Galalujah-Silent Auction Items Saturday September 15

Silent Auction at St Andrews in downtown Kingston

We have some great silent auction items for our fundraiser this Saturday September 15th starting at 7 pm. 

We have hotel rooms, theatre tickets, photo shoots, princess parties, acting classes, martial arts classes, dance classes, gym memberships, hollywood swag bags and even your own personal chef. Drop by Saturday night and bid on some great items. 

Galalujah is a fundraiser for Bottle Tree Productions' The Sound of Music and the St Andrews Music Fund.

The evening kicks off at 7:00 PM -

with Hors d'Oeuvres and; cash bar (mocktails and soft drinks)

There is a Silent Auction throughout the evening

At 8:00 PM The Musical Gala begins

Featuring Andromahi Raptis

Tim Torgerson
Danny Young

The Kingston Community Strings

The Frontenac Women's Chorus
John Farant
Mary Deacon

St Andrews Choir

The Cast of The Sound of Music
Ian Bevell
Audrey Robinson

Cost $30/adults

$25/students and seniors

For tickets

go online at Galalujah! 2012

or phone 613-384-8433

Silent Auction Items

• Two subscriptions to Domino Theatre's 2012-13 Season-Value $196.00
• Photo package Taylor Studios Value $409.00
• Martial Arts Class at Martial Axis Value $100.00
• Once Upon a Princess - one Princess party
• Jack the Happy Chef - personal chef dinner for 6
• Leisa's School of Dance - $150.00 gift certificate for dance lessons
• GoodLife Fitness - (2 of these) one month complimentary membership and Personal Health Profile and gym bag
• Kingston Harbourfront Radisson Hotel - overnight accommodation
• Katherine Ward - The Ultimate Movie Lover's Swag bag (dvd's, merchandise from Hollywood movies
• LVS Consulting - Team Workshop or Personal Leadership Coaching
• Toronto Raptors - signed basketball
• Grand Theatre - family pack tickets (4) for the Russian State Ballet's "The Nutcracker"
• Bottle Tree Productions - tickets for 2 plus 2 dinner coupons for King Street Sizzle (the Sound of Music)
• Bottle Tree Productions - Fall or Winter session Stage Right acting class (not Musical Theatre Class
• Kingston Meistersingers - 4 opening night tickets to Fiddler on the Roof

 To purchase tickets please go to  Galalujah!

Talent Agencies-What do I need to know?

Do you want to be on television or in the movies?

There are lots of film and television roles available in Toronto, Hollywood, Vancouver and New York to name some of the major production centres in North America. The problem is, how do you get to audition for these roles? You've taken local acting classes and you've starred in some local productions. How do you take it to the next level? How do you get there?

Well, you could go to university level theatre schools and get your degree in acting. It would probably involve three to four years of your life, or you could enrol in one of the reputable three-year college programs. After you graduate, you would need to get an agent.

An agent; depending on how reputable they are, would be able to open doors for you, that you can't open for yourself. They would handle getting you auditions with major movie and television studios.

They would handle the financial and legal details for you. An agent works with you to get you work, because the more money you make as an actor, the more money the agent makes. The agent takes a percentage of your earnings in the 10-15 percent bracket, depending on different factors such as what type of acting your are doing.

Now, you don't need an acting degree to get an agent. If you don't want to spend three or four years in an acting school, you can simply submit your photo and resume to various talent agencies in a major city nearest you. If you have the right look, you might get lucky and land an agent.

I am over-simplifying the process here. Sometimes you have to audition for an agent. Sometimes you don't.

Where do you find a good agent? Good question. First question though should be; why do you need a good agent? Because a good agent can get you a job. They have connections. A bad agent can't because they don't have those connections. You also need a legitimate, reputable agent that the film and television industry wants to work with. They also have to be an agency that the actor's unions want its members to work with. How do you know what these agencies are? How can you find them?

Easy. You can look in Canada for ACTRA approved agents or in The United States, you can look for SAG-AFTRA approved agencies. That will take some research, but it is well worth the time. Our company; Bottle Tree Productions has compiled a list of these union-approved agencies in Toronto and Hollywood. The agencies we have listed work primarily with young people.

Hollywood Agencies for Children and Teens


Toronto Agencies for Children and Teens

Sound of Music in Kingston, Ontario

Please note that we are also offering this production for the holidays Dec. 5 - 14, 2013.  This is our second year featurying this musical. Please refer to 'Sound of Music Kingston Ontario 2013' post for new information, or better yet, visit our website (bottletreeinc.com)!

Bottle Tree Productions presents The Sound of Music this year at St Andrews Presbyterian Church in downtown Kingston at 130 Clergy Street East. Dates are Thursday, Friday and Saturday December 13-15 and the following Thursday, Friday and Saturday December 20-22

This family favourite stars among others: Robert Bruce, Mary Deacon, Theresa Witjes, Hannah Smith, Sara Sturgeon, Alex Whitehead, Justin Robertson, Savannah Kimmerer, Maureen Barnes, Julia Moore, Khira Whiting, Cindy Chapelle, Gillian Foster and many more, singing songs like “Climb Ev'ry Mountain.” My Favourite Things.” “Sixteen going on Seventeen.” “The Sound of Music” and “Eidleweiss” 

Robert Bruce makes his stage debut as Captain Von Trapp and Queens University students Hannah Smith and Sara Sturgeon will split the role of Maria.

Directed by Charles Robertson. Produced by Anne Marie Mortensen.

The production takes place in the beautiful confines of St Andrews Presbyterian Church where the songs and the music will be a treat for the ear because of the great acoustics. Because several scenes take place in a church, this will be a great setting for the musical.

Because the musical takes place in downtown Kingston, there will be a fabulous opportunity to have dinner before the show or drinks after ward if you have left the kids at home. Take in some shopping before hand and then a show.

Bottle Tree Productions has a rich tradition of theatre and theatrical education including musical theatre classes. in Kingston.

The Sound of Music will be a must-see.

To buy tickets go to Sound of Music-Tickets 

Acting Classes Fall Session-Bottle Tree Productions

Interested in Acting?

Why not try our acting classes. Acting Classes are a great way to develop self-esteem, social skills, reading skills, comprehension skills, vocal skills, movement skills, creative skills, and the imagination. 

Our acting classes can also open the door to a career in the performing arts. According to ACTRA, the Canadian professional actor's union in Canada, there are approximately 22,000 professional actors in tv, film and commercials in Canada. According to SAG-AFTRA, the American professional actor's union in the United States, there are approximately 120,000-130,000 such professional actors. These figures do not include professional actors exclusively doing theatre. Through Bottle tree Productions, learn the nuts and bolts of a career in the performing arts.

Bottle Tree Productions starts its fall session of Stage Right acting classes Saturday September 14th .at St Andrews Presbyterian Church at the corner of Princess and Clergy Streets in Kingston's down town.

Stage Right JR (6 - 10) years $159.90    ($141.50 + HST) 
Stage Right INT (11 & 12) years $245.78     ($217.50 + HST)
Stage Right SR (TEENS)               $245.78     ($217.50 + HST)

On Wednesdays we have Stage Right Acting Classes from 7 pm until 8:30 pm. These classes cost 217.50 dollars plus hst.

We have a large room for classes. Our teachers have a lot of experience and connections to various amateur and professional theatre companies.

Our acting class program has been developed over years of experience. We believe in developing the fundamentals for technique and self-confidence.

We believe each child and adult has an incredible amount of potential. Our goal is to unleash that potential that is inside everyone. But potential is not identically distributed, so we do not believe in the cookie-cutter approach. We believe in suiting our teaching approach to the needs of the individual within the context of the class as a whole. 

We use theatre games to develop the imagination and the ability to be in the moment and to build self-esteem. We do scenes to develop technique. Warning-This is not the public education system. We do not have lessons and marks. Lessons and marks not an optimum way to learn how to succeed in any art form.  While the public education system considers success moving on to the next grade, we consider success the development of the person. We know what works and what doesn't. We work with young and old to get them ready for the stage. We are not concerned with the passing fads of theatre learning. We are only concerned with making our students ready for performing under the lights.

Several of our students, young and old, have recently appeared in productions of The Sound of Music, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Fiddler on the Roof, various Domino Theatre productions, Blue Canoe and many more. Some of our more successful students have worked professionally, in film, television and theatre.

We believe that theatre is a team sport, that in order to succeed in theatre a student has to learn that the team is important, that strength comes from numbers, that wanting attention, or being concerned only about your own needs, does not work in professional theatre, film or television. No one will work with someone who rubs everyone else the wrong way. No one in show business wants to work with a diva.

The performing arts is a collaborative art form. Everyone has to pull together in the same direction. There are so many people that contribute to the success of a show. Directors, writers, choreographers, costumers, set designers, stage management, sound and lighting people, marketing people and performers are some of the people that contribute to the success of a show. Theatre is a community. We work hard to make sure that our students are ready to become a valuable part of that community.

For more information about our fall acting classes or to register please go to Acting Classes

To purchase an acting class and be automatically registered through Paypal - See below

Acting Class Options (all regular classes)

Stage Right (6 - 10) $145.00 CAD Stage Right (11 - 12) $217.50 CAD Stage Right (teen) $217.50 CAD Stage Right (adult) $217.50 CAD

Mahi Raptis back in Kingston

Greek-Canadian Soprano Andromahi(Mahi) Raptis headlines the Galalujah! Fundraiser at St Andrews Presbyterian Church Saturday September 15^th. Originally from Kingston, Mahi has been studying music in Toronto. 

Anne Marie Mortensen and Charles Robertson first saw Mahi in Urinetown at KCVI and she was captivating. The following year they had the pleasure of working with her in Bottle Tree Productions' The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Mahi is beginning her final year of a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Toronto, under the tutelage of Professor Lorna MacDonald. This summer Andromahi attended the world renowned Franz-Schubert-Institut in Vienna, Austria for an intensive five weeks devoted to German Lieder. In 2011 she was a National Finalist at the Canadian Music Competition and won the Provincial Finals of the Kiwanis Music Festival. In August of 2011, she sang the role of Ilia in Summer Opera Lyric Theatre’s production of Idomeneo. For Opera Atelier, Andromahi has sung in the chorus of both Don Giovanni and La clemenza di Tito, which starred Measha Brueggergosman. Andromahi’s choral experience began with the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston in 2001, and since has taken her to the stage of Roy Thompson Hall with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Helmuth Rilling. For more on Mahi see  Greg Burliuk's article in The Whig Standard

Galalujah is a fundraiser for Bottle Tree Productions' The Sound of Music and the St Andrews Music Fund.

The evening kicks off at 7:00 PM -

with Hors d'Oeuvres & cash bar (mocktails and soft drinks)

There is a Silent Auction throughout the evening

At 8:00 PM The Musical Gala begins

Featuring Andromahi Raptis

The Kingstown Tenors

The Kingston Community Strings

The Frontenac Women's Chorus

St Andrews Choir

The Cast of The Sound of Music

Cost $30/adults

$25/students and seniors

For tickets

go online at Galalujah! 2012

or phone 613-384-8433

or email info@bottletreeinc.com

or go to the Grand Theatre Box Office

218 Princess St. Kingston, ON

phone 613-530-2050

or email grandtheatre2@cityofkingston.ca

For more about Andromahi, please go to Mahi Raptis

Anne Marie and Charles are pleased to welcome Andromahi back to Kingston and invite you to come an enjoy the talent of this exceptional young woman.