The Pearl Company

Shari Vandermolen & David Brideau: Saturday May 5.  Doors: 7:30pm. Show: 8:00. Tickets: $20. Shari Vandermolen is a renowned vocalist and award-winning performer in Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area who has been entertaining audiences for 15 years with her Quartet, Trio or 5-piece band Quarter to Nine.  She is also the lead vocalist for the 10-piece jazz combo SwingLine.  On May 5th Shari brings her powerful and impressive vocal stylings back to the Pearl Company for a more intimate evening of song with jazz guitarist David Brideau, James Gannett on bass and Vince Waters on drums.  “…hear Vandermolen make jelly of your emotions with her voice and her art… one example is Stormy Weather… I barely weathered that storm intact.”  – View Magazine
David Brideau is a Canadian jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher who has been an active musician for over 15 years. A Hamilton native, and honours graduate from the Mohawk Jazz program, David has played all around the GTA with his own group, the David Brideau Trio and Quartet, as well as being prominently featured in groups with Michael Morobito, Amber-Leigh Palka, and Lauren Perreira among others. He studied under jazz greats Bob Shields, Pat Collins, Kim Ratcliffe, and Mark Ucci and is currently continuing his studies at McMaster University. David often composes his own standards, and released the sold-out EP “Addicted To You” in 2016. He is a recipient of the Dave McMurdo Music Bursary, the Antony Roberts Music Bursary, and the Richard Newell Memorial Scholarship.
Ticets: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/21098/

HELD OVER! Shelley Marshall Presents: The Award Winning Production “Hold Mommy’s Cigarette”: April 18 & 19. All One Woman’s story of an unfiltered life, written and performed by Shelley Marshall, directed by Linda Kash. It seems appropriate that world renowned Comedienne, Marshall would open her autobiographical One Woman Show in the city where the story and star were born. It took 10 years for Marshall to create this Play and it is the rewarding result of resilience, recovery, and reflection while exploring many genres of performance including elements of clown, stand up, improv, buffoon, and play. Shelley Marshall takes her audience many places; “I take them on an adventure, both emotionally and visually. There is no denying that my story is tragic, but it’s my story and time and writing without shame has been my comedic relief. ‘Hold Mommy’s Cigarette’ is not an exploitation of what has happened in my life, but rather, an acceptance of where it may lead. It is a dark comedy, a vulnerable piece about life, mental illness and survival.” Marshall reveals with a smile. She invites you to come to her show with an open mind and promises you’ll leave with a full heart. *Mature Content* http://www.holdmommyscigarette.com Tickets available at http://www.thepearlcompany.ca or 524-0606. Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1451939231706392/

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CHECK THE REVIEW FOR DEATH AND THE MAIDEN:
http://fringefestivalcommunityreviews.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/death-and-the-maiden/

Death and the Maiden: Written by Laurence Olivier Prize Winning playwright Ariel Dorfman. This is the fourth production that Nortesur has developed for the stage; chosen because it speaks passionately about current international events, it asks tough questions about forgiveness and the role of victims and perpetrators in transitory societies, and it is a local opportunity to see a truly amazing piece of theatre written by one of Latin America’s best contemporary playwrights.  It is raw, provocative, and driven by a cast of characters that are all-too-human. Performed, and designed by emerging professional artists from across the golden horseshoe and the GTA, it is an entertaining, insightful, and extraordinarily powerful piece that delivers an evening of truly engaging theatre.  Thurs.July 18@ 8:00pm, Fri.19@8:00pm, Sat.20@7:00pm, Tues.23@8:00pm, Wed.24@7:00pm, Thurs.25@8:00pm,  Fri.26@7:00pm, Sat.27@8:00pm

AND HERE’S  RIDERGIRL’S REVIEW :
http://fringefestivalcommunityreviews.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/ridergirl-second-review/

RiderGirl: Written and performed by Ottawa based actor and Saskatchewan native Colleen Sutton. Professional sports and
independent theatre meet head on in Tiger Town! This is the story of a young woman whose prairie roots and home team inspire her to get off the sidelines and get in the game of her life.  With the end zone in sight, she fights for every down, but fumbles when she tries to go it alone.  Her team is about to make it – can she do the same?  Come in your colours, GAME TIME is here!  Two?time Rideau award nominee Colleen Sutton will energize your inner fan!  “ **** ½ “The only reason I’ve withheld that last half?star is because I cannot in good conscience give 5 stars to a Rider fan. Other than that, the show was superb.” CBC Manitoba.   Note: Fri. 19 – 2 for 1.  Friday, July 19, 6:30; Saturday,  20, 9:00; Sunday,  21, 2:00; Tuesday,  6:30; Wednesday, 24, 9:00; Thursday,  25, 6:30; Friday,  26, 9:00; Saturday, 27, 2:00

Times, dates, and tickets are  on the Fringe website – www.hamiltonfringe.ca 

The Art Bus is Sponsored by Judy Marsales Real Estate Brokerage:

Last Art Bus for the Summer! Check out Hamilton’s unique and constantly evolving art scene! Call Barbara (905.524.0606) or email (info@thepearlcompany.ca) to reserve your seat. Next dates: Sept 6 & 20. Cost: $15/$10 students/artists. Group rates available.  Start: 6:30 from The Pearl.

• July 5: (L’Arche Gallery, Workers Arts & Heritage, Nathaniel Hughson, Book Club Gallery, Manta Gallery) This will be another varied and interesting trip with specially-opened galleries, and tours of places you have never been before!

FOR THE LOVE O’ NAT – CHRONICLING THE LIFE, TIMES & MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE: Dean Hollin presents another of his popular “Musical Biographies”.  Saturday, May 28th,  8 pm.  $18 advance / $22 door.  An evening of memories and melodies, all tied together by one man — that tremendous crooner of the twentieth century, Nat King Cole. The songs: “A Blossom Fell”, “Route 66, “Mona Lisa”, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, “Paper Moon”, “When I Fall In Love” and, the timeless “Stardust”! In direct keeping with the instrumentation of the original Nat King Cole Trio piano, rhythm guitar, and upright bass — Dean will be accompanied by a live jazz trio.  http://www.deanhollin.com

In The Pearl’s theatre-in-the-round space: Two plays in two weeks! One (Living Tall) by acclaimed theatre artist and teacher, Ker Wells; the other (Darwinii: The Comeuppance of Man) by playwright Glen Berger and performer Brett Keyser.

DARWINII: The Comeuppance of Man: 2 PERFORMANCES ONLY: Friday and Saturday, March 25 & 26 at 7:30pm. $15 at the door. A once in a lifetime chance to see a swashbuckling, one-man “tour de farce” that deftly skewers everything you think you know about Darwin. A unique and imaginative trip ‘round Darwinism, deep time, evolution, and survival of the fittest that’s also serious fun. With Brett Keyser, writer, director, and performing artist.  It is a unique and imaginative trip ‘round Darwinism, deep time, evolution, and survival of the fittest that’s also serious fun.  Check out this great review! http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2011/03/cleveland_public_theatre_darwi.html

Darwinii was conceived by playwright Glen Berger and writer-performer Brett Keyser. Darwinii was originally commissioned by the American Philosophical Society Museum. (more…)

Steve Brockley Band with Sarah Good: Saturday, March 26. 9:30pm. $10 tickets at the door/ $8 for Artists & Students.  “These are songs that other songwriters talk about, and musicians that other musicians talk about.”  Leon Power’s beats combined with Kevin Bertram’s double bass swagger make a low-down groove while Steve Brockley’s finger-picked electric guitar tactics and whiskey-blend vocals deliver some honest songs from the heart and guts.   “His album, crafted in the riff-filled, storytelling tradition of legends like Johnny Cash, is beyond his years.” www.myspace.com/stevebrockley
Sarah Good: With her beautiful voice and her musically adventurous soul, Sarah will take you unusual places with her sincere and soaring vocals.  We are always delighted to have Hamilton’s Sarah Good at The Pearl.

In The Pearl’s theatre-in-the-round space: Two plays in two weeks! One (Living Tall) by acclaimed theatre artist and teacher, Ker Wells; the other (Darwinii: The Comeuppance of Man) by playwright Glen Berger and performer Brett Keyser.

Living Tall: 2 PERFORMANCES ONLY: Friday and Saturday, March 18 & 19 at 7:30pm. $15 at the door. Acclaimed theatre artist and teacher, Ker Wells, presents this absurd comedy veering into existential crisis. Salesman Jeffrey Weaver’s presentation is going smoothly as he guides his audience through the steps of “Living Tall,” his high-octane and delightfully strange motivational program for increasing sales and earning respect in the business community. But Weaver can’t escape an incident that haunts him and threatens to knock him seriously off-message. “Killer-Funny…with a mind-blowing performance by the amazing Ker Wells…”

Living Tall is an original three-way creative collaboration between veteran theatre artists Ker Wells (performer) and Karin Randoja (Director), and Cleveland writer Michael Geither.

Ker Wells: A recent immigrant to Hamilton, Ker was a founding member of two of the companies at the forefront of Canadian physical and devised theatre: Primus Theatre (‘89 to ’97) and Number Eleven Theatre (‘98 to ’05). (more…)

Sly Violet: Friday, March 18: $10, $8 for student/artist.  Doors at 9, start 9:30pm. This husband and wife indie folk rock duo has been rockin their own musical trail for the past few years thru various venues, from festival stages, to pubs to coffee houses and cafes: they embrace them all with their passion for music.  Sly Violet is Violet Clarke on vocals, guitar & harmonica and Sly Boston on drums. The duo recently received a Barrie New Music Award for ‘Best Folk’ at the annual awards show in September.  Their sparse folk arrangements are built on acoustic guitar and her lovely harmonies, with ripples of piano and percussion on top.  It’s a wonderful blend of folk and acoustic soft rock.  Though Violet’s melancholy musings resemble Elliott Smith and Hayden, her voice has been compared to Joni Mitchell’s, her guitar style entrenches a touch of Dashboard Confessional and her pianist soul rivals Ben Folds. www.slyviolet.ca (more…)

REVWear 8th Annual Fashion Show: Saturday March 12th, and Sunday March 13th, 8:00pm. $12 @ revwear.ca. A fashion event unlike any other; all the clothes are made of reused materials, and contrary to the messages promoted by many fashion shows, the theme is Freedom From Oppression.  REVWear is an intense art experience that has woven reused, salvaged and found materials into a wearable story of fashion, dynamic performance, installations, multi-media, spoken word, music and dance. All help tell the stories of struggle for a better world.  www.revwear.ca

Rant Maggie Rant: Friday, March 11. Concert at 8:30pm. $18 advance/$22 at the door. This brilliant band combines traditional elements with a contemporary approach to deliver an exotic blend of new and old; that’s what Celtic music is built on, this exciting evolution of the genre. Don’t miss “Rant Maggie Rant” to get you in that St. Patty’s Day mood, with a hot show you won’t soon forget!  Traditional tunes played straight up or yielding to the influences of world rhythms; reels with a touch of Appalachian Swing, jigs driven by Latin hand percussion, slow ballads as they’ve been played for centuries; they will take you on a journey charted through the past, to new compositions of the present, passing by the shores of the seven Celtic nations on their way.

“Rant Maggie Rant exudes a style and brand of Celtic entertainment that is both new and old. Their showmanship, and delivery combined with their diversity of traditional sound coupled with upbeat and unexpected blends, makes them a welcome addition to any musical line up….”  Maggie Durocher, Windsor Celtic Festival.    www.myspace.com/rantmaggierant Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketscene.ca or call The Pearl: 905 524-0606

Barney Bentall: Tuesday, March 8, 8:00pm. $20 at the door. $15 artist/student. During the past decade Barney Bentall has transformed personally and musically to emerge as one of Canada’s prolific folk/roots singer/songwriters. His sixth studio album, The Inside Passage, paints portions of a life’s journey and shows that the leader of Barney Bentall and The Legendary Hearts is still at the top of his game; he certainly delivers proof that he is Canadian musician who has paid his dues and dually deserves recognition by the music industry, his followers, listeners and peers, especially  If you’re a fan of artists like Bruce Springsteen’s, Fred Eaglesmith, or Bruce Cockburn. www.barneybentall.com

Mark Berube and The Patriotic Few: Friday, March 4, 8:00pm., $12 at the door. $10 artist/student. When recorded by the CBC for Canada Live, Mark was compared to a “young Leonard Cohen” for his lyrical brevity and craftsmanship.  www.markberube.com Mark’s new album, June In Siberia sees a departure for Mark and The Patriotic Few (Kristina Koropecki on cello, Patrick Dugas on drums, and Amélie Mandeville on bass) The overall result is a striking and unique blend of indie chamber-folk. At a sold out show at La Cigalle in Paris, Mark sold out of albums both nights and was touted by the French press as “a very strong and promising artist …equally charming behind the piano or a cappella” Not to be missed! Here’s a link to Mark’s latest review: http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/SoulFunkAndWorld/mark_berube_patriotic_few-june_in_siberia

The Art Bus is Sponsored by Judy Marsales Real Estate

• March 4: First stop will be Gallery on the Bay (Tibor Nyilasi), then we’ll be giving riders the treat of traveling to Dundas to see the Carnegie’s temporary digs and the ultra-cool studios of the artists who inhabit the Oddfellows Hall. Then off to the Sunrise Gallery finishing up at Gallery 435.
• March 11: We start with the Ottawa Street Stroll where we will find AllSorts Gallery, Earls Court Gallery and Under the Moon. Then to the James North Art Crawl with its multitude of artists studios and galleries.  We’ll finish the tour at Hamilton’s original Studio Gallery with the fabulous Tiger Group.

•    Starting at 6:30 from The Pearl Company, 16 Steven Street and King William.
•    Please reserve a spot beforehand via email or phone, and purchase your trip ($15.00) when you arrive.
•    We finish back at The Pearl for an après-tour wind-down which can include a tour of the building and usually a taste of whatever event is happening on the theatre floor.

If you have any questions or to reserve a seat, either call or email Barbara Milne (905 524-0606), barbaramilne@cogeco.ca

Jean-Paul de Roover: Thursday, March 3: 8:00pm., $15 at the door. $10 artist/student. J-P plays loops and sings, creating a full band sound all by himself.   www.jeanpaulderoover.com With an innovative approach to music, Jean-Paul De Roover is much more than a solo artist. Accompanied by live looping, guitars and a voice used as an instrument, this ‘sonic architect’ builds his songs from foundation to facade before your very eyes. Beginning with dead silence, his performance could lead anywhere: With lyrical content that can be brutally honest, or lovingly truthful, one thing is certain: the originality and creativity of his timeless performances shines through to every listener.