Company "Snapshot" - Alixandra Cowman

We're ecstatic to have Alix return to Rosebud this summer! She received her FRSA with Rosebud School of the Arts in 2014 and has been seen on our stage in ‘Wildwood Fire’, ‘Chickens’, and ‘Cotton Patch Gospel’. Other theatre credits include ‘Hana’s Suitcase’ (Storybook Theatre), ‘Songs for a New World’ (Cappuccino), ‘Rocks’ (IGNITE!), and ‘The Darling Family’ (Three Eyes). Alixandra is also a member of acclaimed folk trio “The Dearhearts” with whom she has released an album and toured across North America - www.thedearhearts.net

Alixandra Cowman and Cassia Schmidt in Rosebud Theatre's The Spitfire Grill. Photo by Morris Ertman.

Where do you call home?

My current place of residence is Calgary. I've got a few places I like to call home, and that includes Rosebud, Calgary, and Regina (which is where I grew up).

What have you been up to since you graduated?

I've moved to Calgary, started a band called The Dearhearts, and done as much acting as I can. I've been lucky enough with Calgary theatre companies like Storybook Theatre, Birnton Theatricals, and Sage Theatre.

Tell us a little about your band and how it came to be?

The Dearhearts was born out of my fear of doing things on my own, really. ;) I had received Paul Zacharias's recording scholarship during my time as a student at RSA, but held off on recording anything for about two years. Lauren de Graaf, Lauren Hamm, and I had made the decision to perform dinner music for the fall show at Rosebud Theatre in 2014. We decided to use my scholarship to record a CD that we could sell in conjunction with dinner music. And then...it just took off! We've continued to book gigs and write songs, and 3 years later, we're still going strong.

The Dearhearts: Lauren Hamm, Lauren DeGraaf, and Alix Cowman. Photo courtesy Lauren Hamm Photography.

 How is singing in The Dearhearts different from doing Musical Theatre? Do you use different skills to sing your own music?

I can't get away with being lazy with diction in Musical Theatre the way I can with The Dearhearts...don't get me wrong, writing and singing music with The Dearhearts is just as labour-intensive, but with Musical Theatre, the story is the thing. It's really important that the story is told as clearly as can be.

What’s your favourite indulgence?

Me and one of my good friends have started having nights where we drink wine and watch The Bachelorette. I look forward to it every week! I won't say who I watch it with for fear of her being embarrassed that everyone knows she watches the Bachelorette, but let's just say she's very DEAR to my HEART.

Which fictional character do you identify with most and why?

I grew up with Disney movies, and Belle was always my favourite. We share a lot in common (we both are avid readers, both love to sing, and both have brown hair), but her open spirit is a big inspiration for me. She looks through the surface and sees the heart underneath. That's who I strive to be, too.

In ‘The Spitfire Grill’, you’re playing Percy… a convict starting over in a new place looking for a second chance at happiness. Was it easy to get into her skin, or were there challenges to the role you weren’t expecting?

There's definitely some things about Percy that made it easy to connect with her. She's a city girl that's never lived in a small town before...that was me when I first moved to Rosebud! The difficulty came in her guardedness. As an actor, my job is to be completely open and play the truth whatever I'm feeling in the moment. But Percy is completely shut off to her emotions and to other people at the top of this story. It's a bit of a puzzle to sort through sometimes.

Nathan Schmidt and Alixandra Cowman build trust in Rosebud Theatre's The Spitfire Grill. Photo by Morris Ertman.

If you were gonna move somewhere to start over, where would you go?

I'd go somewhere far and remote. Preferably somewhere warm. Hawaii perhaps!

What’s a great piece of acting advice that’s stuck with you over the years?

I have the pleasure of working with Calgary actor Elinor Holt in Spitfire, and I distinctly remember being in a talkback of a show she was in. All I remember is her saying to us that if we wanted to be actors, we had to work hard. She teases me for this being the only thing I remember from that day but hey, it's stuck! And she's right!

In the fictional menu of The Spitfire Grill, what makes up the "Alix Cowman" special?

Anything with avocados: Avocado toast, salad with Avocados, plain old guacamole. I love Avocados and I ain't ashamed about it!

Lastly, what's Alix Cowman’s motto?

I don't know if I have a motto but I definitely use the flamenco dancer emoji quite often. It's kind of my trademark.

‘The Spitfire Grill’ is cooking and Alixandra is serving up soul-stirring songs so strong and sweet you might just come back for seconds. This is one musical you don’t want to miss. For tickets and more information visit www.rosebudtheatre.com

The Music Man: Bill Hamm

Bill Hamm grew up in Southern Ontario and studied music at the University of Winnipeg (B.A.), attended Canadian Mennonite University (B.R.S.), followed by the University of Illinois (M.A.) where he majored in Choral Conducting. Bill has been Rosebud School of the Arts’ and Rosebud Theatre’s Music Director since 1989. He conducts choirs, teaches voice and speech classes, and has directed the music for many shows including 'The Spitfire Grill', 'Cotton Patch Gospel', 'Quilters', 'Amahl and the Night Visitors', 'Godspell', and 'Fiddler on the Roof'. Bill is the composer and music director of The Canadian Badlands Passion Play and sings with the Canadian Chamber Choir (2016 Juno nomination). Bill and his wife Renita have four children and two grandchildren. Bill enjoys running, mountain biking, hockey, and home renovations.

Bill Hamm, Music Director Rosebud Theatre and Rosebud School of the Arts.

What first drew you to Rosebud and what made you stay?

I came because I had seen a show in the summer of 1987, and liked the vibe and world-view of the place. After getting my Masters degree in the spring of ’89, I asked if they might be looking for a Music Director. They were, and the rest is history. I had chances to leave for other jobs, but felt in my gut that I should stay. I was curious to see what this would become.

Bill Hamm surrounded by cast in Rosebud Theatre's Cotton Patch Gospel (2013). Photo by Morris Ertman.

Describe what your job entails?

As Music Director, I oversee music activities in the school and theatre. I’ve played on my strengths and interests as a choral director; we have five choirs based out of Rosebud! I’ve also been interested in in Folk, Bluegrass, etc… When another Music Director comes, they will shape the program to their strengths and interests. I train singers for the stage and for musical performance by working breath, resonance, and articulation in order to execute the craft of tempo, dynamics, and articulation, and a wide expressive range.

What’s the first thing you do when approaching a musical production?

I scan the script and make up a matrix to see which singers/characters are in which song. As I do this, I learn the songs for myself, and imagine what kind of singer we need for each character and each song.

A secret shot of Bill doing his thing. Photo by Lauren Hamm Photography

What do you find most challenging about the process?

Adapting the instrumentation to suit our limited resources. For example: we can’t hire the full orchestra that the piece is scored for, so we adapt to whom we can hire.

What’s the most rewarding?

Releasing the show into the hands/voices of the performers.

Is there an opportunity you haven't had (in the theatre) that’s on your bucket list?

A major kick-ass fight! (Can we say “kick-ass”?) Kick-butt.

Bill was drafted for the 2016 Juno Cup, a charity hockey game between nominated musicians and former NHL players. Amazing photo by Lauren Hamm Photography.

Your last name seems to invite puns… If you had to pick a favorite nickname…?

Hammer. Billy.

(Editor’s note: very James Bond. “My name is Hammer. Billy Hammer”)

In three words, how would you describe the music for ‘The Spitfire Grill?’

Storytelling. Ensemble. Expressive.

What advice would you give your 20 year-old self?

Spend more time preparing. Don’t trust your ability, education, experience. It’s in the mundane preparation that the magic happens.

Go-to shower song?

Lobet Den Herrn by J.S. Bach. The Tenor Part.

If you could give everyone advice about music and/or their voice, what would your distilled lesson be?

If you really want to sing with confidence and a wide expressive range, join a choir.

It's the whole Hamm family! Their genuine love and diverse giftings make Rosebud the loveliest Hamm-let around. Photo by Lauren Hamm Photography.

As a beloved member of the Rosebud community, Bill Hamm's creative talent, musical capabilities, and consummate professionalism make every show he works on a “must see”. But 'The Spitfire Grill' is particularly exceptional… the soaring melodies and folk flavors are right in his (and our) wheelhouse. It’s a musical you may have never seen but you don’t want to miss. For tickets and more information, visit www.rosebudtheatre.comwww.rosebudtheatre.com

Special thanks to Lauren Hamm Photography for spectacular Bill photos. Check out her website and witness her extraordinary ability to capture the light in and around others.

The Spitfire Grill: Movie to Musical

In 1995, an unassuming independent film took the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival. The Spitfire Grill was written and directed by Lee David Zlotoff (creator of MacGyver!), but the original idea for making the movie was the brain/heart child of Malcolm Roger Courts, long-time director and CEO of the Sacred Heart League. The non-profit organization was looking to finance a film and read  more than 200 screenplays before connecting with Zlotoff. By the end of 1994 the story was written, and The Spitfire Grill was born. At Sundance it was offered $10 Million on the spot by Castle Rock Entertainment, the largest sum ever paid outright for the rights to an independent feature film. Profits were used to construct a school for 450 children in Southhaven, Mississippi.

The story follows Percy, a young woman released from prison who literally takes a page from a travel book to make her way to the beautiful but dwindling town of Gilead. Hired as a waitress at the Spitfire Grill, (which has been on the market for years), she convinces the feisty owner to raffle off the restaurant for $100 per entry. As the raffle gains traction, both Percy's past and mysteries of the town are unearthed to ultimately bind the broken and revitalize a long-lost place with new purpose.

In 1999, Fred Valley and James Valcq (a writing team who had been friends since high-school music camp) were looking for a project. When they saw The Spitfire Grill, they were moved to adapt it for the stage with an all new original blue-grass and folk inspired score. The project was mentored by Arthur Laurents (West Side Story, Gypsy, The Way We Were, among others) who encouraged the team to find their own emotional truth in the material, which ultimately led to a different ending from the film. After a workshop at George Street Playhouse, the musical was commissioned for the 2000/2001 season at Playwright Horizons in New York and subsequently won the prestigious Richard Rodgers Production Award. Since then the musical has over 350 productions, not only in every major American city but across Canada, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and Japan.

The Spitfire Grill was created before the current craze of turning movies into musicals. Nowadays, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Lego Batman on Broadway. But The Spitfire Grill is a thing of itself: wholly adapted from the movie but astounding in its own right. You don't have to have seen the movie to be enraptured by this story. Likewise, if you have seen the film, there's something new in store: not only an alternate ending but a transcendent musical experience that takes the Spitfire from the screen and somehow expands the story.

The Spitfire Grill hits the spot. But you don’t have to take our word for it...

“A complete work of theatrical resourcefulness. A compelling story that flows with grace and carries the rush of anticipation. The warm, indigenous American Fold sound of Mr. Valcq’s score is, harmonically and melodically, as theatrical as it is grass roots… The musical is freeing. It is penetrated by honesty and it glows!”

- Alvin Klein, The New York Times

“The longing for a place like Gilead, well removed from the big, troublesome world, is real enough – perhaps now more than ever. The show’s creators tap into that longing with unembarrassed directness… Sophisticates may find themselves powerless to resist. Well before the show reaches its conclusion, many of the New York City Slickers in the audience may be ready to enter Percy’s raffle themselves.”

- Amy Gamerman, The Wall Street Journal

“An abundance of Warmth, Spirit and Goodwill!”

- USA Today

“Rich and Satisfying! Tender and Touching!” The country-tinged score fits like a favorite flannel shirt. Like the coffee cake served at the diner, The Spitfire Grill actually leaves you wanting a second helping.”

- Mark Sullivan, Billboard

“A soulful musical. The amiable country flavored tunes and lyrics are transcendant. It is not often that material moves me to tears, but this was one of those occasions… What even in normal times would be a joy is, in these troubled ones, sheer nourishment.”

- John Simon, New York Magazine

'The Spitfire Grill' opens this week and plays on the Rosebud Opera House Stage from June 16 - September 2. Grab your dad for a Father's Day date that celebrates food, family, and bright futures. For tickets and further information visit www.rosebudtheatre.com

Sound Scaping with Luke Ertman

Luke Ertman has been composing, recording, and performing music for over 10 years. He has composed for television, live ensembles, and over 50 theatre productions across Western Canada. He was nominated for Jessie Richardson Awards for his designs for ‘My Name is Asher Lev’ and ‘The Seafarer’, and received a Rosie Award nomination for Best Music for the short film ‘Carl’s Way’. Luke has a unique ability to morph different styles and genres of music while pursuing a sound that is unique and at the same time familiar. He received a Bachelor of Music with Distinction from the University of Alberta with specialization in Composition and Theory and Classical Singing. He runs a recording studio from his home and his band Fools Tongue has garnered national and international recognition.

Luke Ertman and his Chapman Stick. Photo courtesy FoolsTongue.ca

Where do you call home?

I live on an acreage just outside of Leduc with my wife, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and cat.

How did you get into sound design?

I was completing my Bachelors of Music degree and wondering what practical applications it may have. I was studying composition and theory in particular and really didn’t see many needs for it in the field. I must have told Dad about that and he offered to let me write music for a theatre show. And I’ve been writing steadily for north of 10 years now.

What are the best (and most challenging) parts about working with your dad, Artistic Director Morris Ertman?

I think the best thing is that we have a similar aesthetic. Neither one of us are “realists” or “purists”. We tend to be centred around the emotional journey of a play as opposed to the specifics of SFX (sound effects) etc… I think that removes a handicap that can sometimes come into play. It allows me to write and trust what I write. I think the hardest thing is that we stay in the same house during rehearsals. There is no getting away from the play once I’m down there.

How do you approach a script? Can you give a breakdown of your process?

Well the first thing is of course reading the play. I absolutely start to hear ideas, sounds, melodies, etc… I sort of jot those down on a piece of paper as I go. Then I usually meet with the director. We talk about the other design elements, the general feel, any specific obstacles that may be in a given script. From there I usually write the top of the show or the climax of the show. I go back and forth with the director til we both feel that it’s right. After that I sort of write out from that reference point and call it a day.

What do you listen to on your drives down to Rosebud?

CBC

Anything currently inspiring you?

There is an American keyboard player called Tigran Hamasyan that I have been listening to a ton lately.

Did you have a specific inspiration when designing ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’?

The inspiration point of this show is of course, the end. There is an epic journey of humanity happening here that arrives at a sort of beautiful thesis. I think my goal was trying to create a universal theme or sound that could underpin the funny episodic nature of the piece and land an audience at the end. I wanted to play against the rapid movement of the piece and try and find continuity.
No Ohhh Child - The Skin of Our Teeth - Luke Ertman

What’s one of your favorite sound designs?

Mary’s Wedding is such a beautiful script. And the theatric nature of it really allowed me to have fun with the music. It was able to fill a really big role which was super fun.
Dearest Mary - Mary's Wedding - Luke Ertman

Do you have any secret hobbies?

Hmm. I like to woodwork, garden, cook. We have a 7000 or so square ft garden that we tend to each summer. It’s huge and we eat from it year long!

Any upcoming projects?

An Almost Holy Picture, at Rosebud. The Canadian Badlands Passion Play. My band Fools Tongue is super close to releasing a new album. Fall, I really hope! (Here's an unfinished preview of one of the songs)
City of Christ May - Fools Tongue

‘The Skin of Our Teeth’ closes this week! You’ve only got a few more chances to catch Luke Ertman’s deep and dulcet musical musings on this epic adventure through time. After that we're moving to our summer offerings, ‘The Spitfire Grill’ and ‘An Almost Holy Picture’. For tickets and information on all our shows, visit rosebudtheatre.com

Engaged to an Audience

This week we're talking with resident company member Heather Pattengale, who's currently on stage in 'The Skin of Our Teeth' as the silly and sassy house-servant, Sabina. Her character regularly breaks out of the story to dish with the audience, disagree with the playwright, or fight for her right to perform on her own terms.

Heather Pattengale talks shop with spectators as in Rosebud Theatre's The Skin of Our Teeth. Photo by Morris Ertman.

So what's it like to look the audience in the eye when you're in the middle of navigating the show?

Interacting with the audience is one of the scariest - and therefore most exciting - parts of the show for me. The audience may not know it, but in those moments when I speak directly to them, each one of them are my scene partner... I'm depending on them, looking to see if they understand what I'm saying, if they're on my side, or if they think I'm just nuts.

Does this "scene partner" drastically change from show to show?

Depending on how an audience reacts and responds to my addresses, I get a sense of what kind of show it is going to be. That is to say - it does not affect my lines much; my lines are set out for me by the playwright and there is no improvisation in this show. But it may affect how I deliver them. And, just like in [any] show, how an audience reacts certainly does affect how deeply the story is going to land: for them, for me, and how much energy there is in the room to play with and springboard off of.

Is it exhausting or exhilarating, riding that tightrope of not knowing quite what to expect?

As performers we of course pour everything we have into each performance. But something magical happens when the audience meets us there, when they not only receive everything we're pouring out, but respond generously in kind. The energy become exponential, much more than anything we can manufacture on our own. And it is in that interplay that real life happens. The audience becomes improvisors because they are invested in what's happening too, and respond honestly and openly: sometimes by listening so intently you could hear a pin drop, sometimes by laughing or scoffing or gasping or groaning or even proclaiming!

Sabina lodges a complaint with the Stage Manager. (From left: Declan O'Reilly, Heather Pattengale, & Peter Church.) Photo by Morris Ertman

Do people ever interact with you while you're on stage? 

I have been on stage when members of the audience unexpectedly shout out "No!" or "Yes!" and let me tell you, it's the best, because it means they are along for the ride and care about the outcome of the story and can't help but reach out to the characters.

The story alone is a wild ride of cataclysmic catastrophes. Do you think "breaking the fourth wall", (when actors break out of the story to engage with the audience directly), adds to the adventure? 

I want audiences to feel that they can climb into the story too; that there is a place for them inside it, because there is! And that is true of every show that happens in live theatre. Depending on the specific audience and their reaction, sometimes it takes flight in surprising and life-giving ways, and sometimes less so. But it is different every time. So I hope people come and see this show more than once, because it's never the same thing twice.

'The Skin of Our Teeth' plays for two more weeks! It's an explosion of ideas and kooky characters, all wrapped up in a story that celebrates the ups and downs of humanity. For tickets and information, visit rosebudtheatre.com

Resident Company "Snapshot" - Norma Roth

A member of our resident acting company as well as a professional theatre designer, Norma's previous credits on the Rosebud Theatre stage include  ‘Curious Savage’, ‘Cariboo Magi’, ‘Voice of the Prairie’, ‘A Rosebud Country Christmas’, and 'The Miracle Worker', among others. Some of her many design credits include ‘Valley Song’, ‘Last Train to Nibroc’, ‘The Secret Garden’, 'Queen Milli of Galt', 'Gifts of the Magi', and ‘Shadowlands’. Norma is a graduate of Rosebud School of the Arts (FRSA) and the University of Alberta (BFA).

Norma Roth and company in The Skin of Our Teeth. Photo by Morris Ertman.

How long have you been part of the ‘Bud?

I came to Rosebud in ’91. I came on a whim, was interested in theatre. Who knew what would happen as the result of one small decision…

You’ve been an integral member of the resident acting company for decades! Do you have a favorite show?

Hmm… not sure about a favorite. Christmas in the Country was pretty amazing. I got to play Mark Lewandowski’s stand up base for one song. Learned like, four notes. Felt so cool, you wouldn’t believe it.

Nathan Schmidt and Norma Roth in Christmas in the Country, Rosebud Theatre 2001. Photo by Morris Ertman.

You’ve also got a degree in theatre design. What’s the best part of the design process for you?

Finding something by chance that is perfect, better than I could have done by my own intention. If I was a spiritual woman, I might suspect someone else was involved :)

What’s the most challenging part?

That moment when you are just over half-way through and you are suddenly struck with the conviction [that] every thing, every single thing, totally sucks. I have learned, over the years, to ignore said conviction.

How do you approach shows differently as an actor vs. a designer?

As a designer, I approach the script with a pen and paper. What is being said about the characters, the location, the time period? Whatever I am responsible for. As an actor, I approach the script with my heart and body. How is this person me? What do I need to do to serve the story?

Coffee or Tea, and how do you take it?

Tea! I cannot stand the sight, taste, or smell of coffee! I would take garlic breath a thousand times over breath laced with the beans.

In ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’, you play a number of roles, but noticeably the Fortune Teller… a woman who calls things as they are. She's strangely capable of recognizing the weight of the time and events taking place around her. Do you identify with those abilities?

I do value truth tellers. The Fortune Teller could use a little more compassion but she is trying to save everyone. She doesn’t candy-coat it or coddle anyone, especially Sabina. The Fortune Teller sees things go round and round, lessons have to be repeated until they actually change the student. Maybe she isn’t compassionate because she knows it will keep happening come what may. That must be tiresome after the 2493^rd time. I think life is very much like her character. Life isn’t there to make you feel better about yourself. You have to figure out how to manage. There are many, many resources available to help you figure out how to manage, but you have to make your own choices.

Norma Roth as the Fortune Teller in The Skin of Our Teeth. Photo by Morris Ertman.

What would the Fortune Teller say to you?

I think she would share her beer with me.

Anything unexpected happening in performances?

I didn’t think people would see the Fortune Teller as beautiful. So many people gush all over me in that costume. I feel gritty and hard and immovable. So I was surprised.

Has Rosebud changed much over the years? Anything you hope it might still become?

Oh, Rosebud is always changing! So much. When the place is required to get on with the next step, somehow it does. It just keeps going. That has to be supported, progress and all that, but I do hope what I loved and still love about it stays safe.

Any pearls of acting wisdom you hold on to?

Stop dropping the ends of your sentences. If people can’t hear you, no one will care. I think my best trait as an actor is that I want to communicate with the audience. I really want to communicate. I could spend the rest of time getting better at that.

How about for design?

If there is something in your design that doesn’t really tell the story, you don’t need it. Make sure what you create needs to be there.

Norma Roth's bonafide truth-telling is on display until June 3^rd as a seer and seeker in the profoundly adventurous ‘The Skin of Our Teeth’. We consider her a certified treasure, but come and decide that for yourself! For tickets or more information, visit rosebudtheatre.com