It’s been quite a few years since they last played here, but B.C.-based entertainers Bernie and Red are back, and performing at the Gibraltar Room on Sept. 9
The concert is a fundraiser for the Elks Club, which needs to raised funds to pay off renovations on the Elks Hall, says Arnie Zimmerman.
He says the Elks Hall rentals are the only source of income the Elks have to support their charitable programs and they still owe $115,000 on the recent renovations.
“So we are certainly hoping everyone will come out to enjoy this show,” Zimmerman says.
“It will be a fun night. They are an excellent comedy troupe. By buying a ticket you are supporting the Elks and the Elks Hall.”
Originally from Liverpool, England, Bernie and Red moved to Canada in the late 70s.
Since then they have established themselves as one of the most popular and hard working acts in Western Canada, with a dozen CD releases to their name.
They perform regularly across Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain.
They have travelled the world via their cruise ship bookings, going as far afield as Alaska, South America and South East Asia.
Since their first appearances here in B.C., they have built a large and loyal fan base.
People who enjoy their distinctive mixture of comedy and music ensure sold-out shows and repeat bookings.
So, what’s the big attraction?
It can be summed up in one word — entertainment — whether it’s a comedy routine for the ladies on “How to look thinner” or an operatic aria in fake Italian, a dynamic vocal performance of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina or an old vaudeville piece that your grandpa used to sing, Bernie and Red can pull it off and have you shouting for more.
These two entertainers have been married (to each other) for 45 years and consequently they have a wealth of comedy material about the (joys?) of marriage and family life, just the sort of stuff that most married couples can identify with.
Bernie is the long- suffering husband who strives vainly to get a word in edgeways, whilst Red is the feisty red-head who’ll have you rolling in the aisles one minute and then set you back on your heels with her treatment of a big Broadway ballad the next.
“A lot of people comment on the fact that we seem to be having such a good time when we’re on stage, well who wouldn’t?” Bernie asks. “Performers have the best job in the world, getting paid to do the very thing that they enjoy so much. One of the greatest quotations that I have come across is, ‘choose a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.’ Or to put it another way, it’s only a job if there’s somewhere else that you’d rather be … and for Red and myself, there’s nowhere we’d rather be than on stage.”
Bernie and Red met as teenagers in the 60s in their home town of Liverpool, England, and yes … they were regulars at the Cavern and saw the Beatles live on countless occasions. Last September they were back in Liverpool for their annual tour which included half a dozen shows in Liverpool and Wales.
“Because we’ve been living and performing in North America for over 30 years, we are now something of a novelty in Liverpool and people enjoy coming out to see ‘those two Canadians,’ which is very gratifying,” Red says.
“We also enjoy getting back to our roots and the feisty verbal interchanges that are part and parcel of big city life in the U.K. It gives us no end of comedy material for our show.”
For tickets and more information call Wendel Schachtel at 250- 989-5182 or Arnie Zimmerman at 250- 392-5451.
You can learn much more about Bernie and Red by visiting their website www.bernieandred.com
