December 15, 2013: Daniels Spectrum was proud to host The Journey – A Living History of the Regent Park Revitalization last week in two spectacular performances. Written by Mitchell Cohen, President of The Daniels Corporation in collaboration with members of the Regent Park community, The Journey was an 80-minute musical that used a powerful combination of spoken word narrative, song, film, still images and dance to document Regent Park’s nearly 70-year history and its amazing revitalization.
The Journey was brought to life by Canadian music industry artists and musical talents from the Regent Park community.
UNDER ONE ROOF
The first performance, presented to a full house of city builders, was part of the Under One Roof gala in support of Daniels Spectrum. Artscape gratefully acknowledges the incredible leadership from Presenting Sponsor, The Daniels Corporation, towards this event, and the tremendous support of all of the following sponsors: Learning Sponsor, Innocon; Community Sponsor, RBC Royal Bank; and Innovation Sponsors, University Plumbing & Heating Inc., Toro Aluminium, WJ Properties and Context Development. Thanks to their support and all the generous individuals and companies who took part in this gala fundraiser, $425,000 was raised for programming needs, capital improvements and operations at Daniels Spectrum.
SPECIAL COMMUNITY PREMIERE
The second performance was presented as a special tribute to the Regent Park community. A pre-show reception offered an opportunity for community members to come together, mingle and share stories before experiencing the results of this incredible creative collaboration, which involved many months of dedication through rehearsals and workshops on the part of the passionate cast and crew.
After the show, there was more celebration and a chance to meet the cast, which included Dora award-winning singer/actor Sterling Jarvis, Charlotte Siegel and Canada’s “first lady of jazz,” Jackie Richardson as lead vocalists; lead performers from the Regent Park community Trevlyn Kay, Steve Harmony and Britta B; a rockin’ band including Daniels Spectrum’s great friend Thompson Egbo-Egbo; and singers from the youth chorus. And let’s not forget the outstanding set decoration and the youth dancers who electrified the stage!
Anne-Marie Woods, The Journey’s Creative Director and Production Coordinator also hit the stage for several numbers as a lead vocalist.
All told, this was a night to remember. Artscape extends its congratulations to everyone involved in this collaboration. We are glad to be part of The Journey, which tells the living history of the Regent Park revitalization through remarkable, true and touching community stories. We were thrilled to have this production mounted on stage at Daniels Spectrum, a vibrant and exciting cultural hub in the community.
