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Good Vibrations
July 8, 2026
I’m Feelin’ It, Take Me Back! Reviewed by Marilu Murphy First impressions set the tone for me. Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia hasn’t once disappointed me. The stage set at the opening production of Good Vibrations is bright and colourful with round paper lanterns strung high across the width of the stage. The lighting smartly simulates waves on the back wall with the band directly in front. Surf boards, a duck swim ring, a small round table and two chairs complete with an umbrella to the right certainly gives the impression that this is a beach. Everyone loves a Beach Party! Let the Party begin! The band, Michael Lavereau on Guitar, Nathan Nykor on Keyboards, Evan Chambers on Drums and Charlie Kramers on electric and stand-up bass explode on to the stage striking up the song with the same title as the production. “Good Vibrations” is a number one hit by the Beach Boys. The band is immediately followed by Christine McKeon, Kory Fulton, April Wong and Nic Palazzolo dressed in colourful beachwear reminiscent of the 60’s and 70’s. They are ready for a sun-soaked party and an excitingly good time on the seashore. They join the band belting out the song, “Good Vibrations” which melts away to “Surfing Safari”, “Surf City”, “Surfing USA” and “Surfer Girl”. The choreography with the surfboards is outstanding, I am impressed and this is only the beginning of the performance. The singers’ harmonies create depth and emotion as they slip from one song to another, flawlessly changing key. The four beach goers settle in on the beach spreading themselves out on towels to catch some rays. April sits with her sunshades enjoying the breeze while Christine, known as Teeny, reaches into her beach bag and meticulously pulls out, one by one, every product that she needs for beauty upkeep and her tan. ...
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Mary's Musings
Karen Coughlin-Melo AKA Linda Ronstadt!
June 15, 2026
Great to see Karen on stage! By Mary Alderson, June 14, 2026 It was a delight to see the beautiful and very talented Karen Coughlin-Melo in a tribute concert as Linda Ronstadt last week. We used to see Karen on a regular basis, starting in 2005, when she had a lead role in a cute little musical called Suds. Suds was presented at the Hiawatha Horse Park near Sarnia. At the time it was touted to be a future location for musical theatre, but I think Suds was the only show presented there. The next time we saw Karen on stage was also in 2005, when she starred as Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. She performed the same role the next year at the Grand Theatre in London. She sang all the Belle songs beautifully. Also in 2006, she played Patsy Cline in the musical A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, where she wowed the audience with her country sound. In 2007, she was the beloved Miss Stacey, the school teacher, in Anne of Green Gables at the Grand Theatre. Her clear, bell-like voice was perfect for the role of everyone’s favourite teacher. In 2010, she was back at Huron Country Playhouse as part of the Country Legends show, where Karen again sang some Patsy Cline favourites, among others. Later in 2010, she played the prim and proper Sarah Brown, the Salvation-Army-type woman, in the hit musical Guys and Dolls at Drayton Theatre. To finish off 2010, Karen was the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Grand Theatre in London. Here’s what I had to say about Karen in my review: “Karen Coughlin is incredibly good as the Narrator. Her voice is in ...
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