On The Horizon

Vancouver Band Spreads Jubilation Across the Nation!

2012-01-24T12:27:00.003-07:00

Share the Joy with the Human Statues in Spruce Grove on February 17

Together, Jeff Bryant and Zach Stevenson comprise the folk/pop duo The Human Statues. Originally from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, these young men are on a mission to spread “jubilation” across the nation. Whether it’s playing high-energy band shows at festivals, or intimate acoustic performances in theatres like Horizon Stage (February 17) and The Shell Theatre (February 18), Jeff and Zach are committed to connecting with people through humour, authenticity and a love of music and live performance.

The Human Statues blend an energetic pop sensibility with lyrical depth and sweet vocal harmony. Their catchy melodies, rich vocal harmonies and clever lyrics consistently win over audiences, creating a new and growing fan-base wherever they perform. With a play-list that includes a mixture of original songs and popular covers like “Take on Me” by A-ha and “I Saw Her Standing There” by the Beatles, Jeff and Zack’s music appeals to a wide range of ages and genre-preferences. Young, hip, and totally fun, the Human Statues have been compared to Simon and Garfunkel and the Barenaked Ladies.

Experience and delight in the Human Statues for yourself at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, February 17th at 9 p.m. (Note Later Time). Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students/seniors, $5 for eyeGO, and can be purchased by calling 780-962-8995. Ticket are also available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca.

“Gorgeously bright, jubilant pop”
ECHO Weekly

The Human Statues provide a fun ride through some amazing songs.
The only thing better (than their CD) is seeing them live!”
Steve Darling, Global TV Vancouver

“These guys definitely have the whole package of songs, personality and pizzazz.
The world will be hearing about them, big time!”
David Bash, Shindig Magazine (London, UK)

An Unforgettable One-man Circus Comedy!

2012-01-19T13:54:00.001-07:00

Horizon Stage presents Jamie Adkins in Circus Incognitus on Saturday, February 4 at 2 p.m.

With his numerous talents and years of experience as a multidisciplinary acrobat, Jamie Adkins has won the admiration of critics and the adoration of the circus-going public. In his newest creation, Circus Incognitus, Jamie uses everyday objects to perform dazzling, awe-inspiring and hilarious circus routines. Horizon Stage is excited to be presenting Jamie Adkins in Circus Incognitus as the first performance of their 2012 Family Matinee Series on Saturday, February 4th at 2 p.m.

Jamie began his circus career at the age of 13 in San Diego, where he delighted passers-by as a street performer. In San Francisco, he joined the Pickle Family Circus. Later, he became a valued member of Montréal's famed Cirque Éloize, performing in their production Excentricus and touring for them with Typo, a show of his own creation.

As an eclectic clown, juggler, balancing artist, and physical poet, Jamie distinguishes himself with a unique style that faithfully and humorously conveys the essence of the ordinary man. As he forges ahead on his career path, he is always seeking new ways to develop his artistry and to bring wonder and laughter to his audiences. His newest creation, Circus Incognitus, is an artistic event that springs from his own inner world and vibrant imagination. In Circus Incognitus, Jamie’s character is constantly fraught with challenges, but for each problem he always finds a fun and unusual solution.

Join Jamie on his courageous adventure at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 4th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for all ages and include an hour of preshow activities for the kids starting at 1 p.m. Family Matinee Ticket Packages are also available for $35 and they include one ticket to Circus Incognitus, one ticket to Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir on February 18 and one ticket to Connie Kaldor on April 7. To order tickets call 780-962-8995, visit the Spruce Grove City Hall Ticket Centre in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue, or go to www.ticketmaster.ca. Horizon Stage is located at 1001 Calahoo Road, attached to Spruce Grove Composite High School.
www.jamieadkins.com, www.horizonstage.com.

Live the Laughter – A Comedic Hypnosis Show

2011-12-23T12:36:00.002-07:00

What does it mean to Live the Laughter? With Wayne Lee, it means a rollicking, highly-interactive hypnosis show, as unique as it is hilarious. It means side-splitting laughter and improbable scenes acted out by audience members no longer inhibited by their fears. Wayne Lee can break down the barriers of even the most cynical and resistant individuals through laughter and hypnosis, in the process showing them how to access their own subconscious.

If there’s one thing peak-performance experts like Wayne Lee agree on, it’s that the mind is capable of leading us anywhere. He also knows that, for many of us, our minds are littered with detours, potholes and accidents waiting to happen. Fear, self-doubt, inhibitions of all kinds, these beliefs reside in our subconscious and prevent us from reaching our conscious goals. But if you set your GPS (Great Programmable Subconscious) for success, you can achieve anything. Wayne Lee takes his audiences on the ride of their lives with a message of empowerment that lasts long after the laughter fades away.

Wayne’s own journey to excellence was fueled with an unrelenting passion for entertaining and empowering people. Starting from a childhood fascination with magic, Wayne’s gift for seeing and acting on what’s possible has grown to international proportions: He is one of North America’s premier corporate presenters, a veteran of thousands of successful shows, a published author, and peak-performance coach to professionals from all walks of life.

And he practices what he preaches. Wayne was a former, five-time Canadian amateur wrestling champion, before taking the stage in the corporate world. More recently, he was named “Entertainer of the Year” by the Canadian Events Industry.

Which brings us back to the power of the mind. Through humor and hypnosis, Wayne helps people drop their defenses and access their personal GPS. Wayne shows how what you put in--beliefs, attitudes, goals and vision--act as coordinates that absolutely determine whether or not you reach your destination. Get it wrong and you're stuck in traffic. Get it right and you'll get to your goal faster than you ever thought possible.

Wayne invites members of the audience to explore their creativity, engage their passion, and experience deep insight– all while having fun, as they explore the power of their imagination and subconscious mind. Wayne helps individuals and groups get out of their comfort zone and truly become the performer they are meant to be. In this highly energizing and exciting show, the audience can either see the show or be the show. It's like being handed the keys to the ride of their lives.

Wayne Lee performs at Horizon Stage, 1001 Calahoo Road in Spruce Grove at 9 p.m. (new time!) on Friday, January 20, 2012. Tickets are $25 for Adults, $20 for Students/Seniors and $5 eyeGo tickets for High School students. Tickets are available by phone at 780-962-8995, in person at the City Hall Ticket Centre, 315 Jespersen Avenue, Spruce Grove, or at www.ticketmaster.ca.

The One and Only - Both performances are SOLD-OUT!

2011-12-23T12:25:00.004-07:00

Internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi award-winner, Ian Tyson, is celebrating five decades of performance in 2011 with a full schedule of concerts planned from coast to coast in both Canada and the United States. He comes to the intimate setting of Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove for two concerts on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14.

From the superstar status of folk-duo, Ian & Sylvia, in the 1960s to the legendary Tyson of today, Ian continues to keep his loyal fans in awe with songs that range from his classics – Four Strong Winds (named Canada’s top song of the 20th century), Someday Soon, and Navajo Rug, to his newest works, which he continues to write with inspired vigor. Now in his mid 70s, Tyson combines a busy touring performance schedule with work on his Alberta ranch, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies south of Calgary. It’s a workload that would exceed that of most people generations his junior.

At the age of 24, Tyson left behind the itinerant logging and rodeo life of British Columbia and hitchhiked to Toronto. Caught up in the folk-music revival, he formed, along with a very young Sylvia Fricker, the legendary duo of Ian and Sylvia. Ian married Sylvia in 1964, and together they recorded over a dozen timeless albums, including their best known and often-covered hits, among them Ian’s Four Strong Winds and Sylvia’s You Were On My Mind.

During the British Invasion, Ian and Sylvia evolved into pioneers of country-rock. Their band, Great Speckled Bird, rivaled the Byrds and other groups which helped create modern country, a decade before the Urban Cowboy phase of contemporary “new traditionalists”.

After hosting a national Canadian television music show from 1970 to 1975, Tyson realized his dream of returning to the Canadian West. The music and marriage of Ian and Sylvia had ended, and disillusioned with the Canadian country music scene, Tyson decided the time had come to return to his first love – training horses in the ranch country of southern Alberta.

After three idyllic years cowboying in the Rockies at Pincher Creek, Tyson recorded the album, Old Corrals & Sagebrush, consisting of cowboy songs, both traditional and new. “Kind of a musical Christmas card for my friends,” he recalls. “We weren’t looking for a hit radio play or anything like that”. Unbeknownst to Tyson and his friends, the cowboy renaissance was about to find expression at the inaugural Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 1983. A small coterie of saddle makers, rawhide braiders, cowboy poets and pickers discovered one another in this small cow-town in Northern Nevada. Tyson was invited to perform his “new western music” and the overwhelming response at Stockman’s Casino brought Tyson the realization that he had found his true audience.

Tyson considers himself a very fortunate man. His music career takes him to concerts all over North America, where he is able to ride the deserts and sage hills with his friends from Alberta to Mexico. “I like to surround myself with the most talented musicians,” Tyson says, “so that people not directly from the ranch culture can enjoy an evening with us through the music alone. Everyone, it seems, can relate to a song like Someday Soon and that’s the kind of communication I strive for.”

The striving continues and the songs keep coming from this word painter of the west. His current album, Yellowhead to Yellowstone and other Love Stories, was recorded in 2008 and has been critically acclaimed in both Canada and the United States. This latest CD is the 13th release in Tyson’s steady stream of recordings since 1973. In December 2010, Ian’s memoir for Random House of Canada – “The Long Trail” – became an instant Best Seller.

Ian Tyson is the recipient of The Order of Canada and has been inducted into five industry Halls of Fame. He has garnered three Honorary Doctorates and received numerous citations and awards from every corner of the entertainment industry.

SOLD OUT - Ian Tyson plays at Horizon Stage, 1001 Calahoo Road in Spruce Grove at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14, 2012. Tickets are $35 for Adults, $30 for Students/Seniors and $5 eyeGo tickets for High School students. Tickets are available by phone at 780-962-8995, in person at the City Hall Ticket Centre, 315 Jespersen Avenue, Spruce Grove, or at ticketmaster.ca.

The emotional power and beauty of Celtic music

2011-09-07T15:10:00.002-06:00

The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate, Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms.

Over the years, the “Tannies” have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes. They are firmly established as one of the most exciting groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

Combining live recordings of favorites from their 2005 US tour and studio recordings of new material, the Tannahill Weavers produced their first release on Nashville-based Compass Records, Live and In Session. Their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts seemingly can't get any better...yet continue to do just that. As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, "The Tannahill Weavers - properly harnessed - could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night's concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll."

The Tannahill Weavers perform at Horizon Stage (1001 Calahoo Road, Spruce Grove) at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 24, 2011. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students/seniors and $5 eyeGo tickets for high school students. Tickets are available by phone (780-962-8995), in person at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Avenue, Spruce Grove) or at www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information, please visit www.horizonstage.com or call 780-962-8995.

Internationally Acclaimed Jazz Pianist Set to Dazzle

2010-10-15T12:20:00.002-06:00

See The Oliver Jones Trio Up Close & Personal in Spruce Grove on Friday, October 29

Oliver Jones was referred to as one of Canada’s most beloved and admired musicians and most distinguished cultural ambassadors when he was presented with the Governor General’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005. Mr. Jones’ outstanding musical talent is matched only by his generosity towards his audiences. “It’s wonderful to look out and see people smiling,” he says. “The communication between musician and audience – that’s the best part.” For years, he has treated audiences to the vision and sound of all the best that piano can offer. Best experienced in an intimate venue, Mr Jones is thrilled to be returning to the Edmonton area to perform at two Up Close and Personal soft-seat venues, Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on October 29 and the Shell Theatre in Fort Saskatchewan on October 30.

Born on September 11, 1934 to Barbadian parents, Oliver Theophilus Jones grew up in the same Montreal neighbourhood as his life-long friend and continuing inspiration, Oscar Peterson. As a youngster, he would sit on the Peterson family’s porch, listening to the older boy practice, and eventually Oscar’s sister, Daisy, became Oliver’s first classical piano teacher. A child prodigy, Oliver began playing the piano at two and half years old, gave his first performance at the age of five, and was hitting the stage on a regular basis by the age of nine. With a performing history that has lasted 71 years, it does not seem surprising that when Jones tried to retire in 2000, he simply couldn’t resist returning to the music scene.

Oliver Jones is the recipient of numerous awards including the Order of Canada, the Order of Quebec, several Felix and Juno Awards, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Excellence in Music and four honorary doctorates.

Oliver Jones is prepared to sweep local audiences off their feet once more, having performed as a soloist at Horizon Stage and with his trio at Shell Theatre in 2009. On this visit to Alberta, he will be performing with bassist Éric Lagacé and drummer Jim Doxas. Éric Lagacé started playing the double-bass professionally when he was 19 years old. An active member of the Canadian Jazz scene, he has also performed with the Ottawa National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. Montreal drummer Jim Doxas divides his time playing with Oliver Jones, The John Roney Trio and Chet Doxas Quartet, striving to make the case that percussion is every bit as significant as a lyrical instrument.

Tickets for the Oliver Jones Trio’s 7:30 p.m. concert at Horizon Stage on October 29 are $35 for adults, $30 for students and seniors and can be purchased by calling
780-962-8995.
http://www.justin-time.com/

East Meets West at Horizon Stage on October 19th

2010-10-12T12:17:00.001-06:00

Foothills Brass and Autorickshaw come together for a spectacular musical meeting of Brass, Indian fusion, Bollywood and Jazz

It is safe to say the pairing up of Foothills Brass and Autorickshaw is one of the most unique partnerships ever to grace Horizon Stage. Foothills Brass is a somewhat quirky brass quintet—2 trumpets, French horn, trombone and tuba. Their repertoire ranges from Handel and Frescobaldi to Amazing Grace and The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Autorickshaw is a quartet of some of the finest musicians you’ll ever hear, but their music is just about impossible to define: they’re jazz, they’re folk, they’re contemporary, they’re world music, all based upon the classical music of India and brought up to date in a fusion of eastern and western musical traditions. Together they will explore the music of British colony brass bands, south-Asian inspired jazz, and East truly will meet west in Spruce Grove on October 19.

Celebrating their 30th season, Calgary based Foothills Brass’ promise is “Serious Fun!” – they are serious about the music, and serious about the fun! As one of Canada’s foremost brass quintets they grace the stage with exceptional flare and virtuosity. With the power, finesse and versatility of the brass instruments, combined with off-key humor, Foothills Brass leaves their audiences in awe. Five outrageous, high-energy personalities present polished shows that are entertaining and full of musical variety. When classical musicians have honed their skills beyond just playing what’s on the page, anything can happen; dramatics, improvisation, staging and brilliant audience engagement… all hallmarks of Foothills Brass.

Hailing from Toronto, Autorickshaw's music lies on the cultural cutting edge, as contemporary jazz and funk easily rub shoulders with the classical and popular music of India. Formed in 2003, Autorickshaw has become one of the most intriguing acts on the world music and jazz landscapes, garnering 2004 and 2007 JUNO nominations for World Music Album of the Year, winning a Canadian Independent Music Award in 2005 and a John Lennon Songwriting Competition Grand Prize in World Music in 2008.

These two accomplished ensembles are participating in a residency at the internationally-renown Banff Centre for the Arts from October 12-18 and then heading out on a four-date Alberta concert tour. After performing in Spruce Grove they will travel to Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. Foothills Brass and Autorickshaw concert at Horizon Stage on Tuesday, October 19 are just $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased through the Horizon Stage Box Office and Ticketmaster. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue.
www.foothillsbrass.ab.ca & www.autorickshaw.ca

Master Jugglers Combine Dazzling Technique with Infectious Humour

2010-10-06T17:00:00.001-06:00

Horizon Stage presents The Gizmo Guys on Saturday, October 16 at 2 p.m.

Performing as The Gizmo Guys, Allan Jacobs and Barrett Felker have amazed and amused audiences all around the world. Together they have made numerous television appearances, won international juggling competitions, and taught at top circus schools. Now, they are bringing their winning combination of dazzling technique and infectious humour to audience members at Horizon Stage on Saturday, October 16 at 2 p.m.

With a rapid-fire act that inspires side-splitting laughter in audiences of all ages, The Gizmo Guys have been touring together since 1987. They have appeared before well over a million people in more than 2500 live shows and performed for millions more on television. In addition to appearing extensively in the U.S. and Canada, The Gizmo Guys have strutted their stuff in places as diverse as Saudi Arabia and Japan and have taught juggling at the renowned French and Canadian National Circus Schools.

Allan Jacobs was taught to juggle by his college roommate on his 21st birthday. Shortly thereafter, he co-founded the comedy group Slap Happy which was twice awarded Best Comedy of the Year by The Boston Globe. Allan taught at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College in 1978, won the International Jugglers Association’s Team Championship in 1978, the Solo Championship in 1983 and collaborated as technical consultant on the book The Complete Juggler, by Dave Finnigan. Allan currently lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Barrett Felker learned the art of juggling from his cousin at the age of 15. In 1980 he won the International Jugglers Association’s Team Championship and later that year he launched a solo career by signing a contract with The Harlem Globetrotters. Three years, five continents and thirty countries later, Barrett settled in Europe where he worked his solo act in circuses and variety theaters for two years and learned to speak Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese. In 1985 Barrett became one-half of The Dynamotion Jugglers, a duo that appeared with New York City’s Big Apple Circus, Germany's Circus Krone and on television variety shows in Europe and South America. Barrett also currently resides in New York City.

Don’t miss an afternoon of giggles, grins and guffaws with The Gizmo Guys in Spruce Grove on Saturday, October 16. Come early and participate in free pre-show activities for the kids from 1-2 p.m. Tickets for The Gizmo Guys are just $15 for all ages and discounts are available for groups of ten-or-more people. This is also the last opportunity to purchase Horizon Stage’s $35 three-show Family Matinee Series package. The packages includes one Gizmo Guys ticket, one Aché Brasil ticket (Jan 22) and one Mermaid Theatre ticket (Feb 19). Tickets, and packages, are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue. www.thegizmoguys.com.

“The Gizmo Guys are master jugglers with ebullient energy and exquisite skill…
human virtuosity with a touch of lunacy.”
The New York Times

“… (a) raucous roller coaster ride of laughter… for audiences of all ages.”
Luther Burbank Centre for the Arts

Award Winning Blues, Funk, and Jazz Musician Will Wow Local Audiences

2010-09-23T14:16:00.002-06:00

See John Lee Sanders at Horizon Stage on Friday, October 8

John Lee Sanders’ voice is raw and real, sweet and tart. It is an instrument of tremendous emotional and spiritual range. John Lee can sit at his piano and recreate the atmosphere of a smoky Texas BBQ, a New Orleans street parade, and the Mississippi delta, all in one set. He easily navigates between genres, belting out the blues one moment and then smoothly singing gospel the next. Add Jazz, Roots and Funk to his repertoire and John Lee’s range is both incredible and diverse. Local audiences have the opportunity to experience this incredible performer Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, October 8.

John Lee Sanders spent his youth in the Mississippi Delta, the swamps of Louisiana, and the plains of Texas, immersed in the wealth of jazz, country, blues, and gospel music that has become the DNA of North American pop music for over fifty years. Childhood meetings with Elvis and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also influenced his musical landscape. Now living in Kelowna, British Columbia, John Lee tours extensively, performing at festivals across Europe and Canada and sharing stages with the likes of Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Freddie King, Dr. John, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Page, Tower of Power, Starship, and many other blues, jazz and pop legends.

Called “one of the hottest bluesmen on the circuit”, John Lee’s compositions have been heard on the radio, on network television, in movie soundtracks and in commercials for Apple, Nissan and Wal-Mart. With an Emmy-nomination in 2007 and a Western Canadian Music Award nomination in 2008, he and his band won three BC Interior Music Awards in 2009 including Blues Recording of the Year, and R & B Soul Recording of the Year. Performing with his award-winning band in Spruce Grove, John Lee Sanders’ New Orleans deep-fried funk gets mixed into a bucket full of blues to create a deeply satisfying musical gumbo.

Tickets for John Lee Sanders’ 7:30 p.m. concert in Spruce Grove on October 8 are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors and $5 eyeGO tickets for high school students. Tickets can be purchased by calling 780-962-8995. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster. www.johnleesanderes.com

Celebrate Alberta Arts Days in Spruce Grove

2010-09-02T16:00:00.001-06:00

Fun Events at Horizon Stage, the Spruce Grove Public Library, and the Spruce Grove Art Gallery

The Alberta Arts Days weekend kicks off in Spruce Grove on Friday, September 17 with an exhibit of completed art projects—created by youth in the Spruce Grove Library’s ACT (Advisory Council of Teens) program and participants in the Simon Poultney Foundation’s Community Art Studio. This exhibit will be on display Friday-Sunday. Additionally, Allied Arts Council members will be providing demonstrations for patrons of all ages all weekend long in the Melcor Cultural Centre.

Also on September 17, 13 to 17-year-old may partake in The Art of Film-Making at the Spruce Grove Public Library from 5:00 – 7:45 p.m. Participants in this program will learn about the film-making process as participants from the Teen Media Program (Spruce Grove Library and Simon Poultney Foundation) provide demonstrations and present some of their past projects. Families with children 10 – 12 years old are also invited to drop in and experience the movie magic.

On Saturday, September 18, Pamper Your Creative Spirit at the Spruce Grove Library. This exciting day begins with a writing workshop from 9 a.m. – noon, includes a delicious luncheon, and concludes with an art workshop from 1 – 4 p.m. In the morning, local author, instructor, and editor Roberta Laurie will mediate a writers’ panel with Prairie Dog Publishing writing and publishing colleagues Kara Donadt and Kat Flannery and then facilitate a Finding your Inner Muse writing workshop. After lunch, artist Tina Bourrassa will instruct Great Beginnings: “a painting adventure that will make you feel like a kid again.” Registration for these activities is required and space is limited so interested persons should call 780-962-4423 as soon as possible. Cost of both workshops and lunch is just $25.00 and there will be gifts and a door prize draw for participants.

Also on September 18, aspiring artists of all ages are invited to make and take their creations as they participate in free cork-carving and print-making activities provided by members of the Allied Arts Council from 10 a.m. – noon at the Spruce Grove Art Gallery.

Horizon Stage is thrilled to give our province’s stars of tomorrow a stage today at a U22 Concert on Saturday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. Created by Edmontonian Rhea March, U22 Productions is an agency that mentors gifted and promising musicians, all under the age of 22. The U22 artists performing at Horizon Stage on September 18 will be 18-year-old guitar virtuoso Calum Graham, 18-year-old new-age indie artist Lyra Brown, 18-year-old contemporary/pop songwriter Alanna Clarke, and 16-year-old folk singer/songwriter Lucas Chaisson. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $5 for high school students with school ID. Visit U22.ca to hear music by Calum, Alanna, Lyra and Lucas and to learn more about U22 Productions. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995 to reserve tickets for what is sure to be an incredible evening of music.

On Sunday, September 19, young Albertans, ages 3 and up, will enjoy Splash’N Boots at Horizon Stage. Free arts, crafts, and storytelling activities run in the theatre lobby from 1 – 2 p.m. with Splash’N Boots performing on stage from 2 – 3 p.m. Voted Canadian Children’s Group of the Year at the Independent Music Awards, Splash’N Boots have released four children’s music CDs, seven videos, and toured across Canada and around the world. Local fans have enjoyed their performances at the St. Albert International Children’s Festival and Capital Ex. Dubbed “the Canadian Wiggles” and “the U2 of children’s entertainment”, Splash’N Boots have shared the stage with Fred Penner, Sharon and Bram, Robert Munsch, Al Simmons and the actual Wiggles. Tickets to see these feisty and fun family entertainers are $15 for all ages and they are also available through the Horizon Stage Box Office and Ticketmaster. Visit www.splashnboots.com to watch videos, listen to music and learn all about Splash’N Boots.

Finally, for teens and adults, the Spruce Grove Library is thrilled to host an authors visit by screenwriter Scot Morrison on Sunday, September 19 at 1 p.m. Scot has worked on the Canadian television series Jake and the Kid and Mentors. Most recently he has been writing and directing for Omni and Bravo! He will share his insights into the creative process that moves a writer from an initial idea to the final film. Also at the library that day will be a photo display by the Simon Poultney Foundation and the Coordinated Suicide Prevention Program. Both events are free to attend. All of the Spruce Grove Library programs during Alberta Arts Days are presented with support from the Government of Alberta Community Spirit Grant.

So, whether a person enjoys visual art, literary art, music or film, whether they are a small child, a teenager, an adult, or a senior, there is truly something artistic for everyone happening in Spruce Grove during Alberta Arts Days, September 17, 18 and 19, 2010. www.sprucegrove.org

2010/2011 Season

2010-07-05T13:12:00.001-06:00

U22 Concert
Saturday, September 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Splash’N Boots
Sunday, September 19 – 2 p.m. (Family Matinee)

The Beatlemaniacs
Thursday, September 30 – 7:30 p.m.

John Lee Sanders
Friday, October 8 – 7:30 p.m.

The Gizmo Guys
Saturday, October 16 – 2 p.m. (Family Matinee)

Foothills Brass with Autorickshaw
Tuesday, October 19 – 7:30 pm

Oliver Jones Trio
Friday, October 29 – 7:30 p.m.

The Wright Songs – An Acoustic Evening with Michelle Wright
Sunday, November 7 – 7:30 p.m.

International Guitar Night
Friday, November 12 – 7:30 p.m.

The Horizon Players Present: The Crucible
November 18-20 – 7:30 p.m.

The Barra MacNeils
Friday, November 26 – 7:30 p.m.

Richard Eaton Singers: Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, December 18 – 7:30 p.m.

The Shirleys
Saturday, January 15 – 7:30 p.m.

Masabo
Saturday, January 22 – 2 p.m. (Family Matinee)

The Nylons
Wednesday, January 26 – 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sons of Maxwell
Saturday, February 5 – 7:30 p.m.

Pat Braden & Digawolf: A Place to Call Home
Sunday, February 6 – 2 p.m.

Mermaid Theatre: Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch
Saturday, February 19 – 2 p.m. (Family Matinee)

Trevor Panczak
Saturday, March 5 – 7:30 p.m.

David Myles
Friday, March 25 – 7:30 p.m.

Jorge Miguel
Saturday, March 26 – 7:30 p.m.

Jasper Wood
Friday, April 1 – 7:30 p.m.

The Horizon Players Present: Disney’s Jungle Book Kids
April 28 - 30 & May 5- 7 - 7:30 p.m. plus a 2 p.m. matinee on April 30

Tickets On Sale Wednesday, July 7 at 9:30 a.m.

2010 Summer Drama Classes

2010-05-25T16:20:00.002-06:00

Drama Tots
Session 1: July 19 - 23
Session 2: July 26 - 30
Ages: 5 – 7
Time: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Location: Agra Room - Spruce Grove Agrena - 9 Agrena Road
Cost: $80
Young children will explore creatively through a variety of dramatic activities. They will play games, sing songs, and do simple drama exercises. On the last day of class, family and friends will be invited to watch them present a showcase piece.
Instructors: Julia Seymour & Mandolin Orr

Drama Troupers
Session 1: July 19 - 23
Session 2: July 26 - 30
Ages: 8 – 10
Time: noon - 2 p.m.
Location: Agra Room - Spruce Grove Agrena - 9 Agrena Road
Cost: $80
Older children will explore creatively through various, more advanced, theatrical activities. They will participate in a wide variety of warm-up and dramatic exercises. They will learn about plot lines, creating characters and working together as a team. On the last day of class, family and friends will be invited to watch them present a showcase piece.
Instructors: Julia Seymour & Mandolin Orr

Drama Thespians
Session 1: July 19-23
Session 2: July 26 - 30
Ages: 11 – 13
Time: 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Agra Room - Spruce Grove Agrena - 9 Agrena Road
Cost: $80
Students will learn advanced warm-up activities and explore their creative sides through intense theatrical challenges. They will create in-depth characters and plot lines and will work together to create their own one-act collective. On the last day of class, family and friends will be invited to watch them present a showcase piece.
Instructors: Julia Seymour & Mandolin Orr

Important:
Children should wear clothing that they can move and play easily in and non-slip indoor shoes. If the weather is warm they should wear sun screen and have alternate outdoor shoes available. They should bring their own water bottle. A small nut-free snack will be provided each day.

To register or for more information
Call: 780-962-8995

2010 Horizon Stage Artstrek Scholarship

2010-04-01T11:19:00.002-06:00

What is Artstrek?
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Artstrek is a theatre school like no other: a residential summer theatre program for teens that has been running since 1959. The program, which takes place each summer on the campus of Red Deer College, is about the exploration of theatre and the components of theatre production rather than getting a show on stage. Over the course of a week, participants explore acting, voice, movement, and directing with some of Alberta's finest theatre professionals. This year students will be unleashing their imaginations in the world of Jonathan Christenson’s Sterling award-winning Frankenstein.

Artstrek is not a talent-based program. It is for students who are enthusiastic about theatre and who will be focused on the fun of learning and exploring with their instructors and with other Artstrek participants.

When is Artstrek & Who can attend?
Theatre Exploration I runs July 4 - 10. It is for 13 - 15 year olds who have completed grade 7.
Theatre Exploration II runs July 11 - 18. It is for 16 - 18 year olds who have completed grade 10.

Do I qualify for a Horizon Stage scholarship?
If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, and have completed grade 7 or higher at a school in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain or Parkland County, you may apply for this scholarship. It can be used for either Theatre Exploration I or Theatre Exploration II. Horizon Stage offers one $400 scholarship.

How do I apply?
FIRST—Register for Artstrek through Theatre Alberta. Download your Artstrek Application form from www.theatrealberta.com/artstrek.htm. On PAGE 10 of the application form mark “YES” to say that you are receiving funding from an organization in your community. Fill in Horizon Stage’s address and the scholarship information as listed below.
Submit your Artstrek registration and your registration fee, minus $400, to:
Theatre Alberta
3rd Floor, 11759 Groat Road
Edmonton, AB
T5M 3K6
Phone: 780-422-8162
Fax: 780-422-2663 Attn. Theatre Alberta

SECOND—Submit a scholarship application letter to Horizon Stage. Your application letter must detail your experience in theatre studies and productions, your plans for future involvement in theatre, and how attending Artstrek will help you accomplish your goals. Factors such as academic excellence and financial need will be taken into account. Letters of reference are a part of the Artstrek application process, but they do not need to be sent to Horizon Stage.
Submit your Horizon Stage Scholarship letter to:
Horizon Stage Scholarship
Attn: Kerri Gibson Loranger
315 Jespersen Ave
Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 3E8
Phone: 780-962-8995
Fax: 780-962-0616

Once the Scholarship winner is chosen Horizon Stage will submit a cheque for $400 to Theatre Alberta on their behalf. Anyone who has applied for the scholarship but is not chosen must then pay Theatre Alberta the remainder of their application fee.If you have already applied for Artstrek, and paid the full registration fee, you may still apply for this scholarship. If that is the case Horizon Stage will reimburse the winner $400 directly instead of Theatre Alberta.

Artstrek starts taking registrations on April 1, 2010, and they fill up early, so get your application to Theatre Alberta as soon aspossible. Only applicants who have successfully registered for Artstrek (not on the waiting list) will be considered for the Horizon Stage Scholarship. All application letters for the Horizon Stage scholarship must be received by May 7, 2010.

This Artstrek Scholarship is funded by the Horizon Stage Theatre Advisory Board.

Tickets Released for The Arrogant Worms

2010-03-31T13:43:00.000-06:00

Horizon Stage has released seats for the 7:30 Arrogant Worms concerts on April 23 & 24. Call our Box Office at 780-962-8995 and order yours before they're gone!

Nathan - The Wind

2010-03-30T13:47:00.001-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuAIHmhJvs4

Listen to the Modern, Old-Fashioned Sound of the Lonesome, Crowded West

2010-03-30T13:43:00.000-06:00

Enjoy the funky genre-fusion of alt-country/roots band Nathan at Horizon Stage on Friday, April 16

Once described as “ the Carter Family and Patsy Cline as interpreted by Tom Waits and Holly Golightly”, Winnipeg-based alt-country/roots quartet, Nathan, weds a variety of musical genres to create a fresh, original style and sound. In an age of push-button music, Nathan’s songs have an endearing, alluringly-homemade quality to them. The band flawlessly navigates the line between two-steppin', polka and pop, while tossing in hints of Kurt Weill cabaret and Tex-Mex mariachi. They balance their banjos with horns, temper their twang with theremin, and accent their cantering rhythms with handclaps. Touring Alberta in April, Nathan will be close to Edmonton when they perform at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, April 16.

A product of Winnipeg’s vibrant, slightly-off-centre arts community, Nathan combines the haunting songwriting and vocal talents of Keri Latimer and Shelley Marshall with bassist Devin Latimer, drummer Daniel Roy, and an assortment of accordions, tubas, pianos and steel guitars. Since their indie debut in 2001, the band has received rave reviews, played festivals across the country, and won three Western Canadian Music Awards, two Canadian Folk Music Awards, a Prairie Music Award, and a Juno.

Nathan embraces their eclectic prairie origins completely. Their songs are slippery things that will seduce you with gorgeous harmonies, energize you with circus rhythms or traditional country beats, and then knock you sideways with razor-sharp lyrics that seem to come from a dark Tom Waits-ean basement. Nathan’s music crosses the line between conventional and un-conventional, completely captivating their audiences and making new fans of all who hear them.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience Nathan for yourself Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors and may be purchased through Ticketmaster and the Horizon Stage Box Office. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue to acquire yours today. www.nathanmusic.ca

“alt-country quartet Nathan are now officially one of the best folk groups in Canada.”
Winnipeg Sun

“… smart, witty, absorbing and tuneful … imbued with an engaging sense of friendly backwoods weirdness”
Irish Times

“...these rootsy ecumenists from Winnipeg get to the heart of rural North American music without hillbilly kitsch or weary references to the farm.”
Nashville Scene

Lose Yourself in the Whimsical World of the Water Forest

2010-03-23T15:32:00.001-06:00

Meet the charming and delightful water-forest people from Sursaut Dance Company’s At Nightfall at Horizon Stage on Saturday, April 10 – 3 p.m.

Auguste is a shoemaker who knows nothing of holidays. In fact, he knows little about life outside of his work-shop. Then, Auguste discovers the water forest, where shade and light intermingle and the “tiny people” live. Crazy, tender, tipsy or delicate, the tiny people’s nocturnal dances include rituals in which they turn, jump and frolic in total abandon. Their elusive beauty, casualness and antic characters exercise an undeniable charm on Auguste and all passersby who venture into their world.

Lose yourself in the whimsical world of the water forest when Horizon Stage presents Sursaut Dance Company’s charming production, At Nightfall, on Saturday, April 10 at 3 p.m. Founded in 1985, Sursaut is a contemporary dance company devoted to the creation and production of shows for young and family audiences. Artistic director and choreographer, Francine Châteauvert, collaborates closely with dancer and general manager, Adam Dymburt to form the heart of this Quebec-based company. They have presented their work from coast to coast and outside Canada, including stops in Spruce Grove with Les Excentriques in 2002 and Family Portrait in 2006.

The final presentation in Horizon Stage’s 2009/2010 Family Matinee Series, At Nightfall is fanciful and fun. Recommended for children aged five and up, audience members of all ages will experience wonder and find joy in this dazzling theatrical dance presentation. It is important to note that the start time for At Nightfall is 3 p.m., instead of the usual 2 p.m. Free pre-show crafts and activities for children will run in the theatre lobby from 2 - 3 p.m. Tickets for At Nightfall are $15.00 for all ages. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at
780-962-8995, or visit any Ticketmaster location, for more information or to purchase your seats today. www.sursaut.ca

“A forest that charms”
La Tribune (Sherbrooke)

February 2010 Feedback

2010-03-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in February 2010...
The Rodeo Roders on the 4th
Soaring Strings on the 5th
Ted Outerbridge: Magical Moments in Time on the 20th or 21st
Ballet Jörgen Canada: Cinderella on the 28th
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers or the staff?
Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Important Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Share and Intimate Evening with One of Canada's Finest Singer Songwriters

2010-02-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

See Stephen Fearing Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m.

It has been 20 years since songsmith, Stephen Fearing, released his self-titled debut CD. Over the following two decades, he has built up a loyal national and international audience. Like most contemporary songwriter/performers, Stephen is not bound by any particular musical genre or category. The recent release of his eighth solo album, The Man Who Married Music: The Best of Stephen Fearing, highlights his exploration of various musical forms, as does his continued participation in the highly successful Canadian roots/rock super-trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. Now, Edmonton and area music-lovers have the opportunity to spend an intimate evening with Stephen Fearing at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, March 12.

Born in 1963 in Vancouver, Stephen spent most of his boyhood and teenage years in Dublin. There, he picked up the guitar and the Irish and English musical traditions that have informed his music ever since. After a short stint in the U.S. Midwest, he returned to Canada, and is now long-established as a regular and popular fixture on the folk club and festival circuit in North America and the U.K.

Stephen mixes powerful lyrics, creative arrangements and brilliant guitar playing to create a sound and style that is distinctly his own. He has been nominated for numerous Junos, with his album Yellowjacket winning Solo Roots & Traditional Album of the Year in 2007. He also has a West Coast Music Award, a Hamilton Music Award, and a Canadian Folk Music Award on his shelf. A founding member of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Stephen has collaborated with many other artists including Richard Thompson, Sarah McLachlan, Tom Wilson, Colin Linden and Suzie Vinnick.

Appearing with Stephen at Horizon Stage will be Irish singer songwriter and poet Andy White. Socially aware in a way that comes naturally to someone who grew up in Belfast during the 70s and 80s, Andy’s writing incorporates and transcends the boundaries of his native land. With 14 albums to his credit he has also collaborated with many artists including Peter Gabriel and Sinéad O’Connor.

www.stephenfearing.com & www.andywhite.com

Experience the Magic at Horizon Stage

2010-02-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

Illusionists Ted and Marion Outerbridge will dazzle audiences in Spruce Grove on February 20 and 21.

In Ted and Marion Outerbridge’s Magical Moments in Time, comedy meets mind-bending illusions, making for a uniquely bewitching and hilarious program of entertainment. Ted and Marion don’t just play the spotlight, they come to life in it – and then share it with audience members, inviting them to experience the magic up close and personal on stage. Whether it’s Ted changing places with Marion in a split second, reading people’s minds, or traveling back in time in a giant alarm clock, the Outerbridges hold their audiences spellbound. Now, Edmonton and area magic-lovers have the opportunity to experience Magical Moments in Time at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21.

Performing professionally since 1982, Ted Outerbridge has delighted audiences in over 100 Canadian cities and on the other side of the Atlantic. He has done everything from materializing Fortune 500 executives onstage, to consulting for Cirque du Soleil, to creating the magic for Kathleen Turner and Christopher Reeve in the movie, Switching Channels. Ted has made over 75 television appearances and produced his own TV special, Magic With Ted Outerbridge. He has performed numerous times at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, for Princess Cruises, and at the SkyDome in Toronto. Acclaimed for his innovative style, Ted Outerbridge has won the Stage Magician of the Year award from the Academy of Magical Arts and the Tom Auburn Award for magical excellence for the Society for American Magicians.

Marion Outerbridge is an illusionist, dancer, choreographer and actress who speaks five languages fluently. She studied dance in Holland and Moscow and has performed all over the world. In 1999, Marion joined the Ted Outerbridge Magician Extraordinaire show and the rest is, as they say, history. She has continued to dance and act, appearing in numerous Canadian and international productions. Marion made her film debut in The Whole Nine Yards with Bruce Willis. She has since appeared in several other feature films including 2001, A Space Travesty with Leslie Nielson.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be amazed and awed by the tremendous talents of Ted and Marion Outerbridge. The 7:30 p.m. performance of Magical Moments in Time on February 20 will be a full-length, jam-packed, illusion-studded production. The 2 p.m. Family Matinee on Sunday will be a 50-min long family-friendly abridgement of Magical Moments in Time that is perfect for younger audiences. Saturday tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors. Sunday matinee tickets are just $15 for all ages. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Horizon Stage Box Office. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue to purchase yours today. www.tedouterbridge.com

Third Arrogant Worms Concert Added

2010-02-01T15:56:00.001-07:00

Evening concerts on April 23 and 24 are sold out

2 p.m. matinee added on April 24.

In 1991 something magnificent happened in Kingston, Ontario. Sensing a desperate public need for musical comedy, Mike McCormick, Chris Patterson and Trevor Strong formed the Arrogant Worms. They began as a comedy troupe, performing songs and sketches. As their live show developed, the songs delighted the audience. The sketches -- not so much. Skipping ahead to 2010, the Arrogant Worms have sold more than 150,000 copies of their 12 albums and performed on three continents. They have sung with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear Centre and in front of seven sold-out audiences at Horizon Stage. Now, with their April 23 and 24 evening concerts in Spruce Grove sold out 3 months in advance, Horizon Stage has booked these wild and wacky guys for a third performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 24.

Arrogant Worms’ songs show up in school lesson plans, in textbooks, and even played on the Space Shuttle. On earth or in space, everyone digs them. Their live shows are fast, furious and family friendly. Their wit is quick, their satire biting, and their musicianship second to none. The Arrogant Worms’ appeal has earned them fans from kids to parents to grandparents to Carrie Fisher and Meg Ryan. In 2003 the Canadian Arts Presenters Association recognized them as Touring Act of the Year and they are still going strong. They recently received a Peter Gzowski Award for donating their time and talent to promote literacy in Canada.

The Arrogant Worms provide tuneful and silly escapism for everyone who needs it. And if you think you don't need it, then they think you're wrong. Get your tickets to their 2 p.m. matinee performance at Horizon Stage on Saturday, April 24 before that show sells out too. They cost $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors and can be purchased by calling the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995 or through Ticketmaster. The Arrogant Worms know what’s best for you - it’s the Arrogant Worms. www.arrogantworms.com

“Hilarious and poignant”
The Tampa Tribune

“Quirky and remarkably talented”
Tampa Expression

“These guys are too much fun for their own good”
Dirty Linen Magazine

“Certifiably demented”
The Toronto Star

January 2010 Feedback

2010-01-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in January 2010...
Ian Tyson on the 8th, 9th or 10th
Michel Lauzière on the 16th
Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company on the 23rd
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers or the staff?Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Soaring Strings Video

2010-01-22T10:54:00.004-07:00

Violinist Antoine Bareil and cellist Sébastien Lépine. See Soaring Strings at Horizon Stage on Friday, February 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Soaring Strings Breathes New Life into Classical Music

2010-01-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

Violin and cello duo combine 20th Century classical music with a light show in Fort Saskatchewan on February 4 and Spruce Grove on February 5

Antoine Bareil and Sébastien Lépine are a highly virtuosic violin-cello duo who offer an exciting trip off the beaten path of classical music. In their breathtakingly-virtuosic concert entitled, Soaring Strings, the two sophisticated performers revisit works by some of the most prominent modern composers and surprise the audience with a few of their own compositions. Though they remain true to the format of a classical recital, Bareil and Lépine manage to put on a highly entertaining show, adding a hint of humour, inventiveness and extravagance between pieces. Soaring Strings serves as a fun introduction to 20th Century music for audiences of all ages as it also includes a dazzling light-show element. Don’t miss the opportunity to see these incredible performers when they tour the Edmonton-area in February 2010. Soaring Strings is being presented at the Shell Theatre in Fort Saskatchewan on Thursday, February 4 and at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Friday, February 5. Both concerts are at 7:30 p.m.

Antoine Bareil has been playing the violin since he was just 6 years old. A graduate of the Conservatoire de musique du Québec in Trois-Rivières, Mr. Bareil has performed in a dozen different countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan. He is a respected concertmaster, interpreter, improviser, arranger and composer, jury member and speaker who is frequently invited to give master classes. On September 27th 2005, he played at the Senate during the swearing-in ceremony of Michaëlle Jean as Canada's 27th Governor General.

One of the lucky few in the world to play on a Stradivarius cello dating back to 1699, Sébastien Lépine has given numerous performances throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Italy. A distinguished soloist, chamber musician, and composer, Mr. Lépine pursues his art with an authentic passion that colours every note. His impeccable technique and extraordinary musical sensitivity make him an inspiring artist to watch.

As a duo, Antoine Bareil and Sébastien Lépine have performed Soaring Strings more than 50 times throughout Canada and toured Italy in 2008. In 2007 they won the Prix des arts de la scène Louis-Philippe-Poisson at the Grands Prix Culturels de Trois-Rivière and their recording “Bareil & Lépine, works for violin and cello” made it to the finals at the Prix Opus 2007-2008 in the Best Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic and Impressionistic Recording category.

Tickets for Soaring Strings on February 4 in Fort Saskatchewan are $24.50 for adults, $22.50 for students and seniors and can be purchased by calling 780-992-6400. Tickets for Soaring Strings in Spruce Grove on February 5 are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors and can be purchased by calling 780-962-8995. Tickets for both shows are also available through Ticketmaster and both theatres offer $5 eyeGO tickets for high school students.

"A most enjoyable performance. Soaring Strings definitely lives up to its name!"
Sonia Lortie, Le Choix

http://www.agencedlefebvre.com/couleurs20e/en/artistes.html
www.antoinebareil.com

November/December 2009 Feedback

2009-12-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in November/December 2009...
Emma-Lee on November 14
The Horizon Players: Steel Magnolias on November 26, 27 & 29
Big Band Christmas on December 18
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers or the staff?
Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Master of Unusual Comedy Bounces into Alberta

2009-12-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Michel Lauzière performs in Spruce Grove on Saturday, January 16 and in St. Albert on Sunday, January 17

Performing for over 20 years, Michel Lauzière always manages to amaze his audiences with new and exciting stunts. Having taken his act all over the world, performing in over six different languages, Lauzière claims that no matter where he goes, or how big the crowd is, as long as he can make kids laugh his job is done. Lauzière’s inventive comedy and musical routines are back in the province this January for two shows, Horizon Stage, in Spruce Grove on January 16 and the Arden Theatre, in St. Albert on January 17.

From the moment Lauzière stepped onto a stage, performing for children became his passion. “Kids are the most honest, generous type of crowd;” says the seasoned performer. “If they are not captivated by what you do they will soon make it known and you will lose their attention. But if they like it, there is no better experience than to have them follow you into your world.” And follow him they do, as he performs a variety of musical numbers on dishes, horns, bells and other self-created instruments, as well as some wacky and wonderful physical stunts.

“Every time I get to see Michel perform I see something new”, says Brenda Heatherington, the Arden Theatre’s Professional Programming Presenter. “He never ceases to amaze me.” Media around the world have called Michel "a modern clown without the red nose and oversized shoes”, "the alchemist of sound”, a “stream of fresh air on stage” and "the flagship of modern variety ".

Tickets for Michel Lauzière on January 16 in Spruce Grove are $15 for all ages and can be purchased by calling 780.962.8995. Tickets for his performance in St. Albert on January 17 are $20 for adults and $18 for children and can be purchased by calling 780.459.1542. Tickets for both shows are also available through Ticketmaster.

www.michellauziere.com

Sponsors: City of St. Albert, The City of Spruce Grove, Parkland County, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Canada Council, Edmonton’s Child, EZ Rock and Grove Pontiac GMC

Horizon Stage adds Canada's #1 Children's Author to its Season

2009-12-09T12:36:00.001-07:00

See Robert Munsch Up Close and Personal in Spruce Grove on Saturday, May 29th

Horizon Stage is thrilled to announce that acclaimed children’s author, Robert Munsch, is coming to Spruce Grove for not one but two performances on Saturday, May 29th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 11th, through the Horizon Stage Box Office, 780-962-8995, and Ticketmaster. Show times are 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors.
Author of such classics as The Paper Bag Princess, Mortimer, Mmm Cookies and Thomas’ Snowsuit, Mr. Munsch is, quite simply, a Canadian treasure. Loved by children and adults around the world, his book Love You Forever, the #4 best-selling children’s paperback of all time, has sold over 15 million copies in 10 different languages. With 52 books published since 1979 he is always on the look-out for new characters and inspiration. Not only does he perform fan- favourites in front of his live audiences, he also fine-tunes new stories as well. Don’t miss the chance to see Robert Munsch Up Close and Personal in the wonderfully-intimate, 318-seat, Horizon Stage.

“I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."
Robert Munsch

Three Great Emma-Lee Interviews in Local Newspapers!

2009-11-12T13:15:00.008-07:00

The Spruce Grove Examiner - Nov 6
The Gateway - Nov 12
Vue Weekly - Nov 12

October 2009 Feedback

2009-10-30T16:26:00.001-06:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in October 2009...
Fred Penner on the 3rd
Lennie Gallant on the 10th
Jack Semple on the 24th
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers or the staff?
Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Rodeo Riders Concert Added

2009-10-30T11:05:00.001-06:00

Thursday, February 4 – 2 p.m.
Country/Comedy
The Rodeo Riders’ unique blend of country music and comedy will have you singing along one minute and rolling in the aisles with laughter the next. Dusty Britches, Saddlesore Sam and Happy Bellows are like a cross between the Everly Brothers and the Smothers Brothers. They never fail to delight all who meet them on the trail. With smooth-polished harmonies and great instrumental arrangements, The Rodeo Riders perform songs by Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey, Hank Williams, and other country music legends. Their concerts are laced with comedic commentary and lots of general silliness. With Dusty’s palomino pony guitar (Spitball -The Wonder Horse) pumping out a steady rhythm, Sam’s bunkhouse bass bringing up the bottom end, and Happy’s melodic accordion accompaniment, this group’s unabashed joy of performing is evident from the first chord struck to the last note played.
Tickets: $20 All Ages - Group discounts available
www.therodeoriders.ca

Ian Tyson's Thursday Concert Cancelled

2009-10-26T10:59:00.000-06:00

Horizon Stage has had to cancel Ian Tyson’s concert on Thursday, January 7, 2010. He will still be performing three shows on January 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and on January 10 at 2 p.m. If you have purchased tickets to Ian’s January 7 performance please contact the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995 to arrange your ticket exchange or refund. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

Enchanting Young Songstress Will Charm and Bewitch You

2009-10-21T11:08:00.001-06:00

See the dazzling Miss Emma-Lee perform at Horizon Stage on Saturday, November 14

The first time you hear Emma-Lee perform, either Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on November 14 or on her debut CD Never Just a Dream, you will feel like you have stumbled on a star. Brimming with the same ‘special something’ that performers like Feist, k.d. lang, Madeleine Peyroux and Norah Jones exude, her music will touch your heart and soul.

A torch singer in the very best sense of the word, Emma-Lee effortlessly shifts between numerous genres including country, big band jazz, bossa nova, and pop. Armed with a voice that will make you melt, her original songs are saucy and sweet, pensive and pure. Fans of slow-burning ballads and music with an old soul will find a lot to like in Emma-Lee. With artistic influences like Joni Mitchell and jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, her exquisite voice creates a hauntingly-beautiful musical landscape.

Whether performing her epic song “Flow”, which tells the story of a girl who sublets the apartment of her globe-trotting ex-boyfriend and renders herself at the mercy of his memory, or the soaring “That Sinking Feeling”, with its sting of realization, or the ragtime bounce of “Jealousy”, which cheekily suggests you get what you deserve for snooping, Emma-Lee deftly captures the many dimensions of love and loss. But her music is about so much more than youthful heartbreak. It delves into the pleasures of May-December relationships, suggests regret for past mistakes, and calls out for understanding. At times playful, at others wistful, her collection of songs is inspired by the sort of heartache that is universal to anyone who has lived a life worth living.

An incredible talent like Emma-Lee’s must be heard to be believed. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover her for yourself at Horizon Stage on Saturday, November 14. Tickets are just $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster and the Horizon Stage Box Office. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue to purchase yours today. Visit www.emma-lee.com to hear samples of Emma-Lee’s songs and watch her videos.

“As a songwriter, Emma-Lee has a lot of potential, giving clever little lyrical twists to songs that initially seem completely conventional. Lots of jazzy vocalists can sing nice, comfortable music, but not many play with the conventions creatively, which is where she shines.”
Benjamin Boles, NOW Magazine

“Emma-Lee is blessed with a delicate yet potent sound… Her brand of ethereal pop has doo-wop, country and blues accents bolstered by handclaps, folky guitar and cat-and-mouse strings. And she’s a top-shelf songwriter… She’s destined for big things.”
Ashante Infantry, Toronto Star

The Enchanting Emma-Lee

2009-10-08T12:54:00.007-06:00

Emma-Lee will be performing at Horizon Stage on Saturday, November 14.
Tickets $25 Adults, $20 Students & Seniors
Call 780-962-8995
Visit www.emma-lee.com
Watch all off Emma- Lee's videos at www.youtube.com/neverjustadream

Multiple Genre Guitar Master Performing in Spruce Grove

2009-10-01T12:40:00.004-06:00

See Jack Semple Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, October 24

Jack Semple is a Juno Award-winning guitarist from Regina, Saskatchewan, who plays with unparalleled feeling and total technical control. The master of many genres, his 11-album portfolio includes R & B, jazz, roots, gypsy jazz, tango and a tribute to Gordon Lightfoot. Also a talented singer, Jack’s voice has been described as “smooth as silk and jagged as rocks cutting through an ocean shoreline.”

Jack started his musical career by playing with various Regina-based bands. He burst onto the Canadian national scene when he won the Much Music contest "Guitar Wars" in 1992. After a brief stint in Toronto, Jack moved back to Regina and became more involved in the television and movie-score business. He even made a brief jump into acting, in the title role of "Guitar Man" in 1994. He has since played everywhere from Vancouver, B.C., to Montreux, Switzerland. His music has been used in television and film soundtracks, and he has shared the stage with a wide range of top artists including Martha Reeves, k.d. lang, the Lincolns, Ronnie Hawkins and Colin James. Jack's performances are frequently in demand, especially here in Western Canada. He tours solo, with favourite guest artist friends, and with "The Jack Semple Band".

Jack Semple is one of those rare guitar players who leaves a crowd speechless, in absolute awe of what they have just experienced. Listening to him, and watching him play, fills one with a sense of having witnessed an event that will not soon be forgotten. Discover for yourself the treasure called Jack Semple at Horizon Stage on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995, visit the Box Office at 315 Jespersen Avenue, or go online to http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Jack-Semple-tickets/artist/1052115 to purchase yours today.

Watch Jack Semple on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr0UvA2S8iE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZuuQqiuP6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzj9b2-8O7k

Lennie Gallant - In Concert at Horizon Stage on October 10

2009-09-16T12:22:00.002-06:00

Lennie Gallant is a master storyteller who weaves his tales in ways that never fail to intrigue and surprise. This prolific songwriter/performer has released 8 albums, including his most recent, If We Had A Fire, in the summer of 2009, and has won a host of awards and nominations from the Junos to the East Coast Music Awards. Musically, Gallant has performed with rock bands, traditional music groups, roots-oriented ensembles and symphony orchestras. And, in July 2009, astronaut Julie Payette brought his album, When We Get There, with her to the international space station! Inducted into the Order of Canada in 2003, Lennie Gallant is a powerhouse performer with an intense delivery that will reach down and touch your very soul.
Tickets: $25 Adults, $20 Students & Seniors
www.lenniegallant.com

Introduce Your Family to Fred Penner’s World at Horizon Stage

2009-09-10T12:38:00.000-06:00

See one of Canada’s favourite children’s entertainers in concert on Saturday, October 3

Fred Penner’s warmth, ease, enthusiasm, grace, and ability to make people feel good have been making a difference in the Canadian music scene for over 25 years. Dubbed the “Canadian Minister of Positivity,” this Juno Award-winner has successfully transformed children’s entertainment into a family affair. Now Spruce Grove and Edmonton area families can meet Fred Penner and enjoy his music at one of two concerts at Horizon Stage on Saturday, October 3.

Born, raised, and still residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Fred is a Canadian treasure who is also loved by American audiences. The winner of four U.S. Parents’ Choice Awards, he was the first children’s entertainer to headline at the Los Angeles Amphitheater and his 1992 album Happy Feet was named Best Children’s Album of the Year by U.S.A’s Entertainment Weekly.

Here at home, the Canadian Institute of Child Health honoured Fred in 2000 for his contribution to the well-being and safety of children. He is also a recipient of the Order of Canada and the first winner of the Prairie Music Award for Outstanding Children’s Recording.

Fred Penner’s international visibility has allowed him the privilege and joy of using his voice to “bring something of value” as a spokesperson for organizations like UNESCO, World Vision, UNICEF and the National Conference on Down Syndrome. In 2005, he journeyed to Zambia, Africa with World Vision to host a program for Child Sponsorship in the Western World.

Penner’s diverse repertoire includes 12 albums, countless energetically-packed live shows and almost 900 episodes of the hit CBC TV show, Fred Penner’s Place. Not one but two generations of fans have been, and still are being, energized by his talent. Spruce Grove concert-goers will enjoy favourites like The Cat Came Back and Sandwiches along with tracks from his 2008 CD, Where in the World.

Bring your family to see Fred Penner Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, October 3 at either 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors, or $10 with the purchase of a Family Matinee Package. Family Matinee Packages cost $45 (regardless of age) and includes 1 Fred Penner ticket, 1 ticket to Michel Lauzière (physical comedian) on January 16, 1 ticket to Ted Outerbridge: Magical Moments in Time (magician/illusionist) on February 21, and 1 ticket to Dance Company Sursaut: At Nightfall (dance for young audiences) on April 10. Tickets and packages are on sale through the Horizon Stage Box Office. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue to purchase yours today.

“Penner’s dynamic live performances are integral to his success. He consistently plays to
packed houses across North American, captivating throngs of energetic fans for 60 minutes
and enchanting not only the little ones, but their parents as well.”
The Weekend Guardian, Charlottetown, PE

“Penner exemplifies family warmth and welcome. Listening to his music puts you in a
comfort zone, inviting both active play and gentle relaxation.”
Billboard, New York, NY

http://www.fredpenner.com/

Stephen Fearing Date Changed

2009-08-31T11:33:00.004-06:00

One of Canada's finest singer/songwriters, Mr. Stephen Fearing, has changed the date of his concert at Horizon Stage. He will now be perfroming in Spruce Grove on Friday, March 12th instead of March 19th. If you have purchased tickets to his March 19th performance please call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995.

2009/2010 Season Now On Sale!

2009-07-14T12:59:00.002-06:00

Saturday, October 3 - Fred Penner - 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. (bonus family matinee)
Saturday, October 10 - Lennie Gallant
Saturday, October 24 - Jack Semple
Saturday, November 14 - Emma-Lee
November 26 – 28 - The Horizon Players Present: Steel Magnolias
Friday, December 18 - A Big Band Christmas
January 7 – 10 - Ian Tyson (Note: January 10 is a 2 p.m. matinee)
Saturday, January 16 - Michel Lauzière (family matinee) – 2 p.m.
Saturday, January 23 - Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company
Friday, February 5 - Soaring Strings
Friday, February 12 - Vishtèn
Saturday, February 20 Ted Outerbridge: Magical Moments in Time (90-min evening performance)
Sunday, February 21 Ted Outerbridge: Magical Moments in Time (50-min family matinee performance) – 2 p.m.
Sunday, February 28 - Ballet Jörgen Canada: Cinderella – 2 p.m.
Friday, March 19 - Stephen Fearing
Saturday, April 10 - Dance Company Sursaut: At Nightfall (family matinee) – 3 p.m.
Friday, April 16 - Nathan
April 23 & 24 - The Arrogant Worms
May 13 – 15 - The Horizon Players Present: Hamlet

Visit www.horizonstage.com for artist biographies, ticket prices and more!

Box Office Phone: 780-962-8995
Box Office In Person: 315 Jespersen Ave (Spruce Grove City Hall)

Ride The Canada Day Bus!

2009-06-17T10:31:00.002-06:00

Are you planning to attend the Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival on June 30 and July 1? If so, then you might want to think about how you will be getting there. On-site parking is going to be very limited. If you live within walking distance, consider exercising and going by foot-power. If you live within biking distance then consider hopping on your two-or three-wheeler. The site itself is bike-free but there will be lots of bike racks available. If you are coming from out of town, or live too far away to walk, then consider riding the Canada Day bus. For the third year in a row, the City will be providing a free shuttle service between the Festival site at Spruce Grove Composite High School and Spruce Grove’s City Hall, Greystone Centennial Middle School and Living Waters Christian Academy.

The bus will run past each location at approximately 30-minute intervals, stopping for a few minutes at each to collect waiting passengers. The bus will operate, in a circuit, between 5 and 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30 and between 9:30 a.m. and midnight on Wednesday, July 1.

New this year, the Festival has chosen to use a local school bus company. This will allow us to accommodate more people in each vehicle. And, we are also excited about the addition of a second bus from 7 – midnight on Wednesday, July 1.

Both busses will be available for a quick return to pick-up locations after 11:15 p.m. After the RONA fireworks display one bus will head straight to Living Waters and the second will go straight to Greystone and then on to City Hall. So, not only will the shuttle-bus get you to the site quickly and easily, it will also get you back to your car at the end of the day fast and headache-free.

Call Brandi at 780-962-7616 for further information regarding the Canada Day and Street Performer Festival bus or visit www.sprucegrove.org/celebrate.

Familiar Favourites and New Treats at the Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival

2009-06-16T10:00:00.011-06:00

There is something to be said for the old adage, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” To that effect, The City of Spruce Grove has found a formula that really works for its Canada Day celebrations and plans to stick with it. The Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival activities kick-off on the evening of Tuesday, June 30th. They include the 3rd annual Vaudeville Variety Show at 7 p.m., the 2nd annual $5 Community BBQ (pulled pork, salads, buns, baked beans and dessert) from 5 to 8 p.m. and the 1st annual Social Capital Awards presentation to an outstanding community volunteer organization.

Wednesday, July 1 begins bright and early with the ever-popular $2 Pancake Breakfast. New this year will be morning entertainment provided by the combined bands of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment and King’s Own Calgary Regiment, directed by Captain Michael Chute, CD.

A slight tweak to this year’s festival schedule now means that the vendors on-site will open early at 9 a.m. Bring your cash and plan to shop at such returning-favourites as Original Canadian Kettle Korn, Big E’s Mini D’s (mini doughnuts), the Girl Guides (snow cones), the Association For Supportive Community Connections, and the Sea Cadets (hamburgers and hotdogs), Work of Art Tattoos, Tara’s Treats (ice cream), The Thai Boutique, Bolli Imports and our 2 novelty toy vendors. Then, try something new at Mediterranean BBQ (chicken, lamb, pitas, veggies), WD’s Grill & Catering (Caribbean), Lemmon Heaven (lemonade), and Morse Code Dezynz (ladies beach wear).

Decorate your children between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. so they can participate in the Kids’ Parade and then head to the outdoor stage at noon for the official Canada Day Ceremonies and some free birthday cake.

Bring your loonies, toonies and $5-bills and get ready to giggle, guffaw and be amazed by Street Performers from across Canada and around the world between 12:30 and 5 p.m. Get your children’s faces painted and let them blow off some steam chasing bubbles, playing in the sand, or bouncing in the bouncy tents. Returning to the RE/MAX KidZone this year will be the hilarious Cap’n Arrr, Aerials Gymnastics demonstrations, and juggling workshops facilitated by Kim Potter.

Teenagers on site can hang with their friends in the Teen Zone where a variety of their favourite activities will be facilitated by the Log Cabin staff. They can then watch their peers perform on the main-stage when the Spruce Grove FCSS Battle of The Bands winners show off their musical skills at 6:30 p.m. Also, join the library staff to help create a masterpiece with the Library Tile Project from 1 – 3 p.m.

Grown-ups can sit back and relax with a patriotic beer in the Kinsmen Beverage tent starting at 6 p.m., and everyone is encouraged to attend the 5th Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

2009’s main-stage artists are Albertans through and through. The eclectic Polyjesters (http://www.polyjesters.com/), who perform at 8 p.m., hail from Carstairs. And, headlining country music star Gord Bamford (http://www.gordbamford.com/), who steps on stage at 9:30 p.m., still proudly lives in Lacombe.

The grand finale on July 1st will, of course, be the extremely popular and spectacular RONA Fireworks at 11 p.m.

Due to limited on-site parking, the City will once again be providing a free shuttle bus service between 5 and 9:30 p.m. on June 30th and from 9:30 am – midnight on July 1. Park your car at Living Waters Christian Academy, Greystone Centennial Middle School or City Hall and hop on the bus. Or, if you don’t live too far away from Spruce Grove Composite High School, plan to walk or ride your bike instead. The festival grounds are a bike-free (and pet-free and smoke-free) zone for safety reasons, but there will be lots of bike racks available.

If you have attended the Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival in the past then plan to come back this year and stay on-site a little longer. If you have yet to attend this wonderful community event, make 2009 your year to do so. It doesn’t need to be fixed. It just keeps getting better! www.sprucegrove.org/celebrate

2009 Summer Drama Programs

2009-05-26T12:22:00.003-06:00

Drama Tots
Session 1: July 6 - 10
Program # Session 1: 20618
Session 2: July 27 – 31
Program # Session 2: 20620
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Ages: 5 – 7
Location: Agra Room - Spruce Grove Agrena - 9 Agrena Road
Cost: $80
Young children will explore creatively through a variety of dramatic activities. They will play games, sing songs, and do simple drama exercises. On the last day of class, family and friends will be invited to watch them present a showcase piece, and to enjoy a potluck dessert cast party.
Instructors: Julia Seymour & Mandolin Orr

Drama Troopers
Session 1: July 6 - 10
Program # Session 1: 20619
Session 2: July 27 – 31
Program # Session 2: 20621
Time: 1 - 3 p.m.
Ages: 8 – 10
Location: Agra Room - Spruce Grove Agrena - 9 Agrena Road
Cost: $80
Older children will explore creatively through various, more advanced, theatrical activities. They will participate in a wide variety of warm-up and dramatic exercises. They will learn about plot lines, creating characters and working together as a team. On the last day of class, family and friends will be invited to watch them present a showcase piece, and to enjoy a potluck dessert cast party.
Instructors: Julia Seymour & Mandolin Orr

Important:
Children should wear clothing that they can move and play easily in and non-slip indoor shoes. If the weather is warm they should wear sun screen and have
alternate outdoor shoes available. They should bring their own water bottle. A healthy, nut-free snack will be provided Mon-Thurs. and parents will be asked to send a nut-free snack or dessert to the potluck on Friday.

Registration starts June 1st
Call: 780-962-8995

Scholarship Deadline Approaching

2009-05-12T16:04:00.004-06:00

The application deadline for the Horizon Stage Theatre Advisory Board Artstrek Scholarship is fast appoaching on May 29th. Please see our previous post on April 12 for details.

Before & After

2009-05-12T15:47:00.005-06:00

Just in case you haven't bee able to see it for yourself yet.

Horizon Stage before the renovations...

Horizon Stage after the renovations...

Festival Vendors Sought

2009-05-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

Deadline for vendor applications for the 2009 Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival on June 30 and July 1 is June 1, 2009.
Please visit the City of Spruce Grove's website for details.

April Customer Feedback

2009-04-27T10:20:00.000-06:00

Did you see Oliver Jones on April 3, the Emeralds on April 5, Sharon and Bram on April 18 or George Fox on April 14?
What did you think of the show, the staff and volunteers who served you, or the theatre itself. Good or bad - please let us know.
Please Note: Comments will be monitored and bad language will not be posted.

You Can Rate Horizon Stage

2009-04-23T10:14:00.003-06:00

We've updated Horizon Stage's information on weblocal.ca. We now have a profile for Horizon Stage Perfroming Arts Centre and a profile for the Horizon Stage Ticket Centre in city hall.
Feel free to visit one, or both, and give us a rating and/or a review.

http://www.weblocal.ca/horizon-stage-ticket-center-spruce-grove-ab.html

http://www.weblocal.ca/horizon-stage-performing-arts-centre-spruce-grove-ab.html

Artstrek Scholarship Available

2009-04-12T15:54:00.000-06:00

What is Artstrek?
Artstrek is a theatre school like no other — a residential summer theatre
program for teens that has been running in the province of Alberta since 1959. The program, which takes place each summer on the campus of Red Deer College, is about the exploration of theatre and the components of theatre production rather than getting a show on stage. Over the course of a week, participants explore acting, voice, movement, and directing with some of Alberta's finest theatre professionals. This year students will be working on the Tony Award-winning musical Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.

Artstrek is not a talent-based program. It is for students who are enthusiastic about theatre and who will be focused on the fun of learning and exploring with their instructors and with other Artstrek participants.

When is Artstrek & Who can attend?
Theatre Exploration I runs July 5 - 11. It is for 13 - 15 year olds who have completed grade 7.
Theatre Exploration II runs July 12 - 19. It is for 16 - 18 year olds who have completed grade 10.

Do I qualify for the Horizon Stage scholarship?
If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, and have completed grade 7 or higher at a school in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain or Parkland County, you may apply for this scholarship. Only one scholarships is being offered. It can be used for either Theatre Exploration I or Theatre Exploration II. The value of the scholarship is $300.

How do I apply for the Horizon Stage scholarship?
To help decide the scholarship winner, Horizon Stage requires one letter from each applicant detailing their experience in theatre studies and productions, their plans for future involvement in theatre, and explaining why they would like to win this scholarship and why they deserve it. Factors such as academic excellence and financial need will be taken into account.
Letters of reference are a part of the Artstrek application process, but do not need to be sent to Horizon Stage. Complete your scholarship application letter and submit it to:
Horizon Stage Scholarship
315 Jespersen Ave
Spruce Grove, AB, T7X 3E8
Fax: 780-962-0616

ALSO Download your Artstrek Application form from www.theatrealberta.com/artstrek.htm
and submit it separately, along with the entire registration fee, to:
Theatre Alberta
3rd Floor, 11759 Groat Road
Edmonton, AB, T5M 3K6
Fax: 780-422-2663

The scholarship recipient will receive a reimbursement cheque for $300 after they are chosen.
The application deadline for the Horizon Stage scholarship is May 29.
Artstrek starts taking registrations on April 1, and they usually fill up early, so get your application to Theatre Alberta and your letter to Horizon Stage as soon as possible!!

This Artstrek Scholarship is funded by the Horizon Stage Theatre Advisory Board.

March 2009 Feedback

2009-03-30T16:23:00.003-06:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in March...
Hotel California on the 15th?
10 Lost Years on the 20th or 21st?
The Horizon Players: Disney's 101 Dalmatians on the 26th, 27th or 28th?
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers, the staff?
Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Oliver Jones on QTV

2009-03-17T13:18:00.002-06:00

Great Canadian Jazz Pianist to Perform at Horizon Stage

2009-03-13T12:45:00.002-06:00

Enjoy an intimate evening with Oliver Jones in Spruce Grove on April 3rd

Oliver Jones is considered to be one of the best Canadian jazz pianists in history. Now at age 74, this member of the Order of Quebec and Order of Canada, Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards recipient and Felix and Juno Award-winner continues to tour and record. He will make a highly-anticipated stop in Spruce Grove on Friday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Oliver Jones was born and raised in Saint Henri, a predominantly working-class area of Montreal, just a few blocks away from fellow pianist, Oscar Peterson. As a youngster he would sit on the Peterson family’s porch, listening to the older boy practice. Oscar’s sister, Daisy Peterson Sweeney, eventually became Oliver’s first piano teacher, and twelve years of lessons with her solidified his already considerable skills. He began performing publicly at the age of five and made his first nightclub appearance at age nine. Oliver Jones’ six-decade musical career has been rich and varied. He has released 16 albums and toured across North America, Europe, Cuba, Brazil and Africa, He has performed and recorded with the likes of bass legend Ray Brown, drummer Jeff Hamilton, bassist Skip Bey, trumpeter Clark Terry and singer Ranee Lee. After retiring at age 64, Jones was lured back to the stage in 2003 by the opportunity to play a duet with his friend Oscar Peterson at the Montreal Jazz Festival's 25th-anniversary event. He has since recorded the CD, One More Time.

Horizon Stage is an intimate 318 seat theatre in Spruce Grove. Recently renovated in the summer of 2008, it is a cozy and comfortable venue. With a thrust performance space, sitting in the comfy seats at Horizon Stage almost feels like being in your own living room. And, with only eight rows in total, this isn’t the kind of theatre where you need binoculars to see details. Every artist is truly Up Close and Personal, and that’s Horizon Stage’s motto. Performers and audience members alike enjoy the intimacy that they share when they are so near each other.

Tickets to see Oliver Jones at Horizon Stage on Friday, April 3 are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors and are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Call 780-962-8995 to reserve your seat for this incredible concert.

www.justin-time.com/authors/oliverjones

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Servus Credit Union, CKUA Radio, The Edmonton Journal, Royal Inn Express and Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

10 Lost Years Update

2009-03-11T13:05:00.004-06:00

A limited number of seats have been released for 10 Lost Years on Saturday, March 21.

This production was directed by Northern Light Theatre founder Scott Swan. NLT co-founder Merrilyn Gann is performing in it. Former Theatre Alberta Dramaworks and Citadel Theatre school coordinator Cheryl Swan (ne Matheson) is also performing in it, and NLT co-founder Angela Gann is the music director. This is not the same play that was produced in Toronto in the 70’s. It is Scott Swan’s own adaptation of the Barry Broadfoot book.

February 2009 Feedback

2009-03-02T10:11:00.003-07:00

Did you see any of the following performances at Horizon Stage in February...
Jim Byrnes on the 5th?
Marc Atkinson Trio on the 7th?
Ballet Jorgen Canada's Romeo & Juliet on the 14th?
Cranked on the 25th or 26th?
The Nylons on the 26th?
Mud Bay Jugglers on the 28th?
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers, the staff?
Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.

Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Country Music Star George Fox added to Horizon Stage Season Line Up

2009-03-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

Tickets for his Friday, April 24th concert are on sale now.

If you’re a fan of Canadian country-music star, George Fox, rejoice. Horizon Stage has made a late addition to its 2008/2009 season. Mr. Fox will be performing in Spruce Grove on Friday, April 24th at 7:30 p.m.

With three Canadian Country Music awards, three Junos and nine Big Country awards on his mantle, George Fox has certainly made it to “the big time”. He has recorded eleven albums, written a book and had a string of chart-topping hits, including “Clearly Canadian”, “First Comes Love”, “What’s Holding Me” and “Wear & Tear on My Heart”. His most recent CD, With All Due Respect, is a tribute to some all-time great artists and songwriters from John Denver and Dean Martin to Eddie Arnold and Don Messer.

Born in Calgary and raised in Cochrane, Alberta, George is still an incredibly down-to-earth kind of guy. He now lives in Southern Ontario with his wife and two daughters on an expansive acreage and farms winter wheat, soybean and corn. Besides music and farming, his hobbies include hockey, carpentry and reading.

Spruce Grove loves George Fox. In 2005 he performed for a huge, enthusiastic crowd at our Canada Day celebration. He was last seen at Horizon Stage at Christmas 2006, when he sold out not one, not two, but three concerts! That is why when Horizon Stage discovered he was available in April they invited him immediately!

Tickets to see George Fox Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, April 24th have only just gone on sale, but they aren’t expected to last. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 for more information and to reserve your seats before the show sells out!

Be sure to visit www.georgefox.com & www.horizonstage.com

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Royal Inn Express and Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

Horizon Stage adds a Second 10 Lost Years to its Line Up

2009-03-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

March 21 performance sold out, March 20 performance added

Based on the book by Barry Broadfoot, 10 Lost Years is a powerful play about real people and communities during the “Dirty 30s”. It is a compilation of stories about hard times and resilience in the face of extended drought and economic depression. Produced by Vancouver’s Seacoast Productions, 10 Lost Years has already sold out one performance at Horizon Stage on Saturday, March 21st. Now, a second performance of this wonderful production has been scheduled on Friday, March 20th, at 7:30 p.m.

Barry Broadfoot traveled Canada in 1973, asking people in bars and train stations, on planes and buses one simple question, “What do you remember about the Depression?" Initially, many of them weren't able to recall anything. But, gradually, as his tape recorder rolled, memories filled with humour, emotion, tragedy, love, and courage were unlocked. He collected those stories, published them word for word, and 35 years later they are still substantial, gripping and awe-inspiring. They were the experiences of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents and they should never be forgotten.

Vancouver director Scott Swan bought Barry Broadfoot’s book and, as he read it, he was amazed by the honesty and simplicity of the stories and the humour and stoicism of the men and women telling them. He decided to produce a performance that focused on the people themselves. Using just the actors, images from that era, music and the audience, he created this incredibly compelling piece of theatre and toured it across Western Canada.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this compelling production for yourself. Tickets to see
10 Lost Years at Horizon Stage on Friday, March 20th are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995 for more information. Reserve your seats before this show sells out too!

“This production touches the heart and enlivens the spirit of everyone who sees it…”
Gail Barrington-Moss, City of St. Albert

“Sitting in the audience, we forget we are watching actors on the stage and are transported to another time.“
Vivian Elias, Athabasca

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Servus Credit Union, The Edmonton Journal and Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

Take a hip hop journey into the world of addiction.

2009-02-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Horizon Stage presents Green Thumb Theatre’s Cranked on Wednesday, February 25th

Stan, a.k.a. "definition", was a rising freestyle MC who lost it all because of his meth habit. In Cranked, Stan confronts his demons as he preps for an upcoming competition without the 'fix' that has dominated his life. Memories of the highs and the rush of music all collide as he struggles to recapture what he once had. This play examines the rising epidemic of crystal meth use by teens and young adults. Using spoken word and hip-hop, playwright Michael P. Northey and Green Thumb Theatre offer a dramatic exploration of addiction and drug culture. Using slang and pop culture references that are up-to-the-minute relevant, Cranked gets a serious message across, while still being entertaining. Horizon Stage is thrilled to present Cranked on Wednesday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m.

Original music for Cranked was written by Kyprios & Stylust, hip hop artists from Vancouver. Kyprios is a founding member of the group Sweatshop Union. He has worked with several notable producers including Billy Mann (Pink, Kelly Rowland), Saukrates (Kardinal Offishall, Ginuwine, Method Man) and Rob the Viking (Swollen Members). Geoff “Stylust” Reich is an independent producer who has been DJing in Vancouver clubs since 1998. This production was directed by Green Thumb Theatre’s award winning Artistic Director, Patrick McDonald. The part of Stan will be performed by actor and musician Kyle Cameron.

To keep up the ‘party’ atmosphere, there will be free pizza from Boston Pizza, prizes, music and activities by the Healthbusters team in the lobby starting at 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss Cranked at Horizon Stage on Wednesday, February 25th, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office, 780-962-8995, and any Ticketmaster location. Warning: Cranked contains PG rated language and mature subject matter. It is not recommended for very young audience members.

“The best performance I have ever seen! It was so incredible and so powerful. In other talks about Crystal Meth they just gave us information but in Cranked I really got to see what really happens when you are on Crystal Meth. Thanks so much!"
Moriah (student)

"I thought the play was awesome. Not such a typical take on a drug addiction. It was very entertaining and a nice change. Actor was great and the songs were too."
Anonymous

"I am a recovering Meth addict and watching this made me grateful to be recovering. It opened my eyes to see what Meth users such as myself really went through and the production hit me hard. Very moving and very believable. Some parts were hard to hold back the tears. Loved it."
Emma Hogg (student)

Search “Cranked by Green Thumb Theatre” on www.youtube.com to see a teaser.

Horizon Stage would like to thank the following Cranked Sponsors and Supporters: Canadian Heritage, the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, Royal Inn Express, Boston Pizza, Sonic 102.9 and Safe City.

Take Your Sweetheart to the Ballet on Valentine’s Day

2009-02-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Horizon Stage presents Ballet Jörgen Canada’s Romeo and Juliet on February 14th

Spend Valentine’s Day with two of Shakespeare’s best known lovers. Enjoy a magical night of dance and romance when Canada’s fifth largest ballet company performs their interpretation of Romeo and Juliet at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Saturday, February 14th. Become embroiled in the feud between the houses of Capulet and Montague. Let yourself be swept away by the story of the two Verona youth whose struggle for love and happiness ends in the ultimate tragedy.

True to Shakespeare’s original story, Ballet Jörgen Canada mounts a poignant and humourous ballet which also holds an emotional lens to the dramatic love story of the title characters, danced by Hampus Gauffin and Tara Butler. Company co-founder and Artistic Director Bengt Jörgen’s masterful choreography entices audiences with its beauty and seamlessness. Glenn Davidson’s minimalist sets are fluidly integrated into the choreography, to the effect of stunning transitions. Sergei Prokofiev’s glorious score is one of his best-known works, and it contains some of the most inspired passages he ever composed including the ever-popular “March of the Capulets”.

Premiering in Banff, Alberta on February 27th, 1998, Romeo & Juliet has been showcased in major cities and communities across Canada, the United States, and China and has since won international recognition and critical acclaim. This 2009 tour will include 12 communities in Western Canada. In the Edmonton area they will also perform on February 12th in Leduc and February 22nd in Fort Saskatchewan. Continuing in their well-established tradition of education and outreach, Ballet Jörgen Canada will offer supernumerary roles to two local youth dancers in each of their tour cities. In Spruce Grove the lucky ballet students will be Kelsey Waddle and Krissy Kormos.

With a grand total of 16 dancers in its cast Romeo & Juliet promises to be a night of spectacle and romance, wrapped in exquisite costumes, brilliant choreography and a beautiful soundtrack. And, because Horizon Stage is such an intimate venue, audience members will experience this amazing performance in an Up Close and Personal way that can’t be duplicated in any other theatre in the capital region. Don’t miss the perfect Valentine’s Day romantic ballet, Rome & Juliet at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 students & seniors and are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office, 780-962-8995, and any Ticketmaster location.

"A production that looks like a ballet but feels like a play." Michael Crabb, The National Post

“Bengt Jörgen crafts a jewel-box Romeo & Juliet.”
Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail

“Shakespeare ballet woos the audience.”
Jason Gagliardi, The Hong Kong Sunday Morning Post Spectator

Horizon Stage would like to thank the following Ballet Jörgen Canada Sponsors and Supporters: Canadian Heritage, the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, the Edmonton Journal, Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers and Solicitors, Servus Credit Union and the Royal Inn Express.

Listen to Ian Tyson’s Horizon Stage concert on CBC 2 on February 12th

2009-02-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday, January 9th CBC Radio recorded the legendary Ian Tyson live in concert at Horizon Stage. CBC will be airing that concert on Radio 2’s Canada Live with host Jacqueline Janelle on February 12th at 8 p.m. Radio 2 can be found on your FM dial at 90.9.

Ian Tyson has long been one of Canada’s most respected singer-songwriters. A pioneer who began his career in the 60s, he was one of the first Canadians to break into the American popular music market. In the years that followed, he hosted his own TV show, recorded some of the best country/folk albums ever made and became a rodeo rider and successful rancher. His list of honours includes a Juno Award, five Canadian Country Music Awards and 13 Alberta Recording Industry Association Awards. The 75-year-old icon is a member of the Order of Canada, the Alberta Order of Excellence, the Juno Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Mr. Tyson has performed to 40 sold-out audiences at Horizon Stage in the past 18 years. He enjoys performing Up Close and Personal for Spruce Grove audiences which is why he has been coming back every second January since 2001.

Horizon Stage is thrilled to have formed this partnership with CBC Radio 2. Radio 2 has a coast-to-coast listenership of 1.2 million people. Being part of a Canada Live broadcast will increase our country’s knowledge and awareness of Horizon Stage and the City of Spruce Grove. Don’t miss the opportunity to listen to word-class singer and musician Ian Tyson, recorded live at Horizon Stage, on CBC Radio 2 on Thursday, February 12th at 8 p.m.

January 2009 Feedback

2009-01-30T15:26:00.002-07:00

Where you at any of Ian Tyson's concerts between January 7 and January 11? Did you see DuffleBag Theatre's Robin Hood on January 17, Les Boreades de Montreal on January 19, or Ennis on January 22?
Did you like, or dislike, the artists, the venue, the volunteers, the staff? Please let us know your thoughts regarding your visit to our theatre.
Please Note: Comments will be moderated and course language will not be posted.

Enjoy Exhilarating Gypsy Jazz Music at Horizon Stage

2009-01-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Award-winning Marc Atkinson Trio will perform selections from their new CD on February 7th

The music of The Marc Atkinson Trio is melodically captivating, ferocious and technically awe-inspiring. Embracing a lifetime of musical influences, this virtuosic group has just released their fourth and latest CD, ‘The Marc Atkinson Trio IV’, which has been praised as their finest yet. The compositions on the CD are punchy, driving and rhythmically inventive. The Trio, formed in 2000, has toured North America, England and Europe and has received standing ovations everywhere they perform, from the Montreal Jazz Festival to the Festival des Guitares du Monde to the Vancouver International Folk Festival to DjangoFest Northwest.

Marc Atkinson is a multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger/producer. A Juno nominee, he is considered to be one of Canada’s most talented musicians. His catchy compositions take guitar beyond the usual repertoire and sound. The tunes have a fiery but elegant guitar style, infused with a catchy blend of influences. All this, while still maintaining the laidback humour and casual ‘good-time feel’ of Canada’s West Coast. Atkinson’s picking has been described as flawless, surprise-filled, sizzling and supremely melodic. His music is original, complex and challenging in its conception and delivery but remains accessible and absorbing. Along with being the leader and composer of the internationally-renowned Marc Atkinson Trio, Marc is also co-founder, composer and a performer in the acclaimed folk quintet, The Bills, winners of the 2007 Entertainers of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Marc Atkinson is backed by Joey Smith on stand-up bass, formerly of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Reuben Wier on rhythm guitar. The Marc Atkinson Trio good-naturedly welcomes their audience aboard for an intriguing, exhilarating and unforgettable ride. Don’t miss them Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 7th, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors and are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office, 780-962-8995, and any Ticketmaster location.

“. . . this leader and his trio [are] solidly in the top ten of the world's working string trios.”
Jurgen Goethe, CBC

“. . top-drawer picking... an inventive composer...a truly original voice.”
Acoustic Guitar

“They're (the Marc Atkinson originals) outstanding for their vitality, exuberance, elegance and melodic strength, and for the joy these three fine musicians share in executing them. Atkinson is a daring and inventive acoustic guitarist and a powerful force in the new roots/jazz movement (gypsy jazz).”
The Toronto Star

“Amazing players/ Supremely melodic.”
Penguin Eggs Magazine

Be sure to visit www.horizonstage.com and www.marcatkinson.com

Horizon Stage would like to thank the following Marc Atkinson Trio Sponsors and Supporters: Canadian Heritage, the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, the Edmonton Journal, CKUA Radio, Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers and Solicitors, Servus Credit Union and the Royal Inn Express.

Two-time Juno and Maple Blues award winner to grace Horizon Stage

2009-01-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Jim Byrnes will bring his smoldering and soulful blues to Spruce Grove on February 5th

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Jim Byrnes started playing piano at age five and by age thirteen, he was singing and playing blues guitar. His first professional gig was in 1964, and over the years, he has had the great fortune to appear with a virtual who’s who of blues history, from Furry Lewis and Henry Townsend to Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Taj Mahal, Robery Cray and many others. Moving to Vancouver, in the mid-70s, Jim formed the extremely popular blues group, the Jim Byrnes Band. Still going strong more than 25 years later, Jim’s current tour of western Canada includes a much-anticipated stop at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Thursday, February 5th, 2009.

Also an actor, Jim Byrnes’ fame has grown immeasurably from his too-numerous-to-mention TV roles. Highlights include playing the character Lifeguard in the CBS series Wiseguy (1987-1990), worldwide success as Joe Dawson in Highlander (1993-98), and his nationally-broadcast variety show, The Jim Byrnes Show.

Jim’s first love, however, is the blues. His evocative, smoky vocals are found in a truth that doesn’t come overnight. During the 80s, the Jim Byrnes Band released “Burnin’” on Polydor, followed in 1987 with “I’ve Turned My Nights into Days” and 1995’s Juno Award-winning “That River” on Stony Plain Records. More recently Jim released “Fresh Horses” in 2004 and “House of Refuge” in 2008.

Joining Jim Byrnes at Horizon Stage will be “Strang” musicians, Zubot and Dawson. "Strang" is, in short, a blend of folk and jazz music with influences from roots, blues and numerous other musical genres. Jesse Zubot performs on fiddle and Steve Dawson plays guitar. The two met Jim before the release of “Fresh Horses”, realized they shared common tastes in music, and decided that a collaboration would be a refreshing and exciting project. They have toured together occasionally ever since.

Don’t miss Jim Byrnes with Zubot and Dawson Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 5th, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors and are available through the Horizon Stage Box Office, 780-962-8995, and any Ticketmaster location.

“...smoldering intensity...deeply soulful...”British Blues Connection
“...a voice that sounds like it saw creation and followed the devil down to hell...”Americana UK
“...Byrnes is a veritable national treasure, and if you like the blues you should know about him...”Uptown
“It’s cross-breeding of soul and country, which recalls Otis Redding or Percy Sledge...”Vancouver Province

Be sure to visit www.horozonstage.com and www.jamestbyrnes.com

Horizon Stage would like to thank the following Jim Byrnes Sponsors and Supporters: Canadian Heritage, the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, the Edmonton Journal, CKUA Radio, Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers and Solicitors, Servus Credit Union and the Royal Inn Express.

2009-01-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Charming Country/Folk duo Ennis to perform at Horizon Stage

2009-01-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

The sweet harmonies of Maureen and Karen Ennis will enchant Spruce Grove on January 22nd.

Maureen and Karen Ennis both started playing music at an early age. In 1997 they formed the popular trio, The Ennis Sisters, with their younger sister, Theresa, and went on to record seven albums, winning four East Coast Music Awards and one Juno. The Ennis Sisters toured with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Jann Arden, and shared the stage with numerous top artists at various music festivals. Their 2001 single, It's Not About You, cracked the top 5 on Canadian Country Radio, and the top 10 on Canadian adult contemporary radio. When Theresa left the group in 2007, Maureen and Karen decided to continue as a duo, and Ennis was born.

Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland, the two remaining Ennis sisters are excited about their new beginning. They worked in Nashville with producer Randy Scruggs to release their debut album, “Be Here for Awhile”, in 2008. The album features remarkable performances from some of the finest studio musicians in Nashville. Give Me Love, the debut single and video from “Be Here for Awhile” received air play on numerous country radio stations. Give Me Love, is a beautiful, catchy song that many of their audience members are sure to be singing to themselves long after they leave the theatre.

Now touring Canada, Ennis is pleased to be making two stops in the Edmonton area. The first at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on Thursday, January 22nd, and the second at the Maclab Centre for Performing Arts in Leduc on January 23rd.
Horizon Stage is thrilled to be presenting Ennis on, January 22, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to their Horizon Stage performance are $25 for Adults and $20 for Students and Seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 780-962-8995 or visit any Ticketmaster location for more information or to order tickets. Tickets for their Leduc concert can be purchased through Tix on the Square. Visit www.ennismusic.com to see the video for Give Me Love and to hear other music by Ennis and The Ennis Sisters.

Horizon Stage would like to thank the following Ennis Sponsors and Supporters: Canadian Heritage, the Alberta Foundation of the Arts, the Edmonton Journal, CFCW, Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers and Solicitors, Servus Credit Union and the Royal Inn Express.

Horizon Stage Adds an Incredible Baroque Ensemble to its 2009 Lineup

2008-12-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Les Boréades de Montréal will perform magnificent music on period instruments January 19th

Early music ensemble Les Boréades de Montréal keeps the spirit and sound of the 17th and18th centuries alive by adhering to the rules of performance practices of the past and by playing on period instruments. Critics and audiences in Canada and abroad have been unanimous in hailing the group’s energy and spontaneity as well as their theatrical, expressive and elegant playing and their unique flair for Baroque aesthetics. Now Horizon Stage is thrilled to add Les Boréades to its 2009 season of artists on Monday, January 19th at 7:30 p.m.

Founded in 1991, Les Boréades have toured extensively in Canada. They have taken part in many renowned festivals and have performed abroad in New York, Amsterdam, Paris and Germany. The ensemble boasts fifteen recordings on the Atma Classique label featuring such renowned artists Hervé Niquet, Skip Sempé, Manfredo Kraemer, Alex Weimann, Eric Milnes and Karina Gauvin.

The members of Les Boréades performing in Spruce Grove will be Francis Colpron on traverso and recorders, Hélène Plouffe on violin, Erin Milnes on harpsichord and Mélisande Corriveau on cello and viola da gamba. Their concert will showcase the music of Jean-Fery Rebel (1666-1747), François Couperin (1668-1733), Henry Purcell (1659-1695), Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and six other Baroque era composers.

Take a step back in time and get Up Close and Personal with Les Boréades de Montréal at Horizon Stage on Monday January 19th. Tickets to this extraordinary concert are just $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors and can be purchased in person at the Horizon Stage Box Office in Spruce Grove’s City Hall at 315 Jespersen Avenue, by calling 780-962-8995, or at any Ticketmaster location.

“Les Boréades quartet (is) simply ravishing… the splendid improvisatory virtuosity of Francis Colpron on recorders, his rapid-fire staccato notes, his roulades and embellishments as free and as fascinating as the flames in a fireplace, made the heart leap in unbuttoned endorsement.”
Halifax Herald

“They would be irresistible even if they were not top-notch instrumental virtuosi. But they are. And more. Together they play with the kind of freedom with the style you would expect from a soloist. They are effortless, relaxed and cultivated to such a degree of perfection each is a flowering branch on the same tree.”
The Vancouver Sun

“The concert was a musical high from the beginning to end.”
Toronto Star

http://www.boreades.com/

The Horizon Players Present: The Three Musketeers

2008-11-26T11:54:00.003-07:00

By Willis Hall
Directed by Jon Shields

Production Design by Apocalypse Arts (Scott Cooke, Jason Howatson, Mike Young)
Fight Director Patrick Howarth
Assistant Fight Director Richard Lee
Stage Managed by Kjersten Saude
Props and Assistant Stage Managed by Elinor Tofin
Production Managed by Anne Marie Szucs

All for one and one for all!
Spruce Grove- It is all for one and one for all as the Horizon Players present this swashbuckling production, chock-full of suspense, action, adventure and of course, sword fighting.

Young D’Artagnan sets out for Paris where he meets the notorious Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The four become inseparable friends, but will D’Artagnan become a true Musketeer? This classic and heroic coming-of-age story is based on the 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas.

The Three Musketeers features the onstage talents of volunteer Spruce Grove and Edmonton actors including Scott Arnott ; Joe Baruta; Dave Beesley; Ian Corrie; Justin Deveau;
Kathryn Evans; John Evans; Nik Gauthier; Jonathan Gonyou; Athena Gordon; Stuart Hoye; Kevin Majeau; Dean McQuay; Elizabeth Marsh; Gerald Mason; David Newton;
Hannah Spear; Norm Usiskin; Lindsay Walker.

The Three Musketeers runs November 27, 28, 29 at the Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove, 1001 Calahoo Road, only 20 minutes from Edmonton. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. nightly. For tickets please call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962.8995.

Renovations - Week 18

2008-10-16T15:50:00.006-06:00

The new seats are in - yay!

So is the new concession - another yay!

There is floor that still needs to go it but it's looking great!

Renovations - Week 17

2008-10-07T12:10:00.007-06:00

All of the wood in the theatre has been stained a beautiful rich brown.

Soon they will be putting the concession counter together in the lobby.

The stair railings have gone in and the sound booth is taking shape.

FREE Tickets to The Banff Centre 75th Anniversary Concert

2008-09-25T11:06:00.003-06:00

Be the first to email kgibson at sprucegrove dot org to win 2 FREE tickets to The Banff Centre's 75th Anniversay Alberta Tour this Saturday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. at St Augustine's Parkland Anglican Church (131 Church Road, Spruce Grove).
Be the second or third to email Kerri and recieve a 2 for 1 ticket deal the the same concert. ($20 Adults, $15 Student's & Seniors)

Renovations - Week 15

2008-09-25T10:27:00.007-06:00

The concrete has been poured in the seating area.

The view from under the seats.

Don and David finally have a (mostly) usable office.

Stagelighters will be thrilled to see the new shelves in the concession area.

And look, space for a double sink!

Renovations - Week 14

2008-09-22T11:01:00.009-06:00

Stagelighters will be happy to see that the concession cooler in its new location.

The newly painted lobby.

Looking down from the catwalk at the theatre seating area.

The lighting booth.

Banff Centre Concert Program - September 27th

2008-09-15T15:59:00.001-06:00

ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741)
Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons):

Concerto in E, Op. 8 No. 1, La primavera (Spring)
Allegro
Largo e pianissimo sempre
Danza pastorale

Concerto in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4, L’inverno (Winter)
Allegro non molto
Largo
Allegro
Serena McKinney, violin

BÉLA BARTÓK (1881-1945) Arr. Arthur Willner
Romanian Folkdances
Jocul cu bâtă (stick dance)
Brâul (sash dance)
Pe loc (in one spot))
Buciumeana (horn dance)
Poarga românescă (Romanian polka)
Mărunţel (fast dance)

EDWARD ELGAR (1857-1934)
Serenade for Strings, Op. 20
Allegro piacevole
Larghetto
Allegretto

~INTERMISSION~

FRYDERYK CHOPIN (1810-1849), arr. Nurhan Arman
Piano Concerto No. 1, in E minor, Op. 11
Allegro maestoso
Romanze: Larghetto
Rondo: Vivace
Yuval Fichman, piano

The Banff Centre's 75th Anniversary Alberta Tour

2008-09-10T13:57:00.002-06:00

Saturday, September 27 – 7:30 p.m.
String Orchestra and Piano
Touring communities throughout Alberta, The Banff Centre's 75th Anniversary Alberta Tour brings the best of a new generation of concert artists to perform and inspire audience members of all ages. This full-length concert will feature the much-loved Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and a stunning arrangement of the Chopin Piano Concerto No.1, with soloist Yuval Fichman. One of Canada's most celebrated artists, Fichman's beautiful tone and emotional connection to the piano has captured the imagination of audiences and critics around the globe.
Because Horizon Stage is undergoing exciting renovations, we are pleased to present this exquisite concert in a Special Venue: St. Augustine’s-Parkland Anglican Church, 131 Church Road in Spruce Grove. We thank St. Augustine’s for the offer of their sanctuary on this occasion.

Tickets: $20 Adults, $15 Students & Seniors
Horizon Stage Box Office: 780-962-8995.

Renovations - Week 12

2008-09-09T13:31:00.005-06:00

Our pretty new lobby floor!

The entire lobby is starting to take shape.

The ladies dressing room just needs elecrical work and a few more little things done.

The theatre.
And that's what we look like right now!

Renovation Weeks 10 & 11

2008-09-08T12:55:00.009-06:00

The metal for under the seats gets put in - week 10.

Looking down from the catwalk.

The interior of the tech office.

The theatre - week 11.

The ladies dressing room.

Looking at the tech office from up on the catwalk.

Horizon Stage Renos - Weeks 8 & 9

2008-09-05T16:32:00.006-06:00

The theatre...

...our pretty new catwalks...

...the lobby ceiling...

...and the women's dressing room.

Nylons Ticket Update

2008-09-03T17:11:00.001-06:00

We are down to just single tickets for the Nylon's concert on February 26, 2008.

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 6 & 7

2008-08-30T15:55:00.000-06:00

The lobby ceiling.

Looking into the theatre

The ladies dressing room

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 5

2008-08-29T12:44:00.006-06:00

The new reinforced concrete pad has been poured under the seats, and the framing of the new, larger office, has begun. This new office will allow both technicians to work in the office at the same time.

Our old marquee sign out front has been removed, and will be replaced with a brand new LED sign. This sign will allow us to have more information, and add updates more frequently.

This is a photo of the ceiling in the lobby. The heating units need to be moved to allow this area of the ceiling to be higher than before. Also, the new piping is a brand new sprinkler system for the lobby.

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 4

2008-08-21T14:51:00.005-06:00

For week 4, demolition has been completed, and major construction begins.

Now that the floor has been demolished and cleaned out, the ground has been leveled, and new conduit run so that the reinforced concrete base can be poured.

In this photo, the welders are welding new beams into the ceiling so that the catwalks can be suspended from the grid. These catwalks will speed up the lighting hang and focus aspects of the show mounting process.

The dressing rooms have begun to be rewired, for new lighting fixtures, and outlets.

Horizon Stage’s 2008/2009 Season Goes on Sale August 18th

2008-08-08T14:22:00.000-06:00

The Theatre’s 26th Season includes lots of great shows for a variety of tastes.

Once again, Horizon Stage has programmed a diverse and exciting season of artists. From the comedy of Lorne Elliott, to the legendary Ian Tyson, to classic children’s entertainers Sharon and Bram, the Spruce Grove theatre always has something for everyone.

Because the theatre will still be under construction, Horizon Stage will present The Banff Centre’s 75th Anniversary Alberta Tour on September 27th at St Augustine’s Parkland Anglican Church. Classical music lovers will enjoy Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by one of the Banff Centre’s grand pianos and a selection of string instruments.

Comedian Lorne Elliott will be the first artist to perform on the newly renovated stage on November 1st, followed by acoustic guitarists Brian Gore, Andy Sheppard, Dale Kavanagh and Cecilia Zabala in International Guitar Night, The Original Caste, who are best known for their song One Tin Soldier, and The Horizon Players production of The Three Musketeers.

Celtic and Christmas music enthusiasts will enjoy La Nef’s A Celtic Christmas in December. Horizon Stage’s Family Matinee Series also opens that month with Bouge de là’s Like the Five Fingers on Your Hand, a remarkable movement piece all about the five senses.

2009 starts off right with Alberta favourite Ian Tyson performing 5 concerts in January, followed by DuffleBag Theatre’s Robin Hood and country music duet Ennis.

February is jam-packed with blues legend Jim Byrnes; gypsy jazz musicians, The Marc Atkinson Trio; Ballet Jörgen Canada’s Romeo and Juliet on Valentine’s Day; Green Thumb Theatre’s Cranked; Canadian a cappella super-group The Nylons; and The Mud Bay Jugglers.

Eagles fans will be thrilled to see cover band Hotel California in March, while historical theatre lovers and anyone interested in the Great Depression will enjoy the incredibly moving 10 Lost Years by Barry Broadfoot. The Horizon Players will present the family friendly musical Disney’s 101 Dalmatians at the end of March.

In April, Jazz aficionados will clamor to see the great Oliver Jones, and waltz and polka devotees will enjoy the always popular Emeralds. Closing the season will be the much-loved children’s musicians Sharon and Bram performing two matinee concerts on April 18th.

Horizon Stage ticket prices range from $10 to $40, depending on the show. Patrons can build their own season packages and receive discounts of 10 – 20%. Family Matinee Packages are also available. All Horizon Stage evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Visit horizonstage.com for more detailed information, Family Matinee show times, and links to all of our artists’ web sites. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 18th through the Horizon Stage Box Office and Ticketmaster. Call 780-962-8995 or visit the Box Office in person at 315 Jespersen Avenue.

Canada Day & Horizon Stage Photo Albums

2008-08-06T14:25:00.000-06:00

Click here to see photos from our June 9 Volunteer Apreciation BBQ.

Click here to see photos from June 30.

Click here to see photos from July 1.

Click here to see photos from our July Drama Workshops.

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 3

2008-07-25T09:33:00.007-06:00

The demolition phase continues on through week 3:

As we are replacing the previous collapsible seating, the old concrete base needed to be ripped up in order to replace it with a reinforced concrete floor appropriate for the weight of the new permanent fixed concrete risers.

As a bonus, removing the floor in this area also gave us the chance to replace some of the conduit and wiring running through the area.

The lobby has been completely gutted, right down to the concrete floor, and the exposed structure and mechanical in the ceiling.

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 2

2008-07-24T09:21:00.004-06:00

I have heard from a lot of people that have seen photos of the current Horizon Stage Renovation that it is a lot more extensive than they thought it would be. Our motto right now: 'there's no turning back now,' as these photos go to show. The three major areas of renovation include:

The Stage
Here the seating is gone, the risers they were seating on nothing but a pile of rubble on the thrust of the stage. The flooring has also begun to be ripped up.

The Lobby
The first thing patrons see when they enter our facility is the lobby. Suffering from years of high traffic and an aged appearance, our beloved lobby is getting a much needed facelift.

The Dressing Rooms
Though most patrons have never seen our dressing rooms, they too have suffered from years of use. Being a joint space, used by both our renters and the SGCHS drama department, the dressing rooms were in dire need of a little renovation.

As you can see in these photos, there is no turning back now. We look forward to the exciting future that these new renovations will bring us.

Horizon Stage Renovations - Week 1

2008-07-15T13:45:00.007-06:00

The last show of the 07/08 season started at 7:30PM on June 21, and renovations to the stage began at 8:00AM on June 22.

A ten person crew including Don Waddle and myself moved every light, curtain, cable, and piece of electronics out of the building.

A group of Stagelighters also worked in the lobby, getting it ready for the demolition phase.

On June 23, the contractors moved in and began the demolition phase. In the first week we saw everyone's favorite seating leave the building.

This site will continue to be updated with photos and commentary about the progress of the on-going Horizon Stage Renovation.

Spend Canada Day with the City of Spruce Grove

2008-06-11T00:33:00.000-06:00

Fill your July 1st with Street Performers, Fabulous Free Concerts and More!

After kicking off on June 30th, Spruce Grove’s Canada Day and Street Performers Festival will shift into high gear on Tuesday, July 1st. Bright and early at 8 a.m. the Sea Cadets will start flipping flapjacks for hungry festival goers on the Composite High School’s Sports Field. Purchase a delicious pancake breakfast for just a toonie.

Children of all ages should plan to be on site between 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to decorate themselves for the Canada Day Kids Parade. This year the city is replacing the bike parade with a walking parade. Participants will be encouraged to dress in this year’s theme, My Canada Today! and to decorate themselves with the help of our Summer in the City staff and volunteers. The parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. and wind itself around the festival site.

At noon a colour party and pipe band will escort our nation’s flag and Festival dignitaries to the mainstage where Spruce Grove Mayor, Stuart Houston, will lead an official Canada Day ceremony. Watch the raising of the flag while enjoying the sweet sounds of O Canada as performed by Samantha and Emily Schultz. Then, help yourself to a piece of birthday cake.

Street Performers from around the world will take over the festival field at 12:30 p.m. Be prepared to be amazed and astounded by the likes of Magic Brian, The English Gents, The Yo-Yo People, hip-hop dancers Freshly Squeezed, and ukulele rock-and-roll super-group The Be Arthurs. Rovers on site will include Edmonton’s Andrea House and Darrin Hagen and Calgary’s Green Fools. Also starting at 12:30, the REMAX KidZone will feature free play in the sandpit, performances, workshops, face painters, and crafts.

The Street Performers will wrap their shows up between 5 and 5:30 p.m. but don’t plan on heading home just yet. Food vendors will be on site serving hamburgers, hot dogs and other yummy treats to take care of your dinner needs while other vendors will offer beautiful clothing and other items for sale. Grown-ups can enjoy a cold beer in the Kinsmen Beverage tent after 5 p.m. and children will be able to enjoy the bouncy tents in the REMAX KidZone until 6 o’clock. Young Edmontonian Samantha Schultz will grace the Festival mainstage again at 6:30 p.m. for an hour-long concert, followed by the City’s annual Awards of Excellence presentation at 7:30 p.m.

Calgary-based bluegrass band Widow Maker will take to the stage at 8 p.m. Widow Maker’s potent music is rooted deep in old-school bluegrass, country, blues, rockabilly, and gospel of the '40s, '50s & '60s. Craig Korth, also of Jerusalem Ridge, will drive the band hard as they sing about lovin', leavin', cheatin', and hurtin'.

Then, dressed in their trademark tailored black suits and ties, Festival headliners, Paper Lions (formerly The Chucky Danger Band), will put on an energetic pop/rock show from 9:30 – 11 p.m. Often compared to The Beatles in their prime, these four young East Coast musicians fantastic tunes and loads of charisma have earned them both critical acclaim and numerous awards.

Ending July 1st with a bang will be the spectacular RONA fireworks at 11 o’clock.

Because parking will be very limited this year, a free ETS Park and Ride will bring festival patrons to and from the site between 9 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Park and Ride stops will include Greystone Centennial Middle School and Living Waters Christian Academy and downtown Spruce Grove, across from Central Park. Although the City highly recommends biking to the Festival, bikes are not permitted on site for safety reasons. Bike racks will be provided for everyone who rides to the event. Pets are not permitted on site, so please leave your furry friends at home. But, bring yourself and all of your human pals to the Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival at Spruce Grove Composite High School on Tuesday, July 1st, we guarantee that you’ll have a great time!

Visit www.sprucegrove.org for more details on the entire Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival

Start your Canada Day Party Early

2008-06-09T10:32:00.001-06:00

Party in the Park with a BBQ, Street Performers and the Buccaneers on Monday, June 30th

The Eighth Annual Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival will kick off on Monday, June 30th at 5 p.m. Party-goers should plan to come down to the festival site between 5 and 7 for a wonderful Community BBQ. For just $5 you will feast on Beef on a Bun in a large crusty roll, homemade baked beans, a choice of two salads, pickles, deli-style condiments, and a drink. All food will be cooked and served in a tent at the north end of Spruce Grove Composite High School’s Sports Field.

At 7 p.m., this year’s gang of Street Performers will gather on stage for their annual Vaudeville Variety Show. Popular artists from the Edmonton and Spruce Grove Street Performers Festivals will pool their talents and create a fun and family-friendly show. There will be clowns, jugglers, musicians and more as the audience gets a sneak preview of Tuesday’s Street Performers Festival with the whole cast in one place, at one time. This show is guaranteed to include lots of surprises and plenty of laughs. Bring your loonies, toonies and bills for a generous pass the hat.

Calgary band, The Buccaneers, will then take the stage at 9:30 p.m. for an all-out Dance in The Park. Thrilled to be visiting Spruce Grove again, the Buccaneers were last seen at the Street Performers Festival in 2004 and at Horizon Stage in 2005, they have also performed at local schools. Prairie pirates to the core, The Buccaneers perform Aggressive Canadian Folk Music with a Celtic flair. Full of energy, vigour, and spirit, they play everything from their own original compositions, to traditional east coast shanties, to covers of 80s and 90s tunes. If you like Stan Rogers, The Irish Rovers, Great Big Sea or Captain Tractor, you’ll love The Buccaneers

Vendors will be on site all evening to satisfy your post-BBQ snacking and shopping needs, and rovers and face painters will be busy keeping everyone entertained before the mainstage shows. So bring your friends and family down to the Spruce Grove Composite High School Sports Field at 1000 Calahoo Road after work on Monday, June 30th and start celebrating your love of Canada early!

Visit www.sprucegrove.org for details on the entire Spruce Grove Canada Day and Street Performers Festival

The Little Mermaid

2008-04-02T09:56:00.003-06:00

Third Perfomance Added & Audition Information
1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Family Matinees Sold Out on April 26
7 p.m. Show Added

Due to popular demand, Horizon Stage has added a third public performance of Missoula Children’s Theatre’s The Little Mermaid at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 26. The production, which will star 50 to 60 local children, is based on a new adaptation of the classic fairy tale.

Suitable for all ages, this Little Mermaid is the story of Celia who lives deep in the waters of the Sassafras Sea. She and her three sisters are allowed to visit the World Above and learn the secrets of dry land on their sixteenth birthdays. The production is full of wonderful music, exciting plot surprises, and plenty of humour. There is even a handsome Prince Charming.

Auditions for The Little Mermaid will be held on Monday, April 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Horizon Stage. They are open to youth aged 5 to 18 years and no previous acting experience is necessary. Auditioners should arrive precisely at 4 p.m. and wear clothing that is easy to move in. No preparation in advance is required and no appointments are necessary. Rehearsals will begin immediately after the auditions on April 21 and will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Additional rehearsals will then be held Tuesday, April 22 to Friday, April 25 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. until noon. Not all cast members will be called for all rehearsals; a final schedule will be announced immediately after the show is cast. Backstage jobs such as Assistant Director and Assistant Stage Manager are also available.

Limited tickets for the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Little Mermaid shows have been held for purchase by the families of the children who are cast. Any remaining seats will be made available to the general public on Thursday, April 24th. However, tickets for the 7 p.m. show are now on sale for just $12 per person regardless of age. Talk about affordable family-friendly entertainment! Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 to order or for more information.

“I’ve not seen a better program to develop a sense of pride so quickly.”
Fargo, ND

“This is an outstanding experience for our children to enjoy. It includes fun, hard work, educational endeavors, memorization, discipline, routines, scheduling, interpersonal relations, sense of community and guaranteed success. Hooray!"
Las Vegas, NV

Be sure to visit www.mctinc.org and www.horizonstage.com

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage and Grove Pontiac GMC

The Horizon Players Present: Man of La Mancha

2008-04-01T10:03:00.000-06:00

A Musical Play by Dale Wasserman
Music by Mitch Leigh Lyrics by Joe Darion
Originally Directed on Broadway by Albert Marre

Directed by Richard Winnick
Music Directed by Sally Hunt
Choreography by Joshua Semchuk

April 3 - 5 & 10 - 12, 2008
Horizon Stage, Spruce Grove
1001 Calahoo Road

"To dream the Impossible Dream!"

Spruce Grove- The Horizon Players presents the classic musical Man of La Mancha starting April 3 at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove. This unique modern musical features the acting, directing and design talents of amateur theatre artists from Spruce, Edmonton and many places in between.

Called before the Spanish Inquisition, the poet, Miguel de Cervantes, finds himself pleading his case before a band of thieves and murderers. He uses the members of this "court" to tell the tale of an old country gentleman who insists on seeing the world, not as it really is, but as it should be. And so is born one of the great heroes of world literature: Don Quixote. This Tony Award-winning musical will sweep you into a world where anyone can be chivalrous and noble as long as they truly believe.

Man of La Mancha runs April 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, at the Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove, 1001 Calahoo Road, only 20 minutes from Edmonton. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. nightly. For tickets please call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962.8995.

Audience Feedback - March 2008

2008-03-31T10:09:00.000-06:00

Did you see Connie Kaldor on March 1, The Dust Poets on March 8, or Sean Watson on March 29? Please tell us your thoughts, good or bad, regarding any or all of these artists and/or the theatre.

Horizon Stage - 25th Anniversary Gala

2008-03-10T10:27:00.000-06:00

Selected Photos from Horizon Stage's 25th Anniversary Gala Reception on Saturday, March 1, 2008...

Audience Feedback: February 2008

2008-02-18T16:23:00.001-07:00

Did you see Genticorum on Feb. 2, Patricia O'Callaghan on Feb. 9, Hungry Hill on Feb. 14. or Jack Grunsky on Feb. 16? Please tell us your thoughts, good or bad, regarding any or all of these artists and/or the theatre.

Horizon Stage Celebrates it's 25th Birthday

2008-02-05T16:45:00.004-07:00

It was 25 years ago today that Horizon Stage opened it's doors to its first audience. What a wonderful 25 years they have been!
Horizon Stage's 25th Anniversary Gala on March 1, with opening act Asani and headliner Connie Kaldor, has been sold out for months. But, we would still love to celebrate with and hear from YOU! Please feel free to leave a comment and wish your favourite Up Close and Personal theater Happy Birthday!

Treat Your Sweetheart to Bluegrass on Valentine's Day

2008-02-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hungry Hill will heat up Horizon Stage

on February 14th

Hungry Hill is a contemporary bluegrass band with a focus on original material. Based in northwestern Canada, these five seasoned musicians create a fresh sound while staying true to the roots of bluegrass and old-time music. Their lush vocal harmonies and instrumentals resonate around one microphone in the acoustic style of traditional bluegrass. So get ready to settle into your seat, snuggle with your significant other, tap your toes and enjoy a bluegrass Valentine’s Day treat with Hungry Hill

at Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 14th.

Formed in 2003 at the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival, Hungry Hill’s five members include Jenny Lester (vocals, fiddle and guitar), Bob Hamilton (vocals and mandolin), Mark Thibeaut (resophonic guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals), Ross Nickerson (banjo) and Nadine Landry (bass and vocals). The band released its first self-titled CD in the summer of 2005. Their second CD, Ride, was just released in January of 2008.

If you enjoy original bluegrass compositions that already feel like classics, don’t miss Hungry Hill Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Thursday, February 14th at 7:30 p.m. All ladies in the audience will receive a free Valentines Day carnation. Tickets are just $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 to order yours today!

“Hungry Hill… can stand shoulder to shoulder with any bluegrass

… on the market today”
Penguin Eggs

“…bluegrass quintet Hungry Hill played an hours’ worth of brilliant standards…”
Calgary Folk Festival

“…we have been given a rare and precious gift that comes to us in the form of a talented and beautiful songstress, Jenny Lester.”
Bluegrass Canada

“Hungry Hill were enjoyed by all… the crowd was with them from the first song and responded enthusiastically to the entire performance.”
Newell Concert Series

Be sure to visit www.hungry-hill.com and www.horizonstage.com
To listen to excerpts from Hungry Hill’s new CD visit

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=88528

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Royal Inn Express, The Edmonton Journal, CKUA - Live From Alberta Stages and Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

CKUA Air Dates for Shows recorded at Horizon Stage

2008-01-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

CKUA has recorded 3 performances at Horizon Stage for their Live From Alberta Stage series this season, April Verch & Strung, Arrogant Worms and Winter Harp. They will also be recording Hungry Hill on February 14th.
So far we have air dates for two of those concerts...

Arrogant Worms - Friday, February 16, 8 - 9 p.m.
April Verch & Strung - Friday, February 23, 8 - 9 p.m.

You can find CKUA on your Edmonton radio dial at 580 am and 94.9 fm.

http://www.ckua.org/

Horizon Stage & The Spruce Grove Library Team Up

2008-01-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

See children’s entertainer Jack Grunsky for free at the Melcor Cultural Centre on Feb 15th
The Spruce Grove Public Library will re-open its doors at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 15th for a free 7:00 p.m. performance by Juno Award-winning children’s musician, Jack Grunsky. Jack’s unique concerts incorporate various cultures, rhythms, melodies and instrumentation. The winner of several Parents’ Choice Awards for his outstanding recordings and approach to teaching kids through music, Mr. Grunsky is a creative force, whose songs have found their way into homes, classrooms and hearts around the world.

Jack Grunsky’s Family Matinee performance at Horizon Stage on February 16th is already sold out but the theatre wanted to provide the wider community an opportunity to enjoy this wonderful artist. A partnership with the library, and a free concert in their program room, became the perfect solution.

Pre-show cookies, juice and crafts for the kids will be available from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Jack Grunsky’s concert will be approximately 45 minutes long, and fans are encouraged to stay afterwards and meet him. Jack’s CDs will be available for purchase before and after the performance, and the library will have a desk in the children’s section open to provide library information, membership assistance and check-out services.
So bring your kids, grandkids, parents and grandparents to the Spruce Grove Library for a family-friendly evening of music and entertainment with Jack Grunsky. Because this concert is free, no tickets are required. The library is located in the Melcor Cultural Centre at #35 – 5th Avenue on the east side of King Street Mall. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 or the Spruce Grove Library at 962-4423 for more information.

Aaron Lines Concert Added

2008-01-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Horizon Stage is thrilled to have added a perfomace by country music star Aaron Lines to our schedule of events!

Concert Date: Thursday, March 27 – 7:30 p.m.
On Sale Date: Tuesday, January 22 - 10:00 am
Tickets: $30 Adults, $25 Students & Seniors

Canadian country music star Aaron Lines is all about family these days. The Fort McMurray native moved back to Canada a year ago, released his fourth CD last June and became a proud daddy in December. With 12 top five singles on Canadian country radio, including the most played songs of 2005 and 2006, and 5 number one videos, Aaron just keeps on getting better! The winner of two CCMA Awards, this two-time Juno nominee has toured with the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Leanne Rimes, Phil Vassar and Paul Brandt. www.aaronlines.com

Charming and charismatic cabaret singer will win your ears and your heart.

2008-01-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

Patricia O’Callaghan to perform at Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove on February 9th

Toronto soprano, Patricia O’Callaghan, is a world-class cabaret, jazz and opera singer. Her concerts are an eclectic and theatrical blend of repertoire ranging from Edith Piaf to Rufus Wainright, with lots of Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Erik Satie and Kurt Weill in between. Drawing on her knowledge of French, Spanish, and German, she peppers her performances with these languages, keeping a core of English and always offering a refreshing approach to whatever great song she may be singing. Horizon Stage is pleased to present Patricia O’Callaghan Up Close and Personal on Saturday, February 9th.

Trained at the University of Toronto and the Banff Centre for the Arts, Patricia received a Chalmer's Grant in 1996 that allowed her to stop working as a waitress and devote herself to music full time. She recorded her first CD, Youkali, in 1998. It featured cabaret songs by Weill, Satie and Poulenc. Following the release of her second CD, Slow Fox, in 1999, her third CD, Real Emotional Girl, was distributed internationally in 2001. She then toured her cabaret show across Europe and North America and released a fourth CD, Naked Beauty, in 2004, that has been receiving critical and popular praise.

With a gorgeous clear voice that is so versatile it could sing a baby to sleep or fit perfectly into a smoky nightclub, Patricia also performs in contemporary operas from time to time. She has toured internationally in Claude Vivier's Kopernikus and appeared as Polly in Vancouver Opera's production of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. She played a principal roll in Edmonton Opera’s Weill in Weimir in 2005 and appeared in productions of The Beggar’s Opera and Nigredo Hotel in Toronto.

Patricia recently collaborated with classical composer Christos Hatzis on his album Constantinople and she has also performed on albums by trumpeter Stuart Laughton and jazz clarinetist Don Byron. This multi-talented artist has appeared on television shows, including the Ken Finkelman series Foolish Heart, her own Bravo! special, and the CBC/Rhombus special Youkali Hotel.

Don’t miss Patricia O’Callaghan Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 9th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 to order yours today!

“O’Callaghan enters into the world of a song and gives it a three-dimensional life…”
- Now Magazine

“A genuine phenomenon in the making, Patricia O’Callaghan turns heads and opens ears…”
- The Globe & Mail

“A truly exceptional blend of natural expressiveness and masterful coloration… her tender versions of
Cohen’s “Take This Waltz” and “Hallelujah” are revelatory.”
- Billboard Magazine

“(This) show is crammed with charm and charisma.”
-The Toronto Star

Be sure to visit www.patricia-ocallaghan.com and www.horizonstage.com

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Royal Inn Express, The Edmonton Journal, CKUA, and Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

Audience Feeback: Matt Andersen

2008-01-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Did you Matt Andersen Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Friday, January 18th?

What did you think of his performance? Please let us know!

Note: Comments are moderated, crude language will not be posted.

Québécois Folk Music will energize Horizon Stage

2008-01-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Genticorum will bring their joyous sound and cheeky sense of humour to

Spruce Grove on February 2nd

Weaving wooden flute, fiddle, acoustic guitar, jaw harp, bass and foot percussion with strong vocal

harmonies, Quebec’s Genticorum offers their audience a blend of traditional songs and tunes as well as original compositions. Now music-lovers in the Spruce Grove and Edmonton area have the opportunity to experience these incredibly talented Francophone musicians Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 2nd.

For seven years, Genticorum have been forging a place for themselves on the folk and world-music circuit, becoming one of the most sought-after proponents of Québécois musical culture. Winners of a 2005 Canadian Folk Music award for Best Ensemble, they were nominated for a Juno in 2006. But no matter where they go and what they do, they keep their roots firmly planted in the soil of their native land and province

Last seen in Edmonton at the 2004 Folk Music Festival, Genticorum have recently been successfully touring in the United States, England, Scotland, Scandinavia, Germany, Malaysia, Israel, Egypt and New Zealand. Their concert in Spruce Grove is one of only a handful of Canadian appearances before they hit the road again and tour Australia in March. Performing mostly French and instrumental pieces, Genticorum easily surmount any language barriers with their toe tapping, energetic, and thoroughly enjoyable music.

Don’t miss Genticorum Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on Saturday, February 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors.

Call the Horizon Stage Box Office at 962-8995 to order yours today!

“Wonderful rhythmic flare ... a very full and glorious noise.”
SING OUT!

“Irresistible music that will give you ants in your pants.”
La Press, Montreal

“Their songs were delivered with cheek and charm that bypassed
the need for a French into English dictionary.”
Glasgow Herald

“Their music has a striking depth and richness… essential listening
for anyone interested in Canada’s most vital tradition.”
Penguin Eggs

Be sure to visit www.genticoruim.com and www.horizonstage.com
Listen to samples of Genticorum’s music at www.myspace.com/genticorum

Special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Alberta Foundation For The Arts, Canadian Heritage, Royal Inn Express, The Edmonton Journal, Radio Canada & Birdsell Grant Gardner Morck Barristers & Solicitors

Audience Feedback - Mr Lahey & Randy of Trailer Park Boys

2008-01-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Did you see Mr Lahey & Randy of Trailer Park Boys, with special guest J-Roc, on Thurdsday, January 10th or Friday, January 11th? What did you this of the guys, the show, the theatre. Please let us know!
Important Note: Comments with crude language will not be posted.

Matt Andersen Videos from You Tube

2007-12-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

Click on the bottom or side of the video's frame when it's playing to see different Matt videos.