Stettler Showcase is gearing up for another season of entertainment in the community.
The 2024/25 Showcase season will kick off on Nov. 2 when Alberta-base country singer Trevor Panczak rolls into town for the dinner show hosted at the Stettler Community Hall.
"He's always a crowd pleaser," said Showcase board member Pam Taylor.
The Panczak show is going to be it for the fall of 2024; there is no Christmas show this year.
Following Panczak, the next show will take place on Jan. 19, 2025, when duo Over the Moon comes to town.
According to Taylor, the duo offer up a "country, folk, blues-" type sound.
In the new year, shows will run monthly in the Performing Arts Centre until the season finale on April 13, 2025.
February will host classical musicians the Prairie Sons, an award-winning cellist and piano duo.
Fans of The Beatles will want to check out Becoming The Beatles in March.
"It's a super-cool multi-media-type production," said Taylor.
"Who doesn't like the music of The Beatles?"
According to the show description, it will weave together "over 300 stunning projects, 20 live songs and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories."
In April, the season will draw to a close when mentalist and magician Jeff Newman comes to town.
"We've carefully curated our performances," said Taylor.
"Because of the quality of the entertainment, (even if it's not your normal genre) you're going to enjoy the show anyway. We try to pick things that will be popular with our audiences."
Taylor says that thanks to grants, Stettler Showcase can "all very top-notch artists" that would be otherwise unavailable to rural communities due to the wage they ask for.
"It's beyond what you would get in music in the park," said Taylor.
"And you cannot beat the ticket price."
Season tickets for the upcoming Variety Showcase season are $175, including the dinner show, which is cheaper, Taylor notes, than some pay for a single ticket in the city depending on the act.
"It's the same level of performance for one-eighth the price," said Taylor.
Stettler Showcase picks its entertainment lineup every October when board members attend a weekend-long showcase of up-and-coming artists available for the upcoming season.
One change for Stettler Showcase for the upcoming season is that tickets have moved completely online; tickets will no longer be available at Grate Kitchen.
Instead, tickets can be purchased online at stettlershowcase.com or by calling 1-888-655-9090.
The format for the upcoming season will remain the same as previous years, with one show being offered for the dinner show at the community hall, and two times, 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., being offered for the shows at the Performing Arts Centre.
