“Christmas Rocks!” in The Buzz
November 1, 2009
My interview article with Christmas Rocks! writer, director and actor Wade Lynch made it into November issue of The Buzz. It was done through my internship at the Confederation Centre. And for your viewing pleasure…
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Christmas Rocks!: Wade Lynch and Don Fraser write a new version
Wade Lynch grew up around musical theatre. “I got bit by the bug very early on,” Lynch said. “I recall being cast as Joseph in the Christmas pageant in Grade 1. You’d be hard pressed to get me offstage since.” Lynch, who serves as The Charlottetown Festival’s associate artistic director, is co-writing Christmas Rocks! with the Festival’s musical director, Donald Fraser. He also co-wrote Canada Rocks! and Canada Rocks Christmas.
Christmas Rocks!, which opens at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on November 25, is a holiday show with a little something for everyone, Lynch said. “Every age, every idea and every religion. It’s a show that celebrates winter, not just the Christian aspects of it. It’s about celebrating family and life in wintertime.”
Christmas Rocks! will include lots of recognizable holiday tunes—but audiences shouldn’t expect the traditional Christmas show. “What I’m doing for the comedy element is a little bit different,” Lynch explained. “The subtitle for the show is A Winterland Who’s Who and that’s a play on words on the old CBC nature spots, a Hinterland Who’s Who.”
Christmas Rocks! features characters you don’t necessarily think about at Christmas time, Lynch said. “Like the neglected Christmas tree. Like the New Year’s resolution. The class clown at Christmas. And my favourite, the Christmas turkey. These are all voices you’re going to meet and hear from on stage at the Confederation Centre.”
Lynch is also one of the actors in the show. He said directing and acting in a show can be difficult at times. “Thankfully, I have a good stage manager to rein me in.” Objectivity can become an issue when directing a show you’ve also written. ‘It’s like ‘Oh my God, who wrote this?’” Lynch said.
Being a director and the man in charge definitely has its perks. “It’s the power!” he said, laughing. “It’s really the ability to oversee a project, have a particular vision for a project and be able to see it come through on stage. There’s nothing more thrilling.”
The prep work for Christmas Rocks! has been particularly enjoyable, Lynch said. “It’s my responsibility to maintain the audience we had for Canada Rocks! and Canada Rocks Christmas!, but to deliver a brand new show that’s going to satisfy them, because people are going to have preconceived ideas of what the show is going to be.” He wants to ensure the audience sees nothing they’ve seen before. “I’m trying to outwit our audience and that’s a great challenge.”
Lynch also directed The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom and has appeared in Shear Madness, Eight to the Bar, 18 Wheels, Stones In His Pockets, among others. This past season was Lynch’s fourteenth with The Charlottetown Festival and his fourth as associate director. He was also in over 1,300 performances of A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline.
Dollymixture & 2 Guest Posts
July 27, 2009
A long time ago (and in a galaxy far, far away), I did an interview with Alina Simone (check out her MySpace) for a website I once had called Jill Pushed Jack (now closed). The article was recently picked up by Dollymixture, a new online magazine for cool, alternative chicks. You can check out my article on page 18 of the premier issue.
I’ve also recently done two guest posts as a part of my myUsearch internship. The links for those are below.
East Coast Overture
July 1, 2009
After months of research, work and preparation, my East Coast music website is finally finished. I’m so relieved to finally have it up and done. But I hope to add new reviews, articles, interviews and links at least once a week from now on.
If you or someone you know would be interested in helping out with the project, please leave a comment with your contact info.
You can check out the site at the address below. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, feel free to email me.
Volunteers needed to help finish Truro Centre mural
April 4, 2009
Volunteers with creative flair are needed to put the finishing touches on the mural on the back of the Truro Centre. Experience is not required.
The mural, which was started in the summer of 2003, has been an ongoing project of the Town of Truro and the Communities in Bloom committee.
Local artist Lisa-Marie Durling, students from the Nova Scotia Community College and the Truro Junior High School art club and many other groups have assisted with the mural in the past.
NSCC digital animation instructor Holly Lennox designed a good portion of the mural and has worked on it every summer since the project began.
“Except for how slow it’s gone I’m quite pleased with it,” Lennox said,
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to community beautification in downtown, park, residential and commercial areas.
Anyone interested in helping out with completing the mural can contact Lennox at 895-8621 or e-mail her holly.lennox@nscc.ca.
(This was published in the March 4, 2009 issue of the Truro Daily News.)
BIBLE HILL – Canada’s oldest bluegrass festival will be moving to the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition grounds in Bible Hill this summer.
The Nova Scotia Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Festival, held in East Stewiacke since 2005, will call the Agridome home July 24 to 26.
About 700 to 1,000 people usually attend the 37-year-old event but organizers are hoping for at least 1,500 spectators this year.
Charlie MacKenzie, chairman of the music festival and head event organizer, cited weather and changing demographics for the change in venue.
“The site wasn’t working for us so we had to look at something different,” he said. “The weather last year played havoc.”
Aside from the weather, the East Stewiacke venue was a beautiful spot, MacKenzie added.
“You had the river flowing next to you, that sort of thing. But if it rains, the crowd stays away.”
The Agridome will allow for an outdoor experience but bluegrass fans will be protected from the elements.
“Regardless of the weather, they’ll be under a nice translucent roof,” MacKenzie said. “We’re going to have artificial turf on the floor.”
The venues in the past have had weather protection for the crowd, usually a solid or tent roof. But rain and wind still dampened the festival events.
“Our demographics (aging fan base) are changing,” MacKenzie added with a chuckle. “And they don’t want to sit in the rain.”
Dan Fraser, the president of the Downeast Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society, said they have wanted to move the festival for a number of years and Truro/Bible Hill seemed like a prime location.
“We have more camping sites with power and water in Truro,” Fraser said. “Other than that, I don’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of changes.”
Altering the festival’s venue will make for a better experience for everyone attending, Fraser explained.
“We feel it’ll be considerably bigger in Truro.”
Lloyd MacPhee, the owner of the East Stewiacke property where the festival was held for the past four years, said the event might be better off in its new location.
“We run our festivals different than they do. Some of the stuff they do – people don’t like the way they run the festival.”
Stewiacke mayor Dereck Rhoddy wasn’t aware of the event’s relocation until being notified by the Truro Daily News.
“I’m just a little bit disappointed,” said Rhoddy. “It’ll mean a loss to the economy in our area for that weekend. I’m really disappointed that they made that decision.
“We don’t really have a lot of attractions in Stewiacke. Opportunities like this are definitely a great impact.”
The exhibition grounds in Bible Hill will also host the annual Dutch Mason Blues Festival Aug. 7 to 9.
More information on the Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival can be found at downeastgrass.com.
(This story was published in the April 1, 2009 issue of the Truro Daily News.)
Two articles in The Buzz!
January 3, 2009
I was assigned an article for monthly Charlottetown arts newspaper The Buzz: do an interview with Rawlins Cross lead singer Joey Kitson in honour of the recently released compilation album and band reunion. After some phone tag and a very brief interview, I submitted my second article. It was published in the music section and you can see the finished product online here: Rawlins Cross reunion: Folk rock band reunites in support of Anthology album.
I submitted a second article after an email interview with Canadian comedy legend Jeremy Hotz. To my surprise, it was published in this month’s issue as well! Hurrah! You can check it out online here: What a Miserable Tour: Comedian Jeremy Hotz to appear at Confed’ Centre.
Scrapbook club article in The Buzz!
November 27, 2008
“…the other is about an upcoming scrapbooking club. I think the latter was the better written of the two, personally, and I have a good feeling about it this time. No, I haven’t heard back about either (yet) and yes, I submitted the articles on the last day possible but that’s not my fault. Well, for the most part- things just worked out that way. Fingers crossed!!”
I wrote this in this very blog on the entry dated November 16th.
And guess what kiddies. No, I never received a call. So, yes, I didn’t expect to open the December issue of The Buzz and see my name in print, along with the photo I submitted to go along with the article.
They published the scrapbook article, the one I had a good feeling about to begin with. So, today was a very good day for me. I plan to take a trip into the office of the paper and thank the editor for putting my article in. I know this sounds corny, but it’s a really good feeling- to have one of your goals accomplished. It feels damn good.
Here’s the article for your viewing pleasure:
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Scrapbook club
Gina Ruprecht starts monthly meetings
By Jillianne Hamilton
Scrapbook enthusiasts will now have a place to meet in Charlottetown when their habit needs a fix—of ribbon, stickers and family photos.
Gina Ruprecht, a consultant for the scrapbook company Close To My Heart, recently decided to start a monthly scrapbook club. Meetings will be held at the Delta Hotel on Queen Street monthly, or, if there is demand, twice a month. The club is for beginner scrappers but Ruprecht will also offer advanced classes.
Meetings will include lessons on scrapbooking techniques, layouts, creativity, accessorizing scrapbook pages and other paper crafts projects. The cost to do an album is $30 and $20 for a card-making kit. All supplies are provided and members have full use of Ruprecht’s scrapbook tools.
Ruprecht is starting the club because she enjoys creating scrapbook pages as a way of teaching others. She hopes the club will entice younger people to get involved in the popular hobby. “If I can get more young people into it, then I’ll be happy. That’s my goal in life.” Scrapbooking allows people to turn boring photo albums into a work of art, according to Ruprecht. “You’re not ashamed to put it out on your coffee table and show it off.”
Ruprecht was introduced to scrapbooking by her mother-in-law who invited her to a scrapbook workshop and helped her collect a large scrapbook supplies collection. “She’s built my little arsenal for me.”
Many people avoid scrapbooking because it can become an expensive hobby. Ruprecht recommends new scrapbookers not go overboard when going on their first supplies shopping trip. “You don’t have to have ink in every colour—I learned that the hard way,” she says. Ruprecht also suggests using Michael’s coupons from the company website (www.michaels.com) or buying Close To My Heart supplies when they have a clearance sale.
Scrapbook clubs are becoming more popular. People want to have more expression in what they create and enjoy feeding off the creativity of others, comments Ruprecht. “It’s like a support group for scrapbookers.”
Anyone interested in joining the club can call 902-314-8386 or email gina.and.chris@hotmail.com. You can also visit Ruprecht’s website at www.ginaruprecht.myctmh.com.
