“You outdid yourself. One of the best shows I have ever seen. You have incredible talent and your cast is amazing. Bravo.” – V.B.
Charlie Rhindress first saw Rita MacNeil in concert in Amherst, NS, in 1987 and he immediately became a fan. In his search for her music he discovered Rita’s first three albums which showed a side to her he had known nothing about. As opposed to this kind loving Earth mother from Cape Breton he found a strong, opinionated, willful woman who had been instrumental in the women’s movement in Canada in the 1970s, even releasing what many consider Canada’s first feminist album, Born A Woman.
Rhindress was fascinated by Rita and eventually convinced her to let him write a play about her life, Flying On Her Own, which premiered at Live Bait Theatre in 2000. Rita worked with Charlie on the play, offering suggestions and edits. The show was a huge hit and was subsequently produced at Neptune Theatre two years later.
After Rita’s death in 2013 Rhindress was approached by Formac Publishing to write a biography of Rita. The subsequent book, I’m Not What I Seem: The Many Stories of Rita MacNeil’s Life became a bestseller and was nominated for Best First Book at the Atlantic Book Awards.
Finally, in the fall of 2019 Charlie Rhindress created a musical tribute to Cape Breton’s First Lady of Song called I’m Not What I Seem: Songs and Stories of Rita MacNeil. The show was produced by Live Bait Theatre and was so well received that it was remounted in 2022 and again in 2025. The show will tour again in 2026. Dates will be posted here shortly.
This celebration of MacNeil’s music features Jennie Del Motte, Heather MacIntyre, Carley Varner-Joudrey and New Brunswick’s Queen of the Blues, Theresa Malenfant, performing over twenty of Rita’s songs. The show includes well known hits like “Working Man,” “Flying On Your Own,” and “She’s Called Nova Scotia,” as well as a number of lesser known songs.
Rhindress hosts the evening, introducing the songs, reading excerpts from his biography of Rita and telling stories about working with her on the stage version of her life story.
Del Motte, MacIntyre and Varner-Joudrey are all incredibly talented singers, actors and musicians with many years of stage experience. Malenfant has been a professional singer for over fifty years and is widely regarded as one of Canada’s best blues singers.
The performers do not attempt to impersonate Rita, but rather showcase her extraordinary songwriting talents. They not only celebrate her music but also her resilient spirit.
Clips from the Show
Below is a short promo for the show. This video is comprised of clips taken during rehearsal and live performances. We hope to have a more professionally done video available soon.
The following audio clips were taken from a live recording of the show made by our Technical Director, Chris Meaney, during our performance in Springhill, NS on Nov. 7, 2019.
Listen to Thersea Malenfant singing Rita’s powerful song, “Let the Sun Come Through.” Theresa’s version is heartbreaking and very moving.
The following video uses “She’s Called NovaScotia” from that same performance. This is Harmony Girls (aka Heather MacIntyre and Carley Varner-Joudrey) singing lead, with Theresa Malenfant providing backing vocals with Jennie Del Motte on keys.
Audience Response to the Show
Loved this show and everyone in it. It was fantastic! Hats off to all the singers and the story teller! Rita would be proud! – J.V.
We went to the Friday night show in Amherst. Great entertainment! I loved your story telling and the wonderful voices. So much we didn’t know about Rita…she gains a whole new respect. – G.Z.
Bravo Jennie Del Motte, Heather MacIntyre, Carly Varner-Joudrey and of course Theresa Malenfant and Charlie Rhindress. A musical tribute to Rita MacNeil was spectacular. – M.M.-S.
All I can say is “WOW”!!!!! Such a great night. You guys did amazing. I was so proud of you up there !!!! Thanks again for a great evening. C.S.
More About Rita
Rita MacNeil, who passed away in 2013 first came to national prominence in 1987 with her hit song, “Flying On Her Own.” At the time she was 42 years old and had been performing professionally for over twenty years. She famously won the Juno award that year as “Most Promising Female Vocalist,” beating out Celine Dion.
Previous to that Rita was well known on the folk festival circuit and was instrumental in the women’s movement in Canada. She released the country’s first feminist album, Born a Woman, in 1975. Rita faced a number of hardships on her road to success. This was often reflected in her music as many of her songs were autobiographical. She would go on to have an international career, winning multiple Juno awards and receiving countless gold albums in Canada. She also hosted her own TV show, Rita and Friends, and was made a member of the Order of Canada.