The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 20, 2002 - C7 Tom Cochrane benefit concert raises $27,000 for Allendale Canadian recording artist and Oakville resident Tom Cochrane daz zled more than 300 guests with a private acoustic perform ance at a recent fundraising gala in Toronto. The event was held on Feb. 7 at the Four Season's Hotel in Toronto and raised $27,000 for Allendale, a non profit, charitable, long-term care facility in Milton. Cochrane donated his entire per formance fee to The Allendale Foundation in appreciation for the care that Allendale provides to his father, a resident for the past five years. This donation will support The Allendale Foundation's fundraising campaign to build a specially-designed therapeutic garden, which will support the needs of elderly, disabled and cogni tively-impaired individuals. This garden will be the first of its kind in Halton Region, and one o f very few existing in care facilities in all of Canada. The garden will allow healing land scapes and horticultural therapies to be introduced to individuals in their care plans and activities o f daily living. The fundraising event was sponsored by VERITAS Software and Brocade Communications. West End Studio presents engaging production of Amadeus By Liz Campbell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER When attending an ama teur theatre performance, amateur results are often expected. While the West End Studio Theatre is an amateur theatre group, it has delivered a very professional perform ance of Amadeus, a notorious ly difficult play. Amadeus, Peter Shaffer's extraordinary drama, exam ines the lust for power and fame using the backdrop of the 18th century Austrian court of Joseph II. The estab lished and exceedingly popu lar Antonio Salieri, court com poser to the emperor, encoun ters the young Mozart. He immediately recognizes what most of his contemporaries miss, the extraordinary talent, indeed genius, of the man whose music Salieri believes is the voice of God himself. After all, even his name is Amadeus, beloved of God. Salieri has made a pact with God. He wants to write beautiful music and in return, he promises chastity, philan thropy and goodness. He has Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver achieved enormous fame and VIVA PLAYERS: Susan T hornton (front-violin), and M onica W esterholm (rear-viola) play success. But Mozart's advent N octurne from Q u artet No.2 in D M ajor by C om poser A lexander Borodin (1833-1887) du rin g the overturns his secure world. He O akville Suzuki A ssociation's Viva V ariations show at the Glen Abbey United C hurch on Sunday. recognizes his own mediocrity and when God doesn't provide him with the inspiration to out-compose his rival, he sets about the destruction of that The Merriam School of Music presents its rival, of his vows and ulti fourth concert of the Concert Artist Series on mately, of God. Saturday at 2 pm. The Oakville Entertainers. Oakville's Men's Vince Carlin plays the The concert features the members of "HalfBarbershop Harmony Chorus presents Magic o f brooding, bitter Salieri and Baked Heroes," Mark Joseph (drums), Paul Harmony, its annual show on March 2. never once falters in the role. Fournier (bass) and Tim Martin (guitar), plus other This year The Entertainers have as their guests Whether the young plotter or special guests. The Circle of Harmony Women's Chorus, Local as the aged and infirm com Opening the show is the band "White Dove," Quartets and a special guest, magician Matt poser, he maintains a strong which is comprised of Michael, Nathan and Disero. grasp on the character of the Stephen Colucci, who all take lessons at Merriam There will be two performances at the Oakville man who finally challenges Music. The concert features mostly instrumental Centre for the Performing Arts, a 2 p.m. matinee God by choosing infamy rock with some vocal selections. .and an evening performance at 8 p.m. when fame fails him. The concert is at the Merriam School of Music Tickets cost $14.50 for the matinee and $18.50 The audience alternates in Recital Hall located at 2359 Bristol Circle. Tickets for the evening show. hating and sympathizing with cost $8 in advance and $10 at the door and may be Tickets are available from any member of the Salieri. After all, he is facing a purchased in the school administration or by call Entertainers or from the Box Office. Call 905- man who composes entire ing (905) 829-2020 815-2021 for further information. symphonies in his head, and for whom the hardest part is `scribbling' the notes. How can one help but feel humbled and dwarfed by such genius? Yilmaz Mustafa is Mozart. He is absurd, outrageous and one might be tempted to sug gest he overacts the role. But the truth is that this is impossi ble, for Mozart was all these and more. He shocked and appalled the court of the time with his silly scatological and lewd comments. He was a child prodigy who never com pletely grew up. Mustafa translates this preposterous character delightfully. And as Mozart slowly deteriorates, poverty and illness taking their toll. Mustafa maintains that child-like whine in his per formance - why is this hap pening to me? The remaining cast mem bers play their parts well. Michael C. Smith as the emperor has the delightful task of bringing levity to what are often tense scenes. Set designer. Jane Coryell, has received numerous awards for her efforts and one can see why. She has managed to recreate the opulence of the court of Joseph on a small stage, and with a few prop changes, the set becomes the bare bedroom of the aging Salieri. Director Paul J. Groulx and his cast have been working on the play since October. Groulx seems to have coaxed excep tional effort from everyone in the cast. Peter Shaffer's play is a satisfying and thoughtful examination of the worthless ness of blazing fame when placed before the flame of one's self-knowledge. In the end, perhaps Shaffer has achieved for Salieri that which he couldn't achieve for him self. Amadeus plays Feb. 20- 23 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets cost $19 each and are available at the box office, 905-815-2021. Oriah Mountain Dreamer speaks Thursday Author Oriah Mountain Dreamer is guest speaker at a special fundraising benefit for and the Women's Information and Support Centre of Halton at John Guest Hall in Appleby College on Thursday, Feb. 21. Sponsored by Bookers, the event will feature Dreamer speaking and sign ing copies of her book The Dance. Dreamer, author o f the best-selling The Invitation, has been featured on Oprah and is a popular keynote speaker at workshops, ceremonies and retreats in Canada and the U.S. The appearance takes place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10, available at Bookers, 172 Lakeshore Rd. East and the Women's Information and Support Centre, located in Hopedale Mall. 1515 Rebecca St., Suite 210. For more infor mation call 847-9104. Half-Baked Heroes concert Saturday Oakville Entertainers annual show March 2 St. Jude's Celebration of the Arts presents THE JOHN LAING SINGERS in a special TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONCERT ^ 2 0 0 2 ." Third Annual OFHC Dream-a-Thon! One day last spring, two Air Canada jets departed Toronto for Florida. For the nearly 300 children on board it was the beginning of a dream come true: a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Disney World for a whole day. Thanks to the efforts of The Oakville Field Hockey Club, who raised $52,000, twenty Oakville children had a dream take flight. In Halton, there are many children who are terminally ill. Many more who are mentally or physically challenged. Still others who, through np fault o f their own, are seriously underprivileged. You can help make a dream come true for many o f these children by supporting The Oakville Field Hockey Club as they raise funds for Air Canada's Dreams Take Flight Charity. Saturday, February 23,2002 Queen Elizabeth Park School, Yolanda Drive, Oakville Marathon Field Hockey Match - 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Celebrity Match: Oakville Firefighters vs. Halton Police 1:00 pm High Performance Match: Canada's Jr. National Indoor Team 2:00 pm Magic Show & Juggling at 11:00 am & 3:00 pm Food & Refreshments ADMISSION: Adults $5, Children $3 Saturday, March 2,2002 at 8:00 p.m. A glorious evening o f sublim e choral m usic, from a group acclaim ed in tern atio n ally for its gorgeous to n e an d blend, its lum inou s, pure, sweet voices, an d its w arm an d infectious m usic-m aking, th e beautiful soundscape will include m usic by Allegri (fam ous settin g o f M iserere), G uerrero, S chubert, G rieg, Finzi, Barber, B ernstein, Tavener, an d m any others in a great variety o f co lo u r an d m ood. For more information, contact: John Picone · Phone/Fax: 905-825-8498 E-m ail: ofhc@ cogeco.ca Help the dream o f these children to take flight! I NVI DI ATA Mixed Grill Catering WIDIUVCR! R ® W C O 'S \z z a j t a 4 s u b m a r in e P K ENTERPRISES C IB C stRIMEUNE Lx > n NNECTIONS Safuhaa Tbrxutfin* For tickets and information please call 905-844-3972 Adults $20.00 (Students/Seniors $18.00) Bucci Hair B A U J ^ N EXPRESS C O . St. Jude's Anglican Church 160 William Street (Downtown Oakville) S p o n s o re d b y C = P ° tJ tn ie s TJtfVe T he M a in THE OAkHLLE BEAVER E vent