Spin and Sing raises money for theatre project

STORY BY AMANDA VERHOEVE

Sheridan’s theatre students will be performing live for their first annual Spin and Sing fundraiser in hopes of raising money for the Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP).

On Jan. 24 from 1-4 p.m. at the Macdonald-Heaslip Hall, Sheridan’s theatre students will be serenading participants as they ride spinning bikes for a fee of $25 per hour of spinning. Spin and Sing is open to everyone. Participants can enter as individuals or as a team.

All money raised will be put towards the CMTP, an organization designed to create a collaborative environment to bring new musicals to the stage. According to Sheridancollege.ca, CMTP was created in 2011 by Michael Rubinoff, Sheridan’s associate dean of the department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Steve Parfeniuk
vice-president of finance and administration.

“The idea is that by working with composers, lyricists and book writers, what we can do is provide a living laboratory for them to bring their work to life,” said Jennifer Deighton, director of Alumni & Annual Giving at Sheridan, in a phone interview. “We have eager students here that are learning the craft of music theatre that now, by working with these composers and writers, they’re seeing how a musical comes into being.”

Steven Parfeniuk, one of Spin and Sing’s coordinators and volunteers, expects to have about 60 participants raising money, and hopes the numbers will grow annually.

“I hope they get a notion of the incredible gift that we have at Sheridan in terms of our singers,” said Parfeniuk. “Spinning is about the community and the fun you have spinning to music. This is going to expose lots of people who may not have heard our students sing.”

Michael Burjaw, director of security, will be volunteering at Spin and Sing and hopes the event will bring Sheridan closer together as a community.

“I think ultimately, we’ll have a lot of ‘team.’ Rather than one person doing a three-hour spin, I think we may find departments or faculties putting a team in. It could be a friendly competition with respect to fundraising ability,” said Burjaw in a phone interview. “I hope that people come out, not just to spin, but come to watch our students perform. It’s a great opportunity for people to see some of our students in action and perhaps make a donation while they’re watching the performance.”

Bikes will be provided or riders may bring their own. To register as a team or individual, pledge forms are available at the Theatre Sheridan Box Office, or by contacting Denise Lach at 905-815-4299 or denise.lach@sheridancollge.ca.