Stuart McLean fans got some unexpected and disappointing news on Saturday, discovering that the Canadian entertainer has called off his Vinyl Café Christmas Tour as of Monday, Nov. 23 which means his sold-out Duncan show won’t happen.
If you have a ticket to the show that would have taken place at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre Nov. 25 you should contact the Cowichan Ticket Centre at 250-748-7529 and ask for a refund.
McLean issued a statement Nov. 21 with an explanation for his many admirers.
“I have just learned that I have melanoma. I begin therapy next week. This is not quite as ominous as it sounds (or not as ominous as it sounded to me). Melanoma, which was once a deadly diagnosis, has, over the last couple of years, become eminently treatable. The treatment is, as my wonderful doctor describes it, the poster child of cancer therapy. He tells me a positive outcome for the immunotherapy I will be receiving should be in the neighbourhood of 85 per cent. So I expect we will be able to reconvene next Christmas, as we would have this year had it not been for my extraordinarily bad timing.”
McLean says he considered soldiering on.
“We wondered about the option of doing both — the tour and the therapy — but there is the possibility of side effects from the treatment and I don’t want to be doing shows if I can’t be my best self. Nor do I want to be doing therapy if I can’t bring my best self there.
“I know this is a disappointment to those of you who are looking forward to the show. It is a disappointment to me, too. It feels like I invited everyone to dinner and am calling to say the party’s off. I don’t know what to say except, I am sorry. We will announce next year’s concerts in the usual way and if you want to make sure you don’t miss them, the best thing to do is subscribe to our newsletter. You can do that here: www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe
“Finally, I don’t want you worrying. I am otherwise healthy and, as I said, the likelihood of this being a bump in the road rather than the end of the road is by far the most expected outcome. There are many, many people who are much sicker than I am, who both need and deserve your concern. My apologies for the disruption and my best wishes to you and your loved ones for the holidays and the year ahead. — Stuart”
