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C 2 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 10, 2001 Rockin' with ABBA Mania The rock musical ABBA M ania had the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts rockin' last Thursday night as Agnetha, Benny, Bjom and Anni-Frid look-alikes belted out songs made famous by the legendary Swedish group. Hands were clapping and swaying to such favourites as Mamma Mia, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Waterloo, S.O.S., Super Trouper and Dancing Queen. The audience hooted, whistled and demanded encores from both the ABBA tribute artists and their opening act Stayin' Alive: The Bee Gees (see photos on opposite page). Audience members left the Oakville Centre still hum ming the tunes and obviously pleased that they had taken a chance on ABBA Mania. Photos by Ron Kuzyk ABBA M ania, a group of ABBA look-alikes, right, rocked the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts last Thursday. The Agnetha Faltskog clone hammed it up with the audience a few times as well as with the AnniFrid clone, below, and her stage "husband" Bjorn. SCARECROW M AKING CUDMORE'S GARDEN CENTRE S a tu rd a y ,O c to b e r1 3 1 :0 0a .a i.'1 0 :0 0a .m ., 1 0 :0 0a .m .-1 1 :0 0a .m . Phone to book yoiur space for making a Hallowe'en Scarecrow. You bring the clothes (overalls, jeans, plaid shirts, bandanas, hats, gloves, etc.) we'll supply the fixin's. $10.00/includes deluxe pumpkin head. Photo by P eter C. McCusker (9 0 5 ) 8 2 7 -1 8 7 2 3 1 7 1 Lakeshore Rd. W .# O a k ville "A Growing Tradition By The Lake" Peter Kunder, left, Arlene Purpura, Michael Brown, Linda Hamilton and Dave Kinlough prom ise to keep you on the edge of your seat as characters in the BurlOak Theatre Group's produc tion of Deathtrap, which opens tomorrow night at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. Rain or Shine Thriller/comedy explores the pysche of two playwrights student has written. "Ira Levin partly based the part of Sydney on ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR himself, although he's not a murderer, one would ven the name - Deathtrap - conjures up assume," James quips. "H e's a novelist and a images o f premeditated murder. And the playwright and a TV writer as w ell...H e's got a suspense thriller by that name, written very weird slant." Levin, she says, originally planned Deathtrap by the man whose mind created such a novel but decided it would make a better strange stories as Rosem ary' s Baby and Theas Stepford Wives, promises to have audience members play. "It took him six years to write it, to get it on the edge of their seats at the Oakville Centre perfect," she explains. "And when you see the author in the play set up all the things that he sets for the Performing Arts this weekend and next. Directed by Christina James, this Burl-Oak up, you get a glimpse into how Ira Levin's mind Theatre Group presentation, tells the story of a worked. He also talks about what a thriller writer playwright who is suffering from a dry spell. needs to have. So it's a very interesting play." After receiving a script from one of his students, The play, she adds, is o f simple design with which he immediately recognizes as a potential only one set and five characters, thereby, relying Broadway hit, he and his wife devise a plan to on the dialogue and the humour for its success. collaborate with the student. When the student And it was a success in its day, becoming the accepts, the plot begins to twist and turn, com longest running play on Broadway in the '70s. "It bining laughter with thrills. ran for 1,793 performances," says the Oakville James, a professional actor and director, says director. Deathtrap is her first step back into the theatrical James, who teaches voice in the Musical The fray after suffering and recovering from a stroke. atre program at Sheridan College, recalls, when And she's delighted that she was asked to direct she was just four years old, overhearing one of such an intense play, one that will offer the audi her parents' friends suggest that their little girl was going to be singer one day. "I remember ence intrigue and insight as well as humour. "Nobody is quite what they seem to be, and being incredibly surprised that anyone could that means nobody," James warns, noting that the think anything else. I knew that was what I was," author in the play readily admits that he would she says. commit murder to have a play like the one his (See `T hrille r' on page C3 By Carol Baldwin E Every year, the 5000 volunteers of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) participate in more than 1700 search and rescue missions, resulting in over 200 lives saved. Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary 200 Kent Si, Floor Ottawa, Ontario K1A0E6 To reach all those that need help, we need your financial support. For more information, call (613) 991-5714 or visit us at www.ccga-gcac.org Registered Charity 87029 8494 RR 0001