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Cultural centre still hopeful for future performances despite recent cancellations

'For most of our shows that we’ve had, we’ve attempted to reschedule them as soon as possible … . We just keep on plugging away and keep on trying to get performances in when we can.'
NEW cultural centre
The Moose Jaw Cultural Centre. File photo

While a resurgence of COVID-19 has forced the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre to cancel several events in January, executive director Derik Cronan believes that future performances will still go ahead. 

Music Row at the Mae, a production that River Street Promotions organized and that would have feature acts from the United States, was set for Friday, Jan. 28 but has been postponed to a later date. Anyone who purchased tickets will be refunded in the original payment method. 

Anyone with questions can call the box office at 306-693-4700.

Meanwhile, the cultural centre and the Festival of Words had scheduled folk singer Dayna Manning for Jan. 17 and country singer Clerel for Jan. 22 at the Mae Wilson Theatre. However, they have postponed those acts and are working to find new dates for the performers. 

“Your tickets will simply be applied to the new event date once we have them,” the cultural centre said on its Facebook page.

Cancellations of performances have occurred regularly during the pandemic and more often than liked, Cronan told the Moose Jaw Express. The entertainment industry relies heavily on tours that travel through an area, making it easier for smaller venues to book acts at lower fees. 

“Just with a lower budget, we often don’t have a budget for flights for artists, so if we can catch them on a tour that’s coming through here, it can definitely lower the costs of those shows,” he said. “But also, if other provinces have restrictions in place, it can cause an impact on the shows we’re doing here if they were part of a tour.”

The cultural centre has taken every opportunity during the pandemic to bring in performers when possible, Cronan continued. After the first shutdown in March 2020, the venue reopened in July and hosted a few performers before restrictions forced it to close again.

With a chuckle, Cronan noted that the cultural centre must continue moving forward by providing a stage for performers and acts for ticket holders. 

“For most of our shows that we’ve had, we’ve attempted to reschedule them as soon as possible … ,” he continued, pointing out that Saskatchewan has few restrictions while other provinces have more. “We just keep on plugging away and keep on trying to get performances in when we can.”

The cultural centre has several shows in the coming months, including the fall 2022 and spring 2023. Cronan directed people to the venue’s website at www.moosejawculture.ca for the full schedule. 

“We’re hopeful that the majority of them will go ahead,” he added.

While the pandemic has eliminated January’s performances, February’s schedule appears to be still intact. This includes the appearance of award-winning actor and comedian Shaun Majumder on Feb. 9 for his “The LOVE Tour,” concert pianist Sarah Hagen on Feb. 10 for her “Perk Up, Pianist!” tour, the “Snowed In Comedy Tour” on Feb. 24 and “An Evening with Vivek Shraya” on Feb. 26. 

The full schedule can be found at www.moosejawculture.ca.   

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