march 2014 odeum magazine

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March 2014 THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY EXPERIENCE IT LIVE! CELTIC CROSSROADS A Timeless Tale of Motherhood AN EXPLOSION OF ENERGY The Joy Luck Club The Magazine of the Rose Theatre Brampton The Acrobats Peking It’s Time To Hand Jive With SING-A- LONG-A Grease!

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Page 1: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

March 2014

THEATRE • DANCE • MUSIC • COMEDY • EXPERIENCE IT LIVE!

CELTIC CROSSROADS

A Timeless Tale of Motherhood

An ExpLOSIOn Of EnERgy

The Joy Luck Club

The Magazine of the Rose Theatre Brampton

The

AcrobatsPeking

It’s Time To Hand Jive With

SIng-A- LOng-A

Grease!

Page 2: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

APR 4AMY HELM

APR 17LATE NITE CATECHISM: SISTER’S EASTER CATECHISM

APR 3THE JUST FOR LAUGHS ROAD SHOW

APR 2CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: ELTON JOHN’S GREATEST HITS

MAIN STAGE

13 • 14 SEASON

9 0 5 . 874 . 2 8 0 0r o s e t h e a t r e . c a

ROSETHEATREPRESENTS

APRIL & MAY

BRAMPTON PERFORMING ARTS COMPANIES

At the Rose Theatre:APR 10-12 Brampton Music TheatreThe Wizard of Oz

MAY 3 The Rose OrchestraSummer Luvin’

MAY 25 Brampton Festival SingersA Little Bit Country

At Lester B. Pearson Theatre: APR 10-13, 17, 19 Peel Panto PlayersYou’re Only Young Twice

MAY 9-10 Brampton Music TheatreSeussical Jr.

STUDIO TWO

APR 11 THE GEORGE KOLLER QUARTET

LIVEExpERIEnCE IT

MAY 1-2THE TEN TENORS

2 odeum march 2014

Page 3: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

3rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

In gratitude for the purchase of specialized equipment

5 Services & Policies

6 Scene @ The Rose

9 In the Gallery

22 Sponsor & Donor Recognition

every month

features

14

16

18

11 MENOPAUSE THE MUSICALThe Hilarious Celebration of Women

and THe CHanGe

12 SING-A-LONG-A GREASEGREASE is the Word!

14 CELTIC CROSSROADSAn Extraordinary Irish Music Experience

16 THE JOY LUCK CLUBBased on the Best-Selling Novel by Amy Tan

18 THE COMEDY CLUBwith Graham Chittenden

20 THE PEKING ACROBATSDefying Gravity

The Magazine of the Rose Theatre Brampton

contents

Page 4: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

4 odeum march 2014

Page 5: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

5rosetheatre.ca

POLICIESSERVICES &

Cellphones/Pagers Please keep electronic devices turned off during the performance. The light from texting is also 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 pre-show announcement by the presenter.

Food & DrinkOnly bottled water is allowed 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 ...

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.

Pre-Order Service avoid long lineups at the bar by taking

advantage of our pre-order 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 is free after 7pm on weekdays

and from Friday at 7pm to Monday at 5am.

From Monday to Friday, the gates remain down at all times. Patrons are required to take a ticket at the entry gate and validate at one of

the automated pay stations before leaving.

On weekends, the gates will remain up from Friday at 7pm to Monday at 5pm.

Page 6: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

6 odeum march 2014

The 2014 Centre Stage hosts and former finalists, Rebecca and Zak Lalic

Students were amazed with the stunning visuals in Dinolight, one of the shows in our Arts Adventures education series.

Our Centre Stage finalists gathered for a photo shoot in January. Check out these talented kids on April 13 at The Rose!

Page 7: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

7rosetheatre.ca

In rehearsal for Blood Brothers with Rennie Wilkinson,

Sweeney MacArthur and Kristin Galer.

Colin Lepage and Will Lamond in Blood Brothers.

Blood Brothers hit the stage February 12-16.

SPIN July 4 at 8PM on the Main Stage

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.

Odeum is the monthly magazine of the Rose Theatre Brampton

Rose Theatre Box Offices1 Theatre Lane, Brampton

Mon. to Sat.: 10:00 am to 6:00 pmSun.: Closed if no event

905.874.2800www.rosetheatre.ca

Lester B. Pearson TheatreMain Floor, Civic Centre,150 Central Park Drive,

Brampton

Hours are subject to change; please call ahead

or check the times online.

EditorSasha Romasco

[email protected]

Art Direction & DesignTina Mulliss

[email protected]

Michelle [email protected]

ContributorsAlison Broverman

Ashley GoodfellowNick Krewen

To advertisewith The Rose contact:

Gaye Storozuk Coordinator,

Advertising & [email protected]

905.793.6347

Page 8: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

Upload a Pict @RoseTheatreBram

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).

You’ll enjoy insightful commentary, interviews with artists,

photos and videos.

Enjoy and feel free to comment.

Your opinion is important to us. Sylvia EngT: 905.793.7073 C: 416.806.0440E: [email protected]

For Group Discounts Contact Our Group Sales Programmer:

T: 647.438.5559 Toll Free: 1.866.447.7849

E: [email protected]

Visit www.rosetheatre.ca

Become a fan facebook.com/RoseTheatreBrampton

Follow us on Twitter @RoseTheatreBram#RTP1314

Whatever way you look at it, visiting us as a group

will put a smile on your face!groups Have

MORE fun!groups SaveMORE Money!

Celebrate with your family, friends, colleagues or customers and we’ll offer personal group service when you book for 15 or more guests.

Discounted group tickets are available for all Rose Theatre Presents performances!

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Page 9: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

9rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

IN THE GALLERYJeff and Janette Williams | March 3 – 28 • 2014

A lifetime in photography as a hobby has now become a vocation in retirement.There is a preponderance of wildlife in our collection as we are fortunate enough to live beside a park in central Brampton, where we have become avid bird-watchers. For our exhibit, we have selected pictures from around Brampton, Welland and Scotland, where we visited recently.

1. Inveraray - Loch Fyne, 2. Mallard in Motion, 3. Lunch

1

2 3

Page 10: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

10 odeum march 2014

ALL 4 SHOWS ONLY$115!

3 Show Subscription from $87

SLEUTH By Anthony Shaffer • Directed by Robert WoodcockStudio Two, Tickets: $327:30 PM • July 25-26, 29-31, August 1-2, 5-92:00 PM • July 26, August 2, 9An eccentric mystery writer lures his wife’s new lover into a tangledweb of deceit, jealousy, drama and intrigue. This exciting, edge-of-your-seat thriller is a puzzle filled with cunning plot twists that not only beg the question “Whodunit?” but “Whodunwhat?”

summer theatre series 2014r o s e t h e a t r e p r e s e n t s

Subscriptions On SaleMAR 5

Single Tickets On Sale

MAR 19

drinking alone By Norm Foster • Directed by Danny HarveyStudio Two, Tickets: $327:30 PM • August 15-16, 19-232:00 PM • August 16, 23A man hires an escort to pose as his fiancée in an effort toimpress his visiting father. A romantic comedy set in the midst of a dysfunctional family reunion, Drinking Alone is exquisitely crafted and filled with wit and warmth.

billy bishop goes to war By John Gray • Directed by Danny HarveyStudio Two, Tickets: $327:30 PM • July 4-5, 8-12, 15-192:00 PM • July 5, 12Through raucous stories, haunting memories and vibrant song, Billy Bishop recounts his life from humble beginnings to fame and glory as Canada’s greatest flying ace. Part musical, part drama, this inspiring and poignant look at a national hero is not to be missed.

you’re a good man, charlie brown By Clark Gesner • Directed by Robert WoodcockMain Stage, Tickets: $377:30 PM • August 20-232:00 PM • August 23From bright uncertain morning to hopeful starlit evening, CharlieBrown and the lovable Peanuts gang face challenges in the pursuit of happiness. This charming musical is brimming with hope, humour and jazzy tunes. Fun for the whole family!

905.874.2800www.rosetheatre.ca

Page 11: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

11rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

Although the musical is targeted to an adult female audience (“menopausal women between 35 and 55”), Greenleaf says there’s something for everyone in the show. “Everyone can enjoy it. Obviously women who have been through menopause get a great kick out of it. I think in some ways it’s more fun for them to look back on it with humour,” he notes. “Women who are going through it get a great kick out of it. The show in and of itself is very funny but I think one of the great joys of seeing it is, if you go with someone who is of the right demographic, to see their reaction is kind of the show within the show. “So you can go with your mother or your grandmother, or both of them, and you’ll get almost as big a kick watching them react as you will the show – sometimes bigger.” As for the public service surrounding Menopause – The Musical, Greenleaf says the production has lifted the veil about a subject that was once considered taboo. “When the show came out originally, this was not a subject that was discussed openly,” he says. “This was something women had been suffering through in silence for a very, very, very long time. And, as a result of that, what we came to find is that women felt that their symptoms were unique, something that they personally were going through. “What the show does is show them that it’s something women collectively go through. Aside from the show being what it is – it really is charming and funny – women find themselves in the room with hundreds of strangers laughing at the exact same thing. “Suddenly, they’re not suffering through their silence and they’re not alone – it kind of forms this sisterhood.” Translated into five languages, playing in 15 countries and touring in more than 450 cities, one thing is obvious: Menopause – The Musical is anything but a hot flash in the pan.

ON THE MAIN STAGE MARCH 7-8 AT 8PM

Looking for the type of musical where you don’t know half the songs and you’re hoping the songs and score will be good enough that they’ll actually blow you away? You won’t have to worry about that part of the equation because, in Menopause – The Musical, you’ll know half the songs – literally. When the band starts playing the opening chords of such classic hits as Aretha Franklin’s “Chain Of Fools” or The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” you won’t have any trouble recognizing them. The lyrics, on the other hand, may not be exactly as you remember them. “They’re parody lyrics of famous pop standards from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s,” explains Seth Greenleaf, director of the show. “It’s a nostalgic, familiar soundtrack but they’re all new lyrics dealing with symptoms of menopause. “It’s neat because it works with and against your expectations. You start to hear a famous pop song so you get into the groove, and the lyrics come and deliver a surprising turn of phrase. “It has quite an effect on the audience. I’m not sure I’ve seen parody lyrics work quite as well as they do on this show.” Orlando playwright Jeanie Spencer is the Weird Al Yankovic of the menopause set, specifically designing each familiar song to reflect both dialogue and the theme in her hit musical, which has already been flaunted in front of over eight million people and is the longest-running book show in Las Vegas. “‘Chain Of Fools’ becomes ‘Change Of Life;’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ is ‘Stayin’ Awake;’ ‘Wishin’ and Hopin’’ is ‘Drippin’ and Dropping’ – we use the same ‘The Great Pretender’ title but now the song is about brain lapses, forgetting people’s names and often the trouble one has with their memory as they age,” says Greenleaf, who has been directing the musical for more than a decade. As for the plot of the program, Greenleaf says the story revolves around four women who meet bychance while shopping at Bloomingdale’s and share so many symptoms of their “condition” that they bond and become fast friends.

by Nick Krewen THE MEnOpAUSE THAT REfRESHES

Page 12: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

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“Now, finally, comes the dream union – between Grease and Sing-a-Long-a Productions,” says Freedman. “We all become nostalgic about our first love so, when Grease was released as a movie, it gave us the perfect opportunity to remember those times. And we all wanted to be Sandy or Danny,” he says. “The songs are easy to sing and memorable.” The Sing-a-Long-a experience is totally interactive, says Freedman. “It’s an opportunity to let your hair down, sing your heart out and enjoy Grease in a whole different way,” he says. “The audience members are the stars. A live host warms you up and even teaches you how to hand jive.” Audience members are provided with a “fun pack” that guides them through particular moments of interaction throughout the movie. And don’t worry if you can’t remember all the words – they’re shown on the screen during each of the songs. “Then you just sit back and sing along to the lyrics as they are,” says Freedman. “It’s a whole theatrical experience.” But Freedman keeps mum on what the specific interactive moments are. “All the magic moments with the fun pack are interactive and great fun,” he says. “We like to keep you guessing until the night about what they actually are – that’s half the fun!”

ON THE MAIN STAGE MARCH 9 AT 2PM

Almost everyone has a song (or several) that they just can’t resist singing along to. You crank it on the radio when you’re alone in the car, you belt it out in the shower and, if you hear it in a movie theatre, maybe you sneakily sing along under your breath. Unless that song is from Grease, and you’re at the Sing-a-Long-a Grease – then you’ll be belting out your favourite show tunes alongside an entire theatre of people. Grease, the classic 1978 movie musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as star-crossed lovers (well, high school clique-crossed lovers, at least) has long been a sleepover and summer camp favourite. Numbers like “Summer Lovin’” and “Hand Jive” practically beg for audience participation so it’s no wonder that Sing-a-Long-a Grease has become a worldwide phenomenon – one you can experience for yourself at The Rose. “There is a universal appeal to a singalong as it is all inclusive,” says Ben Freedman, one of the organizers of the Sing-a-Long-a brand in the United Kingdom, which started the whole trend. “People do not feel embarrassed to sing in front of their friends as they have been given permission! It crosses age barriers and means that all generations of a family can enjoy time together.” Although countless Grease fans have undoubtedly had unofficial movie singalongs in their living rooms, the official Sing-a-Long-a concept was born in the UK years ago. “The unique, interactive entertainment form known as Sing-a-Long-a was allegedly born in an old people’s home in Inverness,” says Freedman. “The nurses wanted to involve the residents in an interactive group therapy.” So they screened the old movie musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and handed out lyric sheets so the residents could follow along. “The idea was then developed for The Sound of Music for London’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 1999,” says Freedman. “An initial eight-show run soon sold out, attracting huge media attention, and regular shows have been running ever since – not only in London but all around the world.” The company soon realized that there was demand for other beloved movie musicals to be turned into a singalong.

by Alison Broverman

Page 13: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

13rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

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Page 14: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

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ON THE MAIN STAGE MARCH 14 AT 8PM

CELTIC CROSSROADS

CELEBRATIONIRISH AN

Page 15: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

15rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

Now preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary, Crosby says “music-centric” variety – playing styles of music that range from classical and folk to bluegrass and Celtic, integrity and high energy are what continues to inspire the Celtic Crossroads legacy to grow. “We kept our heads held high and didn’t go down the road of playing the well-known Irish numbers,” he admits. “We always tried to keep our music as original as possible, so for me it was hugely satisfying to have broken that barrier of playing larger arenas and concert halls. “I mean, we’re a bunch of students who’d get together during college and who started on a grassroots level. Look where we are now!”

by Nick Krewen

There’s one thing Kevin Crosby wants you to know about Celtic Crossroads: with six musicians and three dancers, this isn’t Riverdance. “It’s not a show where people will expect to see the same thing like dancing over two hours,” he explains. “You’ll see a number of different things stuck together. It’s a high-budget touring production and there will be all sorts of visual effects and a colourful light show.” And, of course, enough Irish culture to twirl a shillelagh, although one, albeit, from a youthful perspective. On the road since 2005, the Celtic Crossroads story began when Crosby and a few of his pals decided to take a street show to the theatrical stage. “It started off as a street show for us back when we were in college,” says Crosby, the producer and founder of the singing and dancing extravaganza. “Michael McClintock, our musical director, and I had a very unique way of auditioning people. We would sit in different bars around Ireland and watch young people coming in, like someone carrying a guitar, or a violin, or maybe multiple instruments, and then watch them pull it out of their case and play them. “That’s one thing we try to keep alive to re-nourish the shows – to have all these different instruments and styles during the course of the show. “Then, after college, we turned it into a touring production in North America, and then it got picked up by PBS television in 2010 and later Universal Records. We became a very big production very fast.” Crosby says the impact of just how far and how quickly Celtic Crossroads had grown in popularity was evident shortly after the airing of the PBS special in 2010. His troupe was playing Windsor, Ontario – their Canadian debut – and had been used to fairly intimate crowds up to that point. “We’d never played a show in Canada before and, as soon as the door opened, 7,000 people piled into the venue,” says Crosby, his voice filling with awe. “And we did two shows that day – 14,000 people in total, which was our biggest crowd. It’s amazing to see the power of public television. That was the most memorable moment of my life.” These days, the Celtic Crossroads touring company only devotes three months a year to going out on the road. The rest of the year finds them concentrating on side projects.

CELTIC CROSSROADS That’s one thing we try to keep alive to re-nourish the shows – is to have all these different instruments and styles

during the course of the show.- Kevin Crosby

Page 16: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

16 odeum march 2014

ON THE MAIN STAGE MARCH 20 AT 8PM

When Amy Tan published The Joy Luck Club in 1989, the novel became an immediate success, drawing praise from a wide variety of critics and spending over six months on the New York Times bestseller list. The novel examines the secrets and lives of four American-born Chinese women and their fraught relationships with their immigrant mothers. Part of the reason for the book’s success, perhaps, is that Tan’s tales of mothers and daughters are timeless; 25 years later, the stories of The Joy Luck Club still resonate, and can now be seen onstage, in a touring production that is an adaptation by American playwright Susan Kim. Perhaps one reason that The Joy Luck Club continues to move people is that Tan drew strongly on her relationship with her own mother while writing the novel, and the emotional honesty is still palpable. “My relationship with my mother has much to do with each story. Shortly after I started writing fiction, my mother suffered what I was told was a heart attack,” Tan said in an interview that appears on her American publisher, Penguin’s, website. “In those moments when I thought she might have died, I promised that if she lived I would go to China with her, meet her other daughters from her first marriage,

and beg her to tell me the stories I’ve avoided hearing all my life. That was the reason I went to China, why I started with a story about a daughter who has just lost her mother, and who later travels for the first time to China and meets her half-sisters who were left behind.” Still, though there is an enormous amount of emotional truth in it, the novel is not autobiographical. “The stories are not a mirror of either me or my mother,” said Tan. “They are more like refractions, different angles of some part of us, a bending of what really happened.” Because the novel has eight different narrators, turning it into a stage play was no easy task. “In terms of theater, it is really complicated,” playwright Kim told the Los Angeles Times in 2008. “It has challenges structurally because so much of it is ‘states of mind.’ What’s effective in the book fights against the way a play works, which is very much about forward movement and characters in conflict and high stakes.” The essential meaning of the novel must be kept or else a stage adaptation is pointless – but there remains the challenge of the different structures of a novel and a play. “In a traditional two-act play, you have to create a situation in the first act that ends in a problem or a question,” Kim said in the same interview. “Or else people won’t come back.” What helped Kim was to make a list of what was absolutely essential in the novel – the events that are most significant to each character, and the moments that are most important, dramatically speaking. For the first act, she boiled it down to this conflict: “The central question here is clear: The mothers feel disconnected from their daughters. The daughters each have crucial life problems with men or depression or lack of assertiveness.” The second act is more about reconciliation. “The mothers tell their daughters stories about their lives,” she said. “These stories are gifts. The daughters eventually realize they can get some help or perspective from their mothers - although they aren’t all successful at it.”

by Alison Broverman

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Page 17: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

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Page 18: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

18 odeum march 2014

Gerry Dee, Brent Butt and Andrea Martin and, eventually, to headlining his own gigs. Chittenden particularly enjoys the theatre circuit for performing — it’s an atmosphere where he feels really good. Playing to a live audience is part of the thrill of stand-up, as is being able to gauge his material instantly. “The reaction is immediate, so you don’t have to wonder [if you are doing well] because there’s a roomful of people right there who will tell you,” he said. And, what they are saying is he IS funny. Nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award in 2012, Chittenden is getting recognition for his work. Chittenden’s comedy is clean, which wasn’t an intentional move, he said. His material just evolved that way, and it’s what he’s comfortable doing. “But, that doesn’t mean I’m without an opinion or a frustration,” he said. Strong opinions about things like the travesty behind home renovation shows or the origins of hardware stores will have you laughing and nodding along. He’s funny because he’s lived out his material — and you probably have too. After 10 years, he has become one of the most sought-after comics in Canada, not only for his stand-up but for hosting and writing as well. So, for Chittenden, the equation for his popularity is hilarity plus humility equals success.

IN STUDIO TWO MARCH 20 AT 8PM

TheCOMEDy

CLUBFunny+True=

Graham Chittendenby Ashley Goodfellow

For Brantford-based comic Graham Chittenden, it’s all starting to add up. His career, that is. His funny factor is quickly multiplying after having appeared in numerous comedy specials and festivals, including a week-long show at last year’s JFL42 (a 10-day comedy festival in Toronto). He also lends his humour skills to several radio and TV shows, including CBC’s The Debaters, The Genie Awards and Just For Laughs. Good thing Chittenden is a math whiz — he’ll need to apply his arithmetic skills to keep track of his successes. Fortunately for us, he dropped out of his math major and decided to hit the stage instead. “I started doing comedy about 10 years ago,” said Chittenden, who will headline the Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club presentation, Those Guys on TV, at the Rose Theatre. He tried a few other courses but dropped them too, until he enrolled in the comedy program at Humber. It’s a career, he said, that found him. “I just like making people laugh,” he said, laughing, “and, mostly, it’s me up there just complaining about my life.” Chittenden’s brand of comedy was well-received in the Yuk Yuk’s circuit and it wasn’t long before he was taking his shows to Yuk Yuk’s stages throughout Ontario. Jokes about living in his parents’ house until he was 28, renovating a new house and “just being on the losing end of life” took him from comedy club stages to opening for acts like

Page 19: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

19rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

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Page 20: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

20 odeum march 2014

ON THE MAIN STAGE MARCH 28 AT 8PM

by NIck Krewen

The

SublimeBalancingAct

AcrobatsPeking

You may not realize until you actually witness it but The Peking Acrobats may have just solved the dilemma of the daily commute. At some point of the show, the entire company of 27 performers will mount a single bicycle that will circle around the Rose Theatre stage, proving once and for all that not only can travel be more economically viable (think of all the gas money you can save by gathering your friends and co-workers on a single bicycle) and environmentally friendly (no carbon footprints here), but just think of all the exercise you’ll get. Oh wait, I forgot – we’re not all acrobats, so the idea may not be quite as feasible as one would like. However, there is one indisputable fact: The Peking Acrobats will perform feats of human wonder as they dazzle you for a few hours with seemingly impossible physicality. Cynthia Dike-Hughes, vice-president of IAI Presentations, organizer and promoter of the show, says the discipline of what you’re about to see begins at a very early age. “They begin training at age five or six,” she explains. “Some of them become professional at quite a young age. They audition at school and if they have a proclivity for acrobatics, they’re accepted. Then it’s mornings of the three Rs – reading, writing, arithmetic – followed by afternoons of performing their craft. “They’re in school for about 10 years.”Dike-Hughes says the majority of performers travelling with The Peking Acrobats troupe range from 16 to 25 years of age, and adds that they have a limited shelf life.

“It’s very much like if you’re a tennis player

or a gymnast or a football player, you have a limited threshold

of time in which you can actually be an acrobat,” Dike-Hughes notes. “The director of our show is a

former acrobat.

Page 21: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

21rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICe: 905.874.2800

Clooney and Matt Damon, will be onstage to add to the wow factor. With their current tour lasting through April – that’s 80 shows in 60 cities over four months – The Peking Acrobats

will then disperse, with some factions performing at theme parks and exhibitions, before

reconvening in the fall. But as much as the acrobats

themselves are responsible for the entertaining, Dike-Hughes says what keeps audiences coming back to see them year after year is constant reinvention. “That’s the staying power of The Peking Acrobats – there’s always something new and exciting and it’s accessible for all ages,” she

explains. “We try to remain true to the

Chinese culture. They’re being exposed to a wonderful slice of Chinese culture

that’s almost 3,000 years old. It’s a great way to break down barriers between people and

between cultures.” No matter how far they have to commute.

“They can perform until they’re about 25 or 30, and then the body is the body,” she laughs. “It only tends to last so long, and then they go back to their schools and they train other acrobats.” The daring feats of balance and contortion are not the only elements of a 3,000-year-old Chinese cultural tradition that The Peking Acrobats will showcase onstage: live musicians will be performing on West Asian instruments like the yang qin (sort of a precursor to the hammer dulcimer), the pipa (a type of lute), the two-string, snakeskin covered er  hu and the dizhi – or bamboo flute – providing the show’s soundtrack as you “ooh” and “ahhh” at the spectacular physical marvels that are being paraded before you, with Shi Gu drummers tapping out rhythms and ramping up the dramatic tension. There will even be a Hollywood celebrity amongst the troupe: Qin Shaobo, who was featured, along with other members of The Peking Acrobats, in the Steven Soderbergh series of Ocean’s 11 films starring George

It’s very much like if you’re a tennis player or a gymnast or a football player, you have

a limited threshold of time in which you can actually

be an acrobat.- Cynthia Dike-Hughes

.

Page 22: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

22 odeum march 2014

FRIENDS OF THE ROSEEva Andrews • Erika Boelling • Tamara Brickman • Nancy Coste

Gregory & Jean De Reske • Barbara East • Harry Mays & Carole Edgar Gail Fielder • Karin A. Henderson • William & Margaret Johnston

Martin & Sally-Ann Kerman • Bill & Jean Lawrence • Donald & Anne Marion • Laura Maselli Councillor John Sanderson • Rick & Eileen Soo • Henry & Lucy Verschuren

Don & Heidi Wilker • Florence Wilkinson • Jim & Beverly Wilkinson

THaNk yOu!

LEGaCy DONORHer Worship Mayor Susan Fennell

OFFICIaL VEHICLE SPONSORPolicaro Automotive Family

aRTS aDVENTuRES EDuCaTION SPONSORLowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse

OFFICIaL DESIGN SPONSORDr. C. Sterling-Case, Sterling Dentistry

SPONSORSATN - Asian Television Network • Brampton Downtown Development Corporation

Brampton Guardian • Jazz FM 91 • Langlois Financial Services Inc. Prouse Dash & Crouch LLP • Reliance Home Comfort • The New AM 740 & The New Classical 96.3

DRESS CIRCLE DONORSLois Rice • Gottfried & Brigitte Schwarzer • TransCanada Corporation

aFFILIaTE DONORSCharles & Lenore Armstrong • Justice Nancy Kastner & Bob Pesant

Martin & Barbara McCreath • Anelio & Antonietta Sincovich

aSSOCIaTE DONORSGerry & Anne Bell • Dale & Paul Caverly • Jan De Grijs • Gordon Edgar • Bryan & Barb Held

George Elmer Henry • Jim & Joanne Horne • Ursula Hopkins • Stan O’Neil Berry & Chong Psychologists • Jean & Marie Steffler

Klaus & Ingrid Sander • The Stephens Family • Ward Funeral Home

SuPPORTING LEVEL DONORSNoel & Pamela Folkard • Harry & Karen Lockwood • Grete McQuaid

Ruth Murray & Rollie Phillips • Francis Sim • Louise Swinton & Richard Moreal Victor & Stephanie Szumlanski

ROSE THEATRE APPLAUDS OUR7TH ANNIveRSARy SPoNSoRS & DoNoRS

Page 23: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

23rosetheatre.caBOX OFFICE: 905.874.2800

Rose Theatre Donations

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.

Photo Credit: Ken Hay

Help Us Keep Raising The Curtain. Call us today to discuss your Sponsorship or Donation Opportunities.

Gaye StorozukCoordinator, advertising & [email protected]

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to the Rose Theatre Brampton. Your donation brings world-class entertainment to our stage and it also enriches the whole community. We need your support to remain the vibrant community resource so many have come to depend on.

There is no Business like Show Business for Your Business‘‘

‘‘

The Rose is pleased to welcome our Official Vehicle Sponsor Policaro Automotive Family

L-R, from Policaro: Francesco Policaro and anthony Poole

When you give to The Rose, we give back!Official tax receipt

for the maximum allowable amount

under Canada Revenue Agency

guidelines

Home Delivery of Odeum Magazine

Name Recognition in Odeum Magazine

Advanced ticket purchase opportunity for the Rose Theatre

Presents Season

Commemorative Pin

Permanent recognition on a

Sponsor/Donor Anniversary Plaque

Invitation to attend our Season Opening

Celebration

Rose Donor$50-$99

Benefits of Donating to the Rose Theatre

Friends ofThe Rose

$100-$249

SupportingLevel

$250-$499

AssociateLevel

$500-$999*

*Call for more information on the benefits of gifts above $1000.

a contribution that will honour the theatre lover in your life for years to come.

Reserve your seat now.

Premium Seats: $1000Orchestra & Mezzanine Seats: $800

Balcony Seats: $500

every seat dedication includes a tax receipt, commemorative pin, and brass plaque

on the seat of your choice.

CALL THE BOX OFFICE ANY TIMETO MAKE YOUR DONATION:

905.874.2800

Save a Seatfor someone you love.

Page 24: March 2014 Odeum Magazine

INNOVATION ELEVATED TO AN ART FORMIntroducing the All-New 2014 Lexus IS

Complete Lexus Price $39,430*Taxes and licensing extra.

HID headlamps • Smart key system with push button start

Perforated, heated front seats • Drive mode select

Call 1-877-331-0089 today or visit northwestlexus.com

*Complete Lexus price for a 2014 IS is $39,430. Complete Lexus price includes freight and PDI of $1,995, EHF (tires) of $29, EHF (filters)of $1, A/C tax of $100, and OMVIC fee of $5. Taxes, licence, registration (if applicable) and insurance are extra. Factory order may be required. Offers are subject to change without notice. See Northwest Lexus for full details or visit www.northwestlexus.com..

Northwest Lexus is the official vehicle provider of the Rose Theatre and proud supporter of the William Osler Health System Foundation.

2280 Queen Street East, BramptonMinutes from the 407 and Airport Road

northwestlexus.com