Frog Princess
The Fraser Valley Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s annual pantomime returns to Surrey Arts Centre Theatre Nov. 27 to Dec. 8.
This year’s production is The Frog Princess, an original from the pens of director Mike Balser and collaborators Norma Rushton and Cathy Wilmot, featuring Sheena Johnston in the title role of the transformed Princess Anastasia of Russia, with Michelle Gaetz (who played Pinocchio in last year’s White Rock Players’ Club panto) as principal boy Misha, and Chelsea Tucker and James Walker as a most villainous duo – glamourous witch Ivana Castacurski and her less-than-bright son Boris.
Also featured are Joni Hayden-Summerton as Anastasia’s best friend Petra and Adrian Duncan as the Tsar, with the comedic interruptions of good cop-bad cop fairies Sam Andrews and Jeff Christensen.
Performances run Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
For tickets and information, call 604-501-5566, or visit www.fvgss.org
Rumpelstiltskin
The White Rock Players Club and panto-author Dave Baron make no apologies at all to Ian Fleming for Rumpelstiltskin, latest edition in the almost 60 year tradition of the White Rock pantomime (Nov. 29 – Dec. 28, at Coast Capital Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.)
Principal boy ‘Bond, Jimmy Bond’ (Kirstin Stewart), must battle nefarious master criminal Squire Goldringer (Ray Van Ieperen) and rescue his lady love Penny Money (MacKenzie Claus), with the help of Dame ‘M’ (Bryce Mills) in a show that promises “live 3-D” and a guarantee, for fans of obligatory panto-animal Shenanigans, that “no giraffes were harmed during production.”
Also playing lead roles in this panto spoof of an equally venerable franchise are Hunter Golden (Fools) as the titular Rumpelstiltskin, Krystle Hadlow as Belladonna, Jennifer Tiles as Rocky Raccoon and Elyse Raible as Jack Russell.
Steering the show is director Susanne de Pencier, with valuable contributions by costume designer Heather Maximea, set designer Andrea Olund, property mistress Naomi Mitchell, producer Matthew Davenport and stage manager Gordon Mantle.
Shows run Wednesday to Saturday at 8 p.m., with 2:30 p.m. matinees Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22.
Tickets ($20, $15 children 12 and under) are available through the box office (604-536-7535) or visit www.whiterockplayers.ca
Mind and Matter
Art In Bloom, the current show at the Arnold Mikelson Mind and Matter Gallery (13743 16 Ave,) features work by three well-known artists; Sechelt’s Anita Lindblom, and White Rock’s Gunilla Lindgren and Pauline McLean Dutkowski.
Products of Lindblom’s Blue Dot Art Studio in Sechelt are typically bright and upbeat, floral-dominated watercolours and hand-painted ceramics.
Lindgren also delights in watercolours featuring flowers, coming to the medium after a long involvement with oils and training in figure drawing, landscape and still life, which she balanced with raising four children and a career in nursing. Latterly she has also extended her interest to include acrylic painting as well.
Dutkowski, who discovered her love of fibre while growing up in England during wartime and the post-war years, is now internationally-recognized as a fibre artist, and has been founder and co-ordinator of White Rock’s Outside The Box festival for three years.
While she no longer weaves tapestries, she continues to work with wool and other natural fibres, and was recently given a full page in the book 30 Selected Contemporary Artists, published by the Museum of the Americas Artists Library in Miami.
For more details and opening hours, contact the gallery at 604-536-6460.
Traditional jazz
The sounds of Dixieland and retro jazz continue each Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 (2643 128 St.).
The White Rock Traditional Jazz Society program continues at the legion with the Arntzen Brothers (Dec. 1) and drummer Scott Robertson’s Swing Patrol (Dec. 8). Admission is $10 for the general public, $8 for WRTJS members.
Also coming up is the society’s Christmas Party (Dec. 15) featuring music by Gerry Green’s Christmas Crackers (tickets $30).
WRTJS house band Red Beans and Rice, including leader Rice Honeywell Sr. (or pinch-hitter Leigh Smith) on cornet and vocals, Green (reeds), Ray Batten (trombone, vocals), and Casey Tolhurst (bass), can also be caught at Porter’s Bistro, 21611 48 Ave., in Langley’s historic Murrayville, most Friday nights from 7 p.m. (reservations 604-530-5297).
Coffee concerts
Acclaimed pianist Sarah Hagen will play Robert Schumann’s passionate and demanding Sonata No. 2, Opus 22, at the next Classical Coffee Concert at 10:30 a.m., Dec. 5 at the Surrey Arts Centre studio theatre.
Audience members are invited to make themselves at home visiting and enjoying coffee and pastries in the lobby, starting at 9:30am. The 75-minute concert begins at 10:30am in the Studio Theatre.
In upcoming concerts host and raconteur Hagen will welcome violist Marcus Takizawa (Jan. 16), soprano Robyn Driedger-Klassen (Feb. 13) and French horn player Oto Carrillo.
Tickets are $25, including all fees, with a $5 per ticket discount when purchasing three or more concerts. Student Rush tickets ($15), are subject to availability half hour before curtain. For more information, call Surrey Arts Centre Box Office at 604-501-5566.
Paints ‘n Bloom
West Coast Gardens (1420 172 St.) presents Paints ‘n Bloom, an exhibition by artists Audrey Bakewell and Wendy Mould, Dec. 6 and 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The event, which helps support the Alzheimer Society of B.C., includes a demonstration of art and journaling techniques, Friday, Dec. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
For more information on the artists, visit www.artbywendy.com and www.audreybakewell.com
BlondenBlonder
The band BlondenBlonder will perform a fundraising concert for Phillipines disaster relief, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. at
the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 (2643 128 St.).
The foursome will provide a night of classic tunes (from the `60s and onwards) for dancing, with proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross’ Typhoon Haiyan Relief efforts.
Doors open at 8 p.m.
For more information, contact 604-535-1080.
Gospel and Blues Christmas
Peninsula Productions will present it’s third annual Christmas show with gospel and blues master John Lee Sanders and his five-piece band, plus the stellar contributions of blues singer Sibel Thrasher and zydeco blues fiddler Gary Comeau, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. at First United Church, 15385 Semiahmoo Ave.
Sanders years of experience on stage and in the studio have included working with such greats as Chuck Berry, Willy Nelson and Bo Diddley.
“Last year’s Blues and Gospel show was such a success that we decided to make it an annual event” said Peninsula Productions’ artistic director Wendy Bollard. “It is an entertaining way for folks on the Peninsula to get together and celebrate the season. Last year the room was definitely rocking!”
Meanwhile Peninsula Productions’ presentation of the political thriller Death and the Maiden has been delayed until further notice due to a family emergency. The play was scheduled to have been performed for five performances only, Nov. 26-30, at Semiahmoo Arts’ Centennial Park studio.
Notice of rescheduling will be forthcoming; for more information visit the company website at www.peninsulaproductions.org
Seasonal songs
Songs of the Season is the title of a Christmas singalong with the Hazeltones (of Hazelmere United Church fame), Saturday, Dec. 14, 2-4 p.m. at Sunnyside United Church, 15639 24 Ave.
The concert will be followed by a dessert buffet.
Tickets ($15, $5 children) are available from the church office, (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at 604-531-2979.
Cinderella
Ellie King’s’s pantomime Cinderella runs Dec. 20-29 at Surrey Arts Centre, followed by performances Jan. 2-5 at the Arts Centre Theatre, Maple Ridge.
Presented with customary flair, production values and many well-known regulars from the director’s Royal Canadian Theatre Company, the show includes all the familiar elements of panto versions of the favourite fairy tale, including downtrodden heroine (Melissa Paras) and page boy Buttons (Steven Elcheshen), plus Cinders’ evil stepmother Grimelda (Kerri Elcheshen) and her hideous daughters Atrocia (Alan Cedargreen) and Deplorabelle (Mark Manning).
Also adding to the fun will be the most junior member of the King stock company, Aeron Elcheshen, as Cinders’ faithful cat companion Pushkin.
Tickets for the Surrey run are available at 604-501-5566, while reservations for Maple Ridge performances can be made at 604-476-2787. For more information, visit www.rctheatreco.com
Good Day Sunshine
Continuing events at the arts-friendly Good Day Sunshine Cafe (100 – 2950 King George Blvd.) include a live music open mic hosted by Dennis Peterson the first and third Saturday of each month (sometimes even the fifth), occasional solo-to-trio concerts on other Saturdays and painting workshops once or twice a month with Ellen Bradley-Cheung.
For more information on all events, call 604-560-5518.
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
Irish poetry
Irish poetry is regularly featured the third Wednesday of each month at ‘gastro-pub’ Slainte by the Pier on Marine Drive, presented by Semiahmoo Arts and the Irish Club. Featured in upcoming evenings will be works by such famed poets as Louis MacNeice, W.B. Yeats, Medbh McGuckian and J.M. Synge.
To volunteer to lead or read on poetry nights, call Ray Fynes at 604-542-3667.
Symphonists sought
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.
Anti-violence song
South Surrey musician Jim Widdifield – who lost his son Craig to a gang-related shooting in April – will soon release an original anti-violence song, with the aim of turning over 100 per cent of the proceeds of airplay and sales to the Save The Children Foundation.
The song, Gone Gone Gone, which he wrote just after Craig’s death, and which was performed at his memorial, has been recorded at White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios in two versions.
One is by keyboardist Barry Powel and singer Calla Krause (who performed it at the memorial), accompanied by violinist Stephanie Sung, while the other features Widdifield himself on keyboards, with Dan Jones on guitar, Rob Marr on bass, Ray Ayotte on drums, and Chris Gilburg on vocals.
The Compound Blues Band member said his reasons for releasing the song are twofold.
“I want to get the message out to as many people as possible about stopping the violence that is permeating our society,” Widdifield said.
“And Craig and a few of his friends really wanted to get involved with a charity that helps children in third world countries.”
The song is available for download at Save The Children Canada’s website (www.savethechildren.ca).
