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p18 weekender september 12 1987 weekender wktm tjvj beaj hciromaoe pasta tororto aas anrved n uarhnam at uain street 39 uain street north ttarkham ontario phone 416 4715670 blue grass and folk in uxbridge hobby horse anns enjoy your favorite blue grass and folk music with con rad kipping who will entertain audiences this weekend at the hobby horse arms in ux bridge herongate barn herongate barn presents the original play cheaters which made its debut last night and will run until oct 24 dinner theatre perform ances on thursday friday and sunday nights are 21 which includes dinner theatre and sales tax and 23 on satur day evening for further information and reservations call dawn or cheryl at 2940426 sheraton parkway the parkways entertain ment lineup in captain pep- pertrees monday through whats on i jvaiicu cjfojzin saturday features markham resident diana nahr the sheraton parkway is at hwy 7 and leslie st nags head north enjoy a credence clearwa ter revival revival with green river taking the stage tonight at nags head north located on woodbine ave greens of markham back by popular demand tonight and sunday evening at the greens in markham is the famed r b recording artist george oliver just nominated last week for two juno awards mr olliver will take the stage at 9 pm cover charge is 3 the greens is lo cated in the new 16tha venue plaza deer park inn deer parks theatre in the park on hwy 47 in stouf f ville presents boeing boeing until sept 26 a comedy about three stewardesses and their one playboy fiance for further info and re servations call 6406060 hnmbertos hideaway twice around the park can be seen friday and saturday evening dinner is served at 7 pm and the show starts at 9 pm for further information and reservations call 2946523 cheers join friends at deer parks new pub cheers open tuesday through friday from 4 pm markham theatre this weekend the world re nowned famous people play ers will be at the markham theatre for the performing arts tickets are still avail able for this evenings per formance as well as on sun day night prices are 1750 for adults and 1250 for seniors and children under 12 for further info call 4790201 lindners enjoy your favorite tunes from the 40s to todays rock n roll with vocalist anne se quin ms sequin performs in whistons upstairs lounge markham village lanes from 8 pm to 1 am tuesday through friday brodies dave sommers entertains audiences this weekend at brodies located in union- ville cullen barns running until oct 3 at cul len country barns dinner- theatre is noel cowards comedy of the 40s private lives for reservations and in formation about perform ances at cullen barns call 477- 4475 a sampling of local dinner theatres dinner theatre has taken quite a beating from the critics in its relatively short life a wag once dubbed it dimmer theatre well perhaps in the sense that its often not the kind of theatre youd expect to find at centres- tage or the royal alex nor is the dinner what youd expect from winstons but people dont go to dinner theatre for chateaubriand and chekhov undemanding and ea gertobepleased typical audi ences simply go for a good time for a ribsticking meal and rib- tickling entertainment both served up for the normal cost of either one or the other this hybrid phenomenon the salvation of many a resting actor had its roots in the states about 15 years ago and quickly spread to canada and around the globe the peak of its popularity appears to have passed and with the closing a couple of years ago of one of torontos oldest theatre in the dell and most recently the variety some observers of the theatre scene predict its even tual demise but the amazing success of the new and huge stage west cur rently doing sellout business out in mississauga would seem to re fute this view not to mention four thriving concerns right here in the markham area each has its own distinctive flavor and a loyal fol lowing herongate barn herongate barn out on the altona road is the doyen ofthe quartet indeed its one of the old est in ontario owners al and dawn ward have been packing them in at their converted old barn for 12 years the place smacks of informal ity rustic charm and an infec tious sense of fun the buffet is unpretentious but generous and features a wellstocked and varied salad bar surrounded by barn board and beams sitting in stalls labelled elsie or bos sy patrons are served a second dessert in the- formof warmup- theatre in review act by their amiable host al ward playing the guitar telling goodnatured jokes singing familiar songs he defies even the most determined of curmudgeons not to laugh join in the singalong and split their sides at his inevit able finale mary had a little lamb like burt reynolds in his famous florida establishment the wards feed them in one room and play to em in another the upstairs theatre is cosy and rus tic too with excellent sight lines except for a few unraked rows at the front it provides a steady diet of sil ly sex comedies those crowd pleasers full of that winking in nuendo which boils down to good clean fun if at times the wards are a litlc undiscriminating in their choice of play there are also simply silly sex comedies well some 72 plays in 12 years are bound to strain their resources in spite of occasional miscasting andor selfindulgent actors their shows are wellrehearsed fastpaced and presented with great good humor humbertos hideaway humbertos hideaway former ly fernandos added theatre to dinner at its markham main street restaurant 7 or 8 years ago its the smallest of the four and has the flavor of an intimate night club unlike the other three which cater to large groups by the busload parties of from two to eight predominate here in the past service has been corresponding unobtrusive and professional fl very slow on one repent occasion founder fer nando marto was justly proud of thejqhoice and quality jpf hisraepij and the standards he set appear to have been maintained through an interim ownership the third and latest proprietor humberto cab- ral has closed dirty dicks a downstairs rock emporium cus tomers no longer will be pummel led by vibrations coming through the floor with its pockethandkerchief of a stage humbertos specializes in lively smallcast revues or twohander plays like same time next year and the just- opened twice around the park its two most recent productions were a touch underrehearsed at opening but then went on to enjoy long runs and enthusiastic recep tions both featured energetic and committed performers it will be interesting to see what the new owner makes of it the mixture as before or something new and different added deer park inn stouffvilles theatre in the park at deer park inn opened three years ago and is easily the most consistently professional the brain child of former owner eric fafrell deer park too is under new management it was designed especially for dinner theatre with tables on three tiers sight lines are excellent its somewhat formal blue and white decor is endearingly sof tened by the motherly air and grammatical lapses of its wait resses they offer a menu similar to humbertos soup or some times salad a choice of 4 entrees roast beef here steak there veal chicken and perhaps a pasta dish a tasty dessert and coffee farrell who also prided himself on the quality of his meals would no doubt have been horrified however by a salad of tired old brown lettuce served us at a re- cent matinee but onstage all is as polished as ever with shows like last of the red hot lovers and boeing- boeing a repertory company seems to be abuilding here under terri hallams expert direction the star of the spark ling company is paul saunders a joy of a comedian whom they should hang on to at all costs cullen barns cullen barns is the latest in the field opened about a year and a half ago it is perhaps the most theatrically ambitious of the four certainly with plays like the fourposter and private lives under its belt and the dining room due to open in october it is the classiest in its choice of play but the room itself is a dis appointment long and plain and rather sterile with the stage at one end elevated above eye level its the more surprising to come upon after enjoying the warmly intimate and creative use of space in the rest of the cavernous barns long tables running perpen- dicular to the stage are fine for bus tours but place small parties cheek by jowl with total stran gers still the imaginative and varied buffet with its scrump tious dessert table helps make one forget ones surroundings the quality of its theatre cannot be savored from just one perform ance seen by the writer but pri vate lives was marked by some excellent acting uneven direction and poor visuals one wonders if the presence of connies antiques on the premises could prove a mixed blessing as a ready source of set dressings for the fourpos ter and the dining room it prob ably couldnt be bettered but its use for private lives was unfor tunate to say the least ifcullen dinner theatre hasnt yet found quite the perfect blend most of the right ingredients are there dinner theatre some people gorge on it some never touch the stuff others like to sample its ple asures now and again whichev er in markham it looks like its here to stay visit heritage festival today learn more about mar- khams vibrant past at the heritage festival today the markham museum hosts this annual event which sees the clock turn back to a century ago when pioneers established the town as thriving farming com munity the fun begins at 11 am and continues til 4 pm visitors can expect demonstrations of pioneer crafts and skills watch apples being turned into cider and butter the work of sleant engines horse shoeing and see tlieycollecti6n of th century land vehicles in the ward building also on hand will be homebak- ing for sale visit the newly res tored railway station where you can imagine the people who ar rived and left from the old lo cust hill station the museum is located on hwy 48 north of 16th ave enter the grounds from 16th ave west of hwy 48 admission is 2 for adults and 50 cents for youths children under 12 years will be admitted free of charge there is no charge jprparjang