Late last year, Nelson Star editor Bob Hall put on his cowboy hat and dancing boots and threw himself into the world of community theatre.
Now the newspaperman turned thespian is up for a Ma Murray Community Newspaper Award for his coverage of the Capitol Theatre’s Christmas pantomime Showdown at the Hoedown. Hall is one of three finalists in the Arts and Culture Writing category, along with Cheryl Rossi of the Vancouver Courier and Sage Birchwater of the Williams Lake Tribune.
“It feels good to be recognized for what we are doing at this paper,” says Hall. “I may be the face of this nomination, but obviously any time something like this happens it’s more a reflection of the people that you work with and the support you get internally. This is all about the team we have working at the Nelson Star.”
After auditioning with his daughter, Hall spent two and a half months chronicling his transformation into snake oil salesman Honest John Probity in columns, articles and pictures.
For the first time actor, it was a thrilling experience.
“The entire pantomime experience was a blast,” he adds.
“Getting to take part in and get up close to a theatrical undertaking like that is fun and when you are having fun it makes it easy to write. If I actually win and have to go up on stage to accept the award, I’ll have to dig deep and remember all the stage training I took in before Showdown the Hoedown so I don’t get too nervous.”
The award winners will be announced at an April 30 ceremony at the River Rock Casino in Richmond.