Kelowna musician brings Vegas to KCT

Photo: Contributed

Kelowna musician Rann Berry has accomplished a lot in his 30-year music career, but for him everything has lead up to his big show on August 10 at the Kelowna Community Theatre. Rann Berry and the One Hit Wonders: The Songs you Forgot To Love is not just a ‘one-off’ show; this is a Vegas-revue style concert performance extraordinaire. A showcase of song, dance and music by some of the most talented musicians from the Kelowna, this event truly looks like a can’t-miss evening out.

“It’s like a Jersey Boys type show,” Berry says. “This is two years in the making. We’ve been working as musicians for 30 years, but this is the first time we’re doing our very own show.”

Berry explains that he was very particular about what kind of show he wanted to plan and perform, and went about the process carefully. “It took me a long time to find an angle I can get behind, because so many shows are overdone. The one hit wonders thing dawned on me, and when I started looking into that there’s so many songs to choose from.”

When you hear the term “one hit wonder”, it often conjures up thoughts about the myriad of bands breaking in the 80s who were unable to follow up their first hit with a big single. But you’ll find no 80s music in Berry’s new show. “We’ve chosen songs from ‘65 to ‘75. In that time period, you kind of catch songs that were inspired by the Beatles… ‘65 was a really big year when things really changed. But by ‘75, things had gone too psychedelic,” he says. “We don’t want to go past ‘75 because then we get into disco, etc.”

What was it about this era that inspires this talented musician so much? “We grew up with these songs, and a lot of us were inspired to be musicians BECAUSE of these songs. A lot of these songs were the ones that really stuck out on radio. This is a dream come true,” Berry says.

The slogan for the show is “If you like Jersey Boys, you’ll Love The One Hit Wonders,” and as it turns out, the Jersey Boys show in Las Vegas served as a source of inspiration for Berry. “I got the idea for the One Hit Wonders show from a trip to Vegas. We saw the greatest Beatles tribute act; it’s at the Planet Hollywood and they play every afternoon. Then we saw Jersey Boys, and I thought this type of Vegas style review, with a one-hit wonder twist, would be perfect to put together,” he says. And not unlike those lavish Las Vegas productions, Rann Berry and The One Hit Wonders show will be a feast for both the eyes and ears. “We have a full 8-piece band with a 4-piece horn section; this is the real deal. It’s completely live… we have two gorgeous dancers, and it’s visually exciting as well. We even have video to enhance the experience. Some of the songs are not up-tempo hits like Games People Play by Joe South, and they benefit by having a bit of imagery going on.”

Songs you can expect to hear during the show are Judy in Disguise, Hooked on a Feeling, Indiana Wants Me, Kung Fu Fighting, and Seasons in the Sun.

Berry is extremely proud of the show, and can’t wait for the people of the Okanagan to experience this world premiere event. “We’ve put a lot of effort into these songs, and I promise it will come across with integrity,” he says. Berry is counting on the audience to love the show, as there will be some important people taking in the performance at the KCT. “We have people interested in promoting the show for us. We have promoters coming in to see the show to scout it out. The Casino circuit in Washington may be a big thing for us, and some of their 800-1000 seat venues may be a good fit for them.”

See Rann Berry and the One Hit Wonders at the Kelowna Community Theatre, Friday, August 10 at 8 pm. Tickets are still available at www.selectyourtickets.com, or you can charge by phone: 250-762-5050.