Post-election laughs
For those in need of a good laugh on Nov. 19 – after the dry business of casting votes in the civic election – Surrey’s Royal Canadian Theatre Company is offering a fundraising evening of comedy with stand-up star Simon King, starting at 8:30 p.m. at Newton Cultural Centre (13530 72 Ave.)
Praised by Robin Williams as “truly a gifted comedian,” Surrey-raised King (who has had specials on CTV, HBO and the Comedy Network and played many major North American comedy venues) is known for maniacally frenetic performances and sharp, socially-conscious material drawn from his singular – and hilarious – point of view. Tickets for the 19-and-up mature content show are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, with proceeds to aid the RCTC membership program).
For reservations, call 604-594-2700.
Woven wares
The Peace Arch Weavers and Spinners Guild presents Fibre Flare 2011, Saturday, Nov. 12 and Sunday, Nov. 13 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day) at Ocean Park Community Hall, 1577 128 St.
The annual artisans sale includes a juried selection of handmade wearable art, bags and baskets, knitted and felted items, plus handspun wool, unique jewellery, demonstrations and a silent auction.
Admission is free and credit cards are accepted for all purchases.
Blue Frog Studio
Seasoned vocalist, entertainer and actor, Tony Barton takes on international sensation Michael Bublé for a tribute featuring his biggest hits in Sway, at the Blue Frog Studio, 1328 Johnston Road on Nov. 18.
Though taking on Bublé will be no easy task, the vocalist can pull from his experience sharing the stage with greats like B.B. King and Barbara Streisand.
Recently, Barton penned and produced Blue Eyes Too, a tribute show dedicated to the life and music made famous by Frank Sinatra, which became a sold-out success.
Tickets are available from Blue Frog; for more information call 604-542-3055 or go to www.bluefrogstudios.ca or www.mooncoinproductions.com/stageshows/sway/
Get Reel
Semiahmoo Arts’ Get Reel film series is back with a program of new films from Canada, England, France and Germany.
Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at White Rock Community Centre (Miramar Village), the screening is Of Gods And Men, a French-Algerian co-production.
Directed by Xavier Beauvois, it’s a real-life-inspired story of eight French Christian monks living in harmony with their Muslim brothers in the mountains of North Africa in the early 1990s.
When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group and fear sweeps through the region, the monks are faced with a momentous decision – should they leave, or should they stay true to their mission and their calling, no matter what happens?
The Academy Award-nominated film has been described by Time Magazine’s Richard Corliss as “a luminous tale of faith and heroism.” As with all presentations in the Get Reel series, the screening will be followed by a discussion led by a guest speaker.
Tickets are $10 for members and $11 for the general public. For more info, visit www.semiahmooarts.com
Beastly fun
It’s not Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, but it is the Fraser Valley Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s latest in a well-received line of 26 Christmas pantomimes.
FVGSS’s take on Beauty and the Beast runs Nov. 23 to Dec. 4 at Surrey Arts Centre Theatre (88 Avenue and King George Blvd.), officially launching panto season in the Surrey-White Rock area.
The team of producer Reginald Pillay, artistic director Mike Balser, musical director Tim Tucker and choreographer Carol Seitz have put together a talented cast, featuring Kaitlyn Yott as Belle, Sean Donnelly as the Beast, Paul Rowell as Antoine, Robert Newcombe as Smelle, Barrie Mills as Claude, Clive Ramroop as Prince Dobbin, Tammy Theis as Pierre, Jeff Christensen as Sneaker, Rosemary Forst as Bossy, Samantha Andrews as Goody, Adam Olgui as Pepe, Adrian Duncan as the town crier and Elizabeth Olsson as the little girl.
For show time information and tickets call 604-501-5566, or visit www.fvgss.org
Ola Onabule
Dynamic soul and jazz artist Ola Onabule is back in B.C. for a series of a concerts presented by White Rock impresario Philip Q. Davey, including a Nov. 25, 8 p.m. date at the Bell Centre for Performing Arts (6250 144 St.)
The British-raised, Nigerian-born singer and composer combines a butter-smooth style, incredible vocal range and sensitive, intense projection of poetic lyrics with a magnetic stage presence and charmingly dry sense of humour.
He’s performed with such soul and jazz greats as Gladys Knight, Diane Reeves, Patti LaBelle, Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole and Roy Hargrove, but after years of dues paying, his explosive live performances are winning fans and attracting great press at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals and concert halls.
His debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2009 opened the door for more North American touring, and a documentary about his career, aired on CNN’s African Voices, has inspired a new project, a PBS special to be filmed in the U.S. next spring.
The Nov. 25 concert will feature material from his new album, Seven Shades Darker, which will be released internationally in early 2012.
For tickets ($45), call 604-507-6355, or visit www.bellperformingartscentre.com
Goose loose
Mother Goose returns to the Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.) Nov. 26 to Dec. 26 as the latest in the White Rock Players Club’s 57-year tradition of Christmas pantomimes.
Directed by Dave Baron, the show is a reboot of Goose: The Mother Of All Pantos by White Rock’s The Brothers Dimm (also known as Tom Saunders, Fred Partridge, Mike Roberds and Jason Dedrick).
First presented in 1997, the show has been revised and updated with topical jokes and references, and new linking music.
The show, which features Nigel Watkinson as the title character, and Michelle Gatez as principal boy Jack (of Jack and Jill fame), chronicles the kidnapping of Mother Goose and the journey to rescue her from a publishing conglomerate holding her captive in Las Vegas.
For tickets and show time information, visit www.whiterockplayers.ca or call 604-536-7535.
Sword approaching
The Royal Canadian Theatre Company’s Christmas pantomime, Ellie King’s The Sword In The Stone, is waiting in the wings for a Dec. 16 to 31 run at Surrey Arts Centre Theatre (13750 88 Ave.)
The show – a version of the legend of how Arthur came to be King of the Britons – offers “traditional British pantomime at its unruly best.”
King’s production features a blend of music and mirth and favourite characters, including the fair Guinevere, wicked Queen Morgana, Merlin the Magician, a host of Druids, trolls, shepherdesses, and even a dragon. There will also be a two-for-one preview night Dec. 15.
For more information on showtimes, or to order tickets, call 604-501-5566, or visit www.rctheatreco.com
Literary events
Semiahmoo Arts’ ongoing Zero – 360 series at Pelican Rouge Coffee House, Central Plaza – in which local authors can read from their literary work (to a maximum of six minutes each) – continues the second Thursday of each month (including Nov. 10). Reader sign-up begins at 7:05 for each of the evenings.
For more information visit www.semiahmooarts.com
Pottery sale
The Semiahmoo Potters’ Christmas sale returns to Ocean Park Community Hall (1577 128 St.) Saturday, Dec. 3 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 4 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) with a wide selection of practical and decorative pottery items.
For more information, visit www.semiahmoopotters.com
Small Ritual
Doing its part to present different music locally is the not-for-profit Small Ritual Coffee Society on Johnston Road (just up from Five Corners).
In addition to Sunday night concerts with such emerging local groups as Their There, The Star Captains and Behind Sapphire, music booker Rory Hislop has added a Monday night jazz showcase, including some of Vancouver’s best up and coming talents in the idiom, which is currently experiencing a revival of interest.
For more information, call 778-294-1237.
