The Blacktop Boys, Brian Wappel, Bryan Beach, Ryan Bater and John Chipak, will provide music for the Battlefords Community Players' upcoming country opera production of Cruel Tears.
The play, written by Ken Mitchell, features a handsome trucker, Rick Kostiuk, and his lovely new wife, Sophie Pitman. The two are drawn into the psychological traps set by a fellow trucker, Jack, played by Barry Ursaki. Mayhem and violence ensue to music that will have you tapping your feet and wiping your eyes.
Mitchell, a renown poet, novelist, playwright and cowboy poet was raised on a farm on the outskirts of Moose Jaw. His works often tend to focus around prairie culture and Cruel Tears is no exception. It is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, but it takes place on the prairie landscape.
Alongside the humourous action is high steppin' music by the Saskatchewan musical group, Humphrey and the Dumptrucks. Their songs reflect rural life and their sound is original - it's not country and western, it's not rock 'n' roll, it's not folk, but it is 'down home prairie music', a mixture of all three. BCP's production will revisit these hits and feature vocals by Jim Walls, Rick Kostiuk, Tracy Knowles, Lea-Arin Warkentine, Jeff Arndt, Josh Abrahamson, Sophie Pitman and Barry Ursaki. Musical direction is by Lisa Hornung.
Show dates are Jan. 17, 18 and 19.
