RAIN: The Beatles Experience, is a mind blowing theatrical production that takes the audience back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note concert-style performance that is the next best thing to seeing the Beatles live! The longest-running Beatles tribute act, it predates the popular Broadway show Beatlemania by several years.

The show takes the form of a roughly chronological history of The Beatles via their music. About 30 songs are performed during the show. Other than some onstage banter, there is very little dialogue during the production, which consists mostly of exact re-enactments of the Beatles' music. The multimedia production uses high-definition backdrops that feature psychedelic effects, vintage television commercials, and video footage of Raincast members recreating iconic Beatle moments.

ShowBox is very proud of our short but productive relationship with RAIN having provided creative direction and production expertise to the show as it began it’s meteoric rise in 2005. The popularity of the production with music fans everywhere continues today. RAIN has toured successfully throughout North America and Europe (#17 on Pollstar’s Hot Top 20 in 2008) and has played Broadway in New York (over 300 shows in 2010/2011).

Barrage is a violin-based, modern worldbeat ensemble based in Canada. The group employs a blend of eclectic violin music with high-energy physical choreography during their performances. They released several albums, and their filmed concert specials have been featured on television networks around the world. 

Barrage began as a musical entertainment concept created in Calgary, Alberta in 1996 by musicians Dean Marshall and John Crozman. Together with Jana Wyber, Brian Hanson, and Anthony Moore, they formed Barrage's executive production and creative team, known as "5 to 1 Entertainment". Dean Marshall served as the group's musical director, composer, and arranger.  Jeff Popiel, in association with Annerin Productions and JAM Theatricals, served as a producer from 2001 to 2005.

In its early days, Barrage's performances concentrated solely on experimenting and exploring new musical ideas. The group initially gained attention for pushing the violin's musical boundaries in their attempts to change the public's general perception of what is considered acceptable music to be played using the instrument. The seven violinists began incorporating choreography and several forms of dance into their shows while playing the violin at the same time, thus creating unique visuals to match the various music styles they were performing. Barrage quickly evolved into a hybrid cross between a theatrical music production and a musical ensemble show.

Barrage embarked on three major concert tours during their existence, namely "A Violin Sings, A Fiddle Dances", "Vagabond Tales", and "High Strung" (post Jeff’s involvement).  These tours each spanned several years in length, and collectively played to audiences in 27 countries across Asia, Central America, Europe, North America and Oceania.  Barrage also occasionally performed as a semi-permanent resident show at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Florida, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California and Chime-Long Paradise in Guangzhou, China.   

Much of Jeff Popiel’s foundational producing experience can be attributed to working closely with John Crozman and Tony Moore on this wonderful production.  John & Tony’s skill as entretainment entrepreneurs gave Jeff a front row seat on which to establish his own vision and eventually build ShowBox Productions. 

The TEN Tenors are undoubtedly one of Australia’s greatest entertainment success stories, with more than 90 million people worldwide witnessing their unmistakable charm, camaraderie and vocal power. Following 16 years of sell-out performances across the globe, including more than 2000 of their own headline concerts, The TEN Tenors have cemented their place as Australia’s premier classical-crossover group. 

Celebrated for their colourful repertoire, breathtaking arrangements and powerful live performances, The TEN Tenors respectfully tip their hats not only to the great classical composers, but to contemporary music’s most popular artists. From Buckley to Bocelli, an evening with The TEN Tenors is guaranteed to surprise and delight in equal measure.

Amidst their own explosive live concert experiences and remarkable achievements including six platinum and gold records and over 3.5 million concert tickets sold, the TEN have also performed alongside countless music legends including Andrea Bocelli, André Rieu, John Travolta, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Keith Urban, Rod Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Sarah Brightman, Willie Nelson, Katherine Jenkins and Christina Aguilera.

They are no strangers to television either, with iconic appearances on some of the world’s biggest broadcast events including performing exclusively for chat show queen Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure,appearing on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for an audience of 32 million viewers, and Poland 2012 UEFA Cup in Warsaw.

In 2005, Jeff Popiel, in association with Annerin Productions and Magic Entertainment, served as The TEN Tenors’ North American promoting partner with tour dates across the United States and Canada.  In 2006, ShowBox also contributed North American marketing services for the production on touring operations and television programming for the Larger Than Life tour.  ShowBox achieved 98% national participation at the top 50 PBS stations for the Larger Than Life concert film during the pledge drive preceding the TEN Tenors’ tour.

Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is a one-of-a-kind night of entertainment – an immersive comedy show staged as an evening of nuptials for two Italian-American families. It invites the audience to actively participate in all festivities: everyone is a welcome guest at the ceremony and reception, there’s real food, real dance, and real mingling with the cast of loveable characters.

New Yorkers Nancy Cassaro and Mark Nassar invented the characters of Tony and Tina while studying drama at Hofstra University in the 1980s. As the idea grew, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding landed to a scrappy downtown Manhattan location in 1985. Becoming a commercial success, it moved off-Broadway, produced by another Hofstra alumnus, Joe Corcoran. It ran for over 20 years to rave reviews, and eventually turned into a worldwide phenomenon, presented at over 150 cities worldwide – including numerous cities in the USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding was Jeff Popiel’s path into the entertainment industry.  Starting as an understudy for Tony, Jeff soon found himself performing multiple nights per week as the groom along side an incredibly talented cast in the zany comedy.  Acting turned to directing and directing to producing thanks to Jeff Parry, the show’s promoter in Calgary, Alberta.  Eventually, the two Jeff’s would partner to form a theatrical company (MakeBelieveInc.) and then move on to a concert production company, Annerin Productions.  Since his first show, Jeff Popiel enjoyed a twelve year relationship with the longest running off-Broadway show in history.  

Stampede Roundup began as a private corporate party and eventually grew to Calgary’s “most sought after ticket” during the world famous Calgary Stampede Exhibition, Fair & Rodeo.  Over the years, the event grew, eventually taking the form of a large scale outdoor music festival.  Underlying the many years of success, was a strong partnership with the Rotary Club of Calgary who provided the venue, food and beverage services that raised funds for local community charities including the Rotary Flames Children’s Hospice at the Alberta Children’s Hospital campus.  

Jeff Popiel began producing the event in 2007, which marked the beginning of a period of rapid expansion and growth.  Between 2008 and 2012, ShowBox transformed the event to a professional outdoor music festival format that could accommodate many more people and scale the event to a world class level.  Part of the transformation included the creation of corporate cabanas and varying levels of sponsorship to allow for a “party within the party”.  Along side ShowBox, the Rotary Club of Calgary also scaled their operations and together, the partnership grew to an incredible sell out at 18,000 guests, 14 sponsors, 1,000 volunteers and over $400,000 in funds generated in 2012, the year of Calgary’s Centennial.

ShowBox is proud of our contribution to the growth of Stampede Roundup and to the long standing Rotary BBQ tradition.  Over a prolific six year period producing the event, ShowBox hosted over 86,000 audience members and helped raise over $1.5 million for local charities through the Rotary Club of Calgary.   The Stampede Roundup stage has hosted many internationally-acclaimed, award-winning and Hall of Fame artists in Calgary including...

The Tragically Hip Matthew Good 54-50

INXS Collective Soul The Payola$

John Fogerty Big & Rich/Gretchen Wilson The Odds

Billy Idol Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Colin James

Lynyrd Skynyrd 3 Doors Down April Wine

Steve Miller Band Our Lady Peace Loverboy

Björn Again is a parody of the iconic Swedish supergroup ABBA and one of the world’s most prolific tribute productions having performed over 5,000 concerts in 45 countries.  The show is a fun-filled, concert that features spot-on vocals and choreography, incredible musicianship, glittery video effects and comedic banter throughout.  The resulting experience is a celebration of the disco era and a hit-after-hit performance of some of pop music’s most endearing music. Today, multiple Bjorn Again troupes perform at theatres, festivals and corporate events around the world.

Björn Again was created in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia by Rod Stephen and John Tyrrell. After the first Björn Again show at a pub in an inner Melbourne suburb, the show's popularity increased quickly, which first took the group Australia-wide on tour and then overseas to international acclaim with performances in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.

On May 1, 1998, Björn Again performed a show at Royal Albert Hall performing 11 of ABBA’s famous songs. The concert sold out very quickly and the performance was capture on film and recorded as a CD.  As the show continued to gain popularity, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (ABBA founders) joined the masses and lauded Björn Again a number of times over the years and in 1999, Andersson went on record saying "BJÖRN AGAIN are the closest you can get to seeing ABBA."  Rod & John soon developed expansion plans to include a permanent troupe in North America and service demand for the production overseas.

In association with Annerin Productions, Jeff Popiel become the North American producer of Björn Again in 2001 and continued producing the show with ShowBox in the United States and Canada until 2011.  For over a decade, Jeff was responsible for touring operations, creative direction (including casting & training band members) and the marketing & branding of the production for North American audiences.

Björn Again has performed at many types of events worldwide from large rock festivals including Reading and Glastonbury, to Wembley Stadium, to private performances for celebrities, including playing at parties for top UK golfer Colin Montgomerie, J.K. Rowling, Microsoft’s Bill Gates, comedian Rowan Atkinson, actor Russell Crowe’s wedding and for Russian President Vladimir Putin.  The production has also been invited to perform as the opening artist on the European tours of the Spice Girls, Cher and Shania Twain.  Today, Bjorn Again continues to delight audiences and tour the world.

The Oxford Stomp is one of Calgary’s longest running corporate parties during the world famous Calgary Stampede Exhibition, Fair & Rodeo.  A long standing relationship with the Rotary Club of Calgary, who provided the venue, food and beverage services to the event, allowed the Oxford Stomp to raise funds for local community charities for years. 

The relationship between the Rotary Club of Calgary and the Oxford Stomp introduced ShowBox to the event in 2009.  As a producer, ShowBox lead the event through a period of rapid growth and transformation, turning the Oxford Stomp into a professional outdoor music festival complete with corporating hosting VIP areas, a pro stage and production package and a variety of sponsorship properties.  Over the next four years, ShowBox and the Rotary Club of Calgary scaled the event to expand from 2,800 guests to 12,500 guests, delivering $125,000 to local community charities annually.

ShowBox is proud of our contribution to the growth of the Oxford Stomp and to the long standing Rotary BBQ tradition.  Over a prolific four year period producing the event, ShowBox hosted approximately 35,000 audience members and helped raise $500,000 for local charities through the Rotary Club of Calgary. The Oxford Stomp stage has hosted many internationally-acclaimed and award-winning artists in Calgary including...

Goo Goo Dolls Theory of a Deadman Big Wreck

INXS 54-40 Platinum Blonde

Blue Rodeo Steven Page

Tom Cochrane Glass Tiger

Echoing everything that made Pink Floyd one of rock and roll’s greatest icons, PFX is a celebration of the music, the themes and the innovation that this great band brought to music fans around the world. PFX: The Pink Floyd Experience is exactly what it says, an experience!  Everything about this concert, from the spectacular light show and crystal-clear sound to the soaring guitar solos and flying pig, is inspired by a deep respect for the music of Pink Floyd.  The musicianship and the attention to detail of the production as well as the impressive sound & lighting design are astonishing.  Critics and audiences around the world have been unanimous in their praise for this extraordinary concert performance.

It all started in 1995 when Tom Quinn, the world’s biggest Pink Floyd fan and accomplished guitar hero, had a dream.  Tom set out to build a Pink Floyd cover band that would do justice to it’s namesake.  As a founding member, for seven years Tom and a select group of San Diego musicians honed their craft and built a reputation as one of Southern California’s pre-eminent tribute bands, winning awards along the way for their spot-on re-creations of Pink Floyd’s signature sound.  

Jeff Popiel, in association with Annerin Productions, took in the band’s performance on a rainy night in San Diego in 2003.  With a vision to create the world’s best tribute production, work soon began.  Working with Tom’s incredible knowledge of Pink Floyd, Jeff lead the create direction and build of the show.  Some of the industry’s best designers were brought in to crreate original homages to Pink Floyd’s innovations.  On October 15, 2003, the world premiere of PFX: The Pink Floyd Experience debuted in Calgary, Alberta.  Touring soon began after our debut and PFX hit the road as Canada’s largest touring lighting rig including moving trusses, theatrical sets and a convoy of production trucks and busses.  PFX continues to delight fans everywhere and has toured annually ever since.

Beakerhead Creative Society is a registered charity whose mandate is to globally advance education at the crossroads of art, science and engineering. Through year-round STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) educational programs and the annual festival in Calgary, Canada, Beakerhead aims to engage, delight, surprise and entertain you so completely that you don’t even realize you are learning too! Ingenuity is on full display at every Beakerhead classroom program, school assembly, field trip, workshop, show, tour, community event and spectacle!

For five days every year, Beakerhead provides a world stage for artists, engineers, designers, scientists, inventors and performers and assembles fire-breathing monsters, eclectic workshops, roaming engineered contraptions, unique tours, glowing fashion, inventions of mammoth proportion, inventive community happenings and prolific shows for a festival celebration of creativity and ingenuity unlike any other.

In 2019, Jeff Popiel served as Interim CEO bringing promoting and producing expertise to the five day spectacle in September. ShowBox consolidated the event, improved the experience design, moved the location to a central island venue, and dramatically improved the financial results of the festival. The Beakerhead Spectacle sold out prior to the event with approximately 13,000 total visitors, a wait list of 3,750 people and was named a Top 12 event in Canada (festival) by Bizbash, an entertainment industry authority.