‘Heart of Steel’ unveils CD
Ten-track album includes all the tunes from the musical production
The original cast recording of “Heart of Steel” will be available to the general public this week.
This original mega-musical about the men and women who worked at the Sydney Steel Plant during the Second World War premiered at the Highland Arts Theatre in March to sold-out audiences.
The cast reunited on July 2 to bring hundreds of audience members to laughter and tears for an extended production, running every Thursday evening in July. But meanwhile, behind the scenes, the cast has been busy.
Produced by Kevin Colford, this 10-track album includes all the tunes from the musical pro- duction.
Musical influences include jazz, Cape Breton folk and wartime era boogie woogie. It’s a uniquely Cape Breton sound telling the story of a pivotal time of global history.
Local listeners will smile at references to Henry Street and the No. 5 Gate while tourists will love the Celtic charm of this “Rogers and Hamerstein-esque” production.
Included in the cast are local musical talents Margaret MacPherson, Lisa Penny, George MacKenzie, Ross Hunter, Doug Johnson, Ron Leadbeater, and music director, Barb Stetter.
“It’s amazing to have something of this scale recorded and on a CD so quickly,” said artistic director and composer Wesley Colford.
“On Broadway, it would take years to get to this point, but because of the dedication and talent of our team, we’ve managed to get something the public can take home less than seven months after these songs were written. It’s a way to relive the magic of a live production in your own home, on your own iPod. It’s also a way for these songs and stories to live on.”
The theatre will hold an official CD release party following this Thursday’s final performance of “Heart of Steel” at the Highland Arts Theatre.
After the performance, the audience members are invited to greet the cast and have them au- tograph a first-edition CD.
A limited number of CDs will be available at the theatre for purchase with more on the way. The album will also be available for purchase online via the iTunes music store.
Audience members who already saw “Heart of Steel” can stop by the box office at 40 Bentinck St. and pick up a copy after July 30. CDs will be sold for $15.
Tickets for “Heart of Steel” are $40 per person with discounts for seniors and students. All productions start at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the theatre box office (9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday), by telephone, 902565-3637 or on the website, www.highlandartstheatre.com.