The Ultimate County Kid

Who is the most County of them all?

Seven County kids face off in a nail-biting contest to see who is worthy of the title “Ultimate County Kid”, with the number being whittled down at each stage of the competition on live TV as the losers are “voted off the island” by a panel of steely-eyed judges. That’s the premise of a new musical play, The Ultimate County Kid, by Megan Hutton, currently being staged by the Marysburgh Mummers at Mount Tabor Playhouse in Milford.

The play had its genesis last year when Ms. Hutton was volunteering at another production at Mount Tabor. She was talking to other members of the Mummers about bringing back an allages musical to the Mount Tabor stage. They were keen on the idea, but said the rights to a musical were well beyond their budget. “Why don’t you write your own?” Ms. Hutton responded. “You’re a songwriter, why don’t you write one?” replied Mummers board president Jennifer Sills. And so the die was cast. An anonymous donor provided funding for the project and Ms. Hutton got to work. By the end of 2025 she had a script and score to present to the Mummers board. She said she took inspiration from Suzanne Pasternak’s Minerva. “I wanted to get my inner Suzanne on and write a County musical, something that had the charm of ‘old County’ and all the heart of ‘new County’ a well. It had to appeal to all ages and be relatable,” she said. Auditions for the play took place in late January, and rehearsals began at the end of March.

Ms. Sills, who is the producer for this play, was absolutely thrilled with the script and the score. “The music is awesome. It is beyond what we expected,” she said. The play is in the form of a reality TV show on the station CPEC-TV hosted by Kat Parkin (Stephanie Rose). Seven County kids compete in the areas of County history and County slang and also demonstrate their talent in music, art, cooking, farming and even winemaking. They are evaluated by a panel of three judges: historian Patrick Lockyer (Gage Broderick), farmer Jenica Mills (Codie Goodman), and musician Morgan Sutton (Liz Simpson). Commercial breaks in the production include adverts from County FM and local wineries and businesses such as Lemonade Dave. After each of the first two rounds of the competition, a pair of kids are voted off, leaving three for the final round. The judges’ decision is final, but in a delightful twist the kids demonstrate what it really means to be “County”.

One of the County kids is 11-year-old Alice Davies who plays budding musician Genevieve Bongard. She is a student at PECI and has been interested in music from an early age, first playing piano and then picking up the guitar two years ago.

She sees music as a way to connect with other people and to express things that cannot be expressed in words. She took part in the auditions and was thrilled to get the part of Genevieve. She said the rehearsals have been a lot of fun. “It’s a really amazing environment. We’re having so much fun. Pat Larkin [the play’s director] always gives us amazing feedback. He’s funny, he makes jokes, and he always makes it a really good time,” she said. Aside from concentrating on the script, Alice also spent plenty of time practising on the guitar for her role. At last week’s final dress rehearsal, she said she felt well prepared to go on stage in front of an audience. “I’m feeling a tiny bit nervous, but confident in myself and in the rest of the cast. It’s been an amazing time,” she said.

Ms. Hutton is excited to see her first stage play come to life, particularly at this venue. “I love this location. It is historic and so many amazing people have played on this stage,” she said. She was hoping to have a live band play the score, but the compressed timeline did not provide the opportunity to bring together a group of musicians. Instead, she has pre-recorded all of the music for the play. She is filled with emotion when describing how the young actors have embraced their roles. “Every kid has dived into their character in ways that, as a writer, you hope an actor will. Everybody gets a chance to shine. It’s been awesome to watch,” she said.

Ms. Sills said the play really encompasses what it means to be a part of the County community. “If you want to be here and you love our community and what it has to offer, then we will embrace you. Love where we are and who we are, and that makes you ‘County’. That’s basically what Megan has developed in the scripts and the songs.” The final performances of The Ultimate County Kid are May 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and May 17 at 2 p.m. at Mount Tabor Playhouse. Tickets are available at Books & Company, at the door, or go to ticketscene.ca and search for the play.