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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The Pearl Company Winter Theatre Festival: Jan 16 – 18 / 23 – 25:  Tickets: $15 per show. All shows 7:00/8:30. Laughing at God, Sex, and Harper at The Pearl Company Winter Festival, theatre and comedy fans are in for an upbeat treat. This year’s festival features the long-awaited Hamilton debut of one of Canada’s brightest new theatre personalities Wesley Colford, producing the religious farce Genesis and Other Stories by Rosamund Small. We are also presenting the first ever Hamilton visit by Buffalo’s “Queen of Comedy” Kristen Becker with The Dykes of Hazard Comedy Hour; the return of Stephen Harper: The Musical, starring CBC radio personality James Gordon; and the first Pearl Company show by Hamilton’s own underground sketch comedy group The Ugly Stiks.

Genesis and Other Stories: Colford, artistic director of Aim For The Tangent theatre in Toronto has been garnering universal acclaim since the company debuted in 2012 with “Best of Fringe” and “Critic’s Choice” awards for a sold out The Wakowski Bros, a musical comedy tribute to vaudeville. Genesis and Other Stories is about pure intentions gone wrong. Christopher, a theology student, leads a misfit cast of amateur actors in a production of his late father’s play: a hyper-sexed version of Adam and Eve set in 1960’s USA.  While the play turns on slapstick and satire, the comedy frames a surprisingly complex story about lonely people trying to fill roles that do not suit them.
Last year’s Toronto production of Genesis and Other Stories was widely praised: “Chaotic perfection…truly hilarious play… an absolute must see,” said Tarah Kennedy, Mooney on Theatre. Colette Shaw of The Charlebois Post simply said, “this is a brilliant, funny show. See it.”

Stephen Harper: The Musical: For those who prefer their idol worship in a more contemporary vein, who better to profile than our own “saviour” – Stephen Harper. James Gordon trades barbs with Harper as a ventriloquist’s dummy, taking the PM to task for his“How To Survive and Thrive In The Dying Days of the Empire Of Oil”, the show is a unique multimedia presentation with original songs, reflecting Gordon’s long history of social commentary, political activism, and passion for his subject. “I think the timing is right for this innovative work,” explains Gordon, “So many Canadians are feeling that their voice is not being heard under the “Harper Government”. What can we do about this? Audiences can find out, and have a fun theatrical evening at the same time.” Gordon is a polished performer with a 30-year career as a singer-songwriter, and has recorded 40 albums to date.

The Dykes of Hazard Comedy Hour – 1 Night Only: Despite the name, The Dykes of Hazard are not all dykes, points out Kristen Becker, known as the Queen of Comedy in her hometown of Buffalo, and the driving force behind the DOH cabaret act. Straight fans will enjoy the show, as long as they appreciate edgy (and hysterical) humour about sex: a serving of bawdy reality topped with a slice of southern charm, as DOH’s fearless leader guides you through a great blend of stand up, sketch and burlesque. Becker has been touring her rowdy, political, personal, intelligent, and unrelentingly honest point-of-view comedy across North America for 10 years.  She’s the winner of the Queen City Comedy Competition; Buffalo’s Artvoice named her the city’s Best Stand-up Comic four years running; in December 2012 she was named one of the most influential citizens of the year by Buffalo’s Spree magazine – high praise indeed for an entertainer!

The Ugly Stiks: Hamilton’s The Ugly Stiks have performed continuously for more than six years in venues around Southern Ontario. The 4-man, 1-woman troupe is Gabe DiFabio, Tyler Brent, Len Cain, Doug Millar and Elisha West. They are all seasoned theatre vets, who discovered a shared love for improv, which then morphed into sketch routines. Recent shows include Christmas is My Mistress; The Good, The Best and the Ugly; and Don’t Touch That – Santa’s Watching. A mix of Kids in the Hall, SCTV and Monty Python with a steel-town edge, The Ugly Stiks are a relentlessly funny and energetic event. Expect a “Best Of” show from their years together, with a few new skits.

All tickets are $15 per show. Reserve online at www.thepearlcompany.ca under the “Buy Tickets Tab”, by phone at 905-524-0606, or email at info@thepearlcompany.ca

Schedule:

Week One:
Thursday Jan. 16  7:00 pm –   Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Thursday Jan. 16  8:30 pm –   Harper: The Musical: James Gordon

Friday      Jan. 17  7:00 pm –   Harper: The Musical: James Gordon
Friday      Jan. 17  8:30 pm –   Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre

Saturday  Jan. 18   7:00 pm – Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Saturday  Jan. 18   8:30 pm – Sketch Comedy: Ugly Sticks

Week Two:
Thursday  Jan. 23  7:00 pm – Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Thursday  Jan. 23  8:30 pm –  Harper: The Musical: James Gordon

Friday       Jan. 24  7:00 pm – Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Friday       Jan. 24  8:30 pm – Sketch Comedy: Ugly Sticks

Saturday   Jan. 25  7:00 pm –  Genesis & Other Stories: Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Saturday   Jan. 25  8:30 pm –  Dykes of Hazzard: Kristen Becker