april 2015 odeum magazine
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
Canadian danCe Company
The magazine of The Rose TheaTRe BRampTon
apr
il 2
015
THEATRECOMEDY
DANCEMUSIC
eXpeRienCe iT LiVe!
Best of the fest!
fLying high wiTh
Just for Laughs
CIrQuE MEChaNICs
the Rose Theatre App!
Check out events at a glance.
Find local restaurants for a pre-show bite to eat.
Watch videos for upcoming shows.
Share your comments and connect with fellow patrons on the fan wall.
Just search Rose Theatre
Brampton in your App
Store or scan the QR code.
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contents apRiL
10 CENtrE stagE
Brampton's young talents are ready for their spotlight
12 rICk MErCEr
a nation worth ranting about
14 thE Just for Laughs roadshow
featuring debra digiovanni, alonzo Bodden, mark forward
and gina yashere
16 thE BLuEs haLL of faME tour
featuring Charlie musselwhite, James Cotton and John hammond
18 LEs BaLLEts Jazz dE MoNtrEaL
with works by choreographers Benjamin millepied, andonis foniadakis
and Barak marshall
20 CIrQuE MEChaNICs: PEdaL PuNk
The american circus – reinvented
5 sErVICEs & PoLICIEs
8 sCENE @ thE rosE
24 IN thE gaLLErY
26 sPoNsor & doNor rECogNItIoN
FEATURES
EvERY MONTH
With gratitude for the purchase of specialized equipment
2015
1012
20
18
16
4 odeum april 2015
Telephone Brampton City Hall at:
3-1-1 • TTY 905.874.2130
The Mayor and members of City Council invite your comments.
Wards 1 and 5
Regional Councillor Grant Gibson
Wards 3 and 4
Regional Councillor Martin Medeiros
Wards 2 and 6
Regional Councillor Michael Palleschi
Wards 9 and 10
Regional Councillor John Sprovieri
Wards 1 and 5
Regional Councillor Elaine Moore
Wards 7 and 8
Regional Councillor Gael Miles
regional CounCillors
CiTY CounCillorsWards 2 and 6
City Councillor Doug Whillans
Wards 9 and 10
City Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon
Wards 3 and 4
City Councillor Jeff Bowman
Wards 7 and 8
City Councillor Pat Fortini
City CouncilBrampTon
maYor linda JeffreY
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sErVICEs PoLICIEs
our sErVICE CoMMItMENt If there is anything we can do to make your experience
more enjoyable, please do not hesitate to ask one of our volunteer ushers or staff
members for assistance.
Bar sErVICEMost events at The Rose will include bar service.
When this is the case, the bar will be open one hour before showtime and during intermission.
PrEordEr sErVICE Avoid long lineups at the bar by taking
advantage of our preorder drink service. Purchase drinks before the show.
hEarINg assIstaNCEDevices may be obtained from the Box Office, free of charge.
Coat ChECk There is a complimentary
coat check located next to the entrance for Studio Two.
frEE ParkINgParking in the Market Square
parking garage beneath the theatre is always free for all evening and weekend
events at the Rose Theatre Brampton.
CELLPhoNEs/PagErs Please keep electronic devices turned off during the performance. The light from texting is distracting for other patrons and performers.
fragraNCEsDue to allergies and sensitivities, please refrain from wearing perfumes, colognes or other scented products.
CaMEras/rECordINgCameras and recording devices are not allowed in the theatre unless otherwise specified in the preshow announcement.
food & drINkOnly cold drinks are permitted inside the theatre. Try to unwrap candies or lozenges prior to the performance as the crinkling paper can be distracting.
arrIVINg LatELatecomers will be seated at the discretion of Front of House during an appropriate break in the performance.
BaBEs IN arMsAre not permitted in the theatre, except for certain age-appropriate shows indicated. However, each person – including children – requires a ticket.
For the Benefit of All Patrons, Please Take Note ...
&
6 odeum april 2015
spring in full Bloom at the roseFor the 2014-15 Rose Theatre Presents season, we promised that, whether it was comedy or dance, rock or jazz, we would have shows that appealed to a variety of Brampton theatre-goers. Terry Bachtis and the Arts and Culture Team did their very best to deliver artists and create theatre experiences our patrons really wanted to see. The result? Eleven sold-out shows and 71% of all tickets sold versus 51% last season – and we still have a month to go!
And you can be certain that we don’t plan on resting on our laurels. The team is working diligently on developing an exciting summer program in Garden Square and gearing up for the 2015-16 season, our 10th at The Rose!
I’m sworn to secrecy at this stage but you can bet that, for our 10th season, we’ll be pulling out all the stops. I can tell you that we have two very exciting Subscriber Nights planned for May 21 and 22, coinciding with the big reveal of not-to-be-missed shows. Mark your calendars!
March Madness at the Rose TheatreOur March Madness wasn’t about basketball. It was about a very busy month for the Arts and Culture Team. Did you join us for the Vienna Boys’ Choir? If so, you saw an amazing sold-out show that attracted patrons to downtown Brampton by the busload – literally! From Harriston in Wellington County to Bracebridge and from Goderich to Guelph, fans came from near and far to join Brampton residents for an evening with these young choristers.
We continued our tradition of offering arts and culture activities to youth during March break: our Rose Theatre 3D Club was at capacity. This is just part of the programming we provide to youth in the community; so far this school year, we have conducted 356 workshops with participation by more than 7,000 students.
Our Arts Adventures program also remains extremely popular with students and teachers alike. These curriculum-based performances give students the opportunity to get immersed in the performing arts at morning or afternoon shows at the Rose Theatre. This season, 13 of the 16 Arts Adventures performances were at capacity and we had a 32% increase in participation with over 9,600 students and teachers from more than 65 schools taking advantage of this unique experience. Our next Arts Adventures season kicks off May 13 with an Educators’ Open House – providing teachers and administrators with everything they need to know to bring arts to life in the classroom!
The Bard would be proudThe learning for Brampton-area youth continues in May with our SHAKE it Up! Student Shakespeare Festival, which provides a forum for students from eight area schools to work together to perform a Shakespearean play onstage at The Rose. With the support of the Rose Theatre Academy, each school creates a team of actors, stage managers, crew and designers then prepares workshops and rehearses a 30-minute version of a Shakespeare play.
As the students work on the project, they boost their self-confidence and creativity while building leadership, communication and negotiation skills. Come out and support the students by joining us for the fun, May 25–28 at 7:00 pm.
Connecting with our communityA key objective for the Arts and Culture Division is to ensure that we are accessible to our community. Accessibility takes many forms; whether it is an easy-to-navigate website, a social media presence that engages Brampton-area residents or providing barrier-free venues, we want to make sure everyone stays connected and can take advantage of our diverse offerings.
One of our most popular programs is Ride to The Rose. This program provides free, wheelchair-accessible transportation to Brampton seniors, including pick up at their home or retirement residence, with an escort on every bus and mobility support. The program also offers specially priced tickets and gives seniors the opportunity to socialize with fellow theatre lovers. We have provided this service for five shows this season and close to 100 seniors took advantage of the opportunity. To learn how the seniors in your life can take advantage of this program, contact Fabianna Khan at 905.793.7073 or [email protected].
As always, we would like to recognize and thank our donors and sponsors for their support and commitment to arts and culture and the Rose Theatre. Their contributions are very important to the development of our community. Among other things, they help make it possible to offer our education programs to area youth and local talent. We very much appreciate their support for those and a range of other initiatives.
Optimistically, Happy Spring everyone!
Bernice MorrisonManager, Arts and Culture on behalf of the Arts and Culture [email protected]
For voting
us your
Favourite
Live theatre!2014 Readers’ Choice
G U A R D I A NBRAMPTON
2014
MANAGER'S NOTES
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For more information about volunteering your time with the Brampton theatres, email [email protected]
Thank you for a great night full of laughter and joy. @RobSchneider @RealJonLovitz @RoseTheatreBram #ClassicComedy
LET'S TALk...While you’re online, sign up to receive our e-newsletter or subscribe to our blog (find it on the home page).
A Round of Applause for
Our Fabulous Volunteers!
Going to see this with my family, can’t wait!!!
Another amazing show from @CALrocks @ the @RoseTheatreBram, this time covering CreedenceClearwaterRevival’s #ChronicleVol1 album! Good times!
A huge shout out to the incredible staff at @RoseTheatreBram THANK YOU on behalf of the @TenorsMusic crew your team is outstanding thank u.
@RoseTheatreBram @GrlsNiteMusical great performance tonight :). It was a great choice for our #GirlsNightOut
@TenorsMusic @RoseTheatreBram Just got my FRONT Row tickets for The Tenors! Going to surprise my daughters #A&A! 4bday. Make sure u get urs 2!
@Wong_tjwkixs
@heysunshine_amc
@awesomeMusic
BECOME A FAN facebook.com/RoseTheatreBrampton
FOLLOw uS ON TwiTTER @RoseTheatreBram #RTP1415
ViSiT www.rosetheatre.ca
upLOAd A piC@RoseTheatreBram
dOwNLOAd THE AppSearch Rose Theatre Brampton in your App Store.
aleksandra serra (Popovich Comedy Pet Theater)
#Toronto’s first #desi show by JoSH blows away #winterblues! @RupMagon @Qurram @RoseTheatreBram #JoSHtheBaND
@Jamesstratton36
@KevinBushey
@scorpioQueendom (Veterans of SNL)
On February 12, Veterans of SNL Rob Schneider and
Jon Lovitz brought big laughs all night long.
scene the rose
905.874.2800www.rosetheatre.ca
Rose Theatre Box Office1 Theatre Lane, Brampton
Mon to Sat: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Sun: Closed if no event
Lester B. Pearson Theatre Box Office
Main Floor, Civic Centre,150 Central Park Drive, Brampton Fri and Sat: 12:00 pm to 6:00pm
Sun to Thu: Closed if no event
Hours are subject to change.Please call ahead
or check the times online.
Odeum is the monthly magazine of the Rose Theatre Brampton
EditorSasha Romasco
Art Direction & DesignVanessa Dhanbeer
ContributorsAshley Goodfellow
Nick KrewenDavid Paterson
Erica Phillips
To advertisewith The Rose contact:Advertising and Sponsorship
o·dE·uM 1. A small building of ancient Greece
and Rome used for public performances of music and poetry.
2. A contemporary theatre or concert hall.
Photo credits: Custodio’s studio
Our furry friends stole the show at the March 12
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater performance!
10 odeum april 2015
SingerAge 15
centre stage concert 2015aBout the Centre stage PrograMCentre Stage is a community-focused program open to Brampton students up to Grade 12. This talent search and showcase features all genres of performing arts.
The program is dedicated to supporting young artists through a variety of performance opportunities. The journey begins with auditions in the fall, followed by a photo shoot, rehearsals and the full star-treatment at the gala performance each April. And the experience doesn’t end there! Throughout the year, many finalists are invited to perform at local city events like Canada Day, the Farmers Market and New Year’s Eve. We also invite past Centre Stage performers to host the event, adding yet another layer of opportunity for those students who continue to pursue their performing arts dreams.
The Arts and Culture Division is proud to facilitate this program and serve as a bridge between emerging artists and the world of professional entertainment.
DancersAges 10
Emma Who is your dream duet partner?
Lorde. I had the privilege of watching her perform live and the way that she leaves it all on the stage makes me want to connect with her musically and understand her perception on what music means to her.
Who is your idol? Matthew Healy. His voice and music are so unique. He puts so much emotion into his work and it gives me appreciation for the music itself.
What is your dream performance venue? I don’t have a dream venue. I just want to perform for people who genuinely appreciate my music and understand how much of an impact it can have on others.
Mackenzie & Brennan
SingerAge 16
AchonaWho is your dream duet partner? Beyoncé! Her vocal range is so broad and
she can manipulate her voice to do so many things. Plus, it would be a great experience.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions? I walk in circles reciting the words of the songs I’ll be singing and I make sure I don’t see the audience before going onstage.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Waking up, turning on the radio and hearing myself!
MAckEnziEWhat is your favourite piece to perform? “Rockin’ Robin.” It is so much fun! What is your dream performance venue? I would really love to be part of Dancing With The Stars someday and perform on that stage.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions?Right before I perform, I warm up and tell myself, “I got this. I can do it!”
BREnnAnWho is your idol? Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars. He is an amazing dancer and choreographer.
Do you have any hidden talents?I play hockey, soccer and lacrosse.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Living in Australia in a bamboo house off the water.
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SingerAge 14
SingerAge 13
SingerAge 15
SingerAge 15
SingerAge 15
DancerAge 15
DancerAge 13
SingerAge 13
MarkJustinJenna B.
kyle
Jillian
katie
Sacha
Who is your idol? Laura Osnes.
What is your favourite piece to perform? “I Can Hear the Bells” from Hairspray. It’s a song that I can characterize very well which is fun for me.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? I hope that I’m performing, either professionally or with community theatre. I hope I’m happy too; I think the most important thing is that I’m happy with who I am and what I’m doing.
Who is your idol? Whitney Houston, because of her natural talent,
soulfulness and great vocal range. Listening to her songs has inspired me to be a better singer.
What is your favourite piece to perform? “Home” from the musical Beauty and the Beast, because singing it allows me to showcase my mezzo-soprano singing voice. It is a sad but soulful song, which always tugs at my heartstrings.
What is your dream performance venue? Carnegie Hall in New York City, because it has, over the years, hosted many celebrated performers. I think this would be a great place to showcase my talents and love of music.
Who is your dream duet partner? The a cappella group Pentatonix.
They are so amazingly talented.
Do you have any hidden talents? I’m a closet beatboxer. I love to mimic drum sounds with my mouth and I’m always making beats around my house. It is just so fun.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions? I pray before every performance to get in the zone and focus on the task at hand.
Who is your dream duet partner? Canadian tenor Joseph Kaiser.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions? If someone wishes me “Good Luck,” I spin around three times, spit and swear. It is a well-known fact within the theatre that
What is your dream performance venue? The Gershwin
Theatre or Madison Square Gardens.
Do you have any hidden talents?I play the piano, and a little bit of the ukulele and guitar.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions?NEVER say Macbeth in the theatre! And I always give myself a little pep talk before going onstage.
Who is your dream duet partner? Fik-Shun. He is a
phenomenal animation-style dancer and it would be surreal being on stage with him.
What is your dream performance venue? World of Dance, Las Vegas. The hip-hop atmosphere there is so strong and the experience of being onstage in front of all those people would be a dream come true.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? In 20 years I see myself performing in front of millions of cheering people while opening my own studio, which will be open to anyone with a strong passion for dance. I plan to stay humble and grow in the dance industry while learning new things every step of the way.
What is your favourite piece to perform?The bonebreak
because it surprises and shocks people.
Do you have any performance rituals/superstitions?I kiss my finger and point it to the sky.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?As a veterinarian in a modern apartment in New York City.
Who is your idol?Sam Smith.
What is your dream performance venue? Molson Amphitheatre.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Performing and touring the world as a famous artist.
SingerAge 13
Who is your dream duet partner? Idina Menzel.
I would love to perform a Broadway number with THE original Elphaba!
What is your favourite piece to perform? “Part of Your World” is one of my favourite songs to perform. It was my first-ever audition piece and, since then, I’ve just loved the song! It can be powerful or sweet and is still a go-to in my repertoire!
Do you have any hidden talents? Before I started performing, I figure skated with Skate Canada Brampton Chinguacousy and competed locally, earning bronze, silver and gold medals.
Erin
Jenna P.
wishing a performer “Good Luck” will bring bad luck. I prefer “Break a Leg.”
Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Performing arias in opera houses around the world or in musicals on Broadway.
12 odeum april 2015
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if Canada is a nation worth ranting about, comedian rick Mercer is just the man to do it.
The 25-time Gemini Award-winning host of The Rick Mercer Report – which continues its CBC run an unbelievable 12 seasons later – and This Hour Has 22 Minutes alumnus, says he truly enjoys his travelling show, A Nation Worth Ranting About.
“It’s a dream job,” says Mercer, 45. “It’s part stand-up, part storytelling – there are some video clips. It’s a fun show, and very family friendly.”
But he’s not so shocked that the opinionated show has been an enormous success, even among the politicians he criticizes and pokes fun at.
“It’s a free country – anyone can rant,” the St. John’s native notes. “I’m just privileged that I get to do it every week. In terms of performing with politicians and doing things with politicians, I don’t do that quite as much as I used to. But that’s mostly because I’m more interested in talking to a lobster fisherman or visiting a national park, or going on an adventure with the military. That’s more of a personal preference.
“The gist behind A Nation Worth Ranting About is that I’ve been on the road over a decade now with this show, and I don’t stop. I haven’t unpacked in over 10 years. And that’s a lot of travel, a lot of miles. And I’ve visited pretty
much every nook and cranny of the country. And so there’s a lot of stories about that adventure, and that’s basically what the show is about.”
Mercer, whose first public success came when he mounted a one-man stage show called Show Me The Button, I’ll Push It or Charles Lynch Must Die, before co-founding This Hour Has 22 Minutes in 1992, says his career “improved my perspective of Canada.”
“If I had any wish for anyone it would be that Canadians would get to know their own country,” he says. “But at the same time I’m very well aware that that’s an expensive notion. It’s a very big country with not a large population, and one of the problems we’ve always had with this country is, for the cost of flying from Toronto to Vancouver or Toronto to St. John’s, you can fly to Paris or you could fly to Florida three times. So people don’t get to know their country as well as I wish they would. I understand that’s very difficult, but I also realize that the desire is there, which is why the show is as successful as it is.”
Mercer says some of the greatest reactions he gets from his audiences are “when I go somewhere north of the treeline.”
“It’s something most people don’t have an opportunity to do in their everyday life, either as a vacation or as part of their work,” says Mercer.
by Nick kreweN
rick mercer for rant
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As his unbridled rants and understanding of Canadian politics have made Mercer one of the most trusted Canadian voices, would he ever consider throwing his hat into the ring for a future election? Rick Mercer for prime minister?
“I’ve been obsessed with politics since I was kid,” he admits. “Politics has been my sport. It’s been my baseball. That’s what I talk about. And, I guess, anyone who is a baseball fan has thought, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be great to pitch in the major leagues?’
“But it doesn’t mean that you should.
“I think I probably thought about it more when I was 20 than I do now. It’s something that I’m probably less interested in now than I was then.”
Mercer says there are “a million reasons” why a political career doesn’t currently interest him.
“Mostly because I think I’m not done yet,” he explains. “A lot of the politicians I actually admire are people who have had a career. They’ve had life experience. They’ve had responsibility. They’ve gone about their daily lives, and when they decide to take part in public service in terms of working in politics, it’s not the best job that they’ve ever had in their life.
“I think there’s too many people in politics whose number one priority is protecting their own job, because they know that is as good as it will ever get. And they’re all about the pension. Not that I think they shouldn’t have pensions. But when there’s a sea of 27-year-olds on Parliament Hill looking at the pension clock, I don’t think that serves anyone. I’d like to see a few more of them get out and have a real job first.
“Is that too much to ask?” he laughs.
14 odeum april 2015
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by eRiCa phiLLips
laugh the night away at the
“There’s nothing better than spending the evening laughing, then going home at a reasonable hour,” said Debra DiGiovanni, host and “ringmaster” of The Just For Laughs (JFL) Road Show’s Ontario tour.
If DiGiovanni’s name sounds familiar, perhaps it’s from her 15 years on the Canadian comedy scene, or maybe her stints on CBC’s The Debaters program, the revival of Match Game, Last Comic Standing or the sitcom Mr. D. Originally from Quebec, DiGiovanni splits her time between Toronto and Los Angeles. “When I want a little winter I come home; when I want sunshine I go back to LA,” she jokes.
In addition to DiGiovanni, this edition of The JFL Road Show comprises three highly acclaimed comedians: Alonzo Bodden, Mark Forward and Gina Yashere.
Christine Melko Ross, VP Operations and Business Affairs for JFL, says they choose participants for the Road Show from other JFL festivals who will work well together and whom audiences will enjoy.
“People know they are getting a really good, strong show. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s a somewhat different show every night,” says Ross.
Although this sampling of comedians is quite different,
there’s a great synergy among them. “Alonzo’s comedy is political and smart; Gina’s is high energy and Mark’s a bit of a weirdo, so much fun,” says DiGiovanni.
Multiple award-winning DiGiovanni says her style is “personality driven. My take on life, what I like, what I hate, what it’s about, connections and things we all get wired up about. A regular girl trying to make it in the world.”
DiGiovanni will open the show; talk to and warmup the crowd. Each comic will perform for about 25 minutes with DiGiovanni interspersed among them. “Kind of like the icing in an Oreo cookie,” she said.
You’ll get a good sampling of each comic’s style, and start to build a relationship. “It’s like the best first date you could ever have and I’m the chaperone,” DiGiovanni adds.
Even though the comics tailor their shows somewhat to the town in which they perform, there’s no need to fear being in the front row and no berating of the audience. They’re just there to have some fun.
“There is something for everyone. It’s a lot of comedy for the dollar,” said DiGiovanni.
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Alonzo Bodden, from New York, has appeared on Late Night with Conan
O’Brien, Last Comic Standing, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and other shows. He also appeared in the films Scary Movie 4, The Girl Next Door
and Bringing Down the House.
Mark Forward is a television writer and judge on Joke or Choke who has appeared
on Mr. D and The Debaters. He does a podcast, has released a full-length comedy
album, Things I Thought Of, and has won several Canadian comedy awards.
Gina Yashere, originally from London, England, now lives in New York and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno, Last Comic Standing and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, among other talk
shows, and in the films Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Mr In-Between. She has won numerous
awards for her work.
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Legendary bluesman charlie Musselwhite is one of those extraordinary harmonica players you’ve probably heard on the radio at one time or another, but haven’t realized.
For example, that wailing harmonica intro on the 1990 INXS hit “Suicide Blonde”? Charlie Musselwhite.
“I was in Australia doing a tour and somebody called me in my hotel room one day and said, ‘We know you’re on your way to Sydney, and we know you’re near the studio; can you come in and record with INXS?’’ Musselwhite recalls. “I said, Sure, got off the phone and asked those around me, who’s this INXS? And they replied that INXS had only sold 15 million records the previous year. They were the nicest guys.”
Musselwhite, who is appearing at The Rose with fellow harmonica blues legend James Cotton and singer-songwriter John Hammond in tow, has also graced a trio of Tom Waits albums and toured with Cyndi Lauper for her 2010 album Memphis Blues.
“Tom’s almost a neighbour,” says Musselwhite, 71. “He lives about a half-hour away from me in California. In the old days when we were drinking, we’d close down bars. But we don’t drink anymore. Now when we get together, we close down a restaurant.
“And I can’t say enough about Cyndi – she’s hilarious. There’s nobody quite like her. She started out singing the blues long before anybody recorded her.”
Those may be pals, but Musselwhite has a legacy of his own that started in the South and ended up in the West, where he lives to this day.
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Musselwhite’s family relocated to Memphis when he was three. Music was in the family – his father played guitar and harmonica and his mom played piano.
Musselwhite says he chose the harmonica for “a lot of reasons.”
“One is that it’s really voice-like,” he notes. “When I’m playing, sometimes I feel like I’m singing without words. You can make it sound happy or sad, and it’s very portable.
“It’s also kind of a mysterious instrument. It’s the only
instrument where you can’t see what you’re doing, there’s no fingerboard and it’s the only instrument you breathe in and out of.
“Unlike a piano, where the relations of the notes are the same physically, the pattern keeps changing every time on the harmonica: the note-bending, the overblows, the overdraws – it’s a really unique instrument.”
He hung around the Memphis blues scene to hone his chops, playing with Furry Lewis, Gus Cannon and Big Joe Williamson and, as a young man, hightailed it to Chicago to find more work. To help make ends meet, he occasionally indulged in moonshine runs.
“I dabbled in that,” he says with a chuckle. “I’ve got a big old 1950 Lincoln with a big trunk for all those five-gallon cans of moonshine to move from one place to another. I knew guys that made it so I used to move it to the people that sold it. I never got in any trouble. No police chases. It was a fun time for a kid with a car.”
In Chicago, Musselwhite played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and met his best friend, John Lee Hooker.
“He was the best man at my wedding,” Musselwhite recalls. “I met him in Chicago. He lived in Detroit, but he came there
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regularly to play. We got to know each other and became real good friends, and stayed friends until he died.”
Musselwhite said Hooker had quite an appetite for much younger women, and he occasionally teased his friend about it.
“I once asked him, You know John Lee, you’ve got all these young ladies around you … you ever think about settling down? With somebody closer to your own age?
“And John stuttered, ‘W-w-why, man? When I get into bed, I want to smell perfume, not Bengay.’”
Musselwhite’s own career took off in the ’60s, when he managed to scrape together enough money to record his classic Stand Back! Here Comes Charley (sic) Musselwhite’s Southside Band – and the album was a smash on the West Coast.
“We did it in under three hours, and it was kind of a lark,” he admits. “We had no idea it was going to amount to anything, but it gave me a career and put me on the road and I’m still doing it.”
After a huge snowstorm hit Chicago, Musselwhite booked
a tour to California. He never returned to the Windy City.“It was sunny and warm and people were nice. I hadn’t
intended to stay, but I was there about 10 minutes before I decided, I ain’t going back to Chicago. Plus they were playing me on the underground radio on the West Coast, and there was tons of work. It paid way better than in the tiny Chicago blues clubs I was playing in.”
Musselwhite, a 2013 Grammy winner for Get Up, his duet album with Ben Harper, and a 28-time W.C. Handy Blues Award recipient who still averages over 200 dates a year, is performing both solo and together with Cotton and Hammond.
“We try to make a real show of it. We have fun together, and the way I look at it, we have so much fun onstage, the audience can’t help but have fun.”
“ ...it’s really voice-like. When I’m playing, sometimes I feel like I’m singing without words. You canmake it sound happy or sad,
and it’s very portable.”
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The stage is in darkness but for a pool of light at its centre. A dozen or so figures dart in and out of the shadows. They writhe and twist and turn to the pounding soundtrack, with movements that are frenetic and fluid.
There are flashes of colour as dancers flit through the spotlight. Moving together yet not as one, with a precision that appears almost random, the dancers form a disorienting mass of humanity. The stage crackles with the passion and tension of an underground club in Paris or Berlin. It’s utterly thrilling to watch.
These are the dancers of Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (BJM), one of Canada’s most exciting contemporary dance companies.
BJM celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012 and is a company that continues to surprise and delight with its
energetic choreography.It tours relentlessly, often in Europe and the United
States but also in Asia, Africa and South America, and has won international acclaim for its innovative and dramatic interpretations. Having completed a winter tour of Western Europe, BJM returns to North America in spring and will be performing for one night only at The Rose. The show promises to demonstrate the athleticism and the artistry for which BJM has become known and will be both surprising and delightful for anyone unfamiliar with the company’s work.
BJM was founded in 1972 by Geneviève Salbaing, Eva von Gencsy and Eddy Toussaint, three immigrants to Canada who were all classically trained dancers. The trio chose to call their new troupe a “ballet-jazz” to emphasize its fusion of the technique of classical ballet with the passion typified by jazz music. In an obituary for von Gencsy, who died in 2013, The
les Ballets Jazz De montréal
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Globe and Mail quoted Toussaint as saying, “To Eva, ballet-jazz was a celebration of the soul as well as the body.”
Von Gencsy and Toussaint left the company after a few years, but Salbaing remains involved to this day.
Since its founding, BJM has constantly innovated, fusing the vocabulary of modern life with the rigours of classical dance. Louis Robitaille, BJM’s artistic director since 1998, has shown a continuing desire to explore new ground, bringing in elements such as urban and Amerindian music and dance.
Robitaille, a former dancer with fellow Montreal-based company Les Grands Ballets, speaks of dance in almost spiritual terms. He has written of his belief in the ability of dance to transform how we see ourselves and to find balance and harmony. Indeed, BJM’s mission statement is to “provoke emotions through contemporary dance” and it sometimes refers to itself as the “feel good company” for its joyful mash-ups of different styles and celebration of the dance of different cultures.
Much of that is on display in its current repertoire, which features nine pieces from choreographers including Wen Wei Wang, known for the Eastern influences in his works, and Brazilian Rodrigo Pederneiras, who has produced a piece on resilience for BJM that is a subtle tribute to the native peoples of the Americas.
At the Rose Theatre, BJM will perform three pieces: Closer, Kosmos and Harry.
For residents of the GTA, Kosmos will resonate instantly. Andonis Foniadakis’s piece is a rumination on the hectic pace of life in the big city. Anyone who has pushed their
way through a commuter station at rush hour or mall on a Saturday afternoon will recognize the feelings being portrayed onstage. The dancers, moving at frenetic pace to thumping music, form a surging mass of humanity and a blur of whirling limbs. The question becomes, how to form connections amid this frenzied activity?
Harry, meanwhile, portrays an issue that humans have been dealing with since the dawn of time: conflict. Particularly, the tensions that often arise between men and women. Choreographed by Israeli-American Barak Marshall, this absurdist piece, performed by the entire troupe, pulsates with energy and wit. It focuses on Harry, a young man in need of a lid to fit his pot, and features a score that ricochets from Israeli folk to Puccini, as the dancers perform in duos, trios and ensemble.
The third piece, Closer, takes a less confrontational look at the interplay between the sexes. Set to composer Philip Glass’s beautiful Mad Rush score, Closer was written in 2006 specifically for Céline Cassone and Sébastien Marcovici, the principal of the New York City Ballet. For BJM, it is Cassone and Alexander Hille who portray a couple and their passionate relationship. The piece, which was choreographed by Benjamin Millepied (who starred in and choreographed the movie Black Swan), is a favourite with both audiences and critics alike, who admire the dancers’ intense yet restrained movements as they convey this sensual interplay between two lovers.
Uplifting and dazzling, to see BJM is to see modern Canadian dance at its most expressive and eloquent.
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When it comes to the relationship between man and machine, and how to creatively interpret that connection, the wheels are continually spinning for chris Lashua.
The former world-renowned BMX freestyle rider is the creative force behind an urban-inspired circus that brings a unique theatrical experience to the stage. It’s called Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk, and if you tried to interpret the name you’d guess it was part circus, part mechanics, part pedal and part punk – steampunk, that is.
And you’d be right.It’s a show that delivers a powerful gust of
energy and excitement with a focus on circus, theatre, acrobats, bikes and machines.
It’s one of those shows you just have to see.Lashua, who competed in BMX riding in the
’80s and ’90s, is a master of all kinds of intricate bike tricks. He joined Cirque du Soleil in 1992, which is where the idea for a convergence of freestyle riding and theatre really took root.
“That’s where I really fell in love with the idea of doing the acrobatics in a theatrical way,” he said. “And, the idea of building a machine and building a show around that machine.”
He started to tinker with bike parts, building machines and mechanical devices that would eventually become central to his first Cirque Mechanics show, Birdhouse Factory, which opened in 2004.
by ashLey goodfeLLow
peDal punka new ‘spin’ on the urban circus
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That show was followed by Boom Town in 2010, and Pedal Punk in 2014.
In this third iteration, the story and performances are built around a single apparatus called the Gantry Bike. It’s 22 feet tall, and the largest device Lashua has built to date. It was actually a commissioned piece for the 2012 Scotiabank Buskerfest Toronto.
The apparatus is geared to be powered by “pedal power,” enabling different pieces to move in relation to someone cycling, and is also the anchor for aerial and trampoline acts, among other feats highlighted in the show.
The Gantry Bike is also the main prop in the plot and serves as the “bike shop” that characters frequent during the 10 different scenes in the show.
“We have a contortionist, a trampoline act with four acrobats, a Chinese pole acrobat, juggling – there’s so much happening in this show,” said Lashua. “And we have a really fun audience participation act.”
And, of course, there are plenty of bike-oriented pieces.“While you don’t need to be a cyclist to enjoy the show,
there is a lot in it for cycling enthusiasts,” said Lashua. “But it’s a theatre show at heart, so the thing that we really feel
strongly about is that if someone is interested in movement, dance, traditional circus,
Cirque du Soleil, mechanics – there’s something for them.”And, the content is appropriate for all ages – which works
because the audience tends to run the gamut from hipsters to kids with their grandparents. The show appeals to everyone.
“It’s a real fun show and there’s a lot of ingenious contraptions which are completely unique – it’s a circus performance unlike anything else,” he said.
There is also original music, created by composer Michael Picton. Costumes were designed specifically for Pedal Punk and work to give a young, urban, hip vibe to the show’s look.
Lashua said the show, from conception to stage, took about a year to create and involved a lot of collaboration from the creative team. It opened in October 2014 and has continued to impress audiences across North America.
The result is a cast of 10 onstage (13 on tour), who “really gel” together and are passionate about their work and the show, said Lashua.
“This isn’t our first show, so we know what to expect,” he said. Likewise, the audience can expect “a show that is completely unique” not only in content, but in the energy onstage.
“The audience has a real ability to sense when performers onstage are really passionate about what they are doing, and that’s definitely the case here,” said Lashua. “It’s infectious.”
22 odeum april 2015
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24 odeum april 2015
April 1-30, 2015Rose Theatre Brampton:
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Diana Latourt
Visit the unique exhibition space located on the upper level of the Rose Theatre. Each month, the gallery features exhibits of original work by local artists.
Exhibits subject to change without notice.
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ROSE THEATRE APPlAUDS OUR8th anniversary
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Rose Theatre’s presentations and programs provide a great opportunity for sponsorships that contain strong value-added benefits for corporate partners of various levels.
The greatest value of the arts is the ability to build bridges across generations and cultures. You have the opportunity to enrich your life, both personally and professionally, by contributing to the impact of arts in your community.
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Help Us Keep Raising The Curtain. Call us today to discuss your
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The Rose is pleased to welcome our Official Vehicle Sponsor Policaro Automotive Family
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DonationsPlease consider making a tax-deductible gift
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and it also enriches the whole community. We need your support to remain the vibrant community resource so many
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