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V in a reminiscent frame recently I recalled with friends of the era a few of the entertainments presented at the Town Jib A I 1 v- ill Pi fcv I i J l I SHth varietvWcWeslagr of auditorium The show was such a lead to formation of the Newmarket Light my In the cast were Sir and Mrs Alex Eves Mrs Leach Tommy Scott Jean West Miss Andrew Darrlck Frank Adams Sadie Eves Mrs Edwards Mrs J Hays Binns Flossie Rill Andrews Bailee Botsford St Many today do not realize the extent of the cultural activities enjoyed then and recalled with pleasure by many Newmarket citizens TWa was long before TV and radio Entertainment was George Haskett ST who was born on Eagle St in told me often about the Newmarket Minstrel Shows and was delighted to find courtesy of Jean Hun ter a newspaper clipping on the Minstrel Show of The anonymous columnist writes Never since the time of Coot Burgess 30 years ago has there been given to a Newmarket audience a Minstrel Show that In any way approached the one presented In the Town Hall last Friday night by the Methodists of the West side of Town There was an active rivalry then between East and West in the entertainment field The writer then goes Elsie Mrs Lillian Hart Todd Law to say It reminds us Ron Mrs Spence Art Stephens Nellie of a show of over years Taylor Velma Thompson Mrs Mr J Reg Mr In the pit or chestra J Little Hilton Mr Austin Brammar Harold Jackson Bailey Max Hong Peat Andy Stouffer Eric Carter McCallu Ken Ben nington Harry Hodge Photo courtesy of Jean Hunter ago this In when one was put on by Will and Alex Caldwell and Rube Robinson Bill one or two Charlie Alex and others Inv EJ Davis Jr Mrs company which lasted the Mechanics Hall Walter Eves Miss Lillian for eight years- Unfortunately the Holborn and Miss E Minstrel Show of Curry Mrs Olive Belugin photo is too dark to print was a but the central figure is and three ff Mr Smith the end young girls Ruby Moss men were Fred Hart and Jean National Theatre where and Gordon Hunter all then studying ft sidled y Others In the huge cast voice dancing and the were Messers JC dramatic arts were Steckley Hunter among the many talented to bring his JD McKay performers who con- knowledge of opera Manning Ward to the Clubs musicals to J Gibson G FarrenN programs the local company He Waldorf and a tiny was assistant to the Is Kenneth A program from director in the Hunter Includes numbers from avian city of choruses In- Schubert leaving Russia eluded the above names Liszt and Bach All as he became plus Mrs Mason Mrs members were in- Sn Mrs strumentallsts of high and dirS Hunter Mrs Smith calibre and presented woducUons The Mrs Waldorf and Mrs vocal solos readings of Steckley the Misses poetry piano selections Marjory Robinson and chamber music Esther Stark and Julia Mrs Members met in each Moss was a voice director others residences tor and off stage voice was the passing of Mrs EJ Pearson Davis the club gradually Mrs Harry Sennet dissolved Mrs Davis was stage manager Mrs was the former Dorothy Bolt Hewitt presented Chllcott a professional monologues and Miss teacher of dancing and Ruth Haines gave a violin theatre arts selection Vocal soloists were Marjory Taylor During a LaSalle Gordon Hunter Newmarket Concert and Manning The Society was formed It little Waldorf children brought to the town many sang a duct of the famous concert Moss and artists of that era Lowell Hewitt performed a clog dance A local My personal photographer took the memories of cn- photo as a souvenir of the in Town occasion Hall from on include The Womens Pinafore by Musical and Literary Gilbert and Sullivan Club was formed in 1927 directed and produced by and its charter members AN This were Mrs Aubrey Davis production was a repeat Mrs Andr Davis Mrs performance demanded by the public The earlier performances were presented to capacity audiences in the Town Hall and so these extra productions were put on to please overflow crowds who were not able to see Pinafore must say thought it was a superb production Bass Fiddle He called out to the audience personal remarks about Newmarket and residents Lee Jr also sang Donald Murray and Barbara Davis also presented several dramas In the Town Hall and as I remember donated the second pair of red velvet Curtains to the Newmarket Dramatic Club and the delightful presentation of operetta Handsel and Gretel Unfortunately in 1935- season bridge became such a craze that the Newmarket Light Opera Company was kilted by the card game Everyone young and old played bridge constantly night and day and no one came to practises so that was the end of those really wonderful operettas Newmarket High School presented many splendid plays They were directed in the early thirties by Mr JB I recall the first one I saw was The Arrival of Kitty i Leslie Evans Audrey Eric Carter Cecil Gould Mac Nesbitt Jack Gertrude Grose Benson berry and Joyce Collins were the cast and they had fine audiences from the town Later I saw the Newmarket A Dramatic Club flourished during the late Thirties and Forties and received many Awards and Shields In Ontario competitions Their Christmas of- such as Jack In The Beanstalk were always a delight of the holiday season The tiny fairies in Jack was one of the first apt pearanccs of the baby class of the Betty Gordon Dancing Club Tho Betty Gordon Dancing Club yearly recitals rather wows appeared on stage at the Town Hall for over years starting with the first in Betty Gordon an English war bride missing her many years of association with her dancing school England and having a young daughter ago r decided along with Downward and later that year Helen Simmons and Ruby to start a dancing club still going strong and the then town fathers donated the Town Hall for the first year Later the Recreation Committee helped for two years and then the Dancing Club was on its own The parents Mr and Mrs AN came to Newmarket in and as members of St Pauls Church immediately became Involved in theatre St Pauls had that time a lovely new auditorium and stage in their new Parish Hall The first production was a Varietytype Show which proved an enor mous success This led to the production of PICKLES in and the formation of The Newmarket Light Opera superb production of relatives and friends Thornton Wilder Our always provided a builtin Town directed and capacity audience Betty produced by William contributed her dancing Elliott and sponsored by instruction as a com- the Newmarket High service to the School Drama Club in the school auditorium registration fee covered only one or two costumes The Newmarket for the children Town Hall over the years also had superlative en- tertalnment on stage such as Stoney Cooper and Wilma Lee country singers backed up by stars of The Grand The Newmarket Art l Clubs Annual Show was presented for over years in the Town Hall sometimes accompanied by entertainment Jack Slruthers presented ah from Nashville I evening of readings especially recall variety show that was Stringbean on his old hilariously funny V lit ti a Among contemporary smokers mildness is the What you are looking at is a new answer to that quest for mildness Maurier Special Mild Its mildest cigarette you can smoke What we have produced is a cigarette with all the quality and style of du Maurier only milder If you have a taste for something milder pick Up our elegant silver pack today Available inKhigSize F J i The cast of the Newmarket Light Opera Company production of Hansel and are from hack Alex producerdirector William Mary Davis Elsie Mrs A codirector Front row Jean Hansel and Lambert Gretel 1 i I Warning Health and Welfare Canada advises lhat danger to health increases with smoked avoid inhaling per cigarette mm tar 10 nicotine King Size rng tar nicotine Members of one of the first classes at the Betty Gordon Dancing Club posed for this photo in early tWOsFrontrow from left they are Trudy Greenfield Jackie Gordon Karen Peat Sherry Shropshire Karen Shirley Yvonne Bonnie Newton Elizabeth Wonch Back row from left Susan Flanagan Alexis ITudhope Sandra Moore Carol Marion Kendra Bain Ann Duncan Gail Carol Gardener and Dale sr 1 i i j