Now & Then

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.

For our second summer episode, we have a bunch of goodies, but a standout is the super-famous Erica Ehm.She has been in the entertainment and music industries for 40 years now. She started by booking shoots for the show "The New Music" back in 1982 for Much Music, and then Much Music became a national channel and Erica was the host. She's released a book, done multiple interviews for artists, musicians and cultural leaders, and she started a show called "Yummy Mummy" and a website called the "Yummy Mummy Club" which is now the largest online community for mothers in THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!!! I could go on.We have some additional incredible guests, like Victoria Shepherd, GM for the Flato Academy Theatre, revealing some fun upcoming shows and performances for the next few months.We talk to some people who were auditioning for the upcoming musical, an adaptation of A Christmas Story to be performed this holiday season.There's also Ron Sharman, who's on the board at the theatre. He and his wife go to more shows at the theatre than anyone else I've seen. It was an honour to have him to be able to talk about two recent shows he's been to.Also, my good friend Ian McKechnie told us an interesting take about a play done 125 years ago, all the way back in 1900, according to newspapers documenting an Empire Day play at the Academy Theatre!00:35 - Intro01:22 - Victoria Shepherd05:43 - A Christmas Story The Musical Interviews09:40 - Ron Sharman17:07 - Ian McKechnie32:38 - Erica Ehm45:35 - Outro

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

For this very special episode, we are going to be looking back at some of our best moments on this podcast.Before that, we have our dear friend Craig Metcalf, updating us on not just this month's shows but some exciting ones to look out for in not January but February! Hmmmm!We hear from Mary The Ghost, who talks about her secret identity for the world and sings us a lovely Christmas carol!We have our producer Warren Frank, discussing what it is like being the one to put the podcast together over these last two years.And last we have our social media and graphic designer William McGinn, talking about what he feels are our most fascinating moments since production, and discussing a project he has done himself for the last three years, to bring a video game character back to life in his own way.

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

Thank you for joining me for Episode 22 of Now & Then!We start this episode with me continuing my journey through the archives of the theatre, and finding out how people advocated for a hall that would honour our future town of Lindsay. I also talk about the history of Oktoberfest, the famous beer festival and traveling carnival, especially its significance in Kitchener, plus a little song celebrating the event. We also hear from my granddaughter McKenna, who’s going to be in the Wizard of Oz production at the Flato Academy Theatre next month as a munchkin. It is her first ever play and I can tell she’s got the talent for it already.My special guests this month, are Len & Steve Green! Len is now 97 years old, and when he was younger, he worked as a set designer, set painter, and set builder for the theatre in the 1970s. His son Steve was the head honcho at the Durham Cafe! Remember that place? We hear stories of what the theatre was like back then, and we reminisce about some of our mutual friends!Finally, Ian McKechnie and I learn about how the Academy Theatre was so popular and so respected, people used to say things like, “Oh, Lindsay! Where the big theatre is!”0:00 How The Theatre Opened3:45 Oktoberfest in Kitchener5:10 Oktoberfest Song I Sang7:20 Update on The Wizard of Oz with McKenna11:16 Interview with Steve & Len Green21:22 Ian McKechnie & the Recent International Plowing Match

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

Welcome to the July 2024 episode!Auditions recently took place for The Wizard of Oz, and I got to attend the first night. For the first part of this episode, you get to hear some footage from then. Some includes my granddaughter who’s been accepted as a Munchkin! And this was her first audition! I’m so proud of her!We also have our historian Ian McKechnie, back after a little while, discussing how he’s now a published author, and talking about his book, “Reflections on Old Victoria County: In Tribute to R. B. Fleming”. Dr. Ray Fleming was a well-known historian and author, who also did some documentation about the Academy Theatre. Not long before he died, he compiled articles about our local history to put into a book. He passed before he could finish it, but Ian and another historian got a green light from Ray’s family to keep going where he left off. And this is the result!!We also hear stories from the amazing Andy McNeilly, what it was like living in Bali, Indonesia, right after the pandemic. Some examples include how some people came permanently and all over the world to live in Bali during some rough times, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There was a surplus of tourism and some people weren’t treating Hinduism right, and Andy felt responsibility and was a bit of a speaker. Who had millions and millions of views!!!Press play to Learn More!

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

Episode 18 is out!In this one we have some very talented guests - Rob Barg, a talented musician, a board member of the theatre, and the chairman of the Program Committee, of which I am a member too. We talk about what the primary function of the committee is - to advise the management and the board of the shows we arrange ourselves and the ones we rent to, and how the theatre industry is leaning more and more towards tribute shows of old bands that might not be around anymore and dipping into the nostalgia. And more!We also have Freddy Kwon. He's the guitarist of my dear friend Warren Frank's band The Kents. Their band is still working songs and doing tours. Freddy and Warren started working together in high school. Freddy currently works at an artist agency as a coordinator, and we talk about what it's like there; having a day to day roster of artists they represent, finalizing tours, working with the writers and promoters, etc.Also, continuing our amazing story with Andy McNeilly, he talks about not just going viral for being a Caucasian immigrant in Bali, Indonesia, but ending up as a result on talk shows and television programs as a cultural observer.Finally, we get some exciting show announcements from Craig Metcalf for the remainder of the month!00:00 - Intro1:34 - Rob Barg9:49 - Fred Kwon18:05 - Andy McNeely 39:18 - Craig Metcalfe43:06 - 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

Continuing my story of The Odyssey Project, this is Episode 16!We have some terrific upcoming shows, including bands The Traveling Milburys and The Sheepdogs.We also continue Andy McNeilly's story, of how he ended up moving to India to pursue a life in Gamelan music. He tells us who introduced him to the work when in university.Our two special guests are Connor Stephen, drummer, and James Barker, lead, of the James Barker Band. The two of them started locally as colleagues and then accidentally started performing together, over a dodgeball game, believe it or not! And had humble beginnings in The Odyssey Project. Now, their band has won a Country Music Award and they're off to play at a world famous theatre in Tennessee!We also have on several old Odyssey Project members from several time periods, to explain their roles, what the band meant to them, and some cool stories like a theatre sleepover.0:30 - Randy Intro1:32 - Academy Schedule2:55 - Andy Mcneely13:13 - James Barker Band25:28 - Odyssey26:33 - Akalia 27:49 - Danny Allen29:46 - Ryan Railey31:49 - Katherine33:24 - Graeme Morrison35:18 - 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

We may as well call this episode The Morrison Show, because my main guests are three members of that family, all of which are performers of their own.First we have General Manager Craig Metcalf talking to us about not just upcoming attractions but how the theatre operates with contract deals, how they negotiate, and how they adapt to different requests from different guests who rent the stage.Then I talk to David and Colleen Morrison. David and Colleen are both from the Kawartha Lakes Concert Band. I in fact interviewed David recently. David talks about how they moved back to Lindsay in 1989 after living away for a bit, and his first experience with the theatre when he was a music teacher at LCVI in 1991 and he was looking for better places to play the school concert rather than the gymnasium.Colleen talked about how when she was in high school, her school was looking for a pit band for a Kiss Me Kate production and she went there in 1978, playing her flute. There was no going back for either of them. Plus, their daughter Meaghan, who prefers to go by Meg, has been a star at various plays, especially musicals, at the theatre. She was in 4th grade and doing dancing and it was enjoyable but wasn't completely clicking for her. Then she decided to audition for an adaptation of Seussical and got the role of the Baby Kangaroo. Our renowned historian Ian McKechnie is also back, and it is incredible how fascinating the history of this building is. In the 1930's, in the middle of the Great Depression, many things were happening. Homelessness and poverty were in crisis mode, and people were begging for food. The local Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club formed the Citizens Relief Assocaition, wehre they ran a soup kitchen at the armoury, checked on homes that were in need, and on Feb 7 1932 they hosted a Community Song Service at the Acaademy with a 15-minute concert and more. The theatre also had a few other worthy causes attached to it at the time.Hope you enjoy!!0:00 - Randy Intro02:00 - Craig Metcalfe 06:30 - David and Colleen Morrison15:37 - Iain McCechnie25:17 - Meg Morrison29:58 - 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

You won't want to miss this! There are some upcoming attractions coming fast for the rest of this month at the Flato Academy Theatre, and I discuss them with Craig Metcalfe. They include Grease: The Concert on the 15th, a country music concert on the 18th with Canadian musical artists Michelle Wright, Dogwalker, and Jason McCoy. There will also be a 50's and 60's revival show on the 23rd, and tributes throughout the month to all sorts of artists and bands like Johnny Cash, The Tragically Hip, and more. We also talk in detail about the upcoming James & The Giant Peach next month, with a preview of one of the many lovely songs they are working hard rehearsing.We also have a new guest; back in the 1960's, the theatre was actually on the brink of shutting down, and a foundation was formed that saved it. The wives of those on the board also stepped in to create the Women's League, a group dedicated to getting the theatre back into shape with decorations, functions, and even plumbing. One of the first of the group, Barb Truax, who was on the committee for decades, joins us. We also have a revisit of one of our guests Marion Puffer from Episode 6, talking about the many jobs she has had over the years at the theatre and what she has seen and been a part of. Hope you enjoy!0:30 - Randy Intro1:34 - Craig Metcalf4:01 - James & The Giant Peach Song7:04 - Barb Truax17:06 - Marion Puffer

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

In this episode marking double digits for the podcast, we are going to be talking with our historian Ian about some misadventures faced 100 years ago, such as a train crash that caused the delay of a film reel in 1923 and how special effects were incorporated in silent films. We are also going to talk with him about how he got involved with the theatre and his journeys as a local historian. We also have a new guest, Jessie Kennedy, who had a big part in creating the book "Front Row Centre", a book on the Flato Academy Theatre and its history. The book was published in 2018 to commemorate the theatre's 125th anniversary. It is a slow month production wise, but that simply means a whole bunch more in the coming month! 0:00 - Intro1:54 - Ian McKechnie Bio5:17- Jessie Kennedy15:35 - Ian McKechnie “The Movie Years”28:40 - Outro

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