All posts by Coral Andrews

Coral Andrews is a Kitchener, Ontario based writer whose by line has appeared in many publications... for over three decades including national magazines – 
Saturday Night, Take One, Graffiti, The New Quarterly, Canplay,Performing Arts and Entertainment in Canada, and Harrowsmith. Regional Publications include: Grand Magazine, Most Magazine, Green Magazine, Taste Magazine, Own Magazine, Proud Magazine and many others, in addition to digital publications - Start Arts and Culture, Suite 101.com and OpenFile.ca. Favourite interviews include: Lynn Redgrave, Phyllis Diller, Cynthia Lennon, and Graham Chapman from Monty Python. She recently won the 2012 Special Jury Award from the Waterloo Reion Arts Awards Currrently Coral contributes to weekly art magazine Nightlife for Waterloo Region Record.
Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Elmira Theatre Company’s Mary Ann Kennedy chats about Menopositive The Musical

Menopositive The Musical now playing at The Elmira Theatre Company.
Menopositive The Musical now playing at The Elmira Theatre Company.

A roller coaster ride of laughter and tears, moments of reflection and genuine friendship.

The hilarious and poignant musical comedy tells the story of four 50ish women who come together to stage a review for their 35th high school reunion. What unfolds is a rolicking and riveting explosion of music, revelations and gut-splitting humour.

Four women are rehearsing a musical for their 35th high school reunion and as they rehearse, they get to know each other, for better or for worse.. in this comedy/drama about growing old … and everything that comes with it whether we like it or not. There is a different bond between women friends than there between is male friends… but men can also relate to this show as well.

This is the story of four women going through the change Marnie, Cynthia, Kate and Zsuzsu… and they decide to get involved to their utter in a musical about menopause written by Kate ….but they do it anyway. Theatre creates unusual families.

Written by J.J. McColl. Directed by Mary Ann Kennedy. Music Director Paul Warder, Menopositive the Musical features ETC Veteran Deb Deckert, with Lindsay Quinn, Tracy Biggar, and Denise Gismondi.

Music by J.J. McColl and Reuben Gurr, Menopositive The Musical is An Out to See Production Originally produced by Musical TheatreWorks and Firehall Arts Centre

Some language and mature humour. Catered by The Stone Crock dinner theatre tickets are $50.  Show only tickets are $20.

Veteran actor/choreographer/director Mary Ann Kennedy and I talked about this very funny and poignant look about four women going through The Change.  Mary Ann also met Menopositive’s creator the late J.J. McColl,  McColl’s good friend Moyra Rodger who workshopped the show with ETC.

Menopositive! The Musical runs from Nov. 14 to Nov. 29, with performances Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are available through Centre in the Square, 519-578-1570 or toll free at 1-800-265-8977. For more information or online tickets, visit www.elmiratheatre.com.

Elmira Theatre Company

Here is my lovely and amazing chat with Mary Ann  Kennedy featuring some of her favorite songs from Elmira Theatre Company’s latest production Menopositive the Musical on Coral FM.  I have been to these shows and ETC continues to do a stellar job. Mary Ann and I also chat about the ETC’s 2015 Season.  Break legs! – Coral FM.

 

 

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Award Winning Composer and Audax founder Kat Gimon on Coral FM.

Kat Gimon
Award Winning Composer, Improvisor, Soprano – Kat Gimon

Come out to the second student Student Composers’ Concert of the year and enjoy a wide array of new music by students in Laurier Music‘s contemporary music program.

Admission is free! A reception will follow the concert (including fresh pretzels and apple cider).

A special thanks to our sponsor Grainharvest Breadhouse Inc. for making the reception possible.

Works by:
~ Dylann Miller
~ Jeffrey Fleming
~ David Klassen
~ James Reesor
~ Stephanie Orlando
~ Mike Borkovic
~ Melanie Bakos Lang
~ Maria Kouznetsova
~ Andrew Hewitt
~ Stephen Schooley
~ Justin Sullivan

 

Kat was a guest on my show recently.  Part two of the Student Composer’s Series is happening Wed Nov 19.  Admission is free!

Kat is also the innovator of nine voice all female live improvised music collective Audax.

for more Go to Kat’s Facebook events page. https://www.facebook.com/events/389151831209956/

And here is the link to the Nightlife story that I wrote about Kat for The Waterloo Region Record.  Good luck to all the composers!  – Coral FM.

http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/4894116-going-boldly-into-an-all-female-world-of-song/

Composer, Improvisor, Soprano Kat Gimon and Audax
Composer, Improvisor, Soprano Kat Gimon and Audax

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Al and Jillian from The Royal Streets – New Streets Songs Unplugged!

Royal Streets Sat Nov 15

I was thrilled to have Jillian Dowding and Al Friolet from The Royal Streets back in the Sound FM studios.  The Royal Streets have new music and a new band member.  For more info –https://www.facebook.com/events/1491363877755023/ or check out  http://www.theroyalstreets.com/

Jillian and Al actually premiered some new material which The Royal Streets will be singing this Sat Nov 15. And I got a Kings and Queen CD. I forgot to get it autographed! – Doh… next time.  – Coral FM

Jillian Dowding and Al Friolet at Sound FM
Jillian Dowding and Al Friolet at Sound FM

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Lost and Found’s Boiler Room Suite – Radicial Hospitality meets Revelant Theatre for Thought

Kathleen Sheehy as Agnes and George Joyce as Sprugg
Kathleen Sheehy as Aggie Rose and George Joyce as Sprugg in Rex Deverell’s Boiler Room Suite

“Ah, they will say of us – how brave, how adventuresome – to launch off on a brand new voyage of discovery at a time when most would have given up…” — Sprugg

Aggie Rose,  a former actress, and Sprugg, a failed poet, are two elderly tramps who climb into the boiler room of an abandoned hotel on the Prairies to seek refuge from winter and from the world.  Together in the shelter of their “suite,” they deflate the pompous and powerful, acting out their fantasies as they try to bring “a little warmth, a little human kindness to each other’s lives” until the outside world interrupts their reverie with the arrival of a mysterious stranger.

Canadian Playwright Rex Deverell’s Boiler Room Suite  won the 1977 Canadian  Authors Association Award for Drama.

Directed by Richard Quesnel, Boiler Room Suite features three stage veterans, Kathleen Sheehy, Alan K. Sapp, and George Joyce making his Lost and Found Theatre debut.

Boiler Room Suite is running through November 5-15 @ Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre. On Nov 8,  playwright Rex Deverell is in attendance for a Q and A after the show.

Sunday Nov 9 – @ 2pm – Gael Gilbert from Supportive Housing of Waterloo and Christine Stevanus from House of Friendship will be in attendance for Q and A after the show.

For more information go http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com/

In a candid chat, on location at Imbibe in downtown Kitchener, I spoke with Lost and Found producer/ actor Christy Ziss about Boiler Room Suite, the concept of Radical Hospitality, and the continuing passion of Lost and Found’s mandate to present theatre that resonates long after the curtain call…  (As I live in Kitchener’s downtown core,  I look forward to seeing this show for many reasons …. Coral)

 

 

 

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Evil Dead The Musical – Chatting with Actor Andrew Di Rosa in The Splatter Zone!

Far right - Actor Andrew Di Rosa who plays Jake in the Evil Dead: The Musical
Far left – Actor Andrew Di Rosa who plays Jake in the Evil Dead: The Musical

Andrew is the only Canadian actor in this production!

ANDREW DI ROSA  is thrilled to join the company of Evil Dead – The Musical!  Andrew hails from Toronto, Ontario, where he graduated from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College Specialized Bachelor of Arts Joint Program. Andrew’s past performances include Danny Zuko in Grease, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Laurie in Little Women, the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz and most recently the title role in Shrek: The Musical.  He also stars in the feature film “Fragile Minds” which is slated for release next summer.

Created by George Reinblatt, Frank Cipolla, Melissa Morris and Bond, Evil Dead – The Musical is a home-grown success story. The original production, based on Sam Raimi‘s Evil Dead film franchise, opened at Toronto’s Tranzac Club in 2003 and has been covering audiences in blood ever since. Playing to sold out audiences around the world, Evil Dead – The Musical is a proven critic and fan favourite. Starvox introduced Evil Dead – The Musical to Philadelphia in 2013 before heading back to Toronto for a limited run that was repeatedly extended after sold-out success. The current North American tour includes stops in Toronto and Hamilton, with stateside stops in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
Not to be missed is the infamous “Splatter Zone”. Better than a 3D movie, audience members sitting in this designated area (the first 4 rows of the centre orchestra) get doused in fake blood, incorporating fun real-life effects for the ultimate Evil Dead experience. In addition to bloody seats, the show’s bloody jokes and bloody tunes (“All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons”, “What the F@#k Was That”) keep audiences laughing out loud, and screaming for more.  The North American tour, produced by Starvox in association with original producer Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment, features a brand new touring cast: Julie Baird, Demi Zaino, Callie Johnson, David Sajewich, Creg Sclavi, Ryan McBride, Andrew Di Rosa, and Ryan Czerwonko.

On sale now, tickets range in price from $39.95 to $79.95 and are available online at ticketfly.com or by phone at1.888.732.1682.

Evil Dead The Musical is playing at The Randolph Theatre ( formerly Bathhurst Theatre) to Nov 9!

Andrew and I chat about Evil Dead The Musical and his fave horror flicks! OOOH Scary! – Coral FM.


Actor Andrew Di Rosa
 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

They’re BAAACK and Hungry for More! – Zombie Love is Lovelier The Second Time Around

Jeinnfier Cornish, Lisa MacNeil, and Trevor Smith- Diggins star in Dine Her at The Harmony Lunch
Jennifer Cornish, Lisa MacNeil, and Trevor Smith- Diggins star in Dine Her at The Harmony Lunch

Dine Her returns for a Limited Halloween Engagement at The Harmony Lunch. Coral FM welcomes actors Joyce Domingo and Jennifer Cornish, plus a special on location chat with Dine Her creator Bruce Hunter.

Since it opened way back in 1930, the legendary Harmony Lunch restaurant in Waterloo has survived the Great Depression, a global war and a growing fast-food chain frenzy. This summer, the iconic eatery takes on show business for ten performances of DINE HER, a romantic comedy with a meal  and a zombie apocalypse on the side. 

Written and directed by veteran Second City comedian Bruce Hunter, DINE HER offers  a frighteningly funny twist on the traditional dinner theatre concept. The 60-minute show premiered last year in Toronto earning rave reviews from critics and audience alike.

“Diner theatre is similar to dinner theatre, only it’s faster, cheaper and you still get a belly full of  laughs,” says Hunter, who performed in the original show. “It’s more like casual, comfort food, up close and personal in a cozy old diner, and then the show starts and all hell breaks loose.”

Winner of two Gemini awards and two Canadian Comedy Awards, Hunter has been featured in dozens of TV shows and films, including Atomic Betty, Kid’s CBC, Degrassi, Good Will Hunting, Mean Girls and Puppets Who Kill. Hunter’s company, RealSpace Theatre, expands the performance space beyond the stage to explore how audiences and performers interact with their environment to create a unique theatre experience.

DINE HER was written specifically for diners just like Harmony Lunch. “Not only is it a local landmark with a long, rich history,” says Hunter, “it also offers the perfect setting for this particular style of in-your‐lap comedy.”

DINE HER is co-produced in Waterloo with PrACTical TheACTrics and stars prominent local actors Jennifer Cornish, Trevor Smith Diggins, and Lisa MacNeil.  The show continues at The Harmony Lunch to Oct 31 for a limited Halloween engagement!

It includes a themed menu with three meal options for $40. 00.  Dinner at 7:00 pm. Showtime 8:00 pm. Tickets available online at 

http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dine-her-tickets-11318314383

Visit facebook.com/dineher or phone 519-804-2133 for information and group sales.  Or Follow them on Twitter@zombiedineher

Recommended for mature audiences.

It was so fun to chat with Dine Her actors Jennifer Cornish and Joyce Domingo plus show creator Bruce Hunter on location @ The Harmony Lunch for this very special Coral FM Podcast.

Writer/Acvtor Bruce Hunter cretaor of Dine Her!
Writer/Actor and Second City Veteran Bruce Hunter Creator of Dine Her!

Dine Her creator RealSpace Theatre’s Bruce Hunter

Jennifer Cornish and Joyce Domingo plus featuring selections from the Dine Her Show soundtrack.

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Night/Shift Festival Director Eric Rumble speaks about Downtown Kitchener’s Most Excellent Nocturnal Adventure!

 

Apparitions. Hidden Stories in Public Space. John Macdonald Architect and MT Space
Apparitions. Hidden Stories in Public Space. John Macdonald Architect and MT Space

NIGHT\SHIFT 2014 is downtown Kitchener’s second annual nuit blanche-style festival of art, culture and nocturnal adventure.

NIGHT\SHIFT attractions are spread throughout various indoor and outdoor locations in downtown Kitchener, based around a central event hub on Duke Street (closed between Frederick and Queen), and spreading out in both directions along Queen both North and South (as well as into the two downtown laneways – Halls and Goudies).
NIGHT\SHIFT is a project of locally-produced environmental magazine with Alternatives Journal and involvement from local artists, businesses and other community builders.

In addition to publishing a national magazine, A\J is a registered charity engaged in environmental education and community-building activities. Envisioning a better future is a central goal at A\J, and exploring or reimagining the built spaces around us is integral to achieving that goal.

I spoke to NIGHT/SHIFT’s Artistic Director Eric Rumble who discussed the difference between this year’s and last year’s event. This year NIGHT/SHIFT is offering 40 different events and Eric also spoke about the highlights. Don’t miss this one of a kind nocturnal adventure!

Night/Shift Jack-O-Lantern Flash Mob!
Night/Shift Jack-O-Lantern Flash Mob!

For more info, maps, lineups, and places to Sup and Sip – go to www.nightshiftwr.ca. Check NS out on twitter and Facebook as well.

Here is my chat with Eric Rumble from Night/Shift. See ya on the Night/Shift!  – Coral FM.

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Tamara Neill of Idea Exchange and Michael Gabriel’s Strings Attached.

 

Michael Gabriel's String Attached
Michael Gabriel’s String Attached

Idea Exchange (formerly the Cambridge libraries) is a very successful Art + Design initiative which has flourished in the city of Cambridge.

Tamara Neill, of Idea Exchange speaks about how this innovative re-branding has fosters relationships with other arts organizations in Waterloo Region, and beyond, in visual arts, cultural activities for all ages, film and music.

LA based singer/songwriter Michael Gabriel is a great example of Idea Exchange’s mandate.

He contacted them from his home base in LA regarding his traveling orchestral series “Strings Attached.”

Thanks to Idea Exchange who provided the facilities, (and also hosted these events) Michael was able to conduct a youth song writing workshop, and “Strings Attached” preview concert with cellist Trina Nadeau. He also worked with St. Benedict’s High School choral ensemble and Cambridge based adult choir The Hoot.

On Friday October 17 Michael Gabriel’s “Strings Attached” will be performed at Cambridge Arts Centre featuring these two choirs, and his mini-orchestra which includes core members Trina Nadeau, cello, and Sandy Ludwig, piano, in addition to Karen Spithoff, violin, and newest member Joy Schuster who on viola.

Or more info and tickets. Partial proceeds will go the Cambridge Shelter Corporation. http://www.cambridgesheltercorp.ca/

For Strings Attached tickets  www.cambridgecommunityplayers.com

For more about Idea Exchange  http://ideaexchange.org/

For more about Michael Gabriel  www.michaelgabrielmusic.com

Here is my chat with Tamara Neill from Idea Exchange featuring the music of Michael Gabriel including “Bye Bye So Long” (with choir accompaniment), “Penelope Rose”, and radio single “Angel Wings.” –

I think this will be  very special night for the community – Coral FM

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

A Very AuBenseiter Thanksgiving – More Murder Mystery at The Blue Moon

The Usual Suspects will be joining thr audience for Thanksgiving Dinner. Ya!
The Usual Suspects will be joining thr audience for Thanksgiving Dinner. Ya!

Rita AuBenseiter aka the Lovely and Talented Theresa Noon is back with her cast of the usual suspects! in A Very AuBenseiter Thanksgiving.

Nan is growing older and has summoned the entire AuBenseiter clan for an important Thanksgiving Dinner. When this misfit extended family gets together for a meal, they’re sure to serve up a menu of hilarity, hijinks and Nan’s special Murder Pie. Be part of the family and enjoy a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.  Invite your family and friends.

Mystery Dinner and Show: $54.00 (inc. tax and grats)

When: September 27th & October 4,11,&12th, 2014

Guests Arrive: Starting at 6:30pm

*October 12th is a matinee performance at 12:30pm

Still tickets available for this Saturday’s Murder Mystery Dinner: A Very AuBenseiter Thanksgiving. Bring your dysfunctional family to have a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in a very untraditional way with this dysfunctional family!

http://www.thebluemoon.ca/oktober-murder-mystery.php

Also at The Blue Moon…. Flannwood Mac! Friday November 7, 2014 Doors Open at: 6:30pm, Music at: 8:00pm. Tickets:$15.00 advance, $20.00 door. Reserve for Dinner to get Premium Seating

Flannwood Mac at The Blue Moon in November!

Flannwood Mac at The Blue Moon in November!

I have seen Flannwood Mac …. and they honour Fleetwood Mac beautifully.

Coral FM, Events, New Music, Off The Air

Eric Charles – Always In for the Ride

 

Eric Charles of the Eric Charles Band visits the Sound FM Studios
Eric Charles of the Eric Charles Band visits the Sound FM Studios

Eric Charles is a Canadian Singer/Songwriter and former front man for successful indie band, the Road Poets: a hardworking roots rock act with a devoted following. This seasoned and passionate live performer has stayed true to his indie pop rocker pedigree with his new full length solo studio album, Another Trip. Studded with catchy melodies, ear pleasing rock n’ rock hooks and artful lyrics that repay a close listen. Charles credits some of the following musical influences: Neil Young, Cold Play, The Killers, Radiohead, The Tragically Hip, Son Volt, Oasis, Sloan, Gin Blossoms, City & Colour, Jim Cuddy, Death Cab for Cutie, 55-40, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, U2, The Jayhawks, REM, Crosby, Stills & Nash and America.

The Eric Charles Band was recently chosen to compete at Kitchener’s Big Music Fest and over the summer Eric and his band’s guitarist / vocalist Nick Maldonado went on a Radio Station Road Trip throughout parts of Ontario and Quebec in support of Another Trip remix – In for The Ride.  The single was produced by Gavin Brown (Billy Talent, Big Sugar, Tragically Hip and Sarah Harmer to name a few!) Gavin Brown recently received the prestigious Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award. So Eric and the band were super excited to go down to Toronto’s Noble Studios to work with Brown on the In for the Ride rock remix. And the radio stations have embraced In for the Ride, which is now receiving mainstream airplay.

As the last stop of his radio station tour, Eric Charles returned to Sound FM as my very special guest. We had a wide ranging chat from the first time he picked up a guitar, to Eric’s latest big news.  The band just finished playing a highly successful concert at Kitchener’s Eidelweiss Tavern, with musical guests Jessie Treneer, and Henry Taylor. And now The Eric Charles Band has been invited to perform at Toronto’s legendary live concert venue The Horseshoe Tavern this Tuesday night Sept 30! For more on Eric go to http://eric-charles.com/ and here is the link to the piece I wrote for Waterloo Region Record’s Nightlife. http://www.therecord.com/whatson-story/4626653-big-music-fest-s-shot-at-the-big-time/  

You heard it here first. I think Eric is another musician destined for the Toppermost of the Poppermost! – Coral FM.

Listen here for my chat with Eric Charles of The Eric Charles Band. The interview also features select tracks from Another Trip, and Eric’s In for the Ride remix, plus a live acoustic performance in the studio.

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air, Station

Lynn Jackson & Chris Boyne – The Acoustic Sessions CD premiere on Coral FM

Lynn Jackson and Chris Boyne - The Acoustic Sessions
Lynn Jackson and Chris Boyne – The Acoustic Sessions

An authenticity runs through Canadian singer-songwriter Lynn Jackson’s music that reflects a deep commitment to telling stories that ring true with listeners.  Combine this with her gentle voice, rich instrumentation and sweet melodies and you get a sound that is roots-Americana with a hint of folk-pop. 

Having shared stages with Ron Sexsmith, Fred Eaglesmith and Jay Semko (The Northern Pikes), Jackson just finished her 7th studio album. The Acoustic Sessions is a stripped-down rootsy retrospective of her writing since 2002 and follows up 2012’s critically acclaimed Down in the Dust (Busted Flat Records, Fall 2012). Jackson take her cues from Lucinda Williams, Kathleen Edwards and Eliza Gilkyson, using her ‘whiskey and honey’ voice to mix her timeless melodies while spinning tales about love, loss and everyday people.  Having toured Down in the Dust through the dusty Prairies to Vancouver Island in 2013, Jackson is about to hit the road again with a coast-to-coast tour to support Acoustic Sessions. As audiences warm to her soulful storytelling style, Jackson is solidifying her place as one of the most original and compelling voices on the Canadian folk music scene.  

I love the fact that the record showcases the powerhouse talents of Lynn and her good pal Chris Boyne, who is in the band Sexdwarf. Lynn and Chris share an aural intuition and together their voices create the perfect vocal meld.  The Acoustic Sessions is another fine testament to Lynn’s strength as a songwriter. It matters not what music genre she chooses. And the reviews are just beginning to roll in …. Coral 

The Acoustic Sessions” boasts a live, off-the-floor vibe and the vocals are front and centre. Jackson has never sounded stronger and more self-assured as a vocalist. Whether you call it folk, country, introspective songwriter or roots, “The Acoustic Sessions” is, hands down, my favourite of her albums.” – Robert Reid, Waterloo Region Record.

“The Acoustic Sessions” is perhaps the cleanest and sharpest representation of Jackson’s strengths as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Unencumbered by careful, dense arrangements and studio sheen, her listeners are provided with the chance to hear her words and melodies as if for the first time. It’s also her first record to share billing with her frequent collaborator, tour-mate, and pal, Chris Boyne.” – Patrick Finch – Nightlife, The Waterloo Region Record.

Co produced by Lynn Jackson and Chris Boyne, Acoustic Sessions also showcases the creme de la creme of local players from guitarists, Joe Dunn of Sexdrarf, Scott Fitzpatrick, and pedal steel master Steve Wood, plus violinist Wendy Wright, cellist Nick Storring and very special guest performer /co-producer Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake!

I am so proud of Lynn and it was an honour to have her as a guest. During the show Lynn premiered specially chosen tracks from the Acoustic Sessions including Mark The Spot, Maria, Wintersong, and Scarecrow. Lynn’s also played her favorite songs Ham and Eggs and Trans-Canada Highway Go! from her special guest Slo’ Tom – ex frontfunman from Ottawa’s ultimate alt punkrockster trinity Furnaceface! 

Lynn Jackson is having a CD release party for her 7th studio album The Acoustic Sessions at the Jane Bond in uptown Waterloo – with special guests, Ottawa’s Slo’ Tom plus a lot of local talent, including: Chris Boyne, Joe Dunn, Scott Fitzpatrick, Andy Miller, Steve Wood, Wendy Wright!

The admission price is $10 for the show and the CD! And that CD price is One Night Only folks! Because it will only be available for $15 after the Jane Bond gig.     

For more info go www.bustedflat.com or www.lynnjackson.net

(**This is going to be such a great night. Doors open at 8 pm so I suggest you get to Jane Bond early and grab a CD for just $10 while quantities last ** Coral FM) 

 

Coral FM, Events, New Music, Off The Air

The Royal Streets visit Sound FM

 

Hailing from Waterloo, Ontario, The Royal Streets  featuring Sam Keating, drums, Eric Stirtzinger, guitar, Algeron Friolet, Guitar/Vocals, Jillian Dowding, vocals, and Michael Demsey, guitar, have already begun to make their mark on the Canadian folk-rock music scene. Following a year and half of consisting Eastern Canada touring, The Royal Streets released their debut studio effort, Kings & Queen, on March 6th 2014 with the help of Catherine North Studios and producer Dan Hosh whose credits include Canadian acts like City & Colour, Whitehorse, and Rose Cousins.

The Royal Streets play Oshaga!
The Royal Streets play Oshaga!

Although the four of us have gone to school and been friends with each other for the majority of our lives, it was not until recently that we decided combine our efforts musically. The Royal Streets is our way of demonstrating hours and hours of hard work mixed with a variety of musical influences and our own life experiences. We are based out of Waterloo, Ontario and hope to share these sounds with all of you. Have a listen and join the riot, we are The Royal Streets.

They are now on the verge of their first Western tour and I am sure it will not be their last.

**This is strange mix for this podcast – part of it is phone chat, and part of it is in studio. The reason for this – my recorder did not properly record the live broadcast, (with Jillian, Michael, and Al who also sang a new song Sour Diesel) so I salvaged what I could of it and then mixed in the phone chat that I did with Jillian and Michael the day before. And then I mixed in some of the great tunes from their latest CD Kings and Queen. Ah, technology… ain’t it great when it works? – Coral.**

Catch The Royal Streets at The Wax (beside Bobby O’Brien’s in downtown Kitchener) with special guests Amberwood and very special guests 1951 featuring their good pal / producer Dan Hosh from Hamilton’s Catherine North Studios.

For more info check out The Royal’s Facebook page or http://www.theroyalstreets.com/

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Burnin’ Up The Blues TD Kitchener Blues Festival 2014!

 

Blues Wizard Buddy Guy - Winner of the Mel Brown Award 2014
Buddy Winner of the Mel Brown Award 2014

Rob Deyman is the executive director of The TD Kitchener Bluesfest now in its fourteenth year.

I sat with Rob live on location at City Hall Rotunda and we had ourselves a wide ranging chat from the festival economic impact within Waterloo Region, to this year’s Festival highlight headliners!

Like Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Tom Wilson’s Junkhouse now 20 years old!, Lee Harvey Osmond, plus solo perfomances from the supertalents Colin Linden, and Stephen Fearing.

We also speak about the Sunday’s BIA Stage Cajun/Zydeko/Acadien showcases featuring naughty and fabulous Rosie Ledet and The Zydeko Playboys, Beausoleil avec  Michael Doucet, and special guest Festival fave Otis Taylor.  Think of this as a mini Treme! Magnifique!

Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet
Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

We cover the workshop stages, for music lovers and musicians alike who like to know the history of the Blues, and we talk about The Youth Legacy Showcase. This year The Suns open the Festival mainstage with what is sure to be an electrifying performance. Buddy Guy is being awarded The Mel Brown Award this year. So apropos!

And then we talk about Bluesfests to come….. Is music visionary Jack White in the running? And who is one of Rob’s all time fave blues players? Tune in and find out.

For everything TD Kitchener Bluesfest go to www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com and check em out on Twitter and Facebook – See ya all out there!

Burnin' Up The Blues!
Burnin’ Up The Blues!

 

 

 

Coral FM, Events, New Music, Off The Air

The Suns Open the Kitchener Blues Festival Mainstage Sat Aug 9th

THE SUNS at Centre in th Square
The Suns at Centre in the Square

Look out for these guys! It was a lot of fun to put together this little podcast.  This is a segment from Coral FM July 30 featuring The Suns original song Soul to Waste which was beautifully documented by Phil Bast – a Howling good time! And I thought I would play some Bill Burroughs for The Suns lead singer Scott Metzger  – Splat! – Coral FM

(sound file not available)

Shows

The Adventurer’s Guild Board Game Cafe and Tavern is now open!

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The Adventurer's Guild Board Game Cafe and Tavern!
The Adventurer’s Guild Board Game Cafe and Tavern!

Ryan Leandres From Adventurer’s Guild Board Cafe and Tavern –  is no stranger to CKMS – (He had a late night early am show called Molten Medal Madness!).

Cj Allen of Circus Music was my special guest co-host I played local bump and grind metal boyz Hawkeyes! Ryan dropped by to chat about the NOW OPEN Adventurer’s Guild Board Cafe and Tavern right in Kitchener’s downtown core! Eat. Drink. Roll the Dice and Be Merry with your Friends Face to Face! Follow their antics and updates at https://twitter.com/Guild_Cafe.  My turn to play. – Coral FM

 

Coral FM, Off The Air, Station

Jordan Patterson’s High Energy Blues – Electrified, Funkified, Rocked Out and Amplified!

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Bobby Thompson (left) Darryl Romphf (middle) and Jordan Patterson (right)
Bobby Thompson (left)
Darryl Romphf (middle) and Jordan Patterson (right)

About Jordan Patterson…

After spending nearly the last decade and a half forging a highly

successful career in artist tour management and concert & event promotion for artist Britney Spears, and as a Concert Production Manager/Promoter Representative for House of Blues Concerts Canada, renown Blues vocalist/harp player Jordan Patterson has returned to his first love and passion; playing and singing the blues.


Influenced by such blues harp legends as James Cotton, Paul Butterfield and Mark Wenner of The Nighthawks, Patterson’s incendiary live performances have led him and his band D.C. Hurricane to play at such premier festivals as the Tampa Bay Blues Festival (where he stole the show in 1996), Canada’s Tros Rivieres Blues Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the UK’s Burnley National Blues Festival, the London Blues Festival, Helsinki, Finland’s April Jazz Festival and many more. Patterson has also performed at venues throughout North America and Europe with some of the music industry’s true legends, including James Brown, Barbara Morrison, Carlos Santana, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mick Fleetwood, Robert Cray, Son Seals, Savoy Brown and Texas bluesman, U.P. Wilson, with whom he recorded the JSP Records released album, “Whirlwind.” Patterson subsequently toured Europe as a double bill in support of that release. In addition to his festival appearances, during his time in the U.K., Patterson and the D.C. Hurricane performed to sold-out crowds at famed London nightclubs Ronnie Scott’s and The 100 Club, and had the amazing opportunity to record sessions for the BBC Musical Archives, which were broadcast all throughout the European continents; amassing him many more fans in the process.

In 1996, Jordan released his debut album ‘Give Me a Chance’ on JSP Records with The D.C. Hurricane. The solid offering featured guest performances from blues legends Bobby Rush and Bobby Parker. It also garnered Patterson critical acclaim and worldwide press from notable publications as Living Blues Magazine (USA); Blueprint Magazine (UK); All Music Guide (USA); Juke Joint Magazine (UK), and countless newspapers throughout the globe. Blueprint Magazine was especially enthusiastic about Patterson’s live performance exclaiming, “Blessed with a voice that many performers would die for, Patterson has the wit and personality that guarantee him success. This man is a class performer and a major star in the making.” ‘Give Me a Chance’ also earned Patterson rotation on blues stations throughout the globe, including XM Radio and with Bill Wax, Program Director of B.B. King’s Bluesville, who still remains a fan to this day.

 

Group shot on ye olde Sound FM couch. The boys liked the studio!

 

Patterson is currently in the studio with his fresh new Canadian line up; The Jordan Patterson Band. With Patterson on harp, the group features bass player Darius McKinley, drummer Benjamin Rollo, guitarist Darryl Romphf and Washington DC-based, guitarist Bobby Thompson. “The Back On Track” recording project has now been released as an EP; a 4-track tease to the full-length album set to debut this winter and available for listen at jordanpatterson.ca. Three of its songs were showcased via Youtube and garnished over an impressive 40,000 hits on Patterson’s various social pages. It is a welcome return for this most galvanizing, exciting songwriter and performer as he takes his rightful spot as one of the leading practitioners of blues harp on the scene today.

I cannot believe that these three talented musicians spent over an hour with me at the Sound FM studios. All of them are high calibre players able to play anywhere in the world. Jordan has quite a pedigee. His mother, Professor Nancy-Lou Patterson – published Author, Fine Arts Professor, is a renowned artist / art historian and founder of the Fine Arts department at the University of Waterloo. His father, Dr. E Palmer Patterson is a published Author and History Professor at the University of Waterloo, with a focus on the history of the First Nations People .
Jordan is the youngest of nine kids, and years back Emmanuel Patterson or Manny as I called him was one of my main media contacts for concerts in Waterloo Region. He is now Promoter/ Director of Festivals for Live Nation Canada. So this is one high achieving family!

I sat like a sponge taking in every word Jordan, Darryl, and Bobby said about “The Back on Track Recording Project ” from Jordan’s backstory behind the each of these vibrant songs on the EP, and their immediate musical chemistry, to the actual performance “shorthand” of the band… And Jordan’s special high five to The Ultimate KW Blues Concert Curator Glenn Smith!
So grab a drink, and a snack, and have a listen to three mega talented musicmen Jordan Patterson, (acclaimed producer/songwriter/ guitarist) Darryl Romphf, and Bobby Thompson as they talk about how this project came to be and the kick ass show that is happening tonight at Cork Hall.
KW is sooooo glad that Jordan is going to bring it on home with his special brand of high energy harp n blues – Electrified! Funkified! Rocked Out and Amplified. – Coral FM

 

Listen here for the interview witrh Jordan Petterson, Bobby Thompson and Daryl Romphf.

Coral FM, Off The Air

The Lyrical Honesty and Multimusic Genre Savvy of Toronto’s Young Running

 

Young Running 4

Conjoining the complimentary genres of indie, folk and roots to create a unique aural drive that is as captivating as it is distinct.
Young Running’s take on amalgamating the finer elements of influences including The Beatles, Radiohead, The Beauties, Iron & Wine,  Death Cab For Cutie and Neil Young begets an unparalleled  purity. Young Running’s fresh perspective is illustrated on their sophomore release, an independent five-song EP dubbed Coming Home.  
Recorded over four days with producer Derek Downham (The  Beauties) and engineer John Dinsmore at esteemed Hogtown facility Lincoln  County Social Club, Moss is elated at how sublimely it showcases the band’s solidity.

Highlighted on tunes such as the simple and  honest title track via its provoking thoughts on returning to a small  hometown with romance on the mind, breezy “Quiver Of Smoke” relating the sentiment of a former spark potentially set to rekindle—as conveyed in a momentous albeit breezy tempo—and “Ohh My” utilizing an easy, virulent groove to set the stage for a bar fight, 
Coming Home is surely on a straight and narrow path fuelled by confidence, dominance, subtlety and originality.
Young Running recently made their Waterloo Region debut at The Galt Club’s Vinyl Cafe House Concert Series at Cafe 13 in Cambridge. They are currently on a cross Canada tour.  
No doubt they will soon be back!
For more info on Young Running – Liam Kearney, James Moss, Kevin Braun and Spencer Irvine go to www.youngrunning.com. – Cheers Coral FM 

Listen here for my interview with Young Running’s songwriter Liam Kearney

 

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Sharron Matthews – Queen of the Songologue!

Sharron Matthews
Sharron Matthews is performing at St John’s Church for The Elora Music Festival Sat July 26.

 

In 2013, after touring her one woman shows around the world to critical acclaim, Sharron was named the first cabaret-artist-in residence in Canada right here at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. In anticipation of her hit 2012 cabaret tour Sharron Matthews Superstar: GOLD, Sharron was named “Woman of the Year 2012” by the New Current, the largest online student magazine in the UK.  

GOLD  travelled from Toronto, to Scotland, London to New York City and then on to Cape Town, South Africa, for their inaugural cabaret festival and Sharron sold out houses and received rave reviews on her biggest tour ever.


Her New York cabaret debut, Sharron Matthews Superstar: World Domination Tour 2010, was named “#1 Cabaret in New York City in 2010” by Andrew Martin of NiteLifeExchange and WPAT Radio.
In 2009, Sharron was named “Best Cabaret Performer” by Toronto’s Now Magazine. Sharron ended 2013 back at her alma mater working on and premiering her latest show, Full Dark, which was workshopped at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre where she is the Cabaret-Artist-in Residence. In 2014, Sharron’s performance calendar will see her traveling all across Canada and back to the UK.

TV and Film:
For two seasons, Sharron was one of the stars of Global’s hit TV show, Canada Sings, which was nominated in 2012 for a prestigious Reel Screen Award and in 2013 for two Canadian Screen Awards. Sharron was named “Queen of the Mash Ups” for CS by the Toronto Star’s Debra Yeo. In 2011, she played Daphne of VisionTV’s, She’s the Mayor. In the hit movie Mean Girls, she played Joan the Secretary alongside Tina Fey. Sharron was also featured in the films Cinderella Man, Take the Lead, The Music Man movie for Disney and Hairspray: The Movie.

Solo Performer and Cabaret Artist:
In 2013, after touring her one woman shows around the world to critical acclaim, Sharron was named the first cabaret-artist-in residence in Canada.
In anticipation of her hit 2012 cabaret tour “Sharron Matthews Superstar: GOLD”, Sharron was named “Woman of the Year 2012” by the New Current, the largest online student magazine in the UK. “GOLD” travelled from Toronto, to Scotland, London to New York City and then on to Cape Town, South Africa, for their inaugural cabaret festival and Sharron sold out houses and received rave reviews on her biggest tour ever. “Hot Show! One of the top cabarets of the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe.”- The Scotsman. “Sharron is pure gold!”- Broadyway Baby. “Sharron Matthews truly is the Superstar!”- The Curtain Up Show.
Sharron Matthews took the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival by storm, garnering amazing reviews for her one woman show, “Jesus Thinks I’m Funny”, which was named one of the “Best of the Fest” by the Scotsman newspaper, out of 2800 shows. Following the Edfringe, Sharron toured the show to London’s Leicester Square theatre to sold out audiences.
Her New York cabaret debut, “Sharron Matthews Superstar: World Domination Tour 2010”, was named “#1 Cabaret in New York City in 2010” by Andrew Martin of NiteLifeExchange and WPAT Radio.In 2009, Sharron was named “Best Cabaret Performer” by Toronto’s Now Magazine.
Sharron ended 2013 back at her alma mater working on and premiering her latest show, “Full Dark”, which was workshopped at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre where she is the Cabaret-Artist-in Residence. 
In 2014, Sharron’s performance calendar will see her traveling all across Canada and back to the UK.

Stage Actress:
Sharron played Madame Thenardier in Les Miserable on a North American tour with Colm Wilkinson, Lottie in original cast of the Harold Prince revival of Showboat, Babette in Beauty and the Beast at the Princess of Wales and the Narrator in two sold out runs of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She played the Wicked Witch of the West in the acclaimed LKTYP production of Wizard of Oz for which she was nominated for a Dora Award the same year Sharron had the honour of hosting the Doras Awards (Toronto’s theatre awards) at the Winter Garden Theatre. In 2011, she returned to YPT (formerly LKTYP) play Maisie in the Seussical to critical acclaim.

Recording Artist:
Sharron is featured on the soundtrack for Harold Prince’s Showboat, Disney’s The Music Man, and her own cd, Party Girl. 
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/par…

Writer:
Sharron’s has written articles that have appeared in publications across the globe. Recently, Sharron has written for The National Post, Now Magazine, The Scotsman and The List Magazine. Her blog was named “Brutally honest and funny” by CTV’s Glenn Sumi.http://sharrmatthews.blogspot.ca/

Sharron Matthews and I had a wide ranging chin wag which runs from her tumultous childhood, to portraying both sides of the theatre nasks through her work, her family tree and The Bard, in addition to singing in New York at Joe’s Pub, Vicious Bitches in Toronto with Gavin Crawford, Film roles in Mean Girls with Tina Fey, and Hairspray with John Travolta, her latest one woman show about stage fright (in creative progress) Full Dark, and of course …. 
Sharron’s Big Broadway Show. For me meeting Sharron Matthews was like meeting a kindred spirit. Sharron is smart and sassy and so down to earth. She with her scotch and diet cola, and I with my shiraz, waxed songs, Sharron’s Mash Ups, theatre, her pal Jann Arden, Canada Sings, George! her Dora award winning husband (London Road!) Prince, and Grey’s Anatomy (**Spoiler Alerts**)! 
I can hardly wait to experience this one of a kind performance July 26 at St John’s Church for The Elora Festival.  Cheers to a Lady who Soars on Her Own Terms! – Coral FM. 

Listen HERE for my chat with Sharron Matthews! Sharron

http://soundcloud.com/coral-andrews-1/sharron-matthews-take-2

download podcast

Coral FM, Off The Air

It’s BAAAAACCCCK! – DINE HER – A Guy…. A Girl…..An UPRISING! For a Limited Halloween Engagement!

Dine Her
Jennifer Cornish and Trevor Smith Diggins star in the smash Zombie Romance Dine Her @ The Harmony Lunch.

Since it opened way back in 1930, the legendary Harmony Lunch restaurant in Waterloo has survived the Great Depression, a global war and a growing fast-food chain frenzy. This summer, the iconic eatery takes on show business for ten performances of DINE HER, a romantic comedy with a meal  and a zombie apocalypse on the side.
Written and directed by veteran Second City comedian Bruce Hunter, DINE HER offers  a frighteningly funny twist on the traditional dinner theatre concept. The 60-minute show premiered last year in Toronto earning rave reviews from critics and audience alike.
“Diner theatre is similar to dinner theatre, only it’s faster, cheaper and you still get a belly full of
laughs,” says Hunter, who performed in the original show. “It’s more like casual, comfort food, up close and personal in a cozy old diner, and then the show starts and all hell breaks loose.”
Winner of two Gemini awards and two Canadian Comedy Awards, Hunter has been featured in dozens of TV shows and films, including Atomic Betty, Kid’s CBC, Degrassi, Good Will Hunting, Mean Girls and Puppets Who Kill. Hunter’s company, RealSpace Theatre, expands the performance space beyond the stage to explore how audiences and performers interact with their environment to create a unique theatre experience.
DINE HER was written specifically for diners just like Harmony Lunch. “Not only is it a local landmark with a long, rich history,” says Hunter, “it also offers the perfect setting for this particular style of in-your‐lap comedy.”
DINE HER is co-produced in Waterloo with PrACTical TheACTrics and stars prominent local actors Jennifer Cornish, Trevor Smith Diggins, and Lisa MacNeil. 

 

The show includes a themed menu with three meal options for $40.00. Dinner at 7:00 pm. Showtime 8:00 pm. Tickets available online at eventbrite.ca.

Visit facebook.com/dineher or phone 519-804-2133 for information and group sales. Recommended for mature audiences. Dine Her opens Wed Oct 22 and runs to Friday Oct 31.

 

It was my severe pleasure to chat with the cast of Dine Her – Jennifer Cornish, Lisa MacNeil, and Trevor Smith Diggins. And to see if my special guest co-host Circus Music’s CJ Allen could finally vanquish his Zombie fears.

Also featured in this podcast The Official Dine Her Music Soundtrack. Special thanks to my good pal JavaJoy aka Joyce Domingo (who is also part of Dine Her Cast) for helping me put this special undead music collection together. To all in the cast – Break a Leg – Don’t Lose One!
Squooches and Brains – Coral FM. 

 

 


Coral FM, Off The Air

The Mahones – Coral FM Get Shamrocked Part 2

The Mahones are currently on tour and play the Ottawa Jazz Festival June 30  http://ottawajazzfestival.com/
I had a chance to chat with tin whistle virtuoso Michael O’Grady about All Things Mahones.
And I also had a crazy wee chin wag with Finny, Katie, and drummer Dom “The Bomb” Whelan about their fave Shane MacGowan and The Dropkick Murphys yarns which inspired Mahone songs Great Night on the Lash on Black Irish and Pass the Pint of No Return on Angels and Devils!
Check The Mahones out at a shindig near you and find out about their latest shenanigans http://themahones.co/

Slainte! – Coral FM

Listen here for the the chat.

Coral FM, New Music, Off The Air

Craig Cardiff – Always Telling The Book of Truths

Craig Cardiff
Craig Cardiff’s latest double CD Love is Louder (Than All This Noise) is one of my favourite new releases in 2014.

For the past two and a half years, Craig Cardiff has been passing around a Book of Truths during his shows and asking his fans to share something truthful in it – a story, a confession, a hope, a secret.

The book gives fans a chance to write down something they might  be too afraid to say out loud, and it gives Cardiff an opportunity to connect  with the people who come to his shows.

Those entries aren’t always easy to read. The stories can be heartbreaking, and they can leave Cardiff wanting to do something, to find the person who wrote in his book and tell them to hold on for tomorrow, that things will be OK. Cardiff’s new album, Love Is Louder (Than All This Noise) Part 1 & 2, has turned into a response to those stories. This double album, which was released Nov. 19, 2013, offers 21 tracks that are connected by an underlying sense that there are better days to come. 

The Arnprior-based folk singer worked with producers Ben Leggett (Faraway Neighbours, Ben Hermann) and Andre Wahl (Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet) to record an album that is quite different than anything Cardiff has released before. Love Is Louder (Than All This Noise) is one-part boisterous group sing-along, one-part gentle lullaby. One album features full live band recordings, while the other is more subdued, with acoustic guitar, cello, clarinet and violin. This is the same team that produced Floods and Fires, the album that earned Cardiff a nomination for a 2012 Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo and a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination as 2012 Contemporary Singer of the Year. This time, Leggett and Wahl told Cardiff they wouldn’t let him make an album like the ones he’s made before. Cardiff recorded with a live band for the first time, playing louder and harder than he ever has, and he stepped into a new role, arranging instrumental parts. Cardiff, Leggett and Wahl recorded Love Is Louder (Than All This Noise) primarily in Cardiff’s home studio in Arnprior – which he and Leggett built together during the recording of Floods and Fires – the Chalet Studio in Claremont, and the Schoolhouse studio built by Hawksley Workman outside Huntsville.

For more info about Craig and his current tour go to http://www.craigcardiff.com

Love Is Louder (Than All This Noise) is a fabulous double CD. I have most of it on my Ipod so I can have Craig’s little heartplays in my ear wherever I roam. – Coral FM

Listen here for my interview with Craig Cardiff.

https://soundfm.s3.amazonaws.com/Coral-FM-2014-05-18-Craig-Cardiff.mp3, 44 MBytes, 48m08s

Coral FM, Off The Air

Coral FM A Christmas Coral 2013

A Christmas Coral This is my special sonic Christmas prezzie which I have been now been doing for 20 years –  Seasons Greetings to Everyone at Sound FM – Here’s to another Great Year of Broadcasting. This Christmas Coral is dedicated to all of my great friends – Mike and Therese, Therese, Kara, Mandy, Rolf, Ray, Kate, Rose and Pedro, Mum and Dad, Phil and his Families, Lauri and her Family, and especially **Malcy and Jack**  xx Coral Fm aka The Christmas Coral

Coral FM, Off The Air

Actor Sara Topham on Coral FM speaks about playing Ruth in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit


Sara Topham as Ruth in Blithe Spirit

“(Compared to Juliet in Romeo and Juliet) playing Ruth in Blithe Spirit is like driving a tiny tiny sports car on a highway cut into the side of an incredibly high mountain with a sheer drop to certain death on the rocky rapids beneath on your outside side. It’s a completely different experience.” Sara Topham

Pictured above – Sara Topham as Ruth in Blithe Spirit.
Photo credit David Hou courtesy of The Stratford Festival.

Blithe Spirit is directed by Brian Bedford, (an expert on all things Noel Coward to my mind!)
The cast also includes Ben Carlson as Charles, Michelle Giroux as Elvira, and Seana McKenna, as Madame Arcati.

In Part 2 of this interview, Sara speaks about playing the role of Ruth in Blithe Spirit from mastering Coward’s lovely complex text to working on a crazy special effects set (like another character itself!) in this terribly savvy and simply finely comedy. We also talk about one of her all time favorite movie roles. And …. I have put together a special music mix
just for Sara from Sergei Prokofiev to the prose of Alfred Lord Tennyson! – Coral FM.

 

Coral FM, Off The Air

Actor Sara Topham on Coral FM speaks about playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at The Stratford Festival

Sara Topham as Juliet and Daniel Briere as Romeo in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Juliet’s like closing your eyes and falling backwards off a huge cliff into a big rolling ocean where you know, as long as you surrender, you will perhaps end up at the bottom of the ocean but the waves will bring you up again. You feel like the ocean is okay. It’s a safe place.” – Sara Topham

“Romeo and Juliet is a blessedly traditional Elizabethan vision thanks to sublime director Tim Carroll. 

Sara Topham’s Juliet is reminiscent of Olivia Hussey’s impassioned performance in the Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film classic.” –  Coral FM

Directed by Tim Carroll, (Peter Pan for Stratford Festival) Romeo and Juliet cast also includes Daniel Briere as Romeo, Tom McCamus as The Friar, Jonathan Goad as Mercutio, Kate Hennig as The Nurse, and Scott Wentworth as Lord Capulet. 

In Part 1 of this interview Sara chats about the thrill and challenge of playing Juliet, and playing this role with the Festival house lights up! This beloved Shakespearean character was Sara’s very first speaking role in a play at high school … so she has been “living with Juliet for a long time.”

Coral FM, Events, Off The Air

Noel Edison Artistic Director of The Elora Festival on Coral FM

Gambrel Barn
The beautiful Gambrel Barn performance space at The Elora Festival now celebrating its 35 season.

Elora Festival Artistic Director Noel Edison is well established as one of the most versatile and charismatic conductors in the world today. As conductor and artistic director of two world-class Canadian ensembles, the large-scale Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the chamber-sized Elora Festival Singers, Edison is widely recognized and appreciated for his skillful, interpretive work with both choir and orchestra.


A native of Toronto, Edison moved to the scenic village of Elora, where, in 1979, he co-founded the Elora Festival and, a year later, the Elora Festival Singers as its choir-in-residence. Since 1984, Edison has served as Artistic Director of the Elora Festival as well as Organist and Choirmaster of one of the few all-professional church choirs in Canada at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Elora. In 1988, he established the Elora Festival Orchestra.  


In 2002 the University of Guelph conferred upon Noel the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music. 
And on January 22, 2009, he was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour.

Elora Festival 
The Elora Festival was launched as the Three Centuries Festival in 1979. It has since evolved into an internationally acclaimed annual music event now known as the Elora Festival that attracts capacity crowds to the Village of Elora. Patrons enjoy four weeks of international calibre music, from large-scale classical works for choir and orchestra to intimate evenings of jazz and popular music.

Elora Festival and Singers 
The Elora Festival Singers (EFS), an all-professional Grammy- and Juno-nominated chamber choir, was founded in 1980 by Noel Edison as principal choral ensemble of the Elora Festival. In 1992, the Elora Festival Singers was incorporated as a separate organization to manage its year-round activities. Since 1997, the choir has been the core of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, and is the choral ensemble-in-residence of the Elora Festival for four weeks each summer. Through regular concert series, recordings, broadcasts, and touring, EFS has established a reputation as one of the finest chamber choirs in Canada and beyond, contributing to the musical life, not only of the community, but on an international stage. With eight releases on the NAXOS label, the EFS is known for its rich, warm sound and clarity of texture. The choir is renowned for its diverse styles, for its commitment to Canadian repertoire, and for its collaborations with other Canadian artists. The Elora Festival and Singers continue to manage a professional choir of international regard and present a summer festival of classical and contemporary music, with an emphasis on choral works, featuring Canadian artists of international calibre in the unique setting of the Village of Elora.

It was my great pleasure to have Elora Festival Artistic Director Noel Edison as a special guest on Coral FM. We had a lot of fun in a candid wide ranging chat which included Noel’s experience on The Grammys red carpet, his insight into the music of tomorrow, his childhood passion for singing, how Carl Orff’s Carmina’s Burana’s Oh Fortuna is about to be used in a most unusual way, and of course The Elora Festival 2013! 
Noel Edison is welcome back anytime! – Coral FM.

For a complete guide to Elora Festival 2014 and to order tickets  Visit http://www.elorafestival.com
Listen here for my interview with Noel Edison