U of L Hosts Canadian Idol Finale Live Broadcast, Wednesday, September 10
The 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness will be the location for the southern Alberta portion of the Canadian Idol finale live broadcast on Wednesday, September 10.
Theo Tams, a 22-year old Coaldale resident and University of Lethbridge student, is one of two finalists in the popular national talent competition, which airs nationally on the CTV network. Tams could be the next Canadian Idol.
CTV and Insight Productions have selected the University to be the location for the finale.
A limited number of tickets (2,000 due to fire regulations and seating / standing room capacity) are available for the venue and will be distributed in Coaldale, downtown Lethbridge and on the U of L campus beginning Monday, September 8 at noon.
Ticket distribution rules are as follows:
- Tickets are free
- Strict limit of 4 tickets per person.
- Rush seating — first come, first served at the venue.
- Bleacher, floor and standing room space only.
- No admission to the venue without a ticket
- Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
- Live broadcast begins at 6:00 p.m. Alberta time
(8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard time)
Ticket distribution locations are as follows.
Coaldale: Coaldale Food Market, corner of 19th St. and 20th Ave. Coaldale AB
Downtown Lethbridge: Lethbridge Herald 504, 7th St S. Lethbridge, AB
U of L Campus: Atrium, University Hall
People attending the event are encouraged to bring signs and tune up their cheering voices in order to be prepared for several live breaks in the program which will feature the crowd cheering for Theo, interviews with his family, a surprise guest, and other activities.
Plus, I found a couple of interesting Theo items on the U of L website.
Look Out for An Opera Sampler!
U of L students (l-r) Theo Tams, Lason Fitzgerald
and Melissa Larkin perform the roles of the
Count, Susanna and the Countess, respectively,
in the final act of The Marriage of Figaro — one
of three acts performed in An Opera Sampler! In
this scene, Susanna secretly watches the Count
woo the Countess.
An Opera Sampler! is a presentation of the U of
L Opera Workshop. It features three complete
acts from The Beggar’s Opera, The Medium and
The Marriage of Figaro, which will be sung in
English. “I chose the program to include a wide
variety of opera that spans some 300 years,”
says director Blaine Hendsbee (Music). “It
includes something for everyone. Short acts for
those new to opera, favourite scenes for opera
lovers and a wide variety of performing and
singing opportunities for my students.”
Mikado Cast List
September 12, 2005
Pooh-Bah:
Brent Podesky
Theo Tams
Male Chorus:
Joey Bulman, Steven Morton, Brent Podesky, Nicolas Orrego, Andrew Snyder, Adam Robertson, Darrell Croft, Theo Tams, Mackenzie Fraser, Carey Unger, Philip Kubara
Production dates: Eves: Feb 14-18, 2006 @ 8pm, Matinee: Feb 16, 2006 @ 12 pm.
Focus on the Arts – May 2006
U of L Students in National Choir
“Michael Lowings, Peter Monaghan and Theo Tams have been selected for the National Youth Choir, which is part of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors national conference in Victoria, BC, in May. “This is a real feather in our cap,” says Dr. George Evelyn, conductor of the U of L Singers. “Three of the four students selected to represent the province come from the U of L.” All three students are looking forward to the challenges and rewards of working with well-known conductor Richard Sparks of Pro Coro Canada. “There are only 40 members selected from across the country, so it is very exciting to be asked to join,” says Tams. “
Theo already planning for the future
By AL BEEBER Lethbridge Herald
Sep 6, 2008
“Tams will perform three songs Monday night in Monday’s finale.”
“But regardless of the outcome after Monday’s voting, Tams won’t be coming home again — at least to live. Voters will only have one night to vote, contrary to information sent out recently by the Canadian Press news service.”
““I won’t be coming back to Lethbridge or going back to school right now.”
Instead, Tams will embark on a musical journey that he hopes will last a lifetime.”
“Clearly my life has changed a lot in a short amount of time. It’s amazing how different things will be,” said Tams on the phone from Toronto.
“I won’t be coming back to Lethbridge or going back to school right now.”
Instead, Tams will embark on a musical journey that he hopes will last a lifetime.
“It’s been a crazy, crazy ride . . . I’ve been so busy it hasn’t sunk in yet.” he said of his path to the final of Idol.
Always humble, Tams is deeply appreciative of the support he’s received from fans across Canada.
“It’s such a satisfying feeling. I was always the quirky kid doing choir and writing poetry. I was always the outsider.”
Now Tams is a national phenomenon whose musicality has caught the ear and admiration of fans from coast to coast.
“It’s been unreal.”
“The horizon looks completely different than it did three months ago,” said Tams, who will spend Saturday workshopping in New York City with American soulman and pianist John Legend.”
“His favourite experience was with rock superstar Bryan Adams, whose work Tams performed Monday night.
Adams was clearly impressed with Tams and the admiration was mutual.
“Working with Bryan Adams was my favourite workshop. He was the most inspiring to me and was very direct in his comments. He brought things back to earth.””
““I’m just a wreck. I’ve been nervous constantly this week. I’m in a constant state of anxiousness . . . this has been my life for two-and-a half months and now it’s going to be over. Hopefully, some doors will open for me.”
A winner is guaranteed a record deal but Tams is prepared for the other scenario, as well.
Regardless of the outcome Wednesday, Tams knows the path he’ll be taking and he won’t be sprinting down it.
“You obviously want something great to come out of all this but you need to find someone who wants to work with you because they believe you have something to offer.”
And Tams needs to find someone he believes in, as well.
“I’m not going to rush into anything. I want to find a project I can be so proud of, that’s an extension of who I am.” Having a distinct vision of what he wants can have its pros and cons.”
University, city get behind Idol hopeful Theo Tams
By Caroline Zentner and Delon Shurtz
Jul 29, 2008, 05:08
“One of Theo Tams’ biggest fans is his three-and-a-half-year-old nephew, Tyson Van Zeggelaar.
The Canadian Idol contestant’s sister, Cara Van Zeggelaar, always called her younger brother “buddy” or “bud” so Theo is Uncle Bud to little Tyson.
“He takes his sign of Uncle Bud and he shows it to all the traffic and he hangs it outside the window. He’d take it to church if he could,” Cara said at the unveiling of a giant signboard on the University of Lethbridge campus just off University Drive early Monday afternoon.”
“That calm and collected demeanour has stood Theo in good stead. He could have auditioned for Canadian Idol sooner had he bowed to suggestion, especially after winning Lethbridge Idol.
“In the meantime, he’s had four years of music training under (U of L music professor) George Evelyn. That has been amazing for Theo in refining his voice,” Ed said.
Theo’s musical talent was evident early on. His parents recall noticing a clarity in his voice and ability to carry a tune in an elementary school concert.
In high school, Keith Griffioen, music and band teacher at Immanuel Christian High School, further nurtured Theo’s talent.
“Theo would like to say thanks to him too for all his support,” Margaret said.
Additional talents also revealed themselves.
“He was a clown. He could impersonate artists and do a phenomenal job,” Ed said, adding he was in Grade 8 when he did a rendition of Tracy Chapman singing Give Me One Reason. “We’d just be rolling.””
Friends sing Tams’ praises
“The Theo Tams you see on TV is the same guy you’d meet in person. That’s how the Canadian Idol standout’s close friend Melissa Reimchen describes the 22-year-old Coaldale native and University of Lethbridge student, who is wowing judges and fans with his show-stopping performances each week on the popular CTV singing talent showcase. “
“Reimchen has travelled to Toronto twice to support her best friend since he made the Canadian Idol top 24 list of contestants earlier this month. Watching him try to sing his way to a Canadian Idol crown isn’t the first time she has seen Tams try something different to enhance his personal development.
On his own will, he volunteered at an orphanage in India with a couple of his friends in 2006 from August to mid-December. There he taught children a bit of math, English and some music. He also helped with cooking meals and gathering daily supplies for families.”
““I think Theo just needed to do this for his own growth of a person and to explore the world because it’s the type of person he is. He is such an inspirational person and I have grown so much confidence in myself through my friendship with him.”
George Evelyn, who taught Tams prior to retiring from his post as a professor of music at the University of Lethbridge, says Tams exudes talent.
Tams studied under Evelyn in the Bachelor of Music program at the University of Lethbridge from 2004-2007, where he was taught the technical aspects of voice and conducting. Around this time, Tams was also a baritone with the University of Lethbridge Singers, a local singing group which Evelyn is the founding conductor.”
