HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2007-12-20, Page 31THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2007. PAGE 31.Entertainment Leisure&
Canada’s Country Gentleman is
set to return to Blyth in early 2008
and says he still loves getting out on
the road.
Tommy Hunter, in the year he will
turn 70, is making his way out to
Blyth on Jan. 10, kicking off his
Share the Music, Share the
Memories tour.
Hunter then heads to London on
Jan. 11, Bellville on Jan. 12, Saint
John, New Brunswick to St. John’s
Newfoundland from Jan. 14 to Jan.
21 and then to Manitoba and Alberta
for a handful of dates to wrap up the
tour.
However, a diamond in the rough
on this tour will be Hunter’s birthday
celebration on Feb. 3 where a big
celebration is planned for
Edmonton.
Hunter says he hopes people will
want to come and see him on this
latest tour because there won’t be
any surprises and they’ll know
exactly what they’re getting.
“We certainly don’t have to tour,
but I enjoy getting out there and
meeting the people. There’s still an
audience for what I do and for
someone doing my type of show.
The audience knows what they’re
going to see and what type of show
they’re going to get before they
even go to the theatre,” Hunter
said.
“Our television show was like that,
it was like an old comfortable shoe
and while each week
was different, it was pretty much
the same format and
people could identify with the
performers.”
The Tommy Hunter show aired for
just under 30 years, but Hunter
had been known to audiences
long before that, with his time
on the television show Country
Hoedown.
This tour is nothing new to
Hunter; he likes to tour in January
and has been for 18 years straight.
But as far as road performances go,
Hunter has been on the road for 50
years travelling and singing his
songs. However, he isn’t slowing
down anytime soon.
“It’s like any other tour. I look
forward to them. If you want to do
these things, you have to look
forward to them and anticipate them
and get excited about them. If you
don’t, you better unpack and forget
about even going out,” he said.
“I look forward to it every year. It
gives me another chance to meet
the people. We all have a good time
together and that’s what it’s
all about. When we stop having
fun out there, it’s time to hang it
up.”
Hunter says that fans can expect to
be entertained with all their old
favourites on this tour and that the
live show is perfect for families.
While Hunter isn’t on tour, he’s
preparing he says, by doing some of
the things that he wants to do on his
own time. Hunter fills his time
with hours at the church and
photography.
“Basically, I have 11 months to
rest up for this tour. It’s a crazy time
to go out on the road, but it’s worked
for us and it’s a good time for us to
go out,” he said.
“It’s very gratifying to listen to the
stories that some of the people have
to tell. There was a woman from
Kitchener who came by after the
show. I came out to sign some
autographs and she came walking
right towards me and fell apart and
cried and cried. After I consoled her
and talked to her and finally wiped
her tears away she said that with all
the problems in the world and all the
fear, she said that when she watched
my show for that hour, everything
was right with the world. Isn’t that a
great line? So now you know why I
do this.”
Hunter loves to connect with his
fans and hear their stories, perhaps
that’s why he’s called Canada’s
Country Gentleman. Hunter doesn’t
know how the name came to him,
but he says he’s pretty sure that a
title like that, you earn.
Tickets are available at the Blyth
Festival office, the Blyth General
Store, Ernie King Music in Goderich
and Wingham and at Dixie Lee in
Clinton. Credit card orders can be
made by calling 1-800-465-7829
and more information is available at
www.tommyhunter.com
Stratford Fest. shows surplus
Canada’s Country Gentleman returns to HC
The Stratford Festival of Canada’s
2007 season was a triumph for
retiring artistic director Richard
Monette: his 14th season, his 14th
surplus, putting the Festival on a
sound financial footing for the
future, under the continuing tenure
of general director Antoni Cimolino
and new artistic directors Marti
Maraden, Des McAnuff and Don
Shipley.
The Festival showed remarkable
strength at the box office in 2007.
Despite the weaker U.S. dollar and
concerns over cross-boarder travel,
attendance rose almost six per cent,
with a total of 557,813 seats sold to
the 14 plays produced.
The 2007 playbill delighted
audiences with many productions
becoming hot tickets and playing to
repeated sold-out houses.
The Festival reported net revenue
for 2007 of $221,483 on total
revenue of $54,020,083, thanks to
strong ticket sales and record
donations. Revenue from ticket sales
was up almost eight per cent
reaching $33,477,258 in 2007 versus
$31,117,857 in 2006.
Annual fundraising (excluding
contributions to the Endowment
Foundation) increased by seven per
cent over 2006, making 2007 a
landmark
year for donor support. Contributed
revenue, including donations,
government funding, amortization of
deferred capital contributions,
and transfers from the
Endowment Foundation, was up
roughly five per cent to $14,374,123.
Strength in fundraising was also
seen in the For All Time Endowment
campaign, which surpassed its $50-
million goal this year. The
Endowment Foundation, one of Mr.
Monette’s greatest legacies, was
established to protect the Festival
from economic ups and downs by
supporting the bottom line and by
funding key programs essential to
training future generations of artists
and artisans.
As of Oct. 31, the market value of
the investments in the Endowment
Foundation stood at $57,068,479, a
remarkable achievement, especially
considering that it has transferred
more than $7 million to support the
Festival’s operations since 2000.
Other lead donors to the
Endowment Foundation are Bruce
and Betty Birmingham and the late
David Green and Mary Winton
Green. Matching fund programs
through the federal Department of
Heritage and the provincial
government’s Ontario Arts
Foundation were also significant
building blocks, contributing more
than $17 million to the foundation
since 1999.
The audited financial statement of
the Stratford Shakespearean Festival
of Canada was presented at the
annual general meeting at 11 a.m. on
Dec. 8 at the Avon Theatre in
Stratford.
Earned revenue, including ticket
sales, provided 73 per cent of total
operating revenue, with fundraising
bringing in 19 per cent. Government
grants (excluding federal and
provincial contributions to the
Endowment Foundation)
represented four per cent of total
operating revenue and the
Endowment Foundation transfer
another four per cent.
The Stratford Festival of Canada
has changed its marketing name to
the Stratford Shakespeare
Festival, with the close of the 2007
season. The organization’s
legal name remains The
Stratford Shakespearean Festival of
Canada; it is this name which is used
on all of the festival’s financial
statements.
NNeeww YYeeaarr’’ss LLeevvééee
B. M. & G. Auditorium and Arena
January 1st, 2008
1 pm to 4 pm
Free Entertainment and Skating
from 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Come enjoy the fellowship
Enter a contest to “Name” The Brussels Annual
Fun Weekend ~ win 2 FREE dinners to a
Brussels Legion Fish Fry.
FFoorrtthhccoommiinngg MMaarrrriiaaggee
Susan Jared
and
John Van Vliet
and their children
Andrew, Connor, Shannon, Kiaran and Ronan
***
invite you to celebrate
on the evening of their marriage
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
at an
Open Reception
BMG Arena Auditorium, Brussels
from 8:00 o’clock
Children welcome
***
Wedding at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon
Duff’s United Church, Walton
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Wingham Knights of Columbus 4th Annual Elimination Draw
Silent Auction & Buffet Lunch
$5000.00 Redeemable Voucher or $4,000.00 Cash
~ Last Ticket Drawn ~
Draw Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008
• 10 Early Bird Draws • 4 Draws on New Year’s Eve
• 2 Draws at each of our Fish Fry dates in Jan., Feb. & Mar.
Each Ticket includes admission for one
~ to draw, dance, late evening buffet & silent auction.
All proceeds for Community Betterment
Tickets: $20.00 ea. or 3 for $50.00
Lic. # M525676
Tickets available by calling
Henk 519-887-9810
Columbus Centre - Wingham - 519-357-1270
or Bill 519-523-9110
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
60th Wedding Anniversary
December 26, 2007
Jack & Helen Lee
Love from your family Beverley, David & Rosie, Barbara &
Stewart and your grandchildren and great-grandchildren