Biographies

 

VONI GRINDLER

Producer, Director, Writer
 
Jupiter Productions' Artistic Director Voni Grindler returns to
Quaaout with a new musical revue that is performed by a cast that
reads like the Who's who of West Coast musical talent.
Voni is an Honours Directing Graduate of the Drama Studio London
and has an extensive list of credits for directing, producing, acting
and creating new works, on well over a hundred productions. She
has acquired a solid reputation for popular, high-quality theatre
and is no stranger to creating new musical revues that premiere on
the Quaaout stage. In celebration of Quaaout's Twentieth
Anniversary, Cruisin' with the Boomers will include audience
favorites from Jupiter's previous fourteen productions at Quaaout.
Directing credits elsewhere include Tapestry: The Music of Carole
King, Educating Rita, I Ought to be in Pictures & True Beauties at
the Vancouver Arts Club Theatre; Baby Boomer Blues at
Waterfront Theatre; Unforgettable: The Music of Nat King Cole at
Performing Arts and JUMP! A Celebration of Swing, Boogie-woogie
& Jump Blues at Genesis Theatre. Voni, who lives in Vancouver,
also proudly directs for 'Vancouver Artists' who produce charity
events under the banner The Stars Step Out. Most recently,
stars stepped out in concert at the Vancouver Arts Club to raise
funds for the Zajac Ranch for Disabled Children.
 

ANDY THOMA

Writer
 
Andy Thoma is a multitalented artist whose creative expression
spans many genres & art forms. He has performed throughout the
U.S. & B.C., has toured Europe & the Middle East with the United
Nations and delighted many audiences here at Quaaout Lodge while
performing in several of Jupiter’s productions. While maintaining
a successful career as a singer & songwriter he has also oil painted
for years away from the public eye and since his last appearance
at Quaaout, six years ago, has established himself as a painter
with a unique and evocative voice. In Thoma’s varied creative
journey, all art forms are interconnected and he is happy to be
part of the Boomer’s creative team, writing another show with Voni
Grindler in celebration of Quaaout’s Twentieth Anniversary.
 

VIKTORIA LANGTON

Choreographer
 
Viktoria is an innovative & accomplished Choregorapher/
Creative Director of many events & projects in the world of
television, film, fashion, dance & music. Viktoria started her
extensive career as a performer in modern dance & became
one of Canada's leading television dancers for many variety
shows & commercials in Toronto & Vancouver; working with
performers such as; Paul Anka, Tom Jones & Tina Turner.
She later became Vancouver's busiest choreographer for film
& television & choreographing such stars as Steve Martin,
Pierce Brosnan, Angelina Jolie, Martina McBride, Anne
Murray, John Cusack, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Stiles, Wayan
Brothers, Alan Thicke, Rachel McAdams, Michael Buble and
Tyra Banks.
Viktoria has choreographed many theatre productions. To
name a few "Big"-The Musical for TUTS; Baby Boomer Blues
& Three Vagabonds for Waterfront Theatre;Tapestry &
Bouncers & Maniac Bride for The Arts Club Theatre; A
Midsummer's Night's Dream & Rock N' Roll for Vancouver
Playhouse. Viktoria is very excited to be working with
Director Voni Grindler at Quaaout again & with such a
colossally talented cast.
 

DAVE PICKELL

Musical Director, Keyboards, Guitar, Harmonica
 
Graduating from U.B.C. as a classical pianist in 1976, Dave
has been working extensively in the international pop music
recording industry since 1980, first as a session keyboard
player, then as a producer, writer, arranger, and musical
director.
He's written commercials for numerous clients including
Microsoft and the Vancouver Canucks. As a TV composer, his
work has been heard on 'Makeover Wish' and "Love it or Lose
it' among many other series. Aaron Neville, Dan Hill, and
Olivia Newton-John are among the well-known artists who
have recorded his songs, and other career highlights are
production for multi-platinum artist Lara Fabian, recording on
Bryan Adams, Carly Simon, and John Denver albums, a song
credit in the movie "Any Given Sunday" by Oliver Stone, and a
number one Billboard hit in Hong Kong in August 2000. His
songwriting was also featured in the Salt Lake City and Turin
Olympics. Dave composes, produces and teaches in
Vancouver.
 

JOANI BYE

Vocal Arrangements, Guitar, Vocals
 
Joani is thrilled to be returning to Quaaout for the fourth time to
celebrate the Lodge's Twentieth Anniversary! She has been
wowing audiences as a singer, musician & entertainer for many
years, performing on TV, radio, concert & theatre stage & in
nightclubs. As one of Vancouver’s top studio singers, Joani’s
powerful voice has been heard on albums by some of the music
industry’s most popular artists such as Cher, David Bowie, INXS, &
Jon Bon Jovi, to name a few, as well as on countless commercial
jingles. She has performed on stage with Sheena Easton, Del
Shannon & Mellissa Manchester. Her theatre credits include
Tapestry at the Arts Club Theatre, Jupiter Productions Baby
Boomer Blues & A Mid-70s Nights Dream and most recently
starring in & acting as Musical Director for Jupiter’s Hooked on a
Feeling. Joani has toured as far as Seoul Korea with the a
cappella quartet The Euphorics and regularly fronts her R & B band
The Homewreckers. Even with concert tours, school shows,
theatre, club work, sessions, song-writing, arranging, tennis & her
family, Joani still finds lots of time to laugh.
 

OLIVER CONWAY

Vocals,Guitar,Harmonica, Sound Design

 
Band leader, vocalist, harmonica player, rhythm guitarist,
producer and songwriter, Oliver has been delivering his own
brand of blue-eyed soul with Oliver and the Elements and
Incognito for over 20 years in Western Canada. Known for
his soulful voice, funkifized playing, and his connection with
an audience, he is an exciting and experienced musician with
2000 performances in his career, including stage musicals,
TV and radio appearances and club and cabaret work all
over Canada. He is also the proprietor of Aero Music,
a full service music recording and production company,
based in the Commercial Drive area of Vancouver, Canada
 

PETER PADDEN

Drums, Percussion, Vocals

 
As the lead singer for The Wild Root Orchestra, Peter
garnered airplay throughout Western Canada (Town Without
Pity, Little One) and has had numerous top 40 radio hits as
the drummer and singer with Straight Lines and Six Cylinder.
Working as a studio vocalist, Peter has sung jingles for most
of the major brewing and automotive companies in Canada.
A few artists Peter has played and/or recorded with include
Valdy, Gary Fjellgaard, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, David
 
Foster and Gordon Lightfoot. He has also appeared in many
stage musicals at the Vancouver Arts Club Theatre, including
Tapestry: The Music of Carole King, which Voni directed and
they have continued to work together at Quaaout Lodge.
Peter is delighted to be returning here in performance for the
fourth time.
 

TIM PORTER

Guitar, Vocals

 
Tim Porter is one of the most sought after guitarists in
Vancouver. As a rock musician, he performed regularly
with the popular Vancouver band Brickhouse. He has also
worked with a diverse array of other performers including
The Canadian Tenors, Long John Baldry, The Powder Blues
Band, John Lee Sanders, Joani Bye & the Homewreckers, Jim
Byrnes, Dal Richards, Carol Weisman and Diane Lines. Tim
is a highly-respected musician who has been performing in
the field for over 25 years. He is well versed in all styles
of music including jazz, blues, pop, rock and country and is
a seasoned session player with countless recording credits to
his name. For the past decade, he has been teaching guitar,
developing strong relations with students of all ages, from
novice to the advanced. Tim returns to Quaaout Lodge after
appearing here last season in JUMP!
 

LINDA KIDDER

Bass, Drums, Vocals
 
Linda Kidder is a woman filled with talent. Lead vocalist & back up
vocalist to many wonderful performers, including kd lang, Bon Jovi,
Rita MacNeil, Gary Fjellgaard, Connie Kaldor, she is a singing bass
player, drummer, sideman, lead, tap dancer, session singer for
jingles & album projects, songwriter, vocal coach & theatre
performer. Linda has traveled across Canada, the U.S. & Europe
with Gary Fjellgaard & kd lang playing Albert Hall in London to the
Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York and everywhere in between.
She has released 4 CDs and has twice taken part in readings for
Margaret Atwood’s Year of the flood along with Rebecca Jenkins &
Jane Mortifee. In 2009 she performed at Ottawa’s National Art
Centre, finishing off a Canadian tour, opening for George Jones.
Recently, Linda was commissioned to write a song for the
Labyrinths of Hope Society. She also has three animated videos
on YouTube for her originals, My Halo, Oddly Calm & co-write Mad
at Myself. This will be Linda’s fifth production with Jupiter
 

VICKY ROSE

Lighting Design & Stage Management
 
Vicky started working at Kamloops High and toured BC with
the Western Canada Theatre Company. After she moved
to Halifax, Nova Scotia,and spent 9 years as Production
Manager at Neptune Theatre, Vicky returned to the West Coast and
became involved in numerous Equity Co-op productions and 
summer theatre on the Sicamous in Penticton. She started
working for Voni Grindler and Jupiter productions in 2000
with Baby Boomer Blues. Vicky has been involved in numerous
productions at Quaaout Lodge and is always pleased to return.