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Mike Uncorked: Ashley Hancock and the GLA:D Program

Author: April 24, 2019

Mike Uncorked: Ashley Hancock and the GLA:D Program By Mike Butler Ashley Hancock grew up in Halifax, but has ties to the Valley through her mom and dad, and she spent a lot of her childhood here. She was tickled pink to move back here five years ago. “I went to Dalhousie as both an undergraduate (Kinesiology) and graduate student (MSc. in Physiotherapy),” Ashley says, “so I spent lots of time there before living in Northern Alberta for a year with my now-wife. When we decided to move home we knew we didn’t want to live in a city. The…
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Mike Uncorked: OSCAR GOLD PICKS 2019

Author: February 19, 2019

Mike Uncorked: OSCAR GOLD PICKS 2019 By Mike Butler Hi Everyone! Is it Academy Awards time already? It seems like just yesterday that I wrote my 2018 Oscar Fever Uncorked article and predicted my Oscar picks. Last year, my picks did very well, and this year I have seen practically all the films in the running so I’m excited to see how I perform. The Academy Awards ceremony airs on Sunday February 24. Here are my predictions for this year’s Oscars. Best Supporting Actress: What a wonderful year for strong female roles. This category is always one of the most…
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Mike Uncorked: Travelling Trunk Stories and Murdered to Death at Centrestage

Author: February 8, 2019

Mike Uncorked: Travelling Trunk Stories and Murdered to Death at Centrestage By Mike Butler CentreStage Theatre in Kentville is always busy! Between rehearsals for multiple shows, renovations, productions, and planning sessions, it’s a non-stop, full-throttle experience at 61 River Street. Just off the heels of a successful run of The Fox on the Fairway, CentreStage currently has two offerings for its audiences and I recommend you smile away the winter blues with both. Because the theatre boasts both an upper performance centre and a main stage area, CentreStage can offer more than one show at a time and that’s very…
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Mike Uncorked: Fox on the Fairway Tees Off at CentreStage

Author: January 14, 2019

Mike Uncorked: Fox on the Fairway Tees Off at CentreStage By Mike Butler Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful, happy, healthy, and successful holiday break and, of course, here’s to a prosperous 2019! In this Best of the Bunch celebratory issue I’m pleased to be writing about what I think is one of the best entertainment venues in the Valley (and province): CentreStage Theatre on River Street in Kentville. They have a new show opening and a legacy worth mentioning, because even with decades in business, there’s still people who haven’t experienced this little theatre…
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Mike Uncorked: A Valley Triumph!

Author: December 16, 2018

Mike Uncorked: A Valley Triumph! By Mike Butler If you’ve been a Wolfville resident for a while then you’ve no doubt heard of, or had an experience at, the Eastern Kings Memorial Health Centre (EKM). When the EKM Hospital closed in the early 1990s, the EKM Hospital Foundation transitioned to the EKM Health Foundation. At the time of closure, the province took possession of the actual hospital building, and the donations made to build a new hospital in Wolfville, along with operating funds, were transferred to the Health Foundation, as well as various parcels of land. At the time of…
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Mike Uncorked: Winter Reading 2018

Author: December 5, 2018

Mike Uncorked: Winter Reading 2018 By Mike Butler Warm fires (or heat pumps!), a mug of hot chocolate (or rum & egg nog), comfy sweatpants, and a bulky hoodie, wrapped up under your best-loved blanket, snuggled in with your favourite book: sounds like the perfect stormy winter day doesn’t it? Yes there’s shovelling, shopping, and holiday chaos this time of year but there’s also the chance to take in some magnificent literature. Never deprive yourself of the written word. Let me help you out by giving you my holiday wish list of must-reads for the winter season that are also…
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Mike Uncorked: The Headstrong Summit Experience

Author: November 15, 2018

Mike Uncorked: The Headstrong Summit Experience By Mike Butler On October 18, 2018, I had the extreme pleasure of emceeing the very first Annapolis Valley Headstrong Summit at Brigadoon Camp. It was a tremendously rewarding experience and I want to share with you the highlights of this special day. Headstrong is an anti-stigma initiative created by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) for youth aged 12-18 to inspire students to “Be Brave, Reach Out, and Speak Up” about mental health. Launched across Canada (and now in Europe), Headstrong is teaching students how to recognize and reduce stigma, and become…
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Mike Uncorked: Sherlock Holmes Farce Comes to CentreStage

Author: November 4, 2018

Mike Uncorked: Sherlock Holmes Farce Comes to CentreStage By Mike Butler I know it might be too early to talk about Christmas but, honestly folks, it’s right around the corner and I am very excited! Christmas is my favourite time of year and its usually my busiest time of the year too, with so many family and friend events happening, as well as some dabbling in the local theatre community. 2018 has been a hectic but rewarding year for me in theatre and I’m going out with a bang with three shows during the months of November and December. The…
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Mike Uncorked: One Man Show about Troubled Artist Comes to Wolfville!

Author: September 26, 2018

Mike Uncorked: One Man Show about Troubled Artist Comes to Wolfville! By Mike Butler Vincent Van Gogh is a name that is recognizable to everyone, young or old. His paintings of sunflowers, his Starry Night, and his self portraits, have become treasured pop culture icons. Arguably one of the most talented and gifted artists of all time, he was also a very passionate and at times tortured soul, who never realized his full potential. His paintings today sell for millions and his life and work are celebrated all over the world, but like too many artists his life was cut…
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Mike Uncorked: Sweeney Todd and Charley’s Aunt: Demonic Barber and Classic Romp Hit Valley Stages

Author: September 8, 2018

Mike Uncorked: Sweeney Todd and Charley’s Aunt: Demonic Barber and Classic Romp Hit Valley Stages By Mike Butler So, there’s back to school stuff going on and the general autumn prep, which means we all need a little break with something to do, right? This September the Valley theatre scene is exploding with two terrific productions covering all genres and you should mark your calendars to catch both! Up first, for all you devilish musical fans, the Valley premiere of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street comes to the Al Whittle Theatre and it’s going to be a…
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