Strathspey Performing Arts Centre

Menopause: The Musical
2017-11-14 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Halifax)
SOLD OUT SHOW!
Off Broadway world wide smash hit comes to Mabou!
A SHAGGYPUP PRODUCTION BY SPECIAL LICENSE FROM GFOUR PRODUCTIONS
First time to Mabou: 1 SHOW ONLY! DON’T MISS OUT!
It’s a party every night! Laugh out loud comedy staged to 25 classic hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Come see what millions of women worldwide have been laughing, cheering and raving about for years!

Set in a department store, four women with nothing in common but a black lace bra… come to realize they have more to share than ever imagined.
The all-star Canadian cast makes fun of their hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, wrinkles, not enough sex, too much sex, chocolate binges and a whole lot more! ‘Menopause’ is hysterical & leaves you singing, & dancing in the aisles, guaranteed!
Come celebrate your womanhood and join the sisterhood!
Bring your mother, daughter, sister and friends! They’ll love it!
Enjoy ‘The Hilarious Celebrations of Women and The Change’! Rated “MAN-datory viewing for men” since men love it too!
Don’t miss out on ‘Happy Hot Flash Hour’ from 6:30 – 7:30pm, with Menopause specialty themed drinks like Heat Wave and Mood Swing martinis!

Show: 90 minutes, no intermission.
VIP tickets include seating in the first five rows, and a meet and greet with the cast after the show, along with a Q&A session and photo opportunities. 10% off tickets for groups of 8 or more!

A Quartette Christmas
2017-12-08 19:30 - 21:30
Enjoy the beauty of the season with A Quartette Christmas
Featuring Gwen Swick, Caitlin Hanford, Cindy Church and Sylvia Tyson

An evening with Quartette is always a magical musical journey… tickets make a lovely early Christmas gift!
Since their debut in 1993, the four members of Quartette have been both publicly and critically acclaimed for their lush harmonies and delightfully diverse repertoire. Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, Gwen Swick, and Sylvia Tyson are seasoned singer/songwriters whose influences range from blues and gospel to folk and country to jazz and pop.
Quartette has received several Juno nominations, won a Canadian Country Music Award for best vocal collaboration, performed with major symphony orchestras across Canada, and recorded the CMT-TV special, “A Quartette Christmas.” They have also released two Christmas CDs, “It’s Christmas!” in 1996, and “I See A Star” in 2002, both of which are collections of traditional and original Christmas songs, and their Christmas shows have become a tradition with audiences across the country.
Quartette continues to tour and record. In October of 2007, they released their sixth recording, “Down At The Fair,” produced by legendary guitarist, arranger and producer Colin Linden.
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20th!

Elf the Movie Screening
2017-12-09 18:30 - 21:30
The Christmas Season is upon us!
Join us and celebrate the season with your friends and neighbours on the evening on Saturday, December 9. We will be showing ‘Elf’ here at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre after an exciting evening in Mabou.
The rest of the evening’s festivities include:
5:00pm – 6:15pm :
Gather at Mabou Communications for free hot chocolate and hotdogs. We’ll await Santa’s arrival and light Mabou’s Christmas tree.
6:30pm: The movie ‘Elf’ will begin at Strathspey.

See you there!
ADMISSION IS BY DONATION
Jointly sponsored by Mabou Communications Ltd., Strathspey Performing Arts Centre, Mabou Gaelic and Historical Society and Mabou Development. A very special thank you to Carmen Campbell for providing the tree!

Christmas Guitar Frenzy
2017-12-14 19:30 - 21:30
LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20TH!

Celebrate the holiday season “On Stage” at Strathspey while enjoying Christmas favourites in many styles! Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, good ole Rock ‘n Roll and much more! Acoustic & Electric wizards of their instruments, Scott Mcmillan & Brian Doyle, are a sure bet when it comes to a guaranteed night of “WOW” and tons of fun!

Christmas is a such a fun, special time of the year, why not treat yourself to an intimate, up close and personal night out “On Stage” at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, December 14th, 7:30PM. The coziness “On Stage” offers a uniquely warm experience, the Christmas lighting, an intensely creative mood, you’ll feel as though you are literally part of the show! This is one Christmas event you must not miss.

Full bar, including local brews such as Big Spruce and Breton Brewing products! Event is for 19 years & over.

Ole Opry Show with Lynn Chisholm
2018-02-04 15:00 - 17:00
The Ole Opry Show with Lynn Chisholm is a simulated Grand Ole Opry Production. You will see some of your favorite stars like George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Patti Loveless, Rickey Skaggs, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Randy Travis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Minnie Pearl, Glenn Frey and many more. Some songs you will hear are ‘Coat Of Many Colors’, ‘Two Story House’, ‘You Don’t Seem To Miss Me’, ‘Forever & Ever Amen’, ‘Lyin Eyes’ just to name a few.
Previous productions Lynn Chisholm presented are Ole Opry with Lynn Chisholm, Ghost Of Hank Williams, Cowboys Country Christmas, DJ Mac Gillivray Show, and The Lynn Chisholm Show. With a full house band and hosted by Lee Ann Womack, with an excited group of cast members this is an afternoon of country music you will not want to miss.
Band members:
John R. Fontaine guitar, keyboard, vocals
Cecil MacQuarrie bass
Urban Breen steel guitar
Jamie Fontaine rhythm guitar, vocals
Garett Beaton drums
Keith MacNeil guitar, mandolin, harp, back up
Ben Dorey guitar, vocals
Lynn Chisholm vocals, back up
Cast Members :
Isobelle MacEachern, Melissa MacLennan, Hugh John Beaton, Liam Brophy, Cyril Chisholm, John R. Fontaine, Jamie Fontaine, Genna Varner, Ben Dorey, Phyllis MacDonald, Archie Moran, DJ MacGillvray, Sandy Gillis, Keith MacNeil, Lynn Chisholm
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17!

Old Fashioned Scottish Super Concert
2018-04-08 19:30 - 22:00
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is one of many vibrant social profit organizations on Cape Breton Island and thrives to achieve sustainability through community donations, funding opportunities and fundraising efforts of their own.
In 2016, Strathspey engaged the community through the Bi-Annual Super Concert Series, which featured a large number of local performers sharing their stage through their music. The Bi-Annual Super Concert Series took on a kitchen party atmosphere and was truly enjoyed by the audience!
Strathspey proudly presents the next Old Fashioned Scottish Super Concert on Sunday, April 8 at 7:30pm. Performers include Kenneth MacKenzie, Blair MacDonald, Ian MacDougall, Donna Marie DeWolfe, Cyril McPhee, Amanda MacDougall, Lisa Cameron, Vern MacDougall, Coisir an Eilein (Mabou’s Gaelic singing group) and more!
We’ll also have a silent auction with numerous items for the whole family to enjoy, a ‘Think Cape Breton First’ local bar with craft brews from Big Spruce Brewing, Breton Brewing Co., and Glenora Distillery. Delicious food will be available for purchase from the Clove Hitch Bistro before the show!
As part of our fundraising efforts, Strathspey will be selling 50/50 tickets throughout Inverness County throughout the winter months, with the big draw done on-stage at our Super Concert! Check our Facebook page for updates on 50/50 table locations and estimated prize totals!
As a thank you for all of the support of our patrons within our communities, every person who purchases a ticket for the Old Fashioned Scottish Super Concert will be entered into a grand prize draw of a dozen lobsters!
Follow our Facebook page for performer announcements and chances to win tickets to the show!
The Old Fashioned Scottish Super Concert is supported by 101.5 The Hawk and The Municipality of the
County of Inverness. A very special thank you to Jeff Beaton for his generous donations for our show night draw!

Cape Breton Guitar Show
2018-05-03 19:30 - 21:30
Join us for an exciting evening of toe-tapping Cape Breton Guitar with five of Cape Breton’s finest guitarists! Featuring Maxim Cormier, Gervais Cormier, Pius MacIsaac, Mitch Poirier and James MacLean. The concert will feature traditional tunes, original material, and a few surprises. Cape Breton Guitar is on May 3rd at 7:30PM and advanced tickets are go on sale Wednesday, February 7!

Maxim and Gervais Cormier are a father and son duo from Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. Gervais, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and his son Maxim, a guitarist, composer, producer and educator, are a multifaceted pair with international experience.
The two have played together for over ten years, and their duo album ‘Maxim and Gervais Cormier: Cape Breton Guitar’ was released December 1 2017.

Pius MacIsaac, from Mabou, is a regular performer at the local festivals and parish hall dances that intrigue so many of the island’s visitors. A gifted composer, Pius has written about fifty tunes which he performs on his violin and mandolin as well as his guitar. He is a sought-after artist in Cape Breton and can be seen accompanying many of the island’s top fiddlers with his driving, percussive guitar rhythms. Pius has recorded on four CDs and has played with Natalie MacMaster, Gordie Sampson, Scott Macmillan, Ian MacDougall, and Kinnon Beaton.

Hailing from East Lake Ainslie, Cape Breton, James MacLean has been playing music for over 15 years. He started from a young age taking piano lessons from the late Marianne Jewell, but then migrated towards guitar. It was in his late teens when he began lessons with Cape Breton guitar sensation, Brian Doyle, that his love for traditional Cape Breton music began to blossom. After high school, James decided to pursue a degree in music, and under the tutelage of Scott MacMillan, earned his Bachelor of Music from Dalhousie University in 2015. James can be heard playing alongside his aunt Karen Beaton a few times each summer during her weekly concerts in Mabou and Antigonish, as well as various other events around Inverness County. James does his best to emulate his former teachers when flat-picking Traditional Scottish tunes, and other genres such as classical and bluegrass. He hopes to release a solo album in the near future.

Mitch Poirier is a 17 year old singer/songwriter & multi intrumentalist (guitar, piano, bass, & drums) from Inverness, Nova Scotia. Mitch has been playing music since the age of 9 and has become a unique performer with his instrumental guitar style which at age 14 garnered an Atlantic Canada Under 19 Guitar Championship at the East Coast Guitar Festival. Mitch has performed on small and large stages over the last 8 years and as a singer/songwriter has recorded original music at Codapop Studios in Halifax. Mitch has had the opportunity to share the stage with noted performers such as The Town Heroes, Heather Rankin & Rawlins Cross.

Dance Debut: It's a Cat's Life
2018-05-11 18:30 - 21:00
Dance Debut’s 30th Anniversary show: ‘It’s a Cat’s Life’ features dancers 3 years and up from Cheticamp, Belle Cote, Margaree, Inverness, Mabou, Waycobah, Wagmatcook, Whycocomagh, Port Hood, Judique, Port Hawkesbury, Auld’s Cove, Havre Boucher, Louisdale, St Peter’s and beyond.
Exploring elements of character building and expression throughout the year, the dancers have focused on tap, jazz, ballet and musical theatre this year to create their cat characters and dance skills. Building their costumes and make up to represent their personal cat character has been a new adventure, as well as changing dance steps from the traditional look to the ‘CAT’ look.
We look forward to sharing our adventure with you on Friday, May 11 for our annual recital. Show starts at 6:30 pm. Tickets on sale online beginning Sunday, April 15.

Rock of Ages: Dalbrae Academy Musical
2018-05-23 19:30 - 21:30, 2018-05-24 19:30 - 21:30
Dalbrae Academy proudly presents ‘ROCK OF AGES’, high school edition on Wednesday, May 23 and Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 pm at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre, Mabou.
It’s the tail end of the big, bad 1980s in Hollywood, and the party has been raging hard. Aqua Net, Lycra, Heavy Metal flow freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues, a place where legendary rocker Stacee Jaxx takes the stage and groupies line up for their chance at an autograph. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes). But the rock and roll fairy-tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherri, and the gang save the strip–and themselves–before it’s too late? Only the music of hit bands Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and more hold the answer.
ROCK OF AGES (high school edition) has been adapted by the author and iTheatrics to create a version ready for high schools. The unforgettable rock anthems have been adjusted for teen voices and some subject matter has been adjusted for appropriateness. Introduce your kids (and re-introduce the parents) to the face-melting, guitar anthems of the 1980’s in this hit Broadway musical.

Strathspey Annual General Meeting
2018-05-30 18:30 - 20:30
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre would like to welcome our local communities to our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 30 at 6:30pm.
It’s your theatre! Please consider attending the AGM for Strathspey Performing Arts Centre – we want to have a community conversation. Come with ideas! It will give you an opportunity to:

Learn about what Strathspey does in and for the community
Becoming a member will allow you the opportunity to provide input in the way it is run
Let us know what you think

The event is open to all members of the public as we discuss our standing from the year past and the direction that Strathspey is heading in the upcoming year. Hope to see you there!

Laura Smith & Kim Dunn
2018-05-31 19:30 - 21:30
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre proudly welcomes Laura Smith & Kim Dunn on Thursday, May 31 at 7:30pm. These talented performers will blow us away as they share their stories through song during an intimate, on-stage event in Mabou this spring. Limited seating available – tickets go live on Wednesday, February 7th!

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Laura Smith’s distinct singing voice has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for many decades now. Growing up in southern Ontario, she made the bold move to Cape Breton in the mid-‘80s where she found a vibrant music scene and the ability to grow artistically. She has remained in Nova Scotia ever since and has a community of musical friends who are able to support her performances and, occasionally, are the sources of new material. Laura continues to hone her craft of song writing. Personal accolades include two Juno nominations, a Gemini award, and an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities to honour Laura’s songwriting talent. She is probably most well-known for ‘My Bonny’, her unique interpretation of the Scottish song ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’, a version of which she recorded with The Chieftains in 2010 which was named Song of the Decade by LiveIreland, the Irish Internet radio and TV enterprise.
Nobody, but nobody, the length and breadth of this country, sings with the same stark emotion as she does. Toronto Sun

North Sydney’s Kim Dunn was the recipient of the first ECMA Musician Special Achievement Award for his work as a singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, musical director and pianist. His first solo record, Take This Hammer, was called a polished gem by The Chronicle Herald. He has performed extensively throughout North America and abroad and has worked with an A-list of artists including: Rita MacNeil, Bruce Guthro, Matt Minglewood, Alison Krauss, Jimmy Rankin, David Myles, Jill Barber, Dave Gunning and countless others.
Kims latest recording, Day By Day, picks up where Take This Hammer left off. As with its predecessor, Day By Day offers listeners an indelible collection of heartfelt, rootsy tunes anchored by a pitch-perfect tenor delivery and incomparable musicianship. This music is made to last and only gets better with each listen.
… his ability with any style of music has made him one of the hardest working sidemen in the business. Cape Breton Post

Thane Dunn: Elvis Rock and Country
2018-06-29 19:30 - 21:30
This is a show for Die hard Elvis fans to those who just love great music and having fun!
INTERNATIONAL WORLD CHAMPION THANE DUNN AND THE CADILLAC KINGS NEW ELVIS ROCK AND COUNTRY
International World Champion Thane Dunn and his Cadillac Kings return with all the Rock and Country classics that Elvis made famous worldwide. Born a country boy Elvis Presley loved to sing country songs, when he sang a country song it came straight from the heart. From ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ to ‘Always on my Mind’, ‘Suspicious Minds’ to ‘Kentucky Rain’, this new show has all your favourites performed by the best in the business.
Thane Dunn has the full Elvis package. From the looks, sound, moves and magnetic personality like none other. His act is so convincing he is actually endorsed by several people who worked and performed with Elvis.
“Thane Dunn is the closest thing I’ve ever seen to Elvis”, Bill Baize of JD Sumner and the Stamps Quartet who performed with Elvis from 1971 to 76.
Special opening act the Rhinestone Cowgirl with her amazing Salute to the Queens of Country Music: Loretta Lynne, Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. Featuring your favourites from ‘Stand by Your Man’ to ‘Coalminers Daughter’ with her amazing voice and ability to emulate all three country icons flawlessly. With her movie star good looks, charm and authentic costumes you will fall in love with her.
TICKETS ON SALE ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25!

Maxim & Gervais Cormier
2018-07-12 19:30 - 21:30
Maxim and Gervais Cormier are a father and son duo from Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. Gervais, a composer and multi-instrumentalist, and his son Maxim, a guitarist, composer, producer and educator, are a multifaceted pair with international experience.
Gervais, who notably co-wrote ‘La Gang Arrive’ by the acadian group 1755, has toured internationally with John Allan Cameron and many other Cape Breton acts.
Maxim, who is trained in classical, jazz and world music, has performed with artists like Ashley MacIsaac and Beolach, as well as in places around the world like Scotland, England, Australia, and France. Maxim has won many awards including, Music Nova Scotia’s Acadian/Francophone Artist of the Year 2013, 14, 15, 16, & 17, Instrumental of the Year at the International Acoustic Music Awards in 2014 and he won the Celtic Colours’ Drive’ers Association’s Big Sampie Award in 2012.
The two have played together for over ten years, and their duo album ‘Maxim and Gervais Cormier: Cape Breton Guitar’ was released December 1 2017.

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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.

Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.

This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Dave Sampson
2018-07-19 19:30 - 21:30
Dave Sampson writes heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and authentic voice that could blow down a brick house. His knack for crafting simple ear-worms and his high-energy shows have been winning him fans across Atlantic Canada for the past three years. Over this time, he has shared the stage and worked with artists such as Classified, Gordie Sampson, Mo Kenney and Ria Mae.
“Dave Sampson writes a great, heartfelt pop song and has a warm, inviting, laid-back style that will no doubt appeal to a wide cross-section of people. It’s not hard to imagine his music lighting up the radio and drawing crowds” The Scope, St. John’s, NL
Dave has also been hand-picked as one of Nova Scotia’s most promising young songwriters to take part in the prestigious, invitation-only Gordie Sampson Song camp for the past 5 years. Through this opportunity, he has been fortunate enough to collaborate with the province’s finest writers: Gordie Sampson, Mo Kenney, Donovan Woods, Port Cities and Neon Dreams.

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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.

Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.

This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Reeny Smith
2018-07-26 19:30 - 21:30
Reeny Smith is a powerhouse on the stage and in the studio. As a 25-year-old singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, her age – and her modest disposition – may be deceiving. That is about to change with the release of her soul-inspired, dance hit debut album, spring 2018.
Reeny has captured much attention and high praise from within the music industry, having an already long list of awards and accolades to her credit. She was first recognized in 2011 with the Portia White Award for Excellence in Vocal Performance, along with a scholarship from the Nova Scotia Talent Trust for her outstanding musical attributes. Reeny was selected as Casino Nova Scotia’s Artist In Residence in 2015 and attended the Gordie Sampson Songcamp the
same year. Reeny has received three African Nova Scotia Music Awards for Up and Coming Artist (2011), Rising Star (2012), and Artist of the Year (2015). In 2017 and 2016, she won Music Nova Scotia’s African Canadian Artist of the Year award.
With the upcoming release of her first single ‘Good Girl Swag’ in February 2018, and her first full-length album to follow, Reeny is poised and ready to take her career to the next level. Looking back on her successes and forward on what’s to come, it’s exciting to think for Reeny, this is only the beginning.
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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.

Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.

This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Brent Aucoin
2018-08-02 19:30 - 21:30
Brent is an acclaimed fiddler from Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. With his Cheticamp connections, he spent a great deal of his time mentoring with Arthur Muise. Brent plays with the same vigor and style as Arthur, playing much of his tune repertoire infrequently heard by other players. His cuts are impressive and full of energy, and his impeccable timing has placed him in great demand for dances and ceilidhs.

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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.

Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.

This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Ole Opry Show with Lynn Chisholm
2018-08-05 16:00 - 18:30
The Ole Opry Show with Lynn Chisholm is a simulated Grand Ole Opry Production. This will be a showcase of many ‘ old country classics’ You will see some of your favorite stars like George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Rose Ann Cash, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Horton, Loretta Lynn, Randy Travis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Minnie Pearl, Glenn Frey and many more. Some songs you will hear are ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough’, ‘Just Someone I Used To Know’, ‘Act Naturally’, ‘Branded Man’, ‘Bar Tender Blues’, ‘Good Ole Boys’, ‘Are You Sure Hank Don It This Way’ just to name a few.
Previous productions Lynn Chisholm presented are Ole Opry with Lynn Chisholm, Ghost Of Hank Williams, Cowboys Country Christmas, DJ Mac Gillivray Show, The Lynn Chisholm Show. With a full house band and hosted by Lee Ann Womack, with an excited group of cast members this is an afternoon of country music you will not want to miss.
Band members:
John R. Fontaine guitar, keyboard, vocals
Cecil Mac Quarrie bass
Urban Breen steel guitar
Jamie Fontaine rhythm guitar, vocals
Garett Beaton drums
Keith Mac Neil guitar, mandolin, harp, back up
Ben Dorey guitar, vocals
Lynn Chisholm vocals, back up
Cast Members:
John R. Fontaine, Lola Lelievre, Cyril Chisholm, Jamie Fontaine, Genna Varner, Ben Dorey, Phyllis MacDonald, Archie Moran, DJ Mac Gillvray, Sandy Gillis, Keith Mac Neil, Lynn Chisholm
TICKETS ON SALE WEDNESDAY, MAY 9!

Keith Mullins
2018-08-09 19:30 - 21:30
Music-Chameleon Keith Mullins has been playing music all his life. Raised in Cape Breton, NS where his family played all styles of music from the hits to jazz, from Cape Breton fiddling to country, music runs thick through his blood. Keith is a multiple award winning songwriter with a degree in classical music and has studied with master drummers in West Africa and Cuba. He’s toured the world playing with East Coast’s finest musicians and has worked passionately at the art of music, from creation to performance to production all the while maintaining his focus in the pursuit of forward thinking projects. His album ‘Localmotive Farm’ shares the name with his organic farm in Nova Scotia. His album ‘The Wood Buffalo Youth Song Project’ was a collaborative project where he created a CD that the schools could use for fund-raising. His newest release, ‘Island Sol’, is a doc./album collaboration between Keith and some stellar Cuban musicians recorded at the famous Egrem Studios in Havana, Cuba.
“Keith creates music from the soul; the instruments he uses to express it – drums, vocal, guitar – are all secondary.” Andrew Fedora, Crowdis Bridge
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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.
Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.
This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Séan McCann
2018-08-16 19:30 - 21:30
Séan McCann bought his first guitar in 1989 which he affectionately calls “Old Brown”. Old Brown has been around. He was there for the first song Séan ever wrote. He was there as Séan founded the acclaimed and multi-million selling band (Great Big Sea) that would change his life. He was there to hold Séan up many a night as he struggled with alcoholism, and he has been there to help guide Séan out of the darkness with music as his medicine.
His 2014 album ‘Help Your Self’ was a battle cry; a line in the sand which announced that he was ready to change and it resonated with people in a way Séan never could have expected. It helped him understand that he wasn’t alone and that telling his story could help others as much as it helped him. 2015’s ‘You Know I Love You’ was inspired by the love he found in sharing that story and an attempt to find a new and real connection in a world that had turned inward to its smart phones. Now comes ‘There’s a Place’ which was produced by Jeremy Fisher, features the beautiful voice of Nova Scotia singer/songwriter Meaghan Smith, and is a collection of songs from a man who is trying to keep his head up when we are tempted to keep them buried in our screens; it’s the story of a man no longer crippled by a lie and who has changed his narrative by not letting his history define him and never forgetting……that he is not alone.
With the release of his 5th solo album, ‘There’s a Place’, he continues his journey as a singer, songwriter, and now a sought after speaker and mental health advocate with Old Brown by his side and a simple message: “You are not alone.”

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This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.
Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.
This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Scott Macmillan, Brian Doyle & Jeannie Beks
2018-08-23 19:30 - 21:30
Scott Macmillan is recognized as one of Canada’s leading musicians, and as playing an integral role in widening the audience for the music of Atlantic Canada both nationally and internationally. Equally at home on the podium, in the studio or behind a guitar, Mr. Macmillan is in great demand as a music director, performer/conductor, arranger and producer.

“Macmillan is a wonderful musical ambassador for every genre of music from this area and a joy to work with.” Susan Mitton, Director of Radio, CBC Halifax

It is no surprise that Brian Doyle has become the compelling musician we now see on stage. Music was as important as first steps within the vibrant music scene he was born into on Cape Breton Island, and the rich musical soil of his own Chisholm family was a perfect launching pad for the musical career that was to follow. On stage since the age of 14, Brian has played in the rock and blues scene with many successful groups including his own project Greyloch, a Celtic Rock fusion group nominated for an East Coast Music Award, Rock Album of the Year, in 2000. Brian has also been nominated for ECMAs for albums recorded with Scott Macmillan, and won an award in 1998 for Scott Macmillan Presents: The Minnie Sessions Vol 1. Brian has played on many recordings and toured nationally and internationally, and for Nova Scotia Tourism promotions with East Coast performers like Natalie MacMaster, Beòlach, Lennie Gallant and others.
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Scott and Brian will be joined by talented local singer, Jeannie Beks. Jeannie has been singing since she could walk. Originally from Halifax, she’s studied Music Education, taught both privately and in schools, and has performed far from her Mabou home on international stages. She’s worked with numerous groups including Thistledown and Terry Kelly. She has also recorded three albums, including her most recent: an album for which all proceeds are given to MADD Canada.

This show is part of our exciting 2018 summer festival, Currents! CURRENTS will feature some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting up and coming musicians, representing a variety of genres from Nova Scotia’s diverse music scene. You’ll hear country-folk, soul, rhythm & blues, traditional Gaelic music of Cape Breton Island, and pop-rock combos! The stage venue at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is transformed into one of the coziest and most dynamic spaces you’ll ever experience – Musicians and listeners all together in the one space for an up close and personal experience where you will actually visit and learn in a very real way.
Enjoy a local cash bar featuring Nova Scotia brews including Big Spruce, Cape Breton Brewing, Marble Mountain wines and Glenora Distillery’s finest whisky products. The event is open to all ages.
This series takes place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer, beginning on July 12th at 7:30PM.

Sonic Sound Journey with David Hickey
2018-09-14 19:30 - 21:30
Join us at Strathspey this September for a Sonic Sound Journey! Based in Perry Sound, Ontario, Crystal Journey and David Hickey performs with 8 Paiste Planet, Symphonic and Sound Creation Gongs, 8 Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls and 2 Persian Santoors.
Music can help ease some of our stress and hostility. Each Crystal Journey concert is aimed at providing the audience with a safe and relaxing environment. Each of David’s performances are completely improvised, and unique. The intent of the music is to create expansive and improvised music, to awaken consciousness and to provide a Cosmic Musical Journey into the Unknown.

Limited seating available for this exclusive event!
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A Keppoch Wedding
2018-09-22 19:00 - 21:30
A production by The Society for the Ships of 1801
Wedding bells are ringing out on Keppoch this summer as Boston Bessie Beaton is coming home with the Irish lad she wants to marry. Since the church blew down in a recent gale, the priest has agreed to hold the wedding in the mountain’s ceilidh house with Maggie and Joe MacLean hosting the big do.
Being in Boston these last few years, doing a little modeling and a lot of working in a fish plant, Bessie has acquired a few notions about the makings of a splashy wedding. That might be great altogether except by the time Bessie lands on the Keppoch, Maggie has put herself in charge of just about everything from music to menu. Expect a few sparks to fly.
It is a busy time on the mountain with cattle to bless, Gaelic stories to tell and an interfering Mountie to be put in his place but everybody pitches in for the wedding. The first going off, there’s the extremely serious issue of finding the necessary refreshments since distributor Michael Lauchie went to jail. Then there’s the young girls dreaming of romance, the older ladies waiting on hats ordered from the catalogue and bachelor Billy the Bochan debating whether a wedding is a big enough occasion to warrant washing his shirt.
As young and foolish as Bessie is, she is a Keppoch girl, born and bred, so you may be sure the neighbours won’t let the Irish lad and his mother go back to Boston without a heaping helping of highland hospitality. The pipes, the fiddles and the dancers are lined up and raring to go so squeeze onto the stairs or have a seat on the woodbox as you don’t want to miss a Keppoch wedding.

Barra MacNeils: On the Bright Side Tour
2018-10-04 19:30 - 21:30
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre proudly presents The Barra MacNeils: On the Bright Side Tour on Thursday, October 4.
The Barra MacNeils are beloved for the rollicking blend of fiddle-driven tunes they deliver with cheerful abandon and a foot-stomping beat. While the band’s latest release, titled On The Bright Side, would appear equally sunny in its outlook, there is a dose of something deeper, and slightly darker, in some of these grooves…
As always, the five MacNeil siblings – Lucy, Boyd, Stewart, Kyle and Sheumas – combine on a vast array of instruments including accordion, guitar, piano, fiddle, bodhran, mandolin, banjo, Celtic harp, tin whistles, bouzouki, flute… underpinned by the nimble-fingered Jamie Gatti on bass.
If you’ve ever been wowed by their Christmas show, be prepared to have the wow factor raised exponentially as the band is unleashed from the strictures of the season. “Nothing but dumbstruck awe.”
TICKETS ON SALE ON JULY 2, 2018!
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Celtic Colours: Close to the Floor
2018-10-09 19:30 - 21:30
Tickets to this event are available through the Celtic Colours website.
Celtic Colours has a history of paying tribute to those that have had a profound effect on the culture of Cape Breton. Tonight we’ll honour a couple whose influence has extended far beyond the Island’s shores through their sharing of the culture. Alex grew up listening to and playing the fiddle and Minnie was in demand as a neat and tidy dancer. Minnie was a dedicated dance teacher who taught Mary Janet and Harvey their steps. Both would later travel to Scotland and California to teach those very same steps. Betty Lou just happens  to be Alex’s sister and she, along with husband Kinnon, will be on hand to provide some of the best dance music around. We’ll also get to meet some of the MacMaster grandchildren as they perform for Grandpa and Grandma tonight. And while Breabach have not met her directly, there’s no doubt that some of the steps they’ve learned in Scotland over the last 25 years were in part thanks to Minnie’s teachings.
Performing artists include:
Kinnon Beaton
Betty Lou Beaton
MacMaster grandchildren
Mary Janet MacDonald
Harvey Beaton
Breabach
Hosted by Chestico Museum & Historical Society

Celtic Colours: Òrain: The Connecting Thread
2018-10-10 19:30 - 21:30
Tickets to this event are available through the Celtic Colours website.
Join Scottish piper-Gaelic singer Allan MacDonald and generations of Cape Breton Gaelic singers for a special concert in Mabou, a beating heart of Gaelic culture in Inverness County. Exploring the connections to Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba—the Scottish Highlands—as represented in the song tradition of Cape Breton Island, this evening’s songs are as well-chosen as the location, and those who will be singing them. Local Gaelic song tradition shares much with that of the Old Country; some songs live on in different settings, and some are still sung the only way anybody has ever known. The songs will tell us of the inspiration and the adaptation and the influence of place, and how it is connected. With fiddle and cello duo Mairi Rankin and Eric Wright, and students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Ùr: The Future of our Past, this will be a night to remember.
Performing artists include:
Allan MacDonald
Mary Jane Lamond
Mairi Rankin
Eric Wright
Joanne MacIntyre & sons
Colin Watson
Còisir an Eilein
Ùr: The Future of our Past
Hosted by Dalbrae Academy Student Council

Port Cities
2018-10-14 19:00 - 21:00
“A mix of east coast culture and indie flare. Each song on their self-titled debut is an individual masterpiece” – Canadian Beats
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre proudly presents Port Cities on Sunday, October 14 at 7 pm.
See the East Coast’s fastest rising band live in concert in Mabou this October! With their smooth three-part harmonies, heartfelt songwriting, and multiple-ECMA-nominated, rave-reviewed debut album, Port Cities are Nova Scotia’s next big thing. Featuring the combined talents of already-established solo musicians Carleton Stone, Dylan Guthro, and Breagh MacKinnon, Port Cities are a “a perfect balance of Nashville and Nova Scotia” (Vents Magazine, UK).
TICKETS ON SALE ON JULY 2, 2018!
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East Coast Celtic
2018-11-10 19:30 - 21:30
FLASH SALE! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT!
November 8 & 9 – buy one ticket, get one free! For every ticket you purchase to see East Coast Celtic, you get one ticket free! Pass the word along – it’s going to be an AMAZING show this Saturday.
Offer available online here and through the Strathspey box office at 902-945-5300.

Discover strength in the culture of the Gaels to overcome life’s challenges. Liven your spirit in the rhythm of the music and dance. Dream it. Dance it. Live it.
Change of Step‘s theatrical dance production East Coast Celtic celebrates the music and connection to culture that inspires them to dance. Together with world-renowned Cape Breton musicians Dawn Beaton, Margie Beaton, Mac Morin and Kenneth MacKenzie, Change of Step shines a spotlight on rich traditions of Canada’s East Coast, setting audiences’ hearts alight.
ABOUT CHANGE OF STEP
Change of Step Highland Dance Company was formed in 2014 with a shared mission to showcase the beauty and strength of world-class highland dancing in a unique, contemporary way.
The six founding members came together through the initiative of six-time world champion Marielle Lespérance. Many of the dancers have known each other since childhood, competed against each other, performed with one another and worked side by side in dance studios together – forming strong friendships along the way. They come from different places in Ontario and Nova Scotia, have been trained by different teachers, and each have a unique dance story but all share a deep passion for highland dance.
Change of Step’s dancers are all highly accomplished. In competition, they have won numerous regional, provincial, national, and international championship titles. They also have performed internationally having delighted audiences at Parliament Hill on Canada Day, in the Vancouver Olympics, at the Dollywood Festival of Nations in Tennessee, in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and in the finals of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, among countless other performances in venues big and small.
Change of Step performs rhythmic, intricate choreography that is grounded in a deep appreciation for traditional music and showcases the strength and grace of modern highland dancing (with some step dancing added for good measure).
Change of Step is Holly Arsenault, Kayleigh Armstrong, Jenny MacKenzie, Janine Lesperance, Marielle Lesperance and Chantal Watt.

Battle of the Bands
2018-11-24 19:00 - 22:00
Strathspey’s 2018 Battle of the Bands
On November 24 at 7pm, SIX bands will compete for 8 hours of recording time with sound engineer Rob Stone at Strathspey Performing Arts Centre right here in Mabou and a logo design by Sara Rankin Creative! All participants will receive a free membership to Strathspey AND a free demo recording from their performance, recorded live the night of their debut.
Well known TV personality Cindy Day will be the Host for Battle of the Bands, with the panel of judges Allie Bennett, Marilyn MacDonald-MacKinnon and Andre Pettipas of Andre and the Giants!
The competitors have been chosen! We couldn’t narrow it down to five bands… so there are six competitors! Check them out:

My Favourite Headache (MFH) is an alternative acoustic rock band from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. The band, which includes members Dylan Ellis, Drew Polegato, J Wood and Robby Osmond-Chown, has grown from four friends rocking out to covers in a garage, to headlining local events with their original written music.
Bridges is an emerging folk rock band from Inverness County. Comprised of band members Abby Mullendore, Barry Fougere and Alasdair Cameron, they’re a fun, quirky, edgy band that formed earlier this year.
The Middle River Band‘s Brian MacIver, Brian Phillips, Richard Herring, and Hector MacRae have been playing with energy and enthusiasm for over ten years. Playing ‘anything to keep ’em on the dance floor’, they’re a crazy little dance band with lots of home grown music.
The Corner Crew hails from Whycocomagh and River Denys and includes Darlene Ellis and Malcolm and Elizabeth Matheson. They’ve been playing celtic, folk, country and old rock ‘n’ roll together for six years.
Substitute Blonde is a rock/indie band from the Strait area that has been playing together for over three years. Damian Phillips, Andrew Burch and Justin “2 Stix” Landry form a ‘sloppy rock ‘n’ roll punk band’ that wants to bring new music to North America.
Ruth O’Shea is a singer-songwriter from Ireland who has been told her sound has similarities to Joan Baez. She traces it back to her roots in rural Ireland and growing up around the sounds of the 1960s and 70s.

Pretty Archie
2018-12-13 19:30 - 21:30
Strathspey Performing Arts Centre is pleased to present Pretty Archie on Thursday, December 13.
Pretty Archie is a Canadiana band from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Long time friends Brian Cathcart (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt McNeil (Mandolin, Guitar), Colin Gillis (Harmonica, Bass, Vocals), Redmond MacDougall (Banjo, Percussion, Vocals) and recently added Scott MacLean (Guitar, Mandolin) make up the band. They are known for their entertaining, high energy, foot stomping shows, and a following that grows after each show they play.
Pretty Archie’s genuine, heartfelt writing connects listeners with a saltwater perspective on modern living. Their fun loving and at times heartbreaking music finds common ground in the blurred genres of Country, Folk, Bluegrass and Blues. Their unique sound and energetic shows leave listeners with a lasting memory.
Tickets on sale on Monday, August 27.
