{"id":97287,"date":"2026-07-28T21:16:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T00:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/2026\/07\/28\/donair-the-musical-nova-scotias-iconic-meal-takes-centre-stage-in-cape-breton\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T21:16:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T00:16:30","slug":"donair-the-musical-nova-scotias-iconic-meal-takes-centre-stage-in-cape-breton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/2026\/07\/28\/donair-the-musical-nova-scotias-iconic-meal-takes-centre-stage-in-cape-breton\/","title":{"rendered":"Donair: The Musical: Nova Scotias iconic meal takes centre stage in Cape Breton"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Article contentFor this, MacDougall partnered with ECMA award-winning musician, songwriter and fellow playwright Duncan Wells, whose career has spanned over 40 years.Article content\u201cIn Cape Breton, he\u2019s really well known,\u201d said MacDougall. \u201cHe took the script, and there were sections of the script that we kind of thought, you know, this part of the story could be told through songs. The script would get changed and moved out, and a song would evolve from there.\u201dArticle contentDonair: The Musical was now comprised of 10 songs thanks to the help of Wells. After bringing the script around to different writers and editors who offered their own suggestions, MacDougall would have an iteration of the play he was happy with.Article contentThis was around 2019. While MacDougall hoped to bring his donair-themed musical to the stage in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to his plans.Article content\u201cYou\u2019d be lucky to have one performer on a stage,\u201d he said.Article contentHowever, MacDougall was far from done with Donair: The Musical. He wouldn\u2019t let the pandemic stop him from showing off a work that cost him and others so much time and effort. After reworking parts of the script, it was finished in 2022 and transformed into a radio play to air on Coast 89.7FM.Article contentArticle content Carol Anne Gillis is the manager of the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay. She\u2019s also a well-respected actor and a first-time director. Photo by CAROL ANNE GILLIS \/CONTRIBUTEDArticle content\u2018DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE\u2019Article contentThen, in the spring of 2025, MacDougall spoke with the manager of the Savoy Theatre, Carol Anne Gillis.Article content\u201cIt might have been during an Adam Baldwin show,\u201d said Gillis in an interview. \u201cHe just came up to me and casually said, \u2018How do you feel about directing Donair: The Musical?\u2019\u201dArticle contentGillis has been involved in theatre for decades as an actor with experience in DIY productions in Toronto\u2019s fringe festival scene. Since moving back to Cape Breton in 2008, she\u2019s been involved in many community theatre productions, but almost always as an actor. This is her first time directing a production.Article content\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a challenge,\u201d said Gillis. \u201cBecause I\u2019ve played an actor in most other (productions), that\u2019s the perspective I\u2019m coming at it from, an actor\u2019s point of view. It made me keenly aware of things, like making sure I use people\u2019s time effectively.\u201dArticle contentWhile it\u2019s a learning experience for Gillis, it\u2019s been rewarding, especially since the cast is made up of various volunteer actors \u2014 some new to the stage, and others accustomed to the limelight.Article contentArticle content\u201cWe\u2019re all equal, and that\u2019s really helped out in terms of our atmosphere and our energy,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving that kind of camaraderie, that we\u2019re all the same. We\u2019re all in a team, together.\u201dArticle content Musical director Adam Young, left, rehearses with actors Margaret MacPherson and Tristan Baxter on the Savoy Theatre stage for Donair: The Musical. Photo by PAUL MACDOUGALL \/CONTRIBUTEDArticle content\u2018GOING TO BE A BIG HIT\u2019Article contentIncluded in the production is pianist Adam Young, who has joined up as musical director.Article content\u201cHe\u2019s a fantastic pianist who plays all around the island during the summer,\u201d said Gillis. \u201cThis is his first introduction to being a music director, so we\u2019re both pretty new to it.\u201dArticle contentA casting call helped find not just actors to play the roles, but coincidentally led to them netting a choreographer in actor Sarah Walker, who Gillis has worked with in the past.Article content\u201cI worked with her when she was eight years old,\u201d said Gillis. \u201cNow she\u2019s a 25-year-old choreographer and actor.\u201dArticle contentAt this point, MacDougall said he and Wells are sitting back as the production goes forward with rehearsals, readying for the August show dates at the Glace Bay theatre. Yet, he\u2019s never been more excited to see his work come to the stage.Article content\u201cPeople are going to absolutely love it,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a big hit.\u201dArticle contentTickets for the musical can be purchased on the Savoy Theatre\u2019s website starting at $45. Shows begin at 7 p.m.Article content<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article contentFor this, MacDougall partnered with ECMA award-winning musician, songwriter and fellow playwright Duncan Wells, whose career has spanned over 40 years.Article content\u201cIn Cape Breton, he\u2019s really well known,\u201d said MacDougall. \u201cHe took the script, and there were sections of the script that we kind of thought, you know, this part of the story could [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219,"featured_media":97288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,590,1],"tags":[116,589],"class_list":["post-97287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-indigenous","category-newfoundland-and-labrador","category-uncategorized","tag-indigenous","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/219"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}