Ready to test their hand at a different kind of entertainment, the Elmira Theatre Company is hosting The Bombadils tonight (Sept. 8) for one night only.
Canadian musical duo Luke Fraser and Sarah Frank will combine their voices and instrumental talents for a night of original music, inspired by kitchen parties and good old-fashioned story-telling.
ETC executive member Pam Webb says some of the theatre company had heard The Bombadils perform in Alma before and enjoyed what they had to offer. The Montreal-based duo recently released their latest album, New Shoes, and were looking to come back this way to perform.
“They’re a wonderful little group, a husband-and-wife team, and then they also have a friend that plays cello. So between the three of them I imagine they play eight or nine different instruments. One plays the mandolin and the flute and guitar and the banjo. It’s quite a nice medley of instruments and voices with that sort of traditional down East kind of genre of music,” Webb said.
Kaitlyn Raitz is the cello player and Spencer Murray comes in as flutist in larger settings.
![The Elmira Theatre Company hosts The Bombadils, Sarah Frank and Luke Fraser, for one night only on Sept. 8. The duo play a variety of instruments and will be joined by cello player Kaitlyn Raitz.[Submitted]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/arts_bombadils_post.jpg)
They toured Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Europe following their first album, Fill Your Boots in 2012. Their second album, Grassy Roads, Wandering Feet, came out last year.
Webb says this type of event invites in community members who may never have been into the theatre on Howard Avenue before.
“This was one of our ideas was to have a small more intimate concert type of a thing on one night or two nights, just to try to bring people into the theatre and also to see what the space is like if they’ve never been there before. Not everyone is interested in plays, so this was trying to give another alternative to come to the theatre,” Webb said.
They’re putting on three instead of four productions this year, so they also had a bit extra time. She says the theatre can hold about 126 people, so it’s a good space for smaller concerts and events – options they’re open to hosting.
Their dinner theatre runs in November, followed by their festival play in February and their spring show in April. They all run for three weeks each.
“All these plays are Canadian. We’re trying to honour Canada’s 150th next year, so we’re doing all Canadian comedies,” Webb added.
Michael G. Wilmot’s Buying the Moose is the dinner theatre show, Norm Foster’s Outlaw is their February play, and Joan Burrows’ Staff Room will take the stage in April.
As for tonight’s concert, people can get tickets through www.centreinthesquare.com, at Read’s Decorating Centre in Elmira and at the door. Tickets are $20. This is The Bombadils’ only Canadian show for the rest of the month. They’re off to the U.S. on Friday.
“I think it’ll be a lovely evening out for just some different traditional alternative kind of music, we’re not talking wild rock here or heavy metal. It’s just a lovely evening out for some music that wouldn’t normally come to Elmira,” Webb said.
