-by John Gillis
Heather Rankin can hardly believe it’s been 26 years since the last time she appeared in the Cape Breton Summertime Revue.
It was 1989 and just before her successful career as a member of The Rankin Family was about to begin.
Although Heather has been a singer and step dancer all her life, acting was her first choice upon completing high school at Mabou Consolidated. She went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in theatre and fine arts from Acadia University in Wolfville before her musical career with The Rankins took flight.
Last weekend Heather and the cast and crew of The Cape Breton Summertime Revue Next Generation got together for a couple of days in Sydney to begin work on this year’s show.
“We did some workshopping and improv for a couple of days and we had a chance to discuss some of the current issues impacting Cape Breton at the moment. Being there from the very beginning to develop the show is a new experience for me as the last time I was handed a script,” said Rankin.
Rankin credits The Summertime Revue for helping to launch the careers of so many Cape Breton artists over the years.
She said she’s excited that she’ll be working with a tremendously talented band and plenty of emerging Cape Breton talent, including fellow Mabou native Peter MacInnis.
Rankin is also looking forward to performing one of her own songs in the production.
“That will be exciting for me,” she added.
Heather says she’s been travelling back and forth to Los Angeles over the past year to record a new album with Canadian born Juno Award-winning musician and producer, David Tyson.
Music fans may recognize Tyson for his writing and production work with Alannah Myles and Amanda Marshall with songs like Black Velvet and Birmingham.
“I had collected a lot of traditional material and had spoken to a number of producers but I really hit it off with David after meeting him. I come from a traditional and folk background and he is such a great player and comes from the pop and rock world. He has some classical interests and he also really loves The Beatles. He really encouraged me to make a record of original material so we began writing together. I have 11 tracks completed and mixed but since it’s been independently produced I’m not under any deadline. I’m not in any particular rush to get it out. I’m in discussion with some labels at the moment so we’ll see where that goes,” said Rankin.
The recording project is new ground for Heather, stepping out without the help of her siblings. She had a chance to explore that as a performer last summer as part of the inaugural KitchenFest at Cape Breton’s Gaelic College.
“I was honoured to be asked to put something together for that. They’re mounting the KitchenFest again this summer in various Cape Breton communities in the early part of the tourist season,” Rankin added.
Rankin says she’s also grateful to fellow Cape Bretoner Bruce Guthro for doing some songwriter circle gigs with her.
“That’s been a great new learning experience for me and to have a guitar player and songwriter of Bruce’s caliber is wonderful,” Heather added.
In recent years Heather has also had the opportunity to pursue her acting career. She credits John Dunsworth, Emmy Alcorn and playwright Daniel MacIvor for helping create some of those opportunities.
Heather was cast in two of Daniel McIver’s plays, Bingo , which was put on at Neptune Theatre in Halifax in the fall of 2012 and Small Things, which was workshopped in Chester in the summer of 2013.
Rankin also had a starring role in Michael Melski’s play, Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, which also played to great reviews at Neptune Theatre in the fall of 2013.
“I’ve been so busy with this recording project that I haven’t pursued some of the acting opportunities over the past year but I’m still open to it,” she added.
The Savoy Theatre recently announced the cast of The Cape Breton Summertime Revue - The Next Generation: Peter MacInnis, Stephanie Hennessey, Margaret MacPherson, Jordan Musycsyn and special guest, Heather Rankin. Revue alumnus Maynard Morrison will direct, Ed MacDonald is head writer.
Show dates for The Cape Breton Summertime Revue - The Next Generation are
August 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.
