After being featured in a slew of festivals in Canada and abroad, Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera will make its way to Yellowknife this weekend for its northernmost production yet.
The one-man show is written entirely in rhyme and follows the story of two brothers and hip hop superstars.
Practically speaking, in order to play two different characters it鈥檚 similar to the way people change their voice or gestures to recount a story, explained Sebastien Heins, the show鈥檚 creator and performer.
鈥淚n Brotherhood it鈥檚 a bit more of a dramatic more physically exciting way of switching between characters,鈥� said Heins. On stage, he switches between the two characters in an instant by playing up their physical and audible differences.
When Heins was a student at the National Theatre School of Canada, he was tasked with putting together a one-man fifteen-minute show based on a burning, personal question.
鈥淎s an only child, my inspiration was that I鈥檝e always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, in particular, a brother,鈥� he said.
Inspired by that idea, Heins built a story around it. The now 60-minute production of Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera was born out of that first 15-minute version.
鈥淚 knew that there was more story to tell, so we built two more acts onto it, so it would be a three-episode show,鈥� he said.
The first episode takes the audience back to the 1970s to tell the story of how the brothers鈥� parents met, with the backdrop of Motown, soul and funk music.
鈥淛ust to show why the boys became the way they are and how they became superstars,鈥� Heins said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to give things away but it鈥檚 about family and the good and bad things that we inherit from our families and from society too.鈥�
The two brothers are the product of some beautiful music, but also deal with tragedy and struggles like substance use.
鈥淭hey kind of embody the best of both worlds,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he hope of great music and the sorrow of social degradation.鈥�
A main message of the show is about the importance of family, said Heins.
鈥淚 hope that it will stir people to a particular action actually which is to reach out to the family that they have,鈥� he said.
It鈥檚 cliche to say you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檝e got until it鈥檚 gone, but it's worth repeating, said Heins.
鈥淚 hope that after people see the show they鈥檒l pick up the phone and call their mom, call their dad, call their brother or sister or grandparent they haven鈥檛 seen in a while and just reconnect with them.鈥�
The show鈥檚 title, Brotherhood is also a synonym for a lot of different things, said Heins.
鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 less about male relationships and more about the brotherhood of man and of humans. It鈥檚 a unity that we all have, that we鈥檙e connected in this brief but amazing life.鈥�
Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera comes to the on Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for seniors and youth.
Watch the trailer .
