Fool’s Gold the Musical runs at the Edmonton Fringe Festival from Aug. 16 to 25. – submitted image
by Stephen Dafoe
The discovery of gold in the summer of 1896 in Bonanza Creek in the Yukon Territory set off the Klondike Gold Rush the following year, drawing 100,000 would-be prospectors to the area. Attendees at this year’s Edmonton Fringe Festival can revisit the Klondike era with the world premiere of Fool’s Gold the Musical, running Aug. 16 to 25.
Former Morinville Community High School student and Legal resident Daphne Charrois and her father, Dan Charrois, wrote and composed Fool’s Gold the Musical.
The show explores the Klondike journey of brothers Thomas (Aidan Spila) and Henry Montrose (Shane Watson), heirs to a legacy of generational wealth, as they pursue pride and independent fortune in the goldfields. The siblings’ path connects with Can-can dancer Charlotte Parker (Daphne Charrois), a spirited, quick-witted woman whose independence offers the Montrose brothers their only chance through the trials of the Yukon.
“Our show is truly a labour of love. We have been so fortunate to involve almost 20 members of the Edmonton Theatre Scene both onstage and behind the scenes, and each individual has brought so much to the project and believes in it wholeheartedly,” Daphne Charrois said. “We have created an adventure that is everything a story should be. Filled with everything from boot-stomping numbers to raw and intimate performances, Fool’s Gold the Musical is the brand new, original story that will leave you panning for more.”
Familiar director
Vanessa King, who directs the show, is the drama teacher at Morinville Community High School (MCHS). She and Charrois have collaborated a great deal during Charrois’s tenure at the school and since.
“It has been such a pleasure to work with Vanessa King professionally,”
Charrois said, noting she had recently worked with King on MCHS’ production of Roald Dahls’ Matilda. “getting to see the similarities and differences of working with teenagers in comparison to professional adults has been such a joy.”
Charrois said when she first started writing Fool’s Gold the Musical; she realized no one could direct the show like King would and that her former teacher had been involved since the beginning, offering feedback on scenes and songs in the initial draft right on up until they sat down at the beginning of this year to read the final draft.
“Working with Vanessa has always been such a collaborative process both as a student and now professionally, but it has been especially hands-on as the playwright and the director in terms of bringing our collective vision to life,” Charrois said. “She is so incredibly passionate and dedicated that it is impossible to want to work on anything but the show. She goes big, but it always pays off, which is why I knew she was the only option as the director.”
Working with dad
Charrois values the opportunity to write and compose a show with her father, Dan, whom she regards as one of her closest friends. She sees their collaboration as a significant and lasting achievement they created together.
“The process of writing and composing the songs took a lot longer in the beginning, but as we completed song after song, we really sped up and streamlined our process,” Charrois said. “The first song we wrote was actually the finale, Dust in the Wind. For that song, I came to him with lyrics and a melody, and he composed something beautiful based off of my silly voice memos.”
Charrois said she would provide inspiration songs and initial lyrics or melodies, often through chaotic voice memos or GarageBand files. Dan Charrois would then compose a short segment of music, which he would send back for her feedback. This back-and-forth approach, particularly for songs like High Kicking Gold and Chasing the Dream, sometimes extended over weeks and multiple versions. But they knew they had succeeded when they both agreed on the final sound.
“Being back in Alberta has been very helpful to be able to go in person and work on these songs together with my dad,” Charrois said. “I feel so grateful for all the time I got to spend with him working on this project and that people are going to finally see his original compositions and his musical genius.
Career credit to her school
Charrois has done much since her time at MCHS. Her time at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and subsequently travelling around the world aboard cruises as lead vocalist have offered her perspective both as an artist and an individual.
“I learned about all the different forms of theatre, of art, met incredible performers and creatives, and found a real love for writing and producing as well as acting,” Charrois said of her post-MCHS career.
But as far as she has gone and as far as she has yet to go, Charrois credits her career to her experience as a part of the MCHS Drama Program.
“Before I was a part of that family, I had only ever dreamed of pursuing acting as a real profession,” she said. “My time working on shows there inspired me to dream big and showed me that there was nothing else I was meant to do with my life. The professionalism and scale of MCHS productions was standard to me at the end of high school, and I carried that love for going above and beyond [in] all my endeavours after.”
Having Fool’s Gold the Musical premiere at the Edmonton Fringe Festival is another homecoming for Charrois.
“Coming back with “Fool’s Gold, the Musical” after years away of writing it in Manhattan, in coffee shops in Europe, all the way to the middle of the sea; it is the most incredible feeling,” she said. “For years, it was no more than words on a page—and now, anytime I hear the cast sing one of the songs or perform one of the scenes—I can’t help but tear up as it truly feels incredibly surreal that [it] has reached this point.”
Charrois said what makes having the show in Edmonton extraordinary is sharing the show with the community that has always supported and backed her endeavours.
“While it is truly nerve-wracking to create something and share it with anyone, it is especially vulnerable to share it with all the incredible people have been there every step of the way,” she said. “And yet, I feel ready and honoured to share this story with the community.”
For more information on Fool’s Gold the Musical or to order tickets, visit foolsgoldthemusical.com.
