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The Sault Opera LegacyA look back at the seasons and productions of Sault OperaPrinter-Friendly Pages |
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1991
The year 1991 was a successful year for Sault Opera, both financially and artistically, with two musicals directed by Sault Opera's newest director Richard Howard and music directed by the company's newest music director Susan Barber. Both plays broke box office records and received the highest accolades by reviewers for the local media.
Sault Opera ended the 1990/91 season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" in mid-April starring Ann Trudell as Aunt Eller, Mark Swift as Curly, Francine Marotta as Laurie, Martin Buchert as Will Parker, Keith Waldie as Jud Fry, Melissa Ostrowski as Ado Annie, Aubrey Falls as Ali Hakim, twin sisters Francine (St. Jules) Giroux and Jeannine (St. Jules) Jefferson as the Cummings twins, and Robert Creedon as Carnes. Over 100 people applied for 38 chorus parts during the auditions. Accompaniment was provided by leader Susan Barber with Steve Burgess, Brent Krysa, Michelin Findlay, Sylvanna Bruni, and sound technician Bob McLeod for most of the rehearsals and all five performances.
The company received a $4000 Community Theatre Training grant from Theatre Ontario for this production. Providing the support backstage and behind the scenes were: Don Palmer as stage manager and director trainee, producer Heather Hannah who also built some of the costumes and the set for the show, Bonnie Forsell teaching and coaching the vocals, Mary Saari and Lori Rancourt assisting with the staging of the musical numbers, Nancy Price designing the set, Rick Hannah as the master carpenter, Fran Pond as acting visual design consultant, Nancy Johnson and Arlene Kehoe in charge of props, Dave Nenonen designing the lighting, Lynda DiPaulo and Sandra Sheaves co-ordinating the costumes, Nancy Bailey as the hairstylist, Merlene Lee co-ordinating the box office, Arno Ambel and Lou Turco co-ordinating the programme and publicity, Kiersten Smykacz as the house manager, Penny Martin and Shauna Major as assistant stage managers, and many other assistants who were involved in the show and in other production departments.
All four evening performances of "Oklahoma!" were sold out and there was also a well-attended Saturday afternoon matinée. According to the Sault Star theatre reviewer, "Oklahoma stampedes audience with evening of galloping fun" and Sault This Week's headline "Marotta and Waldie superb in Sault Opera's Oklahoma production", and the comments of the patrons tell the story of the run-away success of the show. Financially, the company expected a net surplus of $2400 but the actual figures were in excess beyond all expectations with an actual net surplus of over $8800.
Owing th the great success of "Oklahoma!", Richard Howard was approached again to direct the October production of Webber and Rice's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" although there was no grant assistance to cover his honourarium. Out of a large crowd of applicants at the auditions, the leads were cast as follows: Ian McDougall as Jesus, David Walsh as Pontius Pilate, Micheline Findlay as Mary Magdelene, Stephen Sicoly as Judas Iscariot, Keith Waldie as Caiaphas, Robert LaPorte as Annas, Jay Sturley as Simon Zealotes, Greg LaFleur as Peter, Terry McPhee as Herod, and many others. Once again, Susan Barber and the band provided the accompaniment assisted by Steve Burgess, Frank Guidoccio, and Fred Pelletier, along with Bob McLeod mixing the sound. This production pioneered the concept of signing the songs and dialogue for the hearing impaired with Francine Giroux and Mark Swift as the sign language interpreters.
The co-producers were Nancy Johnson and Diane Wysynski, who returned to the Sault in the summer and "jumped right into the fray" of producing again and running the lighting booth for the show. Also working behind the scenes were: assistant director Neil Carter; vocal coach Bonnie Forsell; set design (including making the sculptures of the torsos) by Theresa Morin; lighting design by Dirk Becker; stage manager Penny Martin; props by Arlene Kehoe, Theresa Morin, and Donna Pickering; make-up by Vera Alloi, Louise Griffith, and Christine Ward; audio-visual technicians Brent Krysa and Josh Beaudoin; set construction by Chris Shannon and Ron McBride; house manager Diana Jurko, publicity and programme by Arno Ambel and Lou Turco; and lots of assistants involved in all the production work.
Ticket sales for JCSS surpassed all previous box office records and was a great emotional experience to everyone in the audience as well as the actors on stage. The twelve human torsos sculpted by designer Theresa Morin also lent the aura of Greek amphitheatre to the set. Director Richard Howard wanted this effect as his concept of the blocking of the show was based on using the style of ancient Greek amphitheatre. A Presbyterian minister in the audience remarked that the torsos might have symbolized the forthcoming decline of the Greco-Roman Empire. A number of out-of-town "theatre people" attended also and were greatly impressed with the masterful creation and the impassioned performance of this great rock opera. Again, the show exceeded financial expectations with a net suprlus in excess of $11000. It should also be noted that a great new infux of new members has been achieved with these two productions.
Over the summer, Sault Opera hired three students for 9 weeks under a federal SEED grant for the jobs of wardrobe assistant, properties assistant, and administrative assistant. These students overhauled the company's wardrobe by washing, ironing, airing, and mending the costumes in stock; sorted out props and set pieces; constructed costume racks and shelving; and updated the filing system, the paperwork, and sales campaign for the 1991/92 season.
Also, Sault Opera received a Resource Material Purchase Grant from the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Communications which covered two-thirds of the cost of purchasing new office furnishings and equipment consisting of: a computer, laser printer, work centre furniture, updated photocopier, telephone answering machine, and four walkie-talkie intercoms.
Overall, the year 1991 has seen a re-affirmation of Sault Opera being the favourite producer of musical theatre to the theatre-goers in Sault Ste. Marie and the outlying districts on both sides of the border.