The Great Big Show Live! is heading toward Penticton.
After starting in Manitoba, the three month theatrical tour will be stopping at the Cleland Theatre on Feb. 24 for a 6:30 p.m. show. Produced by Koba Entertainment, the Great Big Show Live! is a very unique production, as it isn’t a single stand-alone performance. The performance, which is targeted towards children but has content for all ages, includes four different segments drawn from four of Koba’s favourite past productions; The Backyardigans, Mike the Knight, Max and Ruby, and Franklin and Friends.
Featuring 27 characters and 30 new songs, artistic director Patti Coplette said attendees will be taken aback by the sheer magnitude of the production.
“I’m probably the oldest kid in the candy store because I was very nostalgic about it,” Coplette described of working the four shows into one. “Bringing back The Backyardigans, who I adore, it was a walk down memory lane to pull everything out and revisit the beautiful work we did with backgrounds and costumes.”
Each of the four performances have been condensed to 15 minute segments, after which there will be a finale with all of the performers on stage. As the production features several well-known characters, Coplette is expecting many attendees will recognize some, if not most of them.
“The music and history of some of these properties, like Franklin, goes way back,” she explained. “It’s timeless, and they touch on everything kids go through and adults go through as parents. Everyone can enjoy it. The challenge for me is that you know there will be kids in the theatre, but there will be parents as well.”
Designing the show for both adults and children isn’t the only challenge Coplette and the rest of the production team faced, as simply condensing four separate one-hour productions into one four hour show has some difficulties.
“One of the challenges is all of the different costumes,” Coplette noted. “Normally we’ll travel with eight to 10 full body costumes, then usually five to six smaller costumes. In this particular show, each property has to have it’s own different sets and backdrops. Just on the background end, we had to be so careful with our packing and planning.”
Tickets to the Great Big Show Live! can be found through Ticketmaster or through koba-entertainment.com.
