Next month, country music stars Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Shania Twain, among others, will be appearing in Olds, all of them channelled through one woman.
Next month, country music stars Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Shania Twain, among others, will be appearing in Olds, all of them channelled through one woman.
On April 4, Vancouver’s Bonnie Kilroe, a celebrity impersonator of 10 years, will be bringing her Country Queens show to the Olds Legion. Tickets will cost $25. For the first time, Kilroe will be bringing a four-piece band with her as she tours Alberta.
Kilroe describes the show as a high-energy piece of musical theatre, complete with costume changes, voice changes and lots of comedy.
"It will be a surprise, it will be a delight, it will be a ton of fun and something that probably won't come to town that often. Just something special," Kilroe said.
"Because there’s a live band, it’s going to be an awesome musical experience as well," she continued. "It brings the characters so much more to life."
Those in attendance will get to participate in the show as well, an element that Kilroe relishes.
"I really enjoy connecting with the audience and getting them … involved with me and I occasionally bring people up on stage with me," she said.
Kilroe will play 10 country queens, all who carry unique character traits that she’ll focus on.
"For instance, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton have completely different voices and totally different personalities," she said. "Some characters it’s really about the voice, some characters it’s about the personality and some it’s about the look. Some have it all, like Dolly."
Country Queens is just one of Kilroe’s acts and was started last year. She grew up with country music, thanks to the influence of her parents.
"I played the guitar and my dad played the fiddle, everybody sang and played an instrument," she said.
Her company, Celebrity Imposters, includes other productions such as Divas: Vegas Meets Vaudeville, Rock Chicks, The Cher Show and a Patsy Cline tribute.
While Kilroe has travelled extensively, performing in theatres, casinos and cruise ships all over Canada and the U.S., Celebrity Imposters had humble beginnings.
With a musical and acting background, Kilroe said she was broke and waiting for her agent to score her an audition in her 20s. Fed up, she decided to start her own show.
"And at first, it was really bad. I mean, slapped together, bad costumes, just doing it myself," she said. "It grew and I started doing cruise ships, I just started singing in a band on cruise ships and I put my show together and piece by piece and it grew and grew and grew."
The show starts at 8 p.m.
For more information, call 403-556-6406.
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