Jani Lauzon (born September 29, 1959) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...

puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...

and musician of

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derive ...

heritage from

East Kootenay The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is a regional district in the provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. In the 2016 census, the population was 60,439. Its area is . The regional district ...

, British Columbia. She is a three-time

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall ...

Nominee with

Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two television pilot, pilot episodes produced by Henson for American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 1974 and 1975. ...

credits that include additional puppetry on ''

Follow That Bird ''Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird'' (or simply ''Follow That Bird'') is a 1985 American musical road comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. Based on the long-running popular children's televis ...

'', performing on ''

The Jim Henson Hour ''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the Muppet characters. Nine of the twelve episodes produced aired on NBC be ...

'', and a cat in the '' Sesame Street Canada'' television special "Basil Hears a Noise". Her other non-Henson credits include Maggie on '' Groundling Marsh'' and regular roles on ''

The Big Comfy Couch ''The Big Comfy Couch'' (''Le Monde de Loonette'' nglish: ''The World of Loonette'' or ''Loonette's World''when broadcast in Quebec, France and Belgium and ''El sofa da la imaginación'' nglish: ''The Couch of Imagination''when broadcast in La ...

'', '' The Longhouse Tales'', '' Alligator Pie'', '' Happy Castle'', '' Prairie Berry Pie'', '' Mr. Dressup'', '' Wumpa's World'', '' Little Star'' and '' Iris the Happy Professor''. Lauzon has also appeared on camera in TV and movies such as '' Code Name: Eternity'', '' Conspiracy of Silence'', '' Business Management'', '' Maggie's Life'', '' Bingo Road'', '' Destiny Ridge'', and '' Ruby and the Well''. She was worked as a radio actress on several radio stations including

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

. In 2012, she performed a dual role as Cordelia and the Fool in an all-aboriginal production of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' at the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one of a number of p ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, alongside a cast that also included

August Schellenberg August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the ''Free Willy'' film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in ''Black Robe'' (1991), '' The New Wor ...

as Lear,

Tantoo Cardinal Tantoo Cardinal CM (born Rose Marie Cardinal; July 20, 1950) is a Canadian actress of Cree and Métis heritage. In 2009, she was made a member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing ar ...

as Regan,

Billy Merasty Billy Merasty (born 1960) is an Aboriginal Canadian actor and writer of Cree descent. Early life Merasty was born in Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. He is the ninth of fourteen siblings born to Viola and Pierre Merasty, and a grandson of Joe Highway, ...

as Gloucester and Craig Lauzon as Kent.
/ref> Lauzon resides in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Discography

*''Blue Voice/New Voice'' (1994/2000) RA Records, distributor Indiepool *''Hearts of the Nations'' (1997) The Banff Centre/Sweet Grass *''Thirst'' (1998) RA Records *''Heartbeat 2: More Voices of First Nations Women'' (1998) Smithsonian Folkways *''Contemporary Native American Music'' (2006) *''Mixed Blessings'' (2007)

References

External links

Article on Jani Lauzon by the Toronto Blues Society
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lauzon, Jani 1959 births Living people Canadian puppeteers Canadian television actresses Canadian film actresses Canadian radio actresses Canadian blues singers Musicians from British Columbia Métis musicians First Nations actresses Canadian stage actresses 20th-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Canadian Métis people