The mysteries of “SS Edmund Fitzgerald” The tragedy will come to life on stage in November, giving viewers the opportunity to experience what those aboard the ship may have felt on that heartbreaking day.

The Bay City Players, 1214 Columbus Ave., have chosen “Ten November, ” one piece is based on the book by Steven Dietz, with music and lyrics by Eric Peltoniemi. “November ten” will be performed locally by Elizabeth Dewey, assistant directed by Carrie Butler, and musically directed by Robin Devereaux-Nelson. The Bay City Players claim the title of Michigan’s longest-running continuously operating theater.

Many Michigan residents have heard of the “Edmund Fitzgerald ”, an American cargo ship from the Great Lakes, and her doomed voyage on Lake Superior. The enormous freighter sank in a storm on November 10, 1975, and to date it is the largest ship to ever sink on the Great Lakes.

Gordon Lightfoot’s tribute song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, is perhaps even better known than the ship itself. Gordon Lightfoot’s tribute song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, is perhaps even better known than the ship itself. The sinking, which claimed the lives of the 29 crew members, inspired the song. In turn, the song inspired Dietz to write his work of fiction based on the incident.

“While the facts are present, the play is more about the many and varied responses we have to disaster,” says Dewey.

Interestingly, according to a recent spotlight on the Bay City Players website, Dewey has vivid memories of this historic event to which she was actually linked: “Liz Dewey was a student in 1975 at Lake Superior State University when she entered the student newspaper. office and learned that the 729-foot vessel had sunk, with the 29 lives on board lost in Lake Superior. Liz wrote the article for the student newspaper “The Compass…”, reports Barb Handley-Miller.

Operations Administrator Jessica Lowe adds, “The tragedy is told in story and song through the characters involved – the captain, the crew, the widows, the owners. [It] is a compelling investigation into questions that remain unanswered today.

Fifteen locals will serve as actors, singers and musicians in the upcoming play and will be between 20 and 60 years old. Seven men and two women serve as actors, and a group of three singers and three musicians is on stage for the duration of the play. Dewey says, “The nine actors all play multiple roles as a crew of ‘Fitz’ and ‘Arthur M. Anderson’., family members, investigators and ordinary people interested in the story. The Anderson was the last vessel to come into contact with the “Edmund Fitzgerald” and the first rescue vessel on the scene.

Adding to the historical appeal, Lowe says players will work with the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society (SRMHS) to create a historical display in the lobby that will share information on this wreck as well as other wrecks related to Michigan. Customers will be able to explore the exhibit and gain insight into the Great Lakes wreckage. The historical society also graciously allowed the cast and crew to use an authentic bell recovered from a shipwreck on stage during the show.

Local interest in the event will hopefully attract people to come and see what the room has to offer.

“Bay City has a long history as a shipbuilding town,” explains Dewey, “and the entire region has been involved in Great Lakes shipping for 200 years. People here are interested in local history, and the mystery of the “Edmund Fitzgerald” still holds us 46 years later.

After months of closure and heavy restrictions, The Bay City Players will welcome viewers to view the show indoors with only minor precautions. Guests will be required to wear a mask indoors (with a few exceptions) and leave two seats between parties for social distancing.

Shows are scheduled from November 5-7 and November 12-14 and would be suitable for older children, teens and adults. Tickets cost $ 20 for adults and $ 10 for students, plus applicable fees. Tickets can be purchased now on the Bay City Players website or by calling the box office at (989) 893-5555.

The show aims not to leave the audience dry-eyed, and Lowe adds, “” November ten” will provide a loving and heartfelt evening for all Michiganders.