Gloria Blizzard and Jesse Ryan talk on saving calypso; fiftieth anniversary reprise of the Frog Bog sound walk (bet no-one's said that before!); Gregory Oh on the necessity of failure and curatorial choices that break down barriers; fanfares for an uncommon man at the RCM; and festivals galore in our 20th annual summer green pages; plus a summer's worth of music in our listening room. All this and more!
MUSIC THEATRE Stratford
MUSIC THEATRE Stratford Jazz Academy Avondale Theatre, Revival House, Jobsite Brewing Company and, my personal favourite, The MusicBarge, a small (but literal) barge moored on the Avon River, with free early-afternoon performances. Stratford Summer Music also features two unique educational opportunities for young musicians. The Jazz Academy, led by bassist Jodi Proznick, drummer Jim Doxas, saxophonist Kelly Jefferson and pianist Florian Hoefner, is designed for students interested in improving their improvising, ensemble playing and performance skills. The Vocal Academy, meanwhile, is split into three separate streams: Art Song with Kimberly Barber, The Solo Cantatas of J.S. Bach with Daniel Lichti, and Musical Theatre with Marcus Nance. Westben Summer Festival – June 14-August 4 One of Canada’s most charming summer concert destinations, Westben is a multifaceted performance centre in Campbellford, Ontario that hosts artist residencies, produces digital programs, and conjures gourmet food and drink offerings for guests. Rather than a condensed week (or weekend) of all-day events, their summer offerings extend throughout June, July and early August, with a wide range of musical styles represented. Westben’s three venues are the Barn, a 400-seat theatre housed in, you guessed, an old barn, Willow Hill, an amphitheatre by the site’s willow tree and pond, and The Campfire, a small, casual stage set up by, well, a campfire. On July 14, at 2pm in the Barn, check out the Performer Composer Residency Concert, which will showcase the collaborative work of 2024’s ten residents, exploring the theme of “Music of Many Gardens.” Another unique Westben offering: the Sounds in Nature – Forest Bathing event, which takes place on July 6 at nearby Mary West Nature Reserve. Available in the early evening before concerts, this nature walk is led by Ewa Bednarczuk, a trained guide from the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Following this event, song carrier, composer, activist and ethnomusicologist Jeremy Dutcher – winner of a Polaris Music Prize and a Juno Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year – will perform at the Willow Hill amphitheatre. Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, and on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). The Barn at Westben Summer Festival The lighter, brighter side … and beyond JENNIFER PARR Summer is almost here, the time to go outside to enjoy the sunny weather, to go on holiday, and, when school is out, to head to the cottage with the extended family ... ’Tis typically the season to indulge in lighthearted theatrical fare, ideally with music and dancing and lots of comedic charm. In Toronto the three Mirvish-hosted shows are a case in point: a national tour of Wicked, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, the return of Mean Girls, and even – to start off the season – an extension to the run of Dav Pilkey’s Dogman the Musical for younger children and their parents at the smaller CAA Theatre. (Visit mirvish.com for details.) And around the province the story is the same, with the revival of classic and jukebox musicals taking the stage, alongside concerts and comedies promising enjoyment whether you are looking to escape from the city or take a break from the cottage. Drayton, Tweed, Blyth and Fourth Line There used to be an umbrella organisation of Ontario “summer stock” theatres that made it easy to find a theatre near you, but although this has ceased to be (along with the great service organisation Theatre Ontario which was closed down shortly before COVID hit). The theatres themselves still exist, though, and some new ones have popped up. Drayton Entertainment shares productions such as 22 | June, July & August, 2024 thewholenote.com
In Dear Rita! by Cape Breton playwright Lyndsay Kyte, with co-creator Mike Ross as music director and arranger, “Rita” is portrayed collectively by the actor-musicians channelling MacNeil through her stories and music. Dear Rita! plays Tweed, June 5-8, then Bancroft, June 12-16. CHARLOTTETOWN FESTIVAL PRODUCTION, 2021 Fiddler on the Roof, Beehive, Jersey Boys and Peter Pan the Panto among its six different locations. Relative newcomer Tweed Theatre and Company in Tweed and Bancroft, will be presenting the Ontario premiere of Dear Rita! the East Coast hit celebrating the life of singer Rita McNeil. drayton entertainment.com tweedandcompany.com The Blyth Festival celebrating its 50th season this year of presenting all-Canadian and area-inspired plays, will be presenting a new adaptation of The Farm Show (which first inspired the creation of the festival). Blyth will also, from mid-August to early September, host Onion Skins & Peach Fuzz: The Farmerettes, fresh off its world premiere at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook, Monday through Saturday, from July 1-20. 4th Line has a proud 30 year history of its own, presenting 42 original plays based on regional history and culture. blythfestival.com 4thlinetheatre.on.ca COURTESY BONNIE SITTER Onion Skins & Peach Fuzz: The Farmerettes by playwright Alison Lawrence, tells real people's stories. It’s based on the book of the same name by Bonnie Sitter and Shirleyan English. Sitter found this photo among her late husband’s documents. On the back it said ‘Farmerettes 1946.’ The three teenagers in the photo worked on the Sitter Family farm on the outskirts of Thedford, ON., growing onions, celery and peppermint. thewholenote.com June, July & August, 2024 | 23
