Ken Lavigne – that’s the way to close out a Christmas roadshow. Details to come.

On a chillier-than-normal Monday, December 12th, Elaine and I hustled over to Kelowna Community Theatre to have a listen to the Ken Lavigne Christmas Musical Roadshow 2016. This holiday mixer was put together with a nostalgic twist and described as an enchanting musical tour through the golden age of radio. Helping evoke the Vaudevillian variety shows of days gone by was a vintage-style microphone that Lavigne sang into. He called her Myrtle. She was straight out of a 1920’s radio studio.

Joining Lavigne, and Myrtle, on stage were dashing talents Alison MacDonald and Daniel James White. These two were not just two elves decking halls and jingling bells. They were stage-tested artists who sang solos, told jokes, and grooved to the music. Credit to the headliner for filling his stocking with a strong cast of versatile performers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not to be lost in the holiday shuffle was the four-piece ensemble that cranked out the familiar sentimental sounds. They were pianist Andy Slade, bassist Casey Ryder, violinist Llowyn Ball, and percussionist Matthew Atkins.

After metaphorically coming down the chimney to begin the show, Lavigne and his carolers started by unwrapping classics such as Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells, It’s a Marshmallow World, I’ll be Home for Christmas, and Winter Wonderland. With the audience thoroughly greased for more, things slowed down for storytelling and comedy bits.

What I noticed throughout the show was how the singers enunciated into their microphones. Reminiscing back to radio’s golden era, it was imperative to speak clearly, speak loudly, and create different voices and intonations for the audience listening at home. In Vaudevillian style, the cast used clever props, sound effects, and read voice over sponsor commercials. They had their schtick down and it was entertaining in an old-fashioned way.

After intermission, the song-and-dance serenade turned into a snowball fight. No really, it’s true. After Lavigne turned up the heat by singing Bing Crosby’s Mele Kalikimaka, he switched back to the Canadian cold and initiated a snowball fight with the audience. All the singers and band members threw nerf-like white balls into the unsuspecting audience and expected to those same balls to be thrown back at them. Never seen anything like it at a concert?! Organized chaos. It worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the much-anticipated encore, Lavigne belted out a tenor version of Hallelujah to honor folk singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. The crowd silently soaked it in. But wait, there was more. In a flash, Lavigne turned his blazer inside out to a gold-shimmery number and crooned Elvis’ Blue Christmas. Hip-action included.

Nothing blue about this rowdy-at-times roadshow. It entertained until the last snowball found its way back on stage.