George Zukerman salute
White Rock Concerts is presenting a stellar concert this week in honour of the retirement of founder and impresario George Zukerman, OC, OBC – who celebrated his 90th birthday this season.
In addition to his distinguished musical career as a virtuoso bassonist, Zukerman established White Rock’s world-class classical music series in 1956 and steered it judiciously for 60 years.
The concert, on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. at the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts, is no less distinguished in musical talent.
The program will feature renowned international performers the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Borealis String Quartet, clarinetist James Campbell and the Bergmann Piano Duo (Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann, hand-picked by Zukerman to succeed him as artistic directors of White Rock Concerts).
The venue is at 6250 144 St.
Tickets ($30) area available online at www.bellperformingartscentre.com or through the boxoffice at 604-507-6355.
Social Justice Films
This month’s presentation of the White Rock’s Social Justice Film Society is the documentary Banksy Does New York this Friday (April 28) at 7 p.m. at First United Church, 15385 Semiahmoo Ave.
The internationally famous – and yet anonymous – British graffiti artist known as Banksy continues to provoke civil debate, the ire of authorities, and even lash-back from other graffiti artists, with a staggering progression of unauthorized artworks in public places.
Banksy’s sophisticated, stencilled works – often appropriating classic or historic imagery – provide much more than the stereotypical and often limited language of tagging or graffiti-style lettering.
Instead they throw down an edgy, witty, satirical and unsettling challenge to viewers’ political and social perceptions, in a continuing commentary that encompasses many social justice issues.
As the controversial artist has stated: “The outside is where art should live, amongst us, where it can act as a public service, promote debate, voice concerns and forge identities. Don’t we want to live in a world made of art, not just decorated by it?”
Focusing on Banksy’s ‘31 works of art in 31 days’ siege of New York City in 2013, the film provides insights into both the artist’s process and intent – as well as the scavenging fury that followed as people either attempted to deface his works, or steal them for their own gain (in an irony that can’t be lost on the artist, the often gratis works have been known to fetch thousands of dollars at auction). For information on this and other upcoming films, visit www.whiterocksocialjusticefilmfestival.ca
Live at Club 240
This week’s Friday night dance at the Crescent Legion Branch’s Club 240 (April 28) highlights the Ocean Park Wailers.
Playing what they love makes all the difference for the seven-member South Surrey band, who have far transcended early days as an informal basement jam group to become purveyors of an infectious mix of deep blues, rock, R & B, roots and originals that continues to connect with dancers at the club.
The show is part of the Semiahmoo Musical Consortium’s ongoing series – strengthening the branch’s ‘Club 240’ growing reputation as a dance-oriented venue for multiple genres of music – which presents live bands for dancing every Friday at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.), except for special legion events and holidays.
Club 240 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 door, at the legion box office (604-535-1043) from 3 to 9 p.m. daily, or online at www.brownpapertickets.ca
Julio Moreno
New work by Peruvian-Canadian artist Julio Moreno is currently on display at Semiahmoo Library (1815 152 St.).
Just Pastels, his second solo show at the library, uses the subtlety of the medium to show new perspectives on old masterpieces as well as originals of his own.
Moreno, who emigrated to Canada some 45 years ago, first began creating art in 2010 after retiring from a career in electrical engineering and security work.
The artist will donate 40 per cent of the proceeds of his sales to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The show runs to April 29 at the library, (for hours call 604-592-6900).
XBa Dance
South Surrey-based XBa DanceCo presents an International Dance Day Celebration, April 29 at 7 p.m. at Surrey Arts Centre.
It’s billed as a “spectacular live fusion of dance, photography, film and the visual arts.”
In addition to dance works by the XBa Performance Dancers, and guests Diskordanse, the Skud Zavicaj Serbian Folk Dance Group and Keri’s Scottish Highland Dancers, the evening will also feature a display of acrylic paintings by West Coast woodland artist James McCue, dance photography by Heather Mann and world photography by Barbara Cooper.
Tickets ($20 plus fees) are available from the boxoffice at 604-501-5566 or at tickets.surrey.ca
Trad Jazz
The White Rock Traditional Jazz Society’s season of regular Sunday afternoon dances continues this week (April 30), 2-5 p.m., at Club 240 (the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch) at 2643 128 St.
Featured attraction is Jack Ray’s Milk Crate Jazz Band.
Upcoming bands include ace reedman Gerry Green’s Crescent City Jazzers (May 7), drummer Scott Robertson’s Swing Patrol (May 14) and Peg Thomson’s Square Pegs Jazzy Band (May 21).
Admission is $10 for WRTJS members, $12 for everybody else; tickets are available from 604-591-7275.
For more information, visit the society’s newly updated website at www.whiterockjazz.ca
A Day In Hollywood
FVGSS – A Musical Theatre Company (formerly The Fraser Valley Gilbert & Sullivan Society) may be known for its stage shows – including popular Christmas pantomimes and operettas – but it’s going to the movies, almost literally, for its next presentation.
The historic Clova Theatre in Cloverdale is the venue for the troupe’s live show A Day In Hollywood, A Night In The Ukraine (May 4-14, 5732 176 St.)
A cast of eight multi-talented “triple threats” will sing, dance and act their way into audiences’ hearts with this fun, double-barrelled salute to the golden age of the movies.
It’s actually an old-time double feature: Act One is a revue of the songs that enlivened the classic 1930s musicals, while Act Two, in an unabashed tribute to a beloved comedy team, imagines the perfect Marx Brothers movie – one they never made, but one that features all of their hilarious schtick and trademark zaniness nonetheless.
Featured performers are Surrey’s Clive Ramroop, Paige Thomson, Brad and Chantelle Dewar and White Rock’s Jake Hildebrand, Chris Roberts, Melissa Funnell and Breanna Branson.
Tickets are available at www,brownpapertickets.com
Dinner with Vikram Vij
Beach House Theatre’s Spring Fundraiser for its upcoming season in Crescent Beach is a special event Dinner with Vikram Vij, May 8 at the renowned restaurateur’s My Shanti at Morgan Crossing.
The chef, author and former CBC Dragon’s Den personality will host the evening which includes both vegetarian and meat options and a free drink.
Live auction prizes will include many gift baskets, and also on the auctioneer’s block will be a dinner with wine pairings for six, also hosted by Vij at My Shanti.
Proceeds will help fund the August season, which includes two plays based on English folklore: David Farr’s The Heart of Robin Hood – which tells the story of the legendary outlaw from the perspective of Maid Marian – and the children and family-oriented The Commedia Tales of King Arthur, by Lane Riosley – which recounts tales of the fabled monarch in Commedia del’Arte style.
For tickets and more details for the dinner with Vij, visit www.beachhousetheatre.org
Glorious!
Latest production of The White Rock Players Club – the comedy-with-music Glorious! – runs until May 6 at Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.)
The play, by Peter Quilter, tells the true life story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a socialite and amateur operatic soprano in 1940s New York. Well known for organizing opulent musical fundraising events, she was a cult figure among sophisticates – partly because she also happened to be a terrible singer.
Playing the main character – who also inspired last year’s film, Florence Foster Jenkins, starring Meryl Streep – is well-known New Westminster-based musical theatre performer Sue Sparlin.
Directed by Don Briard, with musical direction by Jeremy Hoffman and costumes by Pat McClean, the play features Matt Briard as loyal, long-suffering piano accompanist Cosme McMoon, Paul Fisher as Jenkins’ unofficial spouse and chief supporter St. Claire Bayfield, with Joan Koebel as her ditzy friend Dorothy, Jane Mantle as maid Maria and Sheila Keating as her nemesis, Mrs. Verindah-Gedge.
Tickets are $22, seniors and students $19, with $10 Wednesdays on April 26 and May 3.
All performances are at 8 p.m., except for a 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee on April 30.
For more information and tickets, call the box office at 604-536-7535.
Wheat In The Barley
The quartet version of long-established White Rock folk band The Wheat In The Barley will take the stage of the Crescent Legion’s Club 240 (2643 128 St.) on Saturday, April 29.
Guitarist/singer Steve Gidora and his bandmates (multi-instrumentalist Victor Smith, fiddler Nicole Scoffield, bassist Mickey Hovan) will be joined by popular local singer/songwriter Medderick, whose musical collaboration with Gidora dates all the way back to the early 1970s and Home Grown, house band for Gastown’s Deighton House.
Medderick will perform some of the songs he has recorded for Wheat In The Barley albums, as well as tunes from the Jokers and Prophets album of original songs he created with Gidora.
The show will include some of the 21-year old ‘Wheaties’ well-known Celtic numbers – heavily featured this March in St. Patrick’s celebrations in White Rock, West Vancouver and Vancouver – and also some multiculturally-influenced originals penned by Gidora and Scoffield.
Tickets ($15) are available at Tapestry Music, at the legion office and at the door.
Drawing On Life
The arts collective Drawing On Life – which has been meeting at the Ocean Park Community Hall for the last three decades for weekly sketching sessions from live models – continues to share both its work and its process at the City of White Rock’s Pop Uptown Gallery (1459B Johnston Rd.) until May 13.
The exhibit, Figurative To Final: Figure Drawing’s Influence On Work In Other Media, shifts into its second phase this week with Artist’s Choice (April 26-May 13), described as “a diverse collection of individual work by group members.”
The Drawing On Life exhibit, open 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, continues to be complemented by free ‘hands-on’ activities each Saturday, with no registration required.
Portrait Painting with Veronica Davies (Saturday, April 29, 1-4 p.m.) offers the public to observe, or even participate in, a three-hour oil portrait session; while Coloured Pencil with Deborah Strong (May 5 1-3 p.m.) is a workshop demonstrating a number of techniques with wax-based pencils, led by Strong, a specialist in sketching animals and birds and hand-painted silk.
Blue Frog
More evenings showcasing diverse world-class talents are coming up at White Rock’s intimate concert venue Blue Frog Studios, including a showcase for precocious Vancouver jazz singer Maya Rae, Thursday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
Just 14 years old, she is described as having a “beguiling, understated style” that bears the influence of such diverse singing inspirations as Eva Cassidy, Nina Simone, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Joni Mitchell, Sarah MacLachlan and Ella Fitzgerald.
Rae, whose debut album, Sapphire Bird, includes everything from sophisticated originals to fresh covers of jazz standards and individual interpretations of current pop songs, will be backed by accomplished Vancouver jazzmen Cory Weeds (sax), Vince Mai (trumpet), Miles Black (piano), Andre Lachance (bass) and Joel Fountain (drums).
The venue is located at 1328 Johnston Rd.; tickets ($38.50) 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
