When the gang from Richard Scarry’s Busytown arrives at the Sid Williams Theatre on Sunday, they will have a familiar voice among them.
Huckle Cat and Sally Cat, two of the main characters in the show are voiced by Comox Valley native Erin Walker, a Rainbow Youth Theatre alumnus and Vanier grad, who has completed the Musical Theatre Program at Capilano University.
“Ever since I joined Rainbow Youth Theatre when I was 11, I knew that acting was what I wanted to do. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have Lori Mazey as my drama teacher ... she taught me so much, and always inspired me to work as hard as I could on something,” Walker shares.
A personal friend, who was in charge of finding voice actors for the show, knew she had completed cartoon and voiceover work as part of her classes at Capilano University and asked if she would be interested.
“Of course, I said yes! I had to make a demo tape and send it to Winnipeg so the head of the company could decide if they liked my voice or not,” Walker explains. “I originally voiced three characters on the demo tape, but ended up voicing two, Huckle Cat and Sally Cat, and only doing the singing for the third character, Hilda Hippo.
“My sister and I used to read the books together when we were little so reading the script was very nostalgic for me. I was very excited to voice Huckle Cat and Sally Cat because they were two of my favourite characters. They are just so funny and cute!”
Walker encourages everyone to see the show, “I think this show is great ... it has really fun music and lovable characters. It also teaches kids about sharing, helping others, and safety. You can't go wrong!”
Richard Scarry’s Busytown will be on stage live at the Sid Williams Theatre on Sunday, April 22 for shows at 1 and 4 p.m. Get your tickets at the Sid, by phone at 250-338-2430, or online at www.sidwilliamstheatre.com.
Every ticket purchased gets an entry sheet for the Busytown colouring contest courtesy of sponsor Nicole Deters of Investors Group. If you’ve purchased a ticket and did not receive a colouring sheet, visit the Sid Ticket Centre to pick up an entry form. Winners will be randomly drawn at the end of intermission for each show to win a Busytown prize!
— Sid Williams Theatre