Serena Ryder, Crash Test Dummies add big name appeal to 2011/12 entertainment series

Culture & Events — 08 June 2011

The 2011-12 Dryden Entertainment Series is going places it usually can’t go — into familiar territory.

The eight-show lineup features performances from well-known acts like Serena Ryder (Feb. 2), The Crash Test Dummies with guest Lucy Wainwright Roche (Nov. 17), The Good Lovelies (Oct. 18) and musical comedy favourites The Arrogant Worms (April 19) on a 20th anniversary tour.

“Sometimes you just get lucky,” said the Dryden Entertainment Series’ Angela Bujold. “It just fell into place with the other communities. Sometimes we don’t have the opportunity to book big name acts because they’re not on a tour that would allow it. Partially, it’s because the artists are available and willing to do it.”

Each year the Dryden Entertainment Series faces a difficult challenge of balancing local patrons’ desires with that of surrounding communities who come together to book the same artists for a northwestern Ontario tour.

The remainder of the season is no slouch either with shows from Halifax-based country performer Dave Carroll (Sept. 23). Carroll rose to fame after the music video for his song ‘United Breaks Guitars’ attracted over 10 million views on YouTube. Carroll wrote the song in frustration after being stonewalled for a year by United Airlines who refused to take responsibility for his broken guitar. Four days after the song’s release, United stock price plunged by 10 per cent costing shareholders approximately $180 million.

Patrons can also look forward to blues-rock musician JW Jones (March 25) and the Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of The Melville Boys (Feb. 23).

Bujold says she’s most looking forward to a Dec. 1 performance of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra accompanied by blues/roots artist Rita Chiarelli.

“That was at our request,” said Bujold. “I pushed for four months for that and it did not come easily. We wanted to do something different with the symphony. Some of it is Italian love songs — I love it! It’s not the blues Rita Chiarelli, it’s very different from her work with her band.”

Previous Dryden Entertainment Series Passport holders will receive their 2011-12 ticket order forms in the mail shortly. The general public can begin purchasing season passports on July 15. Individual tickets go on sale Sept. 1.

“The reason for that is we hope to sell more passports than individual tickets — we want to fill the seats,” said Bujold. “The pricing is the same as last year.”

Bujold says sales have remained steady though have seen an expected drop since the opening of The Centre in 2004.

“The first few years after the auditorium opened we found that we sold more tickets,” said Bujold. “It has decreased somewhat from then, which we were expecting. Now it’s evened off. We’re hoping some big name recognition will spur people to buy passports.”

DES tickets can be purchased at The Camera Corner in downtown Dryden. For more information, check out www.drydenentertainmentseries.ca

By Chris Marchand

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About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.