Louisiana Hayride Show cast member Vic De Sousa shines (literally) as a gold-coated Elvis Presley.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Elvis is in the building. And so are Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Shania Twain and more with the return of the Louisiana Hayride Show on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Medicine Hat College theatre.
Touring Western Canada since its creation in 2010, the Louisiana Hayride Show is a star-studded musical tribute spectacular dedicated to some of the biggest names in music history.
“It’s music that a lot of people grew up with and love but just don’t hear anywhere anymore,” show creator and host Lori Risling told the News. “There is no way to quantify the total value of our show because of what the audience gets out of it, like the joy of hearing their favourite songs and the memories that it brings back to them.”
Risling says audiences can expect to hear songs from the 1950s to 1990s, including but not limited to ‘Hound Dog,’ ‘Love Me Tender,’ ‘Pretty Woman,’ ‘That’ll Be the Day’ and ‘Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under,’ as well as learn facts about the various songs performed and musicians portrayed throughout the show.
“Our (performers) sometimes get really goofy and do funny things on stage,” said Risling. “So, it just creates laughter and a little bit of comedy in the show, too.”
Having visited Medicine Hat in the past, Risling and the rest of the cast are looking forward to their upcoming show and interacting with audience members, both returning and new.
“We’ve been doing this nonstop, except during COVID, since 2010,” said Risling. “And we get good crowds all the time. We’ve been to the same places 10 and 12 times and people still come out because it’s that kind of music (that never gets old).
“So now, after 13 years, most of our audience are repeat and they’re so excited … I always say we have the best fans ever.”
Risling believes those who have seen a Louisiana Hayride Show previously will delight in new material, while those attending for the first time will be amazed by the show as a whole.
Tickets are still available for Louisiana Hayride Show, and can be purchased on tixx.ca.
