PORT HARDY—North Vancouver Island may be a bit off the beaten path, but it will be smack in the middle of The Road to Carnegie Hall Feb. 22 when the North Island Concert Society resumes its 2013-14 concert season by presenting Ken Lavigne.
Lavigne, a founding member of the Canadian Tenors (now know as The Tenors), will appear as part of the annual NICS dinner show at the Civic Centre. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; dinner is served beginning at 6 and Lavigne takes the stage with his band at 7:30 p.m.
Rather than a straightforward singing concert, Lavigne’s The Road to Carnegie Hall chronicles his odyssey en route to realizing his dream of singing onstage at the venerable New York City venue, through a mix of music, anecdotes and humorous storytelling.
A veteran performer with the Pacific Opera Victoria, the Portland Opera and Burnaby Lyric Opera, Lavigne is still in demand as an opera performer. But he has found success and a new following in the genre known as “cross-over” classical, employing his polished and powerful voice to blend classical and modern pop music in the vein of a Josh Groban or, indeed, The Tenors.
Lavigne has toured the show since last fall, backed by a band featuring piano, guitar, bass, drums and violin. Some combination of that group will support him in his Port Hardy stop, part of a larger B.C. tour that serves as something of a homecoming for the Victoria native.
Catering is provided by chef Joe Richard, and dinner will be accompanied by music from the North Island Community Band.
Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance for this event, with the ticket deadline Monday, Feb. 17. Tickets are available at Port Hardy Museum and Cafe Guido in Port Hardy; at The Flower Shoppe in Port McNeill; and in Port Alice by calling Gail Neely at 250-284-3927. Additional ticket information is available through Kathleen Davidson at 250-949-7676, and more info on the concert society can be found at www.niconcert.ca.
