Evita - Oh What a Circus
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Photographer
Elaine Schuller |
Friday, March 27, 2009
EVITA Sells Out Closing night
Evita played to a sell out crowd on Saturday night. Total for the three nights was 2,930 which was 92.7% of the tickets available.
For a hint of what you missed, please check out our Evita production pictures the the gallery!
- Gerry
Monday, March 09, 2009
ACT (what’s in a name)
Why do I care?
• Co-founder
• President for initial five years
• Compiler of original Constitution and By-laws
• Member of Board of Directors for initial ten years
My first thoughts about an organized community theatre group here on PEI were in 1993 during rehearsals for Theatre PEI’s production of Blue Castle. Someone commented on how wonderful it was to be doing something with like minded people and the observation was strongly endorsed. Can you imagine… not having to pretend an interest in or knowledge of hockey / football / curling, in order to have a conversation? Just kidding. But it really was wonderful! I asked why there wasn’t an organized community theatre group in Charlottetown. No one answered.
Administration • Constitution • Mandate • ACT News • (4) Comments • Permalink
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Viva Eva!
Some good seats are still available, but the‘Orchestra A’ section of the Confederation Centre has almost entirely been sold for the three performances of EVITA. It plays the Main Stage on March 26, 27 and 28.
This is the blockbuster musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice which most of us know from the Madonna movie and its signature hit “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”. It’s the story of Eva Peron.
She pulled her way up through soap-opera and ‘B’ movies to political, social and spiritual power. She burned out at 33. Despite popular adoration, a military junta banned her name, and her preserved body disappeared for a decade and a half. The elite dismissed her as a cheap opportunist ... the masses revered her as a saint.
This is a come-to-life legend – pulsing with music and passionate dance, vibrant costume and the exotic setting of Buenos Aires. Astonishing woman ... magnificent show.
Tickets: $22 and $20 at the Confederation Centre Box Office 566-1267 1-800-565-0278 http://www.peipresents.com
SUMMERTIME ACTING OPPORTUNITY
Avonlea - Village of Anne of Green Gables
AUDITIONS
This summer be a part of PEI’s most famous story!
• Anne • Matthew Cuthbert
• Gilbert • Miss Stacy
Qualifications:
• Must be high energy
• Must enjoy children
• Must enjoy working outside
• Must be a team player
Full training provided
To book an audition/interview
email sheela @ avonlea.ca or call 902-963-3050
http://www.avonlea.ca
Friday, February 27, 2009
Can ACT come out to play?
Hello Gerry -
It was wonderful to see you kilted and graceful at the Private Lives Ball. Have you checked out what Laurella Parsnips had to say about you on our blog? ( http://www.themontgomerytheatre.blogspot.com ) Some nice pics of you and Brenda there as well…
I am hoping that perhaps you will share this attachment with the members of ACT. It is a great deal for groups of 10 or more who book and pay for theatre tickets before March 1st, when Montgomery Theatre starts selling its tickets through Bookings Online PEI.
I am looking forward to seeing Evita next month.
Cheers, Gerry!
Laurel
Classic ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ Drama
Coming this April is Sheep-for-Wheat’s staging of the Eugene Ionesco classic, The Lesson. Starring accomplished local talents Chris Doiron, Meaghan Blanchard and Kelsey Moore, The Lesson is an absurdist one-act written in 1951.
The critically acclaimed play was one of the French playwright’s (Ionesco) most distinguished works as well as one of the most notable in the history of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ genre. It revolves around a strange study session between a naive young student (Blanchard) and a delirious, yet powerful professor (Doiron).
The Lesson will be staged at the Guild April 2, 3 & 4 at 8pm. Direction is by Rob Reddin, stage management by Ashley Clark and music by Keith Baglole. Co-producers Fraser McCallum and Chera-Lee Hickox round out the company.
Sheep-for-Wheat Productions is an independent theatre company out of Charlottetown. Small but mighty, this is their second production after great success with a Guild staging of the Harold Pinter drama, The Dumb Waiter.
Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance at the box office or at showtime. Come one, come all!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Invitation to view Bunty’s Picasa Web Album
You are invited to view Bunty’s photo album: Please click on the following link… Evita Rehearsal December 13th, 2008
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Building Buenos Aires
Stage set for ACT’s production of “EVITA” under construction
Designer Garnett Gallant gets a hand from Michelle Doucette of Home Hardware and Building Centre and Home Furniture Stratford
Buenos Aires is taking shape on Prince Edward Island as ACT, Island community theatre group, builds the stage-set for “EVITA”. The musical comes to the Mainstage of the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown on March 26, 27, 28.
Evita is the Broadway and London blockbuster by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who produced a string of hits including “JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR”, “PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”, and “CATS”. It’s the story of Eva Peron—the woman who rose from poverty through love affairs, radio soap-operas and “B” movies to political and spiritual power in Argentina. Most people know the show’s chart-topping single “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” but the show’s drama pulses with much more music and dance—emotional solos, stirring orchestral and choral pieces, vibrant bass and Latin guitar.
Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture Stratford has given a boost to the set for the PEI production of “EVITA” by furnishing materials worth over a thousand dollars from its stock of hardware, building supplies, furniture and home decor. ACT has been purchasing items for its theatre sets from the Stratford firm for most of its thirty productions over more than a decade.
Design for the “EVITA” set is the work of Garney Gallant. It creates the streets of Buenos Aires, the stately facade of Argentina’s government house, a majestic funeral chapel, even a revolving door which changes its features as a succession of Eva Peron’s boyfriends passes through. Moveable set-pieces will transform the stage continually as cast members roll them to fresh positions.
Construction is taking place in two locations: not just at ACT’s warehouse, but also at Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside, where construction leader (and teacher) Scott Harvey has engaged a team of students in the experience of building a theatrical set.
ACT’s production of “EVITA” will have almost 50 talented Islanders on stage, and a 15-piece orchestra in the pit. The director is Mark Ramsay, with music direction by Shirley Anne Cameron, choreography by Julia Sauvé, and costuming by Pam Jewell.
ACT News • Productions • Evita • (0) Comments • Permalink
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Auditions for Christmas Remembered
Beaconsfield Historic Properties, in association with ACT (a community theatre) will reprise its Christmas Remembered production on December 20-21. The show is a collage of “round the fireside” stories, poetry and Christmas songs, which originally played in December 2005.
Auditions will be held on Monday, November 10, 7-9 pm. Two adult females and one child are required to complete the cast. Those auditioning will be asked to present a short, prepared reading and a song.
To book an audition or for further information, contact Brenda Porter (tel: 569-5633, or by e-mail: by clicking on Brenda Porter link found below.
Productions • Christmas Remembered • Auditions • (0) Comments • Permalink
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Reading Club - October 2nd
The October play-reading is “An Enexpected Guest” by Agatha Christie. It’s on Thursday evening, 2 October at 7:00 o’clock – in the Studio Theatre of the Confederation Centre. A special treat this time: Librarian and story teller Barb Kissick will give a brief talk about the author before the reading.
These play readings are fun, because there’s no preparation – we just go round the circle, taking turns at reading the assorted parts. And it’s a nice no-pressure social time. Cheap, too: free for ACT members; non-members chip in a $toonie to defray copying costs. If you want to give it a try, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or by email by clicking the ‘monique’ link below.
Monday, September 01, 2008
ACT membership renewal 2008 / 2009
Membership year will be from September 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009.
Highlights of some of the benefits of becoming a member of ACT are:
-receive advanced notification regarding workshops, mentoring possibilities, auditions and productions
-participate in any aspect of any performance (on-stage and off-stage)
-purchase tickets in advance for any ACT production at a discounted price
Annual membership fee for:
single adult member $25.00
same household $40.00
student/unwaged $15.00
Cheques ( payable to ACT) can either be mailed to:
A community theatre (ACT)
11 Beach Street Charlottetown PEI C1A 5G5
or passed along to any executive member.
Cox and Box at Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield Fundraiser
“COX AND BOX” - a Boarding-House Musical
It’s the perfect scam. Landlady Bouncer is getting double rent for the same seedy room. Mr. Cox works by day, Mr. Box by night. Until today, they’ve never met. Nor do they know they are both engaged to the same woman—and both unwillingly.
Come into Beaconsfield’s boarding house as the Rataplan Players of Nova Scotia - Duncan Miller, Tony Marshall, and Jacqui Good, accompanied by Leon Cole on piano - sing and squabble through this delightful, 50-minute Victorian gem by Sir Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan) and F.C. Burnand, future editor of Punch. The piece is a musical adaptation of a popular farce of the day, Box and Cox.
Have you ever heard a lullaby sung to a rasher of bacon? It’s here. And watch for the PEI celebrity mystery guest, who plays the non-love interest of Cox and Box.
For the second half you can join the audience chorus for selections from Gilbert and Sullivan’s “HMS PINAFORE”, led by Carl Mathis and accompanied by Leon Cole, who in another life was host of the well-loved CBC Radio program, RSVP. Solos are optional. Or you can just listen and cheer on the fun.
At the end of the evening, reward your vocal chords with fine Victorian refreshments from Lady Baker’s Tea Trolley.
The event is a fundraiser in aid of Beaconsfield’s Garden Project and takes place one night only, Friday, September 19 at 7:30pm in Beaconsfield’s Carriage House - corner of West and Kent Streets in Charlottetown. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended.
Tickets are $30 (with a tax receipt portion to be issued) and reservations can be made by calling Beaconsfield Historic House at 368-6603.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Walk and Chew Gum?
Singing and Acting Workshop
There’s that old expression about how hard it is to do two things at once – ‘Why, I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time!’ That challenge happens on the stage: when drama and tunes come together in a musical, it means having to use both singing and acting talents in a rather special way.
ACT a community theatre is mounting a workshop for developing that blend of skills. It’s on Saturday morning 20 September, 9:00 till noon, at LM Montgomery school.
The leaders are Leon Cole and Jacqui Good, the dynamos of the Nova Scotia Gilbert and Sullivan society, who will be in town for a special benefit show ( “Cox and Box”) at Beaconsfield. ACT has taken the opportunity to have them – along with co-performers Tony Marshall and Duncan Miller – share their skills and their combined more-than-a-century of quality musical-theatre experience with the PEI stage community.
This is for directors and participants in any kind of musical theatre – school musicals, church pageants and cantatas, community drama and choir groups. It’s appealing to the dozens of people who have just joined the cast of ACT’s coming production of “EVITA”, of course, but this workshop is really for anyone in all kinds of theatrical music presentation. It will hone such practical skills as singing while moving, following the conductor while acting to the audience, keeping in time and tune with a group despite physical distance, clear diction, facial and body expressions to convey the meaning of lyrics, positioning on the stage for best singing effect. It’s an inexpensive lesson – just a $10 fee (no charge for ACT members).
For information and to ‘register’ to take part: robthomson @ pei.sympatico.ca or 628-6778
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
“Evita” Preview Evening
ACT (a community theatre) will stage the Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster “EVITA” at the Confederation Centre in March 2009. Auditions will be held in the first week of September. To give potential participants a taste of the show, ACT offers a Preview Evening. It’s Wednesday, August 20th, 7 - 9:30, at the St. Peter’s parish hall (corner of Rochford & Fitzroy in Charlottetown). There’ll be excerpts from the recording and the Madonna movie, a video about Eva Peron’s life, information about the show and auditions and a singing-and-acting workshop ... even a Tango demonstration!
Information: robthomson @ pei.sympatico.ca or 628-6778
ACT News • Productions • Evita • (3) Comments • Permalink
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Annual ACT Gathering
This is for friends / members of ACT (a community theatre) – current, past, would-be interest parties ...
Look ahead to the lovely summer Saturday afternoon/evening (4:00 till ?) on August 16th ...
• You’re playing croquet or lawn darts on the grounds of the magnificent country estate of Monique and Ben.
• You’re chatting with the amiable company as you sip a libation in preparation for a scrumptious potluck dinner.
• You learn the ACT-applications of Facebook communication.
• You hear about the Hallowe’en comedy “Jack the Ripper” and the blockbuster musical “Evita” ... indeed, you watch bits of the Madonna movie, tapping your toes to the pulsing Latin rhythms.
• You are enthralled by Ann Putnam’s staged reading of the intriguing mystery “Trifles”.
... Oh, and you spend 20 minutes fulfilling the requirement of an annual general meeting to recap the past year and confirm that the organization is solvent and pretty well managed – as well as electing the people who will manage it for the coming year.
We need to know how many people will be attending – to be sure we have a quorum and for providing dinnerware, etc. So could you please tell Monique of your plans to join us on August 16th – 651-3131 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)