Team members from the Vic Juba Community Theatre kicked off the 20th anniversary of the theatre on Sept. 1 with a lunch preview of shows in the new Dr. H.A. McDonald season. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The Vic Juba Community Theatre lit up for its 20th-anniversary launch of the new 2022-23 Dr. H.A. McDonald season.
A special lunch and season preview took place on stage last Thursday in advance of the first show on Sept. 15, featuring country music star Charlie Major.
“Right now, there’s 11 shows, but we’ll be adding probably,” said Vic Juba’s general manager, Jen McConnell.
A special reception will be included with the Charlie Major performance to help celebrate the anniversary milestone.
“We’re going to be showcasing some dances; there’s food and drink and that kind of thing, then the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for that are $75,” said McConnell.
A VIP meet and greet with the artist is already sold out and there’s a waiting list.
“We’re having an opening band called Over the Moon come in. They are an Alberta product that we are excited to host,” added McConnell.
Meanwhile, the theatre is in the process of finishing some capital improvements and upgrades.
“We got a grant for a new projector; we have some new amps on orders, so thankfully we’ve been able to address some of our key capital concerns in the past two months,” said McConnell.
“We’re doing some touch-up painting to put some polish on it for our ongoing 20th-anniversary celebration.”
Board member Aaron Buckingham says it’s been a long time coming to have a kick-off event because of the pandemic and everything.
He says they want to make sure people know the theatre is marking a special anniversary.
“There is such an incredible lineup of shows between now and next spring. There is no reason to leave town,” he said.
McConnell thinks these shows also provide people with a valuable escape from daily stresses.
“I think it’s very important for mental health as well right now, that we take opportunities to enjoy arts and culture presentations,” she said.
In addition, the reboot of live shows will help the theatre make up for a revenue shortfall incurred during the pandemic by having sold-out shows.
McConnell expects performances by the likes of country singer Terri Clark and family shows such as A Dinosaur Tale and the Irish Rovers will fill the 500-seat theatre.
“We try to keep our prices as affordable as possible, so right now, none of our ticket prices go over $100,” said McConnell.
She says the theatre is also fortunate to have a group of annual renters to fill seats with the new five-part Lloydminster Concert Series, for example.
“On top of that, we also have dance festivals,” said McConnell.
The theatre is continuing to market its ongoing Give $20 in 2022 fundraiser to keep the lights on.
Some extra money was raised during the launch lunch, which was well attended.
“We are the current recipient of the Three Trees’ community burger, so $1 from every burger sold comes back to the theatre. We bought lunch today for that reason,” said Buckingham.
