Johnny Canuck, a musical play by Jovanka Bach,
starring John DeYoung.

Crowley Center Theatre • 5325 Crowley Ave • Montréal
(514) 656-5672 • Limited Engagement
October 22 & 23, 2011

Johnny Canuck by Jovanka Bach  stars John DeYoung as a wandering troubadour who returns home from a nightclub engagement to find that his wife Beth has run off with another man named Bert. In Beth's farewell letter to Johnny, she asks him not to follow her, but Johnny is determined to win his wife back, so he leaves his dear daughter Lilly Sue with their Aunt Marie and begins a trek across Canada, in search of his wife.

In this musical odyssey, the tale is told through song and story by Johnny Canuck. It's a one-man-show, with a series of backdrop projections showing all the clubs and locations that Johnny travels to in search of Beth. Many of the musical compositions are original pieces by John DeYoung, while others are timeless folksongs that reflect various cultures and eras.

As Johnny follows Beth's trail, he learns that she is being corrupted by Bert, leading her into a life of drug abuse. Little by little Johnny's rage escalates into thoughts of violence. He procures a gun and plots Bert's demise and has to face himself in the process.

John DeYoung's web site

By John Jane

Johnny Canuck is a one-man-show written by the late Jovanka Bach and brought to the stage by her husband John Stark. Part revue and part musical odyssey, it's a tale of an aging troubadour who returns home from life on the road to find a "Dear John" letter from his wife Beth. Our hero is baffled as to why Beth would desert him, so he leaves the couple's 13-year-old daughter Lilly Sue with an Aunt and treks halfway across Canada in search of her. Read the review.

c r e A t i v e A r t s
pg 18 • The Independent
Aug. 24 - Aug. 30, 2011
Telling a sad story with a guitar and his smile: Johnny Canuck

By Tamara Bicknell

A musical theater show called Johnny Canuck was performed at the University of New Mexico’s Experimental Theater, with an old-fashioned air, using folk songs to tell the story.

The one-man show featured Tijeras singer and songwriter John DeYoung, who tells a sad story with his guitar and his smile. The story is about a man named Johnny, who has been left behind by his wife Beth. They have a young daughter, Lilly Sue, who gets left behind by both parents. Johnny’s songs describe his journey as a musician and his quest to gain back his wife’s affection, with each one painting the picture a little more than the last. “Lilly Sue” explained what happens to their daughter and describes his deep devotion to his kin. Other songs tell of his lost love and why she is lost.

The songs tell the audience a lot about Canadian living in another time. For example, one was called “Life in a Prairie Shack.” The backdrop for the performance was provided by a movie screen on stage showing other characters and important locations in the story.

DeYoung is the heart and soul of this play; without his performance this one-man show would not be quite as enjoyable. He is a charming performer with a strong stage presence and an enchanting voice. Paying close attention to his audience, he makes a lot of eye contact and feeds on the crowd.

His songs sounded like original Canadian folk songs, and the program was the only way to tell they are contemporary and written by DeYoung. He also produced an album called Johnny Canuck, A Musical Play by Jovanka Bach: Soundtrack.

The play premiered in Albuquerque and is headed to Vancouver, Canada next. DeYoung and his wife will present “Johnny Canuck” to the Waterfront Theater September 1-4.