When David Goyette accepted the formidable challenge of chairing the 2019 United Way Campaign for Peterborough and District, the wheels in his head started turning immediately.

Prominent on Goyette’s lengthy list of things-to-do was the forging of community partnerships for the express purpose of creating new campaign-related fundraising events.

That led to a chat early on with Pat Hooper, chair of the board of directors for the Showplace Performance Centre.

“I asked her straight out ‘Pat, can I get Showplace for free?'” recalls Goyette.

“She said ‘Yes … what do you need?’ I knew at that point that this event was going to happen.”

“This event” is Peterborough Performs: Musicians Against Homelessness, a 16-act local music feast for the ears to be staged Thursday, March 5, 2020, 7 to 11 p.m., at the downtown performance venue.

With all proceeds going exclusively toward homelessness and shelter-related initiatives undertaken by United Way-supported agencies, tickets cost $50 and are available in person at the box office, by phone at 705-742-7469, and online at www.showplace.org.

With a home for the event secured, Goyette wasn’t done, asking longtime local journalist and editor Paul Rellinger to organize and produce the concert. With close ties to the music community through his work, he accepted and immediately went to work.

“I had about 40 acts on my list to approach and the first 16 I contacted immediately signed on,” marvels Rellinger. “That pretty much tells you all need to know about local musicians and their unselfish willingness to step up when there’s a need.”

“We’ve seen that time and time again but it never gets old,” he adds. “It’s really a microcosm of what we see in Peterborough from all its sectors. If there’s a more giving community in Canada … well, I’d be surprised if there is.”

In the 640-seat Erica Cherney Theatre, with 2018 Campaign Chair Megan Murphy and 90.5 FM’s Jordan Mercier co-emceeing, the lineup will feature The Weber Brothers Band, Melissa Payne and Kate Suhr, Danny Bronson, The Three Martinis, The Austin Carson Band, and the Peterborough All-Star Band — fronted by Rick and Gailie Young and featuring a number of longtime Peterborough musicians that have entertained locally for decades.

Meanwhile, the lower-level Nexicom Studio will be home to acoustic performances by Hillary Dumoulin, James Higgins, Elyse Saunders, Tami J. Wilde, Jacques Graveline, Phil Stephenson, Nick Ferrio, and Victoria Pearce joined by Mike Graham while, in the street-level lobby, Jake Dudas will serenade guests as they arrive.

In addition, a silent auction will be held, featuring a number of unique items of both the gift and experiential variety.

“You would think I’d know it by now, but I really wondered if would be able to get enough commitments to carry the four-hour concert,” says Rellinger, who is also a member of the United Way Campaign Cabinet.

“I know, given another four hours of stage time, I would have heard ‘Yes’ from most, if not all, on my list. Local musicians’ willingness to give so freely of their time and immense talent has been seen and heard at previous benefits for Bobby Watson, Buzz Thompson, and Rick Young, but it remains something we must never take for granted. I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am to those who have stepped up.”

Goyette concurs, terming the Peterborough music community “a mirror of the larger community,” adding Peterborough Performs for the United Way promises “really good value for the dollar.”

“A traditional ticket for a show is anywhere between $30 and $50 and some are well over that. For this $50, you get to see the best and the brightest over a period of four hours. We’ve had some big concerts in the past. This is going to be one of the biggest concerts in the history of this city.”

Goyette adds the event speaks directly to “the essence of what the United Way is all about.”

“At this time every year, people come together, lock arms, rise up and say ‘Let us do what we can to help other people who are less fortunate.’ To have so many people at Showplace to share in that common goal and send the message that we’re here for one another .. well, that’s really about what living in this community is all about for me.”

kawarthaNOW.com is the exclusive digital media sponsor of Peterborough Performs for the United Way. Watch for updates as the event draws nearer.

On Saturday, December 7th, the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) cues the holiday season with “Christmas Fantasia”, a family-friendly concert at Showplace Performance Centre in downtown Peterborough.

Festive favourites in the Pops-style program include music from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, the suite from the motion picture Elf, and a cappella selections by the celebrated Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC). As always, the much loved traditional audience carol sing-along closes the concert.

“Having members of the Toronto Children’s Chorus to sing with will be extra special this year,” says PSO Music Director and Conductor Michael Newnham.

The TCC and baritone Bradley Christensen both join the PSO, for the first time, on stage for English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ beloved ode to the holiday season, Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

“Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols is a very special piece,” says Maestro Newnham.

“It starts quietly with a solo cello, later adding the baritone, then the choir, and gradually the entire orchestra. It creates a wave of sound, with textures that seem to weave in and out of it.”

Composed in 1912, the single-movement work of roughly 12 minutes consists of the English folk carols “The Truth Sent From Above” (also known as “The Herefordshire Carol”), “Come All You Worthy Gentlemen” (“The Somerset Carol”), and “On Christmas Night All Christians Sing” (“The Sussex Carol”), all collected in southern England by Vaughan Williams and his friend Cecil Sharp.

This piece was suggested to the PSO by TCC Artistic Director, Elise Bradley. This season marks Elise’s eleventh year as Artistic Director of the TCC where she has garnered praise for her artistry and for her deep commitment to children and the art of treble choral music.

Maestro Newnham praises the TCC, recognized as one of the finest treble choirs in the world, as “undoubtedly the flagship children’s chorus of all of Canada, and it is a great honour to have them here to join us on stage for this concert.”

VIDEO: “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” performed by London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with bass-baritone Stephen Roberts

The 68-voice choir will sing a set of a cappella seasonal favourites including “The First Nowell” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. Along with these selections, and Fantasia on Christmas Carols, they will also be joining the PSO in “Waltz of the Snowflakes” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Artistically, there is an incredible amount of preparation and work that goes into a concert such as this. The choristers spend four hours every week in rehearsals, and many additional hours at home memorizing all their repertoire for each performance.

“The children work very hard as a team to give the best possible performance to their audience,” says Carol Stairs, Manager of Artistic Administration for the TCC.

Logistically, with a small army of children, there are legions of people involved in making sure that their concert appearance happens successfully: artistic staff, including conductor, accompanist, and conductor’s assistants; administrative staff who prepare for concerts, including rehearsal schedules and stage management; and parent volunteers, who assist the children at weekly rehearsals and at concerts, and on whom the TCC staff “depend greatly.”

The PSO is also thrilled to welcome New Zealand native and lyric baritone Bradley Christensen, who performs on both concert and operatic stages and has been garnering an excellent reputation across Canada and abroad.

“I recently had the pleasure of working with Bradley Christensen when he sang in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.” says Maestro Newnham.

“Peterborough audiences will be delighted to hear Brad’s ringing baritone in this program. I am personally looking forward to seeing him here since he was an absolute delight to work with.”

Bradley says there are a few things that he loves about this Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

“Firstly, the text. That is the most important thing of anything. In this, the message is of love, specifically God’s love. No matter who we are, we are all welcome by God to have a place in paradise.”

“If you’re religious or not, the message of being kind to your fellow human beings is strong. The song finishes with ‘and we wish you a happy new year.’ It’s a feel-good piece.”

Another reason he loves the piece is that he is “a sucker for rhythmical changes, like quintuplets, or just a good tune. This has both!”

VIDEO: “Waltz Of The Snowflakes” performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra

The work is challenging, however, with the hardest thing for Bradley being “where the song lies in the voice.”

Bradley is a lyric baritone, meaning that his voice lies between the tenor and the bass, higher than a bass-baritone, but lower than the very high baryton-martin. While a high baritone is what is needed with a set like this, he says that “the singer is constantly negotiating the passaggio.”

“This means I am road-mapping the entire piece to decide how much head voice or chest voice I use. But got to love a challenge!”

VIDEO: “Elf Suite” by the Golden State Pops Orchestra, composed and guest conducted by John Debney

“This evening will certainly have something for everybody,” says Maestro Newnham. “It will have you toe-tapping and singing along in the spirit of the season.”

Christmas Fantasia audience members are reminded that Michael Newnham does not present a “Meet the Maestro” pre-concert chat ahead of the PSO Christmas concert. “Meet the Maestro” will return in 2020 at February 8th’s Winter Passion concert.

Concert tickets for Christmas Fantasia are $35 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets are available in person at the Showplace box office (290 George St. N, Peterborough), by phone at 705-742-7469, or online at showplace.org.

Christmas Fantasia is sponsored by Elizabeth and Milan Ichniovsky, The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Marie Cluthé Antiques & Collectibles, and Nancy and Jamie Westaway,

Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, November 21 to Wednesday, November 27.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

On Sunday, November 24th, come to Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough for a slice of intrigue and stay for a scoop of thrills when Wyatt Lamoureux and Jamie Oxenham debut their new film Apple Pie, Ice Cream.

Filmed at the iconic East City Coffee Shop in Peterborough, Apple Pie, Ice Cream stars local actors Marsala Lukianchuk, Terry Convey, and Michael Valliant-Saunders in a psychological thriller that pays homage to the film noirs of the 1940s, but with a hint of local flare.

Based on Wyatt’s original stage play of the same name, Apple Pie, Ice Cream first found life as the basis for a Trent Radio drama in 2014, and made its stage debut at The Theatre on King in 2015.

In Apple Pie, Ice Cream, audiences are transported to an all-night diner at 3 a.m. where a tense reunion between two estranged brothers, Mike (Michael) and Donald (Terry), takes place over an order of apple pie and ice cream. When Kat (Marsi), a wise-cracking waitress, decides to get involved, she finds out she has bitten off more than she can chew.

The film is the first creative collaboration between Wyatt and Jamie, who met through the Kawartha Lakes Film Industry (KFLI) — a growing collective of local filmmakers who have created connections through social networking and frequent meet ups.

“I met Jamie through the KLFI and he said he was looking for something to shoot,” Wyatt says. “I said I have this short script and Jamie said he’d take a chance. He took a look at it and said it was way too long.”

“When he first gave it to me and I read the script, I felt that it was too long to hold somebody’s interest as a film,” Jamie recalls.

Thus, the first challenge was to shorten the hour-long stage show into a film script that would run just under 30 minutes. Fortunately, since film translates differently than stage, Wyatt was able to make a successful adaptation.

“The stage versions are always word heavy because you can’t direct the audience’s eye, unless it’s by people moving on stage and using dialogue,” Wyatt explains. “The tension, for example, had to be brought on in the stage version. But the tension between Donald and Mike could be shown on camera through action without them talking so much. The film version sets it up and lets the visuals carry some of the details.”

“In the stage version, I also found that often you’d have to repeat things that are important so the audience would remember,” Wyatt says.”The idea of a waitress being so into this pop psychology that it affects the way she related to people had to be repeated. But in the film version, we could use visuals — like the use of a book or cards — and music to underscore some of the elements of the film.”

“At 23 minutes I feel the piece flows better,” says Jamie. “Although I filmed it and cut it, I am still surprised that at the end of the day I can watch three people sitting around a table and not get bored.”

Wyatt first penned Apple Pie, Ice Cream, a homage to film noirs with a few twists along the way, as a 24-hour play-writing challenge in 2012.

“I always go into those challenges with whatever my mood is,” Wyatt says. “I was feeling a little more serious, and I was digging blues music. I put on a whole lot of blues music, because I felt like I wanted to write monologue stuff — I normally don’t do that.”

“I thought about what sort of situation I wanted. I decided to start with the waitress. Instead of starting with the detective, who is visited by the femme fatale, let’s start with the femme fatale and make it from her point of view. Let’s flip the noir thing on its head. Then I had Donald in the restaurant at three in the morning, and I had to figure out why he was there, and what his story was.”

“The characters are interesting,” Jamie adds. “It’s very character driven. You’re wondering what their deal is the entire time you are watching. It’s not just one character that you’re wondering about — it’s all three. Why does the brother hate the other brother? Why does it get serious when the one brother comes in late? Why is this waitress so nosy? The characters are interesting, which makes it translate to film so well.”

In the original stage production, local theatre favourites Meg O’Sullivan, Matt Gilbert, and Andrew Little brought the characters of Kat, Mike, and Donald to life. For the film, Wyatt and Jamie brought together another group of local favourites to recreate and reinterpret the characters for the screen, creating a different type of dynamic.

“Marsi just kills it, and she can act her way out of a paper bag no matter where she is,” says Wyatt of his leading lady. “I worked with Michael before in Freud’s Last Session at the Peterborough Theatre Guild and I knew he had done some screen work. Terry has also done some screen work, and he is very relaxed.”

“I knew everyone could be relaxed in the process. That’s very important that people are relaxed. The stage play actors had what it took to punch the dialogue to the audience, but the screen version is much more subtle and intimate for the cameras.”

“The actor’s performances were so great,” Jamie says. “They were so good that sometimes I’d forget I was framing the shot and I would be watching the monitor and have to remind myself that I was supposed to be filming it.”

One of the most interesting elements of the film is the use of The East City Coffee Shop which, lovingly filmed in shadows, becomes a character all in its own. Jamie and Wyatt and their crew were given access to the local landmark by owner Albin Sina for a series of night shoots.

“James McKenty had filmed a video at the diner, and once I heard that I thought it was worth a shot,” Wyatt recalls. “I walked in and asked Albin if I could use it and he said sure. He gave me a key and told me to tell him when we were packing in.”

“Albin was very chill,” adds Jamie.

A dark psychological thriller about the difficult nature of family, Apple Pie, Ice Cream has a classic noir feel, but with a touch of modern sensibilities. Filled with interesting characters, snappy dialogue, and touches of humour, Apple Pie, Ice Cream is another entry into the growing stable of films being created by filmmakers throughout the Kawarthas.

Prior to the premiere of Apple Pie, Ice Cream at the Market Hall on Sunday, Jamie and Wyatt will also welcome local filmmaker and colleague Keith Smith to present three of his shorts: Crazy in Love, Save Me, and The Photo.

Peterborough has a very vibrant and active filmmaking sub-culture which, in 2019, has become much more visible. In 2020, members of the KFLI have big plans to put their craft on centre stage of our community. Join Wyatt, Jamie, and the other members of the KLFI family at the screening of Apple Pie, Ice Cream to see the work they are doing.

Admission is free to this event. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the films start at 7 p.m. Apple pie and ice cream will be served.