Heart to Heart Cast
Deservedly So - 4-Piece Band
Deservedly So is a band that plays an eclectic mix of folk, pop, classic rock, gospel, bluegrass, and country. We've played in venues ranging from fall fairs, seniors’ centers, community BBQs, SuperCrawl, local bars and restaurants. And for Heart to Heart, we - Michael Earls (banjo), Gerry Gysbers (guitar), Fred Zietal (mandolin) and Heather Koerssen (bass and viola) - are excited to unleash our latest venture: Enduring Rhythms: A Lifetime of Love. https://www.youtube.com/@deservedlyso5596
Mary Lou Dziedzic - Storytelling
Mary Lou has always enjoyed singing and has participated in several choirs and a band. She took voice lessons and, with her voice teacher's assistance, wrote several songs reflecting on life experiences and recorded a couple of them. During covid she joined The Ultimate Kitchen Party, where she showcased songs for people's enjoyment. She is currently singing with the Interlink Choir and is involved with Showcase Cabaret in May.
Natasha Fiorino - Humour and Improv
Natasha Fiorino is a multidisciplinary artist with years of experience as an Actor, Comedian, Improvisor and voice - over artist currently based in Hamilton, ON. She has performed internationally and domestically in both Television/Film and Theatre. She is excited to collaborate with Act of Faith Productions to bring a unique Variety Show experience to life.
Christopher Gray - Singing & Acting
Originally from Chatham, Ontario, Christopher has been singing and performing since a very young age. He has his Grade 8 RCM in voice and is a graduate of the TMU Creative School's Acting Program (formerly Ryerson Theatre School). Christopher has had the pleasure of performing at The Stratford Festival (Inherit the Wind, The Merchant of Venice, The Sound of Music), Theatre Aquarius (Templeton in Charlotte's Web & Toad in Toad!), Grand Theatre London (Best Actor Award - One-Act Play Festival), as well as other theatres around Ontario. Recently, Christopher was the Narrator for The Burlington Symphony Orchestra's performance of Peter and the Wolf. He and his wife, Leslie, are the proud Artistic Directors of Burlington-based KooGle Theatre Company. Established in 2007, KooGle has produced numerous theatre works, including I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change & The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and have been delighted to be able to collaborate with The Burlington Symphony Orchestra and The Burlington Concert Band for a variety of performances. In tandem with his wife Leslie, Christopher is a proud, full-time Musical Theatre/Acting educator at their KooGle Theatre Company studio - where he's happy to share his love of performance and the training/experience he's had. Christopher is also a cantor (and parishioner) at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in town. 'I hope that this performance celebrating passions truly brings you joy!'
Leslie Gray - Singing & Acting
Leslie has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. She started out taking dance lessons, then fell in love with musical theatre after performing in her first community theatre show at the age of 13. She first performed with Hamilton Theatre Inc., Drury Lane, Theatre Burlington, Dundas Little Theatre, and McMaster Musical Theatre and then went to Sheridan College to train in musical theatre, landing professional work after her first year. She had the pleasure of performing in musicals for many professional groups across Ontario, including Theatre Aquarius, Sunshine Festival, St Lawrence Stage Co., Kawartha Lakes Playhouse and more. Eventually, she and her husband Christopher started their own theatre company - KooGle Theatre Company and performed for 10 years in shows such as Rock Around the Clock, Broadway Moments, I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and were invited to sing with The Burlington Symphony Orchestra and The Burlington Concert Band. Leslie and Christopher have been running a training program since 2017, training all ages of youth in singing, dancing and acting! Check out www.koogletheatre.com for more info.
Layan Haddad - Singing
Layan learned to discover who she was as an individual through music. The joy of music was with Layan since she was very young. She liked music because she was able to express herself with every melody of the music playing within her. When Layan went across the world, leaving everything else behind, music was the one thing that stayed with Layan
She is not only a singer, but she is also a talented clarinetist as well, and she has been able to weave that into her music and take the way she expresses stories with sound to a new level. Her artistic path is a very personal and intimate story of resilience and self-discovery.
Through her songs, Layan invites the listener into her world, sharing her experiences with moments of vulnerability, hope, and self-discovery, demonstrating that even with change, arts can find a safe place.
Alexandra Hawse - Singing & Piano
Heather Kirk - Original Monologue
Heather Kirk is an actress and has been fortunate enough to have performed in venues all along the Grimsby to Toronto corridor since the mid '90s. Although primarily in stage work, she has also performed in film and commercials.
The performance she is offering here was originally written and performed by her for the Grand River 10-minute play competition. Which she won. Her show presents the story of a trans woman, called before an authority figure, to explain herself. This story is very personal, including many details from her own journey.
Her passion for sharing this story is to bring awareness to others about what trans women may experience. She hopes this will help others to understand and bring people together.
Pauline McGregor - Dog Routine (February 14th only)
Starr is an adorable, eight-year-old Poodle, Australian Shepherd, and Golden Retriever mix. She is a graduate of the In Dogs We Trust HollyWoof program (film and TV acting for dogs). Starr loves participating in agility competitions and earned her ADC and SGDC titles last year. At home, she is a sassy, smart, affectionate young lady who loves to play, learn new things, and make her mum laugh.
Pauline has participated in several community theatre productions both on and off stage. She is looking forward to playing a supporting role to her favourite leading lady in their first live stage performance together. They are both honoured to exemplify the unique bond and unconditional love that defines the relationship between humans and dogs in this Heart to Heart production.
Meng Meng - Singing
Meng has achieved three academic degrees. She is a multi-talented creator, healthcare professional, and storyteller whose diverse career spans television production, acting, hosting, entrepreneurship, and healthcare.
Barb Phoenix - Ventriloquism
Barb has always had an interest in puppets. She took the Maher Ventriloquist course in 2004 and attended many Ventriloquist conventions in Kentucky.
She performs at birthday parties, corporate events, social functions and for seniors.
She has a large retinue of puppet figures, each with its own biography, and some have accents too.
Catherine Ross - Reading
Catherine has been saved from what might have been a boring retirement by music, lots of it! From singing in church choir, Tempus Choral Society, music theatre and Interlink Seniors Choir, to learning Celtic fiddling. piano and guitar, there are so many opportunities to make a joyful noise.
Jacob Sadler - Acoustic Guitar
Jacob Sadler is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who is pursuing a career in Audio and Sound design, and plans on attending Metalworks Institute this September. Since picking up the drums at the age of 10, music has been a constant in Jacob’s life, and he has always enjoyed sharing his love of music with others.
Barb Stewart - Belly Dancing
Barb's dance name is Basimah, which means "smiling" in Arabic. She has performed at Roy Thomson Hall with the "Desert Gypsies" in the late 90s. She has been studying with Joharah at the BellyUp Studio for the last 17 years and has taught belly dancing to seniors and performed with them as "Troupe Jamilah" in several Showcase Cabarets.
Christina Vegas - Singing, Dancing & Impersonation
Christina is a proud trans woman based in Southern Ontario. She's a singer and multi-vocal impersonator and has travelled the globe performing her high-energy variety show. She’s been a featured headliner on international cruise ships, casino showrooms, corporate events and USO tours of Bosnia and Kosovo, where she performed for both US and UN Peacekeeping Forces.
This international diva brings joy and celebration to every one of her performances. Some of the stars who join Christina on stage include Prince, Shaggy, Anita Baker, Al Green, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, and many more.
Promo link: https://youtu.be/1y2ru_wqkS0
Most recently, Christina starred as Bernadette in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. She was the first trans woman to play the leading trans role in any professional production of Priscilla in North America, and only the second worldwide.
Yidan Huang - Singing
Yidan is an architect, multidisciplinary artist, and the founder of YIDAN’s Art Studio, whose work moves fluidly between disciplines while retaining a distinct personal voice. Her practice spans architecture and design, visual arts, writing, music, performance, and movement, often meeting at the intersections of aesthetics, memory, and emotion — inviting audiences not just to observe, but to feel and connect.
Dale Watson - Singing & Dancing
Dale is a member of Walton United Church in Oakville and a member of the Walton Chancel Choir. Previous performances include an appearance with the choir on a Zoomer Holiday Special on Vision TV.
He has musical training in piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pwq-C-c1Dwg&list=PL9WYyMVi0CidmGeTHi84_FsPBNs3Oc5fz&index=1&pp=iAQB8AUB
Play at 19:25 of the video
Deservedly So is a band that plays an eclectic mix of folk, pop, classic rock, gospel, bluegrass, and country. We've played in venues ranging from fall fairs, seniors’ centers, community BBQs, SuperCrawl, local bars and restaurants. And for Heart to Heart, we - Michael Earls (banjo), Gerry Gysbers (guitar), Fred Zietal (mandolin) and Heather Koerssen (bass and viola) - are excited to unleash our latest venture: Enduring Rhythms: A Lifetime of Love. https://www.youtube.com/@deservedlyso5596
Mary Lou Dziedzic - Storytelling
Mary Lou has always enjoyed singing and has participated in several choirs and a band. She took voice lessons and, with her voice teacher's assistance, wrote several songs reflecting on life experiences and recorded a couple of them. During covid she joined The Ultimate Kitchen Party, where she showcased songs for people's enjoyment. She is currently singing with the Interlink Choir and is involved with Showcase Cabaret in May.
Natasha Fiorino - Humour and Improv
Natasha Fiorino is a multidisciplinary artist with years of experience as an Actor, Comedian, Improvisor and voice - over artist currently based in Hamilton, ON. She has performed internationally and domestically in both Television/Film and Theatre. She is excited to collaborate with Act of Faith Productions to bring a unique Variety Show experience to life.
Christopher Gray - Singing & Acting
Originally from Chatham, Ontario, Christopher has been singing and performing since a very young age. He has his Grade 8 RCM in voice and is a graduate of the TMU Creative School's Acting Program (formerly Ryerson Theatre School). Christopher has had the pleasure of performing at The Stratford Festival (Inherit the Wind, The Merchant of Venice, The Sound of Music), Theatre Aquarius (Templeton in Charlotte's Web & Toad in Toad!), Grand Theatre London (Best Actor Award - One-Act Play Festival), as well as other theatres around Ontario. Recently, Christopher was the Narrator for The Burlington Symphony Orchestra's performance of Peter and the Wolf. He and his wife, Leslie, are the proud Artistic Directors of Burlington-based KooGle Theatre Company. Established in 2007, KooGle has produced numerous theatre works, including I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change & The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and have been delighted to be able to collaborate with The Burlington Symphony Orchestra and The Burlington Concert Band for a variety of performances. In tandem with his wife Leslie, Christopher is a proud, full-time Musical Theatre/Acting educator at their KooGle Theatre Company studio - where he's happy to share his love of performance and the training/experience he's had. Christopher is also a cantor (and parishioner) at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in town. 'I hope that this performance celebrating passions truly brings you joy!'
Leslie Gray - Singing & Acting
Leslie has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. She started out taking dance lessons, then fell in love with musical theatre after performing in her first community theatre show at the age of 13. She first performed with Hamilton Theatre Inc., Drury Lane, Theatre Burlington, Dundas Little Theatre, and McMaster Musical Theatre and then went to Sheridan College to train in musical theatre, landing professional work after her first year. She had the pleasure of performing in musicals for many professional groups across Ontario, including Theatre Aquarius, Sunshine Festival, St Lawrence Stage Co., Kawartha Lakes Playhouse and more. Eventually, she and her husband Christopher started their own theatre company - KooGle Theatre Company and performed for 10 years in shows such as Rock Around the Clock, Broadway Moments, I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and were invited to sing with The Burlington Symphony Orchestra and The Burlington Concert Band. Leslie and Christopher have been running a training program since 2017, training all ages of youth in singing, dancing and acting! Check out www.koogletheatre.com for more info.
Layan Haddad - Singing
Layan learned to discover who she was as an individual through music. The joy of music was with Layan since she was very young. She liked music because she was able to express herself with every melody of the music playing within her. When Layan went across the world, leaving everything else behind, music was the one thing that stayed with Layan
She is not only a singer, but she is also a talented clarinetist as well, and she has been able to weave that into her music and take the way she expresses stories with sound to a new level. Her artistic path is a very personal and intimate story of resilience and self-discovery.
Through her songs, Layan invites the listener into her world, sharing her experiences with moments of vulnerability, hope, and self-discovery, demonstrating that even with change, arts can find a safe place.
Alexandra Hawse - Singing & Piano
Heather Kirk - Original Monologue
Heather Kirk is an actress and has been fortunate enough to have performed in venues all along the Grimsby to Toronto corridor since the mid '90s. Although primarily in stage work, she has also performed in film and commercials.
The performance she is offering here was originally written and performed by her for the Grand River 10-minute play competition. Which she won. Her show presents the story of a trans woman, called before an authority figure, to explain herself. This story is very personal, including many details from her own journey.
Her passion for sharing this story is to bring awareness to others about what trans women may experience. She hopes this will help others to understand and bring people together.
Pauline McGregor - Dog Routine (February 14th only)
Starr is an adorable, eight-year-old Poodle, Australian Shepherd, and Golden Retriever mix. She is a graduate of the In Dogs We Trust HollyWoof program (film and TV acting for dogs). Starr loves participating in agility competitions and earned her ADC and SGDC titles last year. At home, she is a sassy, smart, affectionate young lady who loves to play, learn new things, and make her mum laugh.
Pauline has participated in several community theatre productions both on and off stage. She is looking forward to playing a supporting role to her favourite leading lady in their first live stage performance together. They are both honoured to exemplify the unique bond and unconditional love that defines the relationship between humans and dogs in this Heart to Heart production.
Meng Meng - Singing
Meng has achieved three academic degrees. She is a multi-talented creator, healthcare professional, and storyteller whose diverse career spans television production, acting, hosting, entrepreneurship, and healthcare.
Barb Phoenix - Ventriloquism
Barb has always had an interest in puppets. She took the Maher Ventriloquist course in 2004 and attended many Ventriloquist conventions in Kentucky.
She performs at birthday parties, corporate events, social functions and for seniors.
She has a large retinue of puppet figures, each with its own biography, and some have accents too.
Catherine Ross - Reading
Catherine has been saved from what might have been a boring retirement by music, lots of it! From singing in church choir, Tempus Choral Society, music theatre and Interlink Seniors Choir, to learning Celtic fiddling. piano and guitar, there are so many opportunities to make a joyful noise.
Jacob Sadler - Acoustic Guitar
Jacob Sadler is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who is pursuing a career in Audio and Sound design, and plans on attending Metalworks Institute this September. Since picking up the drums at the age of 10, music has been a constant in Jacob’s life, and he has always enjoyed sharing his love of music with others.
Barb Stewart - Belly Dancing
Barb's dance name is Basimah, which means "smiling" in Arabic. She has performed at Roy Thomson Hall with the "Desert Gypsies" in the late 90s. She has been studying with Joharah at the BellyUp Studio for the last 17 years and has taught belly dancing to seniors and performed with them as "Troupe Jamilah" in several Showcase Cabarets.
Christina Vegas - Singing, Dancing & Impersonation
Christina is a proud trans woman based in Southern Ontario. She's a singer and multi-vocal impersonator and has travelled the globe performing her high-energy variety show. She’s been a featured headliner on international cruise ships, casino showrooms, corporate events and USO tours of Bosnia and Kosovo, where she performed for both US and UN Peacekeeping Forces.
This international diva brings joy and celebration to every one of her performances. Some of the stars who join Christina on stage include Prince, Shaggy, Anita Baker, Al Green, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Justin Timberlake, and many more.
Promo link: https://youtu.be/1y2ru_wqkS0
Most recently, Christina starred as Bernadette in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. She was the first trans woman to play the leading trans role in any professional production of Priscilla in North America, and only the second worldwide.
Yidan Huang - Singing
Yidan is an architect, multidisciplinary artist, and the founder of YIDAN’s Art Studio, whose work moves fluidly between disciplines while retaining a distinct personal voice. Her practice spans architecture and design, visual arts, writing, music, performance, and movement, often meeting at the intersections of aesthetics, memory, and emotion — inviting audiences not just to observe, but to feel and connect.
Dale Watson - Singing & Dancing
Dale is a member of Walton United Church in Oakville and a member of the Walton Chancel Choir. Previous performances include an appearance with the choir on a Zoomer Holiday Special on Vision TV.
He has musical training in piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pwq-C-c1Dwg&list=PL9WYyMVi0CidmGeTHi84_FsPBNs3Oc5fz&index=1&pp=iAQB8AUB
Play at 19:25 of the video
