Welcome to the 18u19 Season of the Flato Markham Theatre (FMT) and welcome to FMT’s new publication “Arts & Entertainment Markham” It’s the only publication and communication platform dedicated to the Flato Markham Theatre’s programs and stories. It also includes stories of other cultural properties and endeavours, and the people involved in many ways in the local arts and entertainment sector. Flato Markham Theatre continues to demonstrate its leadership in York Region by providing the finest performing arts services to community and professional promoters, through world-class programs showcasing the very best and finest artists from the world over, and now, through promoting the stories of the emerging and dynamic arts and entertainment scene. This premiere publication highlights two of the many incredible artists opening the 2018-19 Diamond Season: Gino Vanelli and Bria Skonberg. This issue also has stories on the Markham Museum and the Varley Arts Gallery, two major cultural properties leading the way in program deliveries and cultural spaces available to the sector. The museum prepares for Halloween fun for the kids, and the gallery finalizes plans for its annual fundraising gala.
Our next edition will include a featured artist of the month and details and photos of the Fourth Markham Performing Arts Awards held in September to celebrate Live Arts in Markham. The 2018 Awards winners are Sharon Mehaffey, Director of the Dance Institute (Community Group and Artist of the Year); Maestro Kerry Stratton (Professional Artist of the Year); and Weins Canada (Partner of the Year). Watch for new features, digital access and more, as we develop our new communication platform. We are calling all community and professional stakeholders involved in the local Arts and Entertainment scene to submit your ideas and stories to our editor Nicole Fletcher at nicolefletcher@rogers.com. Happy 2018-19 Arts & Entertainment Season! Eric Lariviere, General Manager, Flato Markham Theatre
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Gino Vannelli doesn’t want to stop THU. SEPT. 27 I 8 PM THE BAND Patrick Lamb - sax Damian Erskine - bass Reinhardt Melz - drums Jay Koder - guitar Greg Goebel - keyboards Alexis Baro - trumpet Jeff King - tenor sax If there’s one thing Gino Vannelli isn’t, it’s bored. For a man who’s been performing almost 50 years, there’s a very simple reason. “All too often today we see people and we see bands just going through the motions,” he said, in an interview from his Oregon home. “Especially bands that have been popular for a long time. They kind of phone it in. I would stop if that were the case. If it’s interesting to me, I suspect it’s going to be interesting to the audience.” The Grammy®-nominated and JUNO-winning singer, behind hits like Wild Horses and I Just Wanna Stop, is back in Markham, bringing new music and fresh takes on his old hits, full band in tow. Fans can expect the eclectic mix of songs they see across his 19 albums, transcending genres and spanning back to 1973. As Vannelli evolved as an artist so, too, did his fan base. “The 70s generation comes to the concerts, but there’s also an 80s generation because of Black Cars, Wild Horses, Hurts to Be in Love and other hits that we had in the 80s,” Vannelli said. “And then the 90s is a whole other audience in the sense that
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they started following my big band and orchestral stuff, and the more jazzy albums I did in the 90s. There’s really three or four generational elements to the audience.” With decades of touring under his belt, Vannelli said what he likes most about venues, like the Flato Markham Theatre, is the intimacy. “After so many years of performing, the kick is seeing people’s faces and mingling with people after the concert,” he said. “Catching their take on the concert, how they feel and also seeing their reaction when we go back to the 1970s and do some of the songs they grew up with.” Vannelli promised some “interesting twists” in the show, which he said is as much for him and the band as they are for the audience. The 66-year-old is working on a 20th album, due out later this year, which will again feature a blend of genres and influences only Vannelli could muster. “New songs, new approaches,” he said. “It’s processed through my filter of how I feel. My penchant for harmony and certain chords, certain lines and textures that I like because of my impressionism background. There’s gotta be that. But on this record, most of it was written on the acoustic guitar in Americana-type fashion. Trying to combine some of the Americana folk music with a little bit of jazz and Brazilian and a little bit of classical.” While Vannelli admitted his various evolutions haven’t always made sense from a business perspective, they were important
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for him as an artist. The fans, he said, respond well to that authenticity. “I wouldn’t be doing it at all if I didn’t feel they appreciated it,” he said. “I think there’s a general appreciation for what we’re doing and there’s also I think a general appreciation for a band to be genuinely (and) passionately into it on stage. There’s something about it that draws the ears and draws the eyes and really attracts the heart.”
When he last toured Ontario, his show was about 90 minutes. This time out, the setlist has been expanded to make it a two-hour show. It’s hard work, but he isn’t fazed by it. “It’s intense, of course. That’s why I’ve got to keep the cardio up and keep the voice in pretty good shape, because it’s a full workout.”
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Bria Skonberg
brings hot jazz to Markham SAT. SEPT. 29 I 8 PM JUNO award-winning Canadian singer, trumpeter and songwriter, Bria Skonberg has been called many things. The New York Times called her the “shining hope of jazz.” The Wall Street Journal declared her “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.” Legendary music producer Quincy Jones compared her directly to Louis Armstrong himself. How does a humble millennial woman from Chilliwack, British Columbia come to garner such attention? “Get uncomfortable,” says Skonberg. “If you’re uncomfortable, you’re learning.” Her advice is simple, but probably the most important thing about her seemingly improbable path to becoming recognized as the future of a style of music that began in the deep south of the United States nearly a hundred years ago. Bria Skonberg brings her modern take on New Orleans inspired jazz to the Flato Markham Theatre on Sept. 29. “I’ve always associated music with fun, community events,” says Skonberg. “My older brother started on fiddle, so we would go to these fiddle competitions and just hang out all day listening to music, having a blast.” She likens the memory and music to the part of her that is truly Canadian. It wasn’t long before her ear was caught by other sounds. “In Chilliwack, they had this jazz festival that always incorporated youth and youth bands. So, every year the whole town got
together and listen to great live music.” She credits the memory as her inspirational starting point in music. It was in high school, however, where she started to learn the skills she still uses today. “I basically did everything I could: music, student council, drama, and planning events,” says Skonberg. “And I ended up with a melting pot of skills.” Despite those skills, she was unsure of her calling when it came time to graduate. Like many in her shoes, she turned to a counsellor at the school. Unlike many, she got advice that fuelled the rest of her life. “It was basically one great counsellor that said to me, ‘you should go into music’,” she recalls. “I was told by some other adults that it was foolish, but my parents were behind me. So, I was off to study music.” It was somewhere between starting school at the Capilano University prestigious music program to study jazz trumpet, recording her first record and deciding to drop everything and move to New York City in 2010 that someone first told Skonberg to ‘get uncomfortable.’ “That’s why I moved to New York,” she says. “Living in Canada, up in Vancouver, was beautiful but I knew that I needed to get a little uncomfortable in order to grow.” And grow she has. She has appeared as a bandleader and guest artist at festivals in North America, Europe, China and Japan. She has recorded five albums. The most recent, With A Twist, won a JUNO award for best jazz album. She won the Swing! award from Jazz at Lincoln Centre. She even helped to co-found the New York Hot Jazz Festival. Skonberg has gone from a fan
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being inspired by this music to being a leader of its community. She even plays in her hero’s backyard. “Louis Armstrong’s house in New York, where I live, is a museum now and I get to play there a bit for special occasions. It’s really special.” Her most recent musical ‘pinch-me’ moment came at the historic Apollo Theatre. She was invited to join members of the Sun Ra orchestra to back up stadium rockers U2 on their classic Angel of Harlem, for a television special. Their appearance was a surprise for the 1,200 packed in to the tiny theatre, saved for the encore. “I loved the moment before the curtain goes up,” Skonberg said. “Just thinking, ‘these people have no idea what’s coming.’” Despite her appearances with others, being a band leader and a solo artist are what she treasures most. “With my band, there’s an opportunity to share more of yourself and have an authentic
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connection with the audience,” she says. “Every show is different because I’m constantly inspired by new things.” For her solo shows, she leads a quartet through everything from Louis Armstrong to Leonard Cohen. Skonberg has become a specialist in classic American or New Orleans style jazz, so her set features music that connects to that entire tradition. “I’ve played with this band now for a couple years and we’ve really developed some nuances,” she said. “Everybody really knows each other well,” The Markham show will feature songs from her last two albums but also a preview of her next. “We’ve been sneaking some new songs into the set this summer,” Skonberg explains. “The album we’ll be more original stuff and then a couple of interesting mashups.” Beginning work on the music for her next record has begun to strike a more topical note in Skonberg. “Some of the numbers are more topical. It’s interesting to play songs from another era that, unfortunately, still apply. It’s an interesting time we live in.” Skonberg’s interest in community has changed. As a young woman, she drew endless inspiration from it and it gave her music. Now, having become a student of music that carried a generation of communities through tough times, the civil rights era and the great migration, she is seeking to give something back. “There’s always been a reference to the past, for me; where the music has come from,” she says. “I like that depth to be there; that story. Sadly, it’s still something that we all can feel.” Seemingly, Skonberg continues to get uncomfortable. Perhaps we’ll all grow a little bit as a result.
Don’t miss Scaryfest at Markham Museum Join the Markham Museum as they transform their 25-acre site into a ghoulishly grand Halloween town – perfect for children 10 and under. Kids are encouraged to show up in costume, have lots of fun and enjoy the family activities. With their treat bag in tow, kids can trick-or-treat around the museum grounds where they will encounter lively and Don’t miss Scaryfest at Markham Museum on October 26 to 28. Come out in not-so-lively characters. costume, trick-or-treat and enjoy a host of family activities. The scary event takes place October 26 from 3 pm to 7 pm and Admission is $10 per person and includes October 27 and 28 from 1 pm to 7 pm. Last access to the current exhibitions. entry is 30 minutes before closing. Visit www.markhammuseum.ca for details.
2018 Flato Markham Theatre Advisory Board Mayor Frank Scarpitti, City of Markham Alex Chiu, Ward 8 Councillor Amanda Collucci, Ward 6 Councillor Stephen Timms, IBM, Theatre Advisory Board Chair Eric Fagen, Alectra Utilities Anne Gilligan, Weins Canada Deborah Jestin Diane Lai Ronald Minken, Minken Employment Lawyers Heather Reading Justin Reid, Sulliden Mining Capital
Sophia Sun, Phoenix Financial Inc. Shaun Sauve, Metroland Media Srinka Wallia Amy Woods, Allstate Suelyn Cheong, Principal, Unionville High School Stephen Chait, Director of Economic Growth, Culture and Entrepreneurship Aleem Israel, AFINA Capital Management Inc. Vice-Chair Eric Lariviere, General Manager
Honourary Patron
Shakir Rehmatullah, President, Flato Developments Inc.
Flato Markham Theatre Team Eric Lariviere, General Manager Scott Hill, Rental Business Manager Andrew Rosenfarb, Production & Facility Manager Lia Baird, Client Services Coordinator Chris MacBride, Theatre Technician/Team Lead Helen Mah, Business Coordinator
Monica Pain, Discovery Program Coordinator Gary Restoule, Theatre Attendant Vince Rotondi, Theatre Technician Linda Stott, Marketing Assistant Terry Tice, Box Office Debbie Watson, Theatre Administrative Clerk
Box Office: 905.305.SHOW (7469) Order tickets online at www.markhamtheatre.ca
House Programme Editor: Nicole Fletcher For advertising rates, call 416-884-4343 or email nicolefletcher@rogers.com
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of printing.
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Star Gazers $75 Suzanne & Dave Murphy Hector & Teresa Paz-Soldan John & Rebecca Taylor Ed & Sheryl Taylor Darryl & Gail Thompson Roger Todd Marg & Gord Tonkin Dave & Bonnie Trumphour
Greig & Joan Black Barbara Butterfield Jean Cuthbertson Susan Duncan John & Cheryl Flint Frank & Patricia Guenther Alberta Hilker Isabel Hirlehey
Mary Jo Turner Evan & Bruce Walden Joan Wilson Paul & Nancy Wood Sami Yam
Shining Stars $125 Barbara Aldridge David & Jo-Anne Blinn Mary Lou Busato Peter Brown & Millean Kung Bill & Judy Carnaghan Jack, Kelly & Judy Chen Denise & Andrew Chong Elizabeth & Harrie Cleveland Erma Collins Ferro Corrente Christine Cozens Jean Cutherbertson Marla David Holo Devani Susanne & Bob Eastwood R J Eberhardt Doug & June Ford
Mary Bell & William Graber Karen L Grimshaw Suraj Gupta, CPA Susan and Winfried Heim Wilma Inkpen Barbara Holmes & Joe Seigel Loretta Hopkins & Robert Silk Rick & Liv Lightfoot Teri & Ron Lyons Gordon & Elaine McInnis Marianne MacBride Ann & Ed Martin Glenda & Ken Metrick Brian, Debbie & Martin Mitgang Robert Moore Dean E. Moratz & Janice E. Franklin
David & Sonja Murphy Sasvart Musliyan James & Joanne Nearing Lissandra & Rogerio Oliveira Brian & Donna Reeve Carol & Bruce Roberts Darius Dubash & Cristy Spencer Jim Stewart Gloria Tellis Their Family John & Michelle Tidball Toscano Technology Inc. Donald Ure Vermeer Engineering Missy Yano
Super Stars $250 Helen & Tim Aubrey Dave & Toinette David & Jo-Anne Blinn Denise & Andrew Chong Bill & Morven Crother Jim & Karen Doak Mary Haffey
Alwyn Enterprises Frank & Sharon Fazzari Deborah & Warren Jestin Bryan Katz
Lisette & Michael Harding Jim & Sandy Koteles Carol & Gerald Knowles Ted & Lynda Langdon Fern & Joel Lustig Teri & Ron Lyons Martha & Rena Mingay
David & Sonja Murphy Eva Nagy Ted & Val Pike Trisect Communications & Design Inc. Mr. & Mrs. D Wright
Shooting Stars $500
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‌and the many other Anonymous donors Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of printing. If we have misspelled or missed your name in the listing, please call 905-415-7537 ext. 5700
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Rouge: Varley Gala fundraiser returns On October 11, the Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham will present the second annual Rouge: Varley Gala fundraiser. The upscale sophistication of the new Toronto Marriott Markham in Downtown Markham sets the stage for the interactive evening. Guests will be immersed in contemporary art from the moment they approach the hotel’s main doors. The evening features a cocktail reception, seated dinner, entertainment by The Doubts, silent and live auctions and more. The Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham supports the Varley Art Gallery as a premier cultural destination in the GTA. The mandate of the foundation is to support the gallery through their fundraising activities and investments in the visual arts program. Support includes acquiring art to add to the gallery collection, providing funds to assist with the
conservation of the art collection, exhibition research, educational programming and managing a volunteer program to further enhance the gallery’s public programs and events. Through the gala, the foundation hopes to exceed their goal of raising $180,000. The funds will ensure they are able to continue supporting the gallery to stimulate and develop creativity within the community through engaging exhibition and education programs. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. To learn more or purchase tickets for the event, contact Francesca Dauphinais, Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham development officer, at 905-477-7000 ext.3264 or email fdauphinais@markham.ca Tickets for Rouge: Varley Gala are $150 each. Corporate tables are available for $2,000. Visit rougevarleygala2018.eventbrite.ca.
On the right, Francesca Dauphinais, Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham development officer. Photo: Adam Tonon
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Education through live arts sparks creativity, inspiration and engages students to reflect, respond, explore and analyze different cultural forms and contexts in a fun and interactive way! EVERY CHILD, EVERY YEAR Program offers students from grades one to six, enrolled in a Markham school, the opportunity to attend the following performance for FREE* and includes a study guide.
presents
FRENCH PERFORMANCE MON. JAN. 28, 10:30 AM & 12:30 PM, GRADES 1–3 Accompanied by his monkey and friends, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover Africa, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance engaging his audience on a multicultural adventure!
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Contact Monica Pain, Discovery Coordinator at 905.415.7537 ext. 5580 email: mpain@markham.ca *Markham Schools only. Some conditions apply.
38 Years of Endless Innovation Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. In addition to stage performances world-wide, MOMIX has worked in film and television, recently appearing in a national commercial for Hanes underwear and a Target ad that premiered during the airing of the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards. With performances on PBS’s “Dance in America” series, France’s Antenne II, and Italian RAI television, the company’s repertory has been broadcast to 55 countries. Joining the Montreal Symphony in the Rhombus Media film of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, winner
of an International Emmy for Best Performing Arts Special, the company’s performance was distributed on laser disc by Decca Records. MOMIX was also featured in IMAGINE, one of the first 3-D IMAX films to be released in IMAX theatres worldwide. MOMIX dancers Cynthia Quinn and Karl Baumann, under Moses Pendleton’s direction, played the role of “Bluey” in the feature film FX2; and White Widow, co-choreographed by Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn, was featured in Robert Altman’s movie The Company. Participating in the Homage a Picasso in Paris, MOMIX was also selected to represent the US at the European Cultural Center at Delphi.
Exploring the Splendors of the Desert THU. OCT. 11 I 8 PM
Moses Pendleton brings the landscape of the American Southwest to life with his signature illusionistic style creating dynamic images of cactuses, slithering lizards and fire dancers.
Originally created as a 20-minute piece in 2001 for the Ballet Arizona, Opus Cactus was then brought back into the MOMIX retort and a full-evening work was created.
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JUNO award-winner Serena Ryder FRI. OCT. 12 I 8 PM For Serena Ryder, music is medicine. It’s the thing that soothes any ailment, and it’s the reason to keep going, even when times get tough. Ryder has always been compelled to write songs, both because she loves creating music and because it heals her, inside and out. The Canadian singersongwriter, who is currently based between Toronto and the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Silverlake, started playing guitar and penning songs as a teenager. She’s unveiled several albums, including her successful 2012 record Harmony, and now Ryder is prepared to bring her thoughtful, emotionally driven tracks to a bigger audience. Ryder has won six JUNO Awards and has had her songs placed in over 50 TV shows and commercials, including Grey’s Anatomy, VEEP and Suits. Her single “Stompa” is 4x Platinum in Canada and she’s sold over one million singles from her previous releases. “Stompa” also hit No. 1 at AAA radio in the U.S. for eight weeks (the most weeks at No. 1 since Adele) and landed in the Top 10 at Alternative radio, Hot AC and AC. Ryder has shared the stage with OneRepublic, Kanye West, Sara Bareilles, HAIM, Pitbull and Melissa Ethridge, and proven herself as a
strong live performer with an avid fanbase. It’s clear that listeners feel the same sort of healing in the music as Ryder does when she writes it. Music is the cure for anyone open to hearing it. “The worst thing in the world is feeling alone and feeling like somebody doesn’t relate to you or that people don’t understand,” the musician says. “If I can make somebody feel like I know how they feel that’s such an amazing thing. You can hear a song and feel, ‘That song was written for me.’ I want to give that to people so they don’t feel as alone.”
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Cowboy Junkies FRI. OCT. 19 I 8 PM Margo Timmins - vocals Michael Timmins - guitars Peter Timmins - drums Alan Anton - bass Jeff Bird - mandolin and harmonica Media Partner:
In 1988, Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise — and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late 80s. The now classic recording combined folk, blues and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies. With Cowboy Junkies’ new album, All That Reckoning, the band once again gently shakes the listener to wake up. Whether commenting on the fragile state of the world or on personal relationships, this new collection of songs encourages the listener to take notice. It also may be the most powerful album Cowboy Junkies have yet recorded. “It’s a deeper and a more complete record than we’ve ever done before,” says Michael. “We’ve always tried to make records that are relevant to who we are as people. These songs are about reckoning on a personal level and reckoning on a political level.” “There’s a line in When We Arrive, “Welcome...to the Age of Dissolution” which has been in my notebook for years.
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Every time I sit down to write an album I have stared at it and wondered why I wrote it and what it means”. Finally, the times have caught up with the line and the Age of Dissolution is upon us. A time where so many personal, social and institutional constructs are crumbling and being devoured by forces that we have wittingly and unwittingly unleashed upon the land. Anyone who has been following Cowboy Junkies’ three-decade-long journey knows the band has always travelled on its
own path. From the auspicious debut of Whites Off Earth Now and the subsequent international breakthrough with The Trinity Session, to the group’s Nomad Series of themed albums (2010-2012), Cowboy Junkies have never let music business trends dictate where the band was headed. Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 25 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were
friends before Pete was born.” Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a break up or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael. “Even if the world doesn’t know it, we do.”
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