The Big Shows

Friday and Saturday evenings of the Fransaskois weekend were enlivened by what was called 'the big shows'. In the first years almost exclusively Fransaskois performers were invited. Then there was an effort to attract performers from the outside, especially Quebec stars, among them Édith Butler and Jim Corcoran. On the other hand, this closed book system was always being criticized. Why? While the Fransaskois enjoyed attending performances, they had a taste for the pleasure of reunion gatherings. In 1992, the organizers were disappointed by the way Jim Corcoran was received - he could scarcely get the attention of the audience. 'You can't ask 500 people to remain seated when they haven't seen each other for a year', observed Jean Liboiron in l'Eau vive after this incident. The same article questioned the principle of the big shows and wondered if several small performances should be organized instead so everyone could gather around with a drink while listening to the music.