KAMSACK — The audience at the Kamsack Playhouse cheered as SaskExpress performed Going for Gold on Aug. 13, but were most enthusiastic cheering for two local entertainers.
Joining the Kamsack audience that was eager to applaud Elizabeth Bishop of Kamsack was a contingent of Canora residents cheering Abby Wilson of that community.
The two were joined on stage by Kaelyn Coulthard of Martensville, Natalie Dumonceaux of Saskatoon, Sadie Kendel of Regina, Lorato Okai-Brown of Regina, Annalise Reinhart of Saskatoon, Jacob Sawatzky of Regina, Matt Schermann of Strasbourg, Jesse Stradeski of Regina and Danny Tepper of Lloydminster. Also on stage were Brent Jefferson of Regina and Craig Salkeld of Saskatoon at the drums and keyboard.
“What do you get when you take performers and drop them into a sports arena?” asks the program distributed at the show. “Have you ever wondered just how competitive showbiz can really be? Prepare to find out as Saskatchewan’s own performance Olympics Going for Gold takes the world of Olympic athletes and mashes it together with theatre for a funny, exciting and sure to impress live show.
“Packed with chart toppers from your favourite artists, both local and world renowned, from the classics to the pop music of today, Going for Gold is guaranteed to captivate audiences of all ages.”
SaskExpress came to Kamsack after having performed the day previous at Woodlawn Boundary Dam, which was the group’s 15th concert date of the season, which included dates at eight provincial parks. After leaving Kamsack, SaskExpress was to perform Aug. 17 to 19 at the Northwest Territorial Days in North Battleford, before ending the 2022 summer season at Oxbow on Aug. 26.
This season marks the fourth summer tour in which Elizabeth Bishop of Kamsack has performed.
In addition to singing and dancing, Bishop helped the production crew make props and is a marketing and media assistant.
“I started with SaskExpress because I wanted to perform,” Bishop said prior to the Kamsack show. “It is a welcoming community that provides an amazing experience, so I had wanted to come back and continue.”
In May, Bishop graduated from the Canadian College of Performing Arts in Victoria, B.C. with a diploma in performing arts and said she plans to teach musical theatre at the Regina Musical Theatre Studio and will be auditioning for the SaskExpress winter show entitled Seussical.
The summer shows are all original, written by Danny Balkwill, the artistic director, Bishop explained.
Although she has performed at school, most notably in a production called Urinetown, and in Shrek, as Shrek, Bishop said that being with SaskExpress marks her only performances outside of school.
“It’s really nice after the COVID experience, when performing was mainly on film, to be on stage in public,” she said. “This summer marks the first time since 2019 that we’ve had a full tour, so it’s very exciting for all.”
