Author Archives: randyread

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About randyread

I am the creator of the Now & Then podcast, a new series about the history of Lindsay's 125-year-old Flato Academy Theatre, as well as what is happening there right this minute!

Now & Then Episode 13 – November 2023

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Welcome to our anniversary show of Now & Then, and this episode’s a doozy!

Craig Metcalf discusses the upcoming attractions, including the Hotel California band, the Rod Stewart Experience featuring Doug Varty, the ultimate Ozzy show, the big James & The Giant Peach, and more. Speaking of James & The Giant Peach, I also got to say Hello to Rory O’Neill, the 8th grader from Central Senior School who’s playing the lead role of James in the highly anticipated James & The Giant Peach. She’s also starred in productions of Annie, The Little Mermaid, Matilda and Mary Poppins!

Also, I had our main historian Ian McKechnie on, who tells a fascinating story about how for decades, nurses were being taught at the Ross Memorial Hospital, and then had their graduation ceremonies at, you guessed it, the Academy Theatre. Also, during the first world war, Canada had a special election in 1917 where certain women were allowed to vote for the first time, and the nurses were seen as icons of hard work and value.

Next, I have my producer Warren Frank on, to tell his story about his first experience at the theatre, when he was 11. He booked the lead role as Ebeneezer Scrooge for a play, and he was terrified on opening day, but pulled through. He reveals what that experience was like.

I also have my friend Kate Imrie on to discuss her stories about growing up with the theatre, and a superb song to conclude it from our one and only Mary The Ghost!!

00:29 – Intro

01:05 – Craig Metcalf

03:00 – James and the Giant Peach

06:13 – Iain Mckechnie

14:00 – Warren Frank

19:39 – Kate Imrie

25:51 –  Outro/Mary Song

Now & Then Episode 12 – October 2023

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You won’t want to miss this! There are some upcoming attractions coming fast for the rest of this month at the Flato Academy Theatre, and I discuss them with Craig Metcalfe. They include Grease: The Concert on the 15th, a country music concert on the 18th with Canadian musical artists Michelle Wright, Dogwalker, and Jason McCoy. There will also be a 50’s and 60’s revival show on the 23rd, and tributes throughout the month to all sorts of artists and bands like Johnny Cash, The Tragically Hip, and more. We also talk in detail about the upcoming James & The Giant Peach next month, with a preview of one of the many lovely songs they are working hard rehearsing.

We also have a new guest; back in the 1960’s, the theatre was actually on the brink of shutting down, and a foundation was formed that saved it. The wives of those on the board also stepped in to create the Women’s League, a group dedicated to getting the theatre back into shape with decorations, functions, and even plumbing. One of the first of the group, Barb Truax, who was on the committee for decades, joins us. We also have a revisit of one of our guests Marion Puffer from Episode 6, talking about the many jobs she has had over the years at the theatre and what she has seen and been a part of. Hope you enjoy!

0:30 – Randy Intro

1:34 – Craig Metcalf

4:01 – James & The Giant Peach Song

7:04 – Barb Truax

17:06 – Marion Puffer

Now & Then Episode 11 – September 2023

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Our September episode has some fabulous treats. For one, we’re introducing the voice of Mary The Ghost, who will also be reading us a fictional but historically accurate tale of a little scavenger who finds himself in Lindsay at the theatre and meeting some real life people.

We will also be joined by Craig Metcalf to hear about some of the cool concerts happening this month.

We also have some new guest stars: Stephanie Harwood-Jones and her daughter Sydney Harwood-Jones. Stephanie and Sydney both have a long history with the theatre, since Stephanie moved here to Lindsay in 2001 and Sydney was just a baby. Stephanie has been behind the scenes on a lot of past and upcoming productions, with stories of seeing Mary The Ghost herself, and some of her family generations back being some of the first Vaudeville performers.

Also, our historian Ian D. McKechnie will be sharing a fascinating story about how 100 years ago, telegraphy was to the world what social media is to us now, an important and influential way of communication. Apparently the theatre was a place that trained and educated a lot of telegraphers at one point.

We also recognize a fine man, Jim Brown! We hope you enjoy!

0:00 – Intro

1:59 – Renée Bio

3:08 – Craig Metcalf

10:06 -The Harwood Jones’

16:41 – Renee Story

23:10 – Ian McKechnie

33:46 – Outro/ Recognizing Jim Brown 

Now & Then Episode 10 – August 2023

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In this episode marking double digits for the podcast, we are going to be talking with our historian Ian about some misadventures faced 100 years ago, such as a train crash that caused the delay of a film reel in 1923 and how special effects were incorporated in silent films. We are also going to talk with him about how he got involved with the theatre and his journeys as a local historian. We also have a new guest, Jessie Kennedy, who had a big part in creating the book “Front Row Centre”, a book on the Flato Academy Theatre and its history. The book was published in 2018 to commemorate the theatre’s 125th anniversary. It is a slow month production wise, but that simply means a whole bunch more in the coming month!

0:00 – Intro

1:54   – Ian McKechnie Bio

5:17- Jessie Kennedy

15:35 – Ian McKechnie “The Movie Years”

28:40 – Outro

Now & Then Episode 9 – July 2023

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On the July episode (Happy Canada Day by the way) we have three new guest stars.

We start off with a regular, Claire Imrie, a teacher and actress who was key in creating the Triple Threat Theatre, talking about the upcoming Matilda musical, premiering on July 28th, as well as other productions coming up from Triple Threat.

We then have two appearances by my team, Warren Frank and William McGinn. Warren produces the show and puts it together, and William helps upload the episodes and get the word out.

We also have Beth Wilson, who directed the Seussical play last year, talking about how another Roald Dahl adaptation, James & The Giant Peach, is coming out soon.

We have a fascinating story from Ian D. McKechnie about the times Hi Meehan was the sole manager of the theatre, way back in the 1920s, and how in the 1930s there was a redesign, at the height of the stock market crash when so many lost their income.

And finally we have Jim Higgins, a long time friend of mine who operated a country music show at the theatre for TEN WHOLE YEARS. It was called Grand Old Country where he and his friend Danny McDonnell would bring in country music stars on a monthly basis to play and sing. It was so successful, it sold out on its first month, and selling out became a regular thing.

0:00 – Intro

2:46 – Claire Imrie

7:22 – Warren Frank

10:46 – William McGinn

12:56 – Beth Wilson

23:37 – Ian McKechnie

28:51 – Jim Higgins

40:47 – Outro

Now & Then Episode 8 – June 2023

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For this nice and hot new month, we’re interviewing a Maestro, and a retired high school Music teacher; David Morrison of the Kawartha Lakes Concert Band, an orchestra of dozens of musical geniuses. The band has a concert at the FLATO Academy Theatre June 24th at 7 p.m.! We’re also reuniting with the Imrie women; Alana, Claire, and Mama Kate, talking with us about what it’s like to program gigs at theatres and dance studios and audition processes. Our historian Ian McKechnie will be bringing us back through time when Dennis Sweeting and Hi Meehan commandeered the theatre, and how they revolutionized how the theatre was seen and how Hi liked to play movies on the big screen there. We also hear from board member Tom Collver, who is one of the founders of the Triple Threat Theatre group to talk about the upcoming Matilda play, and what it’s like being involved in the Academy’s art programs and owning a design agency.

0:30 – Intro

0:59 – Academy Schedule

2:25 – David Morrison

6:40 – Imrie Women

18:40 – Iain McCechnie

26:50 – Tom Collver

38:36 – Mary

40:54 – Outro

Now & Then Episode 7 – May 2023

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Did you know the theatre almost got turned into a parking lot? How sad would that have been? This episode we’re going to be talking with the Academy Theatre Foundation Chair, Michael Piggott, on what it takes to run the century-old building. Did you know it takes about $800-1,000 just to keep it open?!! We also talk about what it was like having the theatre renamed and what it has meant for the building since.We also talk with General Manager Craig Metcalf on what life is like on the job these days, and who they’re looking towards booking in the near future.Lastly we’re talking for the last time (for now) with the other Randy Read, the one who has toured the world and has spoken with us in past episodes. For this episode, he’s revealing why and how he became a casting director and eventual Founding Artistic Director with Peterborough’s New Stages Theatre! We will also be discussing auditions for the upcoming Matilda Musical!! You’re not going to want to miss out on any of it!

0:00 – Intro

01:56 – Michael Piggott

12:33 – Craig Metcalfe

17:47 – Randy Read

28:51 – Matilda Auditions

31:36 – Outro

Now & Then Episode 6 – April 2023

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With this new, exciting episode, we’re going to be talking about how the Flato Academy Theatre was once investigated by paranormal seekers. Ghostbusters, if you will, explained by Marion Puffer. We also hear from Linda Thomson, who was once part of a fashion show in the mid-1950’s at that theatre when she was a kid. We also get a return from the other Randy Read, who tells us an amazing story of traveling the country as a professional actor, as well as some sad talks about how he hadn’t come out yet and was in a world where he had to suppress his identity, and that dishonesty had shown in auditions, but he was able to persevere. In addition, we hear what’s happening lately from the manager Craig Metcalf, and we introduce a family who are going to be part of this podcast in the near future!

0:00 – INTRO

02:08 – MARY

04:05 – MARION PUFFER

16:50 – LINDA THOMSON

20:40 – RANDY READ

28:41 – CRAIG METCALF

30:22 – IMRIE FAMILY

38:58 – OUTRO

Now & Then Episode 5 – March 2023

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In this episode we have some new guests, both under the name Read. The first is some tunes from my late father Alexander “Ragtime” Read who would’ve celebrated his 100th birthday this month. And the other is another Randy Read who’s the artistic director of the New Stages theatre company in Peterborough. Who would have guessed two people with the same name also love the same industry?!!

00:27 – Intro w Mary

02:55 – Alex Read

05:18 – Doug Tangney Interview

32:19 – Randy Read Interview

41:18 – Ian McKechnie

46:51 – Craig Metcalfe

48: 17 – Mary’s Song/Outro

Now & Then Episode 4

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Our newest episode has some familiar voices; the theatre’s general manager Craig Metcalf, our historian Ian D. McKechnie and former theatre president Ray Marshall. But that’s far from all! Ian is going to be discussing legendary Lindsay actor and producer Dennis Sweeting. A local who moved here from Calgary and lived from 1915-2000, he was once the president of ACTRA (The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) and the former revee of Lindsay. Also with us is Doug Tangney, a Canadian actor who has been in local theatre for over 40 years. He and Ray have teamed up to discuss their fondest and funniest memories. Also, our dear Mary the Ghost is back, recording out of British Columbia, to sing us a lovely Valentine’s Day song. Which reminds me, Happy Valentine’s Day!!

  • 0:00 Intro
  • 1:47 Craig Metcalf
  • 4:21 Ian McKechnie
  • 10:13 Ray Marshall
  • 34:00 Doug Tangney
  • 37: 49 Mary Song
  • 40:00 Outro