Will Gartshore stops time (10 photos)

The who's-who of Sault theatre flocked to the Grand Gardens last evening for the gala opening reception of the 2012 Theatre Ontario Festival presented in cooperation with Theatre SMC, Quonta and Sault Ste. Marie's Celebrate 100! committee.

Emceed by actor and television personality Tianna Nori, the evening showcased a variety of local theatre flair, including performances by Solid Ground (Dustin Sarlo, Kevin Collar, Nathan Shami, Bob Shami), the Musical Comedy Guild's Mark Kuntsi and Christine Mozarowski, and a pre-show performance from Victoria Jones, the 2012 winner of the Sault Symphony Orchestra Young Artists’ Competition.

The festival's honorary chair and respected artist of the stage and screen, Jack Wetherall, delivered and impassioned, inspirational and often amusing speech in which he discussed the intrinsic meaning of community theatre.

Following a brief intermission, Sault Ste. Marie's own Will Gartshore, accompanied by Anthony Aceti (piano) and Ashley Smith (violin), showcased excerpts from his biographical cabaret, All The King’s Men: Broken Ballads with a Stiff Upper Lip.

Sharing slides depicting his childhood, and anecdotes about growing up in the Sault and his subsequent relocation to Washington, DC, Gartshore's performance included a number of theatrical show tunes and contemporary pop songs.

SooToday.com's favourite was his rendition of C'est Moi from Camelot.

The audience was so enthralled with Gartshore's performance, no one noticed that the evening had run significantly over the allotted time.

They demanded an encore and he graciously complied, for which he was awarded a standing ovation.

The 2012 Theatre Ontario Festival continues through to May 20 with a selection of public performances, events and workshops.

All plays take place at the St. Mary's College Theatre (130 Wellington Street East), and all workshops are free to attend.

For a complete list of Theatre Ontario Festival events and ticket information, please visit theatresmc.com