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THE CAST Director D A R Y L C L O R A N Daryl is an award-winning theatre and film director. He recently finished co-writing and directing his first feature film: Late Fragment (produced by the National Film Board and Canadian Film Centre). Daryl is the Artistic Director of Theatrefront, one of Toronto’s most innovative independent theatre companies. He has directed their productions across Canada as well as in Bosnia and South Africa. Theatrefront’s recent production, RETURN (The Sarajevo Project) was nominated for 5 Dora Awards, including Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Production. Daryl’s recent directing credits also include: Generous (Tarragon), The Last Five Years (CanStage & Manitoba Theatre Centre), Afterplay (Shaw Festival), This is How it Goes (Neptune Theatre, Halifax), Helen’s Necklace (Grand Theatre, London), The Play About The Baby (Soulpepper), and As You Like It (Theatre By The Bay, Barrie). Daryl has received the Canada Council's John Hirsch Prize for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Director, the Toronto Theatre Emerging Artist Award and most recently, a Merritt Award for Outstanding Direction. Daryl was recently appointed the Artistic Director of Theatre & Company, the professional theatre for the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Originally Director / Choreographer / Co-Creator T I M O T H Y F R E N C H Timothy French’s work as a director & choreographer is known across Canada. He has been associated with award-winning productions such as A Little Night Music (Grand Theatre/Canadian Stage, Dora Award for Outstanding Production). Mr. French is respected for his balanced and seamless integration of book and music in productions which include Evita, Camelot (Manitoba Theatre/Theatre Calgary/Citadel Theatre); Footloose (Stage West Calgary); The Boyfriend, Carousel, Damn Yankees (Drayton Festival); Smokey Joe’s Café, and California Dreaming, which he also co-wrote (Stage West); Cabaret, I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (The Grand Theatre, London), The Music Man (Citadel Theatre), Gypsy (Neptune Theatre) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Shaw Festival). He served as Associate Director/Choreographer for five years at The Stratford Festival and was the Resident Director/Choreographer for The Producers, produced in Toronto by Mirvish Productions. He is actively involved in the creation of new musical works, one of which, The Boys Are Coming Home, was produced at Northwestern University in Chicago in 2006 as part of its inaugural program, The American Musical Theatre Project. Music Director, Keyboard, Vocals D O R I S M A S O N Growing up in a big family certainly prepared Doris Mason for a diverse and colourful career in music. From the age of three, she has been tickling the ivories and singing. Doris has been featured on national television, radio, stage and in concert halls. Her CD, Photograph, garnered her an ECMA nomination. Doris has travelled throughout Europe, the Caribbean and to New York City, where she performed with Denny Doherty in the off-broadway production, Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of the Mamas and the Papas. She has produced several CDs for a variety of artists and has been the music director of DRUM! since its inception. Vocals, Percussion D U T C H R O B I N S O N A classic soul giant and master of the contemporary love ballad, Dutch Robinson is a voice to be reckoned with. Dutch has won three East Coast Music Awards and two African Nova Scotian Music Awards. He has performed as lead singer for the Ohio Players and was featured on Cirque du Soleil’s Grammy-nominated album, Allegria. Dutch and his music are recognized and loved by young and old, from far and wide. When Dutch sings, there is no colour -- only rainbows of sound. Vocals, Percussion J E R E M I A H S P A R K S Jeremiah is very happy to be a part of DRUM!. He’s been featured as a principal in many plays, including his role in the Toronto production of the Lion King. His film credits include One Heart Broken Into Song (for which he wrote the music score), A Town Without Christmas, Trailer Park Boys and Wise Girls (with Mariah Carey). A life-long singer and pianist, Jeremiah was choir director and organist for Cherry Brook United Baptist Church and directed the Nova Scotia Mass Choir. He released his first CD, Let Go and Let God, in 1999. “I thank God for putting me here and blessing me with the opportunity to work with such beautiful people.” Vocals, Percussion, Whistle L E N L E B L A N C Born and raised in the small fishing community of Salmon River, Nova Scotia, Len grew up in a very musical family. Both his father Nelson and uncle Herbert were part of a well-known musical group called Les Tymeux De La Baie, a French folk group in which Len has been a junior member since 1995. Mr. Le Blanc is proud holder of an East Coast Music Award for his participation in the well-known Acadian folk group, Blou, who won French recording of the year in 1999. Len has also been associated with a musical program called Musique De La Baie that provides local entertainment in restaurants that cater to tourists in the area of Clare. Len plays a wide variety of instruments, including bodhran, tin whistle, harmonica, drums, guitar, piano, accordion, several other percussion instruments, and the list continues to grow. Percussion, Accordian, Vocals C A T H Y P O R T E R A dynamic performer on washboard, accordion, and a colorful array of hand percussion, Cathy Porter is the "perfect musical condiment". In regular high demand with numerous East Coast Canadian acts, she has toured throughout the US, Canada, Western Europe and Brazil with Mary Jane Lamond, Dave Gunning, Natalie MacMaster, and others. She is also a regular member of the annual MIR Supershow, backing artists including Paula Cole, Sarah Slean, Divine Brown and Colin Hay. Cathy's recent songwriting credits include a Christmas song for country singer George Canyon. Percussion, Accordion, Vocals I S A B E L L E T H E R I A U L T Isabelle Thériault is a proud French Acadian from Shippagan, NB, who is completely dedicated to her music! After studying classical music in university, she toured full-time for five years with her vocal quartet ¨Les Muses¨. She is presently the musical director of the popular Acadian tribute to songwriters, ¨Ode à l'Acadie¨. She produced the group's first cd – ECMA 2006 Francophone Recording of the Year – and also won the award of Artist of the Year in Music at "le Gala des Éloizes". Multi-talented and bright spirited, Isabelle plays piano, guitar, accordion, percussion and sings. She has performed in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa, and is thrilled to be a part of DRUM! Dancer, Vocals, Percussion J E N N Y C L U E T T Bio coming Dancer, Vocals, Percussion S H A U N D A A U C O I N Raised in an artistic family, Shaunda has been performing for as long as she can remember. Upon graduation, she left for Toronto to study Musical Theatre at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. Since then she has been seen in shows such as The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Iolanthe and The Stardust Follies. Shaunda is thrilled to have her sister , Jessika, share the stage with her.  She would also like to thank her Tante Cindy for all the help in choreography. Your talent is invaluable to us! Dancer, Vocals, Percussion J E S S I K A A U C O I N Jessika Aucoin, a young energetic artist from "La baie Sainte Marie" loves to perform. She's professionally trained at Concordia University and George Brown Dance. Her goals were set at a young age, spending most of her teenage years performing from coast to coast. Currently during her time off with the show she teaches dance in partnership with Cindy Comeau's School of Dance, from whom she gained her inspiration. She has performed with various groups such as La Baie en Joie and Reel & Macadam. She was awarded "most promising dancer" at BATD in 2006. She is thrilled to be performing with such a great cast and especially with her best friend her sister Shaunda. Dancer, Vocals, Percussion A L L I S O N M A C Q U A R R I E Bio coming Aboriginal Drum, Vocals H U B E R T F R A N C I S J. Hubert Francis was born on the Elsipogtog First Nation of New Brunswick. He started his Mi kmaq rock group, "J. Hubert Francis & Eagle Feather", in 1990.  Eagle Feather was the first touring Aboriginal Rock Band in Canada, paving the way for other Aboriginal musicians to follow. Eagle Feather have recorded three albums. The latest, "Message From a Drum", received two Juno Awards Nominations, three East Coast Music Award Nominations and a Native American Music Award Nomination.  The song, Booglatamootj, the "Dance of The Little People", was one of the first songs nominated for a Juno award in 1994 - the first time the awards included an Aboriginal category. Eagle Feather has performed at Lincoln Center in New York City, toured Europe, and been featured in several prominent community and Canadian events. Hubert has assisted in the filming of fifty-two documentary episodes in the Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN) series, "Eastern Tide", co-directing, performing and narrating in the Mi kmaq language.  He performs with “DRUM!” as a representative of the Aboriginal culture. Drums, Congas, Djembe, Buckets and Timbales C H U C K B U C K E T Proficient on drums, congas, djembe, buckets and timbales, Chuck Bucket’s middle name is versatile. He has played throughout North America with various acts, both live and in the studio, and is currently recording and playing with Andrea Curry and the Awful Truth. His own blues and groove band, The Big Dirty Orchestra, will tour eastern Canada in June. DRUM! welcomes his energy onstage! Bagpiper R A N K I N M a c I N N E S Rankin is a traditional piper and piano player from Mabou, Cape Breton. The 21-year old accounting/engineering student at St. Francis University started playing pipes under the instruction of Mark Stewart. His piping has taken him many places, including Ceolas in South Uist, and the 2006 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland with the Gaelic College Pipe Band.  Rankin piped for the rock band, The White Stripes, when they came to Glace Bay in 2007, and has played the Celtic Colours International Festival as a solo artist as well as with such acts as the Chieftains and Carlos Nunez. Rankin is currently a piping instructor at the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, Cape Breton. Percussion J A Y A N D R E W S Jay Andrews started playing drums at age seven and spent his early years traveling and playing snare drum and competing internationally with a Nova Scotia-based pipe and drum band. An Arts student at the Mount Saint Vincent University, Jay's love of music extends into beat boxing (vocal percussion), producing, recording, working as a DJ, and just listening to music. Drum kit, Percussion, Vocals D A V I D B U R T O N David Burton has a vast array of recording projects to his credit as composer, producer, musical director and studio musician. He is featured on countless profile endeavours that cover a full spectrum of live events and studio recordings. His talent and musicianship have earned him priority status with CBC, not only as a drummer, but also as a musical director and arranger. David excels at versatility - performing all styles of music from jazz to Latin to classical with impeccable timing and intuitive creativity. His career has taken him around the world, backing Canadian artist like Rita MacNeil, Natalie MacMaster, Alanna Miles and Ian Thomas, to name a few. He has also had the pleasure of performing live with artists like Tony Bennett, Sara Vaughan and the great Ella Fitzgerald. David is well-established in the jazz world and has showcased his talents at festivals in Montréal, Havana, Portugal, and at home in Halifax. He has received a number of awards, including Best Live Jazz CD HavanaFax Live (East Coast Music Awards), Best Instrumental Recording Collage (East Coast Music Awards) and for the soundtrack New World Columbus – The Life of Joshua Slocum (Houston Film Festival). David is a well-respected educator who inspires young musicians locally, as well as in Havana, Cuba, as part of the “Los Primos” Project. He was nominated Educator of the Year by MIANS in 2005. Aboriginal drum, vocals, dancer T R E V O R G O U L D bio coming Chapman Stick Bass, Vocals B R I A N B O U R N E Born and raised in Quebec and a Maritimer since the 70s, Brian Bourne has remained active in the business of making music for 35 years. Bassist, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, he is best known for being the only musician in Atlantic Canada who plays (and teaches) the Chapman Stick - a two-handed, fretboard-tapping instrument on which both hands work as equal partners, striking strings against the fingerboard and playing multiple lines at once. Bass, chords and melody are performed simultaneously. A long-time Halifax resident and proud papa, Brian is part of the original touring cast of DRUM! and performs regularly with other well-known East Coast artists including Squid, Rawlins Cross, Morgan Davis and Ron Hynes. Recent studio activity includes recording with Nathan Wiley, Thom Swift, Geoff Arsenault, Matt Andersen, Morgan Davis, Cheryl Gaudet and a Rose Cousins/Jill Barber/Meaghan Smith" CBC production. Past lives include touring with Lennie Gallant, Mary Jane Lamond, Ennis Sisters, Charlie A'Court, John Campbelljohn and others. Guitar, Vocals J A M E S L O G A N James Logan is an independent musician/producer who has played guitar with many well-known Maritime-based artists and bands touring throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Over the past few years he has focused mainly on studio work playing guitar, piano, keyboards and bass for various recording projects. As well, James has been working on extensive midi-based programming and taking on engineering and producer roles for album projects, voice-overs and commercial jingles.  He is also in demand as a private guitar teacher, and has worked in the retail sector at one of Atlantic Canada's largest music stores. James’s musical talent has also been honed as a co-writer, composer and arranger in a variety of musical styles. His guitar skills have been in high demand for many years as backing musician for TV and radio spots, as well as for country artist Joan Kennedy in the early 90's and as guitarist for the Neptune theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar. He owns and operates his own recording studio, producing commercial music and independent recording artists. Most recently, James has played with some of the East Coast’s unique talents including Susan Crowe, The Maclean Sisters, Wayne Nicholson, Brett Ryan, Rylee Madison, J.D. Clarke, Rick Macdonald, Rasta Gumbo, Urban Renewal, Brian Bourne, Ruby Tuesday, Johnny Theodore, Linda Brooks, Christopher Ward, and DRUM!. Fiddle, Vocals A N N A L U D L O W Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Anna Ludlow has been playing Cape Breton-style fiddle for over 15 years. She has shared the stage with numerous major talents, including opening for and playing with The Beach Boys. Currently living in Lunenburg Nova Scotia, Anna is DRUM!’s principal fiddle player. In between shows, Anna has been working on her soon-to-be-released first solo CD. Vocals, Percussion M O N E T T A J A M E S Bio coming