When Steve Forget founded The Grand Illusion in 1997, he had already come within one decision of joining Styx outright. In 1999, following Dennis DeYoung’s departure, Forget auditioned to replace him — and his candidacy, by his own account, advanced to the final round before Lawrence Gowan was chosen. That near-miss matters because it explains something about The Grand Illusion’s approach: Forget didn’t build a tribute act to fill a weekend calendar. He built it because this is the music he would have otherwise been playing for a living. Twenty-eight-plus years later, the band plays The Port Theatre in Cornwall on Saturday, November 14.
About the Show
The November 14 date is The Grand Illusion’s third confirmed appearance at The Port Theatre, following engagements in November 2023 and September 2024; a return booking rate that suggests the fit between act and room is working. The six-piece lineup places Forget on lead vocals and guitar, Claude Dansereau on vocals and guitar, Sébastien Daigle on keyboards, Jacques Mercier on bass, Luc Gervais on guitar, and Claude Cormier on drums. The ensemble covers the Styx catalog with what booking bios and live-show writeups consistently describe as “impressive accuracy” and “electrifying visuals.” Forget himself has cited “The Best of Times” as capturing “Styx’s sound very well, with a lot of piano” — the keyboard-forward character that the six-piece format is built to deliver. The repertoire spans Styx’s career arc: “Lady,” “Crystal Ball,” “Come Sail Away,” “Renegade,” “Suite Madame Blue,” “Blue Collar Man,” “Too Much Time On My Hands,” Lorelei, and others. The Grand Illusion has opened for acts including Cheap Trick and performed at Ottawa’s Nostalgia Music Festival at LeBreton Flats. A regional touring schedule with confirmed dates through early 2027, spanning Quebec City venues to Cornwall, keeps the ensemble on the road well into the coming year.
Venue & Logistics
The Port Theatre has held its place in Cornwall since 1941, a 450-seat room with a full-sized stage and what the venue describes as exceptional acoustics, plus a licensed bar on site. For a band that trades in arena-rock catalog material, the intimate scale of the North Country venue sharpens the experience: you hear these songs close up. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; the show begins at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are $25.00, a notably accessible price point for an ensemble active at this level of the Canadian touring circuit. Available through Theatre Filler and the Port Theatre box office. Buy tickets