Tenor Ken Lavigne, one of British Columbia’s most loved performers, is all about hope, following dreams, taking risks and believing in what you can do. He is an all-around entertainer who invites you into his life with his silken honey voice as he sings ballads, show tunes and classical crossover hits, and tells stories that leave audience members roaring with laughter. He is an inspiration, totally genuine, blatantly honest, engaging and full of heart, mischief and laughter.
When calling him recently to find out about his upcoming tours, it was Valentine’s Day and he was holed up in a hotel in Vancouver.
“I’m a romantic,” said Lavigne, “I like to plan romantic things. This particular Valentine’s, I scheduled a bunch of concerts so today is rather like a Lonely Hearts Club day. I’ve been communicating with the children by texting. They are brilliant. A few days before I left I bought some roses and some treats, and put them in the shed to keep cool. The kids were sworn to secrecy. They were so excited that by 5 a.m. they had snuck down in the dark with their flashlights to prepare everything for Alice.
“Alice is a real support. I couldn’t attempt any of what I do without the family. It definitely feels like a team effort. They are troopers. When I get home from a tour, I feel like a rock star as the kids scream, ‘Daddy’s home!’ ”
This spring, Lavigne takes The Road to Carnegie Hall across B.C., and then to Southern Ontario, accompanied by Patrick Courtin on piano, Casey Rider with guitar, Simon Millington on bass and Barry Leung on violin.
“To perform at Carnegie Hall is, for a singer, a huge accomplishment, rather like a mountaineer reaching the summit of Mount Everest,” said Lavigne. “I casually sent an email with my biography. I got an immediate response saying they’d love to have me.”
On the program are songs that will touch every heart: The Prayer, Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Song of the Mira, Nessun Dorma, Hymn à l’amour by Edith Piaf and, of course, Danny Boy.
Since that event in 2009, Lavigne has toured across North America, performed for Prince Charles, and with David Foster.
“You just never know where life will take you,” he said. “Obviously you hope and you dream and you plan, but life has a funny way of having its own trajectory. With the Road to Carnegie show, I hope to ignite the fire of believing and dreaming. Alice found a wonderful quote recently: ‘The world doesn’t need more successful people. It needs more dreamers and lovers.’ ”
Lavigne performs at the Prince Charles Theatre at 7:30 p.m. March 1, presented by the Creston Concert Society. Tickets are $22 in advance for adults and $10 for students, or $25/$12 at the door. Remember to like the concert society on Facebook to keep up to date on upcoming shows, news and video clips, and a chance to win a free ticket to a 2014-2015 performance.
—BY ROSEMARY PHILLIPS