The Citizen, 2010-11-11, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2010. PAGE 23. Entertainment Leisure&
Happy 10th
Birthday
Darren Evans
November 10, 2010
Love
Nana and Papa Evans
The Almost Famous Players
theatre group will be hitting the road
this fall thanks to a $17,300 Ontario
Trillium Foundation grant. Carol
Mitchell, Huron-Bruce MPP joined
members of the local theatre
organization at the Wingham
Heritage Theatre today to celebrate
the purchase of new portable
lighting, sound and projection
equipment.
“With this grant from the Ontario
Trillium Foundation, the Almost
Famous Players will now be able to
offer performances that promote
inclusion and community
participation in a number of
communities throughout the area,”
said Mitchell.
The Almost Famous Players are a
dance/musical theatrical group
consisting of 27 members, all living
with a developmental and/or
physical disability. The program
began in the fall of 2004 as a service
offered by Wingham and District
Community Living Association,
under the direction of Executive
Director Julie Kuik.
Almost Famous Players is
committed to being the vehicle for
physically and mentally-challenged
young adults to fulfill their lifelong
goals and passions for performing
and for showcasing their talents
on the big stage to their families,
their peers and their
communities.
“It is important to us as a group to
be good community citizens, and
give back to others the love that
we have been so freely given by
others.
The announcement of this Ontario
Trillium Foundation grant will allow
us to do this in a manner that we feel
will have wonderful benefits for all,”
said Kuik. “Our group has
succeeded at breaking down
stereotypical barriers and has
promoted awareness and education
of members’ ‘abilities’ and are
respected, valued community
members.”
In the six years of the group’s
existence, the Almost Famous
Players have been successful at
securing a partnership with the
Wingham Heritage Theatre, where
they practise for two hours weekly,
compiling a spectacular live
production that is hosted twice a
year on their stage.
They also perform for numerous
community betterment projects as
requested at no cost.
Almost Famous Players receive Trillium grant
On Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m., the
Wingham Heritage Theatre will step
out of the box and present “A Jazzy
Afternoon”, featuring The Howlin’
Dog Vintage Jazz Band and Jazz
Cafe Noir, these two groups will be
presenting the sounds of Duke
Ellington, Rodgers and Hart,
Gershwin as well as Dixieland Jazz,
blues, swing, and big band tunes.
“The frontline of the Howlin’ Dog
Vintage Jazz Band is made up of
Dave Jewett on trumpet and
flugelhorn. Dave, who lives in
Burlington is very much in demand
as a trumpeter and plays with several
groups in the Toronto and Hamilton
area including the Mississauga Big
Band and Big Smoke. Steve
Hasbury on clarinet, alto and tenor
saxes plays with several groups and
is one of the few remaining
musicians playing jazz who use the
clarinet as their principal
instrument. Dave Schmalz on
trombone lives in Kincardine and
played for many years with The
Empire Stove and Furnace
Company and several other
traditional jazz groups locally and in
Michigan. The rhythm section
consists of Ron Daniels who hails
from Goderich on guitar, who over
years has played country and rock as
well as old jazz, Karen Weber
(Kincardine) on bass and Mike
Kelley (Inverhuron) on drums.
Karen plays with at least a half
dozen groups and as well as playing
a solid jazz bass is right at home
with a trombone which she plays in
a couple bands,” writes Dave
Schmalz.
Jazz Cafe Noir is a trio with an
unusual and unique approach to the
Great American Song Book.
Fronted by veteran blues and jazz
guitarist/vocalist Allan Johnson, the
trio is also comprised of Lorna
Heidt, an award-winning,
classically-trained performance
major graduate from Wilfrid Laurier
University’s music program, playing
electric and acoustic cello with a
true passion for the instrument and
the music since the age of five,
including performance with the
National Youth Orchestra of
Canada; Sam Daniels, a Goderich
native, drummer extraordinaire with
a wide range of experience in all
styles, with a true innate flair for
jazz performance as shown in his
position with the Wilfrid Laurier
Jazz Ensemble.
The trio was born out of necessity
with Johnson being introduced to
Heidt by the owner of a
Waterloo espresso bar where she
worked as a barrista – the duo was
formed!
Desperately needing a
drummer for a last minute put-
together quartet for a black-
tie affair while his drummer was in
Central America, Johnson was
introduced to Daniels by a Goderich
music store owner while in his
shop.”
Allan Johnson will be familiar to
patrons of The Fireside Café and
The Benmiller Inn where he has
been a regular performer.
The trio also played to a packed
house at the Guelph Jazz Festival in
2009 and have been invited back for
the 2010 festival.
Local talent showcased at
Wingham theatre jazz show
Blyth Lions
CHRISTMAS
DINNER & DANCE
Saturday, December 11th
SOCIAL HOUR 6:30 - 7:30
DINNER 7:30
DANCE 9:00 - 1:00
Cost $20.00 a person
All groups, friends, families & businesses are welcome
Music by Crippled Duck
FOR TICKETS CALL MARK NESBIT 519-523-4324
BEV BLAIR 519-523-4964
BRENDA McDONALD 519-523-9404
The Blyth Lions would like to take this opportunity
to wish you a very
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Proceeds to Community Betterment
Please book early
Sit down, have a cup
The Blyth Community Church of God held a coffee house that featured live music by
singer/songwriter Blair Miskie on Saturday at the Blyth East Side Dance Studio. Miskie
performed with the help of a friend from 7 to 9 p.m. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Tickets available at The Centennial Hall Box Office.
Call: 519-672-1967 or online at www.centennialhall.london.ca
TUES., NOV. 30, 2010 - 7PM - CENTENNIAL HALL - LONDON