Do you remember Hank Williams? Roy Orbison? Patsy Cline? Did you ever see them in concert? Well, now you can! A unique theatre style production, known as the Louisiana Hayride, based on the historical radio show where these artists performed, is coming to Leduc on October 22 and Wetaskiwin on November 5.
You will have the opportunity to attend a magical evening of entertainment where you’ll believe you really are at a concert featuring these superstars, enjoying their wonderful music from years gone by. The talented singers and musicians of the Louisiana Hayride Show recreate these iconic artists in costume and character. You’ll be delighted when Hank Williams sings “Hey, Good Lookin” and “Lovesick Blues.” Roy Orbison shows up with “Crying” and “Pretty Woman” and Patsy Cline will send shivers up your spine when she sings “Crazy” and “Sweet Dreams.” And that’s not all! Joining Hank, Roy and Patsy will be Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Willie Nelson.
It’s all at the Maclab Centre in Leduc and the Memorial Arts Centre in Wetaskiwin when the Louisiana Hayride Show comes to town. Show creators Lori and Gil Risling have been touring this successful production across western Canada for the last five years. After over 170 shows, the Louisiana Hayride continues to sell out, with people attending over and over again! Says Gil Risling, “The show is a musical history lesson from a bygone era. This music left an indelible mark on a culture that is now longing for this music and the memories it brings back and it’s no longer out there for them. This show fills that need. It resonates with the generation that experienced the rise of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Roy Orbison, to name a few.”
Interspersed throughout the show will be little bits of trivia about the artists the group portrays. That, Lori says, “has long been an audience favourite. They love hearing the history. A lot of it is quite surprising to them!“ The cast of multi-talented musicians includes Gil Risling on electric and acoustic guitar, and amazing vocals when in character as Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Roy Orbison. Additional “characters” are provided by Andrea Anderson when she appears as Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.
William Brookfield is amazing on double keyboard, guitar and vocals. You’ll be absolutely delighted with his stellar recreation of songs by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Conway Twitty! Mike Melnichuk adds stand-up bass, electric guitar and incredibly smooth vocals when he treats the audience to songs by Faron Young, Red Foley, Burl Ives and Ray Price.
The cast and crew of the Louisiana Hayride is dedicated to bringing authentic music to you. The songs you hear will be true to the originals. You will be transported back to a time when music was meaningful, words were understood and the sound was pleasant. Take a trip down memory lane and relive the days when you heard all that great music on the radio.
Tickets for the Leduc show are available at the Chamber of Commerce on 50th Street or through TicketPro at 1-888-655-9090. Tickets for the Wetaskiwin show are at the Wetaskiwin Chamber of Commerce or through Ticketseller at 1-866-311-1011.
You can win tickets to the Louisiana Hayride’s Wetaskiwin or Leduc performances, courtesy event organizers and the Leduc/Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer. Send your full name, address and phone number, plus choice of performance location, by email (sales@pipestoneflyer.ca, editor@pipestoneflyer.ca), fax (780-387-4397), by regular mail (P.O. Box 402 Millet, T0C 1Z0) or in person to the Pipestone Flyer office (5024 50 Ave Millet, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)