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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2001-06-20, Page 1414 -THE MOON EXPOSITOR, Aloe 20, 2001 News Walton area girl flattered she has role is Music Man By Mardy Iodgaltrtpo Mitchell Advocate staff Poised and polite, 12 -year- old Laura Elligsen of RR4 Walton says she is flattered she got accepted to play the role of the mayor's daughter in the critically acclaimed broadway classic, The Music Man. Although this is Elligsen's acting debut, she has been singing on stage for as long as she can remember. "When I was two -years -old I sang on stage with my aunt," Elligsen recalled. "I guess that is when my mom knew (that I wanted to be a singer)." From singing at Kiwanis festivals and talent shows to radio jingles and singing in the back yard, she has done it all and loves every minute of it. "I like to sing by myself, singing outsideand making up who says she is my own words," she said. singer and takes Preparation for The Music reap well. Mair involved two weeks of "Laura is easy to work rehearsals and two weeks of with," Andrew said. "She's school matinee's, and Elligsen great. She works really hard says it has been a lot of work getting ready for the show, but and is compelling to watch." she is not looking forward to Since she is such a versatile when it ends. performer, doing works from "(It has been) a lot of fun Shakespeare and some more but it is really hard work and contemporary drama, Andrew you have to be a pretty said Elligsen will have a great flexible person to go through future. all of these rehearsals. It's a There are two kinds of lot of work," She explained. singers in this world Elligson's character, Gracie according to Andrew, learned Shinn, is a rich girl whom she singers and natural, and where says is "kind of stuck-up and a Elligsen is concerned she is a tattletale." She also said gifted, natural soprano. Gracie gets excited about Laura is very kind to everything that happens and people and with her fellow wants to be like her older performers. She is very sister. genuine and very sweet," The Music Man takes place Andrew explained. in the `50s and focuses on the Elligsen's school friends story of Harold Hill, a fast- (she is in Gr. 6 at Seaforth talking travelling salesman in Public School) are really Iowa. Harold tries to hook the proud of her and are always townspeople on the idea of a asking all kinds of questions marching band and selling about the show. themuniforms and "The other day my friend instruments, then selling them called and she wouldn't get off the phone. She was really short as he skips town. His trouble comes when he falls in excited to hear about the love with the town librarian play," she said. "Her mom who turns him into a was bugging her to get off the respectable man by curtain phone and go to bed." call. With two older brothers and a younger sister, Laura says Elligsen has been taking singing lessons for a couple of she has heard some of the rap years under the instruction of and pop music they listen to, but she says classical music is Stratford's Lesley Andrew, ° w vit 1,00 Laura Elligsen a natural direction still her favorite. Her mother Bonnie says she grew up listening to classic rock and this was her musical preference, but with Laura's interest in classical and opera music, she is expanding her tastes. "She is exposing me to culture," she said. "I am starting to appreciate it (classical and opera music) too." Laura has always loved singing, and says when she began studying with Andrew. it was then she knew she wanted to be a professional singer. Elligsen considers herself lucky to be doing.what she is, and says singing and acting are things a lot of people would like to do but don't get the chance to. "I like to entertain, to he a part of the cast and part of something that people love to do," she said. "(The cast) has been just like a family to me." Although Elligsen will not be paid for her performance in the Music Man, she will receive an honorarium. Until an actor moves from amateur to an established actor within the industry, they typically are not paid for their work. The Music Man premiered June 12 and will run through June 30 at the Grand Bend Country Playhouse. Leitch seeks resolutions to support school -saving plans From Page 1 moving its students to the high school there also filling its excess space without having to use the students from Seaforth's high school to accomplish that. Leitch is seeking ea resolution from council that gives him an endorsement to work with the committee to try and get its members, a cross section of school and community members, to support that view and hopefully extend the life of the school indefinitely. At the same time, both he and Burgess acknowledge that the board is faced with a funding formula and excess space in its schools that will mean some have to close. But Burgess said schools in Huron East were already closed in the first round including Walton Public School and Vanastral Community School and is hopeful further school closures that would negatively impact Huron East can he avoided. In Burgess's situation, the issue is different. His area encompasses the northern part of Huron East with schools in Brussels and Grey Township and high schools in Listowel and Wingham which are either full, as in Listowel's case or expected to be in Wingham's where its local industry continues to expand. Burgess sees a need for the different accommodation committees to be able to communicate with each other, which is currently not allowed. "To me, that's a flaw, intentional or not. I suspect it is intentional," said Burgess who thinks there is a natural relationship between some of the clusters that could further help them address the accommodation needs of the different schools. "I think the truly fair means of taking a look at the big picture is, yes, to see the big picture in each cluster, but to also look outside the clusters," said Burgess. Burgess and Leitch were critical of the board's structure which sees five voting trustees representing Perth County and only four representing Huron County when it comes time for the hoard to make decisions of the future of arca schools sometime this fall, after the committees make reports to the board. The first round of closures saw three schools close in Huron County and only one close in Perth County. Burgess is concerned most of the closures to come will also come from Huron County. "I don't want any more closed in Huron East," he said. Leitch is currently seeking a resolution from council in support of keeping the students in their communities for as long as possible with hopes that later, he can receive a more specific resolution regarding moving thc Grades 7 and 8s into the high school. Mayor Lin Steffler said the plan made sense the last time around when community members suggested it to the hoard as a possible solution last year, before the issui"Cvas taken to court. Deputy Mayor Bernie MacLellan, who has young children, was concerned about the influence high school students would have on the younger Grade 7 and 8s by following that pian. "I think that's a concern that is going to he discussed fully by this committee," said Leitch. Burgess pointed out that the students ride buses together all the time and that, by sending them to Clinton, they would still he spending a lot of timc together. Sterner said students of different age groups often spend a lot of time together anyway, outside of school and didn't see it as a major concern. "There arc ways of separating younger students from the older," she said. Leitch also said it's common in Canada to have Grade 7 and 8s in high school settings. In relation to their concerns about the Perth County weight at the hoard meetings, both arc optimistic trustees can take the information presented by the committees and make a decision based on what makes thc most sense and not follow a perceived agenda to close schools in Seaforth. "I hopc people can rise above petty differences and ones of specific turf," said Burgess. FRESH CHICKEN LEGS MINUTE MAID ORANGE JUICE or Five Alive, Selected Varieties 355 ml 9 BEATRICE YOGbURT Selected Varieties 175 g. 12/3 77 SOFT DRINKS Selected Varieties 12 x 255 ml 499 ■ BONELESS PORK LOIN CHOPS GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES Product of USA, No. 1 Grade 49 • Ib. 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