"Laugh! With Leacock" June 1st, 2017 at Arts Court

Gail Anglin and I will be revisiting Stephen Leacock country on June 1st, joined by a third storyteller (the highly entertaining Mary Wiggin!) and gifted pianist Anne Hurley. 

"Laugh! With Leacock" is a fundraising concert of the Ottawa StoryTellers, a community arts charitable organization with a mission "to promote the art of storytelling in our community, to nurture and inspire both beginning and experienced storytellers, and to provide tellers and listeners of all ages with opportunities to come together to share and enjoy stories." 

I hope to see you there! Here is the official blurb:

"Canada’s king of gentle humour, Stephen Leacock (1869–1944), was for a time the best-known English-speaking humourist in the world. Three of Ottawa’s funniest storytellers, Gail Anglin, Tom Lips, and Mary Wiggin, present a show guaranteed to bring smiles with retellings of some Leacock classics and lesser-known gems.
Whether our hero is braving the terrors of banking, going under the barber’s blade, experiencing star-crossed romance in a little Ontario town, or communing with the Beyond, Leacock has a gift for zeroing in on the all-too-human foibles, fears and follies that beset us all.

Adding to the hilarity will be a Selection of Suitable Songs featuring the popular Lips-Anglin duo with accompanist Anne Hurley."

Venue: The Arts Court Theatre, located at 2 Daly Avenue in Ottawa’s downtown core (at the intersection of Daly Avenue and Nicholas Street), close to the Rideau Centre. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Arts Court or online at http://artscourt.ca/events/laugh-with-leacock/.

Presented by Ottawa Storytellers
www.ottawastorytellers.ca

Friends' Coffeehouse May 6th, 2017

I'm delighted to participate in the inauguration of a new coffeehouse series in Ottawa on Saturday, May 6th at the  Friends' (Quakers') Meeting House, 91A Fourth Avenue, Ottawa. I will be the featured performer in the second half of this charity fundraiser , which includes an open stage, performances by six local artists, and a Tiny Arts and Crafts Show. I understand there will be some bellydancing! Doors open at 6:30 and the suggested donation is $10.  

For more information, see the following article taken from this month's Glebe Report:
 
Tom Lips will perform at Friends’ Coffee House on May 6
by Heather White

Building on a long-held coffee house tradition, the inaugural Friends’ Coffee House will be held Saturday, May 6 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Quaker Meeting House, 91 Fourth Avenue in the Glebe. Doors open at 6:30.

Coffee houses, as we know them, started in the 1960s. These typically friendly and relaxing venues feature singer-songwriter performers. The intimate spaces encourage the mixing of
audiences and entertainers. Live folk music is sung, a variety of instruments are played and people sometimes recite poetry. The supportive atmosphere provides opportunities for new talent. And in this informal, relaxing environment new friends are made.

The first Friends’ Coffee House will offer both an open stage and a concert. Six accomplished local artists will share the stage during the first half. Acts include a bluegrass guitarist, a poet, a cellist and a duo singing English ballads. Tom Lips will perform a solo concert in the second half of the evening. He is well known to Ottawa audiences. Tom is an accomplished singer-songwriter, poet, author of stories and storyteller. His musical repertoire is eclectic and includes poignant love songs, frolicking protest pieces, gospel and rock. His voice is described as “deep, beautiful, crooning and almost sensual.” With over 300 songs written, he has published two CDs, performed internationally at music festivals and at concerts throughout Ottawa including the NAC’s Fourth Stage. These memorable performances beckon laughter and tears.

Coffee, tea and sweets will be sold at intermission and A Tiny Arts and Crafts Show will highlight local artists. Five contributors will be selling small works valued at $25 or less.
Admission to the event is by donation  of  pay-what-you-can,  with  a  suggestion of $10. The money received will be shared, a portion supporting a local charity, the remainder going to the featured musician. Volunteers are organizing the event.
 Everyone is welcome at this community  event.  Please  join  us  for  a laid-back evening on Saturday, May 6, and if you would like to take the stage at the next Friends’ Coffee House (Saturday, November 4, 2017), just let us know.

Heather White has lived and worked in the Glebe for 30 years and is part of a team of volunteers organizing the Friends’ Coffee House.