iArts & Entertainment, . _ .VLLE CENTRE OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE OAKVILLE CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Oakville Beaver Entertainm ent Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254) Fax: 337-5567 Oakville a t t h e 'E x ' 'OueAmefe Sdure/ AUG UST 25th, 1999 Star of musical is right on track By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Lily Garland is the star, in more ways than one. Firstly, on the Twentieth Century train, she is the big name passenger, the one who is being courted, also in more ways than one, by her ex- boyfriend/ex-director because her name and fame draw crowds. And secondly, the actor who plays Garland - Sophie Schotlander - is the star of Theatre Sheridan's pro duction On The Twentieth Century. Not only is her character a great one to work with, but Schotlander has fun with it, playing the part with all the affectations and diversity of emotions she can muster. When Schotlander is on the stage, your eyes are drawn to her and tend to stay on her, wandering only occa sionally to the actors around her. And despite the accomplished acting and good singing voice of her co-star Sean Andrews, Schotlander's affected mannerisms and powerful singing voice out shine even him at every curve. Theatre Review And I can only assume, since I noticed no blunders and heard no off-key vocals, that all the other per formers in the cast were talented. However, the only one that made a lasting impression on me was Sheri Cormier, who played the eccentric religious zealot Letitia Primrose, and that's because she did a solo number when Schotlander was not on stage. Schotlander has a voice and a presence that I'm sure we'll hear and see a lot of in the future, not just at Theatre Sheridan but maybe in some of the mega musicals that Toronto is so famous for, or perhaps in a Strat ford Festival musical. It's unfortunate that the rest of the cast somehow got lost in Schot lander's shadow; or maybe not - the beginning of Friday night's produc tion did seem to chug along like the little engine that could; but when Schotlander climbed aboard The 20th Century, it shot into express mode. And the energy the tall performer exuded seemed to sustain the sec ondary characters in their solos, duets, trios and foursomes, which suddenly seemed more animated and dynamic after the star, in the role of Lily Garland, stepped aboard. On The Twentieth Century is not a well-known musical, but the music, written by Cy Coleman in mock operetta mode, is fun and most defi nitely memorable, from the punchy Repent to the comical Five Zeros to the poignant Private World. And there are a couple of tap dancing numbers that are worthy of note as the train and its passengers gather steam for their unforgettable journey. On The Twentieth Century (book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green) will continue in The atre Sheridan's 300-seat Main Stage theatre until May 1st. Curtain time is 8 p.m. Tickets range in price from $15 to $22 and are available by calling the box office at 815-4049. Preserved flower designs are soft, flexible and do not shed By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Dried flower arrangements are common, not like the rare preserved flower arrangements that Dorice Hamilton creates. And the difference is obvious. Hamilton's preserved flowers are more flexible; they don't shed; the roses are larger; and they're soft to the touch. "The market is saturated with dried flowers," says the Oakville artist. "All my materials are natural." Hamilton's journey into the world of preserved flowers began with arrangements she had created with herbs from her own herb garden. Then one day a friend admired her work and asked to buy an arrange ment. Hamilton gave it to her friend, who called back later wanting to order another one as a gift. That was Hamilton's first sale, and the beginning of an artistic career for the Oakville woman. When Hamilton began including flowers in her arrangements, her materials came from a garden in east Oakville in exchange for a preserved flower arrangement for the gardener. But it wasn't long before Hamilton started branching out again, creative ly speaking, adding fruits and vegeta bles to her baskets, wreaths, wall ornaments and bouquets. By then she was buying the flowers and vegeta bles, and preserving them in a special dehydrator that her husband designed and made for her. However, she admits to taking her wares to flea markets and "low end" trade shows only to be disappointed by few, if any, sales. Then, after five years of that, she took an interior design course which turned her artis tic career around. "It taught me tex ture, colour and form. That's when I turned the corner," she says. Now, she has developed a clientele and her business is growing through word of mouth. The ideas for Hamilton's designs come from a variety of sources, rang ing from historical books at the (See 'Free-form' on page B7) LIAISON COLLEGE OPENING IN OAKVILLE Industry franchise trains chefs and cooks Do you own or operate a kitchen? Do you run a seasonal operation? Are your kitchens dormant for several months of the year, or even several days of the week? Are you look ing to make a career change, but want to stay in the foodservice industry? Or could you simply use some extra revenue? Susanne Mikler, vice-president of corporate affairs for Liaison Educational Systems Ltd. may have one very constructive solution. "Whether you have a property with kitchen facilities, or you want to set-up your own training kitchen from scratch, we can provide you with a complete program in the development and startup of your own Culi nary College," said Mikler. Liaison College was founded in 1996 by Mikler and Rudy Florio. They have taken on the task of addressing the growing demand in the hospitality industry for professionally trained chef graduates. The Culinery Arts & Business Programs of Liai son College focus on industry and career spe cific training that delivers qualified graduates to a specific and expand ing job market. With more than 20 years experience in the career college industry, Liaison College provides the tools and resources to allow you to set-up a complete training facility on your own site: licensing and government accredita tion of each Liaison College franchise approvals for course curriculum; eligibility for government sponsored student programs, real estate services; site development (including their own architects and contractors); full training in every area of operating a Liaison College; campus standard accounting and business operating systems; sales and marketing programs; ongoing support system. Murline Mallette of Hamilton, Ontario, attests to the strengths of the support system Liaison Educational Systems produce. With a background in the hotel business, and having once owned a Toronto School of Business, all paths seemed to lead to Liaison College. "I have always enjoyed adult education and have a passion for cooking. Through per sonal business contacts, I heard about Liaison College. I picked up the telephone and said, "I'm interested," and the rest fell into place. I found a kitchen that was originally a KFC outlet, then a restaurant. I finally even tracked down the architect who designed it. With the original drawings in hand, the trans formation into a teaching kitchen was easily handled. Outside of the site, everything else was provided by Liaison Educational Sys tems. "They were, and still are, very accessible," says Murline. "The experience of being part of this vocational institution is like night and day compared to any previous experience." Murline did, however, take a further proactive stance in her program development. "I met with six or seven local chefs in Hamilton and asked them, "What are you looking for in an apprentice? What can we add to our program?" As she puts it, "The franchisor gives you the tools, but they cannot guarantee your suc cess; you must do that yourself. You must be motivated to succeed, and to have your grad uates succeed as well." By all accounts, it would seem that Liai son College graduates are meeting with suc cess. "Our placement rate is consistently over 85 per cent," said Mikler. "We are producing qual ity chefs from our programs." For some, it appears to be a life changing experience as well. Peter Paczoski, a one-time insurance adjuster, is now appren ticing at the 5-star restaurant, Sarduci's, in Toronto. "I just couldn't see myself handling injury claims for another 30 years. My wife saw an ad for courses at Liaison College in the Mississauga News, and knowing how much I enjoyed cooking, she made the initial call. Within weeks, and with no previous restaurant experience, I quit my job cold turkey and enrolled in the fulltime, 12- week program. The rest is history." Liaison College offers one the lowest entry franchise fees o f any career college of its kind in Ontario and quite possibly Canada. Mikler feels that they will lead the wave in the future evolution of small, affordable, locally- owned vocational schools in Canada, as they expand nationally. We have a high profile location in downtown Oakville on Lakeshore Road. We are presently looking for a franchisee for this location. For more information on how you can start your own Culinary College Fran chise, call Rudy Florio at Liaison College at 1-800-854-0621, ext. 15. \ BBrWgfc Trivial Pursuits By Frank Vickery Thursday to Saturday, April 22 - 24 & Wednesday to Saturday, April 28 - May 1 A comedy about the joys and heartaches of amateur theatrics! Half price Wednesday for seniors & students. 28S M g ( ......i .................. The Second City Touring Group Comedy Cabarets in the Studio Theatre Friday, April 23 at 8:30p.m. Satu$ O t £ ( l 2O U ^ f i 'm' & 10:00 p.m.| Enjoy a night of laughter! Presented by fpHIIsSj Sound Sensation A performance choir in concert! Saturday, May 8th, 7:30 p.m. With special guests The Rotherglen School & St. Andrew s Children's Choir Wednesday Film Festival presents: Central Station April 21, 7:00 pm Famous Players Cinemas Oakville Town Centre, Dorval & QEW AWARD m b e s t a p t I R c <5? W I N N E R • i k t i c n i a Visit the box office, 130 Navy Street (at lakeshore), Monday to Friday, noon to S p.m.; Saturday 2 to 5 p.m.; or two hours before show time. For more information on upcoming shows explore our website at by Affirmative Communications. i t . m s m * • That Dorothy Parker... In the S tud io Theatre Fri., & Sat., May 28 & 29 at 8:30 p.m. Written & performed by Carol Lempert A one woman tour-de-force chronicles Dorothy Parker's life and work. A witty, biting, touching slice of literary history! T h e Oakville Beaver v o l v o ^oeiviaffil A Film By Walter Salles _ iM tc m ii Poitucutsf H ts io i l m a Q n -- 1Sponsored by: Royal and Sun Alliance Financial For Information Call: Oakville Arts Council 815-5977 ;M jvr[ntrrt Visit Volvo of Oob'illt, to test drive the all new '99 Vobv SS0 Tickets available at door from 6:30 pm, April 21st Advance tickets at: Bean There, 106 Reynolds St., 845-2928, Bookers Book Store, 172 Lakeshore Rd. E., 844-5501 Chapters, Oakville Town Center 1. Dorval & QEW, 815-8197 up until one day before the performance Tickets are $6 for member, $8 for non-members Media Sponsor T h e Oa k v il l e B ea ver