Project Description

THE CHRISTIAN REPUBLICAN FUNDRAISER IN DAYTON TENNESSEE

Days before the 2008 presidential election, a group of left wing protesters have infiltrated a secret Republican Fundraiser in the guise of the band “God’s Country”, intent on changing the minds of the top Republicans with their activist country songs and “Three Chords and the Truth”. This country rock musical won Best of Fringe at the 2008 Toronto Fringe, had an extended run at the Diesel Playhouse, and went on to a full length version of the show produced at Talk is Free in Barrie as “Red Fightin’ Blue”.

Full length Country Rock Musical (4M, 2F)

PRODUCTION HISTORY:
2008 – Toronto Fringe, Cameron House, July 2 – 13.
2008 – Best of Fringe, Diesel Playhouse, July 23 –27.
2010 – Talks is Free Theatre, Barrie, May 6 – 15.

LISTEN TO SHOW DEMOS:

DEMO RECORDING CREDITS: Jonny Ellul as Keith backed up by Jason Chesworth as Jackson on Guitar, recorded at CBC Radio.

Jason Chesworth as Jackson and Jackie English as Deborah, design by Joanna Yu, from the production directed by Ed Sahely and Grant Tilly

Grant-Tilly

This show was a blast to write. Being raised in Calgary I was surrounded by Country music, and it’s a genre I love but that’s also a lot of fun to poke fun at. We first performed this musical as a site-specific show in the Cameron House in Toronto, a perfect venue with it’s history of roots and country music and for this musical’s “concert style” form. Check out the talented folks singing “She Loves She” as part of an interview we did with the CBC during the Fringe Run. 

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COMMISSION/GRANTS:

This show was developed through an Ontario Arts Council Theatre Creators’ Recommender Grant.

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REVIEWS:

Read full reviews by clicking here!

“The trouble with most Fringe musicals is that they have a witty book and an appalling score. The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee turns that cliché on its ear. The book is far from appalling, although it’s basically connective tissue between the songs, but ah, what songs!

Grant Tilly knows how to write country-rock, not cheap parody. This show’s score is more tuneful than most large-scale Canadian musicals we’ve snored through in recent years… What you can’t teach is Tilly’s gift of writing a song that sticks with you the minute you hear it and happily stays in your ear long after you leave the theatre.”

RICHARD OUZOUNIAN, TORONTO STAR (JUL 3, 2008)
“…Here’s the first reason why the show is great: at its core, it carries an impressively nuanced political message. Political change is all about speaking to actual people and the circumstances of their lives, not endless browbeating with hackneyed slogans and high-minded ideals…Reason the second why Christian Republican Fundraiser rocks: the music is amazing.”
GRAEME STEWART, BLOG TO (JUL 14, 2008)
“A giant hit this year is The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee, a hilarious country rock musical by Grant Tilly. With toe-tapping songs like “Mormons Won’t You Love Your Gay Children?” and “Outbreed the Red Whites to Blue”, how can this show miss?”

CRITICS PICK: NNNN  (The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee) “Inspired songwriting and a tight live band make this show a real humdinger.”

JORDAN BIMMS, NOW MAGAZINE, TORONTO (JUL 6, 2008)