Gold Fever Follies historic musical comedy show is once again filled with exciting characters and a screenplay based on Rossland’s Gold Rush days.
So, what would it be like to be offered a step back in time to the era of 1890’s?
Just ask a Seven Summits Centre for Learning alumna Michaela Mclean as she dances through her first year with the iconic musical show.
Michaela is a preforming arts student at the Canadian College of Preforming Arts in Victoria, where she studies singing, dancing, and acting.
I was fortunate enough to interview her during a busy performance schedule with shows twice a day Tuesday through Saturday at the Miners Hall.
“As a competitive Nordic skier, I went to high school at 7S where I was surrounded by inspiring people who supported me to participate and follow my dreams,” said Mclean.
The Gold Fever Follies production this year is about workplace gender equality, or the truest representation of the female plight.
“The Great Invention” was written to include the female realities and struggles during the Gold Rush era. The show fictionally spotlights the aspirations of the women in Rossland, including the story to which the title refers.
Attempting to have women integrate into a male-controlled period and breakdown barriers about accepting female inventions, proving abilities, and changing social perceptions about women, the show attempts to expose the bias of the era that women were just there to dance and bartend for men versus having real purpose and leadership.
Her character Poppy Smits is a young orphan girl who wants desperately to enter a skating competition, but her older overly protective brother disagrees.
“I always had an interest in dance and preforming arts,” said Michaela. “A parallel likeness to my character Poppy who has to work hard to be the best she can be to prove to the others she can live her dreams.”
When asked what career she plans to pursue with her degree, Michaela thought she may want to become a teacher or transfer her creative skills to help others attain their dreams. For now, Michaela is not certain what the future will hold for her in the preforming arts; but one thing is for sure she is going to give it all she’s got to make her dreams come true.
Watch our 7S alumna in action by catching the show Tuesday through Saturday at the Miners Hall at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Buy tickets at www.goldfeverfollies.com/online-tickets.
For more info go to www.rosslandmuseum.ca/essays/follies
Read: Gold Fever Follies back with The Great Invention
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