By MICK HOLIEN
I am sure that many of us have been disappointed after attended some kind of concert or play or other type of entertainment that was preceded by a wealth of publicity that led one to believe to miss attending was not to participate in the Second Coming.
And that certainly was the case with Tim Ryan Rouiullier’s Saturday night performance of Play me Montana at the George and Jane Dennison Theater in Missoula.
I was completely blown away by the amount of pre-game, so to speak, publicity that Tim was able to generate and its quality and depth and you know what they were on to something.
But the night’s success came as no surprise to those close to the St Ignatius product who just flat connected for a grand slam.
Every segment of the symphonic memoir from the vocal by a several generation young cousin to the perfect duet with Nashville star Lari White to my personal favorite, Tim’s Golden Harvest, to an amazing grand finale excelled to the point of mastery.
And for Tim and his wife, Peggy, and family reaching fruition marked the culmination of support allowing Tim to reach for and celebrate seemingly a longtime dream to document his story of growing up res.
The show was arranged and composed by the noted Charlie Judge and co-written by Alex Harvey, Sharon Vaughn and Hall of Famer Charlie Black, a three-time Songwriter of the Year whose credits include Roy Orbison, Kenny Rogers, And Williams and Reba McEntire.
All that remained for the throng of about 1,000 after the lyrics of a 13-song score was to ask for more.
From an opening with Durglo Salish Drum and Dance, N’Kwusm youth Choir and Salish Native Women followed by to a traditional group of bar room honky-tonk musicians quartet of frolicking cowgirls to the masterful and powerful performance of the Missoula Symphony under the direction of Gordon Johnson.
Video and storytelling commentary was provided by Rouillier while being filmed by David King of Polson allowing the symphony to be edited for possible broadcast on PBS with the hopes of eventually taking the show on the road.
CDs with 11 songs from the performance are available and you won’t be sorry.
Just sayin’
