University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Islan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Melissa
      Buote
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rita
      and
      Friends
      is
     
     
      an
      entertainment
      establish-
     
     
      ment
      presented
      to
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      public
      by
      CBC
     
     
      Television
      every
      Friday
      at
     
     
      eight
      o’clock
      at
      night.
      The
     
     
      show
      features
      Nova
      Scotian
     
     
      folk
      singing
      super
      star
      Rita
     
     
      McNeil
      and
      a
      bevy
      of
      other
     
     
      Canadian
      musicians,
      each
     
     
      performing
      one
      or
      two
     
     
      songs
      in
      the
      run
      of
      an
      hour.
     
    

    
     
      Over
      the
      years,
      this
     
     
      show
      has
      brought
      the
     
     
      cream
      of
      the
      crop
      of
     
     
      Canadian
      musicians
      to
      its
     
     
      viewers
      --
      these
      acts
      rang-
     
     
      ing
      from
      Quebecois
      heart
     
     
      throb
      Roch
      Voisine,
      to
     
     
      country’s
      Prairie
      Oyster,
      to
     
     
      pop
      megastars
      Sloan
      and
     
     
      the
      quirky
      Barenaked
      La-
     
     
      dies.
      With
      a
      rating
      that
      is
     
     
      proportionate
      in
      Canada
      to
     
     
      the
      combined
      total
      of
     
     
      viewers
      for
      both
      The
      To-
     
     
      night
      Show
      and
      Late
      Night
     
     
      with
      David
      Letterman
     
     
      (which
      combined
      is
      10
     
     
      million
      viewers
      in
      the
     
     
      USA),
      Rita
      and
      Friends
      isa
     
     
      powerhouse
      in
      the
      field
      of
     
     
      entertainment.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      show
      is
      a
     
     
      process
      with
      both
      Rita
      and
     
     
      the
      producer
      [creator
      and
     
     
      executive
      producer
      Sandra
     
     
      Faire]
      and
      myself,”
      stated
     
     
      Associate
      Producer
      Millan
     
     
      Curry-Sharples,
      who
      is
      in
     
     
      charge
      of
      the
      performers
      on
     
     
      Rita
      and
      Friends.
      “[The
     
     
      show]
      appeals
      to
      a
      broad
     
     
      based
      audience
      --
      from
      kids
     
     
      to
      their
      parents.
      It
      is
     
     
      intended
      to
      expose
      differ-
     
     
      ent
      genres
      of
      music
      to
     
     
      people
      who
      will
      only
      listen
     
     
      to
      one
      type.”
      -
     
    

    
     
      Contrary
      to
      the
     
     
      popular
      belief
      that
      this
     
     
      show
      is
      taped
      in
      front
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      audience
      on
      a
      single
     
     
      day,
      it
      is
      not.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      got
      there
      at
     
     
      7am
      and
      left
      at
      nine
      and
      it
     
     
      was
      all
      way
      too
      early
      to
     
     
      rock,”
      said
      Brad
      Barker,
     
     
      bassist
      for
      The
      Pursuit
      of
     
     
      Happiness
      during
      an
      inter-
     
     
      view
      on
      CIMN
      radio
      in
     
     
      October
      of
      1995.
      “And
     
     
      there
      was
      no
      Rita
      and
      no
     
     
      audience,”
      added
      TPOH
     
     
      front
      man,
      Moe
      Berg.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      only
      do
      a
     
     
      few
      with
      the
      whole
      audi-
     
     
      ence
      there
      and
      then
      they
      do
     
     
      a
      few
      where
      they
      just
      get
     
     
      like
      people
      from
      their
     
     
      offices
      to
      sit
      in
      the:
      front
     
     
      row,
      so
      when
      they
      shoot
     
     
      [the
      camera]
      from
      behind,
     
     
      it
      looks
      like
      there
      are
     
     
      people,”
      continues
      Barker,
     
     
      “but
      she
      was
      nice
      enough
      to
     
     
      have
      us
      on
      her
      show.”
     
    

    
     
      “We
      were
      on
      it
      [the
     
     
      first
      time]
      and
      there
      was
      no
     
     
      audience.
      We
      shot
      it
      at
      like
     
     
      seven
      in
      the
      morning.
      This
     
     
      time
      [the
      second
      time]
      we
     
     
      were
      on
      at
      like
      ten
      in
      the
     
     
      morning,
      and
      there
      was
      a
     
     
      small
      audience,”
      stated
     
     
      Laura
      Stein
      of
      Halifax
      pop
     
     
      band
      Jale.
      “There
      wasn’t
     
     
      all
      the
      cheering
      they
      pre-
     
     
      tended
      was
      on
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      She
      adds
      to
      her
     
     
      thoughts
      that
      “the
      less
     
     
      people
      have
      heard
      of
      you,
     
     
      the
      less
      mainstream
      you
     
     
      are,
      and
      the
      less
      records
     
     
      you
      have
      sold,
      the
      earlier
     
     
      you
      are
      [in
      the
      studio
     
     
      recording].”
     
    

    
     
      At
      first
      Curry-
     
     
      Sharples
      did
      not
      want
      to
     
     
      comment
      on
      the
      taping
      of
     
     
      the
      show
      because,
      as
      he
     
     
      commented,
      “I
      don’t
      want
     
     
      everyone
      to
      know
      how
      it’s
     
     
      done.”
      Eventually
      he
     
    
   
   
    
     
      urveying
      hiédents
      ince
      1969
     
    
   
   
    
     
      conceded
      that
      the
      audience
     
     
      is
      generally
      made
      up
      of
     
     
      fifty
      to
      sixty
      people
      and
     
     
      that
      the
      bands
      are
      taped
      all
     
     
      through
      they
      day
      with
      only
     
     
      one
      act
      taping
      at
      night
     
     
      along
      with
      Rita.
     
    

    
     
      “{It
      is]
      a
      fact.
      They
     
     
      are
      coming
      in
      at
      seven,
      but
     
     
      they
      can
      go
      home
      and
     
     
      sleep.
      In
      order
      to
      make
      it
     
     
      look
      and
      sound
      as
      good
      as
      it
     
     
      does,
      we
      have
      to
      devote
      as
     
     
      much
      time
      as
      possible
      to
     
     
      each
      band.
      I
      don’t
      like
      the
     
     
      seven
      o’clock
      starts
      either,
     
     
      but
      they
      are
      a
      necessary
     
     
      evil.”
     
    

    
     
      Having
      bands
      play
     
     
      at
      seven
      with
      a
      sparse
     
     
      audience,
      however,
      is
      not
     
     
      ill
      treatment
      in
      the
      eyes
      of
     
     
      the
      Associate
      Producer.
     
     
      “They
      [the
      bands]
      are
      so
     
     
      pampered
      and
      taken
      care
      of
     
     
      that
      they
      can’t
      believe
      it.
     
     
      That
      is
      so
      important
      to
      me.
     
     
      I
      don’t
      care
      if
      you’ve
      sold
     
     
      two
      million
      albums
      or
      if
     
     
      this
      is
      your
      first
      independ-
     
     
      ent
      record.
      We
      want
     
     
      people
      to
      come
      band
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      show,
      so
      we
      don’t
      want
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      to
      have
      a
      bad
      time.”
     
    

    
     
      “To
      tear
      one
      band
     
     
      down
      and
      set
      up
      the
      next
     
     
      takes
      thirty
      to
      fourty
      min-
     
     
      utes.
      You
      can’t
      have
      an
     
     
      audience
      sit
      there
      for
      that
     
     
      long.
      We
      are
      doing
      the
     
     
      equivalent
      of
      4
      Juno
      [award
     
     
      shows]
      every
      night
      because
     
     
      we
      have
      four
      acts
      a
      night.
     
     
      For
      us
      to
      pull
      off
      what
      we
     
     
      do
      is
      pretty
      astounding
      but
     
     
      we
      have
      one
      of
      the
      top
     
     
      technical
      crews
      in
      the
     
     
      Country.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      presentation
      of
     
     
      the
      acts
      on
      the
      show
      is
      not
     
     
      thought
      of
      as
      misleading
     
     
      the
      audience
      to
      believe
      it
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      V.FE./,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Panther
      Prints
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      21,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rita
      McNeil:
      Flying
      on
      Her
      Own?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rita
      McNeil
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      a
      live
      music
      variety
     
     
      show
      in
      Curry-Sharples’
     
     
      opinion.
      “That’s
      just
     
     
      people
      who
      don’t
      know
     
     
      about
      the
      entire
      recording
      ~
     
     
      process.
      I
      don’t
      think
      most
     
     
      people
      care.
      [It
      is
      done
      this
     
     
      way]
      to
      make
      the
      artist
     
     
      come
      across
      to
      the
      viewer
     
     
      the
      best
      they
      can
      look
      and
     
     
      sound.
      Everyone
      who
     
     
      comes
      on
      the
      show
      sees
      an
     
     
      increase
      in
      record
      sales
      the
     
     
      next
      weekend.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Production
      and
      al-
     
     
      bum
      sales
      aside,
      the
      noted
     
     
      absence
      of
      Rita
      McNeil
      at
     
     
      tapings
      was
      also
      mentioned
     
     
      in
      both
      interviews.
      “She
     
     
      wasn’t
      there.
      She
      probably
     
    
   
   
    
     
      :
      wasn’t
      even
      up,”
      stated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stein.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      don’t
      think
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      majority
      of
      people
      who
     
     
      don’t
      see
      Rita,”
      counters
     
     
      Curry-Sharples,
      “if
      they
     
     
      want
      to
      see
      her,
      she
      always
     
     
      says
      to
      have
      them
      come
     
     
      over.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      the
      dubbed
      in
     
     
      applause
      and
      questionable
     
     
      number
      of
      people
      in
      any
     
     
      given
      act’s
      audience,
      it
     
     
      makes
      one
      question
      the
     
     
      validity
      of
      Rita
      and
      Friends’
     
     
      presentation
      to
      the
      average
     
     
      Candian
      viewer.
      Content
      is
     
     
      not
      everything
      when
      it
     
     
      comes
      to
      a
      show
      like
      this.
     
     
      Although
      the
      content
      is
     
     
      very
      high
      quality,
      the
     
     
      pretense
      with
      which
      Rita
     
     
      and
      Friends
      is
      shown
     
     
      undermines
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Construction
      underway
      at
      Cass
      Building.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SBS
      STL
      ES
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      SEGRE