This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
The Orillia Jazz Festival happens this weekend. I had a chat with Arts Orillia’s artistic director, Kate Hilliard. Arts Orillia took over stewardship of the festival a few years ago. She said this year they ran into some logistical issues and scaled back the festival to two days and three events. They are already looking ahead to a ‘big one’ next year and plan to come back with the kind of weekend schedule we are used to.
The first event is a concert Saturday October 19 at 1 p.m. at the Opera House. Brassworks has been the centerpiece of this Saturday afternoon concert for several years. They play mostly big band charts of standards, along with several charts written by Curtis Metcalf of pop tunes that lend themselves to big band treatment (Earth Wind and Fire, Chicago, etc.)
Of course, the high school students populating the Orillia All-Star Jazz Band and the All-Star Vocal Ensemble might take issue of just who the centerpiece is because they have been part of the Saturday afternoon concert since its inception. They had a rehearsal earlier in the week with guest teachers, Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell of the Juno nominated Autorickshaw, who will also be performing at this concert.
Every year the school ensembles seem to be better than the year before. Both ensembles have students from each of the City’s high schools playing along.
Autorickshaw was last here a few years ago for the Mariposa Folk Festival. They play a fusion of Indian/Jazz/Pop music, and use looping technology to increase the number of instrumental voices you hear. You can get tickets online.
In the evening, two time Juno winner Caity Gyorgy will open a concert at the Opera House at 7:30 p.m. She’ll be followed by Thompson Egbo-Egbo. If you were at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Ontario 55+ Winter Games in February at St. Paul’s, you heard his trio – and you saw a stunning display of modern dance by a troupe choreographed by Vicki St. Denys doing their thing to Thompson’s music. Well, they are back, only 5 dancers this time instead of the 15 or so last February, but I expect it will be just as interesting to see and hear them do 4 numbers with Thompson. You can get tickets here.
Sunday, St. Paul’s Centre returns to the jazz festival menu with their Jazz service. The new music director at St. Paul’s, Dan McCoy got his friend Dave Sereny to perform at the service. The guitarist had a couple Canadian Smooth Jazz Award nominations for his previous album, and two tunes charted as high as #2 on U.S. charts. The resume of musicians he’s played and recorded with (it’s long) include Jose Feliciano and Bob James. Also performing at the service are Rhonda H Way, Betty Beata and the St. Paul’s choir.
Also, Randy Hoover and crew, otherwise known as the Phoenix Jazz, will be playing at Lake Country Grill Friday Oct. 18
Images
Last weekend was pretty perfect to be bombing around North Simcoe, seeing the fall colours, and stopping at someone’s art studio here and there to see some art made right here at home.
I didn’t get too far from town on Monday afternoon, but I was impressed there were sales being conducted and there were a lot of people at each studio/gallery. The first place I went to was Jimi McKee’s. he was close by so it made sense to go there first. He had a houseful of gazers. I’ve been to Jimi’s enough times, I’ve seen just about everything already, so I spent more time chit-chatting than anything.
Next was to Marlene Bulas’s studio on West Street. Marlene is now at Champlain Manor because of the decline in her cognitive abilities (room 207 is you want to visit, or send a card or flowers), Walter was manning the fort with the help of his brother, Gary, and his wife Linda. A few paintings went out the door while I was there. Marlene was using a different style, more realism, over the last few years, and a large one of those was being claimed.
Walter is handling things well and said if anyone wants to visit ,Marlene has good days where she seems to be very aware, and not so good days where she does not recognize people.
Next I was out to the late Dave Becket’s studio where I met his son, Todd, for the first time. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree; Todd is a personable as Dave was. He said they sold a lot of prints and some originals, but there is a lot to sell. Todd moved back to town from Los Angeles where he worked in show business. He said it was an easy decision because the industry has not returned to the level o activity there was before the pandemic and the actors and writer’s strike. The good thing for him is as a sound recording guy he can work from anywhere when there is work.
Sharon Hancock, Paul Allen, Pan Allen and Ron Hancock 
Art by Marlene Bulas 
Todd Beckett
The good news he won’t be opening the gallery for regular hours as Dave maintained, but will be opening the studio up for special events. He’s looking at December as the next time people can go out to see the work, or buy something.
Down the street is Pam and Paul Allen’s place, so it was an easy decision to go there next. Pam said Paul sold some furniture, but people didn’t seem to be buying as much of her jewellery as previous years. That said, they were pleased with the amount of people who stopped by over the weekend.
I had planned to make one more stop, but of course I didn’t not leave enough time to get to the next place by closing time, so that was the extent of my carousing around.
Terry Savage
The band played the music from their new EP, Hope This Helps, last Saturday night at Couchiching Craft Brewing. With only 6 tunes on it, they obviously did music from their previous albums. The upstairs room was packed. The band was in fine form and the audience was ready to hear them.
Jamie Haffendan is a pretty good lyricist and the band plays well together. They even did the obligatory breakout a rock tune as spontaneous filler between tunes on the set list. It wouldn’t be a Terry Savage show if they didn’t work in some AC/DC, or Black Sabath in there, even if only for a few seconds.
If you like good old fashioned country music playing, check this band out the next time they play here.
Other Concerts This Week
The Cellar Singers start their concert season Oct. 18 at St. James’ Anglican Church. The featured piece of music is The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace by Karl Jenkins.
Jenkins is the composer who wrote Palladio, which was the DeBeer’s diamond commercial music we all know. Jenkins was also in the Jazz/Rock Fusion band, Soft Machine, for quite a long time and is you’ve ever seen the BBC video performance of Mike Oldfield’’s Tubular Bells, he’s in the band.
The soloist is Lillian Brooks whose career has kept her far away for so long, I had forgotten she’s from here. You can get tickets online.
And, The Orillia Concert Band and the Orillia Big Band share the stage at St. Paul’s Centre Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. It’s a benefit concert for The Sharing Place Food Bank. You can get tickets online.
Orillia Fall Fair
The annual Fall Fair is this weekend, and the name has expanded to the Severn, Orillia and District Fall Fair. This 174th version starts Friday at 4 p.m. at ODAS PArk with a tractor pull – and of course a midway.
Saturday has a new event called Pumpkin Chuncking, which may be too late to enter, since you need to build a trebuchet, but it will be fun to watch
The other staple is the Demolition Derby. That happens Sunday at 2 p.m. The fair runs to Sunday afternoon.
Halloween Stuff
Derick Lehmann’s Halloween light and music show runs Friday and Saturday nights. It’s on Dale Drive (Couchiching Point). There is no charge, but he is collecting donations for the Sharing Place Food Bank.
The Leacock Museum has a new exhibit, Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction and has a Ghost Walk happening Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26. You can get tickets online.
The Orillia & District Agricultural Society has some tricks up their sleeves for Halloween. They have the Severn Slaughterhouse happening Oct. 11/12, 16-19, and 23-27 at ODAS Park. They say it’s family friendly and you can get tickets online.
Friday night, dress up (there are prizes) for the Coldwater Witches Walk. It happens from 5 to 9 p.m. on the main street. Businesses will be open late and there will be vendors and live music. Do the Graveyard Walk at eh Coldwater Mill. This event is for those 19 and over.
The main street will be closed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for the Coldwater Trick or Treat. Wear a costume, there’s a scavenger hunt, games and activities.
The Shorts
- The Mariposa Arts Theatre has run into a situation where they need a reasonably experienced stag manager now for their February play, The Thanksgiving Play. No, their timing is not off, it’s about a group of teachers trying to put a pageant together. Email a resume to Stevie Baker at mariposaartstheatre@gmail.com
- There are only 30 tickets on the main floor for the Oct. 31 performance by the Lightfoot Band and less than half the balcony is left. There will be more info about the Lightfoot Festival next week, but the whole band is staying over for the Memories of Gordon Lightfoot: Stories & Music Nov. 1 at Creative Nomad Studio.
- There are still some spots for Trunkers left to grab – Derick Lehmann is trying to hit 100 – and registration for the 5th annual Trunk Or Treat Halloween fundraiser for the Orillia Youth Centre is open. You can get tickets online for your kids now. The date of the event is Saturday October 26 and it’s at ODAS Park.
- Downtown Orillia is putting on a parade. The Monster March is Oct. 26 at 11 a.m. Anyone can enter, but you have to dress up. This one is going up the hill on Mississaga Street. There will be Trick or Treating for the kids at some downtown businesses after the parade.
- The Orillia Concert Association starts their concert series Oct. 27 at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church with the Stratton Soloists. This nine piece ensemble is made up of musicians who formerly worked for the late Kerry Stratton. They have the Elmer Iseler Singers in January, the comedy team of Bridge and Wolak (they are musicians too) in March, and Lance Anderson in May. The season ticket price is still only $90 and you can get season passes by emailing orilliaconcert@gmail.com or call 705-325-3532. You can also get tickets for individual concerts (440) at the Opera House box office.
- You can get tickets now for the Mariposa Folk Festival’s Mariposa-In-Concert event Nov. 23 at the Opera House with Matt Weidinger’s Van Morrison show. Matt is a member of Matchedash Parish and has appeared in many of Lance Anderson’s tribute show bands.
- Tickets will go fast for The Free Label with special guests, the Harmonicity Rock Choir event at the Washago Community Centre; mainly because there are only 100 tickets. It happens Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m.
- The Orillia Museum of Art and History is opening three exhibits Oct. 26, one is Teachers and Their Enduring Impact, The Legacy of Jose Salas with a reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; at 1 p.m. things shift to the annual Carmichael exhibit, Tradition Transformed, and Gillian Lowry’s Owl Pen Revisited, reception from 1 to 3 p.m. OMAH’s annual gala is Jan. 18 and is also their 25th anniversary party; it’s at Hawk Ridge and the keynote speaker is Adam Shoalts; get tickets online; OMAH’s Haunted History Tours are Oct 23 and 30, register online… St. Paul’s Centre has the Call to Action 83 Art Project in the Ogimaa Miskwaaki Gallery… Hibernation Arts just got new paint, on the walls, from front to back and most of the artists have brought in new work to see and a Meet the Aritsts night Oct. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m.… Peter Street Fine Arts has work by Renee Havers as guest artist for October… ODAC artists have new art up in the Green Room at the Opera House.
- Couchiching Craft Brewing has Stephan Bernard playing Oct. 19; Jakob Pearce Oct. 25.. Quayle’s Brewery has Kevin California playing Oct. 18; Sydney Riley is in OPct. 19; Gen Cyr Oct. 20; Jakob Pearce Oct. 24; and Andrew Walker Oct. 25… the Hog ‘N Penny has Meredith Warboys in Oct. 18.. The Polyester Slackers and DJ Rudy have a Halloween party happening at the 201 Grill and Game Bar (the Highwayman) Oct. 25 (prize for best costume)… Vitalogy plays at St. Paul’s Centre Oct. 26 (tickets)… The Orillia Silver Band concert Nov. 2 at St. Paul’s Centre features Alex Teske as their guest; get tickets here… Dan Bazinet is at Fare Oct. 24… the comedy team Bad Apples (Nelson Mayer and Clayton T. Stewart) are at Fionn MacCool’s Nov. 8; get tickets here. .
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied) Main: Thompson Egbo-Egbo and Caity Gyorgy play the 2024 Orillia Jazz Festival at the Opera House Saturday night.
