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Rick Blue
After three decades as one-half of Bowser & Blue, Rick Blue is establishing himself as a playwright
By
Peter Kerr
Rick
Blue and George Bowser have been performing musical satire since 1978.
Bowser & Blue have enjoyed rave reviews for their sold out live
performances, their television appearances and recordings. Along the
way they have received numerous awards, and they continue to be in huge
demand for concerts, corporate events and conventions. Each of the
partners also pursues endeavours outside of their musical base.
George Bowser was elected to the Westmount City Council, and Rick Blue
has written a regular column for The Chronicle and more recently The
Suburban.
However, Rick is taking a tremendous
leap into the world of a theatre, with debut performances of two plays;
Campbell’s Sutra at the Hudson Village Theatre in July and Let’s Be
Frank in repertory performances during the summer at Theatre Lac Brome
in Knowlton.
I recently met Rick for the first time at a local pub near his home in Beaconsfield, and I asked how he came to write plays.
“I
actually have a Master’s degree in creative writing from Concordia.
When I graduated I thought I was going to write ‘the great Canadian
novel’ - I didn’t. Instead, I wrote The Paris of America. |
Rick Blue |
I’ve been
able to combine the discipline of structure and organization with the
kind of spontaneous humour that George and I have been doing.” Rick’s
first play, The Paris of America was a musical co-written with George
Bowser; and it played to sold out audiences for seven weeks at The
Centaur Theatre in 2003. “I had written ‘Paris’ as the thesis for my
Master’s degree. We worked on that with Gordon McCall, then Artistic
Director of The Centaur. Rather than just present the songs in a
cabaret format, we had the idea of creating a play as a common thread.
I really got a kick out of it, and knew then that I wanted to do more
narrative writing.”
“After George had been elected to the
Westmount City Council, I had a little more time on my hands. So I
started to work on a play. I wasn’t a stranger to writing, because I’d
been producing a newspaper column for several years. I was surprised at
how it came. I’ll just let it come out onto the paper, and then
sometimes it just stops for a while. I might have to wait for a few
months for the next scene to come.”
Rick’s play Campbell’s
Sutra opens at The Hudson Village Theatre on July 10 for a 17 day run –
until July 27. “The word ‘sutra’ means lesson – and Campbell is a guy
going through a mid-life crisis, and the lesson that goes with it. It’s
a comedy with lots of laughs – although we do get a little serious at
towards the end so that the play can have a resolution.”
“We
had a stage reading of the play – where the cast members actually read
through the play. It enabled me to make some adjustments – to make the
play better.”
“When you hear your words read or acted out by
other people, you get a thrill, a sense of pride. And you’re also a
little afraid… You ask yourself - have I written drivel?” Frank honesty
of an individual who has the self-assurance and confidence to admit to
moments of self-doubt.
Rick’s other play, a musical titled
Let’s Be Frank, will debut at Theatre Lac Brome and play throughout the
summer in the theatre’s popular repertory format – which enables
theatre goers to take in at least a couple of plays over a period of a
few days. “Nicholas Pynes, (Theatre Lac Brome’s Artistic Director) does
a fine job as the piano player – I almost think that he wanted to do
this play so that he could play the piano.”
“This one is about
a Frank Sinatra imitator who begins to think he’s Frank. I let the
songs guide me in developing the play. The songs are driving the
character’s life as well as the play. I’ve always liked and admired
Frank Sinatra, and even more so after all the research that I did for
this play. He was fired by from his record company in 1952 by none
other than Mitch Miller, who went on to effectively blackball Sinatra
from being hired by another label. He got an acting job in the film
From Here To Eternity, and that performance marked the rebirth of his
career.”
Two plays being premiered, in what are arguably the
most prestigious English-speaking summer theatres. Not a bad start…
“It doesn’t hurt that I’m a known ‘quantity’ to Nicholas at Lac Brome
and Andrew in Hudson. But they still have to select plays that will be
successful, and they don’t work alone.” With the door slightly open,
Rick’s plays were subjected to the usual criteria and in the end were
selected because of their merit.
Rick is quick to state that
while he and George each have interests apart from music; their musical
partnership takes precedence over other activities. “When I was
teaching at John Abbott, a gig would take precedence and I’d find a
substitute for the time I was away. As an owner of a business, I have a
responsibility and to my partner; and George, and I also recognize that
we have other business associates who depend on us for part of their
incomes – like our agent and our soundman.”
Bowser and Blue
will be taking the stage this summer at Theatre Lac Brome as part of
the Four Anglos, which also includes satirical cartoonist Aislin and
columnist Josh Freed. The production takes a confident –albeit
long-term- outlook with the title, The 25th Century Belongs to Canada!
“We have a lot of fun with Terry and Josh, and Terry is merciless!
George and I are used to receiving audience feedback – but Terry and
Josh don't have normally a chance to experience the energy of live
audience. So the Four Anglos gives them that. George and I have a great
time with them – which is why we keep doing it.”
Rick has
three plays that are currently in the works. “I’ve learned that the
secret to being a successful playwright is to finish the damn thing! To
take something that never existed - and that now does - gives me a very
special feeling and sense of accomplishment.”
“George and I
still enjoy Bowser & Blue – and we’ll keep at it for the
foreseeable future. We’ve spent thirty years together, and we certainly
know how the other thinks. We stay out of each other’s family lives,
and I think that separation has been a good for our professional
relationship.”
At one point Rick and I take off on a discussion
about Quebec politics, the position of the English community and our
future. He is concerned about the continual erosion of our role and
profile – but like the rest of us his love for Montreal and the quality
of life outweighs the political negatives. Throwing up his hands Rick
exclaims with a mischievous glint in his eyes; “Besides – what would
George and I write about without all this – this stuff?”
As our
visit drew to a close, I asked Rick if he wanted his name to appear as
‘Ricky’ or ‘Rick’. “I think ‘Rick’ has a more grown up feel – so let’s
go with ‘Rick’. Fortunately for the rest of us who enjoy his off-beat
humour and antics, there’s a part of him that will never grow up – and
that’s good for everyone – including Ricky.
You can see Rick
Blue’s new plays this summer. Campbell’s Sutra will be presented at the
Hudson Village Theatre from July 10 – 27. For information and tickets:
450-458-5361 or www.villagetheatre.ca Let’s Be Frank will be performed
on: July 17, 18, 19, 23, & 30; August 2, 7, 12, 15, 21, & 22.at
Theatre Lac Brome. The box office number is: 1-450-242-2270 or the
website at: www.theatrelacbrome.ca The Four Anglos present The 25th
Century Belongs to Canada dates are: June 26, 27, & 28; July 24,
25, & 26; August 28, 29 & 30.
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