Centennial Concert Series begins later this month

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – Comedy, song, dance and children’s theatre will all be making its way to the Morinville Community Cultural Centre beginning Sept. 30 with the first in a series of 10 concert performances organizers are hoping will hit Morinville’s entertainment and cultural taste buds.

“We’re calling it the Centennial Series and I think it is significant the first series of its kind we’re having in Morinville will take place in the centennial year in this brand new building,” said Community Cultural Centre Manager Laurie Stalker. “It’s an opportunity for people in Morinville to experience shows that are right here at home. Many people in Morinville attend many shows and concerts region wide, but now they have an opportunity to just go out their back door and come and see this sort of thing.”

The series begins with fiddler Lizzy Hoyt and branches out over the fall and winter to include performances from Al Simmons, Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People, Polyjesters, TorQ Percussion Quartet, Lorne Elliott, Ballet Kelowna, River City Big Band, Pro Coro Canada and fiddler Calvin Vollrath.

The performances are categorized into three separate series: Especially for Family, Friday Night Specials and Extra Specials.

Stalker said the family series will include an interactive visual arts event produced by the Art Gallery of St. Albert called Beyond the Frame. “Kids will be able to actually walk into a large picture frame and experience the art, and contribute to the art, when they’re in there,” she said. Cost of admission is $2.

Also on tap for families is Al Simmons, a performer whose show combines comedy with unusual musical instruments made from found objects, and the Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People’s production of Pinocchio. Both shows will be a $10 general admission.

Friday night performances for adults include Polyjesters, TorQ Percussion Quartet, Lorne Elliott, Ballet Kelowna, and the series’ first performance, fiddler Lizzy Hoyt.

“She’s an Edmonton-born fiddler, the daughter of well-known musicians David Hoyt and Janet Scott-Hoyt,” Stalker said of the performer set to hit the stage Sept. 30. “She does kind of a blend of Cape Breton-style fiddling and step dancing that she combines with country music.” Tickets for the Hoyt show are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students.
The Extra Special series will include River City Big Band, Pro Coro Canada and fiddler Calvin Vollrath, the latter of whom will be in town for three days performing a dance, cd release show and a fiddle gala on the Sunday. Each of the Extra Special events are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and students.

Stalker explained she has tried to provide a variety of entertainment throughout the series but is open to feedback from the public throughout the year as to what type of entertainment they would like to see at the Community Cultural Centre in future series.

“We want it to always be a series that people find something that they can enjoy, and maybe more than one thing,” Stalker said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good representation of music, dance, theatre, visual arts in the series. Within each of those disciplines there are many genres we will be looking at.”

Tickets for the concerts will be available through TIX on the Square and at the Community Cultural Centre box office. Details on dates and times can be found on the Community Cultural Centre’s website at www.morinvillecentre.com or below.

Performance Details

Especially For Family

Beyond The Frame produced by the Art Gallery of St. Albert
Tickets $2Kids, PARENTS FREE
www.artsheritage.ca

Step into a giant picture frame and walk into a world of art! Beyond the Frame features original mural-size paintings in a 3D interactive exhibit that lets little ones discover a whimsical forest with castles, fantasy creatures and magical creations. Children of all ages enjoy creating images that extend beyond the artist’s paintings and engage in creative experiences driven by the art.

Al Simmons
Saturday, October 15, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $10
www.alsimmons.com

Al Simmons’ one-man, multi-prop, music-filled, off the wall performances have elevated audiences world-wide to collective giggles and all-out guffaws. Al’s humour touches a responsive chord in people of every age. The popular Manitoba-based children’s performer puts on a funfest, full of bizarre gadgets, wild costumes, unique songs, crazy vaudeville-inspired routines and of course bad puns. A creative genius with the soul of a vaudevillian, Al Simmons is a one-man cast of thousands!

Pinocchio presented by Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People
Friday, March 25, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $10
www.albertaopera.com

Let Pinocchio captivate you with this lively musical theatre rendition of the classic fairy tale. Prepare to be whisked away to the scenic hills of sunny Italy where magic and adventure collide in a new adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale!
With four performers, an original musical score, and set and costumes by award-winning designers, Pinocchio will provide a truly engaging theatre experience for your family. And, watch for local student performers in this production!

Friday Night Specials

Lizzy Hoyt
September 30, 2011
7:30 pm
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Seniors and Students
www.lizzyhoyt.ca

Lizzy Hoyt is a fiddler, singer, songwriter, entertainer, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist from Edmonton, AB. This Canadian ‘east -meets-west’ performer combines the energetic and rhythmic fiddling from the Maritimes with country-folk songs from the west. Lizzy Hoyt is a musician devoted to the rich tradition of live music and a wonderful entertainer, sharing a variety of talents in her show:
energetic, driving fiddle tunes, storytelling songs, traditional songs and Cape
Breton style step dancing.

Polyjesters
November 18, 2011
8:00 pm
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Seniors and Students
www.grelinentertainment.ca

Alberta brothers Jason and Sheldon Valleau honed their musical talents in Europe playing for everyone – from busking for passers-by to the Prince of Monaco. Since then, they have been everywhere and have even shared the stage with the famed Trailer Park Boys. It’s a bumpy, twisting road they travel, rife with adventure, great stories and excellent music. The Polyjesters play everything from Billie Holiday to The Beatles.…from old swing/jazz standards to alternative country. Their special home-grown blend called CHUNK is a unique sound that is highly energetic, completely contagious, unfailingly entertaining and appealing to a wide range of musical taste.

TorQ Percussion Quartet
January 13, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Seniors and Students
www.torqpercussion.ca

Extreme percussion! Winners of the 2009 Mississauga Arts Council award for “Best Emerging Performing Arts Ensemble”, TorQ Percussion Quartet was formed by four Canadian percussionists looking to add new energy to percussion repertoire and performance. Playing everything from garbage cans to marimba, TorQ has garnered standing ovations across Canada, and their repertoire ranges from sweetly lyrical mallet quartets to no-holds-barred, high energy percussive show pieces.

Lorne Elliott
Friday, February 10, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Seniors and Students
www.lorne-elliott.com

Lorne Elliott is a comedian, storyteller, musician and a playwright and the long time host of the CBC radio show Madly Off in All Directions. Lorne has performed his one-man show around the globe in theatres, colleges and clubs, regularly appearing at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and on numerous television programs. Lorne’s unique and wacky performance style makes for a very special show of comedy and music – totally original, entertaining, up-lifting and foolish enough to make everybody laugh.

Ballet Kelowna
Friday, March 9, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Seniors and Students
www.balletkelowna.ca

From the great ballet traditions of the 19th Century, through the sultry tango bars of Argentina, to the impassioned and tragic greatest love story of all time, Ballet Kelowna takes the audience on a transcendent journey through ballet history. See the glorious pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty, experience the sultry dance of love and passion in Tangazzo and be thrilled by Romeo and Juliet Appassionata.

Ballet Kelowna is breathtakingly beautiful, bold and fresh; captivating audiences with classical and innovative dance.

Extra Specials at the CCC

River City Big Band Jazzy Christmas
Saturday, December 17
7:30 pm
Tickets $30 Adults, $25 Seniors and Students
www.rivercitybigband.com

Edmonton’s premier 17 piece Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Larry Schrum will present a collection of your favorite Christmas and Yuletide hits arranged in a Big Band style, featuring vocalist Chandelle Rimmer and narrator Colin MacLean. Arrangements by Stan Kenton, Tom Kubis, Allan Gilliland, Larry Schrum, Mike Crotty and others will swing you into the Christmas spirit!
Includes champagne reception at intermission

Pro Coro Canada
Sunday, April 15, 2012
2:00pm
Tickets $30 Adults, $25 Seniors and Students
www.procoro.ab.ca

Pure, floating voices, impeccable intonation and the performance of a variety of choral music from the Early Renaissance to the Avant-garde combine to create Pro Coro Canada – one of Canada’s few professional chamber choirs. This award winning choir celebrated 30 years during its last season and will kick off a special choral connection in Morinville at this performance!

Includes dessert & coffee reception at intermission

Calvin Vollrath

Old Time Dance – Join Calvin and his talented band and dance the night away!
Friday, April 20, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $30 Adults, $25 Seniors and Students

19th Annual CD Release Concert – Fiddle fans from across North America will gather to hear this phenomenal player’s new compositions plus hits from previous releases.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
7:30 pm
Tickets $30 Adults, $25 Seniors and Students

Fiddle Gala – A great showcase of Canadian fiddling, featuring Calvin and fiddlers from across the country.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
2:00 pm
Tickets $30 Adults, $25 Seniors and Students
www.calvinvollrath.com

Canada’s fiddling sensation Calvin Vollrath returns to his Morinville roots for a weekend-long fiddle festival! This musical prodigy has composed over 400 tunes, many of which have become standard contest and dance tunes across North America & Europe. Among his many credits, Calvin was commissioned to compose fiddle music for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and was inducted into the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame in New York in July, 2011.

Calvin’s love for music is contagious and he always brings the audience to their feet.

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