North Country Opera: The Movie

Since its first staging in 1982, North Country Opera, the perennially popular, feel-good folk musical about life and love in northern Michigan, has delighted legions of fans, including a knock-out, sold-out performance at the Ludington Area Center for the Arts (LACA) in the fall of 2022.

The North Country Opera will return to LACA Friday, Nov. 15 for a screening of the North Country Opera: Live at The Ark, recorded at the Ark in Ann Arbor in 2022, capturing every musical note, comedic line, and bar-stool wise crack in high fidelity. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. screening can be purchased at LACA or online at www.ludingtonartscenter.org are just $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Those who wear plaid to the performance will receive a $5 discount on tickets purchased at the door or a $5 ticket voucher to be used at an upcoming LACA performance. As part of a new promotion with Jamesport Brewing Co. and Ludington Bay Brewing, all tickets purchased at LACA will include a coupon for $2 off your first pint at either establishment. This special offer is good for 30 days from concert date on front of ticket.

North Country Opera Productions is donating all profits from the recording (such as ticket or DVD sales) to organizations that support performing arts or environmental conservation in Michigan.

The recording of the musical premiered at the historic Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor in late 2023. It’s now available to audiences across the state, drawing a new generation of fans.

The change in format, from live theater to the big screen, allows viewers some advantages. Five cameras capture details that may have gone unnoticed from theater seats, and the sound has been engineered, mixed and mastered so that every note is crystal clear.

North Country Opera is a folk musical by renowned Michigan playwright and song writer and former Ludington resident, Jay Stielstra.

Set in the Buckhorn Bar in northern Michigan, it is the north country’s own version of a timeless love story: a young man falls in love with the beauty of the northern woods and rivers – and the woman he meets there. After leaving for the big city to pursue bigger and better things, he realizes how much he misses the two loves he left behind.

It is a loving tribute to the people and culture of northern Michigan: fishing for trout in the cold rivers, hunting for birds in the autumn woods, snowmobiling in the winter. (And of course, the comradery and wit of local characters found in a favorite tavern.)

North Country Opera has been produced more than any other of Stielstra’s plays. It premiered in 1982 as the second play ever produced at the original Performance Network in Ann Arbor. Since then, it has been revived in 1992, 1993, and 2003 in Ann Arbor, and has toured across Northern Michigan: Petosky, Mackinaw Island, Escanaba, Frankfurt, and Cheboygan. A sequel, North Country Opera Continued, premiered at the Ark in 2003 to rave reviews.

North Country Opera Productions is donating all profits from the recording (such as ticket or DVD sales) to organizations that support performing arts or environmental conservation in Michigan.

ABOUT THE 40 TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

The 2022 tour played in Cheboygan, Ludington, Leland, Mancelona, and Ann Arbor. With one exception, every venue sold to capacity. Ron Miller, who directed several of the earlier productions of both North Country Opera and North Country Opera Continued, returned to direct the 40th anniversary revival. He worked with playwright Jay Stielstra to make some tweaks to the original script, but kept the original storyline intact.

The play includes some of Stielstra’s most memorable folk songs – including I Love Two Rivers, Heaven for Me, The Boats Came in to Ludington and more – all performed by a cast of Michigan musical and theater luminaries: starring Rochelle Clark and Brad Phillips with Chris Buhalis, Kristi Davis, Peter Knox, Christina McMullen, David Menefee, and Italy-based artist Aaron Stielstra. The Buckhorn Bar Band features Music Director Judy Banker with Michigan music favorites David Roof, Grant Flick and Charlie Reischl.

ABOUT JAY STIELSTRA

Jay Stielstra wrote songs, plays, and poems that capture the natural beauty of Michigan for nearly 50 years. He passed away March 1, 2024.

Among many accolades for his work, Stielstra was awarded a Special Legislative Tribute by the State of Michigan in 2017 recognizing his lifetime of “artistic brilliance and unwavering dedication to protecting Michigan’s unique environment and natural resources for generations to come.”

At a memorial celebration of his life, he received a Special Gubernatorial Tribute from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist to honor his memory, noting “his life and legacy will be forever cherished in the hearts of all those that were touched by his kindness, inspired by his passion, and uplifted by his unwavering dedication to making a positive impact.”

The Ludington Area Center for the Arts is a 501c3 Not for Profit that strives to foster a community where arts and culture bring us together, feed the creative spirit, and fuel community growth. Located at 107 S. Harrison St. in downtown Ludington, Mich. LACA offers monthly exhibits, with first Friday of the month opening receptions; and a wide assortment performances and workshops. Art Shop 107 by LACA serves as the art center’s gift shop and features amazing original artwork from LACA members, perfect for gifts or home décor. For more information about LACA visit www.ludingtonartscenter.org.

Host or Publisher LACA - Ludington Area Center for the Arts