Theatre Company Sets Stage for Local Youth

Windsor Light Music

Theatre Gears up for

New Musical Theatre

Summer Camp

This summer, Windsor Light Music Theatre’s rehearsal facilities will be abuzz with the sound of local youngsters singing, dancing and having fun as they participate in the premier theatre company’s brand new Summer Camp Musical.

The company, which celebrates it’s 60th anniversary this year, has been considering the possibility of running a summer day camp for years and organizers are thrilled that their vision is finally coming to fruition. They hope that the camp will attract more young people to Windsor’s arts community and aim to give campers a fun experience while preparing them for future musical theatre endeavours such as high school musicals, post-secondary dramatic arts education, and future Windsor Light shows.

“Summer Camp Musical is a new adventure for Windsor Light and its campers,” explains WLMT President Carol Crooks. “By offering this camp, Windsor Light is setting the stage for future musical theatre aficionados, members and those who just want to have some summer fun.”

Under the guidance of talented and energetic professional arts educators and performers, the campers will be engaging in skill building activities, games, and workshops to train them in the areas of movement, dance, voice, auditioning, character development, ensemble building, improvisation and more. They will also have a chance to discover the thrill of performing for an audience in a culminating performance.

Windsor Light’s staff is hard at work in preparation for the camp’s opening week. “We have a really great line up of activities planned” says instructor Robin Shugart, a fourth year Drama and Education Student at the University of Windsor. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the kids grow over the course of the sessions, and to see it demonstrated in their final performances.”

Instructor Lauren O’Neil is confident that the camp will be a success. “Musical Theatre is becoming more popular among young people right now.” O’Neil, also a student at the University of Windsor, credits films like “high school musical” and “hairspray” in part for a resurgence in musical theatre’s popularity in recent years.

“This program is great in so many ways – we’ve put a lot of thought and preparation into it.” she continues. “I know that the campers are going to have a blast and improve their performing skills, but I also think that they’re going to come out of this feeling more confident in general.”

Current research confirms that participating in dramatic arts can hold a multitude of benefits for young people including improved communication, leadership and speaking skills, social growth, raised self esteem, and heightened imagination and esthetic awareness.

The camp will take place during two separate two week sessions at WLMT’s well equipped rehearsal facilities from 9:00am – 4:00pm, Monday - Friday. Session one will run from July 7-18th for campers aged 9-12 and session two will run from July 21-Aug 1 for ages 13 – 17.

Both sessions will feature workshops provided by professional arts educators and performers, the use of WLMT costumes, props and makeup, a free camp T-Shirt, a complimentary lunch, and will commence with a final performance on the last day of the camp session.

For more information or to register please call

Windsor Light Music Theatre’s box office at:

519-974-6593

or visit

http://www.windsorlight.com/

WLMT, now in it’s 60th year as a company, has produced over 140 fantastic Broadway musicals including ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, Disney's ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Titanic’, ‘Seussical the Musical’, ‘Ragtime’ and most recently ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’. The premier theatre company will be presenting the Tony award winning musical ‘Cabaret’ this fall and aims to continue entertaining their patrons in Windsor, Essex County and surrounding regions for many years to come.

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WHY WAS WINDSOR'S HISTORICAL BUILDING TORN DOWN ON SUNDAY?

BECAUSE IT RAINED ON FRIDAY NIGHT.

WHO WILL EVER KNOW WHAT PART OF WINDSOR THIS WAS

But seriously folks...It's starting to look like a sick pattern. Why is it that heritage buildings always seem to get razed in the off hours while any other demolition happens during normal business hours? They might have goofed on this one though. All of those workers were payed double plus time to do the deed on a Sunday morning. Apparently the brilliatants who planned this one out forgot to take into account that the Windsor Market is packed on Sundays. They also seemed unaware that Carrousel of Nations and the Ottawa Street Festival were on this particular Sunday. So...One day after the position for a"Heritage Planner" was posted in the Star they celebrated by erasing one more of the few bits of Windsor's heritage still in existence. They should have posted for a Press Secretary as well. It turned out to be quite a show for all passers by. Ahhh...The best of plans. Not a stone, dental, capital or column was saved. They were beauties too.

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE PROGRESS?

LET'S KEEP WINDSOR WORKING

WHO CALLED FOR THIS AND WHY?


TRAFFIC SLOWS TO RUBBER NECK

LAST CAPITAL STANDING

ONLOOKERS WITH CAMERAS AND CELL PHONES

Click on images to enlarge

Windsor wasn't built in a day but who will ever know.

City Invests Zero Effort to Save Heritage Building.

RAZE THIS HISTORICAL BANK BUILDING

This 89 year old brownstone is not worth saving. That's what the property's owner says and the current City Council and administration have gone along for the ride without the slightest quibble. "Too late" they said. It wasn't on the Heritage inventory. Chalk another one up for the City of Windsor's "Wooops!" policy for protecting Heritage properties.

City solicitor George Wilkki offered little legal hope council could save the building. "Someone mentioned it would take a miracle (to save the building) and I think it would take more than that," he said. "There are no legal grounds to stop demolition. It would have to be something the applicant agrees to in terms of discussion."

"In terms of discussion". So who's talking? The Heritage Planner? Ah...We don't have one of those. Ward councillors? Haven't seen any sign of that. Who then? Yes there ARE points to discuss! Plenty of them. But nobody wants to speak up. Why?

Let's start with the applicant. Spiro Govas. This is the man who is developing the Club Lofts at Monmouth Road and Wyandotte. He must know patience and he may be very open to dialogue on heritage preservation. Is anybody speaking with him about the importance of this building and the return it can provide for him?

Has anyone even questioned his rationalle for razing the building? Mr. Govas claims that the building must be taken down because he stands to lose $340,000.00 over ten years from a tenant who promised to bolt if the building is not demolished. That's only $34,000.00 per year. At a seven dollars per square foot lease rate we know that the tenant is probably occupying a mere 6800 square feet of his strip mall. STRIP MALL! Mr. Govas cannot be so short sighted to think that his future lies with such a tennant. He must know that the bank building can effectively serve as an attractant or anchor for the entire property. Who is trying to convice him of that?

Who came up with the math and why is the city just accepting it at face value? $500,000.00 for repairs? The building is roughly 4200 square feet. A completely new structure can be erected for that money. The building is sound and straight. A cap of $240,000.00 is all it needs. We already know that it will serve well as a restaurant, a spa or even an office building. Mr. Govas could even move his offices into this far superior and much more visible building than the one he is in now. Something which will help frame in the south east corner of Old Walkerville. Something which ties Ottawa Street to Walker. Something which will set precedence and boost the importance and value of the commercial and residential area as a whole.

Perhaps Mr. Govas just doesn't want to pay tax and insurance. If that's the case then maybe the City ought to impose a special (higher) property tax on the planned parking lot which will take the building's place.

That's just the start of it... You see...There is plenty to discuss. The reality is that tomorrow is "D-Day" for Mr. Govas' demanding tenant. His tennant wants the building gone by tomorrow. So who from this city administration has the nards to stand up and talk to Mr. Govas?

SAVE THIS STRIP MALL

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http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=5053ad69-d6cd-4214-a940-4be2e80ae132