Every summer, the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show presented by Freedom Mobile is a one-of-a-kind celebration of talent and storytelling. But long before the lights go up and fireworks crackle, the work quietly begins behind the scenes.
“It starts 18 months out, so this time last year, we had already started conversations about what this year was going to look like,” says Grandstand Show Creative Director and Choreographer, Angela Benson.
The first spark of the show takes shape in a room with just Benson and producer Mark Eriksen, bouncing ideas off one another. “We sit in a room together and we start sharing guest acts that we’ve seen, really cool concerts we’ve seen, and different ideas,” Benson says. “For this year’s show, we started with our guest acts first.”
They build the story around a feeling, searching for acts that spark adrenaline or bring out raw emotion. Benson and Eriksen ask each other: “What do we want our audience to feel?”
That approach led them to this year’s headliner, country music icon Carolyn Dawn Johnson. “She is such a legend in country music – she has feminine grace, yet she is so gritty and has such power.”
By spring, everything is in motion. Rehearsals begin in April with the Young Canadians, and over 300 people are actively working to bring the production to life, from costume designers and screen producers to fireworks teams, dancers and guest acts across the globe.
“Rehearsals started April 23, which is wild,” Benson says. “We have people rehearsing in Argentina. I have someone rehearsing in the United States. I have someone rehearsing in Europe. Carolyn Dawn Johnson is in Nashville, rehearsing and sending us videos. So really, it’s an across-the-world production to put on this Grandstand Show.”
As opening night nears, the final puzzle pieces begin to lock in. Guest acts arrive in Calgary, costumes are fitted, props are tested and brand-new performances are brought to life, sometimes for the first time.
For the 2025 show, Vladyslav Tsarov – The Man of Steel, has designed a brand-new gravity-defying stunt. “He’s creating an act he’s never done before. He’s going to be balancing on a saddle, flying on top of the Grandstand stage.”
On Sneak-a-Peek night on July 3, it’s showtime. The cast gathers, the energy builds and Benson does her pre-show rounds, offering encouragement and sharing a moment with each performer. “I say, have a good show! And everybody shouts, woo!”
This year, she says, it’s the finale that will give audiences chills. “We have a bit of an immersive experience planned. We want our audience to stand up, have their hearts swell, put their arms around their neighbour and share in a moment in time.”
“We made this show from scratch with a blank sheet of paper and a fresh pencil. I want our audiences to have just as much fun watching the show as we do putting it together.”
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