Candlelight Christmas and
Pipeline cap off 2021

The two important entertainment events that closed out December

By Byron Toben

December 22, 2021

As we plod along to another New Year, a fond report on two important events that closed out December.

In theatre, the annual live in-person dramatic reading of new plays by Infinitheatre in its Pipeline series and, in music, the annual (now streamed) Candlelight Christmas by the Montreal Lyric Theatre Singers.

The Fix reading featuring Marcelo Arroyo and Amanda Silveira – Image: courtesy of Infinitheatre

Pipeline 2021

This year’s 16th annual Pipeline series ran for three evenings, December 9 to 11 at the Kin Experience on Ste-Catherine West. As usual, the new scripts selected by the jury for Infinitheatre’s 2021 Write-On-Q contest were by Quebec playwrights or having a Quebec setting. Audience feedback was encouraged and given. As in the past, some of these plays (or maybe all) will result in full production in the future.

Joy Ross-Jones and Infinitheatre artistic director Zach Fraser – Image: courtesy of Infinitheatre

The first prize of $1000 went to Joy Ross-Jones for her play, Fix. A runner-up award of $100 went to Nick Carpenter for his play Arco, Part 1. A special reading was for Mishka Lavigne for her play Albumen, which had won the 2020 Quebec Writers Federation prize for playwriting.

The jury this year consisted of chair Oren Safdie, Espoir Segbeaya, Drew Hayden-Taylor, Alice Abracen and Gerry Lipnowski.

The readings were introduced by new Infinitheatre artistic director, Zach Fraser, who did an admirable job worthy of his retired predecessor, Guy Sprung, with one exception – not concocting the usual Sprung eggnog cup at Pipeline’s closing party.

A rundown on the three plays presented:

Fix

A Father obsessively searches the radio waves to save his country from drowning while his Daughter struggles to save him. Should we try to fix what’s broken or focus on the new future Director Cristina Cugliandro and actors Amanda Silveira and Marcello Arroyo bring the text to life.

Arco, Part 1

A northern city is under siege during winter. An orchestra of starving musicians is assembled to nourish the city with hope by performing a new symphony in defiance of an authoritarian state. The dynamic reading, directed by Sarah Garton Stanley, had an enviable cast of Deena Aziz, Tyrone Benskin, Joe Cobden, Clare Coulter and Leni Parker.

As usual, it was admirable how all the casts of the three plays got into their roles with only a few hours of rehearsal.

Albumen

This is Ms. Lavigne’s first play in English. She has won several prizes for other works in French. Here, a talented artist abandons that calling to work in an office and model part-time. She feels her flaws being exposed, bit by bit. Will she reach a breaking point? Directed by Amanda Kellock, the cast was Virginie Daigle, Mariah Inger and Jake Cohen.

As usual, it was admirable how all the casts of the three plays got into their roles with only a few hours of rehearsal.

Candlelight Christmas: Together Again

This annual show was streamed from December 16 to 19. In addition, it can be viewed again until “Holiday Seasons end” (presumably until January 3, although the 2020 version was still available as of December 16 this year.)

Frame from the Lyric Theatre Singers’ Candlelight Christmas: Together Again

While the 2020 version From Our Home To Yours was filmed on Zoom with dozens of individual headshots from the participants’ homes, this 2021 version, Together Again, was created with, in the main, large properly distanced group shots. The largest was set at their usual haunt, the atmospheric Loyola chapel at Concordia University – others outdoors or in an abandoned public building.

The 16 segments, introduced by director Bob Bachelor, began with – what else – a Light A Candle Ceremony soon followed by a Charlie Brown Christmas. A solo, Oh What a Wonderful Child was beautifully rendered by Katherine Fournier and a duet We Need a Little Christmas by Tim Adams and Terry Barr.

‘The penultimate event featured the current roster of Lyric Singers teaming up with their Alumni Chorus in an Irving Berlin Christmas and other wintery seasonal songs, culminating in the now obligatory I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.’

Jazzy elements were introduced by the female singers only with Santa Baby and the male singers only with Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. A group of 12 singers (out of the 40 or so) voiced a charming a cappella Have You Seen The Baby. A non-singing baking segment featured Maeve Reimer and Shauna Reimer whipping up a pastry delight.

The penultimate event featured the current roster of Lyric Singers teaming up with their Alumni Chorus in an Irving Berlin Christmas and other wintery seasonal songs, culminating in the now obligatory I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.

So kudos to all, including administrator Louise Dorais and instrumentalists Chad Linsey (piano), Chris Barillaro (keyboard), Peter Colantonio (percussion), Olga Gross (harp),
Sheila Hannigan (bass) and Tim Malloch (flute). Once again, the team has delivered the goods!

Watch Candlelight Christmas: Together Again via Facebook or YouTube

Feature image: frame from Candlelight Christmas: Together Again

More articles from Byron Toben

Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.