The Argyle Street Kitchen Party

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Neptune Theatre is located on sacred land that has been the site of human activity since time immemorial. We are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, and we acknowledge them as the past, present and future caretakers of this land.

As artists, we are grateful to work and build community here. As stewards of culture, we commit to continuing to improve our relations with Indigenous people and upholding values of collaboration and inclusivity in all that we do.

We strongly recommend that masks be worn in our venues. As our theatres place the audience so close to the action on stage, masking helps protect not only audience members but also the actors, who cannot wear masks when performing. By keeping them safe, we all can help prevent COVID-related performance cancellations.

Any videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. The use of cameras, cellular phones, paging devices and all other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre. Please ensure all cellular phones and watch alarms are turned off. Neptune Theatre is a scent-free environment.

Neptune Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Neptune Theatre engages professional technicians represented by IATSE Local 680.

PHOTOS BY STOO METZ

Raise a glass and celebrate in fine East Coast style - full of singing, dancing and laughter. The Argyle Street Kitchen Party is the perfect way to experience a Nova Scotian tradition, with Maritime music and the cries of “Sociable”. Hosted by a stunning cast of East Coasters: Karen Lizotte, Malia Rogers, Dominique LeBlanc and award-winning musician Ian Sherwood, This ceilidh is an all-around good time! Grab your friends and family - share a toast, a laugh and the convivial spirit of the East Coast living.

This ceilidh is an all-around good time! It’s the perfect occasion to grab your friends, bring your family, raise a glass and share a laugh or two!

CEILIDH PRONUNCIATION: (KAY-lee)

MEANING: noun: A cèilidh is a traditional Scottish or Irish social gathering, typically involving folk music, dancing and storytelling. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit.

CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY IAN SHERWOOD AND JEREMY WEBB

“ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD” IS PRESENTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CONCORD THEATRICALS ON BEHALF OF SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

PHOTO BY SHANLEY KELLIS

SEASON SPONSOR

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Neptune staff, it’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you to Neptune Theatre’s very own kitchen party! What better way to kick back than with the ultimate Atlantic Canadian sing-a-long fun time, with our talented foursome and a special guest each night.

We had such fun the last time we got to party in the kitchen, we just had to do it again!

First, we’d like to welcome our new cast member Dominique LeBlanc.

The beauty of The Argyle Street Kitchen Party is that you could come again another night and experience a new guest and a different vibe. Join us on stage at intermission where you can purchase a beverage, explore the set, or watch the show from the stage.

It is my hope that our Kitchen Party sends you off into the night with your toes tapped out, your heart full and more than a few ear-worms battling for prime position. Our Kitchen Party played the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, earlier this year and it was a joy to see East Coasters gather over those three weeks. It seems folks right across the country dream of moving to, or returning to, the East Coast.

The hardest part of creating The Argyle Street Kitchen Party was narrowing it down to the song selection you see and hear tonight! And we are thrilled with this amazing line-up of guests. Thanks to Christina, Bette, Heather, Jimmy, Ben and Lennie for joining us over these two weeks.

See you in the kitchen,

Jeremy Webb Artistic Director

Jeremy Webb

Ian Sherwood

THE BAND

Karen Lizotte

Malia Rogers

Dominique LeBlanc

Ian Sherwood

CREATIVE TEAM

Co-Creator

Co-Creator/Musical Director

Samantha Wilson Director

Laura Caswell

Original Director

Andrew Cull Set Designer

Vicky Williams

Andrew Crawford

Lighting Designer

Lighting Design Associate

June Zinck Stage Manager

KAREN LIZOTTE

ROLE: Singer/Actor/Piano/Accordion NEPTUNE: The Argyle Street Kitchen Party, ONCE OTHER THEATRE: East Coast Kitchen Party (Grand Theatre), ONCE (Citadel Theatre), Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart (Geordie Brown Productions), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Lions’ Den Theatre), DRUM! (Brookes Diamond Productions), Cabaret (Saint John Theatre Company).

MALIA ROGERS

ROLE: Singer/Actor/Percussion NEPTUNE: The Argyle Street Kitchen Party OTHER THEATRE: Selah’s Song (Theatre of the Beat), Bernie’s Bistro (Backyard Theatre), The Murder Play (Taboo Theatre), Three Sisters (Acadia University) FILM&TV: Mr. D (CBC), Sea Change (Lifetime) TRAINING: Graduate of Acadia University (BA, Theatre Performance) York University (MA, Theatre & Performance Studies) OTHER: Independent singer-songwriter, www.maliarogers.ca

DOMINIQUE LEBLANC

ROLE: Dancer/Singer/Actor/Fiddle

NEPTUNE: Shrek, The Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol OTHER THEATRE: (Selected): Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, Annie (Drayton Entertainment); Controlled Damage (The Grand Theatre); April Fools (Segal Centre); Almost A Full Moon: In Concert (Citadel Theatre); Master & Margarita (Crow’s Theatre); Ride the Cyclone, Almost A Full Moon, Cabaret (Theatre Sheridan). FILM/TV: Weirdos (Lithium Studios); It’s The Hard Knock Life (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

TRAINING: Royal Conservatory of Music, Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance at Sheridan College OTHER: Dominique is delighted to return home to Halifax and is grateful for the warm welcome into Kitchen Party. Love to her family and the dogs. Yah-eee! Enjoy! @leblancdominique

IAN SHERWOOD

ROLE: Singer/Guitar/Musical Director OTHER: Ian Sherwood is an award winning singer songwriter from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has released 6 albums of original music, received a Canadian Folk Music award for Contemporary Singer of the Year and has twice been named Musician of the Year by the Nova Scotia Music Awards. He currently lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with his partner Geneviève Steele and their two children, Winnie and Daphné. Ian spends his down time doing home renovations and trying to learn the secret language of French that his children and wife speak when he’s in the room.

JEREMY WEBB

ROLE: Co-Creator NEPTUNE: Billy Elliot The Musical, Elf The Musical, Misery, The Rocky Horror Show, Alice in Pantoland, The Woman in Black, Fully Committed, Calendar Girls, Peter Pan, Little Thing, Big Thing, Noises Off, Cinderella, Shakespeare in Love, Mamma Mia!, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. UPCOMING: Murder For Two, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead ACTOR: Beauty and the Beast, Great Expectations, Rexy!, The Comedy of Errors, The Wizard of Oz, Romeo & Juliet, The Producers, Beauty & The Beast (2007), Oliver, Annie, What The Butler Saw, Sylvia, Blood Brothers, Rumors, Sleeping Beauty. OTHER THEATRE: The Hobbit, Stage Kiss, The Hound of The Baskervilles (Festival Antigonish,) 25 years of building a career in Nova Scotia theatre, including Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Fishing, Shakespeare On Trial, Broadway on Argyle St, Under Milk Wood (Off The Leash Creative.) OTHER: His BEST productions are his sons, Samuel & Dylan. offtheleashhfx.com

SAMANTHA WILSON

ROLE: Director NEPTUNE: Misery, Cradle and All (actor); Rocky Horror Show, In Lieu of Flowers (IC), Shape of a Girl, Liars (director) OTHER THEATRE: Downed Hearts, Dayboil, Odd Ducks, Tuesdays and Sundays (Ship’s Company Theatre); Steel Magnolias (Watermark Theatre); When it Rains (2b Theatre); Where You Are, Sexy Laundry (Theatre Baddeck) The Roaring Girl, In The Next Room (Sheridan College), Women of Troy, The Secret in the Wings (Dalhousie University); Strawberries in January, The Paris Crew (Live Bait Theatre); Really Really, Unity 1918 (Mount Allison); Marion Bridge (STC) TV/FILM: To The Moon, Look at Me, Diggstown, Moonshine, Night Blooms, S&V, Trailer Park Boys, Haven, Queer as Folk, Legends and So Close. OTHER: Samantha holds an MFA from York University and has taught and directed at Sheridan College, Mount Allison, York, Acadia and Dalhousie University. Forever and always; thanks to Peter, Jack and Nick for their love and support.

ANDREW CULL

ROLE: Set Designer NEPTUNE: Misery, The Rocky Horror Show, Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells), Fathers and Sons, I, Claudia, The Argyle Street Kitchen Party OTHER THEATRE: What a Young Wife Ought to Know, East of Berlin (2b theatre); As Ever (Mulgrave Road Theatre); I, Claudia, Salt Water Moon (Globe Theatre Regina); The Debacle (Zuppa Circus Theatre); Messenger (Eastern Front Theatre); The Weekend Healer (Kazan Co-op). OTHER: Andrew would like to thank his patient partner and his impatient children.

VICKY WILLIAMS

ROLE: Lighting Designer NEPTUNE: Elf The Musical, Peter Pan, Pleasureville, The Argyle Street Kitchen Party, A Midsummer Night’s Dream OTHER THEATRE: Observatory Mansions (Villain’sTheatre); Noises Off! (Mayfield Theatre); The Children (Keep Good Theatre Company); Miss N’ Me (Eastern Front Theatre); Fox (Villain’s Theatre); Some Blow Flutes (Homefirst Theatre Company); The Bitterest Time: The War Story of Mona Parsons (LunaSea); Pugwash, After Eepersip Disappeared, and The Romeo Initiative (Ship’s Company Theatre); King of Berlin (Doppler Effect Productions); Constellations (Keep Good Theatre Company); Bingo! (Mulgrave Road)

ANDREW CRAWFORD

ROLE: Lighting Design Associate NEPTUNE: Beneath Springhill, Dancing with Rage, Head Electritian 2018 - Present OTHER THEATRE: Wonderbolt Circus (bolt out of the Blue, Circus glorious, and The st. john’s international circus festival) , the GMTF, the GBRTF (three years as in house disigner/ tech), C2C, RTT (5 years as head of lighting and in house designer), TSJ, Halfhandsome (Almost baymous 2016-17), Heist (Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala), and MUN opera (The magic flute, and cosi Fan Tutte).

JUNE ZINCK (SHE/HER)

ROLE: Stage Manager NEPTUNE: Last 5 Years, The Argyle St Kitchen Party (2019), The Last Wife (2019), Noises Off (2019), Mamma Mia (2018), Dark Side of the Heart (2018). OTHER THEATRE: It’s A Wonderful Life (Western Canada Theatre 2022), Kamp the Musical (EFT 2018), Kronborg 1582 (Charlottetown Festival 2017). FILM/TV: Dirty Deeds (SwearNet), Sifting (Eastlink TV).

MUSICAL GUESTS

JIMMY RANKIN (AUGUST 15)

Jimmy Rankin is an iconic Canadian solo artist and the lead singer, guitarist and songwriting lynchpin behind multi-platinum Celtic-Pop heroes, The Rankin Family, who achieved multi-platinum album sales & scores of Junos, East Coast Music and Canadian Country Music Awards.

Jimmy penned The Rankin Family classics including North Country, You Feel The Same Way Too, and the Juno winning single Fare The Well Love, which was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. With seven solo records and an eighth on the way, Harvest Highway to be released this fall, Jimmy’s own hits include Followed Her Around, Here in My Heart, and Cool Car. Jimmy’s the guy who wrote Mull River Shuffle a Cape Breton anthem with an all-ages cult following, jamming dance floors and mosh pits at parties, weddings and raves as the last big song of the night. Awards include: 5 Junos (including Entertainer of the Year), 30 ECMAs, 9 SOCAN top radio play Awards, 7 Canadian Country Music Awards, 2 Canadian Radio Music Awards and 2 Music Nova Scotia Awards.

On Harvest Highway, Jimmy Rankin hits the road again, time traveling and traversing far-flung destinations—along with his native Nova Scotia, of course—through his singular brand of East Coast folk-rock. The Cape Breton icon’s eighth solo album is rich in the narrative songwriting traditions that Rankin has been honing for nearly his whole life, filled with crackling yarns and poignant chronicles about feverish marriages in Thunder Bay, unmoored Newfoundlanders, lovers on the run, and fallen soldiers in France. Bookended by songs about home, the collection roams a trajectory not so different from Rankin’s life, with narrators who relish in adventure while also feeling a yearning for the homeland from which they first pulled their roots up. It finds Rankin at the height of his songwriting powers. “I’ve been working toward this album for my entire career,” he says.

GRADES 7-12 TOURING SPRING 2024

GRADES P-6 TOURING SPRING 2024

CO-PRESENTED WITH

LENNIE GALLANT (AUGUST 16 & 17)

Recognized by his peers as one of Canada’s best performing songwriters, Lennie Gallant has released 14 albums (10 in English and 4 in French) of original songs which have won him a host of awards and nominations from the JUNOs, Les Prix Eloizes, and The East Coast Music Awards. He has been named ECMA Entertainer of the year several times over and his latest albums Time Travel and Searching For Abegweit received Canadian Folk awards and ECMAs . His iconic song Peter’s Dream was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

A recipient of the Order of Canada, Gallant is an international touring artist, who has performed all over the continent, in Europe, for the troops in Afghanistan, and at the Winter Olympics. He has toured with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI Symphony Orchestras and his songs have been covered by numerous artists including The Rankins and Jimmy Buffett, who he recently co-wrote two songs with for his upcoming album to be released this Fall . One of his past albums, When We Get There, even went up to the international space station with then Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette for the crew to enjoy and orbited the planet 248 times. How about that for high rotation worldwide!

Lennie often supports various causes and was given the PEI Red Cross Humanitarian Of The Year honour for his efforts. He has attended many a kitchen party over the years and is pumped to be yet again sharing a few songs and stories with the wonderful gang at the Neptune Theatre!

BETTE MACDONALD (AUGUST 18)

Bette MacDonald is a Gemini award winning actor, a Nova Scotia Screen award winner and a multiple Canadian Screen Award nominee. Her television credits include The Bette Show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Made In Canada. For eight seasons, she played school secretary, Trudy Walsh, on the hit CBC television series, Mr. D

Her stage acting career began in The Boardmore Playhouse at CBU and she has since toured the country in various shows including, The Cape Breton Summertime Revue. She stars in and is co-writer, along with her brother, Ed Macdonald, of Tis The Season, a holiday themed show that began as a one night stand fifteen years ago and has since toured Nova Scotia and beyond. Currently, Bette is a member of the wildly popular, Island Girls, sharing the stage with Jenn Sheppard, Lucy MacNeil and Heather Rankin.

CHRISTINA MARTIN (AUGUST 19)

Christina Martin is a powerhouse musician, songsmith, and performer hailing from the windswept East Coast of Canada. Her music dances effortlessly through Pop, Rock, Folk and Americana traditions but stays deftly unchained by any one label, unafraid to venture into stranger waters. From her Austin-inflected 2002 debut Pretty Things, to the sweeping cinematic dreamscape of 2018’s Impossible to Hold, Martin is an artist who is constantly shifting, and constantly evolving.

And like all her material, upcoming new album Storm boasts a backbone of raw honesty about the human condition. Be they personal confessions or narrative tales, each song is lovingly crafted, and hits in the heart like a wellthrown punch.

BEN CAPLAN (AUGUST 20)

Ben Caplan is both the roar of the hurricane and the eye of the storm. He has an uncanny ability to channel both wild abandon and quiet introspection. His songwriting pulls from many diverse influences but both his music and his lyrics regularly draw from his Jewish heritage. Often mixing biblical imagery and klezmer inflected melodies, Caplan re-appropriates ancient sounds and themes with a decidedly contemporary twist.

Ben released his first studio album in 2011, and has spent the last ten years recording music and performing to ever growing audiences in music clubs and theatres around the world. For the ten year anniversary of his first release, Caplan has recorded a retrospective collection of stripped back re-interpretations of songs from across his catalogue.

Weekend Classes

Session 1 runs for 6 weeks

October 14/15 - November 25/26

Ages 18 months - 18 years

HEATHER RANKIN (AUGUST 22 - 27)

Heather Rankin is a singer, songwriter, actor, and member of the 6X Juno Award winning band The Rankin Family. As a solo artist she has released two albums, A Fine Line (ECMA/ Juno Nom.) and Imagine (ECMA Nom.) Her music video for We Walk As One (dir. Scott Simpson) was nominated for ECMA’s Fan’s Choice Video of the Year and her music video for Titanically (dir. Thom Fitzgerald) was nominated for ECMA and Music Nova Scotia Awards for Video of the Year. She has taken her solo show to venues across the country, including headlining the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, hosting Songwriters’ Circles at ECMA Week and at the Nova Scotia SummerFest, performing with the Cape Breton Orchestra at Celtic Colours, with Symphony NS, and with the Calgary Philharmonic.

In February, 2020 she brought her music to Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Since 2018 she has also been performing with Nova Scotian powerhouses Bette MacDonald, Lucy MacNeil, and Jenn Sheppard with their show Island Girls: a unique comedic and musical salute to Cape Breton.

Heather was nominated for a 2019 ECMA for Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year. In 2017 Heather was named a Canada 150 Ambassador and she took part in the Canada C3 Expedition on Leg 2 between Montréal and Baie Comeau, where she co-wrote the song River of Nations with Alex Cuba and Andrea Menard. She has recorded and performed with many artists including The Chieftains, Johnny Reid, and Carly Simon.

In addition to her live shows, Heather has recently been working with Bell TV On Demand on two different projects which showcase the culture and music traditions of Cape Breton..

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

SEASON SPONSOR

PRODUCTION SPONSOR

FOUNDATIONS

JASON ROTH AND CHERYL STEADMAN ROTH

THEATRE PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

Nova Scotia Teachers Union

TIM MARGOLIAN AND DAWN FRAIL FOUNDATION WINDSOR FOUNDATION