P.E.I. talent storms Halifax
Island performers dominate cast of ‘Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart’ at Neptune Theatre
After an acclaimed 2016 summer run at The Guild in Charlottetown, “Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart” has been enjoying a new home this summer at Neptune Theatre in Halifax.
And so have many of the performers from the Charlottetown show, who have packed their bags and headed to Nova Scotia’s capital city to be part of the seven-week run that began on July 20 and wraps up on Sept. 3.
“We are so excited to be bringing this high-energy musical tribute to Neptune’s stage,” says Lisa Bugden, Neptune’s general manager.
“From Stan’s beautiful music and stories, to the multitalented cast, we have never hosted anything quite like this on our studio stage.”
The cast is dominated by P.E.I. performers, including step dancer Celia Koughan, guitarist Andrew Murray of awardwinning P.E.I. bands Wlidcat, Sorrey and English Words, and singer/actor Maria Campbell, who was recently seen in the title role of the Confederation Centre’s “Robyn Hood” in Charlottetown.
Rounding out the Island talent is Julien Kitson, the son of Juno-nominated Rawlins Cross lead-singer Joey Kitson.
Joey is no stranger to Stan’s music; he performed in the Charlottetown Festival’s production of Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart at The Mack in 2009.
“It’s really cool for my dad to see me performing this music. I think he’s really proud”, says 15-year-old Kitson, of his father who also released an album of Rogers’ music in 2009 titled “Stan”.
The first summer programming at Neptune Theatre in over 20 years, the show features over 25 of Rogers’ songs, including hits “Barrett’s Privateers” and “The Mary Ellen Carter”. It is directed by Nova Scotian Geordie Brown, who starred in a sold-out run of “The Songs of The Rat Pack” at Neptune in March and who was part of the show’s successful run in Charlottetown.
“It’s so great to be exposing a new generation to Stan’s music,” says Brown.
“But it can be daunting to pay respect and tribute to someone who was such an incredible artist, who is so highly regarded by a large fan base here in Nova Scotia.”
Brown, who currently splits his time between performing
and producing, feels fortunate to be working on this show for the second time.
“We had such incredible feedback from audiences in P.E.I. last summer, but it’s a dream come true to be working on this show here in Halifax. Stan’s music hits very close to home,” says Brown, who also sings and plays keyboard in the show.
Most of the 2017 cast also performed in the show in 2016, sharing The Guild’s stage with “Anne & Gilbert: The Musical” for three months.
“It’s fantastic that we can build upon the success the show experienced in Charlottetown last summer. It’s thanks to the support of The Guild and the greater Island community that we find ourselves performing in Halifax this summer.”