Live @ The Centre! features diverse lineup of performers EDITORIAL STAFF The Guardian

Confederation Centre CEO David MacKenzie unveiled the lineup Friday for Live @ the Centre! over the fall, winter and spring. The lineup includes popular musicians like P.E.I.’s Lennie Gallant, children’s favourites, dance and comedy on stage at the Homburg Theatre and the Mack. Guardian photo

The Confederation Centre of the Arts Friday announced an exciting and diverse lineup of productions for the fall, winter and spring that will offer audiences something for almost every taste.
Pop, rock and classical music will share the spotlight with dance, comedy, magic, illusion and more, beginning with an evening of music featuring East Coast Music Award-winning singer-songwriter Dave Gunning Oct. 9.
This program, which will carry the new Live @ The Centre! brand, is comprised of more than 45 shows, most of which will be presented in the centre’s
Homburg Theatre, with some smaller shows going across the street to The Mack.
Confederation Centre CEO David MacKenzie told those attending the launch of Live @ the Centre! that this will be a busy year.
MacKenzie said the centre is alive with activity 12 months of the year and that this new program is appropriately named to bring the public the best live, professional performances available.
“Dance, incomparable musicians and musical theatre, favourite children’s entertainment and fun for the whole family, our always popular choral music programme, seasonal traditions and rock ’n’ roll are all live on the finest stages on Prince Edward Island beginning in October,” MacKenzie said.
In terms of live music, Live at The Centre! will bring East Coast blues artist Matt Andersen, fiddling sensation Ashley MacIsaac, popular singer John McDermott and P.E.I.’s own Lennie Gallant to the stage.
Popular Celtic act The Barra MacNeils and Chirgilchin are also on deck.
And there will be almost non-stop music during the holiday season when the centre presents Christmas Rocks, which opens Nov. 25 and runs to Dec. 19 with Frank MacKay, Joey Kitson, Wade Lynch, Lisa Lennox, Catherine O’Brien and Shawna van Omme.
The popular Classic Albums Live series will make three stops at the centre, doing note-for-note, song-by-song covers of The Beatles’ White Album, Supertramp’s Crime of the Century and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
Returning favourites like Sing Noel, Handel’s Messiah and the Sing Along Messiah are part of the schedule as are Voices of Spring and Choral Music on a Holy Day.
Other productions slated for Live @ the Centre! will offer audiences such diverse entertainments as the traditional Chinese string quartet Red Chamber, the taiko drumming group Uzume Taiko and the dance spectacular Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba.
Family programs will feature Franklin the Turtle, Cirque Éloize, and Circus Incognitus.
Comedy has proven a popular ticket at the centre so the program will feature performances by Chuck & Albert, Andrew Grose, Francois Weber and Patrick Ledwell.
A full programming schedule for Live @ The Centre is available for viewing on the centre’s website at www.confederationcentre.com.
As a special incentive for the public to plan ahead, MacKenzie announced plans to offer a 20 per cent discount on tickets purchased by Oct. 23.
That discount applies to all performances that fall under the Live @ the Centre! banner, with the exception of Christmas Rocks!
Tickets are available at the box office at 566-1267, toll free at 1-800-565-0278, or online.