alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
Youth theatre
A one-act play coming to the Turnbull Gallery tonight (Wednesday) promises to be great fun for the entire family.
Christmas All Over the Place, a mixed-up seasonal tale presented by the Surrey Youth Theatre Company, is set for 5 p.m.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and there will be crafts for the kids to do until the performance begins.
Tickets, $4, will be available at the event only.
The Turnbull Gallery is located in the South Surrey Recreation & Arts Centre, 14601 20 Ave.
Blue Frog
White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios is “hopping into Christmas” with a series of intimate holiday-themed concerts bringing world-class performers to the Semiahmoo Peninsula.
Tonight (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. Sway – A Buble Christmas offers Adam Lucas’ tribute to the smooth contemporary crooner style of B.C.’s own Michael Buble – while revisiting songs also associated with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Van Morrison.
And on Friday Dec. 9 and Saturday Dec. 9 (8 p.m. both nights) Canadian pop and folk legend Valdy returns to the venue with a special Christmas-themed evening of music and storytelling.
The venue is located at 1328 Johnston Rd.; tickets are available at 604-542-3055 or to check showtimes or book seats online – or find information on other Blue Frog concerts – visit www.bluefrogstudios.ca
Classical Coffee
Surrey Civic Theatres presents the return of its Classical Coffee Concerts (part of the Surrey Spectacular series) with new hosts Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann – also known as the Bergmann Piano Duo – at Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88 Ave.
Renowned for their dazzling playing skills, eclectic programs and extraordinary storytelling skills, the Bergmanns will continue to bring their talents to the intimate and casual series on Dec. 8, at 11 a.m., with the suitably seasonal Christmas Fantasies.
Other concerts this season are From Bach To Brubeck (Feb. 5, 3:30 p.m. concert); with Three’s A Crowd…Not!(March 23, 11 a.m.), and with L’histoire du Tango (April 23, 3:30 p.m. concert).
The concerts take place in the Studio Theatre after a social hour (with refreshments) in the lobby.
Tickets are $30 per concert, or $75 for three concerts.
To book tickets, or for further information, call the Surrey Civic Theatres box office at 604-501-5566, or visit tickets.surrey.ca
Christmas Carol reading
This writer will be dusting off his old top hat for a marathon dramatic reading of a classic holiday tale this Friday – with the aim of raising funds for Syrian refugees resettled in this area.
The Dec. 9 event, Alex Browne reads A Christmas Carol takes place at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Anglican Church (12953 20 Ave.).
My recreation of Charles Dickens’ own one-man readings of his 1843 classic is a donated performance to underline the author’s timeless message of compassion, charity and inclusion.
The eight-chapter reading will be interspersed with selections by St. Mark’s Choir, under the direction of Emily Worden Kwok, including sing-along carols to get everyone in the Christmas mood.
Proceeds are to benefit the church’s Syrian refugee fund.
Tickets are $15 at the door.
Werewolves
White Rock-based entertainment promotion organization Legion of Sound presents the band Werewolves – featuring a three-man horn section – Friday, Dec. 9 (doors at 8 p.m.) at Ocean Park Hall, 1577 128 St.
A side project for members of hot Vancouver act Five Alarm Funk, the six-piece band will present what’s described by organizers as “an epic dance party,” heralding a series of events to be presented at local venues by Legion of Sound, whose program is particularly geared to younger live music fans in White Rock-South Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley, who are open to shows featuring dynamic and alternative acts.
The event is open to all ages but there will be bar service available for those over 19.
Tickets ($20) are available from legionofsound.com or White Rock Beach Beer Co.
Live at Club 240
A consortium of Peninsula musicians and music promoters – including the White Rock Blues Society – is collaborating with the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 to build the legion’s ‘Club 240’ brand as a dance-oriented venue for live music on Friday nights.
The Semiahmoo Musical Consortium’s Live At Club 240 program – which plans to offer multiple genres of music to reach the largest audience runs every Friday, except for special legion events and holidays.
Coming up Dec. 9, is the hard-driving R & B and classic favourites of eight-piece band The Cooler Kings, featuring trumpet master Willy Ward (The R & B All Stars and Powder Blues), saxophonist Elliott Clarkson, violinist and vocalist Renee Dora Cooke, guitarist Leonard Bodin, bassist Paulo Silva, drummer Paul Sorbara and the one-two punch of keyboardists Bill Brooks and Jim Widdifield.
The legion is located at 2643 128 St. Doors open each dance night at 7 p.m., with the music starting at 8 p.m.
Tickets ($20) are available at the legion box office (604-535-1043) or online at www.brownpapertickets.ca
Chamber Music
White Rock Chamber Music – which features noted musicians in the community, while fostering young and emerging talents – is back with a new season of monthly concerts at Crescent Gardens Retirement Community, 1222 King George Blvd.
Next concert in the current season takes place Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m., featuring pianists Lily Sul and David Chen, poetry reading by Caroline McDowall, the Crescent Gardens Choir, violinists Tait Pledger and Kalyanna Chang, vocalist and guitarist Grace Van Gauthier.
Other concerts are scheduled for Jan. 14, Feb. 18, March 11, April 1 and May 6, all at 7:30 p.m.
Suggested donation is $5, which goes into Peninsula Arts Foundation’s fund to help developing musical artists on the peninsula.
Art sale
A Christmas art sale at Seventh Heaven Art & Beauty Salon in Crescent Beach will be held Sunday Dec. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. each day.
The show, sponsored by the Seventh Heaven creative collective, is a chance to meet such accomplished local artists as Judy Jordison, Ronald Glowe, Joan McLardy-Poole, Lucan Charchuk, see recent works and give the gift of original art for Christmas.
All art is featured in the upstairs gallery of the salon, at
12185 Beecher Street.
Trad jazz
The White Rock Traditional Jazz Society’s season of regular Sunday afternoon dances (2-5 p.m.) at Club 240 (the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch) continues Dec. 11 with rising young trumpeter Bonnie Northgraves’ band.
Coming up on Dec. 18 is the society’s annual Christmas party, featuring ace drummer Scott Robertson’s Swing Patrol.
Admission is $10 for WRTJS members, $12 for everybody else; tickets are available from 604-591-7275.
The venue is located at 2643 128 St.
Farewell concert
Sarona Mynhardt, retiring as director of the White Rock Children’s Choir, will lead the young singers for the last time – along with choir alumni and her Cantrix Women’s Ensemble – in Celebrate Our Song, a Christmas concert marking “20 years of joy,” Sunday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at White Rock Baptist Church, 1657 140 St.
Tickets ($18, $15 seniors and students) are available from 604-536-0236 or www.whiterockchildrenschoir.com
Seasonal sounds
Surrey Youth Orchestra’s Sounds of the Season is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Chandos Pattison Auditorium, 10238 168 St.
Featuring the Junior Strings, Intermediate Orchestra and Surrey Youth Orchestra, tickets to the performance are $18 for adults, and $12 for seniors, students and alumni.
Call the box office at 778-549-5515.
Group art show
A major show of smaller works by 40 artists runs until Dec. 24 at White Rock Gallery, 1247 Johnston Rd.
Now in it’s eighth year as a holiday season event, the exhibition celebrates smaller gems, and this year’s edition includes more than 250 brand new paintings by the gallery’s distinguished roster of artists, including charming evocations of childhood and winters past by Peter Wyse, highly-detailed nature studies by W. Allan Hancock and semi-abstract florals and landscapes by Laura Harris.
For more information, call 604-538-4452 or visit whiterockgallery.com
Alice in Wonderland
White Rock Players’ Club showcases the whimsical adventure of Alice in Wonderland this holiday season with performances running until Dec. 30.
Directed by Lisa Pavilionis, produced by Gordon Mantle, with choreography by Rachel Carlson and vocal direction by Rebekah MacEwan. Alice in Wonderland stars Penny Shogun as Alice, Jenn Lane as the White Rabbit, Rachel Nordstrom as the Cheshire Cat, Melanie Minty as the Queen of Hearts, Caelan Chen as the Mad Hatter and Bryce Mills as the Walrus.
“I am so fortunate to be working with such a wonderful group this year,” Pavilionis said in a news release. “I wanted to do something different while keeping a panto feel. We are still seeing some of our favourite characters and introducing new ones. The laughter, family-feel and seeing the story (on-stage) is evolving into something even better than I could have imagined.”
Performances will be held at the Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.). Tickets are $20, $15 for children (12 and under), and $10 during tonight’s (Nov. 30) preview.
Curtain is at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday, and 2:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 604-536-7535 or visiting www.whiterockplayers.ca/tickets
Beauty and the Beast
The Royal Canadian Theatre Company’s 10th anniversary pantomime, Ellie King’s Beauty and the Beast, comes to Surrey Arts Centre (13750 88 Ave.) from Dec. 16 to 26 before moving on to the ACT Art Centre in Maple Ridge for Dec. 30 and 31.
With typical British panto cheek RCTC founder King has taken a distinctly Bavarian approach to her script, which is now set in the little town of Licketyshplitz, where merchant Herr Brusch and his daughters Anita and Isabella reside.
The bankrupted Brusch has purloined a single red rose from the garden of the horrific Beast – which means he is required to do service at the Beast’s castle for a year and a day.
When the feisty Isabella decides to intervene, events take many strange turns on the way to a happy ending – with plenty of original music, corny old jokes, special effect and spectacular costumes, and favourite RCTC stock company members, to add sparkle to the journey.
For tickets ($28, $18 seniors and under 14s) for the Surrey performances (Dec. 16, 17 and 23 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 17, 18, 24 and 26 at 3:30 p.m.) visit tickets.surrey.ca or call 604-501-5566.
Singers wanted
Pacific Showtime Men’s Chorus, based in Ocean Park, rehearses Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, 12953 20 Ave.
The small community chorus of experienced singers is currently seeking new members for all vocal ranges: lead, tenor, baritone and bass.
Offering a big sound in a variety of musical styles, Pacific Showtime has been featured at a many different Lower Mainland events, including show productions, concerts and private functions.
The repertoire is designed to include songs and a singing style that appeal to a wide variety of music preferences, with emphasis on entertainment value, and chance to develop singing skills while having fun and enjoying camaraderie.
Male singers are invited to attend rehearsals to check out the group and, hopefully, join in.
For more information, call 604-536-5292 or email leighand@shaw.ca
Band musicians wanted
The South Fraser Community Band is looking for musicians who play wind, brass and percussion instruments.
The concert band, which has been in the White Rock/South Surrey area for over 25 years, is conducted by Steve Ho.
Rehearsals are every Thursday from 7:45-9:45 p.m. at Elgin Park Secondary School at 13484-24th Ave. Surrey.
Contact president Bob Butula at rbutula@telus.net or visit southfrasercommunityband.ca for more information.
Orchestral recruits
The more than four decades–old White Rock Community Orchestra, now led by newly-appointed conductor Paula DeWit, welcomes new musicians of all experience levels, and is currently seeking violin, viola, oboe, bassoon and saxophone players.
For details, call president Don Miller at 604-807-0560 or email papadon1812@hotmail.com, or visit http://whiterockcommunityorchestra.org
Call for symphonists
Now celebrating its 30th concert season, the Fraser Valley Symphony is seeking new members in the violin, viola, and percussion sections, but also welcomes inquiries from other interested professional-calibre musicians.
Performing alongside world class instrumental and vocal soloists, the orchestra provides an opportunity for auditioned musicians to present a variety of music to audiences throughout the region.
Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings, in Abbotsford.
Contact info@fraservalleysymphony.org or call 604-859-3877.
Sunshine at night
There’s something special about open mic evenings – not only are you likely to hear a variety of music that most venue programmers can’t present, but you might just catch an early performance by a rising star, or a surprise appearance by an established performer trying some new material.
Semiahmoo Peninsula open mic king Dennis Peterson – a man with a good eye for White Rock and South Surrey’s growing pool of experienced and developing talents – is offering a regular show, 6-9 p.m. most Saturdays at The Good Day Sunshine Cafe, #100-2950 King George Hwy.
With dinner, drinks and dessert also on the menu, it’s a good venue to settle in for an evening of unexpected musical treats, and there’s no restriction on taking pictures of the performers (although Peterson asks that anyone wanting to video record a performance seek advance permission of the artist).
Morrison Music Nights
Morrison Cafe’s Morrison Music Nights, is a regular monthly dinner/concert series in Ocean Park, offering a three-course fine-dining-with-music experience in the licensed venue.
On music nights, dinner is served from 5 p.m., followed by the concert, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Tickets for the monthly presentations ($40) are available at the cafe, at 12855-16th Ave.
The series is being coordinated by well-known musician Randy Schultz (Swamp City), who said it fits in with his long-standing objective of developing local venues capable of providing viable showcases for chronically under-valued professional musicians, rather than simply offering the more usual ‘open mic’ opportunities.
For more information, call 604-531-3636 or 604-721-0872.
Vaudevillians
A non-profit seniors’ entertainment troupe is looking for new members in a variety of roles and positions within the organization.
The Vaudevillians have been performing throughout the Lower Mainland since 2002.
The group is currently restructuring and looking for personnel, including a new artistic director to write and cast the annual benefit show for performing arts students at Douglas College for 2017.
The Vaudevillians are also looking for an M.C. – someone who’s comfortable on stage, able to relate to and connect with the audience, introduce numbers and tell some jokes.
New members are also needed to fill the following positions: sound tech, backstage manager, and as performers (singers, dancers, comedians).
Except for the position of artistic director, who is eligible for an annual honorarium, these are all volunteer positions.
For further information, visit thevaudevillians.com or contact entertainment@thevaudevillians.com.
