Savoy livestream going ahead this weekend.
Cape Breton Christmas Hour features veteran performers
GLACE BAY — The absurdity of trying to do a live show during a pandemic is also opening new opportunities for several Cape Breton performers who will be conducting a live stream performance this weekend at the Savoy Theatre.
“The show is called The Cape Breton Christmas Hour: A Two Hour Show but it’s actually 90 minutes,” laughs Stephen Muise about this Saturday’s live stream event from the Savoy. “The intermission is on the end of the show.”
Muise and Jenn Sheppard will be teaming up with perennial Cape Breton favourites Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison to deliver a new show that will also include special guests musicians Darren MacMullin and Rachel Davis.
“COVID has created some neat opportunities,” said Sheppard. “We have been looking for an excuse to do a project for a while now so when COVID hit we thought well, we can’t do regular shows with all of the people we would normally — there’s too many of us. We’re not allowed to do that. So we came up with a concept of putting together our two teams and creating the Cape Breton Christmas hour. Which is basically what we both do in both of our camps but combined so it’s going to be about an hour and a half of Christmas comedy and Christmas songs and all the best about Christmas.”
The new show will also allow the performers to show talents that may not be as well known.
“I am so excited to be able to throw the comedic styles of Bette and Maynard on that stage right into people’s living rooms and then all the music that Jenn and I have grown up with and all the shows that we have done we’re kind of combing those two elements — we get to do some comedy and Bette and Maynard get to do some music and it’s all coming together,” said Muise.
Because it’s a live stream, people can buy the $25 tickets up to the last minute. There is also considerable freedom in how they watch, said Muise.
“It’s a great opportunity to get together with your smaller bubbles. buy the show, sit, watch the show and laugh along at home. You can go to the washroom when you want to, have a snack when you want to, mix a drink when you want to, you can even push pause on the show as it’s going and then go back in. It’s a freedom that you don’t get when you go to theatre.”
You can watch the show later than the initial airing since the link will remain available for 48 hours, an option for those who may live in other time zones.
But while there are advantages, Sheppard looks forward to a time when shows like theirs can return to a normal, audience-in-front situation. But for now, the live stream option can bright a dreary winter’s night.
“As much as we can’t wait to get back to doing live and we hope people will come back to the live shows when everything calms down but if you can’t get out to a live show in the dead of winter, this is kind of a cool option.”