With the end of the year upon us, it seems only fitting that I take some time to look back at the year that was and highlight some of the amazing stories and people that came to my attention this year.
Some of those stories were good news - like the arrival of a new theatre company to stage musicals at the Michael J. Fox Theatre. Others were cause for sadness, such as the loss of the Clef Society after 65 years of operation.
So, without further ado, I present my year-end "awards" for the movers and shakers on the arts scene in 2014.
BEST NEW EVENT OF THE YEAR
Looking back over the year in the arts, there's one new event that really stands out: Living Room Art in the Heights (pictured at top). The Oct. 18 event brought together a group of artists of all kinds - dancers, storytellers, musicians, visual artists, photographers, filmmaker - to stage an evening of artistic displays and performances in a private home in Burnaby Heights. It was a brilliant idea, and it came to Burnaby thanks to the vision of Yunuen Perez Vertti - a newcomer to the city who came to Burnaby from Houston, Texas a year ago. It was a brilliant celebration of art and community, and we hope to see many more similar events in the future.
BEST NEW ARRIVAL
Here's to another fresh face that arrived in Burnaby this year: Align Entertainment. Though the company is based in Coquitlam, it's chosen our very own Michael J. Fox Theatre as the home for its large-scale musicals - and we couldn't be happier to have them. Align kicked off what looks to be a successful existence with a well-received run of Shrek: The Musical in February (pictured above). And it's already selling tickets for its next show: The Addams Family, which runs at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in February 2015. If its first outing is any example, it'll be a high-quality show with something to appeal to every member of the family, from the very young on up. Yahoo!
BEST FAMILY AFFAIR
They're just plain irresistible, onstage and off. I give this year's Best Family Affair nod to the father-daughter team of Steve and Aubrey Maddock, who appeared together in the Royal City Musical Theatre Company's production of Annie in April. Steve starred as Oliver Warbucks, and Aubrey brought her singing and dancing skills to the forefront as the orphan Kate (That's Steve, of course, sporting his Oliver Warbucks hair - or lack thereof - and Aubrey third from the right). They're both powerhouse performers on stage - and off stage, they're just darn nice people. I have a feeling we'll be hearing more from both of them in the near future.
BEST LIVE MUSIC BOOSTER
All musicians know that it can be tough finding places to perform - but, thanks to Burnaby's Jeff Neufeld (above), it got a little bit easier in 2014. Neufeld was a driving force behind a couple of new local performing series this past year. First, he organized a series of new open mike nights at the Blenz in uptown New Westminster, offering a platform for both experienced and emerging artists to share their work with an audience. Then he worked with Lindy and Jim McQueen to stage Music in the Park, a free outdoor musical performance series in Edmond. Seeing a musician who's willing to share his own talents and help to boost others just makes us believe in the goodness of the world. Thanks, Jeff.
SAD FAREWELL OF THE YEAR
This solemn nod goes to the Clef Society of Burnaby, which gave its official farewell performance on Nov. 16 after more than 65 years of operation. In the photo above,Barbara Whitcar (left) and Edward Parker (centre) reminisce over an old scrapbook at that recital. The non-profit society - which was incorporated on Feb. 8, 1949 - was formed to advance music in Burnaby by fostering an appreciation of music, promoting musical instruction and encouraging outstanding musical talent, especially in young musicians. It held a regular monthly recital series at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and also hosted an annual scholarship musical festival and concerto competition that attracted some of the best young musical talent in the region. This past September, it went public with its need for more volunteers to keep the group running, noting that the existing board members had served for many years and new blood was needed to keep things running. But, with only two new volunteers stepping forward, it wasn't enough - and the society had to dissolve. Our thoughts are with everyone who tried so hard to make it work - and our gratitude for your 65 years of effort will be eternal.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR
Here's one that started out in a similar fashion but had a much happier ending. At the beginning of the year, the Footlight Theatre Society was struggling. It has a history stretching back some 48 years - it began life as Burnaby Civic Opera in 1966, then morphed into Heritage Musical Theatre in the 1970s before producing its first show as the Footlight Theatre Company in 1989. Footlight made its name over the years for producing annual, splashy productions of Broadway favourites - The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound of Music, to name but a few - featuring large casts, with a focus on young community talent. But Footlight ran up against a wall in 2013 when its board was faced with some tough decisions: given the unexpected departure of some board members, and the financial climate of the times, could Footlight manage to stage its annual fall production? In the end, the show was a no-go, but the board opted to stage a fundraiser instead. At the beginning of 2014, the organization regrouped - it expanded the professional base of its board and rethought its approach, working for months on plans for a fall production. It all culminated in The Marvelous Wonderettes at the Shadbolt Centre in November. Welcome back, Footlight - we're glad you haven't left us!
PEOPLE WHO MADE ME SMILE
There's no one "award" category that seemed to encompass these folks, so I'll just put them together in the category of People Who Made Me Smile. Because they all did - just by sharing their enthusiasm and their passion for their artistic endeavours. There was Ken Overbey, who starred as Donkey in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Shrek: the Musical. There was Marcus Takizawa, a viola player who brought his talents on the underappreciated instrument (the "middle child" of the string world, as he calls it) to the Bard on the Beach stage. There was Lauri Lyster (above), who sat down for a candid chat about her trailblazing career as a drummer. And there as a trio of emerging opera singers - Pamela Morgan, Irina Kim and Julia Fox - who shared their delight in being onstage in Opera Mariposa's Suor Angelica. Thank you all. It's people like you who make my job a delight!
To all of the above-mentioned folks, and to everyone out there creating art of all kinds in our city: I salute you. You are all helping to make our city a better place to live, and your efforts are not going unnoticed.
A very Merry Christmas and the warmest wishes for the new year to all of you.
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Who were your favourite movers and shakers on the arts scene in 2014? What was the best local production you saw? Who should we watch for in the coming year? Send your comments and ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan. Your feedback could appear in an upcoming edition.
