Latest news with #BuddyVictor
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From doo-wop to downtown legacy: Arts Commons theatre honours philanthropic couple
The next act in Calgary's theatre scene will bear the names of Al Osten and Buddy Victor — a couple known for their doo-wop career in the United States before settling down in Calgary and beginning their philanthrophic journey. Currently under construction, the 1,000-seat performing arts theatre will be named the Osten-Victor Playhouse, which will be part of the $660 million expansion of Arts Commons in downtown Calgary. Osten, 94, donated $12 million to the Arts Commons transformation, on behalf of himself and his late partner Victor. A special performance was held at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Arts Commons on Friday, to honour Osten and Victor's musical career, before Osten was shown a rendering of the playhouse on a big screen for the first time. He said it brought him to tears. "It was unbelievable…. We have a legacy that we've built and we're still going strong," Osten said. "I want to make Calgary beautiful. That's part of it all, too." Osten and Victor met in the United States in the 1950s as part of the doo-wop group called the Rover Boys, known for their one hit record, Graduation Day. But they made their money through a lucrative investment in Weight Watchers in the 1960s, which they sold in 2013. Since then, they've dedicated their fortune to helping others. Now, their names are on a number of buildings across Canada including the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary, the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton and soon, the upcoming 150-seat Osten Victor Theatre at the Glenbow Museum. The Osten-Victor Playhouse is currently under construction, along with the rest of the Arts Commons expansion. It's expected to be completed in time for the 2028-29 season. Alex Sarian, CEO and president of Arts Commons, said it will fill an important gap for Calgary's creative community. "There are shows that are too big for the Max Bell Theatre, but perhaps too small for the Jubilee Auditorium that would fit perfectly here," said Sarian. "It really is about creating a space that is flexible and innovative, that is a celebration of all art forms where Calgarians come and have cultural experiences that they can't have today." Sarian said while the infrastructure is important, he's looking forward to what Calgarians do with it. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it's very encouraging to know that philanthropists are also backing arts projects such as this one. "It's important to make sure that you are sending a very clear signal to the public that you believe in something, and the City of Calgary and council has sent a very clear signal that the arts are valued here, that the creative sector is absolutely something that makes us whole in this city," said Gondek. Moving forward, Osten said he has his eyes on at least three other projects — including ones helping amputee children and kids with Down syndrome.
CBC
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
From doo-wop to downtown legacy: Arts Commons theatre honours philanthropic couple
Social Sharing The next act in Calgary's theatre scene will bear the names of Al Osten and Buddy Victor — a couple known for their doo-wop career in the United States before settling down in Calgary and beginning their philanthrophic journey. Currently under construction, the 1,000-seat performing arts theatre will be named the Osten-Victor Playhouse, which will be part of the $660 million expansion of Arts Commons in downtown Calgary. Osten, 94, donated $12 million to the Arts Commons transformation, on behalf of himself and his late partner Victor. A special performance was held at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Arts Commons on Friday, to honour Osten and Victor's musical career, before Osten was shown a rendering of the playhouse on a big screen for the first time. He said it brought him to tears. "It was unbelievable…. We have a legacy that we've built and we're still going strong," Osten said. "I want to make Calgary beautiful. That's part of it all, too." Osten and Victor met in the United States in the 1950s as part of the doo-wop group called the Rover Boys, known for their one hit record, Graduation Day. But they made their money through a lucrative investment in Weight Watchers in the 1960s, which they sold in 2013. Since then, they've dedicated their fortune to helping others. Now, their names are on a number of buildings across Canada including the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary, the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton and soon, the upcoming 150-seat Osten Victor Theatre at the Glenbow Museum. The Osten-Victor Playhouse is currently under construction, along with the rest of the Arts Commons expansion. It's expected to be completed in time for the 2028-29 season. Alex Sarian, CEO and president of Arts Commons, said it will fill an important gap for Calgary's creative community. "There are shows that are too big for the Max Bell Theatre, but perhaps too small for the Jubilee Auditorium that would fit perfectly here," said Sarian. "It really is about creating a space that is flexible and innovative, that is a celebration of all art forms where Calgarians come and have cultural experiences that they can't have today." Sarian said while the infrastructure is important, he's looking forward to what Calgarians do with it. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it's very encouraging to know that philanthropists are also backing arts projects such as this one. "It's important to make sure that you are sending a very clear signal to the public that you believe in something, and the City of Calgary and council has sent a very clear signal that the arts are valued here, that the creative sector is absolutely something that makes us whole in this city," said Gondek.
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
State-of-the-art, 1,000-seat theatre at Arts Commons to be named after philanthropists Al Osten and Buddy Victor
Arts Commons revealed plans and the name for a new state-of-the-art theatre at the heart of its $660-million transformation on Friday. Article content Set to open in 2028, the Osten-Victor Playhouse will be a 1,000-seat theatre and a central part of The Arts Commons Transformation and Olympic Plaza Transformation projects. It is named after Calgary philanthropists Al Osten and the late Buddy Victor, who donated $12 million to the expansion. Article content Article content Article content 'They feel limited,' said Sarian. 'You can only build shows for venues that currently exist. If you are a theatre company, a dance company or a performing arts organization and the only thing you can prepare a show for is 750 seats or 2,000-plus, that's a big swing. So, being able to provide a community with a 1,000-seat theatre doesn't feel like rocket science, but it's a huge contribution to the diversity of venue size within our city. That is going to make a lot of local arts organizations very excited.' Article content Article content State-of-the-art technology will allow the new venue to transform into various configurations, from a traditional proscenium setup to a flat-floor dynamic space with no seats. Article content Article content 'While you can arguably do that with a venue like the Martha Cohen Theatre, we will have the technology at the Osten-Victor Playhouse to do that with a push of a button because of the technology, as opposed to having to shut down the venue for a multi-day turnover. So not only will the arts community in Calgary have a new venue size, they will have a more flexible venue.' Article content The theatre will be 'the centrepiece' of the Arts Commons expansion, which will be officially renamed The Werklund Centre in September to honour the $75 million donated to the project by philanthropist Dave Werklund and his family. Article content Al Osten and Buddy Victor were together for 67 years after both became members of the New York-based doo-wop group The Rover Boys in the 1950s. In 1967, the couple invested in Weight Watchers and brought the program to Alberta and Saskatchewan. They sold the business in 2013 and became known for their philanthropy, making sizable donations to hospices in Calgary and Edmonton, the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, the Osten-Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in Calgary and the Glenbow Museum. Osten was born in Saskatoon and raised in Edmonton. He now lives in Calgary.
CBC
05-08-2025
- General
- CBC
This Calgarian has given away millions of dollars and he's not done yet
Al Osten and his late partner, Buddy Victor, have donated heavily to many projects in the city. The 94-year-old Osten has no plans to put away his wallet any time soon. He spoke to the CBC's Loren McGinnis about his love story with Buddy and their combined love of giving.
CBC
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
A Calgary couple's journey from doo-wop to dedicated philanthropy
Social Sharing The names Al Osten and Buddy Victor might be familiar to many Albertans. Visitors to the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre in southeast Calgary, or the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton where their names adorn plaques throughout the museum, have seen the impact of their generosity firsthand. The Calgary couple's contributions to initiatives across the province have been far-reaching. And after Victor died in 2023, Osten is continuing that legacy of giving. Osten, 94, told the Calgary Eyeopener his journey in philanthropy started with Victor's passion for hospice care. "Bud was really into hospice, to make sure that people were taken care of when they were on their way out," he said. "He would buy hospital beds as part of his giving at that time." That led to contributions to hospice societies in Calgary and Edmonton. From there, the two dedicated their fortune to helping others. Meeting through music Saskatoon-born Osten met Brooklynite Victor in the United States when both men were part of a doo-wop group called the Rover Boys. It was through their time touring the U.S. in the 1950s that Osten and Victor fell in love. "The other two boys were beer drinkers, and we were lovers," said Osten. The Rover Boys had one hit record — Graduation Day, which reached number 16 on the U.S. Billboard chart in 1956 — but their music didn't pay the bills. What did pay off was a lucrative investment in Weight Watchers in the 1960s. "Bud's mother said there's a big thing going on here, it's a thing called Weight Watchers, everybody's excited about it," said Osten. Bringing Weight Watchers to Alberta By then the one-hit wonder was no more. The Rover Boys disbanded and Osten returned to Canada. He and Victor, who had left the U.S. to be with Osten, invested in bringing Weight Watchers to Western Canada, with their families providing $10,000 in funding to the Alberta franchise. Judging by their financial success, it certainly paid off. Osten and Victor sold their business in 2013, and from then on they dedicated their fortune to helping others. "Everybody says, 'but you're going to have nothing left by the time you get through,'" said Osten. "That's the plan." Osten added that the couple's charitable giving comes from a love for the city he and Victor long called home. "I really do love Calgary," he said. "When I'm away I miss it desperately." His love for the city is reflected in his latest gift, a $5-million contribution to the Glenbow's ongoing renovations. Osten's contribution to the Glenbow will see the new 150-seat Osten Victor Theatre open alongside the rest of the museum next year. "That really spoke to their values of people just being able to participate in arts and culture, and I think his very direct passion of wanting Calgary to continue to grow and thrive, and be a place where people can not only enjoy arts from our region, but also from around the world," said Glenbow president and CEO Nicholas Bell. A longtime lover of the performing arts, Osten was happy to contribute to the theatre's creation. "It's for the people," said Osten. The effects of Osten and Victor's philanthropy can be found across the province, including millions of dollars in contributions to funds and bursaries for Calgary's arts community, the Roozen Family Hospice Centre in Edmonton, and the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.
