WCI grad on brief departure from touring production of The Sound Of Music
By
Mark Schadenberg
As
a Red Devil of the early-to-mid 1980’s, I remember the talents of Donna Garner
from high school. At WCI, we were often in the same home room and in Galahad
house.
In
Oxford County – at least in the corridor between Embro and Woodstock – everyone
knows the Garner surname in music and to some degree politics also.
Donna
Garner is the youngest of 13 kids. If I’m correct, when we were both at WCI she
had a nephew in a grade older than her.
In
this submission therefore, I will refer to Donna Garner simply as: Donna.
From: www.donnagarner.ca
I
noticed this week on Facebook that she posted her personal international run in
the touring of production of The Sound Of Music is in hiatus, not because Donna
needs time to rejuvenate before the show hits the big stage again in Toronto in
June with her in the cast, but because she is returning to the cast of the
musical Once in the Maritimes – Halifax’s Neptune Theatre through to May 28.
While I’ve never seen the stage production of Once, I have seen the movie and
admire the soundtrack especially the Oscar winning song Falling Slowly.
Since
I’m 51 this year, you can equally guess Donna’s age, so her professional career
has now spanned more than 3 decades.
At
Woodstock Collegiate, I recall Anne Of Green Gables and Little Mary Sunshine.
Yes – I did have to look at my Oracle yearbook to confirm the name of the sunny
show.
For
Donna after WCI, education included voice at Western and the University of
Toronto. Her Facebook backgrounder (biography) includes Donna’s tenure as a
teacher at Sheridan College in Toronto.
An
interesting connection to the Sound Of Music could be the fact that Donna also
studied music in Austria.
Since
life on Riddell Street and the WCI auditorium, Garner’s career has included many
shows – Wizard Of Oz, Cabaret, Cinderella, The Buddy Holly Story, Full Monty, Singin’
In The Rain, along with the production Two Pianos, Four Hands.
Her
current role in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical about Austria in World War
II is the character Frau Schmidt.
From: Donna's Facebook page
Baruska
is her role in Once. If you grow up in a musical family you learn the piano. As
a Facebook pal, I note that Donna posts comments on needing to perfect skills
on the accordion for the well-known touring production of Once.
I’ve
never asked Donna if Anne Of Green Gables is her favourite show, but according to
her Facebook page she did spend more than 10 years at the Charlottetown
Festival in various roles including musical director.
The
Garner family is very talented, including Donna’s sister, the late Linda
VanWinden, who died of cancer in 2014. The late Ross Garner was both a
national-level pairs figure skating competitor in the 1960’s, but also
performed on stage. Brother Keith Garner was one of the founders of Thistle
Theatre in Embro and a past president of that acting company.
Brian
Garner is employed in the musical world as well.
Parents
Ernie and Alice Garner were dairy farmers, but Alice ran for the Liberal Party
in the 1970’s and was a long-time volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Ernie garner was a past reeve for township council.
Quite
a family indeed !
Donna
and hubby Rick Hughes, who is also an actor, reside in Toronto today, but I’m
sure Embro will always be ‘home’ for Donna Garner.
I
should make sure I catch The Sound Of Music this spring (Begins June 6 at Ed
Mirvish Theatre) in Toronto
LINKS:
2015 Story in Sentinel-Review
2013:
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