The Souris Valley Theatre is bringing in a number of local and out-of-town musicians for its final event in the 2015 season.
The annual Summer’s End concert will be on Sunday, August 16, at the theatre’s Frehlick Hall.
Theatre board member Maureen Ulrich told the Mercury the event will open at 3 p.m. with a performance by Moose Jaw’s Penny Buhr Johnson. She plays gospel music and country music, which Ulrich said will appeal to an older audience.
Estevan’s Blair Wrubleski, who has been working for the theatre this summer in their concession booth and as a theatre camp instructor, is scheduled to be part of Summer’s End. Former Estevan resident Joel Henderson, who now resides in Regina and performs folk music under the stage name Poor Nameless Boy, is also booked for the concert.
Another Regina artist scheduled to perform is Keiffer Mclean.
Two acts from Oxbow will wrap up the event. Two Sharps and a Flat, which features Jim and Shirley Galloway and friends, will play what Ulrich described as an “eclectic” set of music.
“They play everything from classical music to classic rock,” said Ulrich.
Then Jim Galloway’s classic rock band, Jimmy G and the Cable Guys, will wrap up the evening.
“We don’t have to look far to find people that are really talented and are really invested in the community,” said Ulrich. “We had Jim and Shirley play at our Irish night in March, and I had no idea they were so talented. They know music, they know lots of people in the community, and they convinced us we shouldn’t have to look elsewhere to find people who are talented.”
Ulrich said they hope to attract some people who will be coming to Estevan for the Beach Bash event at Boundary Dam, which happens on August 15.
This year also marks the first time Summer’s End has been on a Sunday.
“We don’t want to compete with other people’s fundraisers that they have on Saturdays, or with other similar events,” said Ulrich.
The second main stage show at the theatre, Dry Streak, will close on August 15, so they expect to have the production’s technical people still on site.
“It’s a pretty quick changeover from a theatre event to this kind of event when you have the right people on site,” said Ulrich.
There will also be food and, weather permitting, an outdoor beer garden.
Funds raised during Summer’s End will be used to upgrade the theatre’s technology. They want to purchase LED lights they borrowed this year.
“They really enhanced the lighting because there are opportunities to have so many different colours,” said Ulrich. “We’d also like to mount some speakers on the outside of the hall, so when we’re playing music inside the theatre, it can be heard outside.”
The theatre also needs to purchase microphones and mic stands.
Tickets are available at Henders Drugs, through the theatre’s box office and on their website.
