The Sault Opera Legacy

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1980

Rocky (Stephen Rutti) and the Washington Senators

The upcoming generation of producers and directors had a "field day" with the early spring production of "Damn Yankees", produced by Karen Pomber, directed by Dick Jenkins, choreographed by Steve Rutti, and music directed by the veteran conductor Frank Elliott. During the week of rehearsals prior to the performance, Terry McPhee, who was originally cast for the role of the team manager Van Buren, got injured during a rehearsal and was unable to play the part in the performances. However, as the saying goes, the show must go on! After all, you've gotta have heart, and Sault Opera surely had miles and miles of heart. Thanks to David Bumbaco, who quickly learned the lines and songs for the part of Van Buren, the show was saved. Unfortunately, the show was not a success at the box office.

In celebration of Sault Opera's 10th Anniversary, the company produced Rossini's famous and most beloved opera, "The Barber of Seville" in June with Wendy Guzzo, James McLean, Blair House, Larry Whalen, John King, Vilma Ambel, and Wilf Beauchamp; directed by Thomas Schweitzer (through the assistance of a Theatre Ontario Community Theatre Training Grant) with Arno Ambel directing the music (for this, as well as for all the following productions in the years to come).

The show was saved from near disaster thanks to the quick thinking and decisive action of music director Arno Ambel when the "Figaro" (Blair House) announced at 10 am on the morning of the Friday performance of "The Barber of Seville" that he lost his voice. In one-and-a-half hours, a new "Figaro" (Peter Barcza) had been found, contacted, and hired from Toronto (with the help of the CAEA), torn away unshaved and unshowered from a plumbing job on his kitchen sink at 1:30 pm to reach the 2:30 flight to Sault Ste. Marie. Upon arrival, it was discovered that he was unfamiliar with the English version Sault Opera was using (the Ruth and Thomas Martin translation). Nevertheless, after a few quick rehearsals, Mr. Barcza sight-read and sung it to perfection from the orchestra pit the same night while the voiceless and soundless other "Figaro" got into costume and lip-synched the part. Although this opera was not a box office success, it continues to be acclaimed by many as the greatest artistic achievement by Sault Opera.

The local talent was in the foreground again with "South Pacific" starring Brenda Gravelle, Larry Whalen, Terry McPhee, and others; directed by Wilf Beauchamp and choreographed by Joy Lowry (with the assistance of a Theatre Ontario Community Theatre Training Grant) in the fall of 1980. This show was both an artistic and a box office success, more than regaining the losses of the two previous shows. Also, the cast of "South Pacific" staged two abbreviated performances at the Station Mall Cinema as benefits to the award winners of a children's colouring contest sponsored by the mall management.

Brenda Gravelle and Terry McPhee in the "Honey Bun" number in "South Pacific"

Despite all the trials and tribulations as Sault Opera entered a new decade with near disasters and financial losses, the company showed the theatre community that it had heart and miles and miles of heart by its outstanding artistic achievements and for bouncing back financially. The company ended the year by obtaining a grant from Employment and Immigration Canada to fund the start-up of a costume workshop and hire two seamstresses under the supervision of designer Vilma Ambel to expand the Sault Opera wardrobe for future productions and rentals.

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