Page 4 May 1988 Cassiar Courier “s3'MUSICIANS CREATE The Wizard of Oz is history. The show is over, but the magic will linger on as the melodies of this stage production float in our memories. Creating this special magic were several members of the Vancouver Symphony and their guests, who travelled to Cassiar to provide the musical background for this Ptarmigan Player pro- duction. Roni Wagner, who plays the viola, was ultimately responsible for pulling the group of musicians together. Her musical career began when she mentioned to her grandmother that she would like to play violin. Her grandmother then said, “Okay, we'll get you a violin but you will practice!” Thus at age ten her training began with James Fraser (whom she calls an amazing man). Roni joined the Victoria Symphony at age fourteen. She doesn’t believe that she was incredibly talented but she did have a grandmother who stood over her and made sure she practiced up to six hours a day! She has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, travelling to Europe one summer where they played the Edinbourgh Fesitival and the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in 1966. She then attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she studied violin with Emanuel Zetlin. “I started playing viola at McGill with Steven Kondaks, then freelanced out of Montreal with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company,” says Roni. She ob- viously enjoyed the switch of instrument. (But she mumbled something about her grandmother under her breath so I sense another story here!) In 1970, Roni was with the Faculty Orchestra at the Banff School of Fine Arts. “The personnel man- ager for the orchestra and I argued for two weeks. He asked me to dinner one night, and six weeks later we were married with the full regalia of a three hundred guest formal wedding!” Husband Ken Wagner, bassoonist and contrabassoonist, has been a member of the Symphony for twenty years. Roni is an eighteen year veteran. Roni’s enthusiasm for the trek to Cassiar was apparant. She views life as positive and is more than willing to share an adventurous spirit with the people around her. It was Roni’s belief that the scheme would work, that brought the V.S.O. to Cassiar! RONI WAGNER One of Roni’s biggest challenges was to find a first rate pianist. A friend suggested a fellow by the name of Terry, and the show was on the road! Terence Dawson is a Doctoral Student of U.B.C. in Piano Performance. Although not a member of the V.S.0., he has performed with individual members for various chamber concerts. He holds a Masters Degree in Piano from U.B.C. where he teaches music as a T.A. He teaches piano privately and is also a vocal coach. Having been involved in teaching at several Okanogan Summer Schools for the Arts, it is no wonder that fellow musician, Ann Stafford, thought he would be perfect for the Cassiar adventure. How right she was, because Terry has another important credential - a love of his art, one he willingly shares with others. “I wasn’t sure if it was the modern Wiz or The Wizard,” said Terry when first told of the Cassiar venture. ‘I didn’t need to think about it a lot, and when Roni got in touch with me I said sure!” Taking time out from his busy musical life in Vancouver which includes recordings for C.B.C., solo and chamber music; Terry Igoked forward. to the op- portunity to visit this part of the province. Terry’s ability to conduct the orchestra while performing him- self, was impressive. During the performances Terry TERRY DAWSON was adept at rearranging the music to suit the action on stage. ag “J would like to combine a teaching and per- forming career.” said Terry. There is little doubt that with his talent and enthusiasm his dreams will come true! Susan Dallyn plays the cello. She was born in Winnipeg, but moved to Seattle where she began playing cello in the Seattle Public School String Program in grade six, and also had private lessons with a member of the Seattle Symphony. During her Junior and Senior Secondary years she was a student of Hans Seigrist of the V.S.0. Her willingness to commute from Vancouver Island to Vancouver for lessons showed her dedication. She obtained a Bachelor of Music from the U.B.C. after which she taught music in Bella Bella. ~ Currently she teaches at the Vancouver Academy of Music (where she has 30 private students and three group classes), and freelances with the V.S.O. “When Roni phoned me and told me of the Qz production I said sure, take me away! I could see the ideal ski resort here. The mountains are gorgeous!” Susan also included that she wants to be rich, work in a recording studio, and the biggest news of all, “I want to play Rock Cello!” Born in Vancouver, violinist Ron Milne received his advanced musical training in England at the Royal Academy of Music. He played there with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Returning to Canada in 1967, he was a member of the Centennial Tour with the C.B.C. Vancouver Orchestra to the prairies, and joined the V.S.O. the same year. “I Jove Canada’s North,” says Ron. “I have done two separate Arctic tours with the C.B.C. Orchestra, one to the eastern Arctic which included Rankin Inlet, Frobisher Bay, Baker Lake, Norway House in Northern Manitoba and Thompson. The other was to the Western Arctic: which included Inuvik, Tuk, Hay River, and Yellowknife!”’ Ron said that he gained an appreciation for the North, and when approached with the idea of coming to Cassiar he jumped at the chance. Ron freelances in Vancouver and does studio work for Hollywood Sound Tracs, as well as T.V. jingles. “Cassiar would make an ideal ski centre,”Ron remarked. “T’ve seen lots of places that are not as ideal as this one.” An interesting recent addition in Roni’s life is a very precious violin that he inherited three weeks ago from England. “For security reasons I won’t go into any details,” said Ron, “but it is very, very precious.” Ron would like to see the V.S.O. back on its feet so he could resume his career. So would we! Oddly enough, Ann Stafford was born in Kansas! (Although she grew up in Oklahoma City) A good friend ~ of Roni’s, Ann thought the whole Wizard of Oz, Cassiar plan, was right, wonderful and exciting! Ann’s technical background as a Bass and Double Bass player began in Rochester, New York at the East- man School of Music. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Music and has played with the Oklahoma City Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. She freelanced in New York for three years. In 1970, she moved to Vancouver and joined the V.S.0. Ann and Roni perform with *h-~~ >the~ musicians in a string quintet called “Quint Essential.” “We have shared a friendship for twenty years,” says Ann. Ann freelances around Vancouver performing with various artists. She found Cassiar people very friendly and her memories of the time spent here will all be good. Bob Growcott, another of the violinists playing with the group began his violin lessons at age six in England. His career began while he was serving in the British Army. He has played with the Liverpool Phil- harmonic from 1955-1962, the Bourmouth Symphony and the London Philharmonic. Moving to Canada in 1976, he joined the Purcel String Quartet and in 1977 became a member of the V.S.O. JASON HALL, SUSAN DALLYN, BOB GROWCOTT ANN STAFFORD, “WONDERFUL!” Bob also plays piano and enjoys the occassional eet recital. He is married and the father of two child- -In-his spare time he is quite a handyman and has a aed appreciation for the outdoors. When asked by Roni to accompany the group to Cassiar he agreed. With a smile he says, “I believe in taking advantage of whatever opportunities come my way.” Lynn Piening, flutist, comes from Lacombe, Alberta. She studied music at the University of Toronto where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree. She continued her study privately in New York with the New York Philharmonic and then went to the Banff School of Fine Arts. Moving to Vancouver, Lynn began playing as an extra for the V.S.O. She also plays in chamber groups in the area and teaches private students at the Richmond Community Music School. Lynnn was positive about coming to Cassiar from the beginning. “I thought it would be a great chance to see the northern part of B.C. Upon arrival I’ve found Cassiar reminds me alot of where I grew up.” Jason Hall, who plays the clarinet was born in Toronto and was educated at the University of Toronto. He also has been a student of the Banff School of Fine Arts. “I began playing clarinet at age fourteen,” says Jason, ‘“‘and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.” Jason played with the Prince George Sym- phony for two years, He moved to Vancouver when he heard of the opportunity to be an extra with the V.S.0. Since January Jason has played second clarinet with all the Symphony’s Concerts. He freelances in Vancouver as well as teaching privately. “Cassiar’s support of the V.S.O. meant alot considering its location is isolated from our regular performances. This impressed me and helped make the decision to come to Cassiar very easy, ” says Jason. The sound needed for a production such as the Wizard of Oz must be very precise. It was felt more than one viola was needed. At that time Catherine Whelan was called. Catherine was born in Toronto and studied viola at the University of Toronto. She is currently studying at the Vancouver Academy of Music with Steven Dann. Catherine is not a regular member of ‘the V.S.0. but does substitute when pos- sible. She teaches privately and freelances in Vancouver. “I simply said yes when asked to come to Cassiar, there was never any question about it. My attitude in life is take things as they come.” says Catherine. Adrian Chui, violinist, was born in Hong Kong. He began studying violin at age nine. Before coming to Canada he played in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Con’t,on Page-5 Bill Good - Percussionist Extraordinary said of his trip to Cassiar, “The people were friendly, emotional and just plain nice!” J AJ CM MMMM MM OM MM MO OM MO OO MO OM MO Ptarmigan Players The: ‘Wizard of Oz’ came to Cassiar!! Our drama club. attempted its largest and most challenging pro- duction on April 21, 22, and 23rd at the Cassiar Theatre. Over 500 people attended our Musical Stage Show, and another 150 people contributed to its success, re- sulting in an involvement of 65% of the people in Cas- siar! by Iris Trask By far, the most exciting part of this whoie ex- perience was the arrival of 1i very special members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and guests, who came all the way from Vancouver to share their musical talents with us. As-we worked our way through two dress rehearsals, it became apparent that these V.S.O. members were not only exceptional musicians, but were also very warm and caring people, who contributed a great deal of support and enthusiasm to our produc- tion. It was a real treat after four months of long and hard rehearsals to have a Pit Orchestra of their su- perior quality fill the theatre with such beautiful music. The whole week was an experience of a life-time that will be remembered by those involved for a long time. THANKS FOR COMING TO CASSIAR, VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & GUESTS! ! !! It was a terrific feeling to have the support of our local people as they spent their time, energy, and finances in order to help us make this show so successful. Ptarmigan Players say a great big “Thanks” to everyone involved, the list is long! As the director, I saw a lot of growth in many of the cast as they developed their characters, their drama skills, and themselves. I would not be honest if I said things flowed smoothly over the past four mon- ths. There were times when I became the wicked witch of Cassiar, as | was very demanding and expected a lot from each member of the cast. My reward came as I joined the audience on opening night feeling confident that our show would be the best that we could produce. As the play unfolded, it was a thrill to see various parts that we had worked on for hours and hours go so smoothly and so well. 1 would like to congratulate the cast and also say “Way to go! It’s a take!” There are many people who have given me tre- mendous support, but there are three in particular who have been with me from the beginning, and have really helped carry the load of this production. Thanks so much to my Assistant Producer, Norma Ray; Assistant Director, D’Arcy Richardson; and Costume/General Assistant, Linda Beck! In conclusions, I would like to thank the whole cast for believing in me and our dream of producing “The Wizard of Oz”. A very, very special thanks to the cast and especially the four leads for giving me my first ever “Dozen Roses”, not once, but ice in nthe, ‘sanie night! - “Wizard of Oz” by our local Ptarmigan Players. MAGIC IN CASSIAR In 1977, Adrian studied with Owen Thompson at the Vancouver Academy of Music. At age 22, Adrian joined the V.S.0. He also teaches privately. Adrian is married and the father of two children. “Cassiar is beautiful,” says Adrian. “The people are very friendly and I’ve found my stay here very enjoyable.” Bill Good is a drummer with the V.S.O. but I prefer calling him a PERCUSSIONIST EXTRAOR- DINARY! He started in percussion with the Kitsilano Boys Band at age seven, and travelled to Europe twice with them. Bill joined the V.S.O. in 1954. Bill does alot of recording with C.B.C. radio and film. One of the most notable scores he played was in the trac for Salvador, which was nominated for an Acadamy Award. Also of note was the sound trac from the production “The Ecstasy of Rita Joe” which won a European Music Award for best recording of its type. His latest recording can be heard on David Foster. His schedule is full as he teaches privately and gives various clinics for school boards and colleges around the lower mainland. Bill is married, with four children. “When Roni phoned and explained about this trip, I agreed immediatly. | really enjoy the atmosphere of a small town audience.” These ‘Musicians left Cassiar on Sunday, April 24th. They all agreed that they had been hosted royally, and their experience in the north would long be remem- bered. It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I went to the theatre to view the production of the There were a number of reasons for my uneasiness - would I be too critical even with the knowledge that these were not professionals, would there be mishaps too hard to ignore, would there be one or two people miscast and thereby de- stroying the good performances, would the music be ef- fective, would I hear everyone? Questions, yes, but hap- pily all proved to be without grounds - the production was marvelous and all the hard work was worthwhile. The sets were well done giving the performers a background that offered authenticity to their roles and no doubt helped keep them in character. I particularly enjoyed the bridge scene in which the moving prop helped create a problem for two of the characters and gave us an introduction to the designs of the evil witch. Cassiar Courier May 1988 Page 5 MOR MO nina pap by Lorraine Lanteigne Adrian Chui, violinist; Lynn Pienning, flutiest; Ron Milne, violinist and Catherine Whelan, viola; all exclaim, “Exciting Times!” A o A REVIEW OF OZ ....... laugh sent chills down many an adult’s spine and she was firmly in character throughout the play. There was some additional evil added to her fame by June Evans and Helen Billingsley with some entertaining dialogue and modern flying props. As the Sorceress, Lorraine Lanteigne displayed very good stage presence and sang in a strong, pure voice that had obviously benefited from training. Her daughter, Katherine, displayed some fluid dance moves that made you believe she indeed was the Scarecrow full of straw and her acting was first rate - Katherine fully assumed the personality of Scarecrow so weil that her own personality appeared to have vanished. Kelly Huber as the Tin Woodsman successfully toned down her voice to the point a stranger may have thought she was a very young man - her understated performance made her character’s problem all the more believable - THE WICKED WITCH VISITS MUNCHKINLAND! The Vancouver Symphony’s contribution cannot be measured simply in terms of music - they added class and sophistication to the entire production. I cannot imagine how the evening would have gone without their wonderful musical contribution. : It takes an incredible amount of courage to get up before a crowd and act, and to sing is all the more ter- rifying - even with the best set of pipes the experience is daunting. For Kerrie Desjardins to take on a role and song so identified with one performer (Judy Garland) was a true test of talent and courage - she pulls it off wonder- fully and most importantly brings the youthful innocence so necessary to the character. She handled her singing quite well and I had no trouble hearing her from the aisle seat in the third last row. It is very easy to overlook Kerrie’s role with so many small but powerful roles sur- rounding her but this girl is out on the stage for most of the two hour production and it is essentially through her eyes and experience we see the land of Oz. Speaking of scene stealing roles, it will go without saying that Norma Ray as the Wicked Witch was riveting - her evil witch there was not the usual tendancy to overact this part. Nicole Deyo stepped into the role of the Cowardly Lion late in production to replace a cast member who ‘moved and she did so admirably - it was good to see her take a role that she normally would not have sought to audition for and then pull off the performance. | think it turned out well that the four young ladies secured the four lead roles - there was no dominant member and they worked well as an ensemble. Dean Bowden as the Wizard of Oz displayed an excellent vocal style - initially frightening and then after the revelation of his identity - warm, apologetic in his explanation of how he came to dwell in Oz. The munchkin children gave the play a sense of wonder and innocence - they were delightful. The supporting cast was very fine with Janice Coran as Joe, Leigh Desjardins as the Mayor, Linda Beck as the Munchkin Farmer and Jackie Roblin as the Private. Although the members in the “General” skit performed their plots well, I found the segment broke the continuity of the play and seemed like an excerpt from another production - a minor flaw in an otherwise entertaining production.