Welcome Back

I recently saw an ad for the Town Hall Theatre in Port Perry and a new production they were putting together. I was extremely intrigued, as it has been a very long time since I was able to go to live theatre.

It started me wondering when was the last time I actually attended a concert? I love musical theatre and have always made a point of seeing most new productions in Toronto, and every production in Port Perry.

So, here is where the irony comes in. The last live production I went to was at the Town Hall Theatre in Port Perry. It was a show, presented by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of North Durham. I remember it well because it was in March of 2019, around my birthday, when the world shut down.

Walking into the theatre was eerie. Most of the seats were empty and we sat by ourselves. There was a quiet solitude around us, as most people were nervous and unsure of what to say. I could tell several were wondering if they made the right choice in coming.

It was all so new then. Masks were hard to get, sanitizing lotion was scarce, and there was a shortage of toilet paper, which I still can’t get my head around. We stayed and the show went ahead and it was wonderful. The fear of the unknown was subdued by the great performance.

Flip the calendar ahead 20 months and once again I was able to see live theatre in Port Perry. Not only was it the same theatre, as my last live show, but we sat in the identical seats. The theatre did a wonderful job of separation. People adhered to wearing masks, showing proof of vaccination, and staying well distanced in tiny bubbles (I had to bring Don Ho into this somewhere).

The production was a Welcome Back show, celebrating the 150th birthday of our little town. For anyone who has lived, played and worked in Scugog, the list of performers was a virtual who’s who. Irwin Smith crooned out those tunes from days gone by, and e