The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 16, 2009 - 35 Artscene · FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009 Singer peppers British Invasion with talent Campbell has been so successful as a young performer and singer. SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER "Matt is a multi-talented performer and he has such an incredible, distinctive voice If it weren't for music, Matt Campbell that really comes across on stage," she said. would surely be out of a job because, as he "He can sing, he can dance and he's a great puts it, everything that he loves stems from guy; really nice to work with." music. As a talented singer himself, there were The longtime Oakville resident is back on personal motives why Campbell clamped the big stage with Stage West's second-go at onto the original and subsequent production British Invasion. The current production has of British Invasion. Campbell, 28, belting out Tom Jones ditties "I have a lot of personal love for this time and picking up the guitar as George period of music," said Campbell, who loves to Harrison for a second time. see the reaction from the audience who lived "This is my second time around," said during the time period. Campbell in a recent interview with The "You can really see Oakville Beaver. that in their feedback He played both Elton - in their eyes - and as John and the shaggya performer that's haired Beatle five years really what you want ago in Stage West's origito do." nal installment of the perW a l l a c e - Ly n c h formance. British Invasion agrees that the audiis a musical revue that ence, both young and highlights the foreverold, is really able to changed musical climate reminisce with this when The Beatles, Gerry production. The and the Pacemakers, The music really brings Rolling Stones and others back memories, she travelled across the pond said. to explode in North "It evokes memoAmerica and dominate for ries in people from an the next 30 years. era that times were Although a lot of the good, people were original cast is back, younger and into the including director Anne music," she said. Allan and musical director "People of any genAnthony Bastianon, the eration can really Matt Campbell show has changed, accordrelate to this producing to Campbell. tion." "The original incarnation of the producPlaying the guitar and being welltion was more playing instruments and they acquainted with the piano have also helped kind of scaled that down a bit, but I have realsteer Campbell down another boulevard. ly enjoyed it both times I've done it," he said. Releasing several independent EP's over the "I'm enjoying this one for different reasons. years and playing with such musical bigwigs We made small changes here and there just as Derek Miller, Tom Cochrane and Sarah to make it a show that reaches everyone." Harmer, Campbell released his first fullGraduating from Sheridan's musical thelength, self-titled independent album in atre performance program in 2002, early 2007. Campbell has had a prolific career on and off "It's allowed me to personally bridge the the stage. Some other shows in Campbell's gap between music theatre and live music, repertoire include, Buddy Holly, California which are two completely different worlds," Dreaming II, Jesus Christ Superstar and Kiss said Campbell, who also regularly plays at a Me Kate. piano bar in Toronto. Campbell has also been in front of a cam"Luckily playing guitar and playing piano era or two with shows like Forensic Factor, has opened some avenues in this theatrical Cold Blood and a lead roll in last year's YTV world that might not have been opened othmovie musical, King of the Camp. He also erwise." appeared in a Niagara Fallsview Casino comAs a true performer, Campbell loves to be mercial last year that garnered him some on stage, but if it were up to him, performing attention. his own original numbers would be a dream. "That was kind of cool because it was one "At the end of the day, if I had the choice, of those commercials that was just on every I would probably be performing my own hockey game, so it was my first experience of music live 300 days of the year," he said. actually being recognized, like, `Hey man, In the meantime, before that big break you're in that commercial,'" he said. into the musical world, Campbell enjoys Laurie Wallace-Lynch, director of marketstaging the music that inspired him to ing at Stage West, said there is a reason why By Ryan Bolton SUBMITTED PHOTO SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND: Oakville musician Matt Campbell (far right) is among a cast paying tribute to the golden oldie, such as the Beetles, in the Stage West production of British Invasion. become a performer in the first place. "We are doing the best job we can to define this prolific period in pop music," he said of the production. "Also, what this music stood for politically and emotionally, because it's amazing how many of the lyrics had messages written into them back then that are still as pertinent, if not more so, now. That's British Invasion to me; just showing that music can really change how people think about the world." British Invasion is currently running to Feb. 8 at Stage West, 5400 Dixie Rd., Mississauga. For tickets, book online at www.stagewest.com or call the box office at 905-238-0042. To listen to Matt Campbell's music, visit matthewcampbellmusic.com. 2 TIME AWARD WINNER! ON SALE TODAY! Mon-Tue, March 2-3 Hamilton Place Tickets available at www.Ticketmaster.ca, Charge by phone at (905) 527-7666 or visit the Copps Coliseum Box Office