For a town of about 1300 souls, Oxford sure has its share of talent and stages on which to showcase the budding thespians and musicians among us. This weekend at the Capitol Theatre, you have an opportunity to witness the earnest, if not outright engaging, cast of “The Oxford Christmas Concert” under the direction of Marion Abbott.
Abbott —Oxford’s Municipal Physical Activity Leader (MPAL)— comes from a musical theatre background, and is clearly enjoying the opportunity to bring some of Oxford’s performers to the stage. She says “you’ve never seen a Christmas Concert like this one… it’s not just song… and applause… and song… and applause… there are funny songs, and it’s an eclectic mix of music. It’s not just sacred, and not just secular… and the kids are adorable!”
There are four shows slated from Friday night to Sunday afternoon… Abbott says the cast has worked so hard to rehearse, she didn’t want them to just have one night to show off their stuff. Most, if not all, of the cast sing in group numbers and have their own solo moment in the spotlight, something Abbot feels is important for the cast.
This multigenerational cast of singers and dancers were rehearsing their group and solo numbers on Monday night, preparing to wow audiences with performances on Friday (7:00pm), Saturday (2:00pm & 7:00pm), and Sunday (2:00pm). Tickets —only $10— can be purchased at the Oxford PharmaChoice and Oxford Home Hardware.
One of the younger cast members, Jonah Cormier (sporting a very cool shirt), said we should see the show “because I’m in it!”
Emma Brown has a reason to recommend the concert — her daughter Sarah is on-stage and loving the chance to perform. Brown says her daughter, a couple of years out from graduating High School, is thinking of entering theatre arts when she heads off to university, though “anything might happen” between now and then. For now, though, “this is the future she wants… she’s always been a performer.” Sarah initially thought about going into costume design, but has embraced being on-stage.
When asked what it meant to have the Capitol Theatre as a community space for shows like this, Brown says it almost feels like someone should make a Hallmark movie, about bringing a small town theatre “back to life.”
The Oxford Capitol Theatre was built in 1923 and served as both a stage for plays and the showing of movies through it’s up-and-down lifetime.
In the past, music and theatre groups such as The Maple Players, Cumberland Performing Arts, and the Mainstreet Music Society have kept the building going as a cultural centre in the heart of Oxford.
The Mainstreet Music Society in November moved their shows into the ground-floor space of the St. James Presbyterian Church, beside the Canada Post outlet.
The Capitol remains a space for musical theatre productions under Abbott’s direction, and is available as a community rental space for other shows.
Local band North of Nowhere has a show booked at the Capitol for December 20th: “From your chest” — A Rock and Roll All Ages Event.
