Lightfoot wows 'em--Orillia Packet

[imported_Next_Saturday]

http://www.orilliapacket.com/Article...aspx?e=2177441



Lightfoot wows 'em
ENTERTAINMENT: Legendary Orillia performer plays pair of sold-out shows
Posted By NATHAN TAYLOR, THE PACKET AND TIMES
Posted 3 hours ago


When the Orillia Opera House was able to make available a few last-minute tickets for the sold-out Gordon Lightfoot concerts on the weekend, those who were fortunate enough to snatch them up felt "like they had won the lottery."

That was how Krista Storey described the elation of those people and the excitement of everyone else who filed into the Opera House Saturday for the first of two shows.

Really, though, the Opera House and the Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (SMH) Foundation felt like they, too, had won the lottery.

Lightfoot is splitting the proceeds from the shows between the two institutions, both dear to the Orillia-born folk musician.

"The band members said Gordon always gets excited about performing here. This is home," said Storey, general manager of the Opera House.

After his Saturday concert, Lightfoot met with officials from the Opera House and SMH. He signed and tuned a guitar that will be auctioned off on the web-site eBay, with the proceeds going to SMH.

"It's a very special moment. Gord is such a wonderful supporter of the hospital," said SMH president and CEO Elisabeth Riley. "He's a legend in his own time, and it's great to see him support his hometown."

And it was "a thrill," she added, to see Lightfoot -- who turns 71 tomorrow -- perform live.

"I enjoyed it from beginning to end," Riley said.

The Opera House and SMH weren't the only ones to benefit from the concerts. The Opera House donated two tickets to the recent Kiwanis Auction, and they fetched $130 each, which will go back into the community.

"We pay it forward," Storey said.

Storey thanked everyone who helped out with Lightfoot's homecoming, including the Mariposa Folk Foundation for lending some items from its archives.

The Green Room walls were hung with archival photos, including, of course, some Lightfoot shots.

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"We wanted to Gord-ify the place," Storey said. "We hope he comes back often."

ntaylor@orilliapacket.com
Article ID# 2177441

[Jesse Joe]

Great article, Gord is the best !

"We wanted to Gord-ify the place," love it !

[jj]

Originally Posted by imported_Next_Saturday

We wanted to Gord-ify the place

my vocabulary has just been expanded

[charlene]

http://www.orilliapacket.com/Article...aspx?e=2189765
Help in staging successful Lightfoot shows appreciated
Posted 1 day ago

I want to take a moment and thank everyone for helping to make the Gordon Lightfoot concerts at the Orillia Opera House such a huge success on Nov. 14-15. The incredible media prior to the show made sure that knew when things were happening and
how they were happening and both shows sold out in less than one week.

As most people are aware, Mr. Lightfoot donated these two concerts to benefit both the Orillia Opera House and Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. The proceeds given to both the Opera House and the hospital amounted to over $38,000 each. This was an extremely generous gesture on Mr. Lightfoot's part, but as he says, he's been doing this for years and will continue to do these benefit concerts for as long as he can. But it is the 1,400 people that purchased that made this fundraiser such a huge success. We can't thank you enough for waiting on the phones, standing in line or waiting online to purchase your tickets and also for all your kind emails afterward, your support and appreciation has been overwhelming. Thank you.

I would also like to give a special thank you to The Packet & Times for donating the special souvenir program that everyone received at the A great deal of work went into it and it was a special piece that was appreciated very much.

Thank you to Flowers by June for adding her special touch throughout the building and to Glenn Sheridan Catering for taking such good care of our distinguished guests.

The Mariposa Folk Foundation was kind enough to allow us to borrow some of their archives to help us commemorate this special weekend in our Green Room lounge. The 50th anniversary of the Mariposa Folk Festival is next year and as everyone knows, Gordon Lightfoot has always been a huge part of it. He was excited to see the exhibit and was happy to sign the 10-foot banner painted by Mark Tabor for the Festival of Banners in recognition of Mariposa's 50th. It is a beautiful work of art and can be seen in the Orillia Opera House lobby.

Thank you to Elisabeth Riley, Nicole McCahon and especially Terry Dyni from Soldiers' Memorial Hospital for doing such an amazing PR job. They were a great team to work with!

And last but not least, thank you to the staff and volunteers at the Orillia Opera House for working so hard to prepare for this special weekend and doing such a fantastic job during the event.

Thank you.

Krista Storey, General manager, Orillia Opera House