Brandon’s newest theatre group was designed to serve the entire Western Manitoba region, hence the name. The brainchild of Lisa Vasconselos and Katherine MacFarlane Sherris two long time teachers (MacFarlane Sherris at Riverheights, Vasconselos (Rolling River School division), Westman Theatre Group is an offshoot of Mecca Productions Theatre. Kate and Lisa are a dynamic-duo who have been long-time friends and veterans of the local theatre scene through their many years with Mecca. With Westman Theatre Group they get to spread their wings a bit more than usual. This is the case especially with the subject matter in their latest production Heathers which opens tonight (Wednesday, June 15th and also takes the stage at the Keystone Centre Amphitheatre this Friday, June 17th.  To shed some light on what theatre supporters can expect with this major production BDNMB.ca presents this brief Q & A with Westman Theatre Group Music Director Katherine MacFarlane Sherris. FM: What was the motive behind going with such an edgy storyline? KMS: Lisa Vasconcelos and I had the opportunity to see Heathers in New York, two summers ago, along with two other friends. We had all seen the 80’s cult classic movie and had ‘lived through’ high school in the 80’s so the musical really resonated with us. While the storyline is definitely edgy, there also very poignant moments in the show. I think it is a sign of strong writing when an audience can go from tears to laughter in seconds. Is it your intention to push the envelope a little bit with this particular production? I wouldn’t say that we ‘set out’ to push the envelope, but we knew that taking on a show with edgy content would challenge us in a variety of ways. We always want to be respectful of our cast members and our audience, while honouring the writers and composers in telling the story they have written. We have laughed a lot in rehearsal and have enjoyed working with these young, talented cast members to tell this story. Sometimes, edgy content makes us ‘cringe’ because it pushes us into uncomfortable territory. That being said, I think that that discomfort can cause us to reflect, think, defend our views and make connections to some of our dark or difficult experiences. The themes in this show are still very relevant and can hit close to home. Today’s young people face so many of the same struggles that their parents did as teenagers. It might just look more ‘high tech’ today. We are very excited that The Middle Coast is bringing this challenging rock score to life. I think that many people in Brandon are familiar with The Middle Coast (formerly Until Red). I definitely see them as ‘up and coming’ in the music scene and I am delighted to be working with them, along with our pianist Shirley Martin. Is the show open to all ages? This musical definitely has mature content and is not a ‘family show.’ Our cast members are young adults and, if they are still in high school, Lisa was very clear that parents needed to be aware and on board with the more risqué content. Most of our young actors had already listened to the soundtrack and watched YouTube clips prior to auditions so they had a good sense of the nature of the show. Picture Left to right Katherine MacFarlane Sherris and Lisa Vasconselos, co-creators of Westman Theatre Group (photo submitted) How many major productions are you planning to do with this new company? I think that will depend on what shows capture our interest in the future. Lisa and the Mecca team have worked hard to establish a reputation in our community for putting on ‘family-friendly’ shows and offering opportunities for children and families to participate in classes, choirs and musical theatre productions together. We will continue to keep that focus with Mecca because we believe so strongly in the positive impact of these programs. That being said, it is great to have a company that allows us to pursue other theatre opportunities – like Heathers – that have a mature theme and content, separately from Mecca. What ratio of productions will be open to “all ages” casts and audiences as opposed to adult casts and audiences? Again, I think it will depend on what shows come across our path. There are so many great shows out there! Some of them are available now and there are others that we are waiting for the rights to become available. Depending on the content, we would decide what would be most appropriate, in terms of producing it under the Mecca or Wheat City Theatre umbrella, as well as the appropriate ages for cast members. How do you foresee things improving for the local theatre scene over the next few years? We really are incredibly fortunate in Brandon and the Westman area to have such a thriving and active performing arts community. I have friends who live in much larger urban centers who struggle to find the kind of opportunities we have here. I have enjoyed so many memorable theatre moments: on the stage, in the pit, from the wings and in the seats; I am excited to see what the future holds. Show times 8pm tonight (Wednesday, June 15th & Friday, June 17th) in the Keystone Centre Amphitheatre. Tickets available at tickets.keystonecentre.com

The Little Valley Jamboree is an annual musical festival that is held to raise awareness, support and fund for special needs children in the area and throughout Manitoba.  The two day event is held the third weekend in June in Erickson, MB. The Jamboree is completely volunteer based and is family orientated. Monies raised at the festival goes to special needs children to assist families with medical treatments, special needs devices, travelling expenses and any unforeseen expenses. Two families and their children are selected each year to benefit from this fundraising. Monies are raised through donations, either cash or merchandise for our Auctions, Chinese, Silent and Live Auction. Raffle tickets are sold leading up to the event. (see more in the FAQ). Bring your family and friends out for a weekend of fun for a great cause - there are camping areas right on site, or day parking if you would like to drive up for the day. Entertainment Line-Up Saturday- 2pm -11pm **The Cookshank Shakers **The Country Connection Revival **Michael Campbell and Friends **Live Auction  **Better Than Sunday 12noon - 8pm **Lazy Creek Express **Along for the Ride **Laurie and the Kids **Crossfyre **Kristen Nerbas **Smith & Wesson Tweeners: Laurie Larsen, Kristen Nerbas  

NEWS RELEASE Aaron Lines to Celebrate Canada D’eh at CFB Shilo Shilo, Manitoba – June 6, 2016 Shilo – Country music recording artist Aaron Lines will headline a spectacular variety show at the 2016 Canada Day celebrations at CFB Shilo.  Other entertainers include award winning fiddle player Stephanie Cadman, recording artists Small Town Pistols, and show host and comedian Pete Zedlacher. Family-oriented activities for our Canada D’eh start at 3:00 p.m. and run throughout the day. Activities include laser tag, an obstacle course, water fights, foam party and much more. There will be food vendors on site as well as a huge birthday cake. The RCA Museum will be open all day featuring a new exhibit dedicated to the First World War’s Battle of the Somme. Aaron Lines will take the main stage at 7:30 p.m. followed by a fireworks display at sunset. Quick Facts ·         Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets for seating. ·         Visitors are reminded that everyone over the age of 18 must have government-issued photo ID. ·         The RCA Museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the exhibit opening ceremony starting at 2:00 p.m.  Associated Links www.facebook.com/Canada-Deh-Shilo www.stephaniecadman.com www.zedlacher.com www.smalltownpistols.ca www.facebook.com/Aaron-Lines-Country-Artist-213286335629 Contacts Lori Truscott CFB Shilo Public Affairs 204-765-3000 ext 3813 Lauren.Armstrong2@forces.gc.ca

1.  The Manitoba Summer Fair (June 8-12) tops our list of The Top 5 Things to Do and & See in Brandon for the month of June.  The annual attraction draws 1,000's of visitors each summer from Brandon and the surrounding Westman area.  The single largest attraction of the fair is the North American Midway featuring such rides as the Sling Shot and the Euro Bungy.  Other attractions throughout the event include a demo derby, live entertainment, a kid zone and classic car display.  Oh, and mini donuts too. 2.  PEAK Boxing Event is set to take place at the Roadhouse inside the Canad Inns on Saturday June the 25th.  Organizers are looking to offer a total of 15 bouts with both junior (under 18) and adult matches filling the nights fun.  Many local boxers are set to enter the squared circle as well as boxers from Sask., Alberta and parts of the US.  The prelims for the juniors are scheduled to get underway at 6:00 pm followed by the adult/main card which is to get underway at 9:00 pm. 3.  The Brandon Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will take place on Wednesday, June the 15h at the Glen Lea Golf & Country Club.  It's a shotgun start at 11:30 am followed by dinner at 6:30 pm at the Great Western Roadhouse.  Filled with fun challenges and great prizes, the tournament consistently sells out and isn't one to be missed! Last year’s event featured a golf ball cannon which would launch a golf ball approximately 260 yards down the fairway. 4.  Who doesn't like to Raise a Little Hell?  Canadian rock band and party favorites, Trooper are set to take the stage at The 40 on Saturday, June the 18th.  The group is best known for its Canadian hits: We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)", "The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car", "General Hand Grenade", "3 Dressed Up as a 9", "Janine", "Two for the Show", "Oh, Pretty Lady", and "Santa Maria".   Trooper is led by original members, vocalist Roman McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith, and has been performing in sold-out venues across Canada since the early 70's.  5. Heathers the Musical is based on the cult-classic movie, starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder,  from the 80's with really great, rocking music.  The Middle Coast will be 'the band' for the show.” The amazing trio of musicians will be joined by Shirley Martin and music director Katherine Sherris. Heathers the Musical is set to take place at the Amphitheater inside the Keystone Centre and will run from June 15th-17th.  For a full preview of the event please see Franks McGwire's story at https://bdnmb.ca/bdnmb-live/new-local-theatre-group-gets-risque-with-next-production/224.

This region’s newest theatre group is embarking on their next production and it’s a show that is out of their comfort zone. Wheat City Theatre’s Lisa Vasconcelos is excitedly states the show will do more than just raise a few eyebrows, “We are presenting Heathers The Musical next month. (June 15th & 17th) It's a dark comedy and very different from what we 'usually' do. Heathers the Musical is based on the cult-classic movie from the 80's with really great, rocking music.” Anyone who saw this 80s classic starring Christian Slater and Winona Ryder can attest to the fact that the edgy storyline rocks as much as the soundtrack did. Heathers the movie is a black comedy set in a high school which is dominated by an exclusive group of powerful girls - all named Heather. Veronica Sawyer (Ryder) reluctantly becomes a member of the fearful Heather clique. But the Heathers humiliate her at a party, and she is forced to plot her revenge. She finds support from her seductive but loose cannon new boyfriend (Slater), whose notion of vengeance turns out to be far more excessive than her own. Vasconcelos says there are pleased to present local flair when it comes to the actors as well as the music, “The music for this show is AMAZING!! It rocks - in all ways. The Middle Coast has agreed to come on board as 'the band' for the show.” The amazing trio of musicians will be joined by Shirley Martin and music director Katherine Sherris. Wheat City Theatre doesn’t plan to tame down the screenplay for their Westman audiences according to Vasconcelos, “This show blew my mind when I saw it off Broadway. It's a funny, scary and hyperbolic look at high school driven by a fricken awesome score. The show is geared to adults. It's an edgy story about three 'mean girls' all named Heather who run their school, picking on losers and geeks, partying and making out with Jocks. They allow Veronica Sawyer to join their clique so she can forge notes to get them out of class. At the same time she joins 'the Heathers', Veronica falls in love with the new kid JD – (picture a sociopathic Edward from Twilight.) His cool factor turns lethal.” Vasconcelos say the dark comedy was already shining through in the early stages of getting the production ready for the stage, “I don't think I've ever laughed so much during rehearsals... This show is funny - if you are not offended by f-bombs, teenage parties, promiscuity, hormones, naive adults who think they get it, or songs about blue balls and bullies.” With that aforementioned subject matter it’s safe to say this is about as edgy as it gets for local theatre which is why Vasconcelos and her Wheat City Theatre partner Katherine Sherris have decided to remove do it under a different theatre group, “For sure it's the album on my phone with the most E-rated songs. It’s also the score that has resonated with the young adults I work with. I'm producing it under Wheat City Theatre so my little Mecca kids don't come. But I encourage their parents to see it.” This is the third show that either theatre group Vasconcelos is affiliated with will stage at the Keystone Amphitheatre. Vasconcelos says there are many advantages for live theatre audiences when it comes to this new venue, “the advantages include: - the audience gets to be much closer to the action; they can see the actor's faces, the sweat dripping of their browand because the stage is surrounded on 3 sides by the audience, it brings some new and exciting challenges for staging. The Amphitheatre also allows us to stage shows that we couldn't bring to the WMCA (like Heathers) b/c the rental costs of using the venue is much less than the WMCA. That takes some of the pressure off having to sell 500 tickets a show to break even. Plus there is LOTS of free parking!” Vasconcelos is also excited about some new stage effects they’ll be using, “We have rented a new sound and light system from Studio Productions for Heathers that we are excited to try. Duane Macsymach will be mixing the sound of the band and the vocalists. His skills and talents will bring a real 'rock concert' feel to the show.” Vasconcelos is the Artistic Director as well of the Producer of this particular Wheat City Theatre Group Presentation, a role that she says brings extra stressful demands, As the producer, if the show loses money, I cover the losses. If it makes money, our plan is to make a donation to a teen help line (the cast will pick it) and the new Mecca Children's Charity MAP (that group supports kids who want to take arts' classes in Westman). Fingers crossed we get to make a donation. And I don't have to sell a kidney... *** Tickets are $25.00 and available online at tickets.keystonecentre.com *** Heathers the Musical runs Wednesday, June 15th and Friday, June 17th in the Keystone Amphitheatre (West side of the Keystone Centre complex) show times are 8pm both nights.