Mark Connolly's Personal Life

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Romance stays true and strong despite globetrotting career

Nick Lees
The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Broadcaster Mark Connolly may be covering the Beijing Olympics for the CBC and drinking good Chinese beer at 32 cents a pop.

But he's the most romantic guy I know, and e-mails and telephones his wife Alyson every day.

Connolly met Alyson in Fort McMurray, and on her 25th birthday he proposed in a poem: "So you're feeling old, tired and harried . . . Just forget it honey, let's get married?"

Says Alyson: "When I tell people we met in Grease, they always think it's the country. But no, we met 24 years ago in Grease, the musical."

After graduating from the U of A's theatre school, Alyson went to Fort McMurray to run a summer drama camp.

Mark's first job upon leaving NAIT was as a sports reporter for CKGY radio there.

"The director wanted a familiar voice to play Vince Fontaine, and asked Mark if he was interested," says Alyson.

"I was already in the show, playing Sandy. We dated for three years after that before he popped the question."

Alyson runs Dramatic Learning with her co-director friend Elaine Dunbar, and the company is now in rehearsals for the Fringe children's musical The Princess and the Pea.

Dramatic Learning develops dramatic and musical experiences for students as part of the schools' Artists in Education program.

Mark will be sorry to miss their production. The couple's son Patrick, 16, plays basketball and is a singer-vocalist in a band. But sports-minded Jack, 12, was never big on the stage until he sang in a Christmas concert last year.

"When I told him we were auditioning for a Fringe show, he thought it sounded interesting," says Alyson. "He plays the Prince. But he's not too pleased about missing a 20-kilometre long-boarding race because it's on a performance day."

Alyson has long-range plans when the curtain falls on her cast of 21 students aged seven to 14 preforming in The Princess and The Pea.

"It's our 20th anniversary and I'm joining mark in China," she says. "We plan to spend a week in Hainan Island, which they say is the country's Hawaii."

Mark suggested on their first anniversary they take it in turns to surprise one another with a holiday.

"When I was at home with the boys, I'd take him to the race track or treat us to a local bed and breakfast stay," says Alyson. "Now I'm working more, I've taken him to such places as the Yukon and San Francisco.

"When it's his turn, he's taken me to New York, San Francisco and Mexico.

"We're lucky to have great family who offer to look after our boys so we can spend some time together."

Mark has covered seven Olympics and brings Olympic gear home for their sons.

"I get really neat things, such as the beautiful dress he brought home from Torino last (Games). It fits me perfectly."

Mark's driver has offered to take the couple to a remote part of the Great Wall. Watch for Mark to propose again.