Science-based institute of higher learning meets musical theatre productions as one University of Northern B.C. student does her toe-tapping best to infuse some culture into the school on the hill.
Arielle Bernier is the director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once More With Feeling, April 5 and 6 in Canfor Theatre.
"This has been my project for the last two years," said Bernier, who directed Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog by Joss Whedon last year and thought to go back to Whedon for this year's project, too. "I thought this show would be great for the demographic at the university. There are a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans in university."
There is a cast of 15 and eight in the crew, including the band.
"We have a live band this year, which we're very excited about," said Bernier. "Fortunately, our lead, Carmen Werner, who is playing Buffy, is married to a music teacher, Jon Campbell, and he threw together a band free of charge and they're all volunteering their time."
The story comes in mid-season six where Buffy has died and been brought to life by her friends, said Bernier. Buffy is going through a lot because she was brought back from heaven.
"It sounds really cheesy, I know," laughed Bernier. "But that's what you get in a drama about vampires. So the whole cast is going through many issues, trying to integrate her back into being the vampire slayer and then this demon shows up and turns their whole lives into a traditional musical where people are singing what they're feeling is everyone's hearing all of these things from each other. At the same time, they realize that they're in a musical, unlike a traditional musical they know they shouldn't be singing."
Things have changed a bit since last year when Bernier paid for the entire musical production costs of $400 out of her own pocket.
"We have about three times the budget ($1,300) we had last year because of the amazing amount of people who came out to support our show," said Bernier, who grew up performing in musicals.
"The performance grade has gone way up this year."
They even have plans for a great sound system set up for the five-piece band.
"This is a very jazzy musical and the demon who comes onto the scene, played by me, is a very eccentric, very smooth tap-dancing demon with a 20s gangster look to him. It's been a lot of fun."
The show goes Friday, April 5th at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 6th at 1 p.m. and at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $5 in advance at UNBC and $10 at the door. CNC students can purchase theirs at the door for $5 as it's hard for them to get their tickets in advance, Bernier said.
