Billy Bishop Goes to War was a
musical drama, written by
John
Gray and
Eric Peterson (
music and
lyrics by
John Gray),
describing the life of
Billy Bishop --
Canadian World War I
flying ace and
legend.
Billy Bishop Goes to War premiered at the Vancouver East
Cultural Centre in association with Tamahnous Theatre, November 3,
1978. John Gray directed and played the
pianist/narrator and Eric Peterson played Billy Bishop (as well
as a number of other characters). The play toured Canada, visiting virtually every major theatre and
hit Broadway, opening at the Morosco Theatre May 29, 1980 and
closing Jun 7, 1980 after seven previews and twelve
performances. The musical has been revived upwards of 150 times, including
a very well-received revival in 1998 by Canadian Stage starring
the original cast). Regarding its success, Peterson
said:
"Even though we have become this great globalized exporter of whatever,
there is still a huge part of our psyche that's not very comfortable
with that. We still long to hear someone say 'Moose Jaw'. It's simplistic,
but it's there ... the need to be verified in your own cultural images.
It's very strong and it's a very healthy
instinct."1
Billy Bishop Goes to War has received the
Governor General's Award,
the
Chalmers Award, and the
Los Angeles Drama Critics Award.
Billy Bishop Goes to War was made into a movie by the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation in 2000.
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre:
- http://www.canadiantheatre.com
- Internet Broadway Database:
- http://www.ibdb.com
- Northern Stars Magazine:
- http://www.northernstarsmag.com
1 Eric Peterson, as quoted by Peg Hill.
Eric Peterson:
Simply Canadian.
Northern Stars Magazine.
2001. At (http://www.northernstarsmag.com/peterson.html).
May 26, 2002.