18^TH ANNUAL
RBC SENIORS’ JUBILEE
SHOWS "NEW FACE OF AGING"

Monday, August 14 to Friday, August 18, 2006

A different line-up of entertainers each day

▪ 11 a.m. - Lobby Entertainment
▪ 1 p.m. – Theatre Stage Show

Toronto – With different expectations about their world and a view of aging as a period of opportunity, not limitations, Baby Boomers—who now make up the younger senior population –are redefining aging. Seniors who have often been "invisible" in society, now have the vitality, time and opportunity to follow their passions. The "superbly entertaining!" (Toronto Star) RBC Seniors’ Jubilee is an example of how today’s seniors are celebrating their vitality by exploring their creative sides.

"As Boomers are getting older, their lifestyles are not necessarily those of the grandparents with whom many of us grew up," says Pat Spadafora, Director of the Sheridan Elder Research Centre (SERC), Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Spadafora has experienced the Jubilee firsthand and recognizes its inherent value to society.

Spadafora indicated that, when one examines the lives of centenarians and super centenarians (110+), there are common threads to their longevity. In addition to healthy eating and regular exercise, they routinely report strong social supports from family and community. Baby Boomers, in large numbers, have embraced these practices to ensure their own active aging.

"The camaraderie of the RBC SENIORS’ JUBILEE is an example of this type of support network," says Spadafora. "The Jubilee family fosters creative growth, which ultimately enhances the overall quality of life, and offers positive role models for healthy aging."

During the RBC SENIORS’ JUBILEE, an exceptional cast of 1,300 entertainers in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond will take centre stage, promising an extraordinary entertainment experience. From Italian arias to reggae rhythms, Middle Eastern belly dance to traditional Chinese dance, the 18^th Annual RBC Seniors’ Jubilee performers celebrate musical variety as well as cultural diversity on the Roy Thomson Hall stage.

• Filipino singer Ramon Saraza was born in Urdaneta, Philippines in 1943. The 7^th child in a poor family of 12 children, he discovered his voice by singing in the local church. As a young man, he abandoned studying commerce at university in order to study singing at the local music conservatory. His singing brought him to the attention of a local congressman who encouraged his passion for music. After many international moves that required Ramon to give up pursuing a professional career as a singer, Ramon settled in Canada where his family now encourages him to continue his dream. Ramon Saraza appears Friday, August 18, 2006, on the Roy Thomson Hall stage.
• The Lian Hua (Lotus) Arts Group has become one of the most active non-profit dance groups in Toronto under the direction of founder Tia Zhang, a dancer/choreographer/instructor with an amazing list of credits. Lian Hua (Lotus) Arts Group has brought the beauty and virtue of traditional Chinese cultural art to life in prestigious venues like the Toronto Centre for the Arts and New York’s Madison Square Gardens. In 2005, Lotus Art Group was the main performer in NTDTV Global New Year Spectacular Show, touring 12 metropolitan cities in North America and performing in many world-renowned venues including Radio City Music Hall. Tia Zhang and the Lotus Arts Group appear Thursday, August 17 and Friday, August 18, 2006, on the Roy Thomson Hall stage.
• Jamaican born singer/songwriter Jay Douglas has a long list of credits including hit recordings and appearances on network television. Performing his diverse repertoire of jazz/blues/reggae music he has entertained at resorts, nightclubs and on cruises and has shared the stage with legends Fats Domino and Joe Tex. This talented performer is still very much in demand with his new CD release and many upcoming performance dates. Jay Douglas appears Tuesday, August 15, 2006, on the Roy Thomson Hall stage.
• The Indigos are a dynamic group of women who embrace the art of belly dancing as a means to keep the connection between body and soul and face life with a renewed sense of joy and self-acceptance. Under the direction of instructor and choreographer Noura, of the Nouranoura Belly Dance Studio, they perform for audiences of all ages. The Indigos appear Thursday, August 17 and Friday, August 18, 2006, on the Roy Thomson Hall stage.
• The Ukrainian Troubadours have been performing together for 10 years at the Ukrainian Canadian Care Seniors Centre in Toronto. Anne Jafelice, their leader, is a retired piano teacher who encouraged other musicians to join the group. Now, with 20 members, the troupe perform old Ukrainian folk songs and are currently compiling a collection of songs for a soon to be published book. The Ukrainian Troubadours appear on Monday, August 14, in the Roy Thomson Hall lobby.

Other headline acts include:

• Ragtime pianist Jack Hutton has been performing internationally for more than 20 years. He and his wife Linda own Bala’s Museum with Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery where Jack is frequently coaxed into playing. Still in demand as a performer and music historian, this multi-talented musician/writer continues to make recordings and entertain at festivals and events.
• Masi studied voice and piano at the Budapest Conservatory of Music in her native Hungary before moving to Canada to further her studies and launch her singing and modeling career. This unique talent who began singing with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir now has an impressive list of credits that includes performances with renowned artists, culminating in her recent work with the Norman Amadio Trio.
• Ray LaMarche began his musical training at age 10 studying classical violin. After a 38-year hiatus, spent as an OPP officer, Ray decided to resume his musical journey and is now enjoying performing in a variety of venues. Ray is a versatile fiddler and two-time winner of the Huronia District Senior Championship. He enjoys playing many styles and has won other fiddle contests in including the Ontario and USA National Northeast Regional Senior Championships.
• The members of the Ontario Central Reservist Band of the Salvation Army number about 45 men with well over 2000 years of collective brass band experience. These talented musicians have been a mainstay of the Jubilee since 1991 also perform in a wide variety of events. Bandmaster, Geoffrey E. Norton has been a bandsman for over 50 years and brings impeccable credentials to the leadership of the band. The Reservist Band was the 2005 recipient of the Pauline McGibbon Life Achievement in the Arts Award. In September, they will perform for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
• The popular Victoria County singer/songwriters Rick Hughes & Belinda Wilson have been performing and recording together for fifteen years. Their sixth CD Thank God for Poppies, an 11-song compilation that honours our veterans and pays tribute to their memory is distributed through the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion.
• This year’s RBC Seniors’ Jubilee will honour two very special performers with the presentation of the Pauline McGibbon Life Achievement in the Arts Award to Linda Fletcher and the Forever Young Award of Distinction to Mary Duquesnay.
• Linda Fletcher is a teacher, singer, accompanist, composer and choral director who was featured in the 2002 Canadian Composer Calendar. Linda’s first published composition, A Song of Sharing, has international sales of over 10,000 copies and has been selected for music festival lists. Linda is also co-writer and arranger, with director Tom Oliver, for Voices in the Night, a non-profit fund-raising vehicle. She has been organist and choir director at Walton Memorial United Church for over 20 years, where as well as Sunday worship services, she directs many concerts and music presentations.
• Winner of the 2006 Mayor’s Award for service to the community, soprano Mary DuQuesnay sings regularly with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra and the Guelph Concert Band as well as giving recitals with music ranging from Elizabethan to Puccini. She particularly enjoys finding and performing lesser-known works from well-known composers.

The 18^th Annual RBC Seniors Jubilee providea an extraordinary experience for more than 1,300 older performers from across Ontario, not to mention thousands of audience members from across Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Audiences will dance to live bands, sing along with choirs and enjoy continuous performances, wandering minstrels, buskers and a little magic too during the five different daily Jubilee shows that kick off at 11 a.m. each morning in the Roy Thomson Hall Lobby. At 1 p.m. the spectacular variety show gets underway on the theatre stage.

1,300 Incredible Performers:

• Singers … solos, duets, trios, quartets and choirs

• Dancers … beautiful ballroom, exotic folk, chorus line tap & down home clogging

• Musicians … classical, country, pop, and gospel

• Bands … dance, fiddle, polka and concert

• Comedians … lots of laughs!

• PLUS a little "magic" and always a few surprises.

11 a.m. Lobby Entertainment
Dance to the music of live bands, sing along with the choirs, enjoy the clowns and buskers, have a souvenir photo taken AND… Win a fabulous trip for two, courtesy of Senior Tours Canada: an eleven day deluxe Caribbean Cruise aboard the Grand Class Sun Princess to some of the most exciting ports of call in the Caribbean (including flights with Air Canada, meals, activities, entertainment and all tour options).

1 p.m. On the Theatre Stage
A kaleidoscope of extraordinary singers, dancers, musicians and cabaret performers!

For single tickets $39.50 - $18.50 call 416-872-4255

Special group rates for 20 or more call 416-593-4822 ext. 225

Or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office
60 Simcoe Street, Toronto