
Immaculata's production of Evil Dead: The Musical leaves the audience begging for more
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From the crew to the actors, each element was done well to ensure that the atmosphere remained lighthearted even in the face of death and deadites. The lighting provided focus on necessary moments and emphasized the horror elements through red lighting. Each actor brought their own unique energy, creating an enthusiastic production of Evil Dead.
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Jeffery Garcia's Ash had strong dynamics with Linda, played by Jasmine Champagne, capturing the juvenile love between the housewares employee and his dream girl. Danica Ianni, as Cheryl, was delightfully comedic through delivery, dance, and strong vocals. Jake, portrayed by Bishop Alan Phyllip Rodriguez, had strong comedic timing and presence, especially in 'Good Old Reliable Jake.'
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The Pants vs. Zombies Costume Team created and altered several costumes that suited the atmosphere well. Each of the characters had an evil outfit that complemented them well, particularly evil Scott's bedazzled jacket, which was detailed with sparkling flames. From the chainsaw to the Necronomicon, the props were excellently crafted by 28 Props Later Prop Team. Special effects, by Dead FX Special Effects Team, were used to enhance the atmosphere of the performance such as through the comedic images displayed in 'Good Old Reliable Jake.' The Cabin in the Woods Set Team made a cabin that was both beautiful and functional in allowing for easy transitions.
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The Zombieband Pit Band was perfectly in sync and performed expertly. Percussionists, Jared Rose and Christopher El-Murr, created strong sound effects, such as the gunshots, that were delivered flawlessly. Lucas Malo delivered an extraordinary electric guitar solo during one of the scene transitions that blended with the orchestra well, while being superbly dynamic and different.
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Immaculata High School's production was comic throughout, highlighting that even in the midst of extreme horror there can be laughter, joy, and determination. Through fun musical numbers, the cast and crew worked well to create an energetic and notable performance.
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About the reviews:
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The Immaculata High School production was reviewed by 26 critics representing 9 schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Wesley Scheer-Hennings of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by teacher Marianna Klement of St. Pius X High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers.
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Next review: St. Mother Teresa High School's production of The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition.
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Ottawa Citizen
17-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Immaculata's production of Evil Dead: The Musical leaves the audience begging for more
Article content Article content From the crew to the actors, each element was done well to ensure that the atmosphere remained lighthearted even in the face of death and deadites. The lighting provided focus on necessary moments and emphasized the horror elements through red lighting. Each actor brought their own unique energy, creating an enthusiastic production of Evil Dead. Article content Jeffery Garcia's Ash had strong dynamics with Linda, played by Jasmine Champagne, capturing the juvenile love between the housewares employee and his dream girl. Danica Ianni, as Cheryl, was delightfully comedic through delivery, dance, and strong vocals. Jake, portrayed by Bishop Alan Phyllip Rodriguez, had strong comedic timing and presence, especially in 'Good Old Reliable Jake.' Article content The Pants vs. Zombies Costume Team created and altered several costumes that suited the atmosphere well. Each of the characters had an evil outfit that complemented them well, particularly evil Scott's bedazzled jacket, which was detailed with sparkling flames. From the chainsaw to the Necronomicon, the props were excellently crafted by 28 Props Later Prop Team. Special effects, by Dead FX Special Effects Team, were used to enhance the atmosphere of the performance such as through the comedic images displayed in 'Good Old Reliable Jake.' The Cabin in the Woods Set Team made a cabin that was both beautiful and functional in allowing for easy transitions. Article content Article content The Zombieband Pit Band was perfectly in sync and performed expertly. Percussionists, Jared Rose and Christopher El-Murr, created strong sound effects, such as the gunshots, that were delivered flawlessly. Lucas Malo delivered an extraordinary electric guitar solo during one of the scene transitions that blended with the orchestra well, while being superbly dynamic and different. Article content Immaculata High School's production was comic throughout, highlighting that even in the midst of extreme horror there can be laughter, joy, and determination. Through fun musical numbers, the cast and crew worked well to create an energetic and notable performance. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content About the reviews: Article content The Immaculata High School production was reviewed by 26 critics representing 9 schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Wesley Scheer-Hennings of Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by teacher Marianna Klement of St. Pius X High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers. Article content Article content Next review: St. Mother Teresa High School's production of The Play That Goes Wrong: High School Edition.


Ottawa Citizen
12-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Cappies nominees for the 2024-25 show season
Article content This year the program boasts the participation of 22 schools and student achievement is celebrated, whether it is on stage, writing music, building sets, managing the props, collecting costumes or applying prosthetics and make-up. Article content Critic Team Nominees Article content Article content Top Critic – Junior Article content Helen Rochon, All Saints High School Victoria Sigur, Immaculata High School Silvi Assaf, St. Francis Xavier High School Gianna Dufresne, St. Joseph High School Sophia Di Iorio, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School Article content Top Critic – Senior Article content Samuel Khosla, Colonel By Secondary School Sadie Hanley, Elmwood School Chiara Frangione, St. Pius X High School Beatrice Tobin, St. Pius X High School Rasha Alli, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School Article content Marketing and Publicity Article content Henry Hamilton, Jack Lockhart, Almonte and District High School, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child The Dead Don't Post Marketing Team, Immaculata High School, Evil Dead: The Musical – High School Version The Marketing Mermaids, St. Patrick's High School, Disney's The Little Mermaid Ad Me A Favour Publicity Team, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, Carrie the Musical Rovin Dewan, Chiara Frangione, Maeve Ludmer, St. Pius X High School, Die Verwandlung Article content


Toronto Sun
02-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Ruth Buzzi, comedy sketch player on groundbreaking series 'Laugh-In,' dies at 88
Published May 02, 2025 • 4 minute read Actress Ruth Buzzi speaks during the 'The Best of Laugh-In" panel at the PBS portion of the 2011 Winter TCA press tour held at the Langham Hotel on Jan. 8, 2011 in Pasadena, Calif. Photo by Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. LOS ANGELES — Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In' and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88. Buzzi died Thursday at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and was in hospice care. Shortly before her death, her husband Kent Perkins, had posted a statement on Buzzi's Facebook page, thanking her many fans and telling them: 'She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them.' Buzzi won a Golden Globe and was a two-time Emmy nominee for the NBC show that ran from 1968 to 1973. She was the only regular to appear in all six seasons, including the pilot. She was first spotted by 'Laugh-In' creator and producer George Schlatter playing various characters on 'The Steve Allen Comedy Hour.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Schlatter was holding auditions for 'Laugh-In' when he received a picture in the mail of Buzzi in her Ormphby costume, sitting in a wire mesh trash barrel. The character was clad in drab brown with her bun covered by a hairnet knotted in the middle of her forehead. 'I think I hired her because of my passion for Gladys Ormphby,' he wrote in his 2023 memoir 'Still Laughing A Life in Comedy.' 'I must admit that the hairnet and the rolled-down stockings did light my fire. My favourite Gladys line was when she announced that the day of the office Christmas party, they sent her home early.' The Gladys character used her purse as a weapon against anyone who bothered her, striking people over the head. On 'Laugh-In,' her most frequent target was Arte Johnson's dirty old man character Tyrone F. Horneigh. 'Gladys embodies the overlooked, the downtrodden, the taken for granted, the struggler,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post in 2018. 'So when she fights back, she speaks for everyone who's been marginalized, reduced to a sex object or otherwise abused. And that's almost everyone at some time or other.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Buzzi took her act to the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in Las Vegas, where she bashed her purse on the heads of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball, among others. 'Ruth Buzzi brought a singular energy and charm to sketch comedy that made her a standout on 'Laugh-In' and the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Her characters, especially the unforgettable Gladys Ormphby, captured the delightful absurdity of the era,' said Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. Her other recurring characters on 'Laugh-In' included Flicker Farkle; Busy-Buzzi, a Hollywood gossip columnist; Doris Swizzler, a cocktail-lounge regular who got drunk with husband Leonard, played by Dick Martin; and an inconsiderate flight attendant. 'I never took my work for granted, nor assumed I deserved more of the credit or spotlight or more pay than anyone else,' Buzzi told The Connecticut Post . 'I was just thrilled to drive down the hill to NBC every day as an employed actor with a job to do.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Buzzi remained friends through the years with 'Laugh-In' co-stars Lily Tomlin and Jo Anne Worley. Born Ruth Ann Buzzi on July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Angelo Buzzi, a nationally known stone sculptor. Her father and later her brother operated Buzzi Memorials, a gravestone and monument maker in Stonington, Connecticut, where she was head cheerleader in high school. Buzzi enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse at age 17. Two years later, she traveled with singer Rudy Vallee in a musical and comedy act during her summer break. That earned her an Actors' Equity union card before she graduated from the playhouse's College of Theatre Arts. Buzzi moved to New York and was immediately hired for a lead role in an off-Broadway musical revue, the first of 19 such shows she performed in on the East Coast. She got her national television break on 'The Garry Moore Show' in 1964, just after Carol Burnett was replaced by Dorothy Loudon on the series. She played Shakundala the Silent, a bumbling magician's assistant to Dom DeLuise's character Dominic the Great. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Buzzi was a regular on the CBS variety show 'The Entertainers' whose hosts included Burnett and Bob Newhart. She was in the original Broadway cast of 'Sweet Charity' with Gwen Verdon in 1966. Buzzi toured the country with her nightclub act, including appearances in Las Vegas. She was a semi-regular on 'That Girl' as Marlo Thomas' friend. She co-starred with Jim Nabors as time-traveling androids on 'The Lost Saucer' in the mid-1970s. Her other guest appearances included variety shows hosted by Burnett, Flip Wilson, Glen Campbell, Tony Orlando, Donny and Marie Osmond and Leslie Uggams. She appeared in Ball's last comedy series 'Life With Lucy.' Buzzi guested in music videos with 'Weird Al' Yankovic, the B-52's and the Presidents of the United States of America. She did hundreds of guest voices in cartoon series including 'Pound Puppies,' 'Berenstain Bears,' 'The Smurfs' and 'The Angry Beavers.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She was Emmy nominated for her six-year run as shopkeeper Ruthie on 'Sesame Street.' Her movie credits included 'Freaky Friday,' 'Chu Chu and the Philly Flash,' 'The North Avenue Irregulars' and 'The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again.' Buzzi was active on social media and had thousands of followers whom she rewarded with such one-liners as 'I have never faked a sarcasm' and 'Scientists say the universe is made up entirely of neurons, protons and electrons. They seem to have missed morons.' She married actor Perkins in 1978. The couple moved from California to Texas in 2003 and bought a 640-acre ranch near Stephenville. Buzzi retired from acting in 2021 and suffered a series of strokes the following year. Her husband told The Dallas Morning News in 2023 that she had dementia. — Associated Press National Writer Hillel Italie contributed to this report. Editorial Cartoons Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Sunshine Girls