The 1984 Songbook
The Harmony House songbook tradition is back again this spring with a brand new concert built around the year that was 1984!
The 1984 Songbook will combine historical events, pop culture happenings and of course the unforgettable music that made 1984 a year to remember. Pop culture royalty like Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson can all call 1984 the year that made them.
Melissa MacKenzie and Jacob Hemphill lead an electric ensemble of Island musicians (Joce Reyome, Ben Aitken, Trevor Grant, Josh Langille) on this trip down a musical memory lane. Whether you were 16 years old or not even born yet, this songbook will make you long for a time of synthesizers, power jackets, and Gremlins.
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For assistance booking wheelchair accessible seats please call us directly at 902-964-2255
TICKET SALES ARE FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE
The Lounge is open on our lower level for dinner and drinks at 5pm onward, before each show. Check back soon for menu details! Limited seating so reserve a table early by calling 902-964-2255 or emailing harmonyhousePEIresos@gmail.com
MEET THE ARTISTS!
MELISSA MACKENZIE: Melissa MacKenzie (she/her) is a multidisciplinary performer, creator, and educator from Prince Edward Island. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College and is a co-founder of PEI’s vibrant independent theatre company, Kitbag Theatre (@kitbagtheatre). Upcoming: Anne of Green Gables, Jersey Boys (Charlottetown Festival). Theatre performance credits include: Rumour Has It (Neptune Theatre), Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (The Grand), Once (Thousand Islands Playhouse), The Songs of Johnny & June (Charlottetown Festival/Kitbag Theatre), Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Theatre New Brunswick), Dear Rita (Charlottetown Festival), Tuesdays & Sundays, The Princess & the Handmaiden, good girl (Kitbag Theatre), Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Harmony House), It’s a Wonderful Life (Magnus Theatre), The Happy Prince, Anne & Gilbert (The Guild), Crazy for You, Trap Door (Theatre Sheridan), Perfect Wedding, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Stephenville Theatre Festival).
Music direction credits include: Mind the Light (ETF/Little Bug), Chrysalis Music Director for Billy Elliot (Neptune Theatre), The Songs of Johnny & June (Kitbag).
JACOB HEMPHILL: Jacob is an actor, musician, and creator born and raised on Prince Edward Island. After making his performance debut in a community Christmas show at the age of nine singing ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’, Jacob began his career as an artist, and has since then continued to perform across the Maritimes and Ontario. Alongside Melissa MacKenzie and Rebecca Parent, Jacob is the co-founder of the Island theatre company, Kitbag Theatre, a company passionate about bringing as much accessible theatre to the Island as possible. He is also the creator of The Songs of Johnny & June, an energetic cabaret, which you may have seen as part of the Charlottetown Festival’s 2023 Season.
I am overjoyed to be creating art in one of my favourite venues in the country. Much love to my partner Melissa, our little doggo Teddy, and all my family and friends. Now let’s turn up the heat!
JOCE REYOME: Hailing from Attleboro, Massachusetts, Reyome has been honing their skills as a musician for the past six years. They relocated to Prince Edward Island in 2016 to pursue music at a post-secondary level at Holland College. Since their arrival in Canada, Reyome has been in-demand as a vocalist and session musician in a multitude of genres. Reyome’s debut single Cross My Heart was recorded and produced by Erin Costelo and Colin Buchanan. Reyome has recently been nominated for four MUSIC PEI Awards. With inspiration from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, and Tracy Chapman, they bring old school vibes to the new times.
TREVOR GRANT: A graduate of Mount Allison University (B.Mus), Trevor migrated west to Vancouver where he performed, recorded and toured across Canada, the US and the UK with a variety of bands and artists covering a diverse range of musical styles from rock to world fusion, jazz and theatre. Now based in PEI he has performed in the last seven seasons with the Charlottetown Festival (including shows such as “Tell Tale Harbour”, “Dear Rita”, “Million Dollar Quartet”, “Mamma Mia” and “Jesus Christ Superstar”) and has played in the Harmony House Holiday Kitchen Party for several years. He performs regularly with award winning artists such as Tara MacLean and Alicia Toner, maintains a busy teaching schedule and can also be found in Yoga studios with his project “SoundEscapes”. @soundescapespei
BEN AITKEN: Ben Aitken is a pianist/singer-songwriter based in Charlottetown, PEI. He plays and tours regularly with numerous bands and artists. Awarded the 2022 Music PEI Musician of the Year, his session work as a pianist, co-writer and music arranger has been featured on multiple Music PEI and ECMA award-winning albums.
JOSH LANGILLE: Josh is a well-known, multi-talented musician in PEI, who you’ll often see backing many of the islands top musicians year round. He’s also a founding member of the award winning band “Absolute Losers”.