Well, this year marks the big second decade for Cape Breton's leading showcase of talent. It's become a well regarded show since its inception in 1986. Many of the faces have gone on to become VERY popular. Among them are Heather and Cookie Rankin, Rita MacNeil, Natalie MacMaster, Max MacDonald and with this year's show, Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison. We wish them well in all they do and expect the best out of them.

This year, we look back on the old, as we encounter the new. We have an on-stage cast of 11 people, musicians, actors and singers. All but three of these are completely new to the Summertime Revue's regular audiences. The returees are musicians, Fred Lavery, Berkley Lamey (only member of the original cast to be still with the show) and Richard Burke. Berkley and Fred both playing their bass and guitars supply the mood of the various acts and blend them together. Richard Burke plays a number of instruemts, notably the accordian and saxaphone, and doubles on the drums. He is a major player in a number of the skits and has a very nice singing voice as well.

The new people include 4 of each gender. The males are represented by Bruce Guthro, Cliff LeJeune, Michael McPhee and Brian McInnis. The distaff side has Stephanie Wills, Laurel Martell, Trina Hennick and Cindy Campbell. Several are names we recognize and others are totally new. However new to the Revue audience, all of them have a history with the region's entertainment industry.

Of the ladies, we have Cindy Campbell, who plays piano through the evening with great endurance, and sings her heart out in various pieces. She is showcased admirably in the song Old Friends. Trina Hennick, a Pier girl, is primarily an actress with an amazing capacity for fun in the skits. She's got a face as mobile as Ruth Buzzi's. Laurel Martell apparently is studying sciences at UCCB but has a wonderful voice. Hopefully she will pursue the musical side for a while. This name, MOST Cape Breton music enthusiasts will have heard before, Stephanie Wills. She's another of the fiddle sensations from Cape Breton, who does it all. Step-dances, plays piano and fiddles, not necessarily all at once. She's featured in fiddle medleys in both halves of the show.

Brian McInnis plays the drums in the show and sings one song as well as does parts in several of the skits. Very funny young man. Michael McPhee looks very young, but is terrifically funny. What do you expect for a Bay Boy! Cliff LeJeune does it all - Sings, Dances, Acts, and Directs. Bruce Guthro is a familiar name to many. He's been nominated for 2 ECMA's as well as performing his own song in the tribute to Stan Rogers. Exceptional singer and songwriter in one man.

The show as usual is broken into two parts. Both have an equal share of comedy and music. Sometimes as in the Political Medley both are combined.

The first part starts with a musical medley and goes straight into the "theme" of the show. It's a DisneyWorld type of world that pervades this edition. The idea is the Theme Park called Denial World is set right over the partially filled-in Tar Ponds. This is carried into a number of the skits and is blended into several of the songs. We're treated to a fine Fiddle Medley in the middle of each of the two sections, ably put on by Stephanie Wills and Cindy Campbell.

Hmmm, in both of the fiddle sets, there are references to Sandy. Are they the same Sandy? The first set has Sandy's My Darling, and the second set has Sandy Cameron. I've met a Sandy Cameron, who plays fiddle and tells stories and sings Gaelic. Wonder if it's for him? Or is Sandy MacIntyre the other Sandy?

Anyway, back to the show, Bruce Guthro has a couple of his own songs in it, one is Gold in Glengarry and the other is the finale, Hope for Something More. This is a delightful song to finish off this year's show! Thanks Bruce! I think it will be a song like We Rise, the finale of the 1985 edition of The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton. Long lasting.

Most of the songs are based on old familiar tunes but there is a pair of wonderful skit and song sequences. In the second half of the show, they have a pair which comes out of the movie, Margaret's Museum. I'll never see the movie in quite the same way again! Really a wonderful take. The other pair is called My Son The One On The Sofa and Catholic Boy. What a hoot! Says a lot about the generation gap!

By the way, Bruce Guthro did a fine job on the This Just In sequences formerly rendered by Max MacDonald. He's known for song writing and singing, but does an excellent job portraying comedy. The award for the best mugging on the show HAS to go to Brian McInnis! He is the drummer, but forms and integral part of the comedy skits in more than one place!

All in all, this is a fine continuation of a wonderful tradition. The Cape Breton Summertime Revue lives again, as it does every summer. The attendance has reportedly been down, but I think that's a group of people who haven't adjusted to the fact that performers need to stretch themselves. Good luck to the Revuers who have gone on to new horizons, I KNOW I will hear from you again in the future. To the new performers, I expect great things from you all. You have proven, to me, that you can handle the enormous reputation you've been dealt and carried it off! Thank you from the audience!

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