Beach resident Lorraine Green-Kimsa is the director and choreographer of the 60th anniversary production of Onstage Productions’ up coming The Pajama Game, April 25 to 27 at 8 p.m., and April 28 at 2 p.m., at the George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Pl. Geeen-Kimsa began her illustrious career in theatre at age 7, appearing on the CBC program Junior Magazine. Since then she has been involved in numerous theatre companies across North America – Broadway North, Scarborough Music Theatre, StageWorks, Pickering West Hill Theatre and others – acting as performer, director and choreographer in countless productions. She is also a former board member of the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, now called Young People’s Theatre. Her awards include three THEAs for her choreography of West Side Story, Oklahoma and Man of La Mancha, and a Broadway World nomination for her production of Urinetown-The Musical.
Green-Kimsa has been a tireless promoter of live theatre. Community theatres are facing ever-increasing financial pressure due to high rental costs, copyright and royalty increases and a general lack of support from governmental agencies and public attendance. Green-Kimsa has worked hard to prove that smaller production houses are just as entertaining as the big theatrical blockbusters.
The Pajama Game, by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, tells the story of the fight between management and union workers at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory over a proposed seven and a half cent wage increase. A romance between Superintendent Sid and leader of the Union Grievance Committee, Babe, complicates the negotiations.
Tickets to The Pajama Game are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors, and $22 for students, and are available by calling 416-556-9552. For more information visit onstageproductions.org.
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Zoe Chilco is hosting the launch of her latest CD Hook, Line & Singer, April 27 at 8:30 p.m. at the Dora Keogh Irish Pub, 141 Danforth Ave., just east of Broadview. The new CD features music Chilco says is “bluesy, jazzy and all things in between.”
Chilco’s band includes Paul Chilco on guitar, John Deeham playing sax, and Ron Johnston on bass. For more information on Zoe visit zoechilco.ca.
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Kingston Road United Church is proud to present the renowned Amadeus Choir April 28 at 4 p.m., in the church at 975 Kingston Rd. Founded in 1975 and currently under the direction of Lydia Adams, the Amadeus Choir is considered one of Canada’s premier choral groups. For more information call Kingston Road U.C. at 416-699-6091.
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Scarborough Music Theatre presents South Pacific May 2-5, 9-12 and 16-18 at Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd. at Markham. This will be the last production of the 2012-13 season.
South Pacific by Rogers and Hammerstein is based on Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener. The hit musical opened on Broadway in 1949 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It tells the story of two couples who fall in love amid the chaos of the Second World War. The interracial nature of one of the romances caused quite a stir in middle America at the time, but the musical has gone on to become one of the mainstays of American musical theatre.
This production stars Mark Tingle, Jill McMillan, Rob Murphy, and Catherine Uy Huculak. It is directed by Dot Routledge with musical direction by Allan Reid and choreography by Carol Wells. South Pacific runs evenings at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on May 5, 11, 12 and 18. Tickets are $25 for adults, $21 for seniors and students, and group rates are available. They can be purchased at the box office, by calling 416-267-9292 or online at theatrescarborough.com.
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Music For the Soul: Beach Jazz and Reflection presents Jane Bunnett (sax) and Hilario Duran (piano) in an afternoon of Cuban jazz, May 4 from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Church, Queen and Silverbirch.
Bunnet, a multi-Juno Award winner and recently promoted to the Order of Canada, is an exceptional musician, performer and music educator. Her early forays to Cuba led her to discover that country’s talented musicians, and has established her as an expert in Cuban musical interpretation. Her band, called The Spirit of Havana, is made up of many young Cuban musicians she has helped come to this country. The band has released several widely acclaimed CDs. For more information visit Jane’s website at janebunnett.com.
Joining Bunnett will be Cuban ex-pat pianist Duran. Considered one of the world’s most innovative creators of Afro-Cuban music and Latin jazz, Duran came to Canada in 1998. He has won two Juno Awards and over a dozen National Jazz Awards. He has toured with Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval and Michel Legrand, and is ensemble director at Humber College’s jazz department. For more information visit hilarioduran.com.
Duran and Bunnett have performed together dozens of times. This will be a very exciting afternoon of Latin jazz so get there early to get a seat. There is no admission charge, but a goodwill offering is in place. For more information visit beachunitedchurch.com.
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Acoustic Harvest presents a concert by Canadian roots music powerhouse The Bills on May 4 at 8 p.m. at St. Nicholas Church, 1512 Kingston Rd. just east of Warden. The Bills are an acoustic quintet from British Columbia known for their “instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, exuberant live performances, evocative songwriting, and refreshingly innovative interpretations of traditional music from around the world.” Since 1996 The Bills – originally called The Bill Hilly Band – have been touring folk festivals and concert venues “from California to Copenhagen.” The band has released four critically acclaimed CDs. The latest is The Bills – Yes Please, released on Red House Records. For more information visit thebills.ca.
Tickets for The Bills are $22 and are available at the door. For more information call 416-264-2235.
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Cantemus Singers presents Love Songs, a perfectly-timed concert as we head into spring. The choral group, under the direction of Michael Erdman, performs madrigals and motets on the theme of ‘love’ on May 5 at 3 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Church, Queen and Silver Birch.
On the program will be works by Renaissance composers Josquin, Jannequin, Shütz, Dowland, Weelkes and Morley. These pieces have been specially selected to reflect the manner in which these composers have taken Biblical verses about love and translated them into lush, sensual motets, naughty – even raunchy – poems and bouncy ditties. “Agony, ecstasy and a good dose of humour sum up the range of emotions expressed in this varied program.”
Tickets for Love Songs are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors, and are available at the door. This concert will also be performed May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the church of the Holy Trinity behind the Eaton Centre downtown. For more information call 416-578-6602 or visit cantemus.ca.
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The Serenata Singers present Timeless Classics, Part 1, May 7 (1:30 p.m.) and May 8 (7:30 p.m.), at the P.C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E. just east of Markham. The Serenata Singers is a 60-member choir of seniors under the direction of Joshua Tamayo, formed in 1976. Their repertoire covers a range of music from folk songs to spirituals to Broadway classics. Several members are from the Beach area, including their piano accompanist Stan Farrow.
Tickets to Timeless Classics – Part 1 are $20 and are available at the door.
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