Now & Then

Randy Read

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A podcast unveiling the history of Kawartha Lakes’ Flato Academy Theatre, a 125-year-old building of stories and mysteries, as well as what misadventures are happening right now. The first season is set to have ten episodes, one a month, and will feature new guest stars every episode. Hosted by Lindsay, Ontario’s Randy Read.

10/11/2025

Now & Then Episode 27 - Autumn 2025

00:00 Intro 01:15 Linda Brown 05:20 Open Mic 11:26 Ian McKechnie 23:24 David McMillan 31:51 Dylan John Garton 37:34 Jess Spagnolo 40:24 Victoria Sheppard 49:18 Beth Wilson 55:56 Ron Sharman 1:03:14 Outro Welcome to our episode for Fall 2025, and Happy Thanksgiving! We have an array of guests this time with some wonderful stories. We have Linda Brown, who co-hosts Open Mic nights at the Academy Theatre with me, and we reveal a fun opportunity to record a song of your very own for free at a legit studio. We have several guests of our recent Open Mic and their stories of who they are. Ian McKechnie talks about a famous film and stage actress Marie Dressler and how she made her huge start here at the Flato Academy Theatre. David McMillan is a young man now on the theatre’s committee, originally from Ottawa and having recorded for some amazing bands and working for some big-time record companies throughout his life. Dylan John Garton is the tech guru of the theatre, and has been helping out shows since he was 13 years old. Yep. 13! He makes sure everything’s working technically, and there was something here at the theatre that really ignited his passion for the craft. Jess Spagnolo is their new handler for Communications and Marketing, and is a renowned artist on the side. Our General Manager, Victoria Sheppard, talks about some exciting upcoming shows, such as A Christmas Story The Musical, and we then hear from the director of that upcoming show, Beth Wilson! Finally, we hear from our frequent theatre flier, Ron Sharman, talking about how he recently saw the Oasis band, famous for Wonderwall at the Rogers Stadium in Toronto - and he recently saw Jane Goodall speak before she passed away.

1h 4m
08/13/2025

Now & Then Episode 26 - With Erica Ehm - August 2025

For our second summer episode, we have a bunch of goodies, but a standout is the super-famous Erica Ehm. She has been in the entertainment and music industries for 40 years now. She started by booking shoots for the show "The New Music" back in 1982 for Much Music, and then Much Music became a national channel and Erica was the host. She's released a book, done multiple interviews for artists, musicians and cultural leaders, and she started a show called "Yummy Mummy" and a website called the "Yummy Mummy Club" which is now the largest online community for mothers in THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!!! I could go on. We have some additional incredible guests, like Victoria Shepherd, GM for the Flato Academy Theatre, revealing some fun upcoming shows and performances for the next few months. We talk to some people who were auditioning for the upcoming musical, an adaptation of A Christmas Story to be performed this holiday season. There's also Ron Sharman, who's on the board at the theatre. He and his wife go to more shows at the theatre than anyone else I've seen. It was an honour to have him to be able to talk about two recent shows he's been to. Also, my good friend Ian McKechnie told us an interesting take about a play done 125 years ago, all the way back in 1900, according to newspapers documenting an Empire Day play at the Academy Theatre! 00:35 - Intro 01:22 - Victoria Shepherd 05:43 - A Christmas Story The Musical Interviews 09:40 - Ron Sharman 17:07 - Ian McKechnie 32:38 - Erica Ehm 45:35 - Outro

47 min
06/01/2025

Now & Then Episode 25 - June 2025

This is our first episode back after a hiatus, and we’re excited to have it out for you! For starters, we hear from the brand new General Manager of the Flato Academy Theatre, Victoria Shepherd, and the fascinating journey of her life that landed her here. We also give a tribute to her predecessor, Craig Metcalf! Next we hear from Operations Manager Alan Cottreau about future events coming to the theatre. Third is the owner of the Olympia restaurant, Nicki Dedes. You’d be surprised how the restaurant came to be. She takes us back to the beginning, when Lindsay was a rail town. Did you know this used to be an ice cream parlor, and it sold ice as a commodity, and Nicki’s dad really Greek’d it up? Also, back during one of my open mic nights, we chatted with a bunch of local singer-songwriters performing, including the Van Halteren’s. Lastly, we got to sit down with our producer Warren Frank to talk about the recent O Canada concert put on by BGC Kawarthas! 0:00 - Intro & Victoria Shepherd 10:58 - Operations Manager Alan Cottreau 13:45 - Nicki Dedes 29:05 - Linda Brown & Singer Songwriter Interviews 42:20 - Warren Frank

48 min
12/11/2024

Now & Then Episode 24 - December 2024 - Two Year Lookback

For this very special episode, we are going to be looking back at some of our best moments on this podcast. Before that, we have our dear friend Craig Metcalf, updating us on not just this month's shows but some exciting ones to look out for in not January but February! Hmmmm! We hear from Mary The Ghost, who talks about her secret identity for the world and sings us a lovely Christmas carol! We have our producer Warren Frank, discussing what it is like being the one to put the podcast together over these last two years. And last we have our social media and graphic designer William McGinn, talking about what he feels are our most fascinating moments since production, and discussing a project he has done himself for the last three years, to bring a video game character back to life in his own way.

32 min
11/08/2024

Now & Then Episode 23 - November 2024 - Wizard of Oz Curtain

Well, the month has arrived for the big Wizard of Oz play! In which my granddaughter is voicing a Munchkin. I talk about that with director Beth Wilson. I also find an article from 1892 about the construction of the theatre, three weeks before its grand opening. Fun fact about it: The chairs were brought in from Hamilton, and there are names mentioned of the Federation that had a big part in Flato Academy Theatre’s construction. I also talk with Craig Metcalf about a big list of attractions for this month, I meet with my friend Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Lindsay District Chamber of Commerce and his love of all things local theatre, with an exciting hint at a project we’re doing together, and discussing how an open mic at the theatre, put together by friend Linda “Pinky” Brown, where people can perform open mics, has been very successful and I meet up with some of the performers, who have made their debut at the lovely theatre doing this! Randy Intro - 0:30 Randy Article - 1:15 Craig - 3:49 Wizard - 9:26 Terry Guiel - 12:44 Open Mic - 16:24 Randy Outro - 20:52

22 min
10/23/2024

Now & Then Episode 22 - October 2024 - With Steve & Len Green & Oktoberfest

Thank you for joining me for Episode 22 of Now & Then! We start this episode with me continuing my journey through the archives of the theatre, and finding out how people advocated for a hall that would honour our future town of Lindsay. I also talk about the history of Oktoberfest, the famous beer festival and traveling carnival, especially its significance in Kitchener, plus a little song celebrating the event. We also hear from my granddaughter McKenna, who’s going to be in the Wizard of Oz production at the Flato Academy Theatre next month as a munchkin. It is her first ever play and I can tell she’s got the talent for it already. My special guests this month, are Len & Steve Green! Len is now 97 years old, and when he was younger, he worked as a set designer, set painter, and set builder for the theatre in the 1970s. His son Steve was the head honcho at the Durham Cafe! Remember that place? We hear stories of what the theatre was like back then, and we reminisce about some of our mutual friends! Finally, Ian McKechnie and I learn about how the Academy Theatre was so popular and so respected, people used to say things like, “Oh, Lindsay! Where the big theatre is!” 0:00 How The Theatre Opened 3:45 Oktoberfest in Kitchener 5:10 Oktoberfest Song I Sang 7:20 Update on The Wizard of Oz with McKenna 11:16 Interview with Steve & Len Green 21:22 Ian McKechnie & the Recent International Plowing Match

34 min
09/12/2024

Now & Then Episode 21 - September 2024 - with Linda "Pinky" Brown

In this delightful episode, having returned from the summer holidays, I have some fun updates for you. Ian McKechnie and I got to recently go to the theatre's attic, and we uncovered some incredible old artifacts of the theatre, including a copy of the Lindsay Daily Post from the 19th century, a playbill from the Great Depression age, and more. Craig Metcalfe and I discuss upcoming shows, including one for tomorrow, September 13th, the metal band Anvil, the monsters of rock who were on top of the world in the 1980s. We also hear there's going to be a new monthly event, an open mic show, and it's orchestrated by local star and my former student, Linda "Pinky" Brown, who we also have on to talk about what this is. Finally, we have musician, teacher and business owner Graeme Morrison of Morrison Music, talking about a moment at the Flato Academy Theatre that he will hold dear to his heart for years to come! Intro - 0:00 Iain McKechnie 1 - 02:53 Craig Metcalfe - 05:05 Linda Brown - 07:29 Graeme Morrison - 10:00 Ian McKechnie 2 - 13:19 Outro - 21:57

23 min
07/09/2024

Now & Then Episode 20 - July 2024

Welcome to the July 2024 episode! Auditions recently took place for The Wizard of Oz, and I got to attend the first night. For the first part of this episode, you get to hear some footage from then. Some includes my granddaughter who’s been accepted as a Munchkin! And this was her first audition! I’m so proud of her! We also have our historian Ian McKechnie, back after a little while, discussing how he’s now a published author, and talking about his book, “Reflections on Old Victoria County: In Tribute to R. B. Fleming”. Dr. Ray Fleming was a well-known historian and author, who also did some documentation about the Academy Theatre. Not long before he died, he compiled articles about our local history to put into a book. He passed before he could finish it, but Ian and another historian got a green light from Ray’s family to keep going where he left off. And this is the result!! We also hear stories from the amazing Andy McNeilly, what it was like living in Bali, Indonesia, right after the pandemic. Some examples include how some people came permanently and all over the world to live in Bali during some rough times, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. There was a surplus of tourism and some people weren’t treating Hinduism right, and Andy felt responsibility and was a bit of a speaker. Who had millions and millions of views!!! Press play to Learn More!

47 min

A podcast unveiling the history of Kawartha Lakes’ Flato Academy Theatre, a 125-year-old building of stories and mysteries, as well as what misadventures are happening right now. The first season is set to have ten episodes, one a month, and will feature new guest stars every episode. Hosted by Lindsay, Ontario’s Randy Read.

Creator

Randy Read
Years Active

2024 - 2025
Episodes

27
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Randy Read 2022
Show Website

Now & Then