A (Mississippi Mills) Christmas Carol

A (Mississippi Mills) Christmas Carol - theHumm December 2016

By — Kassandra Engmann is in her first year at U of O’s Honours Digital Journalism Program

Lights, camera, Puppets Up! The Puppets Up! International Puppet festival is taking a new approach to raising money for its 2017 season with some fundraising events, the first of which will be a puppet production of the Charles Dickens’ classic. See A (Mississippi Mills) Christmas Carol on December 16 and 17 in the Almonte Old Town Hall. This fun (and somewhat naughty) show will not only be a source of funds and seed money for the following season, but also a terrific night out!

Many of the stars of this production are the look-alike puppets of area residents and business owners, which have performed in various local theatrical events in the past, but will make their first appearances as Bob Cratchit, Mr. Fezziwig, The Ghosts of Christmas, and other beloved characters from the classic holiday story. In total, the production will include 48 puppets, one mascot, and a few human performers, including Toronto actor David Frisch. CBC Radio’s gardening expert Ed Lawrence will voice his own puppet (who plays the Ghost of Christmas Past), while Noreen Young does the actual puppeteering for that character. A member of the Order of Canada, Noreen has a long history within the puppetry community as an award-winning puppeteer and puppet builder, including her creation of the popular TV series Under the Umbrella Tree, which has aired on CBC, YTV and The Disney Channel, among others.

The production will also showcase the costume work of Ingrid Harris, a professional historic costume designer residing in Almonte. Ingrid’s work was recently featured at the National Gallery of Canada as part of the Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun exhibit. For A Christmas Carol, Ingrid has created Victorian clothing for all 48 puppets as well as the actors.

The cast will be supplemented by members of Almonte’s Rhythm and Song Community Choir under the direction of Jennifer Noxon, who will sing period Christmas carols between the scenes. Local musicians Ric Denis and Tony Stuart will provide a mini-concert of seasonal tunes before each show. Perhaps most amazing of all — everyone participating in this production is working on a volunteer basis to ensure the success of the popular festival that provides high-quality family entertainment and celebrates the art of puppetry, while contributing to the economic development of Almonte in Mississippi Mills.

Why A Fundraising Show?

In the 2016 season of its 12-year run, the charming children’s festival ended with a shortfall. Noreen Young, the festival’s artistic director and one of its founding members, explained that approximately a third of the funding for the downtown Almonte festival comes from tickets sales at the gate, but that certainly doesn’t cover all expenses. The rest of the money comes from private sponsors and donors within the community as well as grants, which are sometimes difficult to maintain. “People in the town are friendly and seem to like having a puppet festival right in the downtown,” explains Noreen, “but if you keep asking the same people for the same money year after year after year… it gets a bit much after a while.” The competition to enlist a title sponsor for the festival is high, since there are few large businesses in town, and those are all in great demand from other events. The reliance on grants also contributed to the festival’s financial shortcomings, as the loss of three significant grants that they had in previous years placed the festival in a deficit position.

However, Noreen feels that the board and supporters of the festival have risen to the challenge of ensuring its continued success. Since August, Puppets Up! has been fundraising via donations from the community, and she reports that they’ve just about covered the shortfall. Noreen is hugely appreciative of that support, and also feels that it is an indication of how much the town appreciates the festival. Young explains that back in 2004, Puppets Up! emerged from an idea generated by some members of the Almonte Chamber of Commerce. They thought it would be good for the town and might help attract businesses into the storefronts on Mill Street — and in fact in the years since the festival’s commencement the street has grown to the point that there are now no unoccupied retail spaces left! The downtown is the perfect location for this type of festival, with its picturesque look that attracts lots of visitors. In past years, the festival has attracted crowds of up 15,000, with over 250 volunteers signing on to help out.

Along with Noreen Young, the cast, crew and 48 local puppets all cordially invite you to enjoy a festive evening out in support of Puppets Up! A (Mississippi Mills) Christmas Carol runs on two nights only — Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17 — at the Almonte Old Town Hall. Curtain time is 7:30, but come early to hear some great live music and grab a drink at the cash bar! And because the look-alike puppets love to get up to raunchy mischief, this show is recommended for ages 16 and over. Tickets are $25 from Baker Bob’s and Mill Street Books in Almonte, or online at puppetsup.ca/tickets .

Happy Local Holidays! - theHumm December 2016

By Kris and Rob Riendeau

Here at theHumm we’re big on local economies. The retail and service businesses in the small towns that we cover play a huge role in the cultural life of those towns. Each store, restaurant, or sma......

A (Mississippi Mills) Christmas Carol - theHumm December 2016