ONALEA

Blanche - The Bittersweet Life Of A Wild Prairie Dame

A Theatrical, Poetic Song Cycle

" …delicate, penetrating, captivating songs...a simple story beautifully realized."

Michael Giltz, New York's Huffington Post

 (*** 1/2 out of **** stars)

 

Written and conceived by Onalea Gilbertson Compositions by Onalea Gilbertson with Jonathan Lewis and Morag Northey
Directed by Rachel Avery

 

BLANCHE was originally commissioned by the Banff Centre, was workshopped at the Sunset Theatre and recently had it's Off Broadway premiere at the 47th Street Theatre as a special event of the New York Musical Theatre Festival on Oct 6,7 2011.

Michael Giltz of New York City's Huffington Post places Blanche at #13 of Best Shows of the Year.
Read the article here

 

 Read Michael Giltz's full Off Broadway review on Huffington Post

World Premiere Credits

Onalea Gilbertson:  Vocals/Piano/Guitar
Jonathan Lewis:  Violin/Clarinet/Soundscape
Morag Northey:  Cello/Backup vocals
Sam Hindle:  Stage Manager
Terry Gunvordahl:  Lighting design
Leif Gilbertson:  Live sound and CD recording

Off Broadway Credits

Onalea Gilbertson:  Vocals/Piano
Jeff Gladstone:  Guitar/Clarinet/Back-up vocals
Filip Pogády:  Violin
Bryan Sanders:  Cello
Abigail Strange:  Stage Manager
Joey Wall:  Lighting design
Whitney Britt:  Line Producer

BLANCHE is set in a dusty sitting room in the far corner of a 93-year-old woman’s mind. The songs are poetic family movies inspired by the indomitable spirit of a woman who survived the Great Depression, the Second World War and tragic lost love. Told through the eyes of her Granddaughter with piano, violin, cello, guitar and soundscape; this exquisitely poignant new musical is a meditation on memory - If we don’t tell their stories all will be forgotten…

HTML 5 MP3 Player

Video Demo from the New York Musical Theatre Festival production.

Edited by Rachel Avery

Slideshow From New York Musical Theatre Festival

Photos by Whitney Britt & Sharon Hutchings

 

Two Bit Oper-Eh? Shun

• Commissioned by the Land's End Chamber Ensemble.
• World Premiere January 16, 2010 at Grace Presbyterian Church.
• Presented by One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo

Project Description

TWO BIT OPER-EH?-SHUN is an Oratorio (A sacred story told with voice and instruments) for the new age that explores themes of homelessness, poverty, drug addiction, mental illness and how one woman lost a friend to the streets.

Over 2009 Onalea created a choir and gathered vivid tales from Canada’s largest homeless shelter the Calgary Drop-In Centre, teaming up with composer Marcel Bergmann to create a sweeping composition that gives voice to the streets.  Participants of the Drop- In Centre Singers were invited to perform in and contribute writing towards this piece which unfolds like a picasso-esque memorial service.

 

Performed with 7 piece chamber ensemble, 3 soloists, a chorus of people experiencing homelessness and community choir.

 

HTML 5 MP3 Player

Video Demo

 

Credits World Premiere

COMPOSED BY: Marcel Bergmann

LIBRETTO AND CAPTAIN: Onalea Gilbertson
ADDITIONAL WRITING BY: The Drop In Centre Singers and Doug McKeag

Cast of Characters

SOLOISTS

THE MOTHER: Elizabeth Stepkowski-Tarhan
THE MAN: Doug McKeag
ONALEA GILBERTSON as herself

CHORUS –The Drop In Centre Singers: Norm Saunders, Aubrey Miller, John Harris, Max Ciesielski, Debbie Emmett, Scott Chunn, Robert Ramstead & Jenn Carew

CHOIR: Members of Revv 52, under the direction of Brian Farrell

MUSICIANS: Land’s End Chamber Ensemble and special guests
Piano/Keyboard/Musical direction: Marcel Bergmann
Piano/Keyboard: Elizabeth Bergmann
Violin: John Lowry
Cello: Beth Root-Sandvoss
Viola: Andrea Newman
Sax/Clarinet: Jim Brennan
Percussion: Rod Thomas Squance

LIGHTING/SET DESIGNER: Doug McKeag with Carla Ritchie
DIRECTOR/DRAMATURG: Doug McKeag
Assistant stage manager: Gerald Borch
Assistant stage manager: Kelsey ter Kuile

Additional production support by Dandi Productions
Support for the Drop in Centre Singers provided by This Is My City
Special thanks to the High Performance Rodeo, the Rozsa Foundation the Calgary Drop In Centre and Louise Gallagher.

PHOTOS BY PAUL CHIRKA
VIDEO BY: ANNIE AND LARRY CHIRKA

Authors Notes:

This script took a few years to create. The first draft was created in October of 2006. Two songs remain from that draft. In December of 2008 I began a singing group of people experiencing homelessness at the Calgary Drop In Centre, (Canada’s largest homeless shelter) and eventually together we created the chorus of the Drop In Centre Singers for this show. The DI singers participated in workshops and writing sessions for most of the year generating a lot of beautiful poetry and material - not all of it ended up in this script.

We have created life long friendships as a part of this process and recognized that we truly are kindred spirits in music. There is a legacy in this script. It tells of the importance of music and theatre and poetry and art in people’s lives. It shows us that there are many ways to describe and express the things that weigh on our hearts. It reminds us that we must share with our community, and continue to support programs that encourage this type of exploration. It reminds us that food for the soul, a place to belong and working on something that has meaning are very important aspects of healing and moving on in one’s life.

The United Nations describes housing and homelessness in Canada as a “national emergency”. Canada is the only G8 country without a national housing strategy to protect, develop and subsidize housing for low-income individuals. In Calgary the rate of homelessness has risen 650% over the past decade. Over 4500 Calgarians are currently experiencing homelessness (including the hidden homeless). More than 58,000 Calgary households are living only one pay-cheque or one crisis away from homelessness.

People become homeless for numerous reasons including poverty, addiction issues, divorce, death in the family, condo conversion, being discharged from correctional facilities, hospitals or foster care with nowhere to go. Beds for teens in crisis in our city are few and far between with teenagers lying about their age in order to be able to stay at the Drop in Centre. Half of the clients living at the DI have jobs. Working full time at minimum wage still leaves a person below the poverty line. As a community we must open our eyes to this situation. What can you do? Take a moment and talk to someone on the street. Listen, ask questions, empathize. Try to erase the line between “us and them”. Practice love and compassion. Recognize that we are all just human beings in this together. Poverty is self -perpetuating, poverty makes people sick, and it can make people violent, it can kill people. Without subsidized housing, transitional housing, addiction treatment and counseling, proper mental health facilities and community support - poverty is virtually impossible to escape. We have the opportunity in a democracy to affect change. Talk to your MLA, your MP and your city councilor. Tell them what you think about this issue.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

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