Katie Couric and Shania Twain on the
Deerhurst stage where Shania once
performed, November 2002
It's an understatement to say that a lot has happened since a young woman named Eileen Twain arrived at our doorstep, some 19 years ago.
At the time, Deerhurst didn't have an opening in its "Vegas" show as it was then known, but after auditioning this petite powerhouse from Timmins, we sure made one. She was young, in her early 20's, and had just taken on the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings after losing both parents in a car accident. For three years, she honed her stage presence and vocal styles in the Deerhurst show, singing Motown tunes, shimmying to the Village People, and belting out big ballads in that gorgeous green dress. Such a small person. Such a big voice!
We've always been proud of the talented performers who appear on our stage, but who could have foreseen that this young singer would go on to record the biggest selling album EVER by a female artist in the USA? While Deerhurst's shows, now known as "EDGE," and "Live After Hours" continue to grow and develop exciting Canadian talent, Shania, as she is now known, continues to rock the music world like no other Canadian before.
Shania Twain in "Viva Vegas" at Deerhurst Resort, circa 1988/89
(Shania - middle row, second from left) Shania has referred to Deerhurst Resort as "a special place for me." In a 1995 interview with Country Weekly, she told the magazine, "This is where I got married and where my sister Carrie-Anne got married. This is also where I auditioned for my record contract." Since that interview, Shania has visited Deerhurst Resort several times to catch the current shows and to chat with both veteran and newer cast members.
Her visits have been somewhat low key - until she suggested to NBC's Katie Couric (The Today Show) that they incorporate Deerhurst Resort into an interview for a TV special. They arrived with an entourage of producers, publicists and a production crew to reminisce on the same stage at Deerhurst where she appeared so many years ago. The show, ”Katie at Night” - a primetime special featuring Katie Couric, was broadcast on Tuesday, November 26 on NBC to millions of Canadian, American and international fans.
We wish Shania good luck with her continuing success and are so delighted to have played a part in her amazing career. And who knows, it's exciting to think that perhaps another superstar in the making could be performing on the Deerhurst stage today!
