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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-06-28, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012. PAGE 19. ‘Dear Johnny Deere’ a perfect fit for Blyth The schedule information for Dear Johnny Deere, this season’s lead production at the Blyth Festival and yet another world premiere, reads that it’s written by Ken Cameron, directed by Eric Coates and based on the songs of Fred Eaglesmith, followed by “Yes, THAT Fred Eaglesmith.” This, no doubt, left many shaking their heads. While a recognizable name to many, Eaglesmith is far from a household name in most Canadian circles. He is, however, the star of Dear Johnny Deere, even if he never sets foot on the stage and it won’t be long before Blyth audiences realize that Eaglesmith’s music is worth looking up. The inspiration for the production came to Cameron while he was listening to Eaglesmith’s music and a song called (of course) “John Deere” and from the time the song started to the end of its modest three- minute duration, Cameron knew what his next project would be. Cameron admired Eaglesmith’s songs because they are akin to short stories. They all have clear characters and all of the elements that make a story great, but put to music. This is where Cameron knew he fit. His job became to weave a cohesive story through the checkpoints of Eaglesmith’s songs, which he does in a clever and heartfelt way. Cameron is clearly a fan, and it shows in the respect with which Eaglesmith’s music is handled on the Memorial Hall stage. Dear Johnny Deere is, at its heart, a love story between J.D. Nicholsen’s Johnny and Rebecca Auerbach’s Caroline. Cameron follows the pair through their tender courtship, their eventual marriage and the hardships that follow. It’s a fine mix of blood and motor oil, however, that courses through the play’s veins as nearly every one of the play’s relationships has some sort of machinery attached to it. First, of course, it’s Johnny’s relationship with his father and how it blossomed over an old John Deere tractor that the pair bought at an auction. The song “John Deere” is at the core of the play and, as its title, and the parade of antique tractors down Blyth’s main street outside Memorial Hall that kicked the premiere off on Friday night would suggest, the tractor plays a major role in many of several key relationships. The hope and excitement for a prosperous life comes with the purchase of the tractor by Johnny and his father Hendrik and as the years go on, the tractor deteriorates along the lives of the characters. It was Lucille who first introduced Caroline to Johnny, Lucille of course being a big, shiny Lincoln Continental. The car’s bench seat gives the prom princess an opportunity to snuggle up close to Johnny as he sings the Eaglesmith classic “Bench Seat Baby” freeing the pair from the encumberment of a console, among other things as their relationship blossoms quickly. Over the years, however, the luster on the relationship fades and Lucille is replaced by a pick-up truck that doesn’t start on command as Johnny might hope. While Caroline may be embarrassed and disappointed in Johnny’s truck, apparently, the feeling is mutual, as Nicholsen complains in the pair’s version of “White Trash” that Caroline’s ‘double-wide’ has expanded to ‘triple-wide’ over the years. So as the marriage continues to crumble under a mountain of unpaid bills and unopened third and fourth notices, it’s no surprise that when Caroline bumps into old schoolmate Mike, played by Matthew Campbell, on a trip to The Beer Store that she fancies the attention he pays her. Caroline agrees to meet the now- Toronto big shot for a drink and before long they’re outside sharing a cigarette staring at Mike’s shiny, new truck with all the bells and whistles. After a few drinks and a few dance request rejections, Caroline admits to Mike that while she’s a married woman, she wants to ‘buy his truck’, which she metaphorically does (to the tune of Eaglesmith’s “I Wanna Buy Your Truck”) until returning home to Johnny the next morning. The news is inadvertantly broken to Johnny as much of the news is broken in the play, by McAllister, played by London’s Jeff Culbert, editor of the local newspaper, aptly named The Local Paper. It’s no wonder director and Artistic Director Coates jumped at the chance to commission Dear Johnny Deere, as its issues are the issues of this community. Whether it’s McAllister conducting one of his “polls” on a mega-highway, wind turbines or the next crisis scheduled to ruin the town, or the sleazy Toronto boogeyman buying up all the land he can get his hands on, Dear Johnny Deere’s stories are Huron County’s stories and Cameron’s tales embody the everyday struggle to preserve the way of life cherished by area residents. It’s the question of holding onto something (or someone) or letting it (them) go, when both seem impossible for very different reasons. Eaglesmith’s songs are catchy, clever and brilliant in their own way and adapted with confidence for the stage by Cameron. No doubt it was easy to be confident with the level of musicianship he was dealing with. Auerbach, Nicholsen, Culbert and Campbell all excel with instruments in their hands and they’re complemented by Festival regular and brilliant multi-instrumentalist David Archibald and violinist Blyth’s own Capucine Onn. Eaglesmith’s music feels full and complete in the actors’ hands and his storytelling is seen through new eyes with Cameron at the helm. Dear Johnny Deere is a look through the keyhole at everyday drama that unfolds in southwestern Ontario every day full of music that doesn’t thumb its nose at the audience. Audience members are already telling tales of Eaglesmith’s fans ‘Fredheads’ sitting in front of them at shows wearing their Eaglesmith tour t-shirts. The strength of the music and the beauty of the story make Dear Johnny Deere destined to be Blyth’s next ‘pilgrimage’ play, drawing fans of Eaglesmith’s music to Blyth from all over Ontario, similar to Festival success The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom. Like Cameron’s introduction to Eaglesmith’s music played on guitars around an Ontario campfire, the audience feels as if they’ve been sat down and told a story by a friend. And it’s a good one. Dear Johnny Deere ends its run at the Blyth Festival on July 7. Entertainment Leisure& Buck & Doe forKrista Shortreed and Adam Verkley Friday, July 6 Listowel Ag Hall 8:00 pm - 1:00 am Music by DJ Late lunch provided Age of majority Tickets $7 in advance $8 at the door Contact for tickets: Jenn 519-600-7408 Matt & Julie 519-887-8736 Happy 30thAnniversary Brad and Anita Bromley June 25th Love Shawn & Lisa, Charlene & Corry Happy 90th Birthday Elva Armstrong Family and friends are invited to a Come & Go Birthday Celebration Sunday, July 8th 1:30 - 4:00 pm Auburn Community Hall Best wishes only Love from your family Happy 50th Sandra Nicholson July 1 In honour of Kurt and Lisa Whitfield’s 25th Wedding Anniversary Their family invites you to a Come and Go Blyth Lions Park Pavilion Saturday, July 7th 2:00 pm ~ 4:00 pm 25th Anniversary Join us as we celebrate Happily Ever After... 155 YEARS ST. HELENS REUNION 2012 2 FUN FILLED DAYS SATURDAY • Parade at 11am • Beef BBQ (ltd tickets) • Dance to Sheldon Baker (age of majority) SUNDAY Church Service (Interdenominational & Music by Lee Grant) History, Log Sawing & Kids games Come to the Village with the Big July 7 & 8 ‘Wilder Than Her’ Johnny, right, played by J.D. Nicholsen, serenaded his wife Caroline, played by Rebecca Auerbach, several times over the course of Dear Johnny Deere, the Blyth Festival’s season-opening production. Sometimes he was happy and others he wasn’t as the pair endure struggles over the course of the production.(Terry Manzo photo) By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen