The Weyburn Concert Series released the lineup for its 50th anniversary season, with promises of a Canadian superstar to be announced later as part of the list of entertainers who will be coming to Weyburn.
The launch of the new season was made at the Hunter Brothers concert on Tuesday evening at the Cugnet Centre, with tickets now on sale.
“Fifty years speaks to me of something we should celebrate, and we are,” said Lynn Kot, the longest-serving member of the board of volunteers for the Concert Series.
This season will include one free concert in the lineup, bringing the total to seven over the course of the season instead of the six they normally present, plus one of the concerts will be the Canadian superstar who will be announcing tour dates later in the spring. The performance date for the superstar will be Tuesday, Nov. 6, but the performer cannot be announced yet due to contractual obligations.
Kot noted there has been a lot of changes over the 50 years, with one of the biggest being the development of the Cugnet Centre performing arts centre at the Weyburn Comp. From the start, “we went from four or five somewhat classical concerts to having more variety to choose from. We used to have more international performers. At least two of the ones to choose from were international performers, like dancers or classical pianists,” said Kot, noting once they brought in a men’s choir from Ireland who “were absolutely fabulous.”
“Now, there are far, far more groups that are trying to make it in the entertainment world,” she added.
Going forward, Kot feels the Concert Series is in capable hands with younger board members who bring their knowledge and expertise that helps the organization out greatly. “We have a really good team with the desire for bringing in really good entertainment. We have a sponsorship package now which helps us immensely, and everyone contributes and makes suggestions,” said Kot. “I see the future of the Weyburn Concert Series flourishing.”
Besides those on the board, Kot noted they have excellent technical people to work with, including Bob King, who has also been working with them for the entire past 50 years, and Cleo Coderre, who both bring a lot of expertise in operating the concert venue for the series.
The new season will kick off with their first concert on Tuesday, Oct. 2, and will go through to May 2, 2019, with a wide variety of performers to appeal to people of all ages and tastes. The opening act will be a tribute to the legendary Everly Brothers, brought by the Zmed Brothers, who aim to honour the style and sound of the Everly Brothers.
The Nutcracker ballet will be brought to Weyburn on Wednesday, Nov. 14, featuring Ballet Jorgen. This adaptation is a Canadian tradition by choreographer and artistic director Bengt Jorgen, who collaborated with the world-renowned McMichael Canadian Art Collection with over 100 costumes in richly coloured fabrics. In this Canadian adaptation, the audience follows Klara’s familiar magical dream journey as she arrives in Canada and experiences winter landscapes filled with snowflakes, lumberjacks, Mounties and creatures of the woods.
The bonus concert for the season features the Cape Breton group Pretty Archie on Sunday, Dec. 2. The group plays Americana, bluegrass, country and blues, and have received numerous East Coast Music Award nominations. They have entertained audiences from coast to coast with foot-stomping high-energy songs.
The group Citizen West is up next, on Thursday, Feb. 7, combines elite male vocals and a modern pop flair. The acoustic duo Ghostboy will perform on Wednesday, March 27. They are described as “a high-energy acoustic powerhouse stage show featuring world-class songwriting, vocal harmonies and expert musicianship”.
The final feature for the Concert Series is a tribute to the late John Denver, featuring performer Chris Collins and Boulder Canyon. This group is committed to keeping the music of John Denver alive by performing such hits as “Rocky Mountain High”, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Annie’s Song”, among others.
The earlybird price for season tickets is $115 for adults and $45 for children before May 31. These prices will go up to $140 for adults, and $50 for children after May 31. For single ticket prices, adult advance tickets are $30 and children are $15. At the door of a given concert, adult tickets are $35 each, and $20 for children.
The advance and door ticket prices for the superstar singer are not known, as they will be set by the performer’s management. Concert Series memberships and advance tickets are available at Music Craft, Old Fashion Foods and the Weyburn Review office.
