It’s one thing to sing like Madonna. It’s another to be Madonna, Elton, Gloria, or Axl for two hours straight, under lights, in heels, with choreography. And then turn around and do it again tomorrow, and the day after that for a total of eight shows a week,
Legends of the 80s at Stage West is a concert experience and opportunity to see musical legends, now forty five years since their prime. And behind the hair and the hits is a cast built not just on vocal chops, but on adaptability, endurance, and uncanny presence.
“We’re talking about artists who ended up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” says director and writer Lee Siegel. “There’s a reason they got there — these songs are tough to sing. Not everyone can do it.”
The seven performers in Legends each characterize two to three legends each, often with just seconds between numbers. When they’re not in the spotlight, they’re dancing backup, layering harmonies, or racing offstage to change looks.
“They never stop,” Siegel says. “They’re always somewhere, doing something, and doing it well.”
Siegel says casting wasn’t just about finding great singers, it was about finding performers who could honour these larger-than-life personas.
“With a legend show, you need someone who sounds like the artist, who looks like them, who can hold the stage the way they did. And you need them to do it again and again without burning out,” he explained.
Some roles had to be rewritten entirely. Early drafts included Prince and Michael Jackson, but when casting overlapped with Disney’s The Lion King, the team had to pivot. The right voices just weren’t available without compromising on quality.
“We had to make some big changes,” Siegel says. “But honestly, I’m thrilled with where we landed. We’ve got this amazing mix of Calgary and Ontario talent who are crushing it every night.”
The show was built specifically for Stage West Calgary, with no tour dates on the horizon,
“This isn’t a show you can catch next year in Toronto,” Siegel says. “If you want to see it, you’ve got to see it here.”
Legends of The 80s runs at Stage West through to Aug. 31.
Tickets can be found here.