Musical fundraiser shines light on international plight

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This article was published 24/04/2024 (819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lights, music and a shared mission.

Winnipeggers can expect to be swept away on a melodic journey as the encore of Music of the Night prepares to dazzle audiences for its second year. Organized by Tyler Leighton, this event promises an enchanting evening of musical theatre while rallying support for the Canadian charity LiveDifferent.

Leighton’s connection to LiveDifferent — which was founded in 2000 and started operating internationally in 2005 — spans 15 years, beginning as a volunteer and evolving into a dedicated staff member; he is now the co-ordinator of international programs.

“LiveDifferent is an international organization, a Canadian charity that works internationally in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and in Thailand, and we do humanitarian build trip events and projects in those countries,” says Leighton, 25.

The charity offers mental-wellnesses programs for students, humanitarian build trips, compassionate projects and gap-year studying-abroad opportunities.

The build trips see volunteers help construct homes and spaces with local communities, contractors and families. The trips also offer opportunities to make friends globally and experience the culture and daily life of the host community.

According to LiveDifferent’s website, they’ve built homes for more than 590 families so far.

“I got involved as a young person — as a young kid, in fact — with my family as a volunteer and have stayed involved heavily throughout my whole life,” says Leighton.

Leighton has also been involved in the arts and musical theatre for just as long — the choreographer and performer is a champion tap-dancer, was a member of the touring Canadian act Mini Pops Kids and is a frequent Rainbow Stage performer, most recently starring as Scuttle in The Little Mermaid last year.

So when there was a chance to combine the two passions, he took it.

He hosted the first Music of the Night concert in June 2022; all proceeds from the event went toward a house-build project in Mexico.

“I bring a group of people from Winnipeg, usually once every year or every two years, with my family down to Mexico to participate in a build-trip project. And a big part of that is fundraising our own accommodation and funds towards the project,” he says.

“So (the concert) is just a really fun, exciting way for me to sort of blend those two worlds together: my love of theatre and music with the non-profit work that I do with LiveDifferent.”

From classic show tunes from Les Misérables to contemporary hits such as ABBA’s Mamma Mia, the concert’s lineup promises to cater to diverse musical tastes.

“There is something for everybody there. All decades, all styles of musical theatre, pop songs that have turned into musical theatre,” says Alyssa Crockett, a performer who is lending her talents to the cause.

“It’s going to be a really great night for anyone that loves musical theatre.”

This is Crockett’s first year being a part of the concert and the local musical theatre vet is thrilled to be part of the ensemble.

“We’ve had a couple of rehearsals: there’s four of us singing, then a three-piece band and our music director Phil Corrin, who’s kindly helped us learn all our music.”

The band is made up of bassist Meg Dolovich, drummer Jeff Kula and Corrin on piano. The vocalists include Leighton and two other friends and Rainbow Stage alumni, Laura Olafson and Nathaniel Muir; the quartet were all part of The Little Mermaid cast.

“It’s going to be an amazing time, especially because the four of us love each other and love hanging out. So, people are going to see a lot of joy and real friendship on stage,” Crockett says.

“There’s definitely going to be some laughs and some stories I’m sure sprinkled in between,” says Leighton with a grin.

Beyond the melodies and harmonies, Leighton hopes to impart a deeper resonance to attendees, shedding light on the vital work undertaken by LiveDifferent.

“I want them to feel the joy from hearing the music and have an uplifting time, but I also want them to go home knowing a little bit more about the charity and the real-world struggles faced by families in communities where LiveDifferent operates,” he says.

“So I want the show to be informational and a bit eye-opening to what’s going on in other parts of the world and hopefully broaden people’s perspective a little bit.”

All proceeds from the fundraiser go to support a house-build project in Mexico this fall.

tvera@Academic.RRC.ca