This Saturday, the sounds of musical theatre will fill the air at Johnny’s Social Club as local musicians take the stage with songs from musicals such as Funny Girl, Wicked, and Rent at a unique fundraiser called Broadway Bash.
Natalie Milligan is one of the organizers behind this event, along with Mark Kolt and Kat Windjack. As Milligan explains it, the idea for the event came from Kolt, who helped Milligan and Windjack prepare a musical theatre medley for September’s Wild Rice Ragout concert.
The three enjoyed the performance so much, they started discussing plans for a full Broadway-inspired show. As a number of local musicians expressed interest in taking part, the concert’s scope grew.
“It’s a full, amazing program with so many people doing so many different things,” explains Milligan. “There are comedy numbers, dramatic ballads, people singing stuff you wouldn’t expect them to sing. We hear a lot of folk and classic rock at concerts in Flin Flon, but this is a completely different genre, and for some of the performers, this is where they get to show off what they are really good at.”
Performers will include Kim Jones, Natalie Milligan, Katrina Windjack, Julian Kolt, Kevin Imrie, Tim Spencer, CC Trubiak, Kari Rutherford, Stacey Hyndman and Collette McKeen. Mark Kolt and Shelley Rhyno will accompany the singers.
While Broadway Bash promises to be an entertaining evening on its own, it will also serve as a fundraiser for a much bigger event, The Flin Flon Community Choir’s production of Les Miserables.
In the past, the community choir has hired arts industry professionals, including sound and light technicians, musicians and choreographers, to help create high-calibre musicals.
The May 1-3 performance of the show known as Les Mis will be no exception.
“This year we raised the bar yet again, by hiring a professional director, Ann Hodges,” explains Crystal Kolt, cultural coordinator of the Flin Flon Arts Council. A fight choreographer will also be hired to create authentic fight scenes in the action-filled musical.
The funds raised at Broadway Bash will help offset the costs of hiring these professionals.
Broadway Bash will take place at Johnny’s Social Club at 175 Green Street on Jan. 10 at 7:30. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. For more information, contact Natalie Milligan at 204-271-3190.
