Elvis is back in the building, along with ABBA, Simon and Garfunkel, and a host of other musical greats for Drayton Entertainment’s Legends…of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
The musical roller coaster of a production kicked off at the Drayton Festival Theatre on Thursday for three weeks, before heading to King’s Wharf Theatre and then the Huron Country Playhouse.
Executive producer Steve Roth says the inspiration for the show came after the success of Drayton’s Twist and Shout: The British Invasion, a similar production created by artistic director Alex Mustakas to pay tribute to the British musicians of the ’60s.
“It’s about great music being sung and performed really well,” Roth said. “So then when we did Twist and Shout it just opened the door to so much other music that we could pay tribute to. Legends was born shortly after Twist and Shout and really it gave [artistic director] Alex [Mustakas] a chance to focus on some other really great music from the same kind of genre that the British Invasion was.”
The list includes North American performers such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, The Everly Brothers, Sonny & Cher, and the list goes on.
“It’s once again about this fantastic music, these fantastic songs that are performed almost to perfection, sometimes better than the original and how can you not have a great night at the theatre?”
Narrowing down the hit songs from ’50s to the ’70s was no easy task. Roth says they could have done a seven hour performance with all the legendary music from those eras. But the good news is a lot of research and time fine-tuning the set list means the audience is in for a show where it’s hit after hit.
“It really is like a train. Once that train leaves the station it just goes faster and faster,” Roth said. “And that’s kind of what Legends is too, the songs just get bigger and better and stronger and fantastic to an amazing peak right at the end of act two.”
And in Drayton’s 25th year, Legends remains one of the largest and most successful shows the company has ever done. He says it’s a simple formula of great music performed by talented musicians.
“People know when they come to the theatre what to expect,” Roth said. “They know they’re going to hear great music, they know they’re going to hear some of their favorites and nobody leaves disappointed.”
The all-star cast includes Michael Clarke, Thomas Colford, Michael De Rose, Gerrad Everard, Christine Glen, Jennifer Kee, Michel LaFlèche, Chad McNamara, Laura Mae Nason, Kimberly O’Neill, Yvan Pedneault, Lee Siegel, Valerie Stanois and Breanna Willis.
“Some of these performers are just out of this world. They’re so good and to hear it, I feel like we’re lucky to get to hear it night after night,” Roth said.
While the show is generally aimed at those who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s, Roth says the fast pace and musicality of the show will keep all ages enthralled. The show first ran in 2007 at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and sold out in record time.
“I hope that people can come to see Legends and leave with a smile on their face and be totally 100 per cent entertained,” Roth said.
Legends…of Rock ‘n’ Roll runs from May 14 to June 6. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Drayton Festival Theatre, online at www.draytonfestivaltheatre.com or by calling the box office at (519) 638-5555 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
