50 1971-2021

Theatre

H MEA Bluegrass Celebration

Conceived and Written by Jo-Ann Waytowich

Directed by Thom CurrieMusical Director Danny Johnson

Featuring

Jo-Ann Waytowich, Danny Johnson, Susie Campbell, Fae Alexander Robert Balabuck, Martin Blanchet, Olivia Korkola, Dan Zadkovich

Set Design by Warden Bémont, Costumes by Lisa Macchione

September 16-October 2, 2021

We’re in it together

At Tbaytel, we believe the arts enhance quality of life and are a key

part of building more vibrant communities.

Supporting you is our way of helping to make our neighbourhood a

better place for everyone. Thank you, Magnus Theatre, for all of the

good work you do.

CAST

JO-ANN WAYTOWICHDANNY JOHNSONSUSIE CAMPBELLFAE ALEXANDER

BAND

ROBERT BALABUCKMARTIN BLANCHET

OLIVIA KORKOLADAN ZADKOVICH

Banjo

Bass

Fiddle

Mandolin

CREATIVE TEAM

THOM CURRIEDANNY JOHNSON

WARDEN BÉMONTLISA MACCHIONE

HANNA LAAKSONENNICHOLAS PALINKA

TIM STEPHENSONGILLIAN JONES

Director

Musical Director

Set Design

Costumes

Props

Production Manager/Lighting DesignTechnical Manager/SoundStage Manager

The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

There will be no intermission during this show. Approximate run time: 90 minutes.

Jo-Ann Waytowich (vocals, acoustic guitar). Is there a bigger word than thrilled? Elated perhaps? Over the Moon? Whatever the word is, Jo-Ann is (insert word here in CAPITAL LETTERS) to be onstage again after such a long haul of ----- well, nothing. To have the opportunity of connecting with an audience again is the most joyous, gratifying feeling! To see you again after so long! Thank you, thank you - THANK YOU for coming back to the theatre! And to husband Clyde - thanks for tolerating eight months worth of bluegrass music!

Not unlike all the other billions of people on the planet, Jo-Ann has been sequestered at home for the past year and a half. She has taken this opportunity of having “time” to embark on creative projects including writing Home: A Bluegrass Celebration. Jo-Ann has also been working with Mario Crudo, Kelly Saxberg and Dianne Brothers to create a filmed version of the stage play Ivanka: Pasta, Salami and a guy named Pasquale. Filming for this project will begin next summer and audiences across the world will be able to view Ivanka and Pasquale anywhere, anytime and with anyone. Exciting times ahead!

Danny Johnson (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars). Danny is no stranger to theatre audiences, having performed in over sixty productions across the country, including Million Dollar Quartet (Sam Phillips), Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash), 2 Pianos 4 Hands, Buddy:The Buddy Holly Story (Norm Petty), and portraying Hank Williams in Hank Williams:The Show He Never Gave to sold-out performances and standing ovations at Magnus; and was the Musical Director for the world premiere of Tomson Highway’s The (Post) Mistress. He is a well-respected singer/songwriter who has performed at venues and festivals and has

opened for many acclaimed acts, including Bob Dylan, The Tragically Hip, Colin James, George Jones, Valdy and Johnny Cash. As a musician he has performed with such artists as Bo Diddley, The Temptations, Bob Newhart, Paul Shaffer, Hal Linden, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Tom “Bones” Malone, Jack de Keyzer, Long John Baldry, Tony “Little Sun” Glover, Paul James and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Danny has worked as engineer/producer for dozens of acclaimed album and film projects at his facility, Danalog Studio. His production of Into The Wonder, for The Gryphon Trio and TBSO, on the Analekta label was nominated for a Juno. He is proud to be involved in the premiere of this new work and share the stage with such talented people. Enjoy the show!

No Scents Makes Sense!

Due to the number of people with allergies, Magnus Theatre strives to be a

scent-free theatre. Please avoid using perfumes, colognes or other scented

products prior to the show.

SUSIE CAMPBELL-STEEN (vocals, drums) was born in Toronto, Ontario, but moved with her family to Thunder Bay at the age of two and was raised in Westfort. From a young age she studied dance at the Amelia Jackson Dance Studio and also achieved her Grade 8 Royal Conservatory of Music credential in piano. Susie started her music career in Thunder Bay, performing at several local venues throughout Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, and has since toured the world, including exotic destinations such as Dubai, Europe and the Caribbean. She was the bandleader for the “Susie Campbell Show Band”

who toured extensively within the United States, Canada, and had an extended contract on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

For the past decade, Susie has played the lead role of Agnetha Faltskog, the blonde beauty from ABBA fame, as a member of the Reno Nevada-based ABBA tribute band, Abbacadabra, who have been performing sold out shows throughout North and South America, Europe, and headlining on several cruise lines including Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, perfonning alongside Broadway shows such as Chicago and Hairspray. Susie, along with Abbacadabra has also headlined casinos on the Las Vegas strip and Lake Tahoe, and has played at music’s most iconic venue, the world famous Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood as part of a national TV Special “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” on AXS TV. When she’s not out on the road, Thunder Bay is home for Susie, where she loves being surrounded by family and friends, including her husband Dave and their pug Tucson.

Fae Alexander (vocals, acoustic guitar) is a singer, actor, musician/songwriter and creator raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and Rossport Ontario. Fae grew up doing community theatre before being accepted into Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Program. During her time at Sheridan, she also specialized in Commercial Pop Performance, and opened for Ramin Karimloo’s 2019 concert at the Mississauga Centre for the Performing Arts with all original material. Most recently, Fae appeared in Theatre Sheridan’s production of Canadian musical “Ride the Cyclone” as Constance.During her most

recent summer in Thunder Bay, Fae was hired as a first time playwright for the Superior Theatre Festival’s Indie Stream, where she began work on “Isobel Gunn”: a musical on the first contracted working woman in the Fur-trade.Fae is very excited to be back onstage and is so happy to be performing for live audiences again!

Thom Currie (director) is a director, playwright, dramaturg, actor and producer. Born in New York and raised in France, Thom has worked in theatres across Canada such as Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Stage West (Calgary and Mississauga), Theatre In The Park, The Georgian Theatre Festival, The Showboat Festival Theatre and Magnus Theatre, among many others. His work has also been seen internationally, having directed and performed in cities such as Paris, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Brussels.

Thom’s directing credits include over 90 productions, including We Will Rock You, The Rocky Horror Show, The River, Bed and Breakfast, Bang Bang, Monty Python’s SPAMalot, Of Human Bondage, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Back In 59, They’re Playing Our Song, Mending Fences, 2 Across, Mama’s Country Record Collection, Peter Pan, Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, Sexy Laundry, Urinetown, Crazy For You, A Bench In The Sun, Looking, and Sitting Pretty, in addition to over 50 productions for young audiences.

Thom has served as Artistic Director at several professional theatres across Canada. He is currently Artistic Director of Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay, ON, the only professional theatre between Sudbury and Winnipeg. Previous to this, Thom was Artistic Director of the Stephenville Theatre Festival (NL), Managing Artistic Director at The Showboat Festival Theatre In The Round (ON), Artistic Director of The Georgian Theatre Festival (ON) and Founding Artistic Director of ReallyLittleTheatre (INTL).

In addition to writing the jukebox musicals Back In 59, Mama’s Country Record Collection and POP! Goes The Sixties, Thom has written 15 musicals for young audiences, which have been performed across North America and Europe. His rock opera for young audiences, Rock ‘N’ Fables, has the distinction of having the most in-school performances of any musical in Canadian Theatre history. Thom is the recipient of the Vision TV Over The Fence Award for his television adaptation of his play, The Wish.

Thom has also lectured at University of Toronto, Seneca College and Ryerson University, and has worked as an adjudicator, educator and workshop leader across Canada.

Robert Balabuck (banjo, acoustic guitar) is a graduate of Lakehead University & York University in Psychology and Special Education. He taught in the Lakehead Bachelor of Education program for 34 years. He started classical violin at age 10, but heard Earl Scruggs on The Beverly Hillbillies and had to learn Bluegrass banjo; he’s been playing for 60 years. Canadian Bluegrass Champion in 1984 (Banjo), he’s been playing with Flipper Flanagan (54 years), Gibson, Martin & I (35 years), and The Grumpy Grandpas. Robert wrote two songs for the Nordic Championships in 1995; “Thunder Drive”, and “My Home Town”,

for the official Nordic CD. He has played with many bands, including John Allen Cameron, Irish Rovers, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Lonesome River Band as warm up band, to name a few. Playing Bluegrass banjo for a Magnus production was always one of his dreams come true.

Martin Blanchet (double bass, electric bass, vocals) Born in Québec City, Martin Blanchet is currently Principal Bass in the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Martin has also held the chair of Assistant Principal Bass in Orquestra do Algarve in Portugal. He has performed with La Orquesta de Extremadura de Badajoz in Spain, L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, l’Opéra de Québec and he often plays with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He has been invited to perform the Dittersdorf Double Bass Concerto in Pommersfelden, Germany.Jazz has been a big part of Martin’s career. This path has led him to

create the Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet. Blanchet is singing and arranging music for the group, creating a variety of different shows including Café Paris, Sharp Ninth #9, Manouche, Mini-Café and more. Along with jazz, bluegrass music has also been an inspiration. In 2012 Martin created Vickers Creek, a bluegrass band taking influence from legends such as Flatt & Scruggs. They were invited by the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium to be the opening act for various artists.For the past four years, Martin has been conducting and arranging music for an all-french choir with Le Club Canadien Français de Thunder Bay.Martin has taught double bass at the Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy in Québec City and is presently an instructor at Lakehead University, as well as having a private bass studio.

Olivia Korkola (fiddle, dobro, acoustic guitar) Olivia’s medium-short bio — educator, composer and producer Olivia Korkola feels at home in a number of musical genres. Alumni of the prestigious Berklee College Music (Boston, MA) Korkola stands out amongst modern fiddlers for her versatility and depth. Olivia has studied under a plethora of pathbreaking musicians; most notably and dear to her being Olga Medvedeva, Darol Anger (Tony Rice Unit, David Grisman Quintet) and Matt Glaser (Stéphane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt, Bob Dylan). Olivia holds their mastery of the craft in the highest regard.

Korkola’s debut record Playing in Traffic (2010) landed her a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Young Performer of the Year at the age of 16, one year after taking home the title of Minnesota State Fiddle Champion in Cotton, MN. Olivia spent the last half decade in Nashville, TN, and now proudly lives and performs in Thunder Bay.studio musician.

Dan Zadkovich (mandolin, slide guitar, drums, vocals) Dan has been highly active in the local music scene for several years playing all styles of music with various groups and performers. He received his Music degree from Lakehead University in 1996 and has been teaching and coaching at The Lakehead School of Music for over 20 years.

Gillian Jones (Stage Manager) This is my bio all about how, my life got flipped turned upside down and I’d like to take a moment before the show starts to tell you how I became involved in the live arts. In North Thunder Bay, I was born and raised. On a playground is where I spent most of my days. Chillin out max and relaxin all cool, but never shootin’ B-ball outside of the school.

When a couple of folks who were up to some good, started a rehearsal in my neighbourhood. I worked on one little show and my boss was eager to offer me a job here at Magnus Theatre. Nice to be back in the theatre again.

Nicholas Palinka (Production Manager/Lighting Design) Nicholas is the current Production Manager at Magnus Theatre and would like to thank Dave, Hanna, Lisa and Tim for your hard work throughout the season. Nadine, thank you for your support, without you I wouldn’t have been able to have a career in the arts. If you’ve read this far, thanks and enjoy the show!

Tim Stephenson (Technical Director/Sound) Now in his fourth season as Technical Director at Magnus, Tim is a production award winning graduate from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology. In the years since graduation he has worked as an Audio Technician at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium setting up some of the biggest shows to come to Thunder Bay.

David A. Brown (Head Carpenter) Dave joined Magnus three seasons ago as the head carpenter after working as the canoe builder /shipwright at Old Fort William for 40 years. Canoe and boat building were his main jobs but Dave wore many hats while at the Fort and has been involved in many movie and television productions. From an “I- Max” production in the early 1980’s to many commercials and print productions. Appearing in National Geographic and the National Enquirer in the same year. He was heavily involved in “Haunted Fort” building many props, animatronic effects and enjoys lighting things up as a “licensed

pyrotechnician.”. Dave enjoys the new challenges at Magnus and is getting used to building square and level, he would still like everything to be curved like a canoe or boat.

Lisa Macchione (Costumes) Lisa is a passionate devotee of the performing arts and all things adornment. In 1999 she graduated from Seneca College’s Fashion Arts program and has had the opportunity to use her skills in costuming to work onset of local films, historical reenactments as well as her own performance art. Researching characters, creating one of kind pieces, and the spark of a thrift store treasure hunt are what she enjoys most. She is thrilled to join the team of creative crew and cast at Magnus Theatre.

Hanna Laaksonen (Props) Hanna is now in her eighth season at Magnus and is beyond thrilled with the scope of artistic challenges and opportunities this season. As a lifelong theatre nerd, she relishes all of the intricacies and improvisations that come out of props design and set decorating. There is always a new art to master and new skill to acquire. Anything can happen in the theatre, and it usually does! Hanna enjoys working both off stage and on when the opportunities present themselves. She would like to thank her family for their unwavering support. Huge love to the phenomenal cast and crew. This show is a

testament to fine artistic collaboration. Bravo!

Up Next

Next up is the romantic adventure comedy LUNENBURG by Canada’s most produced playwright, Norm Foster. It tells the story of Iris, who inherits a house that she didn’t even know existed. She then decides to travel to Nova Scotia with her friend Natalie to take a peek at her new property, leading to a series of surprising and heart-warming transformations. LUNENBURG runs from October 21st to November 6th.

Did You Know Only 39% of Magnus Theatre’s revenue comes from ticket sales. Magnus

Theatre’s Mainstage Season, Theatre for Young Audiences, and Touring

would not be possible without the support of our business community. Each

year, the generosity of our corporate and small business partners help create

the live theatre experience enjoyed by over 20,000 patrons per year.

The Benefits of SponsorshipMagnus Theatre’s sponsorship benefits package is extensive and includes acknowledgement in publicity material, advertising space in show programs

and tickets.

If you would like to find out more about sponsorships, please call Peter Boyle, General Manager, at (807) 345-8033 ext. 225

or mail generalmanager@magnustheatre.com

You Can Donate To Magnus Theatre Anytime

Via Our Website!

Click Here to Make A Donation Today!

Magnus Theatre stands on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe people, those of Fort William First Nation and

other nations of the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850 and land which hosted an early settlement of Métis people as well. We extend our appreciation for the opportunity to live, create, and

perform on this territory.

Congratulations Jo-Ann Waytowich & Magnus Theatre!

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Artists engaged in Magnus Theatre productions are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, a national association representing artists working in theatre, opera and dance from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Equity’s membership includes performers, directors, choreographers, fight directors and stage managers.

Magnus Theatre is a proud member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. PACT is a member-driven organization of professional Canadian theatres which serves as the collective voice of its members for the betterment of Canadian professional theatre.

Associated Designers of Canada is a national, professional non-profit arts service organization dedicated to representing the interests of set, costume, lighting, projection and sound designers working in the live performing arts in Canada.

SOCAN is a performing rights society that licenses the public performance and communication of the world’s repertoire of copyright-protected musical works in Canada and then distributes royalties to its members and affiliated international societies.

Magnus Theatre is the only professional theatre

company between Winnipeg and Sudbury.

SALUTING OUR SPONSORS

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Interested in sponsoring Magnus Theatre? Contact our General Manager

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Sponsor

MANAGEMENTArtistic Director – Thom CurrieGeneral Manager – Peter Boyle

THEATRE IN EDUCATIONTheatre in Education Director – Danielle ChandlerTheatre in Education Instructor – Jordan Blaxill

PRODUCTION TEAMProduction Manager – Nicholas PalinkaTechnical Director – Tim StephensonHead Carpenter – David BrownHead of Properties – Hanna LaaksonenHead of Wardrobe (Acting) – Lisa Macchione

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMFinancial Officer – Shaveh MooresFinancial Officer (Acting) – Melanie BaxterBox Office Coordinator – Jessica KrasnichukBox Office Representative – Sandra SniderFront of House Manager/Volunteer Coordinator – Jerron FuchiharaFacility Caretaker – Juuso HirvasConcessions/Bartender – Kelly Mehagan Winters

MARKETING & PUBLICITY TEAMMarketing Director – Scott HobbsPublicity & Development Coordinator – Natalia Halec

BOARD OF DIRECTORSExecutive President – Katy CommissoPast President – Susan Aris1st Vice President – Warren Mouck2nd Vice President – Nadia LaRussaTreasurer – Meagan EllisSecretary – Cathy Ridley

Directors

Kim CallaghanElliott CromartyTammy D’AmoursErnie Epp

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