November 2024 | Volume 69
THE HAT GAZETTE
THIS ISSUE: Under the HAT with ROBBIE SIMMS | THE 2024 WINTER/SPRING SEASON | RADICAL ACCESS PERKS FOR YOU!
UNDER THE HAT: ROBBIE SIMMS
TOM: Hello Robbie Simms! For those who may not be familiar with your work, can you start us off with a brief rundown of your relationship to the arts?
ROBBIE: My relationship with the arts began at a very early age, so early in fact that I can’t remember a time in my life in which they didn’t have an affect on me. I dreamt of becoming a visual artist or perhaps an actor as a child, but by the time I reached adolescence I fell madly in love with music and by 15, I was out playing professionally, then became a recording artist by the time I was 17. But as the music business began to change in the late 90’s/early 2000’s I began to concentrate more on the live performing aspect of the business while continuing to be a singer/writer at the heart of it. Skip ahead to 2018, and I find myself in my first HAT production, that being The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in which I played the Comfort Counsellor. Not long after that I participated in a Confidential Theatre Project followed by voicing the villainous Audrey II in Little Shop Of Horrors, the
dual roles of Fred and Duke Senior in As You Like It. The crooked Old Joe in A Christmas Carol and as Glen The Giant in Jack & The Beanstalk: A Musical Comedy Pantomime, in which I puppeted and voiced a 12 foot giant costume, and most recently, I played B.B. Wolf in Blow Me: A Big Bad Musical Comedy which of course was a follow up to J&TBS.
TOM: It’s been a very busy fall for you with no signs of slowing down! I feel like you kicked off our year as one of our Cheers to 10 Years! soloists and now we’re at the end of 2024 and you’ll be one of our soloists for Christmas at Sacred Heart (limited tickets remain folks - literally click the banner at the top of this page to purchase yours)! But before I look ahead, I want to rewind to your Nirvana show. For those who don’t know, Robbie produced and performed, alongside fellow amazing local musicians, a 30th Anniversary tribute to Nirvana’s legendary MTV Unplugged set. I want to ask, how did that idea form, and how did it live up to the execution? (Spoiler alert it was an incredible show.)
ROBBIE: In a nutshell, it absolutely exceeded my expectations. The public’s interest alone was overwhelming. I am a diehard Nirvana fan, always have been. In fact, it’s safe to say I regard them as my biggest musical influence. I joined my first band just two months prior to Unplugged in New York’s release back in 94. The idea to put on a tribute to Unplugged had been brewing for well over a decade. The 20th anniversary came and went, as did the 25th, all the while the idea remained. I knew that it could be done, the question was where? The HAT was the answer. It was the perfect venue. Big enough to house the crowd we’d expected, yet intimate enough to retain the feel of the original show. The crowd response was one of, if not the most incredible ovations I’ve ever experienced as a performer. Coupled with having my dear friends and fellow Nirvana fans as the band, made for a night I’ll never forget.
TOM: It was truly a visceral evening by all accounts. Shortly after, you opened and have now closed Blow Me: A Big Bad Musical Comedy. You’ve always had big parts to play in productions, but to me, this feels like the first time you were indisputably the lead protagonist that we are all cheering on. How does that contrast from the villainous roles and guiding mentors you’ve brought to life in past productions?
ROBBIE: Good question. I think maybe the biggest difference is that the character of B.B. Wolf is actually a lot more like the real life me than any other character I’ve betrayed - slightly exaggerated of course. He’s not what you expect, and proof positive of how misleading appearances can be. I don’t exactly fit the typical musical theatre mold. My background, education and life experiences make me an unlikely candidate for this line of work which can leave some people scratching their heads wondering how I got here in the first place. It was a chance for people to get out and root for the underdog..or wolf.
“How ‘bout this year, you be Bob Cratchit and I’ll be Old Joe?”
TOM: We’ve mentioned a few projects but one I am dying to ask about is A CHRISTMAS CAROL! This will be our 10th anniversary of the adaptation, and for those who may not know Robbie has been our Old Joe the past few years - a fairly nasty grave robbing type with unsavoury acquaintances. While Mark Delaney has been our Bob Cratchit for the past year years - a definitively savoury type with life giving acquaintances. BUT THIS YEAR, you two will be swapping roles, furthering the year of “Good Guy Robbie”. I think this is such a fun swap of casting for you both. How did this come to be?
ROBBIE: I’ll start by saying, I absolutely love A Christmas Carol. It’s a personal favourite of mine and I would be happy to play any role in this show. Mark has become a dear friend and I’ve expressed to them in the past that should they ever decide to step away, I’d love the opportunity to play Bob. Then, out of the blue one evening while getting into costume, they turned and said to me “How ‘bout this year, you be Bob Cratchit and I’ll be Old Joe?” I couldn’t believe it. “Really? Are you sure?” I asked. Mark was genuinely as excited to do the ol’ switcheroo and so with Wesley’s approval we made it official.
TOM: Yeah that Mark Delaney is a pretty wonderful one. This is such a fun surprise! Is there anything you feel makes this Bob Cratchit your Bob Cratchit?
ANJU: Mark is brilliant and everything they do is uniquely theirs. Trying to imitate their performance would only come off as a cheap copy, so I think the answer lies in how I will approach the song Oh Holy Night. It is an incredibly moving and powerful piece of music, and very challenging vocally. Because I consider myself a singer first, it’s where I feel my strengths are best suited. I hope to do it justice.
TOM: I mean that alone sounds like something worth the price of admission to me. Look, I should wrap this up but before we go, can you share a what being part of the community of artist at the HAT means to you? This interview is for our incredible donors who certainly see and enjoy you on stage, but what’s it like being in community behind the scenes? I ask because, thankfully, we can’t get rid of you (or enough of you).
ROBBIE: Hahaha, well it’s good to know you’re not sick of me yet. Being a part of this community has meant the world to me and has changed my life for the better. Working with so many different people from a multitude of backgrounds, talents, age groups etc, makes every experience fresh and thought provoking. To be among such an open minded and inclusive community of artists gives me life and hope for the future. Not just mine, but for my daughter Ezri who is a very enthusiastic HAT Academy student (appearing next week in Over The Rainbow) and for the culture that the HAT is fostering here in Cape Breton. It’s a moment in time none of us should take for granted.
TOM: Beautiful. Thank you so much for doing this Robbie.
ROBBIE: The pleasure was mine. Thank you and happy holidays everyone.
A Christmas Carol runs December 11th to 15th and is expected to sell out
so book your tickets while they last.
Christmas At Sacred Heart Downtown is already mostly sold out but a few tables remain.
Act fast and join us December 17th to 22nd & 28th to 30th.
What PATRONS Are Saying about:
“This is a show for the whole family that keeps the children’s attention and the adults entertained. The cast is absolutely incredible and completely oozing with talent. What an absolute pleasure to watch and a great reminder of how much talent we have on the island! I can speak for my family and say we’ve been hooked by the HAT!”
— CH
“One of the best shows the HAT has ever done (and I’ve seen a fair number!). Thanks for a great night out in a beautiful venue!”
— SG
“I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in a VERY long time. I huffed, I puffed, I wheezed, I cackled. 10/10, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and any other high up rating you can give it - Blow Me! A Big Bad Musical Comedy is one of the best shows I’ve seen.”
— HM
HOLIDAY FILM SERIES
All films available free to all radical access donors of $25.00+/monthly or $300.00+/Annually
Call or email to book your complimentary tickets today
THE NOVEMBER RADICAL ACCESS
TICKET LOTTERY
Each month we hold a draw exclusive to RA donors to remind you how amazing we know you are. The draws are completely random and all donation levels are included.
This month’s prize?
2 tickets to THE LENNIE GALLANT 2024 CHRISTMAS TOUR
WINNERS
ADRIANNE MCMAHON
Laura Syms
Troy Mackay
SNEAK PEEK: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2024)
By Charles Dickens
Adapted & Directed by Wesley J. Colford
Music Directed by Barb Stetter
Choreography by Cynthia Vokey
Re-live the magic of Highland Arts Theatre's beloved stage adaptation of this timeless tale, for it’s 10th Anniversary Year! Cape Breton's finest conspire to transport you to Christmas past, present, and future with theatre, dance, and music. This annual fundraiser for the Highland Arts Theatre is the perfect gift or holiday family tradition!
Featuring a cast of over 40 local actors, singers, and dancers plus the musical underscoring of Belkolora.
TRAILER
LOCAL TALENT & HOLIDAY MAGIC
Somehow we have arrived at the end of another month. It’s been a doozy over here at camp HAT. We’ve launched our 2025 Winter/Spring Season and begun the admin heavy process of continuing to integrate our new ticketing system. Perhaps most relevantly to you, our incredible donors, we are still in the process of migrating your Radical Access Donations from the old system to the new one.
Depending on which system you’re currently in you’re being processed there so no donations ar being missed or double charged, but our goal is have everyone in the new system as soon as possible. This will allow us to offer even more perks to you and make it more seamless than ever. But in order to get there, there is one final seam, that of migrating your payment information into the new system. There have been several communications about this, and many have you have already made the jump, but if you haven’t or missed the messages, please email us at info@highlandartstheatre.com and we can get you set up. Alternatively, if you are more comfortable over the phone, call or leave us a message and we’ll be happy to assist you there.
And most importantly: start taking advantage of those perks!!!!
Already in action for those of you in the new system, 2 COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO ALL 5 of our upcoming Winter/Spring Mainstage Productions, discounted tickets for Hairspray, and FREE tickets to all of our film screenings. Plus more in the new year!
We appreciate your cooperation so much and your support even more. Thank you for supporting us through another year of community, outreach, and growth.
SHOWING IN DECEMBER
