NEWS RELEASE
CENTRE WELLINGTON
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The Fergus Grand Theatre’s 2022-2023 presenting series continues on Nov. 26 with a performance How to Fail as a Popstar, the hit show from Toronto’s Canadian Stage and Vancouver’s PuSH Festival currently touring theatres across southern Ontario. The show is written and performed by genre-defying multi-disciplinary artist Vivek Shraya.
How to Fail as a Popstar traces Vivek’s story from her early childhood days in Edmonton, where she sang Hindu bhajans to impress God on the weekend and New Kids on the Block during the week to impress her classmates; to her teenage years performing in singing competitions at the West Edmonton Mall; recording her first pop album (which was paid for with a $20,000 bank loan co-signed by her mother); and eventually moving to Toronto to pursue her pop star dreams (only to have them thwarted by a domineering, online bingo addicted manager). Through storytelling, movement and song, Vivek charts her journey to “not quite” pop music superstardom, creating a moving theatrical performance that is a reflection on the power of pop culture, dreams, disappointments, self-determination, and finding one’s authentic voice.
“Vivek may have failed as a Popstar, but she’s certainly succeeded with this play,” says theatre coordinator Eric Goudie. “It’s rare to find an artist this good at this many things. This show will astound you.”
This show is the third of eight in the Fergus Grand Theatre’s Better Together Presenting series, and is generously supported with funding from the Canadian Arts Presenting Fund through the Department of Canadian Heritage. Single tickets for all shows are now on sale. Tickets are available in the box office, by phone at 519-787-1981, or online.
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