Audience numbers going up following revamp of Darke Hall
It has been almost a year since the doors re-opened at Regina’s infamous Darke Hall, and attendance is trending in the right direction.
“Actually in the last couple months we’ve noticed that the audience numbers are going up,” Dawn Bergstrom, manager of Darke Hall explained. “People are becoming more comfortable and they’re also getting to know the fact that we’re here, and that we’re open again.”
The building was under construction for six years, and saw an $84.5 million facelift, according to the University of Regina, but ensured it kept the bones that make it recognizable.
“This is a venue that a lot of people grew up performing in, we took music lessons here, we danced on the stage, we did shows here so it became so much of our childhood,” Bergstrom said.
Darke Hall reopened their doors almost a year ago after renovations. (Brianne Foley / CTV News)
Luke McMaster was set to perform at the hall for the first time Tuesday evening.
“When you see a nice theatre that has maintained some of the original architecture, it’s always really fun and there’s stained glass, there’s original wood still intact and you just instantly get a feel for something,” he said.
McMaster used to be part of McMaster & James, but has since turned solo, pursing Mo-Town music with his Canadian band.
He said just like the venues' blending of old and new, mo-town looks to unite generations through the blending of music.
“It’s where they first started blending jazz, blues, gospel and that is what created pop music, pop music really came out of that…music for everyone, that was Barry Gordie’s mandate when he started mo-town.”
Darke Hall boasts many Saskatchewan acts, and with the upgrades, artists can enjoy the nostalgia of the hall, with state of the art equipment to produce the best quality performances.
“So many of our professional artists that have come out of Saskatchewan actually performed on the Darke Hall stage, so there’s a really strong connection and I think bringing it back really builds that connection again.”
McMaster is from the prairies, but never performed at Darke Hall before. He said when he walked into the venue for the first time it felt like the Apollo, that it has that kind of vibe to it.
“Darke Hall is perfect for what we do, absolutely perfect, we love playing in theatres, we love the fact that we can really connect with an audience.”
Booking shows like McMaster, and Jack Semple, means ticket sales and audiences have been growing for the hall.
“People have been really enthusiastic, and they’ve really enjoyed the experience and we’ve had some amazing artists performing on this stage,” said Bergstrom.
“For a while, we were so used to this building being under construction, that people didn’t know it was open so that word is getting out now, and more and more people are coming.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.