Edmonton gets ready for An Evening with Oprah

EDMONTON – She’s an international media maven and philanthropist. Just a few days after her exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey is speaking to a crowd of 15,000 in Edmonton.

During the event, Winfrey is expected to share stories and experiences from her life and share insights on how others can reach their full potential. After the formal program, a question and answer session is planned.

Oprah arrives at Rexall Place Monday, January 21, 2013

(Courtesy: Jenna Bridges, Global News)

Monday morning, crews at Rexall Place were already working in high gear; preparing for the event. In addition, Edmonton’s Kijiji pages are crammed with Oprah tickets for sale.

“Oprah is a compelling story and she uses it every chance she gets,” says Julie Rak, a professor of English and film studies at the University of Alberta who has written about the American icon. “You feel like you know her and you probably do. She comes from rags to riches, she does not pity herself, she uses her past to connect with her interviews and her audience, and that’s why she’s different to anyone else on television.”

“Oprah is the most important interviewer in the English language world,” Rak says. “She can connect to her audience; you feel like you’re in the living room with her. You get a sense that Oprah’s in your life.”

Winfrey is scheduled to appear before a sold-out crowd at Rexall Place 7 pm Monday before heading to Calgary for an appearance there on Tuesday. She’ll speak in Vancouver on Thursday.

Global News is a sponsor of the event and Global Edmonton anchor Carole Anne Devaney will be introducing Winfrey at her show in Edmonton Monday evening.

With files from the Edmonton Journal

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