Clinton News-Record, 1984-08-15, Page 20Hank Stinson is Billy Bishop in the Huron, Country Playhouse, production of Billy Bishop
Goes To War. At the piano is Michael Mulrooney. The musical plays at the Playhouse II
until this Saturday.
Piayhouse II ends season
BY JOANNE BUCHANAN
Playhouse II's final show of the seasom
ONCE MORE! WITH FOOLING!, is a
musical trip down;memory lane.
This delightful bit of nostalgia was
compiled and staged by Jack Northmore
(Norman Thayer in the Playhouse
production of ON GOLDEN POND last
year). Northrnore, Hank Stinson, Marcia
Tratt and Denise Baillargeon make up the
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talented cast ofthe musical revue which
opened August 8. They are backed by an
equally talented trio of musicians, Michael
Mulrooney on keyboards and bass, Sean
Mulrooney on guitars and bass,- and John
Thompson on drums and keyboards.
'They • Don't • Write Songs Like That
Anymore,' is the energetic opening number
and throughout the remainder of the
production, this energy level never wanes
(despite the heat in the building! )
In the first act, the cast members sing and
dance their way through the depression;
prohibition, the Big Band era and World
War II. One of the highlights of this act is a
medley entitled `Thirties Trash' which
Northrnore describes as '`f'ruly regrettable
.songs' from the thirties. This is repeated in.
the second act with `Forties Trash'. Songs
like `Mairsy Doats',._`The Flat Foot Floogie'
and 'One Meat Ball' may not be classics but
they are catchy' ditties that bring smiles of
remembrance to the audience,.
Also in Act Two, are numbers entitled
`Hooray for Hollywood', `LatinMedley',
`Plump Medley', `Bing'.; `Party Pieces' and
`Dixie'.' All of this brings us right up to the
rock 'n roll era where the production stops:
Besides mucic and dancing, FOOLING!
(as the title suggests) has lots' of comedy.
and even a few history lessons. In the
segment on World War II, .we are again
reminded of our Canadian inferiority
complex as we try to compete with the
Americans and . the British. And, * to 'and
behold, we find out that some very well-
known tunes have actually been penned by. •
Canadians themselves ( but of course, we all
knew that, didn't we? 1) •
My favorite segment of the show was the
`Boogie Waog•ie' segment. But there _is
enough variety in this production to appeal
to everyone—from Westerns to a Bing
Crosby salute—it's all there.
A simple set ane'. c"fec.Livtl Use of
srotlit_?I'ting by (.21, -;ode G;iilni lin and
splashes of bright red costuming 17y Kelly
3u1livan, help add appeal to an already,
appealing show.
Jt i
DAR+RELL K. r
Bil1Y Bishop'Gioes To,1?1►a1�, owl g a
the Playhouse II at the r` ti
-la oulse, IS a fascinating k. WAR.
unusual subject—the matter Qf the Canadian
here
Canadians have ong'been characterized
by both their unwi!liingnn ess:tp create heroes
and their subsequent lack of heroic figures.
Historical and mythical heroes are an
important part of any country's culture, and
the lack of heroes may be a contributing
factor in an overall lack of identifiable
Canadian culture. •
John Gray has gone a long way to rectify
both situations, and a couple 4f years ago
wrote a genuine popular Canadian play with
Erie Peterson about a bona fide Canadian
hero. The subject was Billy Bishop, a World
War I flying ace who held the Allied record
in that war in number of enemy planes shot
down.
The result is an enchanting musical that
tells much about thewar and Billy Bishop in
particular, as well as about heroism, and
about Canadians and British in. general.
Billy .Bishop was originally froth Owen
Sound. He had a typically inauspicious
rtiAg fob' ioadia li ieero hlac it.
mXi for.ti?e'w e ! f i daab
eta e$ abed fry the Royal Milt,
College were he was,. cadet. As it;w
war eama along in o of t• e:;
eof the t>rsua1 expectations of g1
adventure, Bishop became ail ov,
atm .
• Bishop's story would" have ended tbiere': „
had it not been for two things—his discovery,
of • airplanes and. the relat�y�re omfort alb'
warfare .provided compared to .trench
. .f e. and the interference of .. older"
British lady who ' r o nized Bishops..
potential for .power,. eneath his "ruil e •
ellenl
Mersa
�t ea i other,
Maysworks tll+� ail
leln enou�
jute t 1e A
ell sttelt
et ass
voi�r�'is e�
ons
e�1
dl lA After losing
oke? put hrl.entbiislas ,l for tite,war,
a� l;� bout kis borne'country' in, the
ong, "Nobody shoots no one In Canada.
"`It ,may not be' heaven," be adla ts, "but
heaven knows We try. I wish I was in Canada
today." •
Not bad folf a realiizatio by+ a Canadian
' about his count and er "ill, Bishop
,yR:�.s3.� as
al�+. i�(��1�hig;t`��l`y'fllt(� ���� + �+
,scot a disappointment.as heworks bus, ,way wasn't bad as a Canadian hirnse g •itis not
e: so easyto in ire pridein,Ca da• .the least
tiirou tlxe �f'.ea�•riitusie J.ohn,r',ay wrp>:. , + , �F A
Th character �is p ed'b�, IVf ichael we could do would be to < .inspire some
ulroon , : i is essenttally i hR'p, .: appreciation.. Gray has done Ilia ' best in
accompai et.tpr 'his songe;''bat; OrnY has,. "Billy Bishop Goes To War," and after
worked him fa° cunningly= into theplay that seeing the fine Playhouse II production, it is
Canadian exterior." he must also sing, listen. and throw in a
The story goes on tG tell of Bishop's more
successful and lucky waif experiences; and
his eventual fame as a liking ace and
international hero. .
The play is essentially' a two-man show,
and the story unfolds as toid'by Bishop to a
Wane player,.ostensibly in a Canadian
Legion Hall, as the program tells us. Bishop,
in remembering .the past, plays all the
characters involved, and takes the audience
directly to the scenes as they happened in
his memory. >j -
few' hard to go away not feeling good about being
words of his own. In ail these tasks, bud., ,a Canadian,
espeeiallyx in playing piano, Mulrooney
performs" very well, and his ,constant
presence on stage does not detract. from
Stinson'aperformance. •
Stinson's . portrayal as the Canadian
bishop, aware of his origins almost as,'Ouch
as are the British, is',very good. The play
offers some choice Insights into what it
meant to be a colonial fighting in an
essentially European war, and • what it
meant, and means, to he a Canadian. \'
For example,13ishies mentop tells him at
one point, -"You are behaving like cannon
fodder, perfectly acceptable behavior for a
Canadian." The iMplication ' is, in -her
British logic, for Bishop tostop behaving
like a Canadian andto start becoming a hero
in the fine British tradition.
Ultimately, Bishop is retired from active
service because his death, as it was
explained to him, would be a trerinendous
blow to the colonial enthusiasm in the war
effort. The British, we are to conclude, are
second to:none iui creating heroes, but it is
not for B.r tisho need them.
Bishop himself says, "The British like
their heroes cold and dead, or so it seems."
Perhaps this is why, in spite of the fame
Bishop received as a British -styled hero, he
Country Hearts will be
Blyth Festival's final play
COUNTjtY HEARTS, the Blyth Festival's
fifth and final production this season, opens
on August 21 and plays through to
September 15. Sam Slick and the Slowpokes,
a country and western band, join regular
•customers and storm -stranded travellers at
the Commodore, a 'small town hotel, on a
cold wintery night. -
Written by Ted Johns and John Roby,
COUNTRY HEART was a box office suc-
cess,when it was first performed at Blyth. It
• sold out every seat in 1982! The reviewers
praised it - "a toot -tapping terrific time", `.,`a
rousing evening's entertainment"!
This year's production brings back the hit
songs from 1982 and includes new ones. It
stars Daisy DeBolt, Robert King, "Ross.
Skene, John Roby, Patricia Vanstone, Robin
Craig, Terry Harford, David Fox; Sandy
Crawley, Denise Kennedy, Robert Nasrnith
and Ron Gabriel. The Blyth Festival is
grateful to John Labatt Limited - Labatt's
Ontario . Breweries Limited for their
generous sponsorship of this production..
..;COUNTRY HEARTS then goes on tour.
•You can catch it at Durham District High
If you have not been, thisis your last,
chance to go to a. 1984 production at the
Playhouse II cabaret theatre. FOOLING!
runs until August 18.
HALL FOR RENT
at
Vanastrat Recreation
Centre
482-35.44
Dances, Weddings and
Receptions etc:
We welcome new
exhibitors at
MITCHELL FAIR
prize lists available at Stacey Bros.,
Betty's Hardware, T -D Bank, Bank of
Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Credit
Union or the Secretary.
PIANO LESSONS
available beginnings this fall.
In Londesboro
area.
For more
information
Please call
Ron Greidanus
523-4549
School on September 17 at 8 p.m:; from
September 18 - 22, at 8 p.m., it will be at the
Humanities Theatre, University of'
Waterloo.
For further- information and tickets for
Blyth Festival performances, call 523-9300
or 523-9225. For tour information ~ and
tickets, please contact the Durham Commit-
tee for the Performing' Arts, Durham, On-
tario; and the Humabities Theatre box of-
fice at (519)885-428Q. .
HAPPY 25TH DAVID
Let'shear it for the boy
Let's give the boy a hand
Let's hear it for my baby
Mom, sisters and his
constant.female companion
Mabel Miller Highlight '.
**************‘i:
2LEME:LLIMI1U=Ei
PRESENTSC:
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SEPT.24
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SEPT. 25
INTERNATIONAL
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DELUXE MOTORCOACH
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OCT. 10.11
'THANKSGIVING
IN NASHVILLE
OCT. 5-8
'FOR MORE -114041,4
INFORMATION
INFORMATION
OR RESERVATIONS
CONTACT:
-16
GODERICH 524-4540
MITCHELL 348-8741.
CLINTON 524.4540
SEAFORTH 527-1237
APPEARING •
THIS WEEKEND
'THE WEB"
. IN OONCER T
WED., AUG. 22
DAVID
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TICKETS $5.00 NOW ON SALE
WED., AUG. 29.
MIKE MANDELL
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TICKETS $3.50
NOW ON SALE'
Hay Township Recreation
is sponsoring a
MYSTERY BINGO
Every other Thursday
Next bingo
Thursday, Aug® 23
(lee Surface)
Zurich Community Centre
Jackpot: $500, must go
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OVER $1500 in cosh prizes'
Bring your dabbers
Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Bingo starts at 7:45 psi,.
ALL PROCEEDS for "NEW" BALL DIAMOND
No one under 16 allowed to ploy
e 4 flash games
t 1 early bird
• 10 regular games
WINGHAM OPTIMIST
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 19th
Winghani Arena
Doors open at 1:00 p.m.
10 EARLY BIRD QUICKIES AT 1:30
10 REGULAR ONE -LINE $100 BINGOS .3SPECIAL$200 BINGOS
1 $500 SPECIAL GAME 1 JACKPOT OF $1000
2 SHARE,THE WEALTH 1 BONANZA BINGO
10 NIGHT -OWL QUICKIES AT END
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All proceeds for youth work!
pieces of English Style Fish
•2 medium size French Fries
Plenty far a family of 3 or 4
P
DIXIE LEE -
CHICKEN AND SEAFOOD
Phone ahead for fast pickup,
33 victoria St.
CLINTON 4324331`