FINAL PERFORMANCE
A CITY OF BRAMPTON PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM FOR YOUTH
April 23, 2024
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WELCOME TO CENTRE STAGE 2023
Executive Artistic Director, Brampton On Stage
It’s usually danger that makes our hearts beat faster and stronger. It’s often adversity that sharpens our minds and heightens our senses. But sometimes, like the precious hours we have spent with the students who comprise our 2024 Centre Stage program, our hearts and minds are similarly exhilarated as we share in the positive growth of young people.
On behalf of the Donors, Sponsors and Performing Arts Staff whose generous support make this program possible, please accept these heartfelt thanks to each of our students. You gifted us your trust, rewarded our workshop leaders with your dedication, and given all of us the honour to be a part of your lives.
Yours sincerely,
Steven Schipper Executive Artistic Director, Brampton On Stage
To see you rehearse and master your art has been so fun to witness. To see actors, dancers and singers go outside their element was wonderful but to see you do well at it was amazing. I know you and your creative self will go far. The sky truly is the limit so reach for the stars and go beyond. To MC tonight’s performance and present each and every one of you is an honour.
Wela’lin,
To all participants – Congratulations on the amazing show you have created! Thank you for your dedication, bravery, and brilliance in presenting your art. As you continue on your creative path, keep creating, keep practicing, and know that you can use your voice as an artist to shine a light and to have an influence. Let’s keep in touch! As a Youth Alumni member, you’ll hear from us about upcoming opportunities.
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Pam Levi, MC Community Programming Outreach Associate
Steven Schipper
Pam Levi, MC Community Programming Outreach Associate
Nereé Morgan, Pamela Levi, Sakinah Idris, and Christina Akrong
Program Facilitators, for Brampton On Stage
Nereé Morgan, Pamela Levi, Sakinah Idris, and Christina Akrong Program Facilitators, for Brampton On Stage
TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE
Master of Ceremonies: Pam Levi
GirlsOfTheCentury performing a Fugees/Lauryn Hill mash up of “Killing Me Softly” and “Doo-Whop” (That Thing)
Elizabeth Ogunseye performing a monologue “You’re Not Listening To Me” by Isabella Whittingham
Isis Vernon performing the song “A Long Time Coming” by Sam Cooke
Gurnoor Kaur performing an original spoken word poem titled “The Anthem of the Vanishing World”
Holden Shepheard performing the song “I’m Only Sleeping” by The Beatles
Naya Ajayi performing a self-choreographed dance to “Elastic Hearts” by Sia
LaReign Levi-Moore performing the song “Put Your Records On” by Corrine Bailey
Rae
Simran Matharhoo performing an original scene called “Piano Problems” and performing the song “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift
Jesus Toutounji performing a monologue called “Feiffer’s People” by Jules Feiffer
Lanna Sanchez performing the song “Journey To The Past” by Lynn Ahrens
Ishrat Ayishe performing an original spoken word poem entitled, “Are the Children UNSEEN?”
Amiee Sawyers performing the song “Titanium” by Sia
Ruby Bassi performing a monologue called “Bathroom” provided by Savetz Publishing, Inc.
Jamelia Russell performing the song “Fingers Crossed” by Lauren Spencer Smith
GirlsOfTheCentury performing their cover of the song “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane
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AMIEE SAWYERS
Amiee has been singing since she could remember. Her Mom is a pastor and so she sings every Sunday and sings at weddings, funerals, parties, and events. She is self-taught and in Amiee’s words, “You can say Jesus taught me.”
RUBY BASSI
Ruby Bassi is an actor, dancer, and visual artist. She is a member of The Arts - Drama Regional Learning Choices Program. From a young age, Ruby has shown promise in the arts as a self-taught musician and dancer. Ruby loves acting and performing because she enjoys giving a good performance, and being part of something bigger. She is based in Southern Ontario, Canada.
ELIZABETH OGUNSEYE
Elizabeth is a talented actor and singer who has performed in school productions such as Newsies. She is a drama major at St. Roch and on a journey to show the world her talent.
EVA RICHARDS
Since the age of two when Eva picked up her first set of drumsticks, she knew she had a passion to perform. In her spare time, Eva plays in her family band and enjoys singing, dancing, and performing in musical theatre. Eva’s dream is to make a difference in someone’s life through her music.
GURNOOR KAUR
Gurnoor is a 14-year-old poet and spoken word artist. Writing poetry and articles for the past few years, she strives to inspire the generations through her works. She is a co-author of 2 anthologies: Midnight Memories and Letter To Love, and the compiler of Wordsmiths. In her free time, Gurnoor enjoys photography, singing, reading, coding, and playing around with tech of all sorts.
HOLDEN SHEPHEARD
Known for his knack for vocals and ukulele, Holden is no stranger to rocking the crowd. Under the name TrxumaBond, he plans on releasing an album by the end of the year.
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ISHRAT AYISHE
As a spoken word artist, Ishrat participated and qualified in poetry challenges with her schools and organizations such as CBC, the Poetry Institute of Canada, and Poetry in Voice. Winning first place with her team in competitions for their category in Destination Imagination, she is a creative and skilled performer who voices current issues to bring about change. Now in her last year of high school, she has led her school’s Writers’ Club for the past 4 years, engaging student leadership, public speaking, and innovative thinking. An aspiring health care worker and avid environmental scientist and advocate, Ishrat is keen to discover new paths towards sustainability and ensure quality health care for all. Inspired by nature and people around her, her writing motivates others with emotions, experiences, and empathy. Centre Stage has been a wonderful opportunity for Ishrat to rediscover the joy and magic of the arts and she appreciates all the hardworking and talented people in the program.
ISIS VERNON
Isis is a singer who has performed on stage for concerts, school, and charity events. Isis trains with a vocal coach at Long and McQuade. In addition to singing, Isis has performed at The Rose theater for dance and musical theater. Her favourite dance style to perform is tap. Isis is currently in a Regional Arts Program in high school for drama and will be doing a musical next year.
JAMELIA RUSSELL
Jamelia is a 15-year-old singer who has been singing since she was able to use her voice (according to her Mom!). She has never taken any lessons and all of it came naturally to her. She has tried different things to take her singing to new levels such as theatre. She was a member of the ensemble in Beauty and the Beast at LBP with Brampton Musical Theatre.
JESUS TOUTOUNJI
Jesus is here for his second year. He a writer and an amazing actor who was also Master of Ceremonies at last year’s Center Stage Performance.
LANNA SANCHEZ
Lanna is very excited to be part of this year’s Centre Stage performance. In the past year, she was part of BMT’s Wizard of Oz and the lead role in Peace, Love, and Cupcakes at her school. This sparked her love for the performing arts. She was the winner of the Eleanor Calbes Annual Scholarship - Intermediate for vocals in 2022. She enjoys being a seventh grader, and loves playing the piano, guitar, and saxophone. Lanna wants to thank her family and Centre Stage for letting her be part of this wonderful showcase.
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LAREIGN LEVI-MOORE
LaReign is a singer/songwriter and started playing the ukulele and piano in early 2023. Music plays a big part of her life, and she has spent some time recording her own songs in her father’s recording studio. She has choreographed and performed a dance at YMCA for Black History Month and was Master of Ceremonies at her Black History assembly at school in February. In the fall she will be attending a Regional Arts Program focusing on music & dance.
MARIELLA BERNASOR
Mariella is a 16-year-old student currently studying at St. Roch Secondary School and is part of the Regional Arts Program as a vocal major. Her interest in music began with playing piano, and she continued to pick up more instruments as her passion for music grew. She has performed at many school events with her band as lead guitarist and occasionally performs outside for small events and parties. Aside from instruments, she has been in multiple choirs and is familiar with performing at many different events and concerts, including the Brampton Children’s Chorus at The Rose Brampton with The Rose Orchestra. Some of her other interests include baking and spending time with her friends.
NATALIE TURJUMAN
Natalie has been a piano player for almost ten years and enjoys sharing her music with the world. She has played for her school’s concerts, private piano recitals with her community and with the city of Brampton at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. She enjoys playing volleyball and piano and has even learned more instruments at her school such as the drums and clarinet. She is in a band for her school called GirlsoftheCentury and they practice after school so that they can share their music with the world. Natalie has loved music ever since she was young and plans to keep learning more about it so that she can keep music in her life.
NAYA AJAYI
Naya is happy to be showing her love of dance with her community. In the past she has been in many musicals and dance performances such as Hamilton Jr. She enjoys being a sixth grader at Earnscliffe Senior Public School where she learns different dance styles (contemporary, hip hop, ballet). Naya wants to thank all these amazing Centre Stage staff and her family for this amazing opportunity to expand her knowledge in the arts.
ROAN GALMAN
Roan is one of the guitarists in an all-female band called GirlsOfTheCentury which formed at the Regional Arts School.
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SHANAIA FAZIO
Shanaia is a grade 11 vocal major at her regional arts high school. She began to love singing at home as a little kid, alongside her grandparents, cousins, and sister. Shanaia has performed various times in local theaters, like The Rose Brampton, firstly as part of the cast in a children’s musical, and most recently alongside The Rose Orchestra with the Brampton Children’s Chorus. She also sang the national anthem at the annual Cardinal’s Dinner in 2022, in the presence of the premier of Ontario and 2000 other guests. In addition to singing, she trains in kickboxing and is fluent in Spanish.
SIMRAN MATHARHOO
Simran plays multiple instruments, but she really loves the piano. She has been playing for more than nine years. She just wrote her exam for RCM level six in January. She also loves acting and has participated in a lot of plays at school and has joined acting clubs. Although she doesn’t really take acting classes professionally, she really hopes to take some in the future.
SOPHIA VELASQUEZ
Sophia is a 16-year-old singer who writes music (at times) and plays instruments as a hobby. She is a part of her school band called GirlsOfTheCentury and is the bassist of the band. Ever since she was three her parents knew she could sing and had a passion for music. Ever since then, Sophia would always enjoy singing, either for a competition or just for fun. She enjoys playing music with her family and singing with her friends.
ZEINA ALTHEA MAGCALING
Zeina, 16, is currently a student at St. Roch Catholic Secondary School enrolled in the Arts Program and majoring in Instrumental Music. She has competed in several regional vocal competitions as a soloist back in her home country, the Philippines, and has been greatly involved in multiple musical ensemble performances throughout her high school career here in Canada. She showcases passion in music, literature, and art through singing, reading, and painting for leisure. All in all, Zeina would not be here today without her family’s love and support, and amazing vocal advice and teachings from her very own Mom!
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ABOUT CENTRE STAGE
Centre Stage exists to nurture young Brampton artists through professional development workshops and an annual showcase presentation. By creating space, resources and opportunities for student artists in Brampton, Centre Stage nurtures our city’s artistic community, now and into the future.
Beginning in January 2024, performers have been working with professional artists to further develop their artistic techniques and understanding. Much appreciation to our instructors who shared their valuable insights and experiences with participants.
2023-2024 CENTRE STAGE GUEST ARTISTS
CAMERON GRANT
STAGE READINESS
Cameron is a Brampton born and raised actor. He started doing theatre when he got accepted into an arts program in high school and continued his professional training at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto Mississauga. Some of his recent acting credits include: Controlled Damage, Grand Theatre; The Fiancée, Persephone Theatre; Kim’s Convenience, and the list goes on. As an emerging director, Cameron has assisted Nina Lee Aquino on two plays by David Yee: among men (Factory Theatre) and the cecil hotel (Theatre Erindale). He was also an apprentice director to Cherissa Richards for Bard on the Beach’s production of Harlem Duet by Djanet Sears. As a playwright his play Meet Chloe received its premiere production from Carousel Players, and is currently touring virtually through to June 2024.
LIBERTY SILVER
SONGWRITING
Liberty Silver is a multiple Juno and Grammy (collaboration) award-winning recording artist. She was originally discovered on the US based TV show Star Search hosted by Ed McMahon. She is the first Black woman to receive a Juno Award. Her Grammy Award (collaboration) was in association with her performance on the single Tears Are Not Enough. Collaborating alongside some of Canada’s most celebrated artists in the group called Northern Lights, which included Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, and others. Liberty has performed for/shared the stage with prominent and influential figures that include US President Barack Obama, Bob Marley, and others. She has recorded songs and performed on studio recordings that have sold millions of units worldwide, including multi-platinum dance tracks.
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NATALIE STEWART
VOICE
With Honours in her Bachelor’s degree from McMaster University, and Masters in Ethnomusicology from York University, Natalie has been a music educator for over 25 years, teaching courses in piano, voice, music theory and musicianship. Currently, Natalie is a Music Professor at post-secondary institutions in Toronto including York University, Humber College, and Centennial College.
PAULA WING
ACTING
Paula is a distinguished playwright, translator, dramaturge, and educator. In addition to Roadkill, commissioned by Roseneath Theatre, Wing is currently developing her play Vox Lumina alongside director and dramaturge Peter Hinton. She teaches youth educational programs with Gryffon Trio’s Listen Up initiative, Kick Start Arts, and TDSBCreates, and facilitates youth programming with Soulpepper, Tarragon, and Young People’s Theatre. Wing is a sessional professor in Acting and Teaching at the University of Windsor, and of Playwriting at the University of Waterloo.
SUMMER SAIEGH MIHAIL
PHYSICAL AND VOCAL WARMUPS
Summer Saiegh Mihail, seasoned judge and arts advocate, with a decade of global experience, directs ample productions and inspires as a dynamic speaker. Holding Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees, she’s an Ontario Certified Teacher dedicated to transformative education. As Director of SPARKLE Performing Arts Studio, she offers virtual vocal, drama, and public speaking instruction, empowering learners of all ages. Co-directing with her husband @UnravelWorldTravel, she merges passions for travel, teaching, event planning and performance. Follow her inspiring journey.
@SummerSaiegh #ADesireToInspire
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2023-2024 CENTRE STAGE AUDITION PANEL
COREY BUTLER
Corey Butler is the Founder and Executive Director of Zamar Music Inc., an organization focused on music arts education, mentorship, and performance. With over 25 years as a music industry professional, Butler is a Music Professor at York University and has produced albums for various artists. In 2022, he was the Musical Director for Da Kink in My Hair, which won The Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award. Known for curating edutainment concert performances promoting love, equity, and diversity, Butler continues to leave his mark on Canada’s music industry.
JIMISH THAKKAR
Jimish Thakkar is the Actor, Director & Drama Educator of The Hive Performing Arts, an eclectic Brampton-based not-for-profit performing arts company. With a Speech & Drama Associate Degree in Performance from Trinity College of London, Jimish’s teaching involves a combination of classical techniques and practical skills as a community theatre actor & director. Jimish’s directorial work includes Wait Until Dark, Sherlock, The Vagina Monologues, and more. Identified by UAE’s Masala Magazine as one of the HOT 100 Personality of the year 2017, Jimish has won the best director award for directing The Miracle Worker and winning the best actor award for his role as Karsten Bernick in Henrik Ibsen’s Pillars of Society. Jimish has acted in productions like Georges Feydeau’s Sauce For The Goose, and others.
FOR THE CITY OF BRAMPTON, CULTURAL SERVICES DIVISION:
DANNY HARVEY – Artistic Programming Coordinator, Performing Arts
NEREÉ MORGAN – Community Programming & Outreach Associate, Performing Arts
PAMELA LEVI – Community Programming & Outreach Associate, Performing Arts
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SPECIAL THANKS
Centre Stage is generously supported by our wonderful donors. Without their enthusiastic support for arts education and access for youth in our community, this program would not be possible. If you would like to become a donor, too, please contact donorservices@brampton.ca.
Many thanks to Mayor Brown and Council for their enthusiastic support of Brampton’s youth, and arts and culture initiatives. Special thank you to our jurors for sharing their expertise and feedback with everyone who auditioned. Sincere appreciation to the entire Brampton On Stage team for supporting Centre Stage, and our instructors who shared their wisdom and passion. Finally, a shout-out to all of the family and friends of the Centre Stage youth for nurturing and encouraging their love of the arts.
COMING UP NEXT IN LIFELONG LEARNING
Pass The Mic – May 2 (Cyril Clark Brampton)
Arts Inside workshops – May 1 and June 5 (The Rose Studio)
Jumblies Theatre community performance – June 12 (LBP Brampton)
Arts Adventures Season Launch & Community Fair – May 14 (The Rose)
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