ART & CULTURE
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Everything to love about Christmas play
GREG KIELEC greg.kielec@eap.on.ca
Vankleek Hill’s Celtic Flare, Maxville’s Sine McKenna, and Dunvegan’s Allan Walker join at least three other performers in a Traditional Celtic Christmas Dec. 7 at the Dunvegan Recreation Association. It is the seventh year that the DRA has organized an evening of music and carols with traditional readings specially selected for the Christmas season. This year’s event will feature music by Celtic Flare, the well-known Vankleek Hill trio, readings by Dalkeith’s Jim Finlayson and Alexandria’s Leslie Orr, and Gaelic ren- ditions by Siné McKenna. Additional music will be performed by Al- lan Walker on his Scottish Small pipes and the audience will be able to add their voices Dub it the feel good Christmas show of the year. The original work Everything I Love About Christmas debuted in front of an apprecia- tive full house at Upper Canada Playhouse Saturday night. The Robert More play, commissioned for the 2012 holiday season by playhouse ar- tistic director Donnie Bowes, captivated the audience with its music, dancing and an up- lifting ensemble performance. More was in the audience for the pre- miere but the cast did not learn he was in attendance until after the show, when he was brought on stage by Bowes to be recognized for his contemporary holiday work. The play centres around the Barnes fam- ily, whose Christmas traditions are tested when their eldest daughter, Susan, played by Katie Edwards, is stranded at a bus sta- tion on Christmas Eve while returning home from school. An unexpected visit from their down-on- luck neighbours, the Brannigans, test the Barnes’ Christmas spirit even further as they try to work their way through their holiday rituals without their oldest daughter. The play features soul-stirring vocal per- formances Edwards, including her open- ing number, All I Want for Christmas Is You , which was worked into the play after Ed- wards wowed Bowes with a rendition of it during her audition. There are also some enchanting song and dance numbers choreographed by Jess Vandenberg, including a touching rendi- tion of the Frank Loesser classic Baby It’s Cold Outside by Jeff Mulrooney and Mer-
Special photo
Katie Edwards, who portrays a student stranded at a bus station on Christmas Eve, sings with a quartet of elves in the original production of Everything I Love About Christmas at Upper Canada Playhouse in Morrisburg.
edith Zwicker, who play Susan’s ever-under- standing and supportive parents. Vandenberg, along with elves Parris Greaves, Bruce Tubbe and Ryan Jacobs, pro- vide background music and vocals during Edwards soulful songs from the lonely bus station, and they also pitch in to bring some levity during some of the show’s more som- bre moments.
Clayton Labbe and Jody Osmond, in their 30s and 20s respectively, do a great job of channeling their inner child with convinc- ing performances as Susan’s younger sib- lings who have their hopes of Christmas magic challenged but still hold fast to their beliefs. Play is narrated by playhouse veteran Doug Tangney, who plays the light-spirited
Barnes grandfather and also provides some Christmas magic in the late stages of the show as Santa Claus. The holiday show, which has become an Upper Canada Playhouse tradition over the years, runs until Dec. 16. For more information, go to www.upper- canadaplayhouse.com or call 613-543-3713 or 1-877-550-3650.
Celtic Christmas concert set for Dec. 7 in Dunvegan
during the singing of traditional Christmas carols. “Once again I’m excited to be part of this year’s program,” said McKenna, one of the organizers of this year’s event. “I have always wanted to put together and perform in an evening of Celtic music and stories that celebrate the Christmas season, which in Scotland and Ireland ex- tended for the full 12 Days of Christmas and through the new year.” “Don’t be surprised to hear a little Gaelic,” she added. Tara MacWhirter, one of the Celtic Flare, said the trio rarely gets an opportunity to participate in a “full-blown evening” of mu- sic and stories of the Irish and Scots that are so much a part of Glengarry’s heritage. “The fact that this evening will be focused on the Christmas holiday season is a treat
for us,” she said. Admission is free, but those wishing to at- tend must pick up free tickets from any of the following outlets: Home Hardware in Maxville, the Book Nook in Alexandria, The Review in Vankleek Hill, and the Fassifern Store. People are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the local food banks or make a small monetary donation. The hall will be festively decorated by Nancy White of Dunvegan, and authentic refreshments are being prepared by Sandra Daigle of McCrimmon’s Corners. Rosemary Chatterson of the 4 th of Kenyon will be the master of ceremonies. The Christmas concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24, just west of the intersection of County Roads 24 and 30, in the centre of Dunvegan.
Sine McKenna
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