The Charlottetown Festival & Late Night at Mavor's
By Pam Eddenden

In May, Burlington native Andrew Barley embarked on a journey to Prince Edward Island as a member of the 2007 Charlottetown Festival Company. For four months, Andrew
performed eight shows a week in the casts of Anne of Green Gables - The Musical, based on L.M. Montgomery’s novel and British Invasion, a tour through music from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. British Invasion and Anne both enjoyed sold out performances, standing ovations and an extended run. What were the most rewarding and most challenging moments of Andrew’s experience in Charlottetown? Andrew was impressed with the
phenomenal company of artists from across Canada.

“Through osmosis I developed skills when working with such talent.” noted Andrew “The director, Anne Allan, made it seem like the individual artists were creating the piece as
opposed to the piece dictating the performance. Always positive and always smiling, she made me a partner in the process and getting a correction or note was always a good thing.” The challenges? “Working on the shows was physically demanding. Your body
breaks down trying to sustain dance like the choreography of Anne by Alan Lund.” said Andrew “I was healthy for most of the run, only experiencing a heel injury and tendonitis in my shoulder. I now have a profound respect for artists who perform in long running shows like those in Toronto, New York and London.”

In addition to his gruelling performance schedule, Andrew performed and hosted Late Night at Mavor’s, one of “the” places to be on a summer night. Here’s how it works: Charlottetown company members and other performers who want to perform a song sign up
at the beginning of the week. They either have their own sheet music or ask one of the band members if they know the song. Mavor’s Late Night Band rehearses songs with performers and this is where the songs come to life and people get their first chances to experiment, think of new ideas and new ways to approach old songs. On any given week there are between 15 - 18 songs to be rehearsed in a four hour period. The next time the song is performed is in front of an audience on Saturday nights at Mavor’s. “The cool thing about Late Night at Mavor’s is that it provides an opportunity for performers to either do
something they’re really comfortable with and enjoy...or do something that is outside of the
box.” said Andrew.

When asked what he planned do now that he was back, Andrew replied: “I’m hoping to break in to Film and Television, work with my dance company, Desidareda, and audition ‘til
my feet fall off!”

TD Canada Trust recognizes the value of performing arts
By Paul Mitchell

Performing Arts Burlington is grateful for the valued support we receive from TD Canada Trust, a Director’s Circle sponsor. The corporate sponsorship is part of TD Canada Trust’s ongoing commitment to support arts and culture in the communities it serves. The cornerstone of that commitment is its sponsorship of major jazz festivals across Canada that have proved to be a rich and vital part of the cultural fabric of our country.

In addition to the jazz festivals, TD Canada Trust supports a wide variety of similar initiatives in Canada. These range from other premier music events to numerous community programs and initiatives such as Performing Arts Burlington.

“We truly believe that the performing arts bring people together and express the cultural vibrancy of our communities,” says Ruth Lee, manager at TD Canada Trust’s Aldershot branch in Burlington.

TD Canada Trust is part of TD Bank Financial Group, one of Canada’s top corporate donors. In 2006, TD provided over $33 million to more than 1,600 charities and not-for-profit organizations, each of which work tirelessly to strengthen their communities and make our
country a better place to live.

For TD Bank Financial Group, it’s not just about writing cheques. The bank and its thousands of employees focus their efforts on getting involved, developing partnerships and being proactive in promoting community issues. TD gives back to the communities it serves through cash donations, gifts-in-kind, charitable sponsorships, and especially
countless volunteer hours from employees who demonstrate their community spirit year-round.