encoreNOW is a bi-weekly column by Paul Rellinger where he features upcoming music, theatre, film, and performing arts events and news from across the Kawarthas.
This week, Paul highlights The Comic Strippers at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, Beth McMaster’s Showplace ode to Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, Sloan in concert at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre, the 32nd Vintage Film Festival in Port Hope, The Rocky Horror Show at Bancroft’s Village Playhouse, and a tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter at Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre.
No “full monty” to see here … just hilariously funny improv at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre
VIDEO: “The Comic Strippers” teaser
Those behind the 1997 British film The Full Monty could never guessed how wildly popular the black comedy would prove to be.
Made from a paltry budget of $3.5 million, the film grossed a remarkable $257 million on its way to becoming a major commercial success that was Academy award-nominated for Best Picture and won an Oscar for Best Original Score. Until Titanic, it was the highest-grossing film ever in the United Kingdom.
Clearly the story centred around six jobless men who decide to form a male striptease act to make money and opt to go “the full monty” — strip all the way — resonated with those curious to see if they would follow through.
The Comic Strippers — Roman Danylo, Ken Lawson, Chris Casillan, and Pearce Visser — is a fictitious male stripper troupe comprised of some of Canada’s best improv comedy performers. They sing, they dance, they banter, but they keep their pants on. There’s no “full monty” on stage, but there’s more than enough to grab, and keep, their audience’s attention.
For one night only on Wednesday, October 15 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, the Canadian Comedy Award winning-troupe for Best Live Production will do their thing, semi-undressed and completely unscripted.
For the faint of heart (and perhaps a disappointment for some), there’s no extreme nudity, but there is non-stop hilarity, making The Comic Strippers’ parody of male strippers a delight for both male and female ticket holders. As the act’s website bio reads, the quartet “tries to be sexy … it just comes out funny.”
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. performance cost $70.75 at capitoltheatre.com. And yes, as Tom Jones advises, you can leave your hat on.
Peterborough’s Beth McMaster brings us yet another Showplace fundraiser
VIDEO: “Evergreen” from “A Star Is Born” (1976)
Beth McMaster is forever creating, and thousands of theatregoers are grateful she has seen fit to do just that over the years.
Instrumental in the 1996 founding of Peterborough’s Showplace Performance Centre, McMaster is still very much active with the venue, her support for Showplace worn well beyond her sleeve.
To that end, McMaster has a written a new musical biography that tells the stories of American icons Barbra Streisand and the late Kris Kristofferson (he passed away last September at the age of 88) as they navigate a rocky road on their way to becoming legends via their singing and acting.
Presented as yet another instalment of Showplace’s Legendary Icon Series, the three-performance show set for Wednesday, October 15 and Thursday, October 16 will serve as a fundraiser for the non-profit venue.
Titled “Barbara Streisand and Kristofferson … Ageless and Evergreen,” the music-laden show will take its audience back to the time before, during, and after the duo’s memorable collaboration for the 1976 film A Star Is Born.
A huge box office success, the romantic drama featured Kristofferson as an established rock star and Streisand as an up-and-comer who fall in love. Things, however, get complicated when the Streisand’s character sees her star rise while the character played by Kristofferson sees his popularity decline.
At the 49th Academy Awards, the film’s theme song “Evergreen” captured the Oscar for Best Original Song, becoming Streisand’s second number-one single and spending three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and six weeks atop the easy listening chart.
Along with McMaster, the show features the considerable talents of a bevy of local performers, with Kate Suhr, Rob Phillips, Megan Murphy, Bob Trennum, Wayne Robinson, Lisa Devan, and Tom Keeton are all in the mix. Better still, it’s being staged in the venue’s intimate Cogeco Studio, making for up-close-and-personal audience experience.
Curtain is 2 and 7 p.m. on October 15, and 2 p.m. on October 16. Tickets cost $30 at www.showplace.org or drop by the box office.
Sloan’s near 35-year legacy continues at Linday’s Academy Theatre
VIDEO: “If It Feels Good, Do It” – Sloan (2014)
This past summer saw Sloan’s near 35-year journey as one of Canada’s most-loved rock bands continue at Peterborough’s Del Crary Park in the form of a Musicfest-headlining gig.
There’s much to love. Since coming together in Halifax in 1991, Jay Ferguson, Max Murphy, Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott have released 14 albums and received nine Juno Award nominations, winning Best Alternative Album in 1997 for One Chord To Another.
Even more impressive is the quartet remains intact after all these years, the only deviation being the touring contributions of Greg MacDonald. That, in itself, is a rarity in the music business where the only thing more likely than change is change itself.
Sloan’s Musicfest appearance on July 16 was one the concert series best-attended shows of the summer. Clearly, the band’s grunge-rock sound still strikes a chord with longtime fans and those new to the table.
On Friday, October 17, Sloan will perform at Lindsay’s Academy Theatre — a tour stop presented as part of their cross-Canada promotion of their newest album, Based On The Best Seller. Those who weren’t able to catch the summer Musicfest show have a second chance to see the band; those who did can relive the experience.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. concert cost $71.50 at www.flatoacademytheatre.com.
Port Hope’s Vintage Film Festival returns to Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre
VIDEO: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” trailer (1967)
If you’re a fan of vintage films, Port Hope is where you want to be from Friday, October 17 to Sunday, October 19.
Over that weekend, the 32nd Vintage Film Festival will be held at the Capitol Theatre, again with the support of the Marie Dressler Foundation. This year’s festival theme is “Family Dynamics,” with the screen offerings and associated activities reflecting just that.
Among the films to be screened are perennial favourites The Graduate, Meet Me In St. Louis, Mary Poppins, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and Bell, Book and Candle. Full lineup details and ticket information, including all-access weekend festival passes for $99 and single-movie tickets for $12.50, are available at www.vintagefilmfestival.ca.
Added perks are live piano accompaniment for screenings of silent films, a Sunday lunchtime film talk with an optional lunch, a silent auction and, of course, free popcorn.
If it seems I write here about yet another reason to visit pretty Port Hope, it’s because there always seems to be another reason to do just that. That these films are being screened at the historic Capitol — built and opened in 1930 at the dawn of the sound film era — just adds to the atmosphere of this festival.
“Let’s do the Time Warp again” at Bancroft’s Village Playhouse
There are cult classic films, and then there’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
If I had a dollar for every screening of the musical I attended as a teen at Toronto’s Roxy Theatre, I wouldn’t be the starving journalist I am today. I stopped short of dressing in costume but, yeah, I danced to “Time Warp” with the best of them as I had way too much fun with all my pals. It was an experience, not just another night at the movies.
From Wednesday, October 22 to Sunday, October 26 at the Bancroft Village Playhouse, Tweed and Company Theatre is presenting The Rocky Horror Show, the 1973 London stage musical that made actor Tim Curry — who reprised his stage role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the 1975 film version — a household name for many.
VIDEO: “Time Warp” from the 1973 original London cast of “The Rocky Horror Show”
Featuring music and lyrics by Richard O’Brien (who played Riff Raff in the original London production and the film), the story centres around sweethearts Brad and Janet who, due to a flat tire incurred during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of one Dr. Frank-N-Furter. They subsequently meet a number of very odd household characters, including the good doctor’s newest creation in the form of a muscular man named Rocky. That’s when things really get interesting.
With its sexual themes and innuendos and explicit language, this staging is recommended for those aged 14 and up. When I was 14, suffice to say the film served as a real education that entertained to the max.
Directed by James King and Rebecca Ballarin, the Tweed and Company Theatre production runs at 7 p.m. from October 23 to 25, with 2 p.m. stagings on October 22 and 23 and 25 and 26. Tickets are $39.50 for adults, $35.50 for seniors, and $25.50 for students, youths, and art workers, and are available at www.villageplayhouse.ca .
“Johnny & June” walking the line at Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theare
VIDEO: “Jackson” – Johnny Cash and June Carter on The Johnny Cash Show (1969-1971)
One of my favourite bio-pics, by far, remains 2005’s Walk The Line, which featured outstanding performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed country music legends Johnny Cash and June Carter.
The story chronicling Cash’s early life, his stormy romance with Carter, his country music ascension, and his painful drug addiction was clearly the favourite of many as the film grossed $187 million — a nice return on its $28 million budget. The film also brought Witherspoon an Academy Award as Best Actress, with Phoenix nominated for a Best Actor statue.
Cognizant of the story’s appeal and the still-popular sound of Cash’s and Carter’s music, Bobcaygeon’s Globus Theatre is staging “Johnny & June” from Thursday, October 23 to Saturday, October 25 at its Pigeon Lake Road venue.
Created by Chris McHarge and Colin Stewart and billed as a tribute to country music’s golden age, the production features a live band performing the duo’s iconic hits, from “Walk The Line” to “Ring of Fire” to “A Boy Named Sue.” The story itself follows Cash’s turbulent journey journey from his famed Folsom Prison concert to the historic Grand Ole Opry stage, with glimpses into the love story that inspired the pair’s music.
Curtain is 8 p.m. from October 23 to 25, with an optional pre-show dinner available, and 2 p.m. performances on October 23 and 25. Tickets are $50 for the show only, or $100 for dinner and the show, available at www.globustheatre.com.
Encore
- Friday night (October 10) will see the H.O.P.E. Learning Centre host the Art of Recovery Talent Showcase in Peterborough at Murray Street Baptist Church from 5 to 8 p.m. The event serves to highlight the artistic expression and talent of individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges. A similar event will be held the following Friday night in Lindsay at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, also from 5 to 8 p.m. The free events will feature music and spoken word performances as well as visual art displays. As the Canadian Mental Health Association puts it, “Each performance is a powerful reminder that people are more than a diagnosis. They are artists, storytellers and creators.” That’s a poignant reminder at any time of the year. Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, public support of the participants will go a long way to reinforcing that message.
- It doesn’t keep me awake at night, but I have wondered from time to time just how Peterborough musician Rick Fines is doing. The beloved singer-songwriter moved to Germany a while back with his family, promising at the time the move was temporary. I sure hope, along with others, that’s still the case. In the meantime, it’s just been announced that Fines will return to the city early next year to perform a Market Hall concert called, appropriately enough, “A Quick Stop Home.” More on that in due course, but tickets are now on sale at www.markethall.org. Just a heads up but it’s pretty much a certainty they’ll sell out quickly.
