By Wendy Elliott
welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca
NovaNewsNow.com
Brandt here
Well-known country singer Paul Brandt will be in Wolfville Feb. 3 at Convocation Hall.
In the short span of a decade, his name has become synonymous with Alberta, independence and quality. Over the last 10 years, this multi-platinum selling artist has become the most-awarded male Canadian country artist in history.
Brandt has toured North America and Europe and his music and involvement with international aid organizations and support of the military has taken him around the world.
With the release of his newest album, Risk, Brandt will tell you all his accolades have been the product of “years of give and take, faith and grace” - words from his first single, “Didn’t Even See The Dust”.
Brandt’s special guest for the concert will be PEI singer Nathan Wiley.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert can be had at the Acadia University box office or by phoning 542-5500.
www.paulbrandt.com
Local musical adventure
Three local women are involved in the production of a musical coming up in Wolfville. The Newsies was adapted and is directed by Kerri Leier. Musical direction is by Melissa Vidito and choreography by Tracy Fritz Nasson.
The show features an energetic cast of junior high school, university students and members of the community, says Leier, who is herself a product of Horton High School musicals and the Annapolis Valley Honour Choir.
Adapted from the Disney movie Newsies and featuring the memorable music of Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast) as well as original tunes by Vidito, Leier says this production is a dynamic tale that shows how the power of one person’s voice can change the world.
Filled with explosive dancing, powerful music and an inspiring message, Leier and her cohorts are working hard to make sure The Newsies has something for everyone and is sure to delight and impress. “All it takes is one voice to change the world, unless it’s silence,” she said.
The Newsies will be performed at the Al Whittle Theatre Feb. 7-9. Show times are at 7 p.m., with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday as well as an evening show.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children and $40 for a family of four. Call 697-2515 for more details.
MacGillivray launches
Troy MacGillivray played over 250 performances in 2007 and still managed to record and release a new CD. Live At The Music Room is his most toe-tapping release yet and features the best of the traditional Celtic music world all wrapped up in a single package. He will launch it in Wolfville next week.
The Music Room in Halifax is one of the finest acoustic spaces in Canada and houses a New York-built Steinway grand piano, which showcased the musical talents of MacGillivray for this live recording. Accompanying him on the CD are ECMA Award winner Dave MacIsaac on guitar and fellow Antigonish native Allan Dewar on piano. Special guest appearances by guitarist Brad Davidge and step-dancer and sister Sabra MacGillivray round out the tracks on the CD.
Juno Award-winning engineer Chad Irchick put the finishing touches to at his studio, Inception Sound in Toronto. Live At The Music Room is MacGillivray’s fourth solo release.
MacGillivray was the 2005 winner of the Danny Kyle Stage from the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland and the 2004 Auleen Theriault Young Tradition Award winner from the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, an award given to an artist that shows outstanding talent and love for traditional and roots-based music.
The new CD will be featured in a release concert at Al Whittle Theatre Friday, Feb. 1 starting at 8 p.m. Accompanying him at the concert will be Allan Dewar and Brent Chaisson with a special guest appearance by local favourites, the Fiddlestickers. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.
Call for submissions
Visual artists of the eastern Annapolis Valley are invited to submit images of their work for possible use on the front cover and inside the premier issue of the Valley Arts See and Do Guide Map, a project of the Alliance of Kings Artists.
Submissions must be of work completed in the past three years. They must be received before Feb.15, when selections will be made.
Coming up
Jan. 22
Mel Malton on C.S. Lewis, St. James Anglican Church, Kentville
Jan. 25
Opening Acadia Art Show, Acadia Art Gallery, Wolfville, 7 p.m.
Video workshop, New Minas Baptist Church, New Minas
Jan. 26
Art show by Dr. Ron Stuart, Wolfville Professional Centre, 1 – 5 p.m.
Feb. 1
Troy MacGillivray, Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3
Paul Brandt and Nathan Wylie, Convocation Hall, Wolfville, 7:30 p.m.
Until Feb. 19
Senior Follies, CentreStage Theatre, Kentville, 678-8040
(Please send arts items to: welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca)
