The Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society committee.

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

CANADIAN music icon Alan Doyle will perform in concert tomorrow in Freeport, Grand Bahama, with his band, The Beautiful Gypsies.

Many Canadians are travelling from Vancouver and Nova Scotia, as well as from Ottawa and Toronto on extra flights from Sunwing, for a night of folk-pop music at the Regency Theatre at 8pm.

All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit students of the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society (GBPAS), which provides scholarships for studies at performing arts at colleges abroad.

“The ticket price of $35 is a fraction of the price people pay for an Alan Doyle concert; this world-class entertainment coming to Grand Bahama is a heck of a deal,” said Penny Ettinger, president of the GBPAS.

Mr. Doyle is a musical icon in Canada, where he is nominated for a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Award. He is also an actor, performing alongside Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett in a Robin Hood film remake.

He has performed for many years as bandleader of Great Big Sea for 20 years. Mr. Doyle now performs with his new band, The Beautiful Gypsies. He has performed with Sting, and just completed a tour with Bare Naked Ladies.

Ms. Ettinger said that Memories and Sunwing have partnered with the GBPAS and are bringing many Canadians down for the event, and encouraging its guests and visitors to attend the concert.

She thanked Braden and Renee Paddic, who are benefactors of the GBPAS and who have been instrumental in bringing Mr. Doyle, and other performers such as the Fortunate Ones last year from Newfoundland, Canada, who are also nominated for a Juno Award.

Gloria McGlone, a founding member of GBPAS, said the group has been in operation for about eight years and have provided more than $85,000 for the community in the form of scholarships for summer camps and putting kids in performing arts colleges.

The GBPAS receives no assistance from government and little corporate sponsorship, and gets Canadian schools to come to recruit Bahamians. She said that there are eight Bahamian students at Holland College in Prince Edward Island, where three will be graduating this year.

“Performing arts is so important and we find that it gives kids a chance to really find a sense of self esteem from getting on stage to promote themselves, acting, dancing. We are hoping we can get a good Bahamian turnout for this event,” said Ms. McGlone.

Colleen Lewis, another GBPAS member, said there are many talented Bahamian students.

“We are hoping to be a great help for the scholarship programme for students,” she said. “We have a wealth of talent here… and it is important they get a college education and come back to the island and perform for our tourists. We want to continue to do work to get deserving scholarships for students.”

Tickets are available at the Seventeen Shop, Memories Grand Bahama Beach Resort and Casino, and at Mackey Media on Retail Street.

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