Even Vegetarians will Love the Turkey!
Date Posted: 16/11/2017
You can’t live within 90 minutes of Theatre Orangeville and not love Dan Needles. He’s given us so much…his wit, his writing, Walt Wingfield! Dan’s done it again with his latest theatrical offering…The Last Christmas Turkey – The Musical which graces our stage Nov. 30 to Dec 23. Two adult siblings recall their first Christmas in the country when they saved a turkey from starring in the local church supper. With the help of animal friends, the children set out on an adventure that turns the entire community upside down.
The story might sound familiar to a few folks who attended a puppet show in a church basement a decade or so ago…but Dan assures us this Turkey has been stuffed, basted and roasted to perfection and is indeed a different beast. A few years later, a chance meeting over the produce section in a Collingwood grocery story put Dan in front of Clive VanderBurgh. Clive is an award-winning composer and former television music producer from Creemore, who has written hundreds of musical segments for the Canadian Sesame Street. They decided to bring back the Turkey, set it to music and refine the story with the help of Theatre Orangeville’s New Play Development Fund.
On the first day of rehearsals, the entire Theatre Orangeville staff gathered at the rehearsal hall with the eight actors, the director, stage management, choreography, musical director, set, sound, light and costume designers, production crew, scenic painter, props provider, craft services and the proud parents of our two young local actors, Kyla Johanis and Liam MacDonald. (Did we mention that Kyla just earned her third degree black belt and Liam is starring in a Hallmark Christmas movie? That’s the kind of young talent that our community produces.)
Of course Dan and Clive were there to watch their collaboration make its fledgling flight…Clive singing every song with musical director John Hughes accompanying.
As my family knows, I cry when there is any combination of kids, animals and sweet sentiment. In the first 30 seconds the gorgeous strains of The Last Christmas Turkey’s opening song had me sniffling into my sleeve. Standing ovations don’t usually happen at read-throughs, but by the end I was ready to leap to my feet.
This story, these songs, this production has all the elements of a new Canadian Christmas classic. I will be bringing my entire family and not just because I work here, because this is a beautiful piece of work that will put you in the Christmas spirit in a uniquely Canadian way…it’s smart, caring and down to earth.
This Turkey has wings… catch it and let it gobble you up!
-Bernadette
87 Broadway, Orangeville ON, L9W 1K1