Al Simmons, who engages in “one-man, multi-prop, music-filled, off the wall performances” will be at the North Peace Cultural Centre Thursday night.

The Canadian performer, currently living in rural Manitoba, has thrilled audiences of all ages for 41 years now.

He said his show does not fit a traditional template.

“It is difficult to describe. It is a Vaudeville-style show, meaning a variety of comedy - is my interpretation of it,” Simmons said.

“It is great fun for the whole family.”

His debut album ‘Something’s Fishy at Camp Wiganishie’ earned him a Juno nomination for Best Children’s Album and he got the actual award for his follow-up ‘Celery Stalks at Midnight’ in 1995.

A variety of other nominations and awards would follow.

Simmons described the path his performances have negotiated.

“It has evolved considerably because I started out being a baggy pants comedian kind of performer, but abandoned that almost immediately because there was no call for it, and ended up being a singer in a rock band which gradually deteriorated into being a Vaudevillian with a back up band.”

His present act, although progressive, found its roots in 1986.

“And it continually evolves. For instance, I will be bringing a couple of new pieces [to Fort St. John] with me that are untried, I am going to be using the audience as a guinea pig there,” he explained.

His show is customized based on the audience demographics.

“The show works for any age and I vary it slightly. If I am working to all adults I change a few things and then if I am working to all children I change things as well. It has a broad appeal.”

Like opening presents, he said audiences enjoy the surprises and twists and turns of his act.

“There is something new every two minutes. That is part of my reason for performing, I have always enjoyed Christmas and parties and stuff like that where someone would unwrap a gift and its like ‘Wow, look at what it is, oh, here is another one’. Each one of my acts or skits starts off fairly normal and then at the end, there is a crazy twist to it.”

There will be a combination of classics and new material, he promised.

“When I am up there I will be singing a song that I have sung for 37 years. It is a sing-a-long eye chart. It is the thing I have been performing the longest. It has not grown old for me or for the audience. There is a brand new verse that I have just written for it,” Simmons said.

“There is going to be some new surprises that I won’t even describe right now.”

So I guess you will just have to show up at the cultural centre at 7 p.m. Thursday to find out. For more information on the show visit www.npcc.bc.ca or call 250-785-1992.