Hit summer show from Lennie Gallant returns Monday

P.E.I. songwriter Lennie Gallant says he hasn't lost any of the excitement he feels about his successful theatre show Searching For Abegweit, as he prepares to open its third summer season on July 4.

The performance features Gallant's stories and songs about P.E.I., and has played to sold-out audiences for each of its first two years.

Gallant told CBC Mainstreet's Angela Walker it was a pretty easy call to bring it back for another run.

"We've had so much interest in it," he said. "A lot of people have told us they wanted to see the show, they couldn't get in because it was sold out on the night they wanted to come see it.

"We thought about it and it seemed like the interest was still there, still strong, and I know we were very happy about doing it again for another season because even after doing it for 90 shows, the 90th show was just as fresh as the first, and the band was pumped, very excited about doing it."

In the show, Gallant and his crack band go through 22 songs from throughout his career, from classics to brand-new numbers with a P.E.I. and historical theme.

Gallant tells stories about the songs, about Island history, his upbringing, and the characters he has met in his travels.

Paintings featured

On the set and on screen, are works of art by his sister, well-known painter Karen Gallant.

So while the songs remain the same this season, some of the play, and the visuals have changed.

"We've added 30 new paintings from my sister to the show this summer, changed some arrangements around, some dialogue, so it's fresh," said Gallant. "This feels fresh to us and we're pretty excited about it."

He actually has to be careful not to mess with the success too much, because some repeat customers don't like that.

"Last year, I changed some of the stories, and then I had people come back and they would bring people with them. Some people have come back four or five times, some even more, and at that point, I say no, no, that's enough," he laughed.

"But they'll bring relatives with them and they'll say, 'You didn't tell this story, I wanted them to hear this,' so it is a delicate balance."

Pleased with stage

It's the second year the show will be performed at the Prince Edward Island Brewing Co., a venue Gallant wasn't initially keen on, until he took a look.

"We did the first year in collaboration with the Confederation Centre, it's a theatre show, I didn't think a brewery was the place, but when I went down and saw the space, it's beautiful," he said. "They've got chandeliers hanging there, a lot of wood in there, and when they curtain it off, it's like you're in an elegant nightclub, kind of a cabaret situation."

Home on the Island

The show plays each week from Monday to Wednesday until September, which means Gallant has to forego any extended touring, a significant commitment for an artist of his stature.

"It's a big sacrifice, I actually have to spend most of the summer on Prince Edward Island, it's horrible," he joked.

"No, this is great. For so many years, I was off traveling. In the summer you've got to try to make hay, literally and figuratively, and I would miss so much of the summer, I would miss family gatherings, weddings, and everything because I'd be off doing some festival here or there, across the country or wherever. This allows me to be close to home, and still keep busy in the summer, and I love it. I'm parked here."

Tickets for Searching For Abegweit: The Island Songs & Stories of Lennie Gallant are available at his website, www.lenniegallant.com.

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