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Mike Uncorked: The Quarantine Diaries

Author: March 31, 2020

Mike Uncorked: The Quarantine Diaries By Mike Butler We are living in very weird times. I am pretty optimistic, but I also work in retail and have the confused joy of listening to the opinions, tidbits, anecdotes and quandaries of my customers and it’s been fairly tough to stay at my usual sunshiney-rainbowy self, but I’m managing—I’ve got to! Being an ear to the process of this virus has been eye-opening to say the least, and now that I am home from work until further notice, in a space that I did not spend a lot of time in before….
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Don’t Dress for Dinner: Fast-Paced Farce Hits CentreStage

Author: March 8, 2020

Don’t Dress for Dinner:Fast-Paced Farce Hits CentreStageMike Butler Laughter makes the winter blues disappear, it’s a well-known fact! If you are suffering from the cold, sleety, slushy downtime of the winter, it’s time to put some pep in your step and laugh until you hurt. Coming off the heels of their comedy Wild Women of Winedale, CentreStage Theatre in Kentville is jumping into another comedy. Don’t Dress for Dinner is a fast-paced, rapid-fire, laugh-fest that’s been keeping its cast and crew in stitches through months of rehearsals. I am proud member of the troupe and it’s been almost too much to handle in…
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Mike Uncorked: Oscar Gold Picks 2020

Author: February 11, 2020

Mike Uncorked: Oscar Gold Picks 2020By Mike Butler Hi everyone! Is it Academy Awards time already? It seems like just yesterday that I wrote my 2019 Oscar Fever Uncorked article and predicted my Oscar picks. Last year, I did okay in my picks and this year I have seen ALL the films in the running so I’m excited to see how I perform. The Academy Awards ceremony airs on Sunday February 9. Here are my predictions for this year’s Oscars. The supporting actor and actress categories can throw a curve ball some years. This year, however, I am going to…
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Mike Uncorked: CentreStage Rings in 2020 with New Comedy

Author: January 16, 2020

Mike Uncorked: CentreStage Rings in 2020 with New ComedyBy Mike Butler 2020 is upon us and CentreStage Theatre in Kentville is gearing up for another fantastic twelve months of entertaining the Valley (and beyond) with top notch productions. This little theatre with the big heart has a stellar lineup of plays, including comedies, dramas, children’s shows, mysteries, and a dinner theatre, so keep on top of their offerings and don’t miss out! Centrestage is kicking off the year with The Wild Women of Winedale, a joyful and exuberant, yet ultimately touching comedy focusing on three women at crossroads in their…
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Mike Uncorked: My Ten Years of Community Theatre

Author: December 15, 2019

Mike Uncorked: My Ten Years of Community TheatreBy Mike Butler Picture it: December 2009. I’d only been in Wolfville for a few years. I was still getting my feet wet and looking for ways to get involved in this community. I was so young! I’d just started writing for The Grapevine, I was working full time at Atlantic Lighting Studio, and I’d met so many folks there. One day, Marion Leier was in the shop and mentioned her daughter Kerri was in need of an actor for a play she was directing. An actor had just backed out and she…
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Mike’s Guide to Gifting: A Few Of My Favourite Things!

Author: November 29, 2019

Mike’s Guide to Gifting: A Few Of My Favourite Things!By Mike Butler As I am writing this article (twinkly-eyed and giddy), it’s exactly one month until Christmas Day. Out of common sense and respect, I start my holiday cheer after November 11, and music and decorating after December 1, but I never shy away from thinking about the gifts and treats I’m going to pick up for my friends and family. If you know me, then you know Christmas is my favourite time of year! With so much at our disposal here in the Valley, I’ve compiled a little list…
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Mike Uncorked: I Love Lucy: My Dream Vacation to Jamestown, New York!

Author: September 20, 2019

Mike Uncorked: I Love Lucy: My Dream Vacation to Jamestown, New York! By Mike Butler I was ten years old when Lucille Ball passed away. It’s one of my first recollections of a celebrity who meant something special to me dying and I remember having to process her death and learn the ability to look back on someone’s life and career and find great appreciation in their legacy! After Lucille Ball, artists like John Candy, John Ritter, Phyllis Diller, Mary Tyler Moore, Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, and so many more have passed on and left an indelible and inspiring gift…
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Mike Uncorked: Poignant Dramedy Takes CentreStage

Author: September 11, 2019

Mike Uncorked: Poignant Dramedy Takes CentreStage By Mike Butler As the summer starts winding down and the hustle and bustle of back to school takes over, on the weekends when you need a break, why not take in the latest show being produced by CentreStage Theatre in Kentville? You will not be disappointed in this crowd favourite that was produced many years ago but never fails to entertain over the years. The Cemetery Club by Ivan Menchell, is a poignant drama with wonderful comedic elements and if you liked The Golden Girls, then you’ll love Ida, Lucille, and Doris! They’re…
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Mike Uncorked: Inner Sun Yoga Special!

Author: August 26, 2019

Mike Uncorked: Inner Sun Yoga Special! By Mike Butler Have you always wanted to try yoga? Here in Wolfville, there are many outlets to give it a whirl. It might be a stretch for you to commit, but what a stretch! Inner Sun Yoga has been offering classes in Wolfville for over 10 years, and yet, there are still residents who don’t know it exists. Two years after Inner Sun opened they began to offer teacher training to ensure there were teachers with a focus on injury prevention and healing. They have a strong focus on ahimsa, a principle of…
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Mike Uncorked: New Comedy Hits CentreStage In Style!

Author: August 9, 2019

Mike Uncorked: New Comedy Hits CentreStage In Style! By Mike Butler Following last month’s successful run of Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s Looking, CentreStage has chosen another Canadian playwright to feature this month with Michael Wilmot’s hilarious piece about retirement and relationships: A Red Plaid Shirt! There is something funny about retirement, has anyone noticed? Marty certainly has and isn’t sure of how to fill the void. Along with his pal Fred, Marty decides to try a new “skill.” Their wives, on the other hand, are not too thrilled with this new venture! With a little “subtle redirection” from their wives…
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