| Versatile Toronto pianist John Arpin dies at 70
Canadian pianist John Arpin, dubbed the "Chopin of Ragtime" by jazz great Eubie Blake, has died. Arpin died of cancer Nov. 8 in Toronto. He was 70. Canadian composer, recording artist and entertainer John Arpin. (JohnArpin.com) The three-time Juno nominee recorded more than 60 albums in his career, including the complete works of Scott Joplin, three albums with Maureen Forrester and treatments of Broadway hits, honky-tonk and spirituals. His compositions include the theme song to children's shows Polka Dot Door and Polka Dot Shorts, and Jogging Along, which was the theme song for CBC radio program Morningside in the 1970s. Born in Port McNicoll, Ont., on Dec. 3, 1936, Arpin graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music and then studied music at the University of Toronto.
On stage
Way Off Broadway Children's Theatre presents "Santa's Gift." Matinee performances every Saturday and the second and fourth Sunday through Saturday, Jan. 12. Way Off Broadway Children's Theatre, 5 Willowdale Drive, Frederick, Md. $12 per person. Call 301-662-6600 or go to www.wayoffbroadway.com. ‘Deathtrap' GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The Village Theatre of Gettysburg will present Ira Levin's “Deathtrap." 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 17. The Village Theatre of Gettysburg, Patriot Point, 241 Steinwehr Ave. For information and ticket prices, call 800-570-4590. ‘Christmas at Allenberry' BOILING SPRINGS, Pa. — A show featuring favorite holiday tunes. Concludes Sunday, Dec.
Theater in Brattleboro offers a conservatory for kids
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - It's easy to think that the kids performing with the New England Youth Theater have come from a vaudeville troupe when they pull off expert pratfalls or contort their bodies into curious positions. Physical comedy is a signature style of this group, which lights up its Brattleboro stage for as many as 10 shows a year. And the offerings are diverse. Think French farce, Shakespeare, Broadway musicals, or American dramas. NEYT offers conservatory-style classes and workshops in topics such as drama, dress-up for young children, and lighting design. Jerry Stockman, managing director, says the theater draws students from as far as 50 miles away. A summer program attracts young people from across the country and beyond. Area professionals are a huge asset.
Grinch to reopen despite Broadway strike
NEW YORK - A NEW York judge ordered a theatre owner to reopen Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical despite a strike by stagehands that has shut down most of Broadway. State Court Justice Helen Freedman on Wednesday granted an injunction filed by the musical's producers, who argued their contract was not subject to the strike and who had the backing of the stagehands union, which wanted the show to go on at the St James Theater. Jujamcyn Theaters, owner of the St James and four other Broadway theatres affected by the strike, had decided to lock out The Grinch until a new labour agreement was reached. With no new talks scheduled and the strike in its 12th day, that could have ruined the limited engagement run for the holiday musical, which attracts children from out of town who often are seeing a Broadway play for the first time.
'GRINCH' PREFORMED ON STREET
It was enough to make the Grinch's heart grow three sizes. Cast members of the holiday musical "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" held a spirited performance outside their theater, the St. James, tonight after being barred from returning to the stage. Some 30 cast members, including a dozen child performers clutching "Grinch" dolls, sang "Who Likes Christmas," one of the songs from the show before leading some 200 spectators in shouts of "We want Grinch." People ran from Broadway to the theater at 44th and Eighth to see the spectacle. "We're being illegally locked out of the theater," said the show's conductor, Josh Rosenblum. "There's no legal reason why the show shouldn't be going on." Lisa Cawiezell, 42, said she had driven from Eldridge, Iowa, with her daughter, Zoey, 16, to see "The Grinch." "This is a preview of what we will see," she said.
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