Blok family benefit Jan. 10

 

“I think people are really going to enjoy this show,” says Upper Canada Playhouse artistic director Donnie Bowes of Everything I Love About Christmas by Robert More which opens this week.

“I went to Toronto six weeks ago and auditioned some people out of theatre school who have been trained in singing and dancing,” says Bowes. “So we have a wide variety of talent and experience and 10 people on stage singing, dancing and acting. They are all multi-talented and our audiences are really going to enjoy this.”

“I am really thrilled at the way things are going. Everything I Love About Christmas is a brand new show. It’s never been done before, and we have been working on it as we go. I want a show that appeals to kids and adults alike, and I think this is really going to work.”

“We’ve been adding festive music because we have found that music really appeals to everyone at this time of the year. So there is music throughout the show, although it is not a musical.”

Everything I Love About Christmas has everything that makes a good show–a good story, some great mystery, exciting magical moments, everyday ordinary characters, magical extraordinary characters, a snow storm, a Christmas tree and lots of wonderful live singing and dancing.

The story revolves around the Barnes family who are preparing for Christmas Day when everyone is around the tree. Alas, it might not happen this Christmas since their older daughter, Susan, is stuck at a bus station in the middle of a snow storm.

Enter a team of mischievous elves, merry old Santa, a visit from a less fortunate family who live down the road and a witty and wise grandad and you have a mix of Yuletide characters to spin a holiday tale that’ll make you feel warm all over.

“We have some familiar faces,” says Bowes. “Of course we have Doug Tangney who is playing Grandpa Barnes. He’s a real character.”

“On top of that we have four elves, which I call the four stooges, who dive in and try to fix things. There are a lot of physical antics.”

“Everything I Love About Christmas has all that going for it and I think people are really going to enjoy this.”

Doug Tangney is joined by Meredith Zwicker as mother, Maggie Barnes, and Jeff Mulrooney as dad, Ted Barnes.

Zwicker has been seen in the last three Christmas shows, not only as an actress, but as musical director and pianist. She creates the wonderful harmonies and exciting piano accompaniment that help to make the shows truly memorable.

Mulrooney was last seen on the Playhouse stage five years ago in Too Many Cooks.

Also returning to The Playhouse is Parris Greaves who appeared in another past holiday hit, The Christmas Express. He plays the Head Elf in this year’s show and does an Elvis rendition of Blue Christmas. 

Bruce Tubbe, who was last seen in the 2001 production of The Wild Guys, returns to play neighbour Brad Brannigan and also plays an impish Elf who sings All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth. 

Schools will remember Ryan Jacobs and Jody Osmond who were Charlotte and Avery in The Playhouse School touring production of Charlotte’s Web in 2011. They play Billie Brannigan and Gracie Barnes respectively. 

New comers to Playhouse audiences are Jess Vandenberg who plays Betsy Brannigan and also choreographs the show’s musical numbers, Clayton Labbe, who plays Robbie Barnes and Katie Edwards playing older sister Susan Barnes. 

Vandenberg recently appeared in Cabaret at Brampton’s Rose Theatre, while Edwards was seen in the Ross Petty Panto The Wizard of Oz in Toronto and Labbe has recently completed a tour of Back In ’59 with Meredith Zwicker. 

“Everything I Love About Christmas is a really good story,” says Bowes. “We are doing a revolving stage which the kids really love, the adults too for that matter, and there are some visual effects that will be really nice.”

 Tickets are really moving and Bowes is advising anyone who wants to take in this year’s Playhouse Christmas Show not to delay. “We are 80 per cent booked now, and for our summer shows, if we are at 75 per cent at this time, we usually end up topping  well over 90 per cent.”

“This is a good festive time for everybody, and maybe there will be a surprise visit from someone we all know,” suggests Bowes with a twinkle in his eye.

Everything I Love About Christmas runs November 23-December 16 with 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. public performances and 11 a.m. school shows. For tickets contact the The Playhouse at 613-543-3713/1-877-550-3650 or www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com.

 

[…]

Janet Levere, Executive Director of the J.W. MacIntosh Seniors’ Support Centre welcomed 80 volunteers to the annual volunteer appreciation event held at the centre on Tuesday, May 13.

Duane Locke, Chair of the Board of Directors, also spoke and shared the board’s appreciation to the dedicated volunteers. 

Entertainment was the Sage Age Theatre Group comprised of mature actors and actresses who performed a variety of mini skits which enacted many of the issues facing seniors in today’s world. 

Laughter was heard amongst the volunteers as situations evolved. Serious challenges were noted too. 

Following the entertainment, Levere thanked the “best volunteers in our communities!” 

Her speech noted that the volunteers are generous, caring individuals who are making a difference. 

“Our communities are changing and the clients and their needs are changing too,” she said. “The volunteers’ commitment to embrace the changes is heartwarming. Like the beautiful caterpillars that we see everywhere today to the lovely butterflies they become, the volunteers display beautiful and lovely gestures of kindness as they face new challenges!”

Janet gave the volunteers an update of the Centre’s other activities including: 

1) The increases in the Going Home Program with referrals from emergency departments and hospital discharges from the Winchester District Memorial Hospital as well as hospitals in Ottawa, Brockville and Cornwall,.

2) The seniors requiring minimal assistance such as one bath a week can now contact the MacIntosh Seniors’ Support Centre for this assistance offered under the respite service.

3) The expansion of the Assisted Living Services for High Risk Seniors program into the Kemptville area, (operating in the Iroquois-Morrisburg area since 2010). 

4) The new physio and fall prevention exercise programs offered at the Centre through Ministry funded programs.  This organization could not continue to expand its’ services without the leadership of the Board of Directors, volunteers who donate their time and expertise so that South Dundas is the place to live. 

This past year, the Senior Support Centre recorded nearly 7,000 hours of volunteer service.  

New volunteers are always welcome, and anyone interested in volunteering is invited to contact Cathy Tupper at 613-535-2924.

The following statistics review the work completed during the past year. 

•33 persons received 1,513 meals

•298 seniors enjoyed 5,701 diners 

•127 clients were supported with 1,594 one way trips or 3,188 round trips

•101 persons benefitted from the 477 foot care appts.

•23 clients enjoyed 491 units of the adult day programs.

•1,728 hours of work in the craft group, fundraising, social activities, exercises, committees, etc.

•10,172 hours of respite in the community and apartment

•13,792 hours of assisted living and supportive housing services

In total with the volunteer support services and the paid employee services, 585 persons were supported during the past year. 

[…]

 

A recently announced $11 million increase in provincial government funding supporting community-based services in the Champlain Local Health Integration Network is designed to give area residents more options for home and community care.

Among the health care providers who will increase their services due to the extra funding is Williamsburg Non-Profit Housing Corporation.

That organization will share in a $1 million increase in funding for personal support and respite programs that offer assistance to clients living alone, and caregivers in need of respite. Services include grooming, dressing, bathing, transferring, bed care and medication compliance. 

These services are aimed at lower-risk seniors who do not qualify for Community Care Access Services, and is more of a service aimed at preventing problems.

“What this means is that Williamsburg Non-Profit Housing will be providing more hours of service and seeing more people,” said Janet Levere, executive director of WNPHC. “These are important services to the many seniors who are staying in their homes longer.”

WNPHC was also named as a service provider agency that will share in a $400,000 annual funding increase to the Assisted Living Services program which provides health services at home for high-risk seniors needing personal support services including hygiene, assisting with medication and homemaking, 24/7 monitoring and care coordination.

The bulk of the increased funding, just over $7 million, will benefit the Champlain Community Care Access Centre in delivering services through a variety of programs across the region, with the aim of supporting seniors' transition from hospital to home. These services assist clients with moderate to high needs either to avoid unnecessary hospitalization, or once in hospital, to go home sooner with appropriate supports in place.

According to the LHIN news release, 90,000 more seniors across the province will receive care at home thanks to the addition of three million personal support worker hours over the next three years.

“The Champlain LHIN is making important, strategic investments that will help transform the health system by expanding services in community settings,” said Chantale LeClerc, Champlain LHIN CEO. “In particular, seniors and people with mental health conditions and addictions will benefit from the new programs, which aim to improve quality of life, prevent avoidable emergency room visits, and keep folks healthy at home.”

[…]