Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua :: Non-Profit Tent Shows and Theatre

The Blue Canvas Orchestra & Singers The Blue Canvas Orchestra & Singers as a group have some slight variations in composition depending on the performance. Members include Band Director Ed Willett on cello, Bruce Burnside on mandolin, Tom Mitchell on percussion, Bruce Bowers on violin, Severin Behnen on piano, Cal Aultman on bass and Andy Dee on guitar & dobro. Phillip Anich, Cheryl Leah, Jack Gundeson and Sally Kessler perform vocals. Betty Ferris works her magic behind the scenes managing the big-screen visuals. There are also a number of musicians performing in certain Chautauqua Original Musicals including Randy Sabien, Mary Bondeson, Corey Carlson, Liz Woodworth, and Rowan Nelson-Ferris.
	Ed Willett Band Director Cello, Vocals One of the nation’s most accomplished cellists, Willett earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California School of Music in Los Angeles, California. He was chosen to participate in the world-renowned atigorsky master class for cellists. Ed also performs with Cheryl Leah as Chance.
	Betty Ferris Visuals Director/Projectionist/Founder As a creative partner in the Nelson-Ferris Concert Company, Betty Ferris has collaborated in the development of numerous illustrated musical histories for live performance and museum installation. She is a Communications Specialist and website editor for University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries.
	Jack Gunderson Bass, Vocals, Actor Jack Gunderson started performing as a child and has studied at the University of Minnesota and the Meadowbrook School of Music. He has performed with many musical ensembles including the Edgewater 8, Robert Shaw Chorale, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera. Find Jack on Facebook.
	Bruce Burnside Mandolin, Banjo, Vocals Holding degrees in History and English, Bruce studies the evolution and playing techniques of fretted instruments. He is the Artistic Director of Forgotten Wisdom, which specializes in school residencies using music to teach history and organizational skills. Bruce's Website
	Bruce Bowers Violin, Flute, Vocals, Electronic Woodwinds Bruce Bowers started playing in 1965 and is an accomplished musician playing numerous instruments. He has written film and television scores including "Beneath the North Atlantic," which was nominated for an Emmy. Bruce is the Producerfor Tent Show Radio. Bowers' Website, Facebook or MySpace
	Tom Mitchell Percussion, Vocals, Actor Tom is a versatile performer who excels in his work as a percussionist as well as being a fine actor, mime and vocalist. Tom and colleague Jan Lee wrote One Man’s River a play that integrates the Sioux River and musings about fishing and life. Tom has performed it at Washburn’s Stage North as well as recorded it on CD. He works part time in the Community Support program working with people with major mental illness.
	Cal Aultman Bass guitar This Grand Rapids, Minnesota native began playing the bass and guitar in 1965. In 1979 he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to join Warren Nelson and Don Pavel and form the trio that would become the Lost Nation String Band. Other career highlights include a 1991 summer tour of Soviet Georgia with the Racine Theater Guild and a U.S. tour with Shotgun Red, a Nashville based band.
	Phillip Anich BTC Operations Manager, Vocals, Actor Born and raised in Ashland, Phillip discarded a very promising career with the Postal Inspection Service for the lure of the tent. A UW-Eau Claire graduate with a BA in Political Science, Phillip's formal musical training includes several years with the Singing Statesmen. Phillip is the host of our radio show, Tent Show Radio, which airs weekly on stations around the country. Phillip's MySpace or Facebook
	Andy Dee Guitar, Dobro A founding member of Warner recording artists Molly & The Heymakers, Andy lives in the Minneapolis metro area, where he is an in-demand multi-instrumentalist, session musician, producer, and writer, for top Twin Cities and national artists such as Soul Asylum, The Proclaimers, Jonny Lang, Robby Vee, GB Leighton and others. His commercial credits include TV and radio spots for BMW, MTV, ESPN, Chipotle, United Airlines, Alamo, Walmart, John Deere, Harley, Culvers, Gedney, Target, Staples, and others. Andy's MySpace or Facebook
	Cheryl Leah Vocals Cheryl is a vocalist, composer, and a published poet and lyricist. Known in the music world for her staunch adherence to the pursuit of originality, she has gained the respect of a stunningly wide array of prominent musicians. Her voice is one of a kind. Cheryl also performs with Ed Willet as Chance.
	Dr. Severin Behnen Vocal Director, Keyboard, Accordion, Vocals Severin Behnen is a free lance jazz pianist and performer from the Minneapolis area. He has taught jazz piano performance, theory, composition and improvisation at the McPhail Center for the Arts in Minneapolis. Severin has completed several residencies at MN and WI high schools, working with students to write and arrange their own songs. Has toured and performed in Europe and Asia. Severin's Website
	Sally Kessler Vocals, Actress Sally is a regular performer in many of Big Top Chautauqua's Original Shows. She is a talented actress, singer and mime. For the past 22 years her day job has been an Educational Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Sally's Facebook