I have to go back five generations or so in my family tree to get to the ancestors who were born and raised on Cape Breton Island, but there is something about the music, the culture, and the sense of humour that still stirs deep in my Scottish/Acadian blood. I’m the target demographic for Island Girls: A Celebration of Cape Breton Music and Comedy starring Bette MacDonald, Lucy MacNeil, Heather Rankin and Jenn Sheppard, and I’m obviously not alone in that. The audience for the show at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax on April 6th was sold out, after the ladies kicked off their tour with two packed houses at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, and the show had sold out crowds at the DeCoste Performing Arts Centre in Pictou and the Strathspey Performing Arts Centre in Mabou. The truth is, though, whether you’ve never set foot on the mainland, or need a deep dive to find your Gaelic roots, or whether you have no connection to Cape Breton whatsoever, Island Girls is a show about home that I think everyone can connect to.
The show begins with our four powerhouse stars singing Allister MacGillivray’s “You’ll Be Home Again,” a familiar lament for those forced to leave their homes in search of economic stability. Heather Rankin sings “We Walk As One,” from her debut solo album A Fine Line (2016), a song she wrote with David Tyson that celebrates the tenacity of a working class family that finds its pathway to success, despite the odds, by rallying their strengths and talents together. Lucy MacNeil sings the extremely catchy “Daisy,” from The Barra MacNeils‘ newest album, On the Bright Side (2018), which can be interpreted either as a well intentioned attempt to caution Daisy against speaking her mind in a tumultuous political climate, or a commentary on the ways strong women are often dissuaded from taking a stand. It’s difficult not to equate MacNeil’s strength with Daisy’s here and to assume she’ll be just fine. Jenn Sheppard sings her gorgeously evocative “Cape Breton Shore” co-written with Fred Lavery (2016), which I think is destined to become a Nova Scotian classic. There is such poignancy, both in her stunning voice, and in her lyrics, that it’s difficult to listen to this song without being moved to tears. The thematic journey of these songs about loss, connection, perseverance, empowerment, resistance, love, and belonging forms the foundation for the rest of the show.
The deep emotion of the music is nicely complimented by the astute hilarity of the sketches. Bette MacDonald treats us to the political insights of Mary Morrison, and she also shares with us an unusual Cabot Trail Tourism pitch that I won’t spoil, but it involves a moose and a sunroof. It seems on the surface that one doesn’t have anything to do with the other, but the more you think about what the connection between Justin Trudeau, Andrew Sheer, and the moose might be the more you realize that Mary’s solution to her moose problem might also be the solution for our country. There is great subtext in MacDonald’s writing, often you are laughing at what is silly on the surface, but also at what is funny, sad, frightening and/or infuriating underneath of it. MacDonald also plays Beulah Claxton, a flirtatious and over-the-top jazz singer who accidentally reinterprets classic songs in interesting ways, while mixing up her lyrics, or mispronouncing vital words. Again, there is so much that is silly about Beulah, but there is also a sharp social commentary woven in, one that some people will recognize more than others. Jenn Sheppard plays Elsa Hughes, an old lady running for Premier who lays out a platform for Cape Breton to separate from Nova Scotia. This sketch has the most regionally-based humour in the show, but at its core speaks to anyone who knows what it’s like to feel disenfranchised, taken for granted, unappreciated and cheated. The joy comes from watching this little old lady fiercely vow to lead her people toward justice, prosperity, empowerment, and freedom. Conversely, Heather Rankin plays Mickey, a lecherous old coot trying to pick up ladies at a wake, a role that can only be hilarious because it is played by a woman.
There is a section of the show that plays homage to songs written by Cape Breton men during which MacNeil sings a definitive rendition of Bruce Guthro’s “Falling” and MacDonald shows off her lovely singing voice with Men of the Deeps’ “Plain Old Country Boy.” Heather Rankin showcases her storytelling prowess with a stunning performance of Gordie Sampson’s “Jesus Take the Wheel” and Jenn Sheppard perfectly reinvents Jimmy Rankin’s “Followed Her Around” with a fun gender-bend that I really appreciated. As you might expect in a show that features Lucy MacNeil of the renowned Barra MacNeils and Heather Rankin of the acclaimed Rankin Family, there were also opportunities for MacNeil and Rankin to sing some of the songs they are most known for. Sheppard helped with backing vocals, doing an incredible job of filling in for both MacNeil and Rankin’s brothers. Together they sang an especially gorgeous rendition of “Song for Peace” and a dynamic and joyful “Movin’ On,” that had the audience cheering and clapping and (at least at the Cohn) resisting the urge to dance in the aisles. Other highlights of the evening were MacNeil’s beautiful Gaelic love song and Rankin’s soaring rendition of “Bells.”
MacNeil and Colin Grant also treated us to some fiddle tunes, some of which MacNeil also wrote, which accompanied the MacArthur dancers, who wove their own stories through the music with a mixture of different dances, all executed with polish and vibrance. The musicians, Stephen Muise, Fred Lavery, Brian Talbot, Emily Dingwall, Richard Burke, and Colin Grant are all uniformly excellent. Muise is also the show’s director and helps to keep the scenes moving seamlessly into one another. I loved how every entrance and exit was another opportunity for our stars to show visible support, respect, and admiration for one another.
The song selections were not restricted to Cape Breton either. Sheppard paid a soulful tribute to Patsy Cline, she and MacDonald sang a Simon and Garfunkel song, and Rankin sang the sweetest rendition of Prarie Oyster’s “Did You Fall In Love With Me.” But, in the end MacDonald, MacNeil, Rankin and Sheppard came together once again to honour Rita MacNeil, who I think would have been so proud to see these women taking centre stage and buoying each other up in this way. The end came with Rankin’s powerhouse performance of Rita MacNeil’s “Home I’ll Be,” converging with the harmonies of MacDonald, MacNeil and Sheppard culminating in a truly triumphant musical moment.
Island Girls is an impressive testament to the scope of Cape Breton talent, it is a love letter to the Island, but it’s also much more universal. I saw four women very clearly, very powerfully, centring themselves onstage, taking ownership and telling the stories of their home, from their perspectives, in their voices, using their talents. I saw an audience full of women and men in Halifax, presumably people who call a myriad of different cities, provinces and even countries home, laughing, and clapping and singing along, and loving every second of it. My only question is: when is the sequel?
You can follow Bette MacDonald on Facebook. You can follow Lucy MacNeil on Twitter & Instagram (@Laughanmac). You can follow Jenn Sheppard on Instagram (@JennShepp). You can follow Heather Rankin on Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@HeatherRankinMusic).
You can follow The Savoy Theatre on Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@SavoyTheatreGlaceBay).
You can follow The Dalhousie Arts Centre on Facebook. Twitter.
You can follow The DeCoste Performing Arts Centre on Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@DeCostePerformingArtsCentre).
You can follow Strathspey Performing Arts Centre on Facebook. Twitter. Instagram (@StrathspeyMabou).
