Fans of the Man in Black will want to walk the line to catch the Western Canada Theatre and Chemainus Festival Theatre’s co-production of Ring of Fire at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre March 6.
The third performance of five in the VDPAC Society’s 2016/17 theatre series, the production is an adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, and is said to be the ultimate tribute to Johnny Cash.
Conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby Jr., Ring of Fire is a musical biography that portrays a story about hitting rock bottom and finding the faith to carry on.
“It’s a musical journey through Johnny Cash’s life,” Chemainus Festival Theatre musical director Kraig Waye told Black Press’ Cowichan Valley Citizen back in April.
“It’s not extremely heavy on story, but through a series of little interludes and vignettes it takes you through his early life in Arkansas through to the beginning of his musical career in Memphis, of course some of the Gospel songs in his career. Then as the show progresses it lightly touches on some of the troubles he went through, obviously his relationship with June Carter.”
Those who love Cash’s music will get a full volume of hits, including Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue, Folsom Prison Blues, I’ve Been Everywhere, Country Boy, A Thing Called Love and, of course, Ring of Fire.
“It’s really interesting. You really get a chance to touch on all the genres and the different styles that he was able to incorporate into his career over the decades,” said Waye. “You get a little flavour of his Gospel roots and his early boom-chicka-boom, the train chuggin’ country, and then even some features later like the ’70s country like Man in Black and the Kris Kristofferson song Sunday Morning Coming Down. There’s even a murder ballad in the show, the song Delia’s Gone.”
Cast members will enact various stages of Cash’s life, including the narrator and the voice of Cash, who looks back on his life, as well the up-and-coming youthful Cash, and then there’s Cash’s love and singing partner June Carter.
Tickets for Ring of Fire, March 6 at 7:30 p.m., are $45 for adults, $42 for seniors and $40 for students. Call the Ticket Seller at 250-549-SHOW (7469) or log on line to www.ticketseller.ca for tickets and more information.
– With files from the Cowichan Valley Citizen