HERE’S WHY THEY STILL COME TO THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE AFTER 125 YEARS — FOR ITS GRANDNESS, GREATNESS, LOCAL AND STAR-STUDDED MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT AND ‘VISIONARY’ LIVING

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST  — A 125th weekend celebration of the Opera House reminded everyone of the greatness and grandness of the venerable music and still standing old community hall.

And why people still come here.

An opening night Thursday, which was more Grand Ole Opry, began brilliantly with the haunting lights out radio voice of Stuart McLean, of the Vinyl Café, posing in his show here: “Why would we come to Gravenhurst …?”

Well, three days of remembering Rita MacNeil, Charlie Farquharson, Tommy Hunter, Ron James, Kitty Wells, Michelle Wright, Gowan, Murray McLauchlan, Fred Penner, Judy Collins, Peter, Paul and Mary, Leona Boyd, Ronnie Hawkins and Maureen Forrester among a host (thousands) of other amazing performers who have graced the board was a great start.

Mickle’s Folly? Forget it. This was a quasquicentennial for these Gateway to Muskoka ages.

A cool night, cool crowd and cool show Thursday marked 125 years since the Gravenhurst Opera House opened its doors with a “vision” that lives on. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com

A three-hour night that featured not only Wanda Miller’s Got Talent, but the interesting and amazing history of a living, breathing “heart of the community,” which began in 1901 as mayor Charlie Mickle’s preposterous “vision.”

A main street level town hall and court house, which then became overshadowed by its second floor auditorium as the upstairs morphed into the much sought after venue of performance excellence across Muskoka for all artists, entertainers and showmen locally and provincially.

How do you get to the Opera House? Practice, practice, practice.

That’s how it’s always been — and should be. A mixture of the aspiring dreamers and those who have achieved personal succcess and acclaim in not only music, but public speaking, acting and talents of a variety of social significance.

Such as it was with this gala opening, a mix of familiar old faces who had worked their way up to “The Op.”

Town Crier Bruce Kruger proclaimed it Opera House Day in Gravenhurst as the crowd clapped and cheered and the bands began to play.

After an overly pro-longed 40-minute intro, which at least included a few minutes of context from historian and archivist Judy Humphries, it was on with the show.

From the Bifocals Band’s “O Canada” and “God Save the King,” to Autumn Smith’s historical monologue, to singer Rhonda Way (with her daughter on drums), to country guitarist and singer Grant Tingey (with his daughter on fiddle), to Son Boy Mick (Stephen McPhail) and his wife Michelle, to Huntsville songster Sean Cotton — whose “It’s Muskoka not the Muskokas” song had the full-house audience clapping and singing along — the first act was a hit with this enthusiastic crowd.

But not before the highlight of the night, a visit by the inimitable “Peaches” (a.k.a. Robin Clipsham), the gorgeous and outrageously funny martini-sipping queen of the Muskoka cottage and cocktail circuit.

None in these seats were left to mindlessly be distracted enough to switch on their social media.

Intermission was another opportunity to mix and mingle in the Trillium Court — much as they had done while stranded out in the cold beforehand waiting for Town Crier Bruce Kruger to bellow his opening proclamation of “Me Lords and me ladies … and Long live the King.”

In good spirit Jack Cline wrapped his arms around Timberwolves actors Nicole “Elaine” Cutting and Lauren “Abigail” Rodriguez to keep them warm.

GHS music students entertained in the auditorium with a radio take doing a musical interlude for the patrons of these arts more inclined to remain reclined.

With act one a hit, it was hard for act two showmen and women to follow.

Miranda Mulholland sang and played fiddle paying homage to her great-great grand-dad Charles Mickle, followed by an impressive Mike Church wailing on a red Telecaster and a beautiful Bet Smith ballad on guitar before going behind the keys to join The Currie Brothers in their rockin’ Horseshoe Tavern set led by a resplendent turquoise-suited Andrew Currie’s entertaining electric guitar solo.

Theatre manager Kelly Hamilton thanked the star of the show Peaches for bringing down the house at the end of the first act.

Most of the performers gathered on stage for the evening’s finale, appropriately singing the Tragically Hip’s “You Are Ahead by a Century,” as a great montage of few past great performers backed them up in a touching slide show.

Overall it was a fitting hometown tribute to the past and future greats of Gravenhurst and attended by the local cognoscenti anxious to celebrate the arts and architectural centrepiece of the community.

One that from 1993 to February 1995 went dark when the province shut it down when its underpinnings threatened its  first nine decades.

But the community rallied back then and the phantom of the Opera House and its metaphorical phoenix rose from its ashes bringing another 31 years of day and night delights

The Crash Test Dummies, on a snowy Friday night, and Chantal Kreviazuk & Raine Maida Saturday were the two final headliners.

Andrew Currie – one half of The Currie Brothers with brother Andrew on guitar – wails in his best Horseshoe Tavern set performance.

‘Let’s go there now …’ for more photos

of opening night in MuskokaTODAY.com’

The night’s finale had many of the evening’s performers return to the stage for an appropriate singalong to Gord Downie’s Tragically Hip hit “Your Are Ahead by a Century.”

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