NARRATOR

Here are Dal Richard’s first recollections of the Orpheum, from the 1930s when he was a junior high school student.

DAL RICHARDS

I was in Point Grey Junior High. And one of the kids in my class, father played the organ in the Orpheum Theatre.

So he was able to get passes, and I saw any number of vaudeville shows in the Orpheum. And just thought, that would be the ultimate for me, to have an orchestra in the Orpheum stage.

NARRATOR

After those formative years at Point Grey Junior high, Dal would fulfill his dream of becoming a professional musician. He remembers hearing Juliette, who would become a Canadian vocal legend, sing for the first time at the Orpheum in 1940.

DAL RICHARDS

I got a call from Ivan Ackery, who was the manager of the Orpheum. And he had a policy of cutting out the shorts of the daily program on Friday evenings, so he featured a local band between the movies.

And he asked if I’d be interested, and I certainly was. So we went to the Orpheum for a rehearsal, and after the rehearsal, Ivan said to me, “That’s a good show, Dal. But I noticed you don’t have a girl singer.”

We called them girl singers in those days. Sometimes we still do. Ivan said to me, “I heard a little girl in the Kitsilano Showboat the other night. And I’d like you to listen to her.” And I said, “Ivan, that’s not really not the image that I want.” And he said, “Well, will you just listen to her.” So I listened to her, and she could sing, all right.

And it was June of 1940. And she sang “There Will Always Be an England.” We were at war at the time, and she brought the house down. And that was the first professional engagement of Juliette, who went on to be a very famous Canadian singer.

NARRATOR

Now in his 90s, Dal is still swinging at the Orpheum.

DAL RICHARDS

Recently, I celebrated my 90^th birthday there. We had a concert. A lot of my friends—singers, musicians, choirs, everything else—part of it all. Now we’re making plans for a 95^th birthday. So I’m quite thrilled about that.