Sept. 14 might as well be July 1, as Way-to-Go Productions brings their show, Oh Canada We Sing For Thee! to the Dekker Centre on Thursday.
Oh Canada We Sing For Thee! is a touring group that performs hits by a number of Canada’s best-known artists. The extensive list of covers features songs by Gordon Lightfoot, Celine Dion, Neil Young, k.d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Stan Rogers, among many others.
At the helm is Leisa Way, a singer who has been performing and recording for many years. Of the shows she’s created over the years, she said this show stands out.
“This one has been so overwhelming with the audience response because they thank us for reminding them how they should be so proud to be Canadian,” Way said.
Her production company, Way-to-Go Productions, has created and produced seven touring shows over the past eight years at over 60 theatres across North America. Some past musical styles include country, British Invasion and Christmas music, along with a Peggy Lee tribute.
In addition to singing, Way has toured as an actress, having starred in Anne of Green Gables early in her career, and a number of other roles since, including off-Broadway work.
Choosing individual songs to represent artists was difficult, Way said, due to the long careers and variety of work by some of Canada’s artists. Way surveyed some of her friends to gauge what was popular.
The accomplishments of the Wayward Wind Band, who make up the rest of the ensemble, features members with 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of experience playing and touring. The range of backgrounds, including blues, pop, jazz, bluegrass and country, allow the musicians to interpret the diversity of musical styles that come with famous Canadian music.
Performing songs that everybody knows sometimes produces a physical response from audiences, Way said.
“You can just feel the air in the theatre. Everyone takes an intake of breath and they go ‘Oh yes, I love this song,’”
The show is like taking people across Canada.
“It’s really visual when people hear the words to these songs, they start to see Canada. You can just feel the pride as people listen to those words about building our country and how it started and the railway, and the people who gave their lives to that.”
Something Way has found surprising is the appeal of fiddle music. While not many across the country have been raised on it, she said it generally elicits an enthusiastic audience response.
“I’ve discovered just about everybody loves a good fiddle tune, whether they think they do or not,” Way said.
In between songs, Way said she explains some of the context in which they arose, such as the artists’ life circumstances.
Way also brings her theatricality to the performance: shows features 12 costume changes and 11 wig changes.
The North Battleford date is also Way’s birthday. She said she plans to celebrate with her husband, who’ll also be on the tour for 10 days, along with the Dekker Centre’s Moe McGuinty, who like Way’s parents, is from North Bay, Ont.
Oh Canada We Sing For Thee! begins at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. Tickets are $40, and can be purchased at the Dekker Centre box office, or online. The performers will be available after the show to pose for photos and chat with audiences.
