After an incredible four-year run, Dunvegan’s Christmas-themed music and comedy revue — Music & Mayhem— is putting on its last five performances in December. The brainchild of Rosemary Chatterson from the 4thof Kenyon, this smash hit has raised thousands of dollars for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank since it first appeared on Dunvegan’s little stage in 2015. For their swan song, Rosemary and her talented cast of local performers will reprise their most popular songs and skits from the previous three years.
To accommodate all these great numbers, the 2018 “Best Of” show has been super-sized and will run at least thirty minutes longer. The troupe has also added a fifth performance to better meet the anticipated demand for tickets. Evening shows will be staged on Friday, December 7th, Friday, December 14thand Wednesday, December 12th. And if you’re not a night owl, matinees are planned for December 9thand 16th. Tickets will soon be available (for a “Best Of” price of $15 each) at the Caisse Populaire Desjardins in Alexandria, Home Hardware in Maxville, The Quirky Carrot in Alexandria and The Review in Vankleek Hill. Or if you’d prefer not to wait, you can call Rosemary at 613-525-1336.
Trickier & treatier than ever
Kim Raymond, chair of Dunvegan Recreation’s Community Halloween planning committee told me this year’s party was a rousing success. Over 80 celebrants of all ages packed the hall to enjoy the spooky fun Kim and her team had put together. Apparently the highlight of the evening was the incredible outdoor decorations that Halloween enthusiasts Anne and Mike Bertrand created. Relative newcomers to Dunvegan, the couple threw themselves into the project with gusto, mounting a display that included a huge dragon with flapping wings, a jumping witch and a fog machine. Their creative flair turned the current mess• at the front of the DRA hall into something spectacular. I for one look forward to seeing what they come up with next year. Exterior decorations, though, were just part of the story. Inside the hall, hordes of happy Halloweeners enjoyed perennial favourites such as “Put Out the Pumpkin” and the “Li’l Spooks Obstacle Course.” Many also tried their hand at the newest addition: “Catch the Eyeball.” Topping it all off was the annual costume parade around the spooky tree. Malik Bertrand took home the prize for the “most scary“ for his Grim Reaper costume. The prize for the “most original” went to Cole Williams in his Yellow Submarine costume. And the award for “funniest and/or cutest” entrant went to Isabelle Quenneville with her Paw Patrol costume.
The DRA also wants me to acknowledge Louise Quenneville, Mona Andre, Vivian Franklin, Kim Raymond and Ben Williams for making this extremely popular event possible. Thanks are also due to Kelly Doyle, Eileen Franklin and the many anonymous donors of Halloween treats… as well as volunteers Rowan McPherson, Kelly Doyle, Braeden Hay, Nico Widmer and Liam Ault for helping with the wee ones at the various play stations. Well done all. It’s hard to believe that a number of years ago it looked like the DRA Halloween Party would be cancelled for a lack of interest. It’s thanks to community-minded individuals like you that it wasn’t.
- If you’re wondering what’s with the construction at the hall, the DRA is in the middle of making accessibility improvements to the walkway and front entrance to bring them up to code for a community building.
DRA volunteer recognition
Since I have space this week, I also wanted to recognize the volunteers who contributed time and energy to insuring that the DRA’s refreshment booth at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum was a success. The community owes a debt of gratitude to: Mara Ault, Megan Roman, Cam Van Loon, Rowan McPherson, Lewis & Cora MacLeod, Sean Burgess, Robert Campbell, Vivian & Eileen Franklin, Amber Kilgour, Ben Williams, Louise Quenneville, Kayla MacGillivray, Lynda Evans, Mike Hall, Annette MacLeod, Anne Bertrand, Heather and Evan MacIntosh and Donnie and Kim Raymond. Without their enthusiastic efforts, many of the Dunvegan Recreation programs supported by the funds raised at these events would have to be cancelled or seriously curtailed.
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