There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when precision meets play. For Jaime Morrison, that magic has been building for years.

On Saturday, April 11, Badanai Theatre and the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra present their fifth collaboration, Vaudeville Baby!, a fast-paced blend of music, comedy and classic variety performance at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

For Morrison, who has appeared in each of the previous collaborations, this production marks a new chapter. For the first time, she steps into featured solo moments.

“It feels like a level up,” she said. “It’s emotional and big and alive. Being surrounded by that much sound,  that many instruments, it’s electric in a way that’s hard to replace anywhere else.”

It’s also deeply personal.

“It’s honestly a dream come true,” she said. “I’ve imagined myself singing songs like this in a setting like this, and now it’s happening. It feels like one of those ‘you made it’ moments.”

That sense of growth reflects the evolution of the partnership itself.

The collaboration began in 2023 with From Broadway to the Bay, a musical revue featuring songs from 18 musicals that delivered the symphony’s highest ticket sales of the season as audiences returned following the pandemic. It was followed by a sold-out run of 9 to 5 The Musical, then next season, Disney Adventures, and another sold-out production with The Music Man last year.

Now, Vaudeville Baby! returns to its roots with Jeff Christmas once again as the conductor.

This year, 12 principal performers join the orchestra, alongside special guests from Badanai Young Company, including the Encore Ensemble and cast members from their upcoming production of We Will Rock You — with perhaps even a Queen moment in store. Some adult performers also include Theresa Thibert, Courtney Davis, Daniel Hannah, Mandi Husiak, and Lee Detlor. 

For performers, the opportunity to work alongside a full orchestra remains a defining part of the experience.

“Working with a symphony in Thunder Bay is a treat for any performer,” said Spencer Hari, last seen as Harold Hill in The Music Man, which he also directed, along with Cabaret, for Badanai Theatre. “There’s so much collaboration, and the sound is so beautiful and clean. We’re very lucky to get to do this.”

For Robert Perrier, a longtime Badanai Theatre performer and frequent symphony collaborator, the experience is rooted in community.

“What makes it exciting is getting to do it with all your friends,” he said. “To gather with some of the brightest talent Thunder Bay has to offer and raise the roof in harmony with the symphony, that’s what makes it special.”

Returning performer Chris Talarico said the opportunity continues to resonate.

“Working with the symphony is an absolute treat,” he said. “We’re lucky to have such a wide breadth of professional musicians alongside talented community performers. Being able to bridge those worlds together, it really is a dream come true.”

That balance is intentional and central to these productions.

“It’s wonderful to integrate both professional and amateur talent in our community,” said Cady Dreger, who audiences will recognize from The Music Man as Marian the Librarian and Cabaret as the Emcee. “It helps build strong relationships in the performing arts scene and shows people that there are many ways to get involved.”

She said that the spirit is felt throughout the rehearsal hall.

“There’s something really special about being part of a show like this,” she said. “It’s not just about performing, it’s about creating something together as a community.”

That community focus extends beyond the main cast.

Young performers from Badanai Young Company will also take the stage, gaining experience alongside seasoned artists and a full orchestra.

For emerging young performers like Emmy Badanai,  that opportunity is part of a growing journey. She first appeared on the Auditorium stage during From Broadway to the Bay, performing “Maybe” from Annie, and later returned in The Music Man as Amaryllis.

Asked what it feels like to perform with the symphony again, she paused,  then summed it up in a single word: “Incredible.”

It’s a reminder that a strong arts community doesn’t happen by accident.

If audiences want to see professional artists thrive on stage, those pathways need to be created and supported, starting with young performers learning not only how to perform but how to value and appreciate the arts.

For director Candi Badanai, that’s where partnerships like this matter most.

“These collaborations bring our arts community together in a powerful way,” she said. “You’re combining the strength of a full orchestra with the storytelling of live theatre. It creates opportunities for performers and something truly special for audiences.”

They also highlight the symphony’s role.

A professional orchestra like the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra doesn’t just present concerts; it also helps build connections, supports local artists, and creates space for collaborations that strengthen the entire arts sector.

At its core, Vaudeville Baby! is a reflection of that shared effort, part concert, part comedy, and rooted in connection.

And for Morrison, standing at the centre of it, it’s the realization of something long imagined.

After years of being part of the collaboration, this is the moment when preparation meets opportunity, when the dream she once pictured becomes real, played out live on stage.

Support for the arts, the performers say, is simple. Be in the room.

Because live performance exists only in the moment it is shared, in the connection between stage and audience, in music carried across a theatre, and in the energy that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

For one night only, Vaudeville Baby! invites audiences to experience that magic — live, unrepeatable, and unmistakably Thunder Bay. Vaudeville Baby! takes the stage April 11 at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.