[buzzard]

Went to an interesting show last night with a few interesting Lightfoot references. It’s called Sorry, I’m Canadian and plays at Grand Bend until July 12. It’s a revue that pokes fun at Canadian mannerisms, history and politics with Canadian music as a backdrop.
It was written by David Broadfoot and features host Neil Aitchison telling some very corny jokes, a really good four piece band, and a very talented family of tap-dancers.
The show profiles each province, so they played an extended version of Alberta Bound while they lampooned that province. When they got to Ontario, they profiled several cities, including Orillia, “the hometown of our greatest singer/songwriter” and broke into a medley featuring Sundown, Cotton Jenny and Did She Mention My Name. When they got to the Maritimes, they did Farewell to Nova Scotia.
All in all, Lightfoot led the credits, with four songs, three Stompin’ Tom tunes (including my personal favourite, Sudbury Saturday Night), a couple of Burton Cummings songs, and many other various chestnuts.
It’s a really fun show. I’m not sure where it’s playing next, but it’s worth checking out. At the end of the first act, they did a sing-along with several baby boomer Canadian classics, like the Ontario song (Give Us a Place to Stand. . .) and the “other” Centennial song (Can-a-da, We Love Thee...). Unfortunately, no Railroad Trilogy.
Finally at the end of the show they signed off with the farewell song from Don Messer’s Jubilee (for those of you unfamiliar, a CBC staple, sort of a version of the Lawrence Welk show with fiddle music). I can remember as a kid, pleading with my (long since passed) father not to have to watch Don Messer’s Jubilee. I can’t tell you how much I wish I could have taken him to the show last night!

Brian