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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 29, 2013 | 22 Artscene Sheridan alum Michael Hughes bring his comedy show, Mickey & Judy, to his alma mater Dec. 3-8. | submitted photo "Connected to your Community" Choristers take a road trip ers," said Dr. Jonathan Griffith, artistic director and principal conductor Special to the Beaver for DCINY. "It is quite an honour just to be inYou know the old joke: How do you get to Lincoln Center? Well, for the vited to perform in New York. These Tempus Choral Society, it was by wonderful musicians not only repwinning bronze at the 2012 World resent a high quality of music and education, but they also become Choir Games in Cincinnati, Ohio. ambassadors for the enThe adult, four-part tire community. This contemporary choir, is an event of extreme whose repertoire inpride for everybody and cludes pop, swing, clasdeserving of the comsical, gospel, renaissance, munity's recognition and jazz and musicals, won support." bronze in the ChampiTempus Choral Socions Jazz category. After ety director Brian Turnthat, they received an bull had to send in two invitation to the worldCDs of music before berenowned concert hall ing accepted. to participate in a per"We were just thrilled formance of Handel's that we were being conMessiah as part of the sidered. Within a week, Brian Turnbull Distinguished Concerts we received confirmaInternational New York tion," he said. (DCINY). Turnbull, a retired teacher, studied The performance at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Sunday the organ in Toronto and studied in (Dec. 1) is of the Thomas Beecham/ England in the 1980s at King's ColEugene Goossens' 1959 Re-Orches- lege and St. John's College. He has tration that is performed with a full been involved with the choir, which symphony orchestra. Forty of the started as a youth choir in the 1970s, Oakville choir's 100 singers are trav- for many years. "We started with 16 members and elling to New York City to perform as part of an international choir of 250 now have 100. It's been a neat jourchoristers to form the Distinguished ney," said Turnbull. The Tempus Choral Society's Concerts Singers International. "The Tempus Choral Society re- Christmas concert at Clearview ceived this invitation because of the Christian Reformed Church is slated quality and the high level of musi- to take place Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. cianship demonstrated by the sing- and Saturday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. by Abigail Cukier Mickey, Judy and Michael by Dennis Smith Special to the Beaver His one-man show has earned praise and applause in Toronto, New York, London and Edinburgh. Soon, Michael Hughes will perform at his alma mater. "When I got to Sheridan College I saw people who were as crazy about performing as I was," said Michael Hughes. "In high school, I felt I was the only person like me. When I got to Sheridan, there were 40 kids like me. They taught me a lot." Hughes will perform his music and comedy show Mickey & Judy at Sheridan College from Dec. 3-8. It's based on his childhood therapy notes from growing up in Toronto. Hughes's show chronicles his obsession with musicals and his real-life journey from the psychiatric ward to off-Broadway performances. "I would dress up and pretend to be Judy Garland, Maria from the Sound of Music (Julie Andrew's character) or Gene Kelly," he recalled. "It would worry my family. But it was `Don't worry, he'll just be an actor when he grows up.' " Hughes stresses the show is not a `woe is me' tale. "I look at it with a funny eye," he said. "I look at the crazy things I did and experienced, and I kept going." Hughes has earned numerous accolades with his show, named for Garland and her movie sidekick Mickey Rooney (Mickey is also Hughes' nickname). Some of the honours include a 2011 Canadian Comedy Award nomination for Best One Person Show and a 2013 New York City Bistro award for Outstanding Debut. The show includes tunes from the Wizard of Oz, a New York medley with songs like New York, New York, plus George Gershwin songs and more. "She had great range, she also sings very high," said Hughes when asked about doing Garland songs. "I've worked out arrangements that are a great place for my voice." For costumes, he wears his regular clothes; in tribute to Garland he adds a gingham shirt and red Converse (instead of ruby slippers). Hughes's performance will be his first at Sheridan since he graduated from the Music Theatre Performance Program eight years ago. But he returned to the college recently to be on an audition panel. "On the anniversary of my own audition 10 years before, I was helping to decide who gets into the program," said Hughes. Sheridan alum returns to perform one-man show One of his favourite Sheridan memories was performing in The Music Man. "It just made the audience so happy," he recalled. "There was so much dancing. There was never a dull moment." Hughes will be performing in Sheridan College's studio theatre for the first time when he does the one-man show. He runs ideas by Ari Weinberg, who directed Godspell at Sheridan and Sharron Matthews, who is wrapping up latest show, Full Dark at Sheridan's Studio Theatre. Hughes is pleased the college is producing Mickey & Judy, a task he often handles. It frees up Hughes to concentrate on performing. "I still find it can be very lonely," he said. "You go from being in a show with 40 people and then you're by yourself. The benefit is you get all the glory if it works." Hughes said his show's honest tone and funny spin have contributed to its success. "It makes people remember the dreams they once had and they wish they'd gone for it, or they did," he said. "On the first day, I thought this is either going to be a complete disaster or something beyond my wildest expectations." Sheridan's theatre is located at 1430 Trafalgar Rd. For tickets, call 905-815-4049. For more information, visit www.mickeyandjudy.ca. Sing along with Musikay Musikay, formerly the Oakville Ensemble, will present its Silent Night concerts this weekend. The productions will feature Advent and Christmas music, including favourites such as Silent Night and Jingle Bells. Those who attend are invited to sing along to the popular carols and discover some new pieces, such as Joseph Rheinberger's Advent motets. "Best of all, they will rediscover the beauty of the original versions of Silent Night and Jingle Bells," said Stéphane Potvin, Musikay founder and artistic director. "The melodies and harmonies have been altered and simplified over the years. It will be refreshing to hear what the composers wanted. It will be impossible to resist and (not) fall in love with the true music of Franz Xaver Gruber and of James Pierpont." The concerts will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 304 Spruce St., and Sunday (Dec. 1) at 3 p.m. at Mary Mother of God Parish, 2745 North Ridge Trail. A reception will follow the Saturday concert. Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $15 for students and can be purchased online at www.musikay.ca, by phone at 905825-8740 or at the door. Those who purchase a ticket for the Sunday concert will get 50 per cent off a second ticket of equal or lesser value.