South Peace Historical Society

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  • Table of Contents

    • Part 1: First Nations of the Peace River Region
    • Part 2: The Fur Trade Era
    • Part 3: Transportation and Communication
    • Part 4: Old Timers and the Price of Land
    • Part 5: Dawson Creek: The Story of the Community
    • Part 6: Mysteries, Adventures and Indian Legends
    • Part 7: Arts, Crafts and Recreation
    • Part 8: Agriculture
    • Part 9: Church Histories
    • Part 10: Schools
    • Part 11: Health Care
    • Part 12: Industries and Enterprises
    • Part 13: Policing the Peace
    • Part 14: Pouce Coupe, Rolla, and Other South Peace Communities
    • Part 15: Chetwynd and the Fort St. John Area
    • Part 16: The Alberta Peace
    • Part 17: Natural History of the Peace River Region
    • Part 18: Interviews with Old Timers
    • Part 19: Remembering Our Veterans

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BN07-66: Humour, Not Opera on Stage for this “Phantom” Production

Recent History – 2003

April 11, 2003

By Kelly Harris, Daily News Staff

During Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, a giant fireball is blasted from the stage, assaulting the crowd’s senses. Phantom of the Country Opera, which opened at Unchagah Hall Thursday, doesn’t have the same pyrotechnics. But in the second half of the show, musical director Dawn Taylor jumps into the play and belts out a few lines from one of the songs using her almost overpowering voice. It wasn’t a fireball, but for anyone in the nearly-full house for opening night, it was definitely memorable.

The Dawson Creek Community Players’ production stars Tammy McNutt, who plays the role of Christina Joseph – an established opera singer from Italy who returns home to her country roots in Nashville. McNutt’s performance is admirable and her voice shows terrific range.

In the script, Joseph upstages country diva Sally Barker (Cindy Watson). But during the play Watson’s performance as the petty and self-involved Barker grabs the audience’s attention through comic relief.

But both could have done little to draw from the stage presence of Thierry Wunderlin, playing the role of Antonio – Joseph’s Italian lover. The Swiss exchange student who celebrated his 18th birthday on opening night drew roars of laughter from the audience almost every time he took to the stage. His telegram bit and cowboy clothes and song were enough to provoke side-splitting laughter.

At one point it was difficult to tell if McNutt was laughing as part of the play or chuckling for real with the audience.

No one would mistake this play for Webber’s classic, the similarities are few and the music is 180 degrees from the operatic classic. The opening scene alone will tell anyone in attendance that. The set is La Scala Opera in Milan, Italy for the opening scene. The set is an opera stage yet the words being sung, a combination of Spanish, Italian and possibly French phrases and products, get the audience off to a laughing start.

This article is taken from the Peace River Block Daily News, Dawson Creek, with the permission of the publisher. The Daily News retains all rights relating to this material. The information in this article is intended solely for research or general interest purposes.

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