Imagine sipping a drink on the plaza in front of St. Albert Place. The air is warm from the summer sun. A great blue heron flies overhead to land in the slow-moving waters of the Sturgeon River. The fountain bubbles and the bronze statues that dot the area look particularly affable as the cool evening air begins to roll in. And then one of Alberta’s best musicians strums their guitar and shares something most of us haven’t experienced in a year and a half: live music.

It’s arguably the perfect way to spend a summer evening in St. Albert, and it’s no longer a dream, but a reality, thanks to The Arden Theatre’s new Plaza Series. According to the Arden’s Professional Programming Presenter, Caitlin North, the idea has been on the back burner for a while.

“I think it’s always been a goal to do this [Plaza Series] because, for one, where the Arden is, is such a beautiful place,” explains North. “Being on the river, the building is a beautiful backdrop, and the architecture of Douglas Cardinal’s building—we’ve just got this really prime location. And we get such a short summer season. We know, for the most part, people want to be outside in the summer, so this is a nice way to continue the programming we do year-round, but allow people to be outside.”

As The Arden team looked forward to re-opening, they decided that now was the time to realize the dream of an outdoor concert series.

“The series is really meant as a way for us to celebrate coming back together,” says North. “[We wanted to] make it a really accessible way for the community to celebrate summer and get to see their neighbours again. There’s a social aspect, and we’re trying to make it as comfortable, as accessible, and as inviting for everybody as possible.”

In order to do that, North has programmed some great Alberta-based artists, in a diverse array of musical genres (and even a comedy troupe), to appeal to a wide audience over the nine-week run. From Martin Kerr, who made a splash at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic by entertaining neighbours in isolation with street concerts to Garratt Gregory and Karac Hendriks, a country music combo making waves throughout the country scene, the talent on display is sure to delight music fans, long bereft of live shows.

Other headlining artists include Samantha King, Girl Brain Sketch Comedy, Farhad Khosravi and Daniel Stadnicki, Scott Cook and the Indoorables, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Outdoors and more.

The opening acts stand out on their own and feature some notable emerging St. Albert-raised artists, including Amanda Penner, Kaylin Kowalyshyn, and Hailey Benedict, who is the youngest winner of the Alberta Country Music Association Fan's Choice Award.

“We have an amazing well of talent that resides in our province and in this region specifically, so to have the opportunity to spotlight some of them and give them a headlining slot is really exciting,” says North. “It’s part of our mission to nurture artists and introduce them to audiences with the intention of, perhaps, bringing them back and getting them on to the Arden Stage at a later date. Some of these artists have already played The Arden Theatre stage, but for some of these ‘new to our patron artists,’ I think they are going to be building a big local fan base here.”

The ticketed area will be licensed. As for seating, premium tables with space for six will be front and center, with theatre seating in rows behind. And if cost is an issue, North has no problem with residents pulling up a lawn chair to enjoy the tunes outside the official confines of the “venue.”

“I feel much more optimistic right now,” shares North, when asked about being able to book live music once more. “In April, I didn’t think we would be in this position, so it’s really exciting to be able to support artists again in this way—allowing them to perform live and giving them a chance to connect with their audiences again.”

Full details and a complete list of performers are available at ardentheatre.com

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