Have you ever heard of the show The Drowsy Chaperone? I hadn’t, but thanks to the students at Lakefield College School, this could be one of my new favourite musicals!

Under the direction of Geoff and Rachel Bemrose, this talented young company recreates the zaniness of 1920s Broadway in one of the cleverest musicals I’ve ever seen. Filled with high energy music and dancing, colourful characters and genuine laughs, this show came out of nowhere, but it’s made such a huge impression on me that I can be bold enough to say it’s one of the top shows I’ve seen in the Kawarthas this year.

Even more astonishing is that this show is open to the public with free performances nightly from November 22nd to 25th.

Despite its success on both Broadway and the London West End, The Drowsy Chaperone has its roots in Toronto, with a unique history. When Toronto-based actors Robert Martin and Janet Van De Graff were to be wed, their friends Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison, Bob Martin and Dan McKellar created The Drowsy Chaperone as a wedding present. The show was intended to spoof their relationship and was first performed at a stag party in 1997. Realizing they had something special, the show was rewritten and submitted for the Toronto Fringe Festival.

A huge success, the show caught the eye of David Mirvish who booked The Drowsy Chaperone at The Theater Passe Muraille in 1999 before moving it to The Winter Garden Theater in 2001. There, the show was seen by visiting New York producers and eventually the show opened on Broadway in 2006 where it won five Tony Awards. Since then, productions of The Drowsy Chaperone have opened in London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Melbourne. And now in Lakefield!

The premise of The Drowsy Chaperone is complex one, with many different walls of reality being broken. The show begins in the home of a lonely and mild-mannered Broadway aficionado known only as The Man in the Chair (Braeson Agar). He engages in conversation with the audience about his love for old-time musicals and wants to share a recording of a forgotten 1928 musical called “The Drowsy Chaperone”.

Putting a vinyl record on his turntable, the man drops the needle and his living room becomes the stage for the show. While the audience is listening to the record, the performance of The Drowsy Chaperone unfolds before our eyes. However, at certain moments, the Man in the Chair pauses the record (as well as the performance) to give the audience historical background, gossip, and observations about the actors and the production that the audience is watching. Got it? If you don’t, it will make sense when you see it … and it’s very clever.

The Drowsy Chaperone tells the story of the wedding day of Robert Martin (Kristian Paschalis) to Broadway diva Janet Van De Craff (Madison Sheward), who plans on giving up her acting career for a man she barely knows. With the house brimming with reporters and maids getting ready for the wedding, Robert’s best man George (Liam Kaller) enlists the help of Janet’s alcoholic “Chaperone” (Josie Carr-Harris) to make sure that the groom doesn’t see the bride before the wedding.

Meanwhile, Janet’s producer Feldzieg (Richard Xia) is out to stop the wedding so that he doesn’t lose his leading star. With two gangsters disguised as pastry chefs (Matthew Lovick and Noah Storey) and Feldzieg’s dippy girlfriend Kitty (LJ Simmons) breathing down his neck, Feldzieg enlists the help of Latin lover Aldolpho (Noah Tompkins) to sabotage the wedding.

With all these zany characters together in a massive musical mashup, you get all the hijinks of comedy theatre in a clever spoof of Ziegfeld-era Broadway.

I don’t know if I can find the words to express just how talented the cast and company of The Drowsy Chaperone is. For starters, you have Geoff and Rachel Bemrose at the helm of this show and, when it comes to the Bemroses, you know you are going to get excellence time and time again. What they’ve done is assembled a group of kids who are true triple threats — they can act, they can dance, and they can sing.

I have no problem in saying that the dance numbers in The Drowsy Chaperone are the best I’ve seen on stage in 2016. The large-scale dance numbers featuring the entire company (“Fancy Dress” and “Toledo Surprise”) are professional quality. However, the most surprising dance performance of the show goes to Kristian Paschalis and Liam Kaller for their tap performance in “Cold Feets”.

Equally good are the musical performances, with each cast member delivering perfect performances without missing a note.

Musical highlights includes Madison Sheward’s decent into madness in “Bride’s Lament” (I loved the dancing monkeys), Noah Tompkin’s hilarious over-the-top performance of “I Am Adolpho” (think Ricardo Montalban meets Bela Lugosi, with maybe just a hint of Liberace) and, especially, Josie Carr-Harris’ performance of “As We Stumble Along”.

With the power of Edith Piaf and the flare of Shirley Bassey, Josie gives a hilariously stumbling performance as an old Broadway diva who has seen her day, as the Man in the Chair watches with admiration.

The entire number is charming.

I also want to give a special shout out to Ben Dunk and Kenzie McCallum as Mrs. Tottndale and Underling. Bringing slapstick vaudeville to the stage, the pair is a little out of place in the show, but that seems to be the point. But they are quite charming together, and Ben’s ability to keep a straight face as Kenzie spits water in his face is remarkable. Just watching these two come out on stage together was enough to get an uncontrollable giggle out of me.

But at the centre of this production is Braeson Agar as The Man in the Chair. Rarely leaving the stage, his juxtaposition of warmth and cynicism is wonderful and he manages to take himself in and out of the production, becoming the centre of attention and the quickly fading into the background again. His quips, observations, and gossip keep the show going, but he also often gives uncomfortable glimpses in his own lonely life. It’s a remarkable performance by a wonderful young actor.

VIDEO: Lakefield College School presents The Drowsy Chaperone

With 2016 quickly coming to a close, I feel safe saying that The Drowsy Chaperone could be the best musical I saw this year. The show is just that good and the cast is just that amazing. It’s difficult to give this show enough praise. I laughed until my ribs hurt, was drawn into the multiple levels of storytelling, and was seduced by the amazing 1920s-style costumes designed by Mary Parulski (I honestly wish people still dressed like that on a regular basis).

But most of all, I fell in love with this cast. Their energy, enthusiasm, and professionalism are inspirational. So much talent in one production is uncanny and needs to be seen to be believed. And, with free admission to the show, there’s no excuse not to see a show that I consider to be among the best of 2016.

The Drowsy Chaperone runs from November 22nd to 25th at Lakefield College School in the Bryan Jones Theare. Performance starts at 7:30 pm and admission is free (donations will be accepted at the door for Lakefield College School’s Movember team).

What do church services, circus arts workshops, rock climbing films, and a charity performance by a 158-year-old concert band have in common? They are all events taking place in November and December at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, located at 140 Charlotte Street in downtown Peterborough.

Actually, there’s something else all these events have in common. Each is hosted by a local organization — Peterborough City Church, Peterborough Academy For Circus Arts, Rock And Rope Climbing Centre, and the Peterborough Concert Band — reflecting the Market Hall’s role as a non-profit organization in offering a multi-functional space that supports and nurtures both the performing arts and the community.

Not only can you can show your support for Market Hall by attending the following events, but you can also become a member. Memberships, which start at $25 a year, offer privileges including advance notification and ticket sales for some events and special promotional offers. For more information on becoming a member, visit www.markethall.org

Sunday morning services with Peterborough City Church

When you think of the Market Hall, you probably imagine performing arts rather than religious services. But the latter is one of the more innovative uses of the venue this year, after the formation of Peterborough City Church in January 2016.

Pastors Chad Trivett and Sasha Trivett hold services every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at Market Hall as part of their non-denominational church.

Both Trivetts are ordained with the Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, a pentecostal Christian association. They met at Toronto’s Tyndale University College and Seminary and eventually married. Just after getting married, they moved to Tokyo in Japan, where they started an international, interdenominational church.

In 2007, after spending six years in Tokyo (where their son Ari was born), they moved back to Sasha’s hometown in Peterborough to be closer to family, and decided to form another interdenominational church. Peterborough City Church was born.

But the Trivetts needed a location to hold their weekly services, and realized the Market Hall would be an ideal space. There’s also a connection between the church and the performing arts: Chad is in a band that performs contemporary music at the church.

Peterborough City Church offers “inspirational messages and music in an educational and engaging atmosphere where each can worship, pray and learn at their own pace.” For a calendar of Sunday services at the Market Hall, including topics and special speakers, visit www.ptbocitychurch.com.

While there will be no service on Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25), you can join Peterborough City Church for its first annual Christmas service from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, December 23rd. The service will be followed by light refreshments and a cash bar, and child care is available.

Circus Fusion workshops and showcase performance with Peterborough Academy for Circus Arts

Circus skills have been taught for hundreds of years, but it was Canada’s Cirque de Soleil that really brought these amazing acrobatic feats to the public’s attention. If you’ve ever wanted to soar through the air or become a clown, you can learn about these skills and others by enrolling in workshops from the Peterborough Academy for Circus Arts in November and December at the Market Hall.

Led by artistic director Thomas Vaccaro, the Peterborough Academy for Circus Arts (PACA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2015 and dedicated to the teaching and practice of multidisciplinary circus arts. The circus arts aren’t just for professional performers though. Whether it’s aerials, acrobatics, balancing, or objectve manipulation, you can also do it just for fun.

And from Sunday, November 27th to Friday, December 2nd, PACA is offering a series of classes, workshops and performances at the Market Hall called “Circus Fusion” — topped off by the Finale Showcase performance on Friday, December 2nd.

The week of workshops and special events at the Market Hall is open to both performers and the public, with prices ranging from $10 to $20 for individual workshops to $80 for all workshops. There are workshops on aerials, hoops, theatre, clowning, break dancing, and much more. For more information about the available workshops and to purchase tickets, visit www.academyofcircus.org.

If you’re more interested in watching than participating, then you’ll definitely want to go to PACA’s presentation of the Circus Fusion: Finale Showcase at the Market Hall at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 2nd. The finale will feature stunning experimental circus performances and collaborations, and is suitable for the entire family.

Tickets for Circus Fusion: Finale Showcase are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and $5 for children 12 and under (there’s a $3 service fee for all tickets). You can purchase tickets for the Finale Showcase online at tickets.markethall.org or at Moondance Music (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425), cash only.

VIDEO: Aerial Showcase by The Peterborough Academy of Circus Arts at the Market Hall

Rock climbing films with the Rock and Rock Climbing Centre

If seeing rock climbers hang by their fingertips is more your style, then you’ll want to check out the REEL ROCK Film Tour at the Market Hall at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 3rd.

Hosted by the Rock and Rock Climbing Centre in Peterborough, the REEL ROCK Film Tour brings the best climbing and adventure films of the year to live audiences throughout the world. It’s the definitive annual event for climbing communities around the world.

This year, REEL ROCK 11 features five new electrifying climbing films showcasing the sport’s biggest stories and athletes.

In Young Guns, the new generation of climbers — 15-year-old Ashima Shiraishi and 16-year-old Kai Lightner — are already taking the sport to the next level. A trip to Norway puts their skills to the test, and Ashima attempts to make history on a V15 boulder in Japan.

In Boys in the Bugs, Will Stanhope and Matt Segal are elite-level crack climbers and world-class goofballs. Laugh along as they go for broke on an epic four-year battle to climb a forbidding 5.14 finger crack high in the Canadian alpine wilderness of the Bugaboos.

VIDEO: REEL ROCK 11 official trailer

In Brette, rising talent Brette Harrington goes on a global journey from her hometown granite in Squamish to the big wall proving ground of Yosemite’s El Capitan and onto a landmark free solo in Patagonia.

In Rad Dad, lone wolf Mike Libecki travels to the most remote corners of the globe to find unclimbed walls and establish first ascents. When Mike becomes a father, he has a new challenge: to reconcile his life of adventure with the demands of parenthood, but he may also gain a new partner for his expeditions.

Finally, in Dodo’s Delight, join Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Ben Ditto, and brothers Nico and Olivier Favresse abourt the good ship Dodo’s Delight as they take a rollicking musical journey across open seas and up unclimbed big walls.

Advance tickets for REEL ROCK 11 are $15 per person, available only at the Rock and Rope Climbing Centre (Unit 16, 280 Perry St., Peterborough, 705-745-2333).

For more information about the REEL ROCK Film Tour, visit www.reelrocktour.com. For more information about the Rock and Rope Climbing Centre, visit www.rockandrope.com.

A festive concert supporting Hospice Peterborough with the Peterborough Concert Band

What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than spending a Sunday afternoon listening to festive music, while knowing you’re helping to support a great community cause?

The Peterborough Concert Band — an award-winning ensemble of more than 40 musicians playing woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments — is staging “Seasonal Sounds for Hospice”, a two-hour concert at the Market Hall at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 11th in support of Hospice Peterborough.

Did you know the Peterborough Concert Band is the oldest performing band in Peterborough? It was originally formed in the 1850s as the Rifle Brigade Band and became one of the finest military civilian brass bands in Ontario. Very early in its history, the band won the Amateur Band Championship for the Dominion of Canada, and in 1904 played at the official opening of the Peterborough Lift Lock. The band continues to honour its legacy as part of Peterborough’s arts community by performing at community events, retirement residences, schools, churches, and parks in Peterborough and surrounding communities.

On the December 11th concert, the ensemble will be performing a variety of seasonal tunes along with some classic concert band pieces, including songs with solo vocals by Peterborough’s Danny Bronson. There will be a reception after the show with complimentary coffee, tea, and confections.

General admission tickets are available for $25 plus fees at the Market Hall box office, by calling 705-749-1146, or online at tickets.markethall.org. Cash-only tickets are also available at Moondance Music (425 George St., Peterborough, 705-742-9425).

Proceeds from this event will support Hospice Peterborough’s “Every Moment Matters” fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a homelike and safe refuge for individuals and their families during the journey through illness, death, and grief.

There are few stories as iconic as that of The Wizard of Oz. Written in 1900 by American writer L. Frank Baum, the story of Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale and her misfit companions reached universal audiences when MGM released its film version in 1939.

Since then, The Wizard of Oz has taken many forms on television, film, literature and stage. Filled with imagination and magic, The Wizard of Oz is easily the most famous and important fantasy story in American fiction.

This week, it’s St. James Players’ turn to put their spin on this familiar tale, as director Leigh Doughty takes her company down the yellow brick road in a show as familiar as the film it’s adapted from, but fresh enough so you can fall in love with the story all over again.

Little needs to be said about the plot of The Wizard of Oz. The show doesn’t deviate too far from the film we all know and love.

When Dorothy Gale (Hope Clarkin) runs away from home with her little dog Toto, she gets swept up in a tornado and is dropped in the Land of Oz where she goes on a quest to find the all-powerful Wizard (Keith Goranson) in hopes that he’ll send her home. Along the way she picks up three unlikely companions with their own ailments: the Scarecrow (Drew Mills) who needs a brain, the Tin Man (Robert Hedge) who needs a heart, and the Cowardly Lion (Keevin Carter) who needs courage. Together, they battle the Wicked Witch of the West (Rosemarie Barnes) and encounter many magical creatures such as Munchkins, the Flying Monkeys, aggressive trees, and the enchanting Glinda the Good Witch of the North (Christie Freeman).

All the songs that we know and love are there, including “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead”, “We’re Off to See the Wizard” and, of course, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

I admit I was slightly cynical going into this show. I know the movie inside and out, and I’ve seen different versions of this show on stage before, and I know I probably will again. However, once inside of Showplace Performance Centre, with a delighted audience all around me, I began to realize that perhaps not all of the audience has the same history with the story as I do.

Once a yearly television event, the last time that The Wizard of Oz aired on primetime television was in 1991. Since then, there’s an entire generation of kids who have never seen the film. Many youngsters in the audience were meeting these beloved characters for the first time and were captivated. That in itself makes this show a win.

But to those like me who know the story inside and out, it was like reuniting with old friends. I found myself anticipating favorite scenes and characters, anticipating how this production would spin the moments of The Wizard of Oz that I love. I was never disappointed.

Stepping into the ruby slippers in the role of Dorothy Gale is not an easy task, especially when competing against the collective memory of Judy Garland’s iconic performance. However, Hope Clarkin boldly takes the role without intimidation and makes the audience forget that anybody else ever had the role.

I first spotted Hope in her high school production of Aida in 2015 , where I mentioned her big voice and talent. I’ve seen her in a few shows since, but this is the role where Hope finally gets to flex her strong stage presence and powerful vocal talents and take centre stage as the star of the show.

One of a new crop of actors popping up on the Peterborough stage, I love that Hope is continuing on her path to becoming one of Peterborough’s favourite musical performers.

Hope finds a perfect trio of costars in Drew Mills, Robert Hedge, and Keevin Carter. Colourful, witty, and pitch perfect in their comic timing, each actor puts his own spin on these iconic characters. Drew Mills is whimsical and funny as the Scarecrow, while Robert Hedge is charming as the Tin Man. But Keevin Carter gets the big laughs of the night as the Cowardly Lion. Partially this is because he is the comic relief and gets all the best lines, but Keevin also plays it up to the audience who truly adores him. Together, they make a delightful trio to support Dorothy.

Now I’ll admit that my favorite character has always been the Wicked Witch of the West, and Rosemarie Barnes delivers. Under special makeup designed by Shelly Moody, Rosemarie lurches and cackles and gives a strong performance, but draws back just enough so that she isn’t just a Margaret Hamilton knock off. She really does bring an air of menace to the show and plays the perfect over-the-top villain. She also makes the perfect foil to the beautiful and angelic like Christie Freeman, who seems to glide onto the stage in the role of Glinda during key moments of the show. As the magical ying and yang of Oz, Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West maintain their positions as show favourites.

And of course there is The Wizard himself, played to perfection by Keith Goranson. Keith does grandiose just as well as he does shifty, and has double duty as the “great and powerful Oz” and “the man behind the curtain.” A wonderful character role for a fun character actor.

I also want to give a big special shout out to Daisy the dog, a real delight. One of the unique things about this show is St. James Players bravely recruited a real dog to play Toto. Allowing herself to be passed off amongst different cast members, and always obediently exiting stage right, Daisy is a well-behaved and well-trained dog who adds a touch of realism and mirth to the production.

But it takes an entire company to create the land of Oz, and an eclectic cast of colourful characters sing, dance, do quick changes, get in and out of makeup, and change roles as quickly as they can change costumes. The result is a high energy company who helps makes the magic of The Wizard of Oz come alive on the stage. It’s an impressive spectacle and I was always taken by each set of costumes that would mark the next step in the show’s progression. The costumes in this production, coordinated by Debbie Piper, are remarkable and creative and enhance the show’s visual impact.

Perhaps most unexpected is that The Wizard of Oz is one of the more inventive technical shows of the year, thanks to the backscreen projection by Nate Axcell. The show has barely any set to speak of except for the occasion prop piece. Instead, the entire land of Oz is projected on a screen behind the actors in a way that’s so effective you hardly realize there’s no physical set at all.

From the haunted forest to the field of poppies to the wind storm that blows Dorothy away, this effect works extremely well — in fact, better than any set could provide. Combined with creative lighting design by John Robinson and Rael Corkery (most notably during the Wicked Witch’s entrances), the technical aspects of this show are incredible.

While not cutting-edge musical theatre, The Wizard of Oz could be one of the most important shows St. James Players has put on in a long time. In the past few years, the theatre company has attempted to reinvent itself by straying away from the family-oriented productions for which they’re best known. In retrospect, Les Misérables may have been too grandiose to appeal to all audiences, and The Producers was strictly adult-only fare.

But The Wizard of Oz takes St. James Players back to the basics with a well-produced piece of theatre suitable for all ages. Audience members surrounding me ranged from the age of five to 85. As I was walking out of the theatre, I listened to a seven-year-old girl reiterate the plot points of the show she just saw to her father, while an elderly man smiled at his wife and said “That was a really enjoyable show.”

In my opinion, that’s the experience a St. James Players show is supposed to bring to the community, and it’s the main reason this show works so well. If St. James Players continues to focus on family-oriented theatre, I believe they can continue to hit it big again and again.

With a relatively short run time, the St. James Players production of The Wizard of Oz is a show worth seeing. It’s a charming and magical production from a company of talented people. Leigh Doherty and her crew have put together something very special.

The Wizard of Oz runs until November 20th with performances at 7:30 p.m. on November 18th and 19th, and performances at 2 p.m. on November 19th and 20th. Tickets are $27 for adults, $24 for seniors, and $17 for students and can be purchased at the Showplace box office or online at www.showplace.org.

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 17 to Wednesday, November 23.

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.

As difficult as it is to wrap one’s head around Canada Day in mid November, with a little push it is possible.

This morning (November 17) at Peterborough City Hall, members of the Canada 150th Anniversary Celebrations Committee did their level best to excite the masses, revealing that iconic Canadian rock artist Kim Mitchell will open Peterborough Musicfest’s 31st season on July 1, 2017.

The 64-year-old Sarnia native will take to the Fred Anderson Stage in Del Crary Park as part of an ambitious four-day celebration, June 29th to July 2nd, themed “Celebrate At Home”. The concert will herald the opening of the 17-concert Musicfest season, with the entire concert schedule to be revealed next spring.

Anchoring the Celebrate At Home initiative is a $100,000 grant from the City of Peterborough, a portion of which made it possible to secure Mitchell for the Canada Day concert — his fourth Musicfest appearance. In 2012, his August 4th appearance was cut short by bad weather, but he returned on August 21st to play a full show before thousands of classic rock fans.

In bringing Mitchell back to Peterborough, Musicfest general manager Tracey Randall has secured a musical artist widely revered for wearing his Canadian pride on his sleeve and thus a perfect fit with the Celebrate At Home theme.

In addition, with Mitchell’s extensive hit song catalogue, she’s guaranteed a huge crowd for the concert series’ opening salvo — assuming Mother Nature plays nicer this time around.

Mitchell began his professional musical career in the mid 1970s fronting Max Webster, which released six studio albums from 1976 to 1981, recording hit singles such as “A Million Vacations” and “Paradise Skies”, and toured extensively.

VIDEO: “Go For Soda” – Kim Mitchell

However, his subsequent career as a solo artist brought him his greatest success in the form of three Juno Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year in 1990, and a string of hit singles such as “Go For Soda”, “All We Are”, “Patio Lanterns”, “Easy To Tame”, “Rock And Roll Duty”, “Rockland Wonderland”, and “America”.

He also claimed Juno Awards for Most Promising Male Vocalist in 1983 and, four years later, for Album of the Year for Shakin’ Like A Human Being, his second solo album.

In total, Mitchell has sold more than 1.5 million albums. Most all of his recordings, with Max Webster and as a solo act, have attained gold or multi-platinum status. All along the way, Mitchell has toured extensively — a regimen that was put on hold this past January when he suffered a heart attack and had a stent put in.

VIDEO: “Patio Lanterns” – Kim Mitchell

“It made me realize that I have nothing to prove any more,” related Mitchell in a May 2016 interview with Jim Barber of MusicLifeMagazine.net.

“I play guitar and I am going to go up there on stage and enjoy myself and appreciate the fact that I get to go up on stage and play in front of people who like what I do. I don’t stress out about all the stuff around being a touring musician any more. I am where I am in my life and my career, so I am just going up there and relax and do my thing.”

“I am all about customer service. People are coming out to hear certain songs and hear me playing them. But they have been morphing and going through some changes. So Go For A Soda sounds a little different the way we play it on a given night. And we will start to jam out on some of the songs and be a little freer with the arrangements. I like to give people what they want.”

VIDEO: “Lager & Ale” – Kim Mitchell

And giving people what they want is what Mitchell will do on Canada Day next year. That, he says, remains his proudest accomplishment in a music career that has featured many benchmarks.

“Being able to take people to a special place through our performance and music. When that happens, I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.”

For more information on Peterborough’s Canada 150th Celebrations, visit the committee’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PTBO150 and follow along on Twitter at @Ptbo150.

For more information on Peterborough Musicfest’s 31st season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca, or follow Peterborough Musicfest on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ptbomusicfest and on Twitter at @PtboMusicfest.