Four of Ottawa's most classy
and talented musical theatre performers band together to bring
you an evening of unforgettable songs from the musical theatre
canon!
Our divas will be presenting everything from torch songs to showstoppers; from
cherished classics to songs from the hottest new Broadway shows.
Join us as we celebrate the world of musical theatre
with an event that will leave you breathless.
NOVEMBER 10 and 11,
2006
8 PM
NAC's 4th Stage (53 Elgin Street, Ottawa)
Tickets: $20 - General admission
Purchase NOW for Friday or Saturday!
Tickets are also available from the NAC
Box Office, or at The Leading
Note (370 Elgin Street)
About The Cabaret Centre Stage Cabaret: Divas showcases the phenomenal
talents of four local artists who, like many in the performing arts community,
are just trying to matter. Stories of these exceptional womens' trials
and successes are interspersed with music from the world of musical theatre.
Some of the music will be familiar, and some will not, but with the performances
of these four women, all of it will be unforgettable.
Here are just some of the musicals you'll be sampling in
an evening of solos, duets, and group numbers:
Avenue Q, A Chorus Line, City of
Angels, Company, The Full Monty, The Wild Party ,
The Last 5 Years, Rent,
and Wonderful Town. All of the music floats on a bed of sound
laid down by a trio of piano, percussion, and bass, led by the inimitable
Wendy Berkelaar.
Sneak Peek! For a glimpse of what you'll get at the 4th Stage,
have a look at this behind-the-scenes rehearsal video!
Born and raised on
the windy prairie of her hometown Winnipeg, Nicole’s
love for musical theatre was sparked from the moment she
hid on the backstage steps of a dinner theatre to watch
her father perform on stage. After countless hours
of begging her parents to join the business, she was cast
in local theatre productions that spawned a professional
performing career that is over 25 years strong. Ottawa
audiences, particularly Zucchini fans, will know her from
her work in I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change which
was presented on two of the NAC’s stages; the Studio,
and the one you’re joining us in tonight. Nicole
also fulfilled a life long dream on the “role wish
list” when she was asked to play “Cathy” in
Zucchini Grotto’s production of The Last 5 Years in
2004. She is thrilled - and deeply grateful - to
be back on the boards with this phenomenally talented group
of women.
Shawna Morgan
Ottawa native Shawna is a familiar face at local theatres,
having appeared inWest Side Story (Maria), Grease (Sandy),
The Wizard ofOz (Dorothy), A
Little Night Music (Anne)
and Anything Goes (Hope) for Orpheus, The
Perfect Wedding with A.C.T., Into
the Woods with Adella and A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Philia)
at The Ottawa Little Theatre. Other credits include being
a regular on Me,
My House and I on the W Network, providing the voice
of "Jamie" in
the cartoon The Reels of Our Lives and as a regular
with Eddie May Murder Mysteries at the Velvet Room. Never
really off the stage, she spends her days as a drama teacher
at All Saints High School, where she directs countless school
shows. She is honoured and humbled by the talent of these "Divine" ladies
and is proud to be sharing the stage with them.
Lesley Osborn
As Lesley remembers it, her first on-stage vocal performance
was in front of her 4th grade class but her love of musical
theatre happened a few years later at the tender age of fourteen,
with her first performance in the musical Hello
Dolly with
Orpheus Musical Theatre Society. Since then Lesley has gone
on to perform a variety of leading roles, most recently in
GOYA's War Brides and Menopositive,
Desiree in Orpheus' A Little Night Music,
Rose in Gypsy and numerous supporting roles over
the years. She even played a cat, a goose, a duck, a fish
and a swan in Suzart’s Honk. Did we mention
the tree in Into the Woods? While obviously not
a stranger to the theatre community in Ottawa, this is Lesley's
first outing with Zucchini Grotto.
"I am extremely grateful and flattered for having been
given this opportunity to work alongside such gifted
and talented women."
Sarah Lynn Strange
This show marks the semi-ottawa debut for Sarah
Lynn Strange. Having grown up here, she has performed in such
memorable shows as Bye Bye Birdie and The
Sound of Music with
Orpheus Musical Theatre Society. However, shortly after college,
she ran away to the States to pretend to be a showgirl aboard
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, workshop new musicals in New
York City, and perform children's theatre in Brooklyn. Since
her return to Canada, she has auditioned for kajillions of
shows. Currently, she waits tables with the utmost of flair,
entertaining hundreds of pub patrons a week! She would like
to dedicate this show to the Musical Theatre Gods, for finally
bestowing this show upon her humble
soul, and her mother, without whom she wouldn't have had all
of the opportunities that she has had. Love.
From Barbara to Bette and Bernadette Shaun is a huge "Diva" fan
and he is thrilled to be taking part in this celebration
of "Divadom".
He is living vicariously through these amazing women as
they knock these songs around the room. He couldn't be
more proud of the results, and he will add the names Lesley,
Nicole, Sarah and Shawna to his list of musical theatre
goddesses. The show marks his first time as director for
Zucchini, but he is a familier face with the company from
both runs of their production of I
Love, You You're Perfect, Now Change. Other
directing credits include Sweet
Charity and Grease for Orpheus, Nunsense for
the Ottawa Little Theatre and lots of school productions
for the Western Quebec School Board, The Ottawa Catholic
School Board and the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama.
As an actor Shaun has appeared locally with Orpheus, OLT,
and ACTco as well as touring I
Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change through
Quebec, and with the Cow Patti Theatre Company in Cornwall.
Most weekends Shaun can be found holding a smoking gun
as a member of the Eddie May Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
company. This show marks his second colaberation with his
"musical angel" and
he couldn't be happier. A huge thank you to Zucchini for
continuing to provide local actors with opportunities.
Wendy Berkelaar (piano, musical director)
Originally from Smalltown, Nova Scotia, Wendy came to Ottawa
eleven years ago with dreams of earning a masters degree
in classical piano performance, and then touring the world
over. Instead she tripped over an Orpheus show, rediscovered
her love of musical theatre and now usually only plays classical
music at weddings, when forced. Working her way up from rehearsal
accompanist to musical director, Wendy has musically directed
shows in Ottawa, the Eastern Townships, Brockville, and recently
spent a year in Australia, working for theatres on the Gold
Coast and in Brisbane. She is thrilled to have been invited
back by Zucchini Grotto (she MD'd the Ottawa Premiere and
the Remount of I Love You, You're Perfect,
Now Change), and couldn't be more excited to be working
with such talented "Divas" (you
too, Shaun).
Wendy does indeed hold a masters degree in classical piano
performance.
Pierre Huneault (percussion)
Pierre Huneault has been a performing musician around the
Ottawa area, with a number of theatre groups and various
music ensembles, for more than fifteen years. He is a graduate
of the Department of Music and the Faculty of Education,
University of Ottawa. In addition to performing, Pierre has
been the Musical Director for several local high school productions,
including the OCCSB presentation of The
Music Man. He is
currently a Music teacher with the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic
School Board.
Neil Bateman (bass)
Neil is a longtime Ottawa resident and veteran of many Orpheus
shows, both in the orchestra and as music director. He has
also music directed Kiss Me Kate and A
Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Ottawa
Little Theatre. Most recently, Neil has been the producer
of four musicals for the Catholic Education Foundation of
Ottawa Carleton, which raises money to support many programs
for needy kids who attend the Ottawa Carleton Catholic School
Board. Neil currently teaches music at Holy Trinity High
School in Kanata.
