The Louisiana Hayride show is coming to the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre in March, and it promises to be a night of classic country music that will take you back to the 1950s and 60s.
The legendary country music extravaganza hits the stage in the Cultural Centre’s Mae Wilson Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22.
Tickets are on sale now, in-person from the Cultural Centre’s box office and online at Sasktix.ca.
Moose Javians — or their friends and family — who can’t make the Mae Wilson show can also catch the Louisiana Hayride at the Regina Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, March 21, the night before the Moose Jaw show.
Call the RPAC at 306-779-2277 for tickets.
The Louisiana Hayride was a mega-popular radio and television show that originated in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the 1940s. It quickly took off and helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in country music, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams.
The show was restarted in 2010 under the leadership of creator, producer, narrator, and performer Lori Risling and her husband Gil. Risling gathered a talented cast of seasoned professional musicians and performers who bring to life the classic songs and feeling of the era, including hits by Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Lefty Frizzell, George Jones, and many others.
The show also tributes more contemporary country singers who nevertheless kept the classic sound, such as Shania Twain, Lorette Lynne, and Crystal Gayle.
“I knew what kind of music I wanted to make a show from,” explained Lori Risling when asked about restarting the Hayride in Canada. “And the more I researched the artists that I wanted in the show, that’s when the Louisiana Hayride started popping up all the time. … And the more I learned about it, the more I thought, ‘That’s it.’”
The Hayride transports audiences back in time with authentic costumes, vintage instruments, and spot-on performances that capture the spirit of the original Louisiana Hayride show.
“Our instruments aren’t ‘original’,” Risling laughed, “but they are in keeping with what those artists used. … We want to stay as true as possible to the original, and we do that with our sound as well. We don’t have a high decibel level, we keep the sound pleasant so it’s not hard on people’s ears, and we’re very aware of the vocals. We want the vocals to stand out, so when people listen, they can really hear what’s being sung. That’s really, really important to us.”
The show includes stories and anecdotes about the original Louisiana Hayride show, as well as insights into the lives and careers of the artists who performed on it. Audiences will learn about the history of classic country and the role that the Hayride played in shaping the genre.
“It’s a historical program. We talk about the history and interesting tidbits of information,” Risling said. “Like the phrase, ‘Elvis has left the building,’ I’m pretty sure everyone has said that once or twice in their lives, and that phrase originated at the Louisiana Hayride show.
“Really, though, our world-class tribute artists steal the show. They’re so, so good, and we have lots of fun on the stage as well. That’s a comment we get from a lot of people, they just notice how much fun everybody’s having up on stage. And it’s true — everybody totally, genuinely enjoys what they do, and the audience picks up on that and everyone just has a great time.”
Risling said this will be about the 10th time that her show has come to Moose Jaw, and there are fans in the city who have come out every year.
“We have people who have come out every single time and loved it, but for those that are thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve seen that before, I don’t need to go again,’ I would just say that we’re always adding new and fun material. The audience will be surprised and totally entertained from start to finish.”
