I am very saddened to announce that musical director Lloyd Nicholson passed away unexpectedly this morning in Ottawa. Lloyd was working on the remount of the Playhouse’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone at the National Arts Centre, which is scheduled to open on Friday, October 16. Lloyd was set to musical direct Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on his return to Vancouver later this month

Lloyd was the personification of musical theatre in Vancouver. I’ve known and worked with him for 25 years and his knowledge of and passion for the artform was a continual source of inspiration for me.

In addition to his many productions with the Playhouse, including Oliver! and Fiddler on the Roof, Lloyd was Artistic Director of Royal City Musical Theatre and was on the faculty of Studio 58, where he also served as musical director for many productions.

The Drowsy Chaperone, which earned multiple Jessie Richardson awards this June and a nomination for Lloyd for significant achievement in musical direction, marked a pinnacle in his exceptional career. Lisa Lambert, who wrote the music and lyrics for The Drowsy Chaperone, was so impressed with his musical arrangements that she recommended that the Melbourne Theatre Company contact Lloyd for advice on the Australian premiere. As well, the NAC/Citadel remount gave him a triumphant return to Edmonton, where he began his life in theatre at the University of Alberta.

As great a loss as this is to our community, I am so grateful that Lloyd was doing what he loved most and having a wonderful time with the Drowsy Chaperone company when he passed away. I’ve never seen him so happy and relaxed, and I’m thrilled that he lived long enough to receive this national and international recognition for his work.

Source:

http://www.vancouverplayhouse.com/blog/artistic-managing-director/playhouse-mourns-lloyd-nicholson/

1969: A Banner Year For Film In BC

Film production began here in earnest, with Robert Altman's That Cold Day in the Park. In director Altman's first Vancouver feature, a lonely, delusional spinster (Sandy Dennis) picks up a young drifter (Michael Burns) in Kitsilano's Tatlow Park. Another major production: Robert Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and Karen Black.
Other movies made locally this year included (comments are by Michael Walsh):
Great Coups of History
Written and directed by Ron Darcus, this told the story of a single mom (Delphine Harvey) who reminisces about a life spent trading on her female charms, while her teenaged daughter (Janie Cassie) struggles with her own budding sexuality.
The Mad Room
Directed by Bernard Girard, this was a remake of 1941's Ladies in Retirement, the story of a lady's companion (Stella Stevens) whose teenaged siblings are suspects in the murder of her employer (Shelley Winters).
The Plastic Mile (aka The Finishing Touch and She's a Woman). Directed by Morrie Ruvinsky. The story of an unhinged director (Jace Vander Veen) who raped his leading lady (Pia Shandel) during the making of his magnum opus, this controversial “art movie” added new sex scenes to each successive version.