ROCKIN’ ALL NIGHT
asouthin2018-10-16T09:50:10+00:00
Bios
CHRIS McHARGE
The Big Bopper (Narrator)/Director/Co-Creator)
Chris has been directing for nearly 30 years and has served as Artistic Director at Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover, Artistic and Executive Director of Theatre on the Grand in Fergus, as well as former Artistic Associate at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. Working with partner Colin Stewart and their production company Stewart-McHarge Productions, Chris has created numerous theatrical tribute shows, including Rockin’ All Night, Alice’s Restaurant, Hallelujah: Remembering Leonard Cohen, Soul Sisters, Memories of Rock & Roll, Blue Suede Shoes, Johnny & June, Vegas Knights, Sweet Soul Music, Cowboys & Outlaws, Heaven’s Little Honky Tonk, Memories of the Summer of Love, Memories of the Rat Pack, DooWop to Motown, and Memories of Hank Williams & Patsy Cline. Chris maintains an active schedule as a freelance director and producer, and has worked throughout Canada, in Europe and in the United States. In his career he has directed over 100 productions including 31 world premieres, and has been nominated for a number of awards including the Eleanor and Lou Siminovitch Prize in Theatre (2001 & 2004), the Township of Centre Wellington Artist of the Year Award, the Canada Council John Hirsch Award and the Pauline McGibbon Award for directing. Chris is most proud of his role as dad to twenty-six-year-old Caitlyn, twenty-one-year-old Erin, and eighteen-year old Quinn.
COLIN STEWART
(Musical Director/Bass/Vocals/Co-Creator)
Colin has worked as a professional musician for nearly 30 years, and has worked in professional theatre as a Musical Director, Band Leader and Musician for nearly 30 years. Having performed in clubs and theatres throughout Canada, and on Carnival Cruise Lines around the world, Colin has worked with such blues artists as John Ellison, The McAuley Boys, Dutch Mason, Chicago Pete, Ellen McIlwaine and Phil Guy. Colin’s musical theatre credits include West Side Story, Annie, The Pajama Game, Oliver, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie, Anne of Green Gables, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. As Musical Director, Colin’s credits include Fire, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline, 18 Wheels, Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, and the world premieres of Lovin’, Lyin’ and Leavin’ and Canadian Café. Colin has been touring extensively with his live musical tribute shows, Alice’s Restaurant, Hallelujah, Memories of Rock & Roll, Soul Sisters, Memories of the Summer of Love, Memories of the Rat Pack, DooWop to Motown, Memories of Hank Williams & Patsy Cline, Blue Suede Shoes, Johnny & June, and Vegas Knights, which he co-created with Chris McHarge, and which have played to capacity crowds throughout Canada and in Europe.
AARON SOLOMON
(Buddy Holly/Ritchie Valens, et al)
Aaron is a world class musician and performer. He has been wowing audiences as an energetic singer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist performing on violin, mandolin, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, and banjo. He has mastered an astonishing variety of styles having performed with diverse artists such as Shania Twain, Big Sugar, Jeff Healey, Jason McCoy, George Hamilton IV, Mac Wiseman, and many others. Aaron has also performed on over 500 recording sessions besides working as a record producer. He recently released albums entitled “Transformation,” with progressive rock band FM, and “Water Journeys,” with Celtic rock band Coole Park. Aaron currently stars regularly in theatre productions as Johnny in Johnny & June, as Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra in Memories of the Rat Pack, and covers many songs, playing multiple instruments in Alice’s Restaurant. Aaron also performs nineteen different rock stars in Memories of Rock & Roll, is the star of Wichita Lineman: The Music of Glen Campbell, and has been featured in many other productions as an actor or a musician on the stage or in the orchestra. www.fiddleheadproductions.com
MICHAEL RAY
(Guitars/Vocals)
Michael Ray has been playing music for over 50 years. At the age of 6, Michael performed on the Tommy Hunter Show, and recorded his third album bythe age of 11. He has opened for headliners such as Johnny Cash, John Cougar, and more recently, The Roadhammers. MIchael has been doing musical theatre for over 10 years. When he is not doing theatre work, Michael performs in a variety of different musical acts and teaches a wide range of musical instruments and vocals at his home studio
CHRIS DAHMER
(Keyboards/Accordion/Vocals)
Chris’s 40 year career as a keyboard player includes a 3 year stint as house keyboardist at Lulu’s Roadhouse in Kitchener which saw him backing up various artists including Chuck Berry, Ben E. King, Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits), to name a few. For the last 10 years Chris has been involved in many musical theatre acts, including multiple European tours.
DON REID
(Drums/Vocals)
Don has traveled much of North America starting in the early 80”s as a professional touring musician. Don has worked with Orchestra London, and was a regular in the pit at the Grand Theatre in London. Over the years he has worked in several musical genres. From the mid 80’s to the mid 90”s, Don was also a partner in a music production company, Take Note Productions. He wrote and produced musical scores for video, radio and TV programs and various recording projects. Don has been teaching private music lessons dating back as far as high school and currently serves with the Georgian Triangle Music Teachers’ Association. He is also involved in the Healing Arts as a certified Reflexologist since 1996. Don is music director of the Trinity Band a St Mary’s church (Collingwood) since 2004. He studied privately with Ass. Professor Bob Hughes (UWO) and also attended Music Industry Arts (Fanshawe college, London). Don is currently studying privately with Steve Mancuso (Humber College). As always Don thanks Marilyn, J.T. and Callum for their never ending support!
ROB MIDDLETON
(Stage Manager)
THEATRE AQUARIUS: SM – A Few Good Men, If I Were You, It’s a Wonderful Life, Boeing Boeing, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Driving Miss Daisy, The Sound of Music, Time Stands Still, Poodle Skirts to Platform Shoes, For This Moment Alone, The 39 Steps, Tuesdays with Morrie, White Christmas – The Musical, The Diary of Anne Frank, Rope’s End. ASM – The Comedy of Errors, Beauty and the Beast, The Big Sleep, Spamalot, The Mousetrap, The Last Romance, Top of The Pops, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, A Christmas Carol – The Musical, The Rocky Horror Show, Forever Plaid, Having Hope at Home, Oliver!, Seussical!, Opening Night. OTHER THEATRE: SM – How the Other Half Loves (Drayton); Harvest, Sexy Laundry (LFT); Mary’s Wedding (Grand); The Long Weekend (Orangeville). ASM – A Man and Some Women, Hedda Gabler (Shaw Festival); 7 Seasons at Lighthouse Festival, Carmela’s Table (Centaur); Sorry… I’m Canadian, My Fair Lady, A Funny Thing Happened… , CATS – Tour (Drayton). ET CETERA: For their constant support, I would like to thank my family and friends, especially my lovely wife Julie.
Adrian is the creator and co-producer of four hit concert musicals – Any Dream Will Do, The Sweetest Sounds, Over The Rainbow, and A Whole New World. By taking us behind-the-scenes and inside the lives of the greatest composers of Broadway and Hollywood, Adrian and his co-producer Brian Goldenberg are bringing audiences to their feet across Canada.
Chris Tsujiuchi’s performance credits include Box 4901, Recurring John, Paradises Lost (Summerworks Festival), and Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors (Lower Ossington Theatre). Musical Direction credits include The Last Five Years (YRG Productions), Onegin (Musical Stage Company/National Arts Centre/Arts Club Western Canada Tour), 35MM (Toronto Premiere), Any Dream Will Do (Angelwalk Theatre & Theatre Collingwood), A Misfortune (Next Stage Festival), HAIR (FirstAct Productions), Mickey & Judy (Toronto Fringe/Best of Fringe), and bare (Canadian Premiere/WatersEdge Productions). Chris has worked as an accompanist and teacher at Sheridan College, Randolph Academy, and George Brown College. He has toured extensively with Sharron Matthews, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, and can be seen performing in Asian Riffing Trio (aka ART), as well as his upcoming Christmas Cabaret here at the Historic Gayety Theatre this December!
Dana Jean Phoenix is a synthwave singer/songwriter from Toronto. Dana attended the nationally-renowned Humber College Contemporary Music Program in Toronto and graduated the Musical Theatre program at Sheridan College. While at college, she would go to every open mic night she could find
Camila Diaz-Varela is a first-generation Mexican-Canadian theatre maker, performer and musician based in Tkaronto, on Dish with One Spoon wampum belt treaty territory. Camila performs both for theatre and as a singer-songwriter, and composes original music for theatre and film. As an actor and musician, she has most recently been seen in The Silver Arrow: The Untold Story of Robin Hood, a new musical written by Meiko Ouchi and Hawksley Workman, and the Princess of the Tower, a new musical written by Leslie Wade and Scott Christian
Originally form Richmond Hill, Stewart is thrilled to be a part of A Whole New World with this
Come Down From Up River
