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Wednesday, September 19, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B5 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Barely a dry eye in the house By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR YOGA T h e H e a lin q A b ts C e n th e o f O a k v il le There was a dry eye or two in the house. But not many. The w om an I w ent to the theatre with refused to enter the lobby until everyone had gone - she didn't w ant anyone to see her red eyes. A nd I even caught a m an w iping his eye, although I'm sure he w ould have claim ed it w as dust or som e other irritant if I had questioned him. But, no m atter, the cause o f all these tears was a tirade by D iane B rokenshire as she portrayed a grieving M 'Lynn in W est E nd Studio T heatre's presentation o f Steel M agnolias on Friday night. It' w as brilliant, so realistic that the tears may have continued if C lairee (played by Virginia M cEw en) h ad n 't offered O uiser (Joyce G rant) up as a punching bag w hen M 'Lynn cried that she ju st w anted to hit som ething. Then the audience burst into relieved laughter. And that pretty m uch sum s up the production - chock full o f em otions. A nd those em otions w ere played out in one location - a beauty par lour w here six friends gathered every Saturday to gossip. But it isn 't really gossip, since it m ostly involves one another. Each w om an w ants to know w hat the others have been up to since their last m eeting. A nd it isn 't ju st idle talk that occupies their tim e, it's discussions - serious and flippant, as w ell as friendly teasing and genuine encourage ment. These w om en laugh together, com plain together, jo k e together and cry together. A nd in the process o f this process, they expose their personalities and lives to an audi ence that soon learns to care about w hat happens to these characters. H ence, the crying in the audience w hen there is grieving on the stage. All six actors do an excellent job, but the tw o who stand out are B rokenshire - m ostly for the afo rem en tio ned scene, and A lison P reece, because she is playing her first m ajor role. Theatre Review If y ou've seen and liked the m ovie Steel M ag nolias w ith all its added characters and scenery, y ou're sure to enjoy this stage production. But be prepared for the no-frills version - only six char acters, one set. H ow ever, no-frills do esn 't mean no pizzazz. A nd be prepared for a double-take - the actors selected for this stage production are alm ost m ir ror im ages o f those in the movie. Even their accents and gestures seem to be m im icking those o f their m ovie counterparts. But, perhaps that gives m oviegoers a com fortable feeling, a sense o f fam iliarity w ith the characters and their roles. In any case, it doesn't detract from the play. A nd the characters are each large as life and easy to like, and each has her ow n set o f prob lem s and w ay o f dealing w ith them. Yet, each has her own space and can say w hat she feels w ith out fear o f reprisals or judgm ent. As for the man w ho w alked out o f the theatre behind me saying, "I hope the next one is for m en," I can only say that this one is for men. It dem onstrates w hat true friendship is all about and that vulnerability does not equal w eakness. These w om en are strong, courageous, free spirited, fearless, supportive and full o f fun. I, too, w iped the odd tear from my eyes som e from sadness, som e from laughter - the sign o f a good play, book or m ovie as far as I 'm concerned. Steel M agnolias continues tonight, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.. in the O akville Centre for the Perform ing Arts. Tickets are $17 and are available at the O akville C entre box office at 130 N avy St., 905815-2021, w eekdays from noon to 5 p.m ., Satur days from 2 to 5 p.m. and tw o hours prior to a perform ance. G rand Opening! Saturday, Sept* 22 1pm to 4pm * D oor Prizes Ribbon Cutting with the Mayor at 3:00pm D e m o n s t r a t io n s & F r e e C o n s u l t a t io n s · K u n d a l in i Y o g a · A sh t a n g a Y o g a · H a t h a Y o g a · P r e - N atal Y o g a ·T ai C hi · C hi G o ng · N I A » T h e r a p u e t i c M a s s a g e · R e ik i · H o m e o pa th y · H er bo lo g y · A c c u p u n c t u r e · R eflexology B ring this ad in fo r a co m p lim e n ta ry Yoga C la s s 134-8 Lakeshore Rd.W. (w. o f Kerr s t.) Q rv f 3 0 0 J 0 " U \J 0 0 Ca H for our Fall Brochure o f Classes & Workshops G et the Results You W ant, at a Price You Can Afford! A ll Memberships Include: Programs set to your needs PLUS 10 Sessions of personal instruction PLUS One on one assistance as needed Sealy plays jazz at Oakville Museum O akville M useum invites you to enjoy the Joe Sealy Q uartet on Sunday Sept. 23 from 2 to 4 p.m. on the grounds o f E rchless Estate, along the banks o f L ake O ntario and the 16-M ile C reek in dow ntow n O akville. Sealy, an internationally renow ned pianist, com poser and m usic director, w ill be perform ing w ith his dynam ic quartet. Sealy's extensive per form ance career includes concerts at Roy T hom son Hall, the H um m ingbird Centre and the Royal A lexandra as w ell as a num ber o f national and international venues. Sealy also perform ed at the O akville Centre for the Perform ing Arts w ith the N athaniel D ett Choral during Black History M onth, as w ell as at the D ow ntow n O akville Jazz festival this past summer. D uring S unday's special Jazz on the 16 per form ance, the m useum w ill be highlighting the Black History Exhibit and how O akville played an im portant role in the U nderground Railroad. The Joe Sealy Q uartet is a free perform ance, presented by Wave 94.7 FM Sm ooth Jazz and A cres International. O akville M useum at Erchless Estate, original ly the hom e o f O akville's founding family, the Chisholm s, has been restored to its 1925 appear ance. For more inform ation, call (905) 338-4400 or visit the w eb at w w w .oakvillem useum .com . To Join Call 905 844-1610 We Make Fitness Easy! ^Nautilus Voted Oakville's Best Fitness Club 1998,1999,2000 NAUTILUS SPORTS/MEDICAL INC. 11 LAKESHORE RD. W,, OAKVILLE ^ R estaurant Poll ^ O a k v il l e B e a v e r ^ n Oakville is a tow n n oted for its restaurants. W e have m ore great restaurants p e r capita than virtually any oth er com m unity in Canada! W e also have an appropriately discriminating collective palate. W e accept only th e best. But w hat is the best? W e thought w e 'd ask you, our readers, to tell us w h o you think is th e best, in o u r annual R e a d e r's R e s ta u ra n t PolL After all, y o u 're the folks w h o vote w ith you r taste b u d s ... an d your dollars. Please take a m om ent to fill in the questionnaire below an d return it to T he Oakville Beaver. DINNER FOR TWO AT ONE OF OAKVILLE'S FAVOURITE DINING SPOTS! Enter Today! T w ice /M o n th Ten+ Tim es/M onth YOU COULD WIN I DINE OUT APPROXIMATELY: (C h e c k O n e ). O n c e/W ee k More than Tw ice/W eek n T w ice/W eek Less than Tw ice/M onth i That Certain Something Quick Bite __________ Dining with the Kids Most Original Cuisine. Best Service ______ Most Unusual Decor Best View _________ TELL US W HICH SPOTS OFFER THE BEST IN THESE CATEGORIES: Best Happy Hour Best Wine List _ Friendliest Spot _ __________ Best Ambiance Best New Restaurant Culture Hopping ________ Italian Indian ________ German/Austrian C hinese__ Greek __ ContinentaL WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE EATERY IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ETHNIC OPTIONS. Exotic Ethnic British Pub Japanese __ Caribbean ___ Mediterranean Specialty Fare Best Pizza __________ Best Breakfast _______ Best Brunch - Smorg. Best After-Theatre Spot Best Desserts _______ Best Salads _________ Best Seafood _________ Best Steak ____________ Best Specialty Food Shop Best Sandwiches_______ Best Cup of Coffee _____ Best Wings ____________ Best Fish & Chips Best Ribs _______ Best Caesar Salad. Best Cafe _______ Best Seafood____ Best Bagels ____ Best S te ak_______ Best P asta_______ Best Fajitas _ _ Best Wild Game. Best Sandwich Best W in g s _ Best Fish & Chips Best Burger __ Best C hicken____ Best Appetizer _ F A N C Y A P IZ Z A ? A B U R G E R ? A BIG, T H IC K STEAK? TELL US W H E RE Y O U H E A D F O R ... Best P a tio _________ Most Attentive Owners B estD eli___________ Best Ice C re a m ______ Celebrity S p o ttin g ___ Restaurant Sports Bar Best After T h e a tre ___ Best Food Presentation. Best Wait Staff _______ Place with friends Best Bar________ Best Lounge ___ Lunch with clients Best Catering____ Dinner B u ffe t_____ Best Beer Selection Best Shooters ___ Best S ubm arine,__ Most Romantic ___ Entertainment_____ Family Celebrations Out Of Town ______ Best Chef ________ Best Ceasar-drink _ Best Bruschetta _ _ Best Garlic Bread _ French Onion Soup Innovative ________ M y F a v o u r i t e R e s t a u r a n t O v e r a l l i s : _________ T h e M o s t I m p o r t a n t F ea t u r e o f M y R e s t a u r a n t is : DINNER FOR TWO CONTEST BALLOT N a m e : ___________________________________________________________ A d d r e s s : _______________________________________________________________ M ail to : The Oakville Beaver 467 S p eers R oad, O a k v i l l e , O n t. P h o n e N u m b e r :________________________________________________ L 6 K -3 S 4 fa x : 3 3 7 -5 5 6 8