The latest musical being done by a Manitowoc acting organization will feature a uniquely sounding orchestra.
Woodwind Player James Gresl has played his instruments in multiple productions in the U.S. Now he’s come to the Clipper City to help the orchestra in the Masquers rendition of Come From Away.
The show opens tonight at the Capitol Civic Center beginning at 7:00 p.m.
During the show, audience members will hear Gresl’s 18 woodwind instruments played from a penny whistle all the way to an Irish Flute.
Gresl tells Seehafernews.com that he started as a clarinet player after artist Benny Goodman inspired him.
He then started listening to Irish Folk music, which he says had its heyday in the 1850’s in countries like Ireland.
“Then it has continued with many revivals,” he explained. “If you think of Riverdance, the music that accompanies that. A lot of Irish pubs will have people sitting around playing music with fiddles, and accordions, and flutes and whistles.”
Irish Folk music ended up in the U.S. and Canada, specifically on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.
That is where Come From Away takes place, as 38 planes had to be diverted to the community of Gander due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The residents there would come together to help the thousands of people on the planes survive a multi-day layover.
The “plane people” would also be treated to an open bar and music.
Gresl says that a type of Irish Folk music would be heard over there.
“(The writers) were trying to capture that environment through the folk music,” he described. “So it has a little mix of Irish and maybe what we would consider country.”
Gresl says it’s the first time he’s played in an orchestra for Come From Away and he’s very happy with how things have been going.
The Masquers are putting on two more performances after tonight.
The second takes place again at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday matinee starting at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets can be found at cccshows.org.
