”
This is Richard’s fourth production of the play, and he says it gets better every time.
“It’s been a work in progress for me,” he says. “From the very first time I read it, I knew that all those elements had to be there. Usually what I do is go through a scene and look at it just for comic timing, the technical timing of it. ‘You’re saying this because, right now you’re culpable and everybody thinks you did it.’ There’s the murder mystery aspect – turning the volume up on that. And obviously the music is all part of it, too. The music is difficult – it’s really beautiful music, jazzy and a bit hard.”
It’s a fast schedule – the cast has two weeks to rehearse for the play.
“The first time I did this play, the actors barely knew what was going on. So it’s great to have people who have done it with you before because we go, yeah, right. We’re just reminded. All the layers are there and you add layers as they start playing. It’s great to have people who are ready to hit the ground running in a two-week rehearsal process, because you don’t have a lot of time. Especially just to learn the material, let alone to add other stuff to it.
“The actors love it. It’s always fun doing a comedy. It’s always fun to try to find the rhythms and what it takes to make the thing really come to life. We’ve had a lot of fun in rehearsals. Six of them in this cast have done it with me before – in Penetanguishene and Drayton two summers ago – and we have two new cast members. They’re walking around with their eyes a bit bugged out right now but they’re fitting in really well. They’ve had a lot to learn but they’re great.”
Richard likes having a chance to make the play better for a new audience.
“We can add so many layers to it,” he says. “In the two weeks we’ve been rehearsing, we’ve been going back and adding new elements to it, digging deeper. It’s a really fun show. It’s lovely to work on a piece where you know you’re just there to make people laugh. People are also going to be interested in the story and the plot. But just sitting there listening to people laugh is a wonderful way to make a living.”
And the atmosphere in Grand Bend’s not bad, either.
“Maybe Grand Bend’s a little more distracting for people in the summertime. People are like, I want to get to the beach. Yes, but we still have to rehearse. But it’s a great place, a great space to work in, a lovely theatre and it is a bit like a vacation when you work here.”

By Ann Robertson, Huron Country Playhouse Guild

It’s time to get your tickets for the Huron Country Playhouse Guild’s popular fundraiser, the Elegant Dinner for Eight. Local dining establishments offer their culinary expertise to the guild, which hosts the dinner at three locations. Transportation is provided between the three homes, and the winner and seven guests will be served a different course at each one. Aunt Gussie’s, Catering by Barbara, F.I.N.E. A Restaurant, The Schoolhouse Restaurant and The Village Greek are offering their support and assistance, as have others in the community, to make the dinner and evening another success.
Only 500 tickets will be sold at $5 each, and are available by contacting members of the guild: Doreen (519-238-5423), Marcia (519-243-3833), Marg (519-238-2582), or Mary (519-238-5640).
The winning ticket will be drawn Saturday, September 1, and the dinner will be held Saturday, September 15. This will most definitely be an evening to remember! The Dinner for Eight is the guild’s major fundraiser of the year and we anticipate that tickets will sell out quickly.

Cats
Huron County Playhouse
to June 23
(519) 238-6000 for tickets

Story and portraits by Casey Lessard

“It’s worth the drive anywhere. So many people don’t know what we have.”
Not everyone is a cat person, but considering the quality of the actors, dancers and production values on display at the Huron Country Playhouse, it’s easy to see why so many, like Bob Hughes of London, are Cats people.
“I’ve seen it three or four times,” Hughes said. “We saw the Broadway production in Toronto. This is Broadway quality – the choreography was brilliant. The set functions so well. It just moves.”
As Hughes alludes, the play is best considered a showcase for two things: the dance sequences and the set.
“This is what you’d see in Toronto for $150,” says Drayton Entertainment artistic director Alex Mustakas, “but you’re seeing it here for $30. Same performers; same production values. You can’t beat it out here in Huron County.
“It’s a lot of steps for them to learn in two weeks. It’s amazing they can put it together.”
For most in the cast, it hasn’t really been two weeks; out of 18 in the show, only six have never performed in Cats before. Demonstrating their clear experience are Michael Donald and Neesa Kenemy as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, troublemakers who cartwheel as a single unit across the stage in what is likely the most impressive dance sequence of the entire musical.
“This is our fourth production together as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer,” Kenemy says. “It’s getting easier but I don’t think you could do it with just two weeks. It takes a lot of training and stamina.”
“The hardest thing is being a cat when you’re not actually doing a number,” Donald says. “You’re in positions that are not natural. It’s easier to do our number than be a cat all the time.”
“It’s very grueling,” says Choreographer Gino Berti, who remounted Gillian Lynne’s original Broadway choreography. “The show is very detailed and very stylized. I was with the cast in Toronto and we had five weeks. These guys had two weeks and looked like they were hit by a truck every night. We are always in awe of the amount of work this cast put into it.”
One of the rookies is Julia Juhas, cast as the prissy Siamese cat Cassandra.
“It was difficult at first, but the whole team was helpful,” Juhas says. “They weren’t just putting pressure on you to get it right right away. It was a good experience. It’s unbelievable the talent in this cast.”
For her role, Juhas had to find a character inside that director Dave Campbell says was a challenge for the actor – the role of a bitch.
“One tip I got is that it’s okay to be awkward at first,” she says. “It’s a lot in the eyes and the body language. It’s definitely fun.”
Creating a character is something Mike Jackson has had plenty of time to do. The actor has played attention-grabbing Rum Tum Tugger in Germany and another time under Campbell’s direction.
Jackson’s character has an excess of personality, spinning his tail as he swivels his hips and tells off a cat who is trying to steal his spotlight.
“I work alone, kitty,” he says.
Whether it’s a attention-seeker, a fat cat, or a snob, everyone in the audience will be reminded of at least one cat they’ve known. Grizabella, for example, looks like the cat that begs for scraps outside your favourite restaurant. An aging party girl, she’s been through the ringer but gets your sympathy when she introduces the play’s most recognizable song, Memory, which is reprised later in the play by other characters.
“I remember the time I knew what happiness was,” Grizabella sings.
As the character most likely to go to the Heaviside Layer, which all the cats are vying to do, her appearances and the song string the vignette story lines together. Innocent and cute, 21-year old Ashley Fenster’s kitten Victoria reaches out to the Grizabella when no one else will.
“Just being very playful and loving every moment,” Fenster says of her motivation. “There are times when the moment is just about me. You know when it’s your chance to shine. But you also don’t want to steal that moment away from anyone else.”
You might be forgiven for thinking Mike Jackson, whose character is sometimes called the Elvis cat, would feel the opposite way.
“It’s totally not like me,” says the actor, who the director says is shy and gentle. “It’s fun to dress up and act up. This is a fun show for dancers because you get to act and use your body. When it’s good, it’s really good.”

Local businessman wants to be the next Canadian Idol

Oakwood Inn pub
June 1 & 2
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Grand Bend native Greg Gallello owns and operates Little Gino’s, Yogen FrÜz, and Sam’s Playing Fields Batting Cages as well as performing live music in the area

Personal Style:
Really laid back. I grew up on the beach. My whole life has been about where the sand meets the water. Everything has been laid back, easygoing, good vibe.

Influences:
Musical influences would definitely be more modern. The Fray; they’re just throwing out hit after hit right now. It’s just a good feeling when I listen to their songs or when I play them myself. Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Coldplay. Serious influences would even be anything from The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John.

What people can expect:
I want people to come with high expectations. I play to the crowd, and my repertoire ranges. I have all different age groups that I play to, so from 19 to 60 or 70. I play everything from 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s to more modern. I like to see other people having a good time and paying attention.

Interview and photos by Casey Lessard

Who makes you want to sing?
Myself. I just love singing. I’m singing all day long. There’s no particular one person who makes me want to sing. I sing because it’s my life.

What is your favourite music moment?
My newest favourite music moment was auditioning for Canadian Idol. Before that, I have a couple that have stayed in my mind and made me want to pursue music more. When I was 16, a friend of mine was in charge of Canada Day long weekend. We had around 40,000 to 45,000 people on the beach and I was asked to open up for the fireworks. Another one was hearing myself on the radio for the first time, on FM96. I was 19 at the time, and going out west after a summer here to pursue a music career. I called FM96 because I was driving out and thought it would be cool to go with someone. So I asked Jeff McArthur if he could do a shout out to anyone listening for anyone to go out West with me. He asked why I was doing that, and I told him I was a musician, a piano player, etc. He asked if I had a piano around. I said sure. He asked me to play Piano Man and I did a three-minute live piece on FM96 and asked if he could play it. I found out six months later that he kept it and was still playing it when I got back the next June every couple weeks.

Where do you like to spend your time?
On the beach. Being a businessman and running four businesses here in the summer, I don’t get down there that often, but when I do, that’s where I do a lot of my writing and my brainstorming. All my music comes from the beach. When I’m down there, everything just feels right.

When do you think you will achieve what you want?
I’ve already achieved almost everything I want to. Everything above what I’m doing now is just an added bonus. I like to get back what I put out, and I’ve been putting out so much with my music that it just feels right how everything is coming back for me. You can always hope for more, right?

Why did you start performing?
It was fun. I’ve always just had that in me to want to perform in front of people. It always felt good. Growing up with two sisters and a brother, I was the one that always wanted the most attention and found any way I could to get it. It started out banging pots and pans, and turned into different instruments and singing.

You can track Greg Gallello’s progress on Canadian Idol starting June 5 at 8:30 p.m. on CTV.

Huron Country Playhouse
Wed. May 30 to Sat. June 23
(519) 238-6000 for tickets

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

If director Dave Campbell has nine lives, he has spent four of his bringing Cats to the stage. His fourth go at the musical, based on poems by T.S. Eliot, opens at the Huron Country Playhouse today (May 30) and Campbell thinks he’s finally got it right.
“I’ve finally found the right mix of people and I’ve finally got the right amount of set,” he says. “I originally did it in Orillia on a budget of nothing. Alex Mustakas came out and saw it and realized the potential. I don’t think it’s the kind of show anybody would have decided to just do. They would have said there’s no way you can do this in regional theatre. Not with the resources you have.”
Taking advantage of the facilities the Playhouse has to offer, Campbell is also leaning on the tremendous talent working to produce the show.
“You can only really do this show with incredible performers,” he says, “which for me is great. I have to have the best people that are available: they have to be able to sing, they have to be able to dance, they have to be able to act.”
Playing a strong supporting role is the set, a role Playhouse audiences always appreciate.
“We’ve been very lucky that we have a set designer, Tim Webb, who is extremely creative. He works with what little we have to create these incredible out of scale things because everything has to appear either 3:1 or 7:1 to make people look small like cats.”
Cats was turned into a musical in the early 80s, and is based on vignettes from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and other poems by Eliot, which were designed for a child audience.
“Back in the 80s, when they stitched this show together from his poems,” Campbell says, “one of the problems is that they realized they did not have an ongoing story. So they dug through all the T.S. Eliot work until finally his wife came up with one piece that he hadn’t finished. It turned out this was the story of an adult cat. As they looked at it they realized it was a sad story. When they asked his widow, she said he never really wanted to finish it because all the other ones were suitable for kids but this one wasn’t because it was the story of an old cat. She was sick and she was tired and it was an unfinished poem as well.
“So they took this story of Grizabella and they wove it through all these little vignettes, so what you have is the story of a cat who’s left the tribe, went out and lived the high life, gone to parties, she’s basically had it all while these people stayed at home, raised kids, toed the line.
“Once a year, the cats get together in the junkyard to find out from their leader Old Deuteronomy who is going to move on to the next level called the Heaviside Layer, which you can interpret as anything. There are huge parties and celebrations. And this night is the night Grizabella decides to come back. They’re not particularly happy that she’s come back and ruined their party.”
The production brings other experienced Cats to the Playhouse.
“I’m really lucky,” he says. “I have quite a few people who did the original production in Toronto. For example, the woman who is playing Grizabella, the old cat, played Sillabub, a kitten in Toronto. So it’s sort of like art imitates life. Mike Jackson who has played several roles in Cats in Germany, as well as being on the national tour of Chicago, is here playing the role of Rum Tum Tugger.”
Backing up the 18 cast members are another 18 or so crewmembers who build and make the show run smoothly.
“We have a crew that is really devoted to doing great work. Even though they have limited resources, they go as far as they can to do exactly what you want. You can’t buy that passion or excitement.”

The Caddyshack, Grand Cove Estates
Fri. June 8 and Sat. June 9 – 7:30 p.m.
(519) 238-5043 for tickets ($7.50)

Story and photo by Casey Lessard

The scene: you open the freezer to discover the bodies of four nuns, and you don’t call the police. Why? Because you put them in there after burying 48 others. Sound macabre? It’s actually the setting of a musical comedy being performed at Grand Cove Estates June 8 and 9. The bodies are in the freezer because the convent in Hoboken has run out of cash from burying the sisters – and buying a VCR.
Priorities, right? Now, the remaining sisters need to raise money to bury the four sitting in the freezer, and that’s where the fun begins.
“We were looking for something special,” says director Jerry Andrews. “We have a lot of talent in ladies. Getting guys to come out on stage is very difficult. So I thought we needed a show that had ladies in a lot of the parts. I’ve seen Nunsense before, and I thought, what a wonderful chance to do it here.”
“Jerry’s wonderful,” says Claire Castle. “He gets me to do things I would never do. I’ve been everything from a stripper to Mother Superior now. That’s running the gamut.”
Andrews is known for pushing performers, but only in a positive way. He backs up his pressure with 30 years of community theatre.
“It’s been such a wonderful experience,” says musical director Sylvia Rees. “The level of what we are doing, Jerry keeps raising the bar, so there’s a challenge there.”
“I’ve done so many musicals,” Andrews says, “I thought, we need to do a book show (where we have to pay royalties). We’ve done a lot of cabaret style shows. This is our first entry into a book show. This one gave more opportunities for people. Stretching them a little. A lot of dialogue.”
It’s tough work, but the payoff is greater.
“People surprise themselves when they’ve never done this before and they make a success of it,” says Rees. “That’s a thrill to watch happen.”
“This has all been a very big surprise for me,” Castle agrees, “because I’ve never done things like this before. I’ve found out that I’m a ham at heart. I really, really like it. I used to be very shy and I’m doing things I never knew I could and would do. Everybody here is so willing to accept you. They back you 100% all the time.”
With a cast and crew consisting entirely of Grand Cove residents, Andrews says he loves to see the feedback actors, especially less experienced ones, get.
“There’s no duplicate for applause. I can’t get it as a director. It’s the artist on stage that gets the applause. Seeing it happen is what makes it for us.”

Grand Bend Legion
June 2
3-6 p.m.

Goderich-native Arlene Darndrough (keyboard and vocals) and Seaforth-native Kim Such (guitar and vocals).
Strip spoke with Arlene Darndrough.

Personal Style: We do just about everything. We just worked our repertoire up so we do almost everything except for current top 40. Once in a while, Kim will do a couple of those tunes. We do jazz, we do classics, we do country, whatever people ask for.

Influences: Anybody. We like all sorts of music. I can’t really say that there’s any because we take the CD of the song that we like and duplicate it. It’s just been experience in bands and trying to find something that everyone enjoys so we can do any venue we want and keep it affordable.

What people can expect: It’s entertaining and they can dance if they want. There’s humour.

Interview by Casey Lessard

Who got you started in music?
Arlene: Probably my father. He was a self taught singer and piano player. He played in nightclubs and he played Eddie Duchin style. Eddie Duchin was a famous piano player and he had a specific style. They actually made a movie about him, so he was as popular as Glen Miller.

What do you like about being a musician?
I like music or I wouldn’t be doing it. I just like any kind. The challenge is good and the end result is satisfying as well.

Where did you first perform?
It was with a big band and I don’t remember the name but it was at the Stork Club in Port Stanley. As Cactus Jam we’ve been together 15 years with different members coming and going; I’ve been the only constant but different people come and go.

When did you decide that this was something you would do all the time?
When it became obvious that people wanted to hear music they could dance to and have it still be affordable. These days DJs have taken over. But I’ve always wanted to be in a band. This seems to be what people want and we’ve kept with it.

Why do you think people still want live music?
It’s not so much the young generation. The older generation wants live music because they’re used to it. We’re affordable so we do a lot of backyard parties and special events. Some people prefer to see live music at work. Some bars we go to, the younger generation is receptive to it, but at weddings, you’ll almost never see a band now. That’s probably because a bigger band is not affordable. A lot of bands do it for pleasure more than for profit.

Star-lite Drive-in, Shipka – 519-238-8344

Starting May 25
Shrek, Norbit and Blades of Glory will be held over one week. Check with theatre for latest listings.

Legion uses entertainment to remain relevant & viable
Story and photos by Casey Lessard

With a smile on her face and a friend in her arms, Doreen Chester looks like a good time personified. The Legion president is cutting a rug on the dance floor while Saturday afternoon’s entertainment performs a song. Partner after partner, male or female, it’s obvious Chester loves to dance and this has benefited the Legion and the community.
“It started with entertainment on a Saturday afternoon,” she says of her seven-year involvement in the Grand Bend Legion. “I was told there was entertainment here, and I love to dance and I love music, so I came. As I made friends, I was asked to decorate the hall for New Years’ Eve and then the Christmas trees. Then I worked upstairs at one of the banquets and one of the fellows heard that I was a teacher so he convinced me to join the executive as education chair.
“I knew I would be involved in the community when I moved in,” she says. “The people that I know in the Legion make you want to be part of it. If they ask you to help, you just want to say yes. And I’ve found that if you need help, people say yes right away.”
President-elect Ron Crown agrees.
“This town is known for its volunteers,” he says, “and a good example was the 2001 Canada Summer Games; we had to turn people away. A lot of people are looking for something to do and you don’t have to take a lot of their time. People want to support the community they live in.”
“We have at least 12-14 people who work the bingo every Tuesday night and some of them are in their early 80s,” Chester says. “They have that vivacious energy and drive that they want to give back to the community.”
Volunteering with the Legion can support the community in many ways. Its members fund local charities in addition to work with veterans and remembrance.
“The basic focus has not changed,” Crown says, “but the things you have to do to keep going certainly have. We still look after veterans and their dependants. But the problem is that the veterans are becoming fewer and fewer. Because of their age – most of them are at least 80 – we see a lot of them going into homes like Parkwood. We spend a lot of time making them more comfortable.”
The demographic change means the Legion must do things differently to remain viable, and that includes opening its doors to the public. Harry Young is an expert at promoting the Legion’s attributes. The entertainment coordinator wants everyone to come and spend money on a good cause, whether it be attending meat draws, bingo or Saturday afternoon entertainment.
“Giving back to the community is the most important thing,” Young says. “Coming here is your little part you play in helping them. We need $250,000 a year to run this place just to break even. And at the same time, we give away the rest of our money to all the different charities.”
“I believe that everyone has something they can offer to the community,” Chester says, “and that if they got involved in one organization they would realize how much they could get involved and how much fun it is.”

Grand Bend Legion
May 19 3-6pm

Hometown: St. Thomas
Personal Style: Everything from early war tunes to East Coast Canada to Elvis, 50s, 60s, 70s. Canadian folk music. Audience participation.
Influences: My dad; high school teacher Frank Hurlehay; vocal coach and Caledonians accompanist Dr. Wayne Carroll
What people can expect: A fun, lively, entertaining high caliber afternoon.

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

Who inspires you?
My dad. My dad’s passed now, but he got me into music. Andy Stewart, a huge Scottish entertainer. When I came to Canada, Gordon Lightfoot and the Guess Who. Then Neil Diamond and Elvis, the Eagles.

What makes you want to sing?
It’s my very being. I’ve been an entertainer since I was 15 years of age. It’s going on 38 years I’ve been playing Legions and around the world. There’s a deep internal drive. It’s a God-given talent that needs to be shared.

Where do you like to perform?
I perform many different ways. The Caledonians play stage shows; that’s the top professional level of what I do. I’ve played in Scotland, Vegas, Disneyworld, New York, East coast, West coast. But I also play Highland Games and I enjoy that. I also love Legions and war tunes because it gives people memories of times past. When people come in, they come from all walks of life, but they go out saying they had a good afternoon with Bob.

When do you find time for yourself?
I’m a therapeutic music recreationist at Regional Mental Health Care at St. Joseph’s in London. With that, I’ve done a lot of re-teaching musical instruments to clients who in turn go out and perform at seniors’ homes.

Why did you become a musician?
It’s my destiny. When I was a boy, our family would have get-togethers and music was always there. Everyone would pick up an instrument and then I took lessons. Eventually it’s all you do. Music is the very essence of who I am. It shows the minute I step on stage or when I talk to someone.

Grand Bend Legion
May 26 3-6pm

Hometown: Originally from East Coast; currently London
Personal Style: All over the place. Started out playing classical; folk after school; session musician in L.A.; rock solo act in Canada.
Influences: Bob Dylan to Pink Floyd to Buddy Guy. Heavily influenced by jazz. I’m constantly studying that type of music.
What people can expect: At the Legion: Irish, older tunes, dance music from the swing era, 50s, 60s. At the clubs: Stone Temple Pilots, Tragically Hip, Black Sabbath, etc.

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

Who blows your mind?
Miles Davis. What he did was took jazz and infused it with rock, which has become the focus of all musicians these days. Pink Floyd acknowledges that he was the inspiration for Dark Side of the Moon. I like Buddy Guy but that’s in my personal time.

What inspires you?
My kids; I have three. And my wife. My family is the source of the magic.

Where did you get your first big break?
When I was around 19 I was playing at the Kee to Bala (in Muskoka). I was the house band there and they asked me to open for a band called Max Webster (with lead singer Kim Mitchell). I had to walk on with just a guitar in front of this big crowd, and it actually went really well. That’s when I realized that I could make a go at it as a professional musician.

When is your favourite time of day?
Early morning, but I don’t see it very often in my line of work. I love the sunrise. The only time I see six or seven o’clock is when I’m on holiday, whereas most people try to avoid that when they’re on holiday.

Why do you do it?
I’m a musician. I don’t have a choice (laughs). It’s always called me and I just keep doing it. I decided a couple years ago to cut back on the traveling and have focused on teaching because I was away too much. So now I play three times a week, and I get a big kick out of teaching and watching the people I’m teaching on the verge of going pro.

Mike is working on a book called Campfire Guitar, which will be released in 4-6 months.

Victoria Day Regatta
Grand Bend Yacht Club
River Road
(519) 238-6676
Saturday May 19 to Monday May 21

Sunday racing cancelled due to weather.
Monday racing (10 a.m.)

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

“Sailing is not a sport; it’s a way of life.”
Bill Newton should know; this is his 40th season at the Grand Bend Yacht Club, and there’s no stopping the Grand Bend resident.
“You’ll never find anything more relaxing than sailing,” he says. “The lack of motor noise and the lap of the water on the side of your hull. Adjusting your sails to get the most out of your boat. It’s always a challenge to go faster than the next boat. If you think of a sailboat doing seven or eight knots, that would be equivalent to a car doing 100-120 miles an hour, versus one knot less 60 or 70. It’s like the difference between a racecar and a slow car.”
The Grand Bend Yacht Club is dedicated to racing, and anyone interested in the sport should make the trip to the dock this weekend for the Victoria Day regatta. Saturday’s Commodore’s brunch (members only) is followed by a sail past salute just after noon. Races run Sunday and Monday starting at 10 a.m. weather permitting.
While not guaranteed, you might earn your sea legs much like Newton did those many years ago.
“I was 17 and in the air cadets and I was coming back from the Toronto Island airport from a session flying, and I was out at one of the yacht clubs. Somebody yelled out, ‘Where’s my crew? Anybody here who can crew?’ I had never been on a boat before, but of course, I said, ‘Yeah, I can crew.’ He invited me on his boat and it took about two seconds for him to realize I don’t know anything about sailing, but he sort of liked my courage and asked me to come back to sail for the rest of the season.”
Commodore Tom Quigley suggests interested rookies should contact him before trying to catch a ride.
“In our club, you have to be a boat owner. There are people who are here who go racing every week and are looking for crew. But we can’t accommodate everybody. It’s a good way to get some experience; email me at
commodore07@gbyc.ca and if there are people looking for crew we can link you up with them.”
After his early experiences, Bill Newton moved to Grand Bend in 1968, joining the club with its 28 slips – one for each member. The club now has 52 slips for 35 full members.
“When I joined we didn’t have a clubhouse,” he says, “so what you see behind you is what we call our overnight success that took 25 years. We couldn’t get a mortgage for it, so all the money for it came from our members.”
You don’t need to take out a mortgage to become a sailor; Newton says someone bought a boat last year for $2000. The cost can go much higher. After some prying, he says he’s invested more than $100,000.
“We encourage first-time boat owners to crew on other boats. It gives them confidence on the racecourse. We have a summer school for sailing. We are really trying to encourage young people to learn how to sail; not only the technique but also the safety.”
“Our idea is to promote the sport of racing and sailboats,” says Quigley. “We have racing every Sunday in the spring and fall and a few other races in the summer.”
“If you can always keep in mind it’s got to be fun,” Newton says, “and have respect for the water. Learn how to interpret the weather and wind conditions so you don’t get in trouble. That can take a lifetime of learning. What direction the winds are coming from will determine what kind of day you will have.”
“It’s quite exhilarating,” Quigley adds. “It’s something you have to experience to appreciate it.”

Best place to stand: On the pier
If the wind is favourable, you can see the race very well. If the winds are unfavourable, you won’t see anything.

Bring: Binoculars
We’re very willing to explain to people what’s going on. The only thing is that people can’t talk to us during countdown because we’re very focused on that.

Length:
Victoria Day regatta: we set our rules so that if nobody makes it to the first mark within an hour, the race is over. You also have to finish within 30 minutes of your first class finisher or you’re disqualified.

Everybody races against each other, but the person who comes across first doesn’t necessarily win. It goes back to the computer and the computer decides based on the rating who won. We also have some one-design racing here, which is the shark fleet; in that case, the first person across the line wins.
The start sequence is a series of flags and signals. You cannot go over the line early or you’ll be called back. Time over distance is how it’s measured.
We have four racing classes here. So we usually have three starts at every race. It’s fun to watch. We have a rolling start the first time, which means it’s one-two-three, all in a row. Flags go up that signal people what class is going, what course they’re going to be doing. We do the countdown over the radio with a pier start so that everybody hears it. Then we finish them from the pier, or in a perfect world, we have a committee boat go out into the middle of the course and start them out there.

Oakwood Inn
May 18, 19, 20 8pm to 12am

The Stone Angels are Parkhill residents Gloria Martin (lead guitar, percussion and harmony) and Anjhela Michielsen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard and harmonica).

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

Personal Style:
A: It seems like I’m attracted to something that’s really authentic and genuine. That transfers into all aspects of my life; not just music – also my personal life choices. It seems to be a whole lifestyle.
G: I’m a really soulful, reflective person. That carries over into my music and my life. I’m interested in the environment and social justice. I love animals and enjoy relating to people.

Influences:
A: Sarah McLachlan and Jewel definitely influenced my new immersion of music in the last eight years. Before that I was totally into musical theatre. But when I first played guitar I started out strumming Jewel songs and my style has evolved from that.
G: My parents were a big influence; all five of us as children got musical training and we eventually performed as a family. From country and gospel to folk rock and popular music, I have an appreciation for a wide range of music, and that’s reflected in our show. I love music with strong harmonies and groups that harmonize well together.

What people can expect:
A: They can expect to have a good time. We’re not a dance band, but they can expect to be entertained. They can sit back and enjoy and have a more intimate kind of concert.
G: We’ve been told it’s a classy show and that we have really strong vocals. It’s a stripped down show but it’s a really nice sound to listen to. They’ll hear a lot of their favourite songs with a new twist.
A: They know the music, but we add a signature sound that makes it Stone Angels.

Who’s in charge here?
A: I’m in charge of choice of music and arranging. A lot of the creative process is something that happens from us playing together. It’s all a process where we discuss everything.
G: We respect each other’s strengths and we defer to each other’s area of strength. I handle a lot of the business management and the public relations stuff.
What is the most common thing you hear from your audiences?
G: They love our sound.
A: They love the harmonies, love the way we sound together and the selection of music. They always comment that they love what we’ve done with the music.
G: They often comment as well about how professional our show is. They seem to really respect that.

Where was your first show together?
A: At the Grate in Parkhill, actually. We had done some weddings, but our first real venue was the Grate, which was a restaurant.
G: We did a party for our friend Lynn. It was a big birthday bash so the place was just filled. We performed for the night and had a really great reception. The Grate liked what we did and asked whether we wanted to come back and do something on a regular basis. Anj started doing some solo there and I joined in.
A: Singing covers alone can turn into glorified karaoke. Adding the second person allows you to be so much more creative in covering songs. You can add harmonies and two instruments and instrumentation, which helped me a lot with arranging the music.

When did you realize you could do this full-time?
A: We did a buskers’ festival and we had a great reception. We got second place in our first year.
G: We got first at the St. Thomas buskers’ festival the following year. After having a great reception at the Port Stanley buskers’ festival, we approached a small café called Jimmy C’s that had live entertainment. They gave us a regular gig and we got quite a following there and made friends. There we found a guy who was interested in managing us and we made a CD.

Why have you decided to remain in Southwestern Ontario?
A: We both grew up around here, so our families and friends are here. So we both feel comfortable in this area. This is the place we love to be. We’re in a hub; we’re not far away from a lot of things. We can still enjoy country living but we’re close to London, Stratford, Grand Bend and even Toronto. It’s all within driving distance.
G: What is difficult is doing the driving, the hours on the road late at night and all that’s involved in that. We just discovered over the years that that becomes a burnout situation.
You’re competing with all the locals in any of the cities. If they can hire a band and they’re earning the same as us, but we have to drive there, it’s not financially viable. So you want to get something as close to home as possible.
It’s difficult to find a partner whose voice blends well with yours, and when you find that you want to hold onto it. This is where we want to be and it hasn’t been attractive enough to go elsewhere.

Hear samples of the Stone Angels’ music at their website:
http://www.stone-angels.com