Levi Stepp could have had a traditional summer job for a high school student, but instead he found a summer job that he believes will help him out in the future.
The Torquay native has been travelling the province, performing on stage with Saskatchewan Express. He’ll have an opportunity to showcase his skills for local fans when Saskatchewan Express brings their Oh! Canada summer tour to Estevan on Aug. 10 to the outdoor stage at the Woodlawn Regional Park’s Boundary Dam Beach Site.
The performance is a special event being hosted by the Souris Valley Theatre.
Stepp saw Saskatchewan Express perform for the first time last year, when Estevan’s Josh Wade was part of the cast.
“I thought it would be a good idea to try out for it … just as a stepping stone for my career in the future,” said Stepp. “I went and auditioned for it, and I got a phone call saying I was in it.”
The touring group has allowed him to meet new people, make new friends, and to do something he loves to do every day.
“You meet so many friends through Saskatchewan Express who you’ll probably have for the rest of your life,” said Stepp. “You’re interested in the same things. They’re great people, they’re friendly and they’ll help you out at any time.”
He hopes to see a large crowd for the performance.
“There will be lots of people there supporting me, which is great, and I’m looking forward to seeing everybody out at it, and I’m excited just to be in a community that I’ve grown up in,” said Stepp.
Stepp wants to attend a performing arts school one day. The experience with Saskatchewan Express has taught him how to perform on a stage, sing and dance.
“Since I was in Grade 6, I wanted to do this, so it interests me a lot,” said Stepp.
Oh! Canada is Saskatchewan Express’ celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. It features the talents of 10 vocalists, four dancers and two understudies, performing some of the most famous songs in Canada’s history.
“From pop to patriotic, we sing a bunch of different songs just celebrating Canada’s 150th,” said Stepp.
Gordon Lightfoot, Alessia Cara, Jess Moskaluke, Great Big Sea, K’Naan, Drake, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Buffy St. Marie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin Bieber and Celine Dion are among the recording artists covered during the performance.
“I love the show,” said Stepp. “I love how we get to express our feelings for Canada’s 150th birthday. It’s just so exciting to see all of the artists that we have in Canada to this day.”
The first performance was May 26 in Regina. It has been performed about 20 times so far, he said, including some in Saskatchewan’s provincial parks.
The singers and dancers will continue to tour the province with Oh! Canada until Sept. 1.
The audience’s reactions have been very positive, he said. People have been singing and cheering with the music, and children have been getting up and dancing, which Stepp has been delighted to see.
The show also features the talents of numerous people in behind-the-scenes capacities, including Carol Gay Bell, who is serving as artistic director for the final time.
