A jewel in Kildonan Park L


Tom Dercola


ittle Shop of Horrors, Rainbow Stage’s first pro- duction of the summer season could best be de- scribed as a rock horror comedy musical. This de-


lightful production sprang from Roger Corman’s 1960 film of the same name. Many of you may be familiar with the 1986 remake which starred Rick Moranis and Steve Martin.


Rainbow Stage director Ray Hogg squeezed the best


from two first-time performers at Rainbow Stage, Chris George as Seymour and Gabi Epstein as Audrey. Chris George was a delight as the nerdy and clumsy Seymour, a grown-up orphan living and working under the harsh tutelage of Mr. Mushkin, the owner of Mush- nik's Skid Row Florists, joyfully played by Rainbow stage veteran, Robb Paterson.


Gabi brought a sweet innocence and powerful voice to the role of Audrey, Seymour’s beloved colleague Jesse Grandmont (Ring of Fire, 2016) played Orin the


CJNU's Jim Pappas was saved from the maw of Audrey II.


sadistic dentist who was not loath to inflict pain with regular beatings of Audrey And finally, there was Audrey II - a carnivorous plant which did not respond to regular plant food.


Life was a grind for the workers of the florist shop. However, there was a strange plant which seemed to be attracting the attention of passers by. But the plant fared poorly, until by accident, Seymour pricked his fin- ger and realized that Audrey II feeds on human blood. The backstage crew did a marvellous job of creating (and recreating) Audrey II as it grew, fed by the increas- ingly anemic Seymour.


Audrey II became more and more demanding for hu- man blood, and one of the funniest scenes, near the end of Act I, was the tune, Feed Me, Simon Miron, the voice of Audrey II, provided a funky, street-talking vibe. Year after year, Rainbow Stage continues to impress with the quality of the performances (Sister Act, Ring of Fire) as well the sets and costumes. It is no wonder that Rainbow Stage is one of the icons of the Winni- peg entertainment scene. Next up is Mamma Mia, which runs Aug. 10 to Aug. 31.


Tom Dercola, president of CJNU, is often seen around town sporting a fedora.


few months ago my son Christo- pher asked me if I had any regrets about my life to date. It was an interesting question, and it gave me pause to think back on my life as I have lived it to date. I told him I would get back to him once I had reflected on it. I read a lot of poetry many years ago, and one poem that really resonat- ed with me was The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. At the time I was too young and perhaps a bit too callow a youth to realize that it had im- mense meaning for me. In reflection, it summa-


The road taken brought joy to this family man A


and the paths that I have taken as I ma- tured.


Jim Pappas


rizes a great deal about my personality. I was the first born grandchild in a very large Greek family. But I was al- ways a sunny child full of enthusiasm and energy and usually very happy. I had a glass-half-full personality and have remained that way my entire life. I don’t dwell on negatives but turn them into positives in any way I can. As I matured I realized I had a great facility for organizing my friends so- cially and getting them to appreciate the small things life has to offer. I am relentlessly optimistic and sometimes it’s difficult for others to understand. In fact, I am totally content with my life


Thinking back. I realize my goals in life were quite simple. I was not in a race to be the per- son with the biggest car or bank account. My goals were probably smaller in scope but, for a lot of people, harder to achieve. I wanted friendships that meant something and that lasted over time. I wanted to be loved and to love back those whom I came to know and admire. I wanted to enjoy always the company of other peo- ple and to try to give back as much to them as they


gave me. I wanted always to retain a sense of humour and also a sense of the ridicu- lous in life. Nothing is more refreshing than time spent with friends laughing and remembering times we had shared. When I was finished high school my dear Aunt Chryse, who was my personal “Auntie Mame”, decided that I should be- come a fashion designer and took steps to initiate that move. My father who was a very old-fashioned Greek dad was aghast at his son doing that in life and he forbade it. As it turned out, I instead worked my way through to an amazing career with Eaton’s in fashion. And guess who was immensely proud of me. You’ve got it, my


In The Spotlight: Coming in August on CJNU


innipeg is full and rich with arts. From the Winnipeg Fringe Festival to annual sea- sons from Manitoba Theatre Centre, Rainbow Stage, the Winnipeg Sympho- ny Orchestra and countless others, there is never a shortage of things to do and see in Winnipeg.


W


Chris Reid will be taking CJNU lis- teners behind the scenes, every Monday at noon, with the actors, directors, writ- ers, stagehands, technicians, prop mas- ters and volunteers who bring this rich- ness to the stage. In The Spotlight focuses on really get- ting to know Winnipeg talent and the theatrical talent that comes to the city. The show focuses on getting to know the person. Where did their passion begin? What inspired them to dedicate their lives to the stage – whether work- ing on it or behind it?


The weekly hour-long, one-on-one, interview-style show will be intermixed with a few of the guest's favourite


August 2017


Broadway show tunes and will also in- clude a calendar of upcoming local per- formances.


About the host: Chris Reid has act-


ed on stage since 1994 and worked in broadcasting since 2003. Chris is also the writer of several news stories for the University of Manitoba on local per- formers. He has also teamed up with Rainbow Stage in their 2016 season to host Behind The Rainbow, a video- interview web series, which showed backstage secrets before performances began. While Chris has also interviewed Dick Van Dyke, Betty White and more no- table television actors, his ultimate pas- sion is supporting local Winnipeg talent and highlighting their unique stories.


1. D 2. G 3. F


Answers to CJNU Music Trivia 7. H


4. C 5. A 6. B


www.lifestyles55.net 11


dad. So there were no regrets career-wise, either. As my career in ladies fashion pro- gressed, I was privileged to travel in marvelous locations and to participate in events that many people would envy. Along the way I met many wonderful people. I knew my abilities and had a very good reputation in the industry. By being open and always willing to learn I gleaned wonderful knowledge from sales people, designers and others in the industry. Most of those good relationships are as vibrant as ever today.


There are no regrets on a personal level either as marriage to Barbra after 45 years is still as exciting as ever. No one can make me laugh as much as she can with her zany ways. We took a different path in our fam-


ily


life, too. We decided to adopt, and from that we gained two great children, Christopher and Alexandra. Both have grown into adulthood as caring, commit- ted human beings with compassion. So I want to tell my son that I have lived


a life of no regrets. I want to stay commit- ted to living a life as full of joy as the heart can manage. My ideals were not everyone else’s; they are mine alone and I am proud that I have achieved them.


And here in the immortal words of Robert Frost:


“Somewhere ages and ages hence: I shall be telling this with a sigh Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Jim Pappas is a CJNU board member.


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