The Board of Directors is very excited to be able to present a full season of events for 2010. It hasn’t been since the late 1990’s that the hall has been able to offer a full year of performances before the year has even begun. To start the season off, Dufflebag Theatre will be returning to the Hall to perform their version of Peter Pan for 2 performances on March 4 for elementary school audiences. On Saturday March 27 at Pelee Island Winery, our 2nd Wine and Cheese Fundraiser will take place to support our annual musical and Sunday, March 28, again at Pelee Island Winery, Migration Hall will host our first Volunteer Appreciation Afternoon for all who have given their time to Migration Hall in any capacity from ushering to costumes to decorating homes. Kingsville District High School will host their 3rd year of MusicFest Canada Regionals the week of March 29 to April 1. April brings something old and something new: Actors Theatre of Windsor will be presenting their benefit performance of To Kill A Mockingbird for County audiences April 16 – 18. April 24 and 25, the Broads are back in town for the Kingsville BIA’s Paint the Town Pink and Stephanie Allen Santos’ 3rd year presenting Broads on Broadway: B3 The Broads are Back in Town fundraising concert for Breast Cancer research and awareness. With only 300 seats and 2 consecutive sold out years, tickets are sure to sell quickly! It will also be time to audition for our fall musical Fiddler on the Roof! Dates, times and audition info will be available in early spring! In May, Kingsville District High School Drama offers their annual presentation on the 20th and 21st then KDHS Music’s Spring Concert on May 26th. June: Darcy’s School of Dance presents their annual Spring Recital June 5 which is followed closely by a Migration Hall Productions presentation of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (revised) directed by Joel Lewsaw (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Musical direction by Mike Karloff and featuring 6 talented actors from Windsor/Essex County, June 11 – 13. Various elementary school graduations will take place at the Hall from June 21 – 25 ending with the KDHS Grad on June 29.
July and August are traditionally quiet, however, we’ll be deep in preparation for ‘Fiddler’ throughout the summer and Kingsville Class Basketball hosts a week long basketball camp early in July. September will the school returning as well as rehearsals for the musical which takes place in October. Opening Migration Festival weekend (October 15, 16 & 17) and running for 2 weekends (October 21, 22, 23, & 24), this is Migration Hall’s 5th consecutive musical in as many years, building on the 5 years previous by the late Kingsville Repertory Players and there is no sign of slowing down as plans for 2011 will already be in motion as well as a 10 Year Celebration of Musicals in Kingsville. November: The 7th Annual Kingsville Home Tour will take place the weekend of November 20-21, leading into the Christmas season with John McDermott returning to the Migration Hall stage on November 28. December not only brings us the joy of the Holidays with KDHS Music’s Christmas Concert, but Migration Hall Productions will present White Christmas in Concert from December 10 – 19 with dinner/show packages available for the first time in many years.
The Migration Hall board is very excited about the upcoming season, and events are constantly being added to the calendar. Please check out our new website at HYPERLINK "http://www.migrationhall.ca" www.migrationhall.ca or HYPERLINK "http://www.migrationhall.ca/" www.migrationhallproductions.ca for more information about Migration Hall, our shows and ticket information. You can always reach Stephanie Allen Santos, Acting General Manager, at 519-733-6200 or the Box office at 519-733-8357.
There is enough drama in everyday life: Everyone needs a bit of theatre now and again! Come on out and enjoy the experience at Migration Hall!
In 1991 an event that had a profound effect on our community took place. The Ontario government, in an effort to implement full funding initiatives, proposed to turn our community high school over to the Essex County Separate School Board to alleviate accommodation issues. The community of Kingsville rallied in a united front against this proposal and soon KDHS was removed from consideration for this proposal. But the community spirit this event captured made local citizens keenly aware of how much the community high school meant to them and they were determined to turn this event into something positive. It was at this time that a group of community leaders set out to assist those teachers in realizing their dream and a massive fundraising effort for Migration Hall took place.
The rest is history. The community received pledges for their third of the cost of the facility and the Board of Education was persuaded to go ahead with the project, hoping that government grants would cover the remaining costs. Although the grants never appeared Migration Hall was built and opened in 1994. With a dual function of providing Kingsville District High School with additional space and providing the community a place where it could meet for cultural and recreational events today Migration Hall is a beacon of light within a community that should be proud of its spirit.
Hundreds of events have taken place in the Hall since 1994. The school is able to hold its athletic, artistic and academic functions in a modern facility and has been able to bring home such events as MusicFest Canada Regionals. Numerous big name entertainers, starting with The Nylons and including such names as Fred Penner, Tommy Hunter, The Irish Rovers, Michelle Wright, Terri Clark, the former Kingsville Repertory Players and Migration Hall Productions have entertained thousands. Just as importantly the Hall is used by numerous community organizations to hold events that could not be otherwise held in Kingsville.
But this could not have taken place without the hundreds of people that have contributed to the success of Migration Hall. Without the support from the original teacher organizers and the high school community, the hundreds of financial donors including the generous donation from Essex Community Futures Development Corporation (formerly SEED Corporation) to purchase and install the Migration Hall sign and billboard, and the numerous volunteers that serve as ushers and hospitality and technical support for our events Migration Hall would still be just a dream. The members of our community who have served on the Hall’s Board of Directors deserve special mention – Migration Hall would not be the vibrant, debt free facility it is today without their tireless vigilance of this dream.
So whether you are a volunteer, donor or a patron of our Hall thank you – without you Kingsville would not have its Migration Hall.