One-Tank Trip for
July 21-12
(c) By Jim Fox
Memories of Elvis,
the Beatles, Johnny Cash, ‘60s’ jukebox hits along with some fiddling around
highlight this summer’s entertainment calendar.
Yes, the hills are
alive with the sound of music festivals and plays along with jazz and blues
fests in every part of “one-tank trip” country.
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| The Collingwood Elvis Festival is a four-day celebration of the life, music and career of Elvis Presley and recreates the nostalgia of the era. (Photo – Ontario Tourism) |
Thank you very much
The popularity of
Elvis Presley never seems to wane even 35 years after his death.
The Collingwood
Elvis Festival has become one of the largest events of its kind paying tribute
to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Its 18th edition runs
from next Thursday to Sunday (July 26 to 29) with some of the world’s best
“tribute artists” performing daily and in competition.
There are also dances,
parades, family events, midway rides and games, great food and piles of Elvis
memorabilia for sale.
Along with tribute artists,
attending will be Jerry Schilling, a confidante of Elvis, and Cynthia Pepper from
the Elvis movie "Kissin’ Cousins.”
Also coming are Sam Thompson, Elvis’
bodyguard, and Lowell Hayes, Elvis’ jeweller.
www.collingwoodelvisfestival.com;
1-866-444-1162
And now ladies and gentlemen . . .
Theatre impresario
David Mirvish presents the North American premiere of the “gritty, powerful
rock 'n' roll drama” Backbeat: The Birth of the Beatles.
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| Backbeat: The Birth of the Beatles at the Royal Alexandra Theatre tells the story of five teenage lads from Liverpool who dream of becoming a successful rock band. (Photo by Nobby Clark) |
The show at
Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre runs now through Sept. 2 and tells the
real-life story of five teenage lads from Liverpool, England who dream of becoming
a successful rock band.
When John Lennon,
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe get a gig
in Hamburg, they believe the road to stardom is theirs.
The “intense
and compelling drama” is punctuated with all-time rock ‘n’ roll Beatles’
classics including Twist and Shout, Rock ‘n’ Roll Music, Long Tall
Sally, Please Mr. Postman and Money.
It also shows Paul
and John collaborating on early songs, providing an insight as to how their
private lives inspired their compositions. www.mirvish.com; 1-800-461-3333
I hear the train a comin’
Lyrics from Johnny
Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues will echo down on the farm with lots of toe-tapping,
hand-clapping and down-home fun at the Walters Dinner Theatre.
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| The Walters family – Shirley, Darren, Kimberly and Brad –entertain in their converted barn with county music and family humour. (Jim Fox photo) |
The family
homestead of the Walters Family Band in Bright, between Woodstock and
Kitchener, welcomes Johnny’s brother Tommy Cash and his band from Sept. 3 to 8.
He will entertain
with Johnny’s hits and tell about growing up in Arkansas in the Cash household.
Sold-out
performances continue through Aug. 4 with Rita MacNeil while other shows
include Michael Twitty, performing music of his late father, Conway, Aug. 27 to
Sept. 1, and the season wrap-up with the Walters’ clan, Oct.1 to 6. www.walterstheatre.com; (519) 463-5559
Fools in love
Why Do Fools Fall in Love? is an age-old question pondered along with
hits from the ‘60s at Stage West Theatre Restaurant in Mississauga.
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| Why Do Fools Fall in Love? at Stage West Theatre Restaurant features Kate Etienne, Stephanie Pitsiladis, Stephanie Lawlor and Laura Mae-Nason. |
The jukebox musical written by Roger Bean of the Marvelous Wonderettes
runs through Sept. 5 at the Vegas-style nightclub theatre.
The plot has four “girls” at a bachelorette party discovering “more
about each others’ lives than they ever imagined.”
It features good old-time rock ‘n’ roll songs including Baby I’m Yours,
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, I Will Follow Him and the title tune, all
for a groovy outing with a killer buffet included. www.stagewest.com; 1-800-263-0684
Rhythms, waltzes, jigs and reels
They’ve been “fiddling around” in Shelburne, northwest of
Orangeville, for 62 years now.
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The Jenish sisters are
step dancing while the Provencher brothers are fiddling around at an earlier Canadian
Open Old Time Fiddle Championship in Shelburne.
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The Canadian Open
Old Time Fiddle Championship is back from Aug. 8 to 12 featuring “top fiddlers
in competition for more than $17,000 in prizes,” said publicist Caroline Mach
of the Rotary Club of Shelburne.
It includes a concert
by the Blazing Fiddles, Cape Ceol fiddle and step dance show, jam sessions,
parade, beer garden, Battle of the Bands, pork barbecue, Aerosmith and country
superstars tribute bands, open-air market, entertainment and food at the legion,
camping and more.
The championship
starts with the play downs on Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Centre
Dufferin Recreation Complex (Shelburne Arena).
Contest finals are
Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. and feature the Black Family and a judges’ showcase with Webb
Acheson, Karen Reed and Kelli Trottier. www.shelburnefiddlecontest.on.ca;
519-925-8620
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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
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