It’s one of the busiest times of year both for the arts and for everyone in general as we run out of days in November and look ahead to December.
Whether life finds you shopping, baking, crafting or procrastinating, make sure to schedule some “you” time and take in your favourite traditional events:
Peter Rabbit, Rumplestiltskin, and A Christmas Carol are children’s classic tales. Monster Theatre has packed these three favourite fables into kid-sized pieces and plans to tell all three stories this afternoon through original songs, physical comedy, dance and satire in Mini Masterpieces.
Children and parents alike will delight in these bite-sized literary works through two shows set to start at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. this afternoon at the Performing Arts Centre.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at www.ticketseller.ca or at the door.
On Tuesday, the Queen Silver Star Excellence Program is back at the Performing Arts Centre for their official debut and fashion show.
Get acquainted with this year’s Queen Silver Star candidates and enjoy an evening of great fashion and fun to start off the race to the 2012 crown. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are still available through the Ticket Seller by calling 549-SHOW (7469).
The 59th annual Rotary Carol Festival is this coming weekend. It’s a festive Okanagan celebration of Christmas music as performed by many local choral groups. This year’s special guest performer is internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist Anna Jacyszyn.
There are three different events to choose from: Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. Year after year this is an extremely popular event so plan to arrive early to get your preferred seats. Admission is by donation.
Powerhouse Theatre’s season is set to begin on Dec. 7 with Nicola Cavendish’s It’s Snowing On Saltspring.
This yuletide comedy is sure to strike a chord for adults with a little dysfunction in their lives as characters Bill and Sarah are stuck on Christmas Eve with pressures, fears, doubts, and wisecracks coming from all angles.
The play runs through to Dec. 18 and complete show times can be found on the Ticket Seller website at www.ticketseller.ca. You can also call the Ticket Seller at 549-SHOW (7469) for tickets and information.
Tom Jackson is best known for his role as Chief Peter Kenidi on the hit CBC television series North of Sixty. Jackson is also a Juno award winner earned through a career in music, sharing his distinctive voice and demeanor with audiences across Canada and beyond.
On Dec. 8, Jackson will be at the Vernon Recreation Centre Auditorium for T’was the Moon of Wintertime. Presented by the First Nations Friendship Centre Elders, the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are on sale through the Ticket Seller by calling 549-SHOW (7469).
The second annual Melina & Co. Christmas Show comes to the Performing Arts Centre on Dec. 10. Melina Moore, along with pianist Jim Leonard, the Regalo Ensemble, Judy Rose, Valley Vocal Arts and other special guests will take the stage with a performance packed with the magic and mayhem of the holidays. The show starts at 8 p.m. and you can call the Ticket Seller at 549-SHOW for your tickets.
And let’s hope for lots of snow for Dec. 10 onward as Caravan Farm Theatre’s winter sleigh ride show starts its run through to Dec. 31.
You’ll be whisked away on a sleigh and into this years’ story of The Gift Horse, written by Courtenay Dobbie and Erin Mathews. Tickets for many of the shows are still available, so visit the Ticket Seller website at www.ticketseller.ca for complete show times and information.
Enjoy the shows!
–– Brian van Wensem is the audience development coordinator at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.
