A Kamsack resident is a member of the 2019 cast of SaskExpress which will have a preview fundraising Gala of its show Reel Music in Regina next week and will be in Kamsack in August.
Elizabeth Hilderman, who as a Grade 11 student at the Kamsack Comprehensive Institute in 2017 was an understudy for Saskatchewan Express, is a member of this year’s touring company that will be presenting a show “featuring the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.”
The company, now re-branded as SaskExpress, will begin the season with a premiere fundraising gala at the Delta Hotel and Convention Centre in Regina on June 21.
"Since starting rehearsals in April, the cast and I have been working tirelessly to prepare for the tour,” Hilderman said. “Sometimes it can feel like a lot but it’s the type of hard work that you know will pay off in the end.
“But that doesn’t mean we don’t leave room for fun,” she said. “The people I work with have become some of my best friends and I can’t wait to see what the summer brings for us.”
Having been an understudy two years ago, Hilderman said that touring is no longer foreign to her.
“From what I can remember some venues were very hot, some were very windy, and sometimes we’d be asked to perform an impromptu song in a coffee shop.
“I'm excited about the sunburn and the bus rides and to show Saskatchewan the amazing show our director has made for us."
Speaking to the Times two years ago, Hilderman said that she has been singing since she could talk. She has performed at school assemblies and sang with her sister Rebecca Lawless at a country singing competition in Swan River where the pair placed second.
“Through Saskatchewan Express, many performers have gained the skills and confidence to pursue careers in the performing arts,” said information from the company. “They come from every small town and large centre in Saskatchewan and all receive the same valuable training and performance opportunities.”
SaskExpress is eager to have people attend the annual Premiere Performance Gala when portions of this summer’s touring show, entitled Reel Music, will be performed.
“Enjoy a delightful dinner, bid away on the silent auction, and be entertained by the cast of Reel Music.”
Tickets for the Gala may be purchased online at www.SaskExpress.com or a ticket form can be filled out and returned with payment to SaskExpress at 2272 Pasqua Street or via email to nora@saskexpress.com.
Those not attending the Gala show will have to wait until the touring company is at a community near them. The Kamsack audience will see the entire Reel Music show August 18 when it will be performed at the Playhouse.
“Could you see a shark without hearing the Jaws theme in your mind? How about a majestic castle without humming the Disney theme? Or maybe just staring up into space without being taken by that first chord from a galaxy far, far away?”
Film makers know a secret recently documented by Goldsmiths University and that is that different moods of music directly affect how people perceive emotion, said a release from SaskExpress. “Through the ages movies have capitalized on this phenomenon to capture our hearts and imaginations.
“Movies and music go hand in hand. The world has adored storytelling through cinema for more than 100 years, and before people even talking in those pictures, music shaped their stories.
“Reel Music is an epic movie trailer that journeys throughout the history of motion pictures via the hit classic songs that made them so moving,” it said. “Every audience will recognize their favourites and enjoy the laughable and touching adventures of our characters as they stumble upon objects that transport them to each new era.
“Reel Music is guaranteed to captivate, educate and excite all ages.”
Music, theatre and passion ignite the talents of Saskatchewan’s young performers, it said. “With its history rich in the mentorship of emerging entertainers, SaskExpress is thrilled to be on a journey into the future under our new leadership.
“By producing cutting-edge original shows relevant to today’s generation, yet appealing to all demographics, we are firing up the community’s passion for the arts and giving countless young performers opportunities to grow.
“Join us as we begin our summer tour under the vision of our new artistic director, Danny Balkwill.
“Our annual premiere performance Gala features Reel Music and performances by the Mini Express and The Expressions from our Regina and Saskatoon musical theatre studios.
“Reel Music is packed with chart toppers from your favourite box office success, covering everything from the black-and-white era to the Netflix generation, all performed live with arrangement by Craig Salkeld. The show is written and conceived by Danny Balkwill and choreographed by Matt Alfano.
In addition to performing other numbers, each member of the 2019 cast has been selected to “nod” to a well-known movie character. Elizabeth Hilderman pays tribute to Hermione from Harry Potter.
The other members of the cast and the character each will acknowledge during the show are: Jenna Brown of Prince Albert, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz; Heaven Smith of Pinehouse Lake, Katniss from The Hunger Games; Shania Cabilao of Prince Albert, Sandy from Grease; Miranda Sheepwash of Moose Jaw, Mary Poppins from Mary Poppins; Madeline Codling of Outlook, Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's; Jenna Hsu of Regina, Princess Leia from Star Wars; Joshua Luansing of Regina, Charlie Chaplin from Modern Times; Bryce Johnson of Moose Jaw, Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark; Onello Bahingawan of Weyburn, Zoolander from Zoolander, and Emmanuel Osaseri of Regina (by way of Nigeria), Marty McFly from Back to the Future.
Also in the cast are Craig Salkeld of Saskatoon on piano and Brent Jefferson of Regina on drums.
