VA Sightings March 2008 (Part 2)!

Naz Edwards' Souvenir Continues!

Naz Edwards (Queen Beryl) continues to perform as the singer who can't sing across Michigan! She is currently in Lansing at the BoarsHead Theatre performing in Souvenir, a musical about Florence Foster Jenkins. She liked to believe she could sing, when in reality she could not. Naz is a very accomplished jazz and cabaret singer, and we wonder how hard it might have been for her to train for this role (or rather, learn how not to sing). We've read a few reviews of the show and we have heard that it's really good, and recommend any fans in the area to go check it out!

Jeff Lumby Plays Showbiz Dad!

Jeff Lumby (Dr. Tomoe) can currently be heard playing Leonard, who is better known as the nerdy father of Ricky Sprocket in Ricky Sprocket, Showbiz Boy! The flash-animated TV show can be seen on both Nickelodeon in the United States, and Teletoon in Canada. The show uses a kid-friendly approach to talk about society's infatuation with celebrity. Ricky is constantly fighting battles between how he should grow up, and how he should act in the public - or how he should avoid being seen the wrong way by the ruthless paparazzi! Jeff is still a radio host at Dave FM in Cambridge, Ontario. Fans can read his blog, here!

Dennis Akiyama Comes To Degrassi!

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian TV show which is making waves all over the world. It has been a staple on CTV and has now begun on Nickelodeon's The N and also the CW. Though sometimes controversial, we think this is a good drama for teenagers to watch as it's very close to being true-to-life. Degrassi follows high schoolers and the challenges they face in and out of school. In the Season 7 episode "Death or Glory Part II", school strongboy Gavin "Spinner" Mason was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Dennis Akiyama (Malachite) appeared in the show as the Oncologist (Cancer Doctor) who talks to Spinner about his options for treatment. Fans can check out the episode streaming online at CTV or The N.

Tracey Hoyt Dwells Into the Lives of Hockey Wives...

Tracey Hoyt (Rini #1) appeared on the last episode ever of CBC's drama http://www.cbc.ca/mvp/. She played, (for the second time in her career) a nurse inj Mad Scramble. Though this time, she was in a more intense situation. The first time she played a nurse was in the movie Godsend, during the delivery of a baby. This time, she played a psychiatric nurse and got to inject tranquilizers into an athlete who was a little delusional. She handled that syringe quite fiercely! If you are in Canada, CBC has all of the episodes streaming online at the official site. We'll warn our readers though,this series has some mature content.Tracey has also been teaching voice with Pirate Voice. Toronto's CityTV went over there recently to pick up a few tips, and Tracey was there to teach them! Fans can watch the video they have posted here to see Tracey in action!

... And so did Allison Sealy-Smith!

Allison Sealy-Smith (various Monsters of the Day) also appeared on the episode playing Cadde Lawrence, a psychic who helps another wife in search of a missing child. Allison also appeared in the movie, How She Move. This is a Canadian film about Jamaican dance culture and identity. Allison played Mrs. Davis, and fans can try to spot her in some video clips here. The movie was released on January 25th to only a limited amount of cinemas in Canada. Allison also appeared in Global's black hairdresser comedy, 'da Kink in My Hair. The series is based on the play of the same name by Trey Anthony, and was inspired by the many West Indian salons in Toronto's Eglinton suburb. Trey talked about her inspiration to the National Post last year. Allison played Leanne in the episode Empty Bag Can't Stand Up . Unfortunately, it seems Global has removed the show from its site, so we can't provide you a link to watch episodes. We can link you to a trailer, where you can spot the short-haired Allison Sealy-Smith for a quick second!



Julie Lemieux on Global Warming Cartoon!

Julie Lemieux (Sammy, Peruru, Young Darien) was heard as the voice of Becky Sue in the movie Chilly Beach: The World Is Hot Enough. It was just released on DVD , and follows the successful 3-season Canadian series all about life in the way-up-North!. Canucks Dale and Frank are tired (like we all are) of Canada's infamous deep-freeze winters. So they experiment with climate control, but end up destroying the planet in the process. Now it's up to them to go back in time and undo the damage before they do it! We hope to catch it soon, as we've mostly seen Julie play younger male roles more than she has female roles.

More VAs Appear on Little Mosque on the Prairie!

Last season, Maria Vacratsis appeared on the groundbreaking comedy, Little Mosque on the Prairie!. Now, it seems two more VAs have visited Mercy, Saskatchewan. These include David Huband (Serena's Dad) playing a Radio Manager in Crush and Meet J.J., and Norma Dell'Agnese (Prisma) who played the hairdresser Marsha in the episode, Wheat Week.Martha has blinds in her windows, which allows for Muslim women to get a haircut without men seeing them without their Hijab. Of course, things change when Martha takes away the blinds. David plays the manager of Mercy's only radio station, and is easily swayed from making decisions by getting bribes from Fred, the disc jockey who is desperate to save his job. It seems this show is airing all over the world these days except for the United States. We recommend fans look around for episodes posted on Youtube or Veoh to catch these VAs in action! Fans may be interested to know that while the show still features lots of shots of Regina and area, the production moved to Toronto after the pilot episodes were shot. In the first season, you may have noticed shots of the "Novia Cafe" - the Cafe actually exists and is one of the greasiest places to eat in the city!

Wendy Lyon in Two Movies!

Wendy Lyon (Queen Serenity)had a role playing Luanne in Kaw, a Canadian film about ravens that attack a small town. The indie flick also stars Sean Patrick Flannery. From the reviews of this movie that we've read, it didn't have more to the plot than that and it was not very well received. For those of you adventurous enough to watch it, the movie is on DVD. Wendy can also be seen in a TV Movie based on the horrible Mayerthorpe Incident in 2005. Four RCMP officers visited the tiny town of Mayerthorpe in the hopes of capturing a farmer who was growing marijuana in a barn. Unfortunately, the farmer shot and killed all four officers in an attempt to evade the law. The movie aired in February on CTV, featuring Wendy as Sally Ranfield.

And Now, We Leave You With...

A wonderful performance from Emilie-Claire Barlow (Sailors Mars & Venus #2)! Here she is singing O Pato on Quebec's Belle et Bum show! Check out her blog to learn all about what she's been up to! We wish you the best of luck Emilie-Claire - the National Jazz Awards are just around the corner!