Arts Guide 2021

YOUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE 2021/22 ARTS SEASON

ART • CONCERTS • DANCE • EVENTS • MUSIC • OPERA • PERFORMANCE • THEATRE

2 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

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ADVERTISING FEATURE | TIMES COLONIST

Sardonic wit and incisive social critiques

agicspace Entertainment is thrilled to announce that David Sedaris will perform at Victoria’s Royal Theatre on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Tickets are on sale NOW and can be purchased online at rmts. bc.ca, by phone at 250-386-6121, or by visiting the McPherson Box Office located at 3 Centennial Square.The evening will include an audience Q&A and a post-show book signing with books available for purchase from Munro’s Books.

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s preeminent humor writers. He is the master of satire and one of today’s most observant writers

addressing the human condition.

His most recent book, The Best of Me, is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays. A Sedaris story may seem confessional, but is also highly attuned to the world outside. It opens our eyes to what is absurd and moving about our daily existence. And it is almost impossible to read without laughing. A second volume of his diaries, A Carnival of Snackery, will be released October 5, 2021. There’s no right way to keep a diary, but if there’s an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.

At its best,this latest edition is a sort of sampler: the bitter and the sweet. Some entries are just what you wanted. Others you might want to spit discreetly into a napkin.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit rmts.bc.ca

DAVID SEDARIIS ROYAL THEATRE NOVEMBER 6, 7:30p pm TICKETS: BOX OFFICE 250-386-6121 www.rmts.bc.ca

ON THE COVER: (TOP) Herve Koubi Barbarian Nights, Dance Victoria, Photo: Pierangela Flisi • (LEFT TO RIGHT) Sanjay Talwar, A Christmas Carol, Blue Bridge Theatre, Photo: Jam-Hamidi • Dancer, Julia Jones-Whitehead, Photo: Gail Takahashi • The Life and Music of George Michael • The Garden of Alice. Pacific Opera Victoria 2020, Peter McGillivray as the Frog Footman, Simran Claire (the Duchess), Nolan Kehler as the Fish Doorman, Photo: Mackenzie Lawrence • Victoria Symphony, Photo: KevinLight

Thurs, Sept 16, 2021

A Victoria Times Colonist publication

Publisher: Dave Obee Director of Advertising: Peter Baillie #201-655 Tyee Road Victoria, BC

To advertise in the next issue and or submit content contact: Margaret Long: 250.888.4258 mlong@timescolonist.com

Emily Carr: Seeing and Being Seen is on now at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

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arr’s legacy is very much intertwined with the land and sites of this region. She is celebrated for the way in which she articulated what she saw in these landscapes through painting and for how she interpreted and portrayed Indigenous village sites, landmarks, and culture.

The exhibition is split into two sections: ‘Seeing’ and ‘Being Seen’.

Half the gallery shows how she documented what was around her, highlighting many of the works she is praised and admired for today.

The other half focuses on how artists and historians of various backgrounds and worldviews interpret her legacy and body of work.

Seeing displayed 13 works

by Carr such as Odds and Ends, Big Eagle at Skidegate, Above the Gravel Pit, and more. This section will focus on bringing a more fulsome narrative to the intersection of land and cultures that Carr was documenting through her work as a settler person. Not only showing what Carr recorded

through her paintings at these sites but also what other stories and lived experiences exist there.

Being Seen examines works by other artists impacted by Carr’s legacy. Artists who admire her work, historians who adore her, and works that hold her accountable and critique her engagement with Indigenous peoples. This section showcases artists such as Edythe Hembroff-Schleicher, Pat Martin Bates, Jack Shadbolt, Isabel Hobbs and Joan Cardinal-Schubert offering many varied perspectives to engage with. Schubert’s work titled Birch Bark Letters to Emily Carr: Astrolobe Discovery depicts letters written to, and imagined conversations between Carr and the artist of Kainaiwa ancestry.

The lens through which artists are seen by others shapes their legacy throughout their lives and after they are gone, and Emily Carr is no exception. This exhibition is co-curated by Nicole Stanbridge and Mel Granley, and runs until July 17, 2022. aggv.ca

Canadian College of Performing Arts 2021.05.28 Urinetown Red Cast

2021.01.28 If Then

PHOTO: PETER POKORNY

VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 3 Y PHOTO: PETER POKORN

TIMES COLONIST | ADVERTISING FEATURE

ADVERTISING FEATURE | TIMES COLONIST

Join the Opera Evolution!

Punjabi-Canadian mezzo soprano Simran Claire (the Duchess), Peter McGillivray as the Frog Footman, Nolan Kehler as the Fish Doorman, Tracy Dahl as Alice, Kaden Forsberg as the Cook. The Garden of Alice.

Pacific Opera Victoria. 2020.

PHOTO: GAMUT PRODUCTIONS

4 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

M PHOTO: MACKENZIE LAWRENCE PHOTOGRAPHY

usically exquisite performances cross the boundary of stage and screen as Pacific Opera Victoria brings you bold new opera experiences in multiple ways. Enjoy this teaser look at your coming year of unforgettable opera!

Start the season with opera on screen and a return to the magical Tracy Dahl as Alice.

The Garden of Alice.

Pacific Opera Victoria.

2020.

world of Wonderland. Elizabeth Raum’s The Garden of Alice, reimagined by the Canadian composer in collaboration with conductor Timothy Vernon and director Glynis Leyshon, shifts Lewis Carroll’s famous tale to a new perspective as an indie fi lm.

Sing-able melodies lead audiences of all ages through absurd encounters featuring all of your favourite characters. An elderly Alice lies in hospital, isolated in the midst of a silent swirl of attendants, clutching her book as she drifts in and out of pain and slumber. When a White Rabbit appears, Alice fi nds herself falling into an increasingly strange world of wonder. Starring renowned Canadian soprano Tracy Dahl, The Garden of Alice is an aesthetically eye-popping fi lm that looks well beyond childhood and fully at life, from both sides of the looking glass. Let your imagination run wild again!

Next, Pacific Opera presents Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s moving and tuneful opera based on

true stories of gay men whose love and lives were torn apart in Nazi Germany. For a Look or a Touch is a theatrical song cycle, with elements of jazz and swing, and a score that captures the spirit of complicated human relationships.

Starring Andrew Love and C. David Johnson, For a Look or a Touch will be directed for fi lm this fall by Michael Shamata, with Maestro Timothy Vernon conducting.

Looking to see something in person? Renovations are underway at the Baumann Centre, where Pacific Opera will soon relaunch Live at the Baumann, the intimate recital series in a candlelit cabaret setting.

Featuring solo recitals and staged works, including Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit! and The Italian Lesson. In the coming months, Pacific Opera also looks forward to planning a return to the Royal with the postponed productions of Bizet’s Carmen and a new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

PHOTO: GAMUT PRODUCTIONS

Tracy Dahl as Alice, Peter Monaghan as the Caterpillar. The Garden of Alice. Pacific Opera Victoria. 2020.

Looking to learn more about these pieces and the artists behind them? Robert Holliston, host of Pacific Opera's Inside Opera and pre-show Lobby Talks, will present a series of video chats with special guests. Recommended for newcomers and opera aficionados alike, Inside Opera Online is insightful, friendly, and funny.

Looking to watch something right now? Last season Pacific Opera launched Music Alive, our

Citizen Artist Program, where eight “in residence” Canadian opera singers received mentorship on storytelling, project creation, and cultural capacity. All fi nal video creations are available now to stream, and we look forward to announcing a new cohort this fall!

Watch PACIFICOPERA.CA early October for a list of dates and further details, and sign up for Pacific Opera’s eNews for twice monthly news and content.

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 5

6 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra PHOTO: SJACK-PHOTOGRAPHY 2017

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he Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra is a community orchestra of more than 60 members. The SPO was founded

by Norman Nelson in 1997 and performed its first symphony concert in June 1998. With the subsequent introduction of the Sooke Philharmonic Chamber Players and the Sooke Philharmonic Chorus, the regular concert season now traditionally features four programs plus the ever-popular “Philharmonic Fling!”, a free, open air, pops concert performed each summer.

In addition, small ensembles perform regularly at community events and fundraisers.

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Yariv Aloni is the Music Director of the Sooke Philharmonic. He is also the music director of the Victoria Chamber Orchestra and the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra, as well as being a principal guest conductor of the West Coast Symphony Orchestra in Vancouver.

Nicholas Fairbank is the Choral Director of the Sooke Philharmonic Choir and Via Choralis Chamber Choir.

Michael Klazek, our Staff Conductor, conducts the annual Sooke Philharmonic Fling!

The annual Sooke Secret Garden Tour has traditionally

SOOKE PHILHARMONIC Orchestra& Chorus See our website and FB page for a list of live and virtual concerts and events!

sookephil.ca

Making Harmony... Naturally

been the organization’s major fundraiser, giving attendees an opportunity to visit local gardens while enjoying performances by orchestra members. This year, the tour was entirely virtual, providing a very special glimpse of the featured gardens in and around Sooke accompanied by music from SPO musicians. This virtual tour will remain posted as the Sooke

Secret Garden Tour on our website sookephil.ca until November 2021. Although there is no charge for viewing the tour, donations are greatly appreciated.

Refer to our website or Facebook page for the most up to date information about upcoming events offered by the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 7

The Best of World Theatre

Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s 2021/22 season features the best of classic theatre from around the globe.

PHOTO: JAM-HAMIDI

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Sanjay Talwar, A Christmas Carol, Blue Bridge Theatre

he season starts with the recent Broadway hit Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune by Terrence McNally.

Running from October 26-November 7 the play tells the story of two lonely souls who meet for a one-night-stand—but discover a connection deeper than they ever expected.

Next up from December 7 – 19 audiences will see the return of Blue Bridge’s version of English master story-teller Charles Dickens most famous work A Christmas Carol.

Starring Shaw Festival veteran Sanjay Talwar this version is performed in the manner that the author first presented in 1853.

The new year will see Canada’s I, Claudia

by Kristen Thomson. A coming-of-age drama that depicts the difficulties a young girl faces

WHEN THE WORLD RETURNS TO THE STAGE, WE WILL BE BACK IN OUR SEATS

in her transition into adolescence, it runs from April 26 to May 7. Performed entirely in mask, I, Claudia is a riveting, hilarious, and heartbreaking journey into the raw psyche of an extraordinary girl with a lot on her mind.

Next up from May 31 to June 12 is the 19th century Norwegian classic Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. Detailing the terrors of social and psychological entrapment it has been hailed as one of the world’s greatest plays since its premiere in 1891.

Master farceur and Nobel Prize Italian playwright Dario Fo is up next from July 5-17.

They Won’t Pay? We Won’t Pay! will help ease the inevitable sting of inflation with Fo’s hilarious critique of unbridled capitalism.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper has

2021/22 SEASON CHRISTMAS

by TERRENCE MCNALLY

FRANKIE & JOHNNY

IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE

A CAROL

OCT 26 - NOV 7, 2021

DEC 9 - 19, 2021

HEDDA GABLER

by KRISTEN THOMSON

I, CLAUDIA

MAY 31 - JUNE 12, 2022

BY DARIO FO

THEY WON'T PAY?

WE WON'T PAY! JULY 5-17, 2022

BLUE BRIDGE REP

by CHARLES DICKENS

By HENRIK IBSEN

APR 26 - MAY 8, 2022

We at the Times Colonist wish to thank our local arts groups for always bringing us hope, joy and laughter.

suggested it is “not nearly as farcical as contemporary politics.”

Capping off the 2021-22 season will be the return of Victoria’s own home-grown musical sensation Ride The Cyclone by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell chronicling the last day in the lives of six teenagers who take a ride on a roller coaster to purgatory.

Victoria audiences will once again have the opportunity to cheer the success of this work that has taken cities across North America by storm.

Tickets and further information are available on the company’s website bluebridgerep.ca or by calling 250-382-3370.

BY JACOB RICHMOND AND BROOKE MAXWELL

RIDE THE CYCLONE AUG 2 - 14, 2022

bluebridgerep.ca

250.382.3370 Roxy Theatre

2657 QUADRA STREET

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

ADVERTISING FEATURE | TIMES COLONIST PHOTO: © PIERANGELA FLISI

8 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

Celebrating our 25th Anniversary Season & our Return to the Royal!

I Compagnie Hervé KOUBI in The Barbarian Nights

FESTIVAL 2022 RETURNS! APRIL TO MAY CELEBRATE TOP PERFORMERS in our Highlights Concert Series!

Join us as local performers take the stage!

Featuring piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, guitar, fiddle, ethnic dance, speech and dramatic arts, school dance, composition, choral, school ensembles, classical voice, musical theatre and studio dance.

ONLINE REGISTRATION BEGINS GINS JANUARY 3, 2022 For more information

visit: www.gvpaf.org call 250-386-9223 email: festival@gvpaf.org /gvpaf

/gvpaf

n 2021/22, Dance Victoria celebrates 25 years of presenting the World’s Best Dance and our return to the Royal Theatre with a remarkable season of spectacular dance presentations. We hope that you will join us in celebrating this milestone! Three leading-edge companies push the boundaries of contemporary dance and movement theatre as part of our Dance at the Royal Series.

Our Return to the Royal & Dance at the Royal Series (Sponsors: Derma Spa & RBC).

We can’t wait for you to experience the exhilaration of live dance again! Perhaps you’re feeling uncertain whether you’re ready to return to the Royal inperson? We’ve got you covered!

Your subscription includes the option of watching a livestream of the performances at the Royal Theatre in real-time from the comfort of your home! Single tickets will also be available for these performances. Learn more at DanceVictoria.com.

All three shows in the Dance at the Royal Series are awe-inspiring (Compagnie Hervé KOUBI from France/Algiers), innovative (Ballet BC from Vancouver), and captivating (Ballet Hispánico from New York). With breathtaking energy, wearing headgear inspired

by Swarovski, the 13 street dancers of Compagnie Hervé KOUBI evoke the humanity of the early ‘barbarians’ of the Mediterranean basin, whirling dark skirts and moving with stunning fluidity against a musical backdrop of Mozart, Fauré and traditional Algerian melodies. Ballet BC brings a mixed contemporary program that includes a new work by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, Crystal Pite’s buzzworthy The Statement, and a

creation by acclaimed European choreographer Marco Goecke.

The season concludes with Ballet Hispánico’s biggest production in its history, Doña Perón, tracing episodes in Eva “Evita” Perón’s life that capture the essence of her strength, struggle, and emergence as a leader, change agent and enshrined popular icon.

Subscription renewals for Dance Victoria’s returning subscribers are on sale now. New subscribers can purchase their three-show package beginning October 25, and single tickets are on sale on November 15.

Additional ticket options include Pay Your Age (for patrons 12 to 29 years old), Night Moves (for patrons 30 to 45 years old) and 50 seats for every performance at the unbelievable price of only $29. One popular option, designed so you can use four tickets in any combination, is the Discount Flex Pass. Great dance at great savings!

Sign up at DanceVictoria.com to receive on-sale dates and pricing updates.

Dance Victoria is committed to engaging the community in the celebration of dance. We offer free master classes taught by the world-renowned dancers in our season. Our mid-winter Dance Days event promotes as many as 70 free dance classes and workshops.

Annually, Dance Victoria awards over $50,000 to western Canadian dance artists making new work or continuing their training. Dance Victoria Studios in Quadra Village welcome 5,000 young dancers to a diverse range of classes every month. Learn more about us at DanceVictoria.com Best Seats. Best Prices.

The World’s Best Dance.

Box Office: 250-386-6121 DanceVictoria.com

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 9

ers b i r c s b Su to save up $60!

Mark your calendars!

Subscriptions on sale Oct 25 Single tickets on sale Nov 15

DANCE AT THE ROYAL SERIES Three-show subscriptions include the option of watching a livestream from the Royal Theatre in real-time from the comfort of your home! Available as single tickets, a three-show subscription or Discount FLEX Passes that provide you with four tickets to use in any combination.

COMPAGNIE HERVÉ KOUBI

FEBRUARY 4 + 5, 2022 • 7:30 pm The Barbarian Nights (or The First Dawns of the World) With breathtaking energy, wearing headgear inspired by Swarovski, The Barbarian Nights evokes the humanity of the early ‘barbarians’ of the Mediterranean basin, whirling dark skirts and stunning fluidity against a backdrop of Mozart, Fauré and traditional Algerian melodies.

BALLET BC

MARCH 11 + 12, 2022 • 7:30 pm Mixed Program

TICKETS 250-386-6121

A mixed contemporary program including a new work by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, Crystal Pite’s buzzworthy The Statement, and a creation by acclaimed European choreographer Marco Goecke.

(Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) beginning October 25 for subscriptions and November 15 for single tickets.

BALLET HISPÁNICO

DANCEVICTORIA.COM

APRIL 8 + 9, 2022 • 7:30 pm Doña Perón

A powerful portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón that captures the essence of her strength, struggle, and emergence as a leader, change agent and enshrined popular icon in Argentina.

SPONSORS

PUBLIC SECTOR

SEASON SPONSOR

25TH ANNIVERSARY

RETURN TO THE ROYAL

LIVESTREAM

MEDIA

Save with Pay Your Age (12–29 yrs) or Night Moves (30–45 yrs)! *All performances at the Royal Theatre.

2021/22 Season program subject to change.

VENUE

HOST HOTEL

Compagnie Hervé KOUBI in The Barbarian Nights. Photo © Frédérique Calloch. Ballet BC’s REACHING U program of Medhi Walerski’s Garden. Photo © Four Eyes Portraits. Ballet Hispánico’s Melissa Verdecia. Photo © Rachel Neville.

To celebrate 25 years of the World’s Best Dance, we’ve put together a remarkable season of spectacular dance presentations for our much-anticipated Return to the Royal! Get ready to experience the best of innovative, contemporary dance and movement theatre with our Dance at the Royal Series.

ADVERTISING FEATURE | TIMES COLONIST

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

Bringing y the

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

A

s we re-emerge into the world of shared musical experiences, Victoria Symphony can hardly wait to bring the colour back into all our lives through the transformational power of music.

The 2021/22 is an ambitious offering of live and virtual events including the complete Beethoven Symphonies lead by Music Director Christian Kluxen, the majestic 9th Symphonies of Mahler and Schubert, and orchestral masterpieces by both Robert and Clara Schumann.

Pianist Lorraine Min returns for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Stewart Goodyear plays Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and conductor and virtuoso harpsichordist Alexander Weimann leads Haydn’s Morning, Noon and Night symphonies. To celebrate the 90th birthday of John Williams, principal pops conductor Sean O “Loughlin leads a program of some of the greatest film music ever written. Making their VS debuts this season, Charles Richard-Hamelin performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Riverdance Alumni Maria Millar stars in “Music of the Emerald Isles”.

Beloved traditions continue with a “Christmas Pops” concert led by Sea O’Loughling, a new spin on Handel’s Messiah with “Bach to Messiah” featuring excerpts from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Handel’s Messiah led by Tafelmusik’s Ivars Taurins.

What to expect? (Current plans are subject to ongoing changes in Public Health Orders) September – November: A hybrid of in-person and virtual concerts with reduced capacity seating.

Single tickets only.

December – May: Live, full-length concerts with expectations of full capacity. Single tickets and flexible subscription packages available in the fall.

For those of you not yet ready to return to the concert hall, we will also continue to offer a virtual season, airing programs online (and free of charge) at least once per month. The Virtual Season begins September 23 with a 2020/21 Virtual Season Highlights concert.

Find complete concert listings at victoriasymphony.ca

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

10 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

you Colour

A MESSAGE FROM MUSIC DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN KLUXEN “Music is life. And like it, inextinguishable.” These were the words of composer Carl Nielsen in 1916, composing his 4th symphony. What better words to describe the Victoria Symphony, as we rise from a pandemic that has been devastating for the arts and that has deeply affected the lives of musicians and arts institutions around the world. Despite the losses we have suffered, however, let us not forget what remains intact and what we can look forward to. To bring us back together, we have designed a season fi lled with music of substance and profound emotion. Music of inextinguishable beauty that we look forward to sharing with you in person.

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 11

PHOTO: KEVIN LIGHT

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12 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

Red Sky Performance We significantly influence the evolution of Indigenous-made work and share our work across Canadian provinces and territories and with the world.

Touring since 2003, we have delivered over 2,253 performances across Canada including international performances in 17 countries on four continents, including landmark events such as at two Cultural Olympiads (Beijing and Vancouver), opened Canada at World Expo in Shanghai, and opened UNCEDED: Voices of the Land at the Venice Biennale.

We are the recipient of eight Dora Mavor Moore awards and nominations, two Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards,

three International Youth Drama Awards from Shenzhen, China, and the Smithsonian Expressive Award, among other recognitions.

We are traceable to the very beginnings of the universe, our ancestral origins stretching across the Milky Way to the atoms burning inside of us in the ‘here and now’ on earth. Trace is a highly kinetic contemporary dance work inspired by Indigenous (Anishinaabe) sky and star stories, offering a glimpse into our origin as well as our future evolution.

Winner of two Dora Mavor Moore Awards and nominated for four Dora Awards.

redskyperformance.com • Instagram: @redskyperform • Facebook: @redskyperformance • Twitter: @redskyperform

PHOTO: DAVID-HOU

R

ed Sky Performance is a leading company of contemporary Indigenous performers in Canada and worldwide.

Led by Artistic Director Sandra Laronde of the Teme-Augama-Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water), we are currently in our 18th year of dance, theatre, music, and media.

Our mission is to create inspiring experiences of contemporary Indigenous arts and culture that transform society.

We create, produce, and disseminate new creations and events that illuminate themes, aesthetics, and values of importance to Indigenous peoples.

ADVERTISING FEATURE | TIMES COLONIST

Red Sky Performance

Cowichan Performing Arts Centre presents

Harry Manx

Saturday Oct. 2, 2021 7:30pm Tickets $38 250.746.2722

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 13

Year of adversity helps Phoenix offer more opportunities for students The Phoenix 2021-22 season kicks off with Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Nov. 11-27, 2021), a wildly imaginative comedy written by award-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl and directed by professor Fran Gebhard. The play follows Jean’s loopy odyssey after picking up a ringing phone, and reminds us of the importance of connection in a world increasingly isolated by technology. In February, professor Conrad Alexandrowicz marks the 100th anniversary of T.S. Eliot’s modernist poem, The Waste Land (February 17-26, 2022) with

a new staged adaptation. This landmark poem bears witness to the aftermath of the First World War, while offering hope for society’s redemption. The season concludes with Shakespeare’s Women (March 17-26, 2022)

by Libby Appel, a playful contemporary revisiting of The Bard’s most beloved stories, as told through the eyes of his most memorable female characters.

Guest director Dean Gabourie brings his experience from the Stratford Festival and his passion for addressing issues of social

significance with ACME Theatre to reaffi rm that Shakespeare’s heroines are still needed today.

The Phoenix Theatre’s three-show package is available for only $45, a savings of up to 50% off the cost of single shows. All subscriptions have free exchanges, livestream alternatives, and refund options – offering a peace of mind guarantee when you book tickets to live theatre again.

UVic’s Phoenix Theatre www.phoenixtheatres.ca 250-721-8000

Your seat is waiting for you!

Subscribe & Save – with peace of mind.*

November 11 – 27, 2021

Directed by Fran Gebhard

When Jean answers someone’s incessantly ringing cellphone, she’s launched into a loopy, otherworldly odyssey and has a wake-up call about the importance of human connection.

(Livestream available)

By Adrienne Holierhoek

“O

ut of adversity comes opportunity,” proclaimed inventor, Ben Franklin. Similarly, the students and faculty at UVic’s Phoenix Theatre – as well as most of the world’s artists – had their resilience tested last year and were forced to get inventive to create opportunities to make and share their art. They began teaching new skills to present professional quality livestreamed plays. Students added new skills like learning about camera angles, lighting and directing for broadcast to the strong technical theatre skills also taught at the UVic program. These new livestream programs, grown out of adversity,

February 17 – 26, 2022

return again this season for some of the Phoenix’s live and in-person plays, which will be presented under the careful protocols of UVic and BC’s Public Health Office.

Season subscribers can be confident in booking their shows for the year with the Phoenix’s easy ticket exchanges, livestream viewing alternatives, and refund options. “While nothing can compare with sharing the magic of theatre with a live audience,” says, Dr. Anthony Vickery, Chair of the theatre department, “it’s important for both our audiences and students that we continue to share our plays online and teach livestream technology.”

Directed & Choreographed by Conrad Alexandrowicz A staged adaptation of Eliot’s landmark 1922 poem which bears witness to the aftermath of the First World War, while offering hope for society’s redemption.

March 17 – 26, 2022

Guest directed by Dean Gabourie A playful contemporary revisiting of The Bard’s most beloved stories, told through the eyes of his most memorable female characters “in all their infinite variety”.

(Livestream available)

3-play package for only $45 *Book with confidence: free exchanges, refund options, & livestream alternatives.

In-person performances at the Phoenix Theatre will adhere to all UVic & Public Health Office orders.

UVic’s Phoenix Theatre www.phoenixtheatres.ca 250-721-8000

14 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE

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PHOTO: KALEIDOSCOPE

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People

on sale Friday, September 17

Royal Theatre

Tickets – McPherson Box Office charge by phone 250.386.6121 or rmts.bc.ca

MAR 17, 2022 | 7:30PM TheLifeandMusicofGM.com

Danica Charlie in The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito

T

here is lots to celebrate at Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People, the island’s oldest professional theatre company, which celebrated the launch of its 48th season in August of this year.

Founded in 1973, Victoria’s Kaleidoscope Theatre serves as the premier producer of Theatre

• call 250-386-2121 • self serve timescolonist.adperfect.com • e-mail classifieds@timescolonist.com (include your name, address and phone number, photos must be a min. of 150 dpi at size in jpg, eps or tiff formats)

Deadline 9:00a.m. Wednesdays. Prices start at $29.

for Young Audiences in the region having entertained and inspired over 3 million young people through its imaginative productions for children and family audiences and through classes and camps at the company’s youth theatre school. The company has endured as a beloved force within the Victoria arts scene

and has helped launch the careers of countless Canadian Theatre artists.

Earlier this year, this beloved company for young audiences relocated its operations to Victoria’s historic old town district, around the corner from where the company staged their first production almost fi fty years ago. The two story heritage building located at 613 Pandora Avenue, built in 1906 is home to Kaleidoscope Theatre’s administration, rehearsal studios, and youth theatre school and plays a pivotal role as an arts-hub for the countless arts organizations by providing accessible rehearsal, creation, and office space for the arts community.

The company’s 48th season of family entertainment includes an outdoor theatre tour of Tomson Highway’s The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito, popping up in parks all over Greater Victoria. The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito is a whimsical musical production that celebrates equality, diversity, and inclusion. Celebrated Cree author and playwright, Tomson Highway’s story follows an outcast mosquito girl from Manitoba who endures mocking and bullying at school.

Finding her voice through songs enables her to make new friends and overcome her winglessness.

Beautifully told through song and story while weaving Cree Language throughout.

In January 2022, Kaleidoscope will welcome audiences back to the McPherson Playhouse with the world renowned Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia and a magical production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Classics. Mermaid Theatre’s lively compilation captures the magic of three Eric Carle stories in an hour-long triple-bill following the adventures of The Very Hungry Caterpillar as he eats his way through an amazing variety of foods on his path to becoming a beautiful butterfly. The Mixed-Up Chameleon is bored with his life as he sits about changing colour all day until he takes a trip to the zoo.

His hilarious attempts to emulate the beautiful animals he sees conclude with his discovery that there is value in his own unique

VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 15

self. The story of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Did you See? has helped hundreds of thousands of toddlers to identify colours and creatures. Capturing the rhythmic text and beautiful tissue-paper collage illustrations of the classic picture book, Mermaid’s adaption generates fresh appreciation of an endearing cast of characters.

More surprises await and will be announced once the province enters stage 4 of the BC Restart plan.

When it comes to theatre training for young people, Kaleidoscope’s Performing Arts Studio is the Island’s premiere theatre school, providing classes and camps in musical theatre, acting, improvisation, singing, and voice.

Kaleidoscope’s programs nurture young performers’ creativity and build skills that benefit them on the stage and in everyday life.

Kaleidoscope’s programs are led by an esteemed faculty of professional artists with expertise in a wide range of performing styles, from musical theatre to ensemble creation. The curriculum—from Foundations level to Pre-Professional Young Company programs—explores collaborative and solo exercises, as well as introduces the technical aspects of live theatre, like sound, costume and set design.

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People is Vancouver Island’s resident professional theatre company for young people and families and is a leader within the national Theatre for Young Audiences sector.

Theatre for young audiences (TYA) is a sector within the Canadian and international scope of theatre creation and practice which is managed, presented and performed by adult professionals for children, teens, young adults and families. Established in 1973, Kaleidoscope has a mission to create original, innovative and relevant theatre experiences that stimulate and inspire young people to think critically about the world around them. Under the leadership of Pat Rundell, Kaleidoscope presents a full season of plays for young audiences and operates a full-service theatre school offering extra-curricular classes in musical theatre, acting, and voice.

The new Kaleidoscope Arts Centre

Cabaret Series Live Performances Theatre Getaways Playbill Dining Room Gallery Gift Shop We can't wait to see you again!

Serving Vancouver Island and its visitors by creating exceptional theatre that explores and nourishes truth, hope, redemption, love and the human spirit.

CHEMAINUSTHEATRE.CA | 1.800.565.7738

PHOTO: KALEIDOSCOPE

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 17

The Life and Music of George Michael

he Life and Music of George Michael captures the performance and sound of one of the biggest international stars of our time. The show will have fans on their feet dancing and singing along to blockbuster hits including “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,” “Freedom,” “Faith,” “Careless Whisper,” “Father Figure,” and many more.

Michael sold over 115 million albums spanning four decades and rose to fame as a member of Wham! in the early 80’s. He went solo in 1987 with “Faith,” one of the biggest albums of all time.

The album had four number one hits including “Faith,” “Monkey,” “Father Figure,” and “One More

Try.” He won two Grammy Awards, three Brit awards, three American Music Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.

“This show is going to honour George Michael’s career and be a celebration for his fans,” says producer Ralph Schmidtke. “Over the years, George’s popularity has continued to grow and The Life and Music of George Michael will give fans a glimpse of his life and hear all the songs they have come to love.”

Ballet Victoria New Season 2021/22 In December, we hope be back at Royal Theatre with the Victoria Symphony for The Gift, our original version of The Nutcracker. In March, we will team up with the Victoria Symphony and Vox Humana for a unique program: Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Stravinsky’s The Firebird. We will close the season in May with our enchanting ballet Cinderella.

Please visit our website for more information: balletvictoria.ca

Ballet Victoria, Risa Kobayashi PHOTO: BARBARBA BURNS

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allet Victoria open its new 2021-22 season with the passion of first love and the turmoil of heartbreak in its interpretation of Romeo & Juliet to Prokofiev’s celebrated score. Spectacular dancing, dramatic swordplay and powerful music bring the story of this Shakespearean tragedy and its star-crossed lovers to life with both virtual and in-person performances. We invite you to Kirk Hall, BV’s own new “Pandemic Playhouse” to experience “chamber ballet” while things are still a bit different.

Ballet Victoria will offer more performances since seating will be limited for everyone’s comfort and safety. Ballet Victoria will be managing the box office for this production, so please visit our website or call us directly at 250.380.6063 to book your seats.

Dancer Yui Watanabe

Ballet Victoria

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VICTORIA ARTS GUIDE | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 19 PHOTO: GAIL TAKAHASHI

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New Season

Painting by Robert Amos of Langham Court Theatre 1890 building.

Langham Court Theatre presents its

2021/22 Season

October 20 – November 7, 2021

March 23 – April 10, 2022

Until the Flood

Silent Sky

A compassionate and provocative play written in response to the 2014 killing in Ferguson, Missouri of a young black man Michael Brown, by a white police officer. It is the culmination of numerous interviews conducted by the playwright in the aftermath of the shooting.

Henrietta was a woman ahead of her time – an amateur astronomer who transcended her post as a Harvard clerk to make significant observations on the universe and change astronomy forever.

January 19 – February 6, 2022

Mambo Italiano

by Dael Orlandersmith

PHOTO: GAIL TAKAHASHI

Dancer Julia Jones-Whitehead

Hilda’s Yard

2021/22

June 8 – 26, 2022

by Steve Galluccio

by Norm Foster

Dancer Julia Jones-Whitehead

by Lauren Gunderson

The brief moment after the children have moved out is comically shattered when one by one they return over the backyard fence.

Calamities are solved as mother knows best.

Closeted Angelo lives with his lover, the closeted Nino, and all hell breaks loose when the two Italian families find out. This sets up a series of hilarious consequences that leads to certain life choices and revealed secrets .

For 2021/22 season passes or general ticket information, please visit Langham’s website at www.langhamtheatre.ca or call the Box Office at 250-384-2142

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VICTORIA SYMPHONY 2021/2022 CHRISTIAN KLUXEN MUSIC DIRECTOR

VICTORIASYMPHONY.CA

BRINGING YOU THE COLOUR WE’RE BACK! OUR 2021/22 SEASON

Single tickets are on sale now for the Victoria Symphony 21/22 season. Limited audiences and socially distanced seating working up to full concert venues in December and beyond. We’re working with venues to ensure we’re meeting and exceeding health and safety guidelines as presented by the Provincial Health Authority.

Farquhar at UVic & Christ Church Cathedral concerts: 250.721.8480 Royal Theatre concerts: 250.386.6121

More details at victoriasymphony.ca