Thrilling sound. Amazing singers. Classic big band made new. A unique and powerful musical experience.

Treat yourself to the full-body sonic massage — 5 saxes, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets and 4 rhythm. Bathe in the amazing acoustic sound of 13 brass instruments.

To hear some music of the Big Steam Band,

see Music & Video section.

More on the Big Steam Band >>

"The whole evening was transporting — it was sophisticated, cool and stylish. I felt I was in another place and time, We all began to dance: men, women, together, apart. The band moved in harmony, they looked like a painting come to life and come to sound."

- Karen Mulhallen, Descant Magazine

"The Whitney Smith Big Steam Band ranks with the best I have seen over the last 60 years, including Dorsey, Basie, Ellington and even the Miller Airforce Band WW2."
- Russ Fletcher

“A powerhouse band!”
- All About JAZZ, New York, 2004

Scroll down for our other bands and shows.
crll S

Suitcase Theatre

Thought-provoking entertainment

for Children, Adults & Seniors

Who Face Special Challenges

Suitcase Theatre is a new musical theatre company that has a two-fold purpose: to entertain disadvantaged children and institutionalized seniors while also helping to rejuvenate the creative talents of adults who are at a crossroads in their lives.

Our plays are developed with the hands-on assistance of individuals whose lives are in transition. At educational workshops we focus on nurturing the talents of people over the age of 50 who are indigent, homeless, or socially isolated. By recognizing their gifts as designers and makers of puppets, masks, costumes and props, we provide an opportunity for these individuals to be rejuvenated in a community setting.

Suitcase Theatre’s target audience is emotionally vulnerable children and older adults who live on the margins of society or in long-term care facilities. Our inaugural show, The House That Jack Built, based on the nursery rhyme, was received with much acclaim by each of the audiences that we performed for: intellectually disabled adults, multi-exceptionality high school students, culturally-isolated elementary pupils and institutionalized seniors.

Our shows incorporate a boldly visual style through the use of masks, puppetry, colourful costumes and props — and live music. Each performance relies on a combination of simple low-tech and traditional theatrical tools, such as poetic imagery, dramatic storytelling, and songs that propel the characters strongly forward in the action. There are two to four actor-singers in each show. A keyboardist delivers a rich accompaniment to the story.

"The House That Jack Built"

The cast of "The House That Jack Built." Bob Naismith as the Priest, JoAnn Brooks as the Maiden, Jonathan Bright as the Man All-Tattered-and-Torn, and Bie Engelen as the Cow with the Crumpled Horn.

"The House That Jack Built” is a 50-minute musical play based on the nursery rhyme of the same name. It features four characters — The Man All-Tattered-and-Torn, The Maiden, The Cow with the Crumpled Horn, and the Priest — who live in a town recently struck by drought, “a sorry place where the corn won’t grow.” A free-and-easy young wanderer with no real purpose in his life (The Man All-Tattered-and-Torn) wanders into the village one day. He is immediately embraced by the townspeople as the one who will solve their problems — including fixing up a derelict house that is currently the home of a family of rats, a dog and a cat.

The story traces the struggles of the man to consider leaving his liberated lifestyle and settling down to become a farmer, husband and father — and the attempts of the bickering townsfolk to restore the health of their community, and make the corn grow!

This delightful musical has entranced audiences of all kinds because of its engaging characters, catchy songs and magical scenes with puppets and masks. Ideal audience size is from 30-60, though it can accommodate larger groups. The show can fit into even small common rooms with a stage area of 25’ wide and 15’ deep. The show is followed by a question and answer period and a demonstration of the puppets, masks and set. A set-up time for the show is one-hour.

Go to the Suitcase Theatre website.

Contact us for bookings or more information.

Da

Dance Party Music

Our rhythm 'n' blues, pop, funk, rock 'n' roll and soul band.

If you have an event where you want the kind of go-crazy-on-the-dance-floor scene that plays this music authentically and with real power, this is the band for you.

No one has had a so-so reception to Electric Steam. See Testimonials for what our clients have to say about this powerhouse dance party band.

For more information on Electric Steam see Music & Video section. To hear musical tracks, please email us and we'll send you some. TO hear musical tracks, please email us

To heaTo hearr musical tracks

See information and hear tracks of our jazz band, Sextet à Tête.