Now & Then

00:00 - Intro00:54 - Upcoming Events03:26 - Quote from The Creative Act04:37 - Warren Frank10:58 - Showcase Finale12:11 - Ian McKechnie24:02 - Vaudeville Look Back29:13 - Ron Sharman33:43 - Shrek The Musical34:25 - OutroIn this brand new episode of the Now & Then Podcast, may I start by saying Thursday, June 18th at the Flato Academy Theatre, starting at 7 p.m. is the last Showcase Open Mic where a bunch of local comedians do improv. In fact, this has been a little competition, and the six finalists will all be there! Feel free to come to this event! It’s free!Also in this episode, we will be talking about some big upcoming events, including Shrek The Musical with the Triple Threat Theatre’s cast gracing the stage, tributes to some great ones like Simon & Garfunkel & Bruce Springsteen, Foreigner Meets Journey, and much more!I also interview our producer and friend Warren Frank, about what it’s like for him to write and produce music, and how his band The Kents are getting back together for a 10th anniversary tour this summer!Our historian friend Ian McKechnie also looks back with us about a story from 95 years ago, in 1931, when these special outfits were given to the ushers, projectionists and volunteers as an addition to a big renovation that took place. Ian also reminisces about what it was like to volunteer at the theatre and educate high schoolers when he worked at the Olde Gaol Museum.We also look back at what we talked about in Vaudeville with Mary The Ghost, all the way back in Episode 2 back in 2022, and some cool things our dear friend Ron Sharman has recently seen at the Theatre!

00:00 Intro01:15 Linda Brown05:20 Open Mic11:26 Ian McKechnie23:24 David McMillan31:51 Dylan John Garton37:34 Jess Spagnolo40:24 Victoria Sheppard49:18 Beth Wilson55:56 Ron Sharman1:03:14 OutroWelcome to our episode for Fall 2025, and Happy Thanksgiving! We have an array of guests this time with some wonderful stories.We have Linda Brown, who co-hosts Open Mic nights at the Academy Theatre with me, and we reveal a fun opportunity to record a song of your very own for free at a legit studio. We have several guests of our recent Open Mic and their stories of who they are. Ian McKechnie talks about a famous film and stage actress Marie Dressler and how she made her huge start here at the Flato Academy Theatre.David McMillan is a young man now on the theatre’s committee, originally from Ottawa and having recorded for some amazing bands and working for some big-time record companies throughout his life. Dylan John Garton is the tech guru of the theatre, and has been helping out shows since he was 13 years old. Yep. 13! He makes sure everything’s working technically, and there was something here at the theatre that really ignited his passion for the craft. Jess Spagnolo is their new handler for Communications and Marketing, and is a renowned artist on the side. Our General Manager, Victoria Sheppard, talks about some exciting upcoming shows, such as A Christmas Story The Musical, and we then hear from the director of that upcoming show, Beth Wilson! Finally, we hear from our frequent theatre flier, Ron Sharman, talking about how he recently saw the Oasis band, famous for Wonderwall at the Rogers Stadium in Toronto - and he recently saw Jane Goodall speak before she passed away.

This is our first episode back after a hiatus, and we’re excited to have it out for you!For starters, we hear from the brand new General Manager of the Flato Academy Theatre, Victoria Shepherd, and the fascinating journey of her life that landed her here. We also give a tribute to her predecessor, Craig Metcalf!Next we hear from Operations Manager Alan Cottreau about future events coming to the theatre.Third is the owner of the Olympia restaurant, Nicki Dedes. You’d be surprised how the restaurant came to be. She takes us back to the beginning, when Lindsay was a rail town. Did you know this used to be an ice cream parlor, and it sold ice as a commodity, and Nicki’s dad really Greek’d it up?Also, back during one of my open mic nights, we chatted with a bunch of local singer-songwriters performing, including the Van Halteren’s.Lastly, we got to sit down with our producer Warren Frank to talk about the recent O Canada concert put on by BGC Kawarthas!0:00 - Intro & Victoria Shepherd10:58 - Operations Manager Alan Cottreau13:45 - Nicki Dedes29:05 - Linda Brown & Singer Songwriter Interviews42:20 - Warren Frank

Well, the month has arrived for the big Wizard of Oz play! In which my granddaughter is voicing a Munchkin. I talk about that with director Beth Wilson.I also find an article from 1892 about the construction of the theatre, three weeks before its grand opening. Fun fact about it: The chairs were brought in from Hamilton, and there are names mentioned of the Federation that had a big part in Flato Academy Theatre’s construction.I also talk with Craig Metcalf about a big list of attractions for this month, I meet with my friend Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Lindsay District Chamber of Commerce and his love of all things local theatre, with an exciting hint at a project we’re doing together, and discussing how an open mic at the theatre, put together by friend Linda “Pinky” Brown, where people can perform open mics, has been very successful and I meet up with some of the performers, who have made their debut at the lovely theatre doing this!Randy Intro - 0:30Randy Article - 1:15Craig - 3:49Wizard - 9:26Terry Guiel - 12:44Open Mic - 16:24Randy Outro - 20:52

In this delightful episode, having returned from the summer holidays, I have some fun updates for you. Ian McKechnie and I got to recently go to the theatre's attic, and we uncovered some incredible old artifacts of the theatre, including a copy of the Lindsay Daily Post from the 19th century, a playbill from the Great Depression age, and more.Craig Metcalfe and I discuss upcoming shows, including one for tomorrow, September 13th, the metal band Anvil, the monsters of rock who were on top of the world in the 1980s.We also hear there's going to be a new monthly event, an open mic show, and it's orchestrated by local star and my former student, Linda "Pinky" Brown, who we also have on to talk about what this is.Finally, we have musician, teacher and business owner Graeme Morrison of Morrison Music, talking about a moment at the Flato Academy Theatre that he will hold dear to his heart for years to come!Intro - 0:00Iain McKechnie 1 - 02:53Craig Metcalfe - 05:05Linda Brown - 07:29Graeme Morrison - 10:00Ian McKechnie 2 - 13:19Outro - 21:57

This month, we have some exciting upcoming events!One is the 11th Annual Inspired 2 Dance Recital on June 15th, and a week later, on the 22nd, we have a collaboration between the amazing Kawartha Lakes Concert Band and the Weston Silver Band, which is a British-style brass band. The concert will involve a lot of music from the other side of the ocean. Scottish, Welsh, English, etc. Also, between then, on the 17th, auditions will start for the upcoming Wizard of Oz! And we have our good friend Beth Wilson for this episode to discuss how she caught the theatre bug, the selection process for this play, how it will be a bit of a darker version of the play with more characters and similarities to the book, and more!00:00 - Intro01:10 - Craig Metcalfe05:11 - David Morrison & Larry Sheilds07:48 - Beth Wilson34:14 – Outro

For the past few episodes, we have discussed our special guest Andy McNeilly's journey from here in Kawartha Lakes to Bali, Indonesia. We learned he moved there, learned a new way of music, fell in love, and built a family for himself. What you might not know is he so quickly learned Balinese, and was so fluent in it, there was a special festival he spoke at in Bali that went viral!We also hear about what is happening this month in April at the Academy Theatre, from tributes to Led Zeppelin and The Eagles, and two special ones are I.E. Weldon's Antics are coming back for their second year, and The Stampeders are coming, who recently lost Ronnie King. This will be a sort of tribute.We lastly hear from a boatload of Odyssey Project alumni. This episode was kind of a reunion between two teachers (me and David Morrison) and the students, all of which have changed so much on the outside but are still their goofy selves on the inside. And David and me? Haven't aged a bit!0:00 - Intro2:33 - Andy McNeilly15:42 - Craig Metcalfe19:10 - Odyssey Intro22:13 - Caelin Morrison23:49 - Caroline Allen26:18 - Shelby Clarke28:32 - Matty Robbins30:03 - Max Keir33:04 - Jasmine Plumley35:07 - David Morrison37:06 - Outro

This new episode is the first of a look back at a Kawartha Lakes band that was School of Rock come to life! Anyone remember The Odyssey Project? It was an amalgamation of local schools in the area!First we get a visit from Alan Cottreau, Flato Academy Theatre's operations manager discussing some fun upcoming performers and bands for the month of February and March!Then we hear from my longtime friend David Morrison, who started the band alongside me, Eric Smeaton and a few others, but he was the head honcho. Their first performance at the Academy Theatre was terrifying, but they did excellently and more showed up for their next performance.David also met Andy McNeilly, a local student drummer, and our friend Sheri Brenneman told him of this new Odyssey Project band, and Andy was a godsend from the band as he was there in 2006 when they first started. He kept things in order and was a true leader when he was there, and his story is incredible and will be touched on more in future episodes!Last but not least is our good friend Ian McKechnie, telling us the story of a producer named Gilbert George Zarfas. He was said to have been born in 1900 but may have lied about his age to qualify to be a driver in the first World War. He produced many of the Kiwanis Club shows at the theatre from 1953-1968, and some productions, including one with 75 people, he helmed and made a reality.0:00 - Intro1:30 - Alan Cottreau6:42 - David Morrison16:46 - Andy McNeely26:50 - Ian McCechnie37:43 - Outro

Welcome to our anniversary show of Now & Then, and this episode’s a doozy! Craig Metcalf discusses the upcoming attractions, including the Hotel California band, the Rod Stewart Experience featuring Doug Varty, the ultimate Ozzy show, the big James & The Giant Peach, and more. Speaking of James & The Giant Peach, I also got to say Hello to Rory O’Neill, the 8th grader from Central Senior School who’s playing the lead role of James in the highly anticipated James & The Giant Peach. She’s also starred in productions of Annie, The Little Mermaid, Matilda and Mary Poppins! Also, I had our main historian Ian McKechnie on, who tells a fascinating story about how for decades, nurses were being taught at the Ross Memorial Hospital, and then had their graduation ceremonies at, you guessed it, the Academy Theatre. Also, during the first world war, Canada had a special election in 1917 where certain women were allowed to vote for the first time, and the nurses were seen as icons of hard work and value. Next, I have my producer Warren Frank on, to tell his story about his first experience at the theatre, when he was 11. He booked the lead role as Ebeneezer Scrooge for a play, and he was terrified on opening day, but pulled through. He reveals what that experience was like. I also have my friend Kate Imrie on to discuss her stories about growing up with the theatre, and a superb song to conclude it from our one and only Mary The Ghost!! 00:29 - Intro01:05 - Craig Metcalf03:00 - James and the Giant Peach06:13 - Iain Mckechnie14:00 - Warren Frank19:39 - Kate Imrie25:51 - Outro/Mary Song

Our September episode has some fabulous treats. For one, we're introducing the voice of Mary The Ghost, who will also be reading us a fictional but historically accurate tale of a little scavenger who finds himself in Lindsay at the theatre and meeting some real life people.We will also be joined by Craig Metcalf to hear about some of the cool concerts happening this month.We also have some new guest stars: Stephanie Harwood-Jones and her daughter Sydney Harwood-Jones. Stephanie and Sydney both have a long history with the theatre, since Stephanie moved here to Lindsay in 2001 and Sydney was just a baby. Stephanie has been behind the scenes on a lot of past and upcoming productions, with stories of seeing Mary The Ghost herself, and some of her family generations back being some of the first Vaudeville performers.Also, our historian Ian D. McKechnie will be sharing a fascinating story about how 100 years ago, telegraphy was to the world what social media is to us now, an important and influential way of communication. Apparently the theatre was a place that trained and educated a lot of telegraphers at one point.We also recognize a fine man, Jim Brown! We hope you enjoy!0:00 - Intro1:59 - Renée Bio3:08 - Craig Metcalf10:06 -The Harwood Jones’16:41 - Renee Story23:10 - Ian McKechnie33:46 - Outro/ Recognizing Jim Brown

On the July episode (Happy Canada Day by the way) we have three new guest stars.We start off with a regular, Claire Imrie, a teacher and actress who was key in creating the Triple Threat Theatre, talking about the upcoming Matilda musical, premiering on July 28th, as well as other productions coming up from Triple Threat.We then have two appearances by my team, Warren Frank and William McGinn. Warren produces the show and puts it together, and William helps upload the episodes and get the word out.We also have Beth Wilson, who directed the Seussical play last year, talking about how another Roald Dahl adaptation, James & The Giant Peach, is coming out soon.We have a fascinating story from Ian D. McKechnie about the times Hi Meehan was the sole manager of the theatre, way back in the 1920s, and how in the 1930s there was a redesign, at the height of the stock market crash when so many lost their income.And finally we have Jim Higgins, a long time friend of mine who operated a country music show at the theatre for TEN WHOLE YEARS. It was called Grand Old Country where he and his friend Danny McDonnell would bring in country music stars on a monthly basis to play and sing. It was so successful, it sold out on its first month, and selling out became a regular thing.0:00 - Intro2:46 - Claire Imrie7:22 - Warren Frank10:46 - William McGinn12:56 - Beth Wilson23:37 - Ian McKechnie28:51 - Jim Higgins40:47 - Outro

Did you know the theatre almost got turned into a parking lot? How sad would that have been? This episode we're going to be talking with the Academy Theatre Foundation Chair, Michael Piggott, on what it takes to run the century-old building. Did you know it takes about $800-1,000 just to keep it open?!! We also talk about what it was like having the theatre renamed and what it has meant for the building since.We also talk with General Manager Craig Metcalf on what life is like on the job these days, and who they're looking towards booking in the near future.Lastly we're talking for the last time (for now) with the other Randy Read, the one who has toured the world and has spoken with us in past episodes. For this episode, he's revealing why and how he became a casting director and eventual Founding Artistic Director with Peterborough's New Stages Theatre! We will also be discussing auditions for the upcoming Matilda Musical!! You're not going to want to miss out on any of it!0:00 - Intro01:56 - Michael Piggott12:33 - Craig Metcalfe17:47 - Randy Read28:51 - Matilda Auditions31:36 - Outro

In this episode we have some new guests, both under the name Read. The first is some tunes from my late father Alexander "Ragtime" Read who would've celebrated his 100th birthday this month. And the other is another Randy Read who's the artistic director of the New Stages theatre company in Peterborough. Who would have guessed two people with the same name also love the same industry?!!00:27 - Intro w Mary 02:55 - Alex Read 05:18 - Doug Tangney Interview 32:19 - Randy Read Interview 41:18 - Ian McKechnie 46:51 - Craig Metcalfe 48: 17 - Mary's Song/Outro