Razzamajazz organizers hope for local support ahead of 33rd season

Stratford’s Razzamajazz musical barge – a popular attraction during the city’s summer months – is now preparing to sail into its 33rd season on Lake Victoria.

But organizers with the Tillsonburg Power and Sail Squadron-affiliated volunteer committee that runs Razzamajazz are hoping local residents will, like they have in the past, step forward to make sure this aquatic musical tradition remains a warm-weather fixture.

“A few years ago, the city decided not to (provide full operational funding) for Razzamajazz,” said committee member Dan Scarborough, aka Skipper Dan, who pilots the barge. “Then, the phone lit up at the tourism office and city hall and they came back with a matching grant program. So for the last four seasons, we’ve had a matching grant up to $4,000. So every dollar someone donates to support Razzamajazz, it’s matched by a dollar.”

With an estimated operating budget this year of roughly $9,000, Scarborough said the group of volunteers who run the program are able to pay for gas, the boat pilots and the talented musicians who bring music to the shores of Lake Victoria each summer.

To raise the additional $5,000 needed so Razzamajazz can run for its full nine-week season, serving as a floating stage for nearly 10 different local musicians and bands, organizers need the community’s support through individual donations or sponsorships.

“Any amount of money helps, and we really appreciate it,” Scarborough said.

In addition to the usual program funding, the committee is also looking to raise a little bit extra – roughly another $2,000 on top of the $6,000 already in the kitty – to replace the barge’s aging motor.

“We figure the motor’s around 35 years old. Luckily, the City of Stratford owns the boat and maintains it, so they’ve kept the motor going all these years,” the skipper said.

To replace the Razzamajazz motor as early as next year, Scarborough said sales adviser Dan Orchard of CAS Power Marine Ltd. in Ayr has agreed to match Razzamajazz’s fundraising efforts to help the committee purchase a brand new electric motor at a cost of about $15,000.

“We’re about $2,000 short of (our share of the cost). Hopefully we’ll get that money before the motor comes in. It’s on back order. We’re going to get it next year,” Scarborough said

While many of the longtime Razzamajazz performers returning for this year’s season, like Conn Smyth and Steve Adair, are from the Stratford area, the committee’s fundraising efforts over the past few years have helped spread word of the program beyond Perth County’s borders, Scarborough said.

“We haven’t heard of any other city in North America that does this. … What makes the Razzamajazz so unique is it’s all local talent. … We like to show that, on top of the theater and on top of Stratford Summer Music, we can do a great job on a very limited budget,” the skipper added.

The fundraising has also helped organizers pay the entertainers “the right scale for what they should be paid” for their 90-minute performances on the barge, Scarborough said.

“The last three years I’ve had different groups call me now, wanting to play on the boat, instead of me trying to hunt them down. … We have a variety now. I’ve got two brand new groups starting out this year. One’s a local band and the other is a ukulele band from the Kitchener area, which is the farthest I’ve pulled from,” he added.

More information on Razzamajazz and this year’s full season schedule are available at visitstratford.ca/events/razzamajazz-2023. Donation or sponsorship information can be found at www.stratfordrazzamajazz.ca, by calling 519-301-9106 or emailing [email protected]. Scarborough says donations by e-transfer can also be made via that email address.

The Razzamajazz runs from 6:30 pm to 8 pm Tuesday to Fridays from July 4 to Sept. 1 this year. The first performer of the 2023 season will be Chuckee Zehr.

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