Lyric Theatre has a special treat…
“We've been doing the Lyric Digital Stage, which is our production of Write Out Loud, Open Stage, Youth Talent Night and others, and this is the first production that we're bringing to our audience through virtual streaming from elsewhere,” he said. “We're investing a little bit in it to make sure we can present it, and it's the first one that we'll be charging admission to.”
Tickets for The Huron Carole virtual performance are $20 per person. The show will be aired online via Zoom. Another option is to buy the $25 tickets, which will include a pre-show live session with Tom Jackson.
““It will be live and he'll be there to talk with whoever is online,” McCall said. “I think we can comfortably do between 50 and 100 people on that Zoom call. So there's an opportunity for a number of people to get to spend some time with him. He's an inspirational person, but he's also a good question and answer person.”
The Lyric Theatre might consider hosting other virtual external shows if this one proofs to be a success.
“It's a big step and we're looking forward to seeing what the response will be to tell us if this is possible to do in the future,” he said. “Theatres around the country are doing these things, and in that particular communities they're getting a good response. I'm expecting it will have a good response, and it's at a perfect time of year that we're doing it, because we all need our spirits lifted.”
The online format certainly presents some new possibilities for the Lyric Theatre, because show attendance is not limited by the size of the theatre. The viewership for some of the events hosted on the Lyric Digital Stage is higher than for previous live events, which is partly due to the fact that people from elsewhere in Canada can also watch online.
“I think a lot of theatres are coming to realize that this new virtual world that we're moving to presenting programs should probably be here with us to stay, but in combination with live events,” he said. “We can augment our live events when we carefully choose some programs online as well.”
The regular online events on the Lyric Digital Stage will continue to be free, but there might be the occasional paid show and The Huron Carole is the perfect way to offer this opportunity to viewers for the first time.
“With Tom having been here before and the demand being so high, we wanted to offer this at Christmas,” McCall said. “It's a perfect program to watch at home with the family. … The other thing it is it's a great Christmas present. It is a Christmas show, it's incredible music, beautifully performed, Tom always has a great message, but it is a great Christmas gift and also for people who are shut in. They could be in Vancouver, if not here, it could be for our mother, grandmother, grandfather, or our sister or brother, nephews and nieces that are outside of this area. They can tune in to the link and get the program as well. It's an interesting way to connect to your family.”
Tickets for The Huron Carole virtual show are available through an e-transfer that can be e-mailed to treasurer@lyrictheatre.ca or by mailing a cheque or money order to the Lyric
Theatre, P.O. Box 1143, Swift Current, SK, S9H 3X3. It is important to provide an e-mail address with the payment to which the exclusive link for the show will be forwarded. More information about the show is available online at www. huroncarole.ca