There was plenty of intrigue in the air Wednesday night as theatre lovers arrived to the Great Canadian Theatre Company for an arts benefit show that presented several unknown factors, like who was going to be performing, what were they going to be performing, and would they even be any good?
Confidential Cabaret, a fundraiser for the GCTC and Ottawa Arts Council, saw a cast of Ottawa-based musical theatre dynamos sing for their first time together, without any prior group rehearsals. They’d previously been asked to keep their involvement a secret. That means they only learned who else would be joining them on stage about an hour before curtain time.
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“Please feel free to applaud loudly and cheer these actors and singers along,” Nicole Milne, Ottawa Arts Council executive director, encouraged the audience at the start of the show. “They’re all a little bit nervous because they all are going to be trying this out for the first time, out here in front of you. We need your love, we need your show of support.”
As is often the case, magical things happen when you have artists who are talented, creative and trusting of one another. The performers belted out duets, trios and group numbers from well-known musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, Dear Evan Hansen, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, among many others. Accompanying them on piano was Wendy Berkelaar, who was both the producer and musical director. She’s also on the board of the GCTC.
Eric Coates, artistic director of the GCTC, had an acting part in the show. Also in the cast was Milne, who’s got serious singing chops. She worked at the GCTC as its director of marketing and development, until recently. In June, she took over from the retiring Peter Honeywell as head of the Ottawa Arts Council. The non-profit, membership-based organization is dedicated to encouraging and developing an appreciation for the arts in the Ottawa region.
“The Ottawa Arts Council is going to be working on opening its doors to greater audiences so that we can serve the artists in our community with a lot of authenticity and meaning,” Milne told the audience during the show. “We’re trying very hard to be an organization that represents all the artists in our community.”
The cast included silky smooth singer Stefan Keyes, weekend news anchor for CTV News Ottawa.
Afterward, guests were invited into the lobby for a reception sponsored by Thyme & Again Creative Catering & Take Home Food Shop.
Spotted were long-time arts patrons Glen McInnes and Barbara McInnes, retired president and CEO of the Ottawa Community Foundation. Also there were Ottawa Arts Council board president Julia Johnston, a realtor with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty, and board vice-president Stefani Truant, artistic administrator with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the GCTC’s board chair, Sharon Peake, who works for Global Affairs Canada.
Sharon Diamond, who is the development officer for the Ottawa Arts Council, returned to her roots by doubling that night as a stage manager.
— caroline@obj.ca
