Calamity Jane

In their 90th anniversary year the company chose this well–loved show – a first for them. From the opening bars of the overture, with Calamity Jane fighting off an Indian attack from an onstage coach, to the finale medley it rattled along at a whip-cracking pace. Debbie McDonnell was magnificent in the title role, capturing perfectly both the tom boyishness of the character in Act 1 and the more feminine side in Act 2 as demonstrated in a spine–tingling rendition of “My Secret Love”. She was equally matched by Inverness’s answer to Howard Keel, Martin Anderson as Wild Bill Hickok as demonstrated in their duet “I Can Do Without You”. I also was impressed by his rendition of “Higher Than A Hawk”. Excellent performances were also given by Alison Ozog as Katie Brown, the aspiring actress, and Trevor Nicol as her beau, the dashing Lieutenant Danny Gilmartin. Pete Bullock McKie, as vaudevillian Francis (with an “i”) Fryer, had the audience in hoots of laughter with his rendition of “Hive Full of Honey”. Sasha Devine was an elegant diva Adelaide Adams and made the most of her cameo appearance. Strong support was given by Gordon Taylor (Saloon owner Henry Miller), Jo Galloway (his niece Susan) and Ian Shearer (Doc). Company singing and dancing were both first-rate and there was an energetic and saucy Can-Can from the six saloon girls which was greeted with wolf-whistles from both the men onstage and those in the audience! Well done to everyone at Inverness Opera Company. The standing ovation was richly deserved!

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