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Wednesday, N ovem ber 10, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER C3 Clones prove to be as popular as the real thing By Kathy Yanchus SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A little Raffi anyone? How about some Sharon, Lois and Bram? Don't think so. Saccarine sweet children's singers just don't cut it any more it seems, not even with the pre-schooler set. Either that, or today's youngsters have very eclectic musical tastes. They can go from "Down by the bay where the watermelons grow..." to "You drive me crazy...baby, baby, baby make me feel all right," without blinking an eye. For it was the little ones, looking every bit the Kewpie dolls, waving their arms and sporting neon head bands, who comprised a huge chunk of the Friday night audience at the Oakville Cen tre for the Performing Arts, paying $5 at the door and singing along to the music of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys no less. It was painful to see ones so young who knew so much, absorbing it all - the screaming, the writhing and wriggling, the harmonious kung-fu moves of Backstreet. They absolutely loved every moment of the show, a musical tribute not just to Britney and Backstreet, but to those lov able British "has-beens" - in the words of sever al audience members - the Spice Girls. Beside them, parents smiled, no doubt remi niscing about their first rock concert at the age of 18. How times have changed. Truthfully, the show was absolutely delicious, a fun, harmless night of the music that has cap tured the hearts of our kids. It was polished... the voices, the dancing. What made the show so special was the inter action between performers and audience, Britney (a look-a-like) touching little outstretched hands and the (look-a-like) Backstreet Boys acknowl edging, winking. It was the costume changes of the Spice Girls (also clones) which drew ooohs and aahs from the full house, but their songs didn't prompt spontaneous shrieks. It was clear the majority of the ticketholders had come to see the Backstreet Boys. The boys in their baggy pants and oversized shirts could do no wrong. A look, a song, just a note even, a sexy move, and the screams reverberated off the walls and left ears ringing. "They are the best," gushed 13-year-old Sara Burke and Jen Barber, 14, who along with Sarah Barber, 11 and Candi Boyd, 15 called themselves "obsessed." The teens twisted their head bands into hearts, waving them in the air and providing much of the evening's noise. "They're better than the real Backstreet Boys." And just what is so appealing about the Backstreet Boys? What are their special attributes? Voices? Looks? All of the above apparently, but the Boys rank particularly high because "they're really, really good looking." Sixteen-year-old Julie Prasad melted into her seat when the Boys sang Happy Birthday to her while her friends Sharon Otal, Candice Rusk, Ashley Klemarow, Allison Cahill and Alisha Hemiller screamed and screamed and screamed. Five-year-olds Kaitlin Heubeck and Catherine Nevery also came to see Backstreet as did their brothers Alex Nevery, 9 and Jacob Heubeck, 8. They got a little restless during the final Spice tribute but that was understandable. It was get ting late and their heroes had already come and gone. Six-year-old Daniel Mendes da Costa fell asleep before the final curtain, but brother Patrick, 7, and mom, Adrienne, stuck it out, although Patrick said bluntly, "I have a headache." Afterwards, performers signed posters. And at the end of the cue, a noisy section of teens vied to be last "so we can talk to them and hug them." "It's great entertainment for the kids," said one dad waiting in a line-up with his daughter. Granted, it was great entertainment. Hopeful ly though, when the little ones got home, the neon paraphernalia was put aside, and they grabbed a teddy and not a framed photo of the Boys to snuggle with in bed. Photos by Peter C. McCusker Comedy w edding is an affair to rem em b er By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR "Oh my God. I can't believe it. It's so great to see ya. I remember you from the old neighbourhood," yells a shrill voice with a Brooklyn accent as you enter the theatre. That's Stella, "bridesmaid" at Joey and Gina' s Comedy Wedding, and she doesn't get any quieter or more refined as the evening wears on. Sal Figliomeni, who plays Joey, the groom, does a lot more than dress in a tuxedo and show up. The Oakville actor sings a couple of solos, including Sina tra's popular That' s Life, "works" the room with the rest of the cast, encour- Clones of The Spice Girls, top, Britney Spears, left, and the Backstreet Boys, one of whom is seen here with fan Devon Perras, elicited as much adula tion as the real thing at The Oakville Centre on Friday night. Theatre Review Nov. 13th & 14th, 1:00 to 4:00pm at the Harrop Gallery 345 Steeles Avenue, Milton 9 0 5 -8 7 8 -8 1 6 1 "Break-away" by D. Laird `Winter ProcessionTimber Wolves" An excellent selection of their artwork portraying family, values, children in hockey and wildlife will be available. (to y w p r h tj ages "guests" to get up and dance and, along with his best man and usher, peels down to his undershirt and does a raunchy rendition of Grease Lighten ing. This is a wedding worth attending. And it takes place every Friday night at Mississauga's Renaissance Convention Centre, 3045 Southcreek Dr. Not to be confused with "the other" comedy wedding production, Joey & Gina' s opened Friday (Nov. 5th) with a crowd of eager guests and an enthusiastic cast. This special wedding has all the Private Lessons trappings of any Italian wedding, with PianofTheory/Keyboard/Vocal The Godfather and an ex-fiance thrown CANADIAN in for good measure. And for you guys CONSERVATORY out there, a word of advice - don't get OF MUSIC involved in the garter toss. - Marge Green, B.Ed. The man who catches the garter is Julliard Trained blindfolded, then, with his teeth, is Burloak Area Suidio expected to put that garter on the leg of Q u alified Teacher ^ .R .C .T . >Now Taking Registrations the woman who catches the bouquet. ^Pre-School Programs Not an easy feat, especially since the JiAdults Welcome ^ In Home Lessons rest of the guests are watching, and \ Royal Conservatory or Just for Fun judging, and laughing. And there's a ___ Call N ow 631-8762 . catch - but I can't give it all away. Just heed my Hamilton's Largest International warning and stay seated during the garter toss, unless, of course, C A N A D A 'S B E S T you like a chal L IV E R E A D E R S lenge and an IN C R E D IB L E B O O K S AMAZttiG C R Y S T A L S audience. FREE LE C TU R E S The wedding D E M O S & P R IZ E S party is, to say the Friday 12-10 pm least, unusual. PSYCHIC EXPO Saturday 11-10 pm Sunday 11-7 pm But they're all friendly and make sure they visit each table and introduce themselves. They mingle throughout the evening, sharing little tidbits of their lives and their relationship to the bride and groom. As with every Italian wedding, there's a five-course meal - antipasto, straciatella soup, pasta, veal parmigiana with roasted potatoes and Italian veg etables, and tartufo - and lots of danc ing. And as the guest enjoy their meal, the ex-fiance makes sure everyone knows that she selected the menu. And what would a wedding be with out the macarena and the chicken dance? Don't worry, this one has both, with a sprinkling of pop songs and lots of golden oldies mixed in for good measure, and many dancing opportuni ties. The festive atmosphere is main tained throughout, and wedding "guests" are never pressured into par ticipating, only encouraged. Personally, I'm not a fan of interac tive theatre. I'd rather stay in my seat and be entertained. But this one is dif ferent. It's like being a guest at a wed ding. You eat; you get up and dance when you feel like it; you enjoy the company of those at your table; and best of all you don't have to bring a gift! What more could you ask for? From the smiles on the faces of the guests, their eager participation, and the comments in the hallway afterwards, I'd say I wasn't the only one who enjoyed this fun and unusual night out. So, if you like weddings without the pomp and ceremony and with more than one twist, you'll love this Italian extravaganza. Tickets are $55, meal and show included, and are available by calling TicketMaster at (416) 870-8000. O a k v ille P r e m ie r C ra ft S h o w Saturday, Nov. 13 - Sunday, Nov. 14 10am - 4:00pm "Winter Welcome" Depicting Harrop Gallery. Milton by D. Laird $95.00 unf. M fapophdiii 'Offxxtl. N ovem ber 1 2 , 13,14 GLEN ABBEY RECREATION CENTRE (1 4 1 5 Third Line at Upper M iddle Rd.) Some of Ontario's Finest Artists HAM ILTON CONVENTION C E N TR E 115 King S t. W . Hamilton, O N Show Pass $ 2 i C hildren Free I 1 -8 0 0 -2 1 4 -5 8 5 5 Hwy 25 North to Steeles Ave. Turn West onto Steeles to Harrop Gallery D O N 'T MISS THIS ONE! LOTS OF FREE PARKING!