One of the most remarkably talented people in Okotoks is a stay-at-home mom with five children who has recorded with Randy Bachman, played in Sarah MacLachlan’s Lilith Fair, been nominated for a Juno award, written music that has been featured in TV shows and movies, and created no less than four full Broadway-style musicals.
Her name is Maren Ord Burnham and her latest musical comedy – The Night of the Murder – opens next week.
Maren is one of 10 children in a very musical Edmonton family. Her father was a professor of music at the University of Alberta, her mother taught voice and piano, and the whole family performed together as the Ord Family Singers.
“All of us who have married into the Ord family are astonished by their musical capabilities,” said her husband, Joe. “Every one of them is a musician. When they sing Happy Birthday at a family gathering, we all keep quiet.”
The Night of the Murder is Maren’s fourth musical. She authored the book and composed the music and lyrics.
“I’ve been writing songs since I was 12,” she said. “And I remember going to my first musical when I was 15 and deciding I wanted to write one.”
Maren signed her first record deal with EMI Capitol Records at 18 and has been in a studio ever since.
“I did a lot of touring, and a lot of the pop star thing, eventually signing to work as a cowriter with Randy Bachman of Bachman Turner Overdrive, she said. “I learned a lot from him.”
Ten years ago, Maren turned her talents to musical theatre.
“I didn’t know a lot about musical theatre,” she said. “I didn’t know about scene changes and props, etc., so I tried to become a part of every show I could in order to learn about that.”
The Night of the Murder follows Curse of a Woman, Feather Pen Fairytales, and The Gardener, which in 2023 received eight award nominations from the Calgary Alliance of Community Theatres. For each, she authored the story and composed the music.
“The Gardener was my largest production,” she said. “It took three years, and the cast and crew numbered around 40.”
Meran describes The Night of the Murder as a toe-tapping whodunit musical comedy set in the 1980s, that tells the story of Steve and Kate, who while posing as people they are not, find themselves on a private yacht celebrating the birthday of a woman they have never met.
During the party, a seemingly innocent murder mystery game turns deadly when someone in the party is actually killed. The question becomes, will Kate and Steve be next?
The Night of the Murder will have a four-night run in Calgary – March 28 and 29, and April 4 and 5 – in the Grout Theatre at Glenmore Christian Academy, 16520 24th Street SW. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with curtain time at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.
