Bringing back a music legend

Joan Morrissey is often considered one of this province's great musical entertainers, with a recording career that produced such iconic songs as Thank God We're Surrounded by Water and CN Bus.

During her two-decade long career, she released five albums, with her 1973 Homebrew record going gold and being nominated for a Juno.

Although she died 29 years ago, she is still remembered as "Newfoundland's First Lady of Song."

Rising Tide's Theatre decided to explore her life and music with their production of So, Let's Bring on our Favourite - The Joan Morrissey Story during their annual Season in the Bight Festival in Trinity.

It was such a success for the troupe they're now taking the show on the road to Arts and Culture Centres across the province.

Donna Butt, the troupe's artistic director, says she grew up listening to Ms. Morrissey's albums and has always had a strong interest in creating a play about the famous singer.

"I actually came about the interest in it from my father," she says. "My father is a very loyal, dedicated Joan Morrissey fan. He always played her [albums]. My father on Christmas Eve still plays her. The first half is church and the second half is Joan Morrissey and Harry Hibbs. It's a family tradition."

Ms. Butt says another tie to Ms. Morrissey came from a mutual friend, Tom Cahill, who collaborated on projects with both ladies.

In addition to working with Ms. Butt on various projects, he also wrote many of Ms. Morrissey's most famous songs, such as CN Bus, The Mobile Goat, and The Anti-Confederation Song.

"Where I knew Tom's work, that kind of got me interested in Joan Morrissey, as well," says Ms. Butt. "With those songs that Tom and her were doing, I mean, they were one of the early ones singing those songs of early Newfoundland, about Newfoundland."

Ms. Butt says even with these inspirations being a driving force to do the play, it still took a bit of fate to see it to fruition.

"In fact, I had made a couple of previous attempts with people and it hadn't quite worked out," she says. "One day I was talking to Susan Kent and Jody Richardson about doing a show - they had written one play for us and we had success with it - then they said, 'we've got an idea for a play about Joan Morrissey,' I said, 'wow, our stars are aligned.'"

She says the play has received a tremendous response from the Trinity audiences over the past couple of years, which gave rise to the idea of taking the show on the road.

"It seemed to me from the audience's reaction, it would be a play of interest [for a wider showing]," says Ms. Butt. "There would be people who wouldn't be able to get here, people of her generation would remember her."

She said the troupe then talked to the Arts and Culture Centres about touring the show.

"Sometimes it takes a while to get everything in place and get everybody on side," notes Ms. Butt. "We're taking it from here directly across the province."

Inspirations

Ms. Butt says she was personally inspired by Ms. Morrissey's ground-breaking spirit as both a performer and mother.

"When you think about her career, she had a lot of ups and downs - she had tough times with record companies, so she was really a pioneer and forged the way for a lot of people who came after her," says Ms. Butt.

"You know, she really wanted to see people from this place do well. And I think that makes her a really important figure. That and the fact that she was trying to raise a family and do all of that at the same time, which was never easy and certainly not easy back then."

Ms. Butt notes the entertainer's personal life had its share of ups and downs, raising a close-knit family of six children while pursuing her musical dreams and dealing with health-related issues.

"The play certainly captures a bit of her life and doesn't skirt away from the fact that she committed suicide," she says. "She suffered from depression and people didn't know that at the time. She kept it to herself and what happened to her in the end was very, very sad."

Ms. Butt notes quite a bit of research went into the show, with the writers talking to the family about various aspects of the entertainer's life. She notes two of Ms. Morrissey's daughters have seen the show and have given their thumbs up.

"They really liked it," she says. "They've been great about it."

Legacy

Ms. Butt says Ms. Morrissey certainly has a place in the chronicles of this province's history.

"I think her legacy is that she was a great pioneer of Newfoundland song and music and spirit," she says. "She was very gracious, too, by all accounts. [She was] kind and did a tremendous amount of charity work and I just always thought she was a fabulous person who died too soon."

So, Let's Bring on our Favourite - The Joan Morrissey Story appears at the Stephenville Arts and Culture Centre on Oct. 12. Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 643-4533, or by visiting www.artsandculturecentre.com.