CULTURE GECKO
Saskatoon Summer Players brings back Classic musical The Music Man to Celebrate Sixtieth Anniversary
By Ezekiel McAdams
June 20 2024
Saskatoon Summer Players is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary with a production of The Music Man.
Directed by longtime Summer Players director, Ron Knoll and features a large ensemble of forty five people, a contingent of that is the children’s ensemble as well as a twenty one piece orchestra and this doesn’t include the crew as well. Every single person involved in the production are all volunteers which shouldn’t be forgotten due to the massive endeavor of the production.
The cast stars Greg Malin (Professor Henry Hill), Ashley Smith (Marian Paroo) with Blair Pisio in the supporting but important role of Charlie Cowell.
Saskatoon Summer Players was founded in 1984 by Ian. R Sisetki and Lawrence Ritchie. Their first production was Oklahoma that premiered on July 2 1964 and was directed by Bob Hinitt.
Kenn McLeod joined in 2020 as executive director. “I like to joke, I have a nine person board who are all my bosses, plus the membership as well. I may be the executive director of the organization but I have about a hundred people who are in charge of me.” McLeod said.
McLeod is joined by Cynthia Olson who serves as operations manager.
McLeod further explained how his position functions within the company. “Back in its history they decided to bring on someone in the capacity of artistic producer or general manager and there’s been different titles for the one or two staff members who work for Summer Players. For me it was a posting that came up in the middle of the pandemic, as a theatre artist myself, I lost like six contracts, this came up and I put my name in the ring. I’ve grown up in community theatre in Regina and been working in professional theatre for a couple of decades now. But making it very clear that I’m just the executive director but I don’t make artistic choices for the company and just support the artistic choices that the organization makes. In the past I’ve had to build he set or production managing and wherever the gaps appear, myself and Cynthia do what we can so the membership feels supported.” McLeod said.
The selection process that the company follows when choosing the upcoming season’s production differ from other theatrical production companies as Saskatoon Summer Players doesn’t have an artistic director. “We have a season selection committee that meets and comes up with potential shows, then we put a list out to our current and most recent membership, this sixtieth season was chosen by polling the members and that’s how we came up with The Full Monty and The Music Man. At the same time the board wanted something new that pushes something and also classic. We had a few applications from members of the past and some folks that are new to the organization.” McLeod said.
When it came time to choose a director, the company has a standard application process and once the board makes a decision, the director is chosen. Knoll was ultimately chosen to direct The Music Man. “So Summer Players has a show selection committee, and I don’t even know who’s on the committee. They have already determined next seasons show and a year ago they determined this season and the show was already picked and they put out a notice and it was just a matter of replying to it.” Knoll said.
Knoll was always interested in music going back to when he took piano lessons as a child and was chief ballroom instructor from 1975-2001 at the University of Saskatchewan Ballroom Dancing Club.
Knoll first got involved as a dancer in Saskatoon Summer Player’s production of Oklahoma in 1983. Knoll came on board as a choreographer for Showboat a year later in 1984. “When I started in 83, I was asked to come on as a specialty dancer in that show. I probably knew of Summer Players and then the following year because I was a ballroom dance instructor or I was at the time and then I was asked to come on in’ 84 as a choreographer and that was a totally new experience trying to figure that and that was when the interest in stage shows started.”
Throughout Knoll’s career with Saskatoon Summer Players he has been self taught and when he decided to try directing, he found the results surprising. “Directing a show was a bit of an evolution, prior to 1999, altogether I choreographed nine shows. In ‘99, I was asked to direct an off season show in the fall. It was a version of Beauty and the Beast, called The World of Beauty and The Beast. It was a musical and it was performed at Castle Theatre. The board decided they wanted to have an entry in the Saskatchewan Drama Festival for community theatre and that was held at Melville. They had me direct the musical but the festival was only for plays and then we re-rehearsed the play version and we won best play and best director and was told by the judge ‘We would have taken all the awards but he couldn’t do that.’ That was a real boost to my confidence on my ability to direct.” Knoll said.
Knoll attributes being self taught almost by osmosis through creativity doing choreography and having hands on experience by working closely with the directors, especially Bob Hinitt. “I think sublimely I was being mentored by him and just absorbed over time the way they directed the shows and developed the musicals. I found especially in the early days mimicking Bob Hinitt’s methodology because it was what I was most familiar with. It was an indirect mentorship.” Knoll said.
After being selected as director, Knoll immediately started prepping for the huge undertaking of production such as The Music Man. “Once I was selected, we started working on set design and start developing the plans, holding the audition notices which happened in early February and first rehearsal was March 9.” Knoll said.
Smith was chosen as the female lead Marian Paroo, opposite Malin who plays the wily con man, Harold Hill. “Marian Paroo who I play, even though its 1912, she’s completely independent. She has her own job, she’s looking after her family and she’s no dying to get married so the love story is different.” she said.
Smith, is a lawyer, published author and a sessional lecturer at University of Saskatchewan's College of Law. Smith is a member of Fireside Singers and was recently as of this year was a recipient of King’s Counsel for Saskatoon Police Services.
Smith has performed since the age of three “I started out doing ballet at three and got the bug so to speak and saw my first national touring cast, Phantom of the Opera, I think in grade one. I told my mom I wanted to be Christine Daae when I grew up. Although not literally not Christine, I just wanted to sing on stage. I don’t think she’s someone you aspire to be.” Smith laughs.
Smith got involved in Saskatoon Gateway Gateway and then Saskatoon Summer Players in their 2001 production of Oliver in the children’s chorus. She later returned and went on to portray Maria in West Side Story in 2004 and the title role of Cinderella in their 2008 production.
Smith revels in getting to perform, when not working her day job and admits that those skill sets built over decades is also applicable in her legal profession. “A lot of people ask me how that happens but in reality, I do litigation, I kinda call it the academic performance. It’s as close as I can get to utilize those advocacy skills and you’re on your feet and you have to go with what comes. A lot of the things that’s enjoyable from that performance arts realm can be applied t a certain extent. It’s obviously not fake and there are very important things at stake but there are certain elements that tie into the litigation work. It’s a few ways to get it in the day to day so to say.” Smith said.
Pisio, was plays Charlie Cowell, is also on the board of directors for the company. “I play Charlie Cowell he’s big and bold and a loudmouth,, he’s a rival salesman of Harold Hill ad he tries really hard through the show to show everyone what he thinks is the truth of Harold Hill. He’s really looking out for salesman.”
Pisio works as manager for Enrolment Services Modernization in the Registar’s office at the Saskatchewan PolyTech institute. He got his masters of Education in 2018.
Pisio was drawn to performing as a child getting involved in school productions and community theatre in his hometown of Humboldt. “My earliest memory is being drawn to theatre in elementary school. I grew up in Humboldt, Missoula Children's Theatre came every year.. I was cast as a child in Anne of Green Gables in Humboldt through Hospital Foundation.”
Missoula Children's Theatre is a traveling theatre company that travels to different communities throughout the United States Canada and several countries.
Pisio focused on his education at the University of Saskatchewan before returning to community theatre with the Saskatoon Summer Players. “Between graduating in 2004 and 2016, I really hadn’t done much in community theatre but was always drawn back to it, but in 2016, they were looking for a production manager for You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, so I threw my name in the hat.”
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown premiered in the fall of 2016.
Pisio made his return to the stage with the company’s production of Footloose in the fall of 2018.
The performers and crew articulated that it is the family dynamic and atmosphere that the company provides that makes it an easy opportunity to return to “Saskatoon Summer Players, if you look back at our history, even some of our current cast was in the original production of Music Man. It really has a family dynamic to it, where you feel part of a family and once you’re in, you never leave. The community really looks out for each other.” Pisio said.
Smith agreed with Pisio about the family element. “I think that’s why we keep coming back. I feel like I grew up in Saskatoon Summer Players productions and due to career commitments, I took a sizeable time away but coming back, it’s really true it felt like coming back to family.” she said.
The rehearsal process began and was both fun yet daunting to the cast and crew because of the spectacle element of The Music Man. “Our rehearsal process we started in late March and early April. This process was pretty intense for some people. Some nights five, six nights rehearsing and the closer you get to opening, you start working with your props. We were off book by May long weekend. The rehearsal process is long but with these kinds of productions, and how quick they happen you get to know each other, and that’s the family dynamic.” Pisio said.
Smith chimed in about how different this production felt from the Saskatoon Summer Players productions she’s been involved with previously.“We auditioned in February, started rehearsals in March and it varied for people depending on the part. There were some weeks we were at the studio six times a week. We have massive dance numbers, double cast for our two Winthrops. It’s been an intense rehearsal schedule compared to my past experience.” Especially this role, a lot of the other lead roles in the past, there’s been more ensemble. This one in terms of dialogue, time on stage, is probably the heaviest I’ve played and has been a steep curve as well. Smith laughed.
Knoll added that because of some of the issues with Persephone Theatre’s roof that is the company’s venue, that the rehearsal process was a little tumultuous towards the end. “This year was a little unusual with the dates that we have to open had to be moved a little earlier then Summer Players usually does because of roof repairs and the stage was being used by another group, so we had very limited time to get moved in and try to run rehearsals. If we had our druthers, we would have a couple more days and that would have cleaned things up nicely. With our growing pains, things were looking almost desperate, I hate to say.” Knoll laughs.
Knoll talked about how working with the children performers was another opportunity to grow and learn as a director. “I’ve never had kids, I’ve never been a school teacher, with Music Man, we’ve got a couple of young kids and I have to learn what to do to work with kids. I have ideas, I’ve spoken to teacher friends of mine. Same is true with everyone else on the cast and crew because they’re volunteers. And you have to accommodate their other needs being in the show.”
The cast and crew were really thrilled with how the production and turned out and were impressed with how the cast performances evolved. “The cast is wonderful. My role is the outsider and I don’t really get to interact with the entire ensemble until literally the end of the show. The members I do act with, Ashley Smith, she’s a beacon of talent and I love every night the scene we share together. Likewise with Greg, I’ve known Greg for awhile and I get to have pretty intense interactions with him. He’s a consummate professional and just owns the role of Harold Hill.” Pisio said. “This cast is amazing, we have a huge crew and they’ve really pulled out all the stops for the sixtieth anniversary. This particular musical is a great mix of very funny, heartfelt, romance and the songs don’t all sound the same or genre. You have ballads but really up tempo or songs that I didn’t think would be in there. It’s a great family musical. It’s a classic for a reason. It’s smart and you have interesting characters that were ahead of their time.” Smith added.
Pisio wanted to highlight the joy he discovered watching the children performers become more confident in their roles. “I think the confidence of people, they really grew into their roles and the little things they added. My favourite part, especially the kids with the spoken parts, come from being shy and not being comfortable where things are at, to really owning the roles they have. One of the great things is the amazing children’s ensemble and the talent that is coming through the ranks and the actors who play Armyst and Winthrop steal the show. For me, it was learning the part and examining on how I wanted Charlie to be portrayed from what I saw and read. Every night, I’m finding I’m adding different mannerisms and I think if you were to talk to the other members of the cast, they would say the same.”
The cast and crew hope that people check out the company’s productions in the future and take a chance on community theatre. “I just encourage everyone to check it out. The cast has such high energy and any show that has a children’s ensemble is something to see.” Pisio said. “This is community theatre, they’re all amateurs but absolutely phenomenal talent in the city and surrounding areas. Summer Players provides that opportunity to perform in front of a large live audience. They may not get that opportunity to perform and that’s one of the great things about Summer Players. And that’s why it’s lasted sixty years.” Knoll added.
McLeod has a different perspective coming from a professional theatre background as well as the managerial role he helps facilities with Olsen. “What I really love about Summer Players coming from where I work in theatre, for instance Greg Malin who plays Harold Hill is a medical doctor at the University and Ashley is a lawyer, there are people in this community that haven’t made their entire doing theatre and have other careers and other trajectories but there still phenomenal performers and it’s very evident when you see their passion and talent who are stomping around on stage. And there’s a reason why Summer Players has been around for sixty years because we are that place for folks.” McLeod said.
McLeod talked about how their upcoming sixty first season is taking a slightly different approach from past years. “We wanted to flip the switch on how the selection is gone. Rather than choosing the shows first and then find directors, we polled the members again and developed a criteria for what shows we do going forward. We thought we’d start with our sixty first season to have some directors approach us with pieces they were passionate about. We took those pitches, we had about nine directors apply, interviewed them with the panel and that’s how we came up with our 61st. season. So we have Liz Whitbread, Marley Duckett, Dillion Person, Bobby Lee Jones and Matt Olsen. They’re folks that have a definite passion” he said.
Liz Whitbread will be directing Fun Home by Allison Bechdel, Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron. Fun Home runs from November 6-10 2024 at the Broadway Theatre.
Marley Duckett, Dillion Person and Bobbi Lee Jones conceived and will direct Broadway B-Sides, a musical playing at The Refinery February 21-23 2025.
And finally, Matt Olson will be directing Legally Blond: The Musical from June 20-29th 2025 at Persephone Theatre.
Saskatoon Summer Players production of The Music Man runs from June 14-23th on Persephone Theatre’s Main stage. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office.