Club 240
Crescent Legion’s Club 240 (2643 128 St.) is the location for Friday-night dances organized by the Semiahmoo Music Consortium, along with other special Saturday events throughout the year and a regular Wednesday bluegrass jam.
Coming up this Friday (June 7) members of the sextet Cyprus Avenue invite dancers to “Catch the Evening Train” for a salute to Van Morrison and more.
Whether you’re a fan of the legendary Northern-Irish singer-songwriter, or simply enjoy a blend of horn-driven dance tunes and intimate ballads, Cyprus Avenue promises a “clear vintage sound” that “flirts with the borders of rock, blues and jazz while staying true to ’60s and ’70s R&B.”
Tickets for consortium dances ($20) are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the legion box office (604-535-1043), which is open daily from 4-9 p.m.
Blue Frog Studios
There’s always something hopping at White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios, the city’s unmatched intimate venue for up-close concerts by national and international touring acts, as well as local and B.C.-based artists.
Upcoming highlights include The Northern Pikes release party for new album Forest of Love (June 6), an acoustic show by top blues entertainers David Gogo and Steve Marriner (June 7, still some tickets for the second show), the Longriders Band‘s Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd (June 8), A Night of Bowie starring Syl Thompson (tickets still available for an added show June 20) and folk-pop icon Shari Ulrich and her five-piece band (June 22, tickets still available for the second show).
Visit bluefrogstudios.ca or call 604-542-3055.
Arts Umbrella
Arts Umbrella South Surrey‘s Expressions Festival, celebrating the creativity of young local students in art and design, takes place June 7-22 at White Rock’s Landmark Pop-Uptown Gallery at 15140 North Bluff Rd. (Central Plaza).
Opening hours for the exhibition are 1-5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit the organization’s website: artsumbrella.com/expressions
Art society show
The South Surrey and White Rock Art Society will present its 2019 Spring Art Show and Sale this weekend at the newly-upgraded Memorial Park on White Rock’s waterfront.
The show, featuring more than 60 artists and hundreds of original artworks in a variety of media and styles, will take place 4-8 p.m. on Friday, June 7, and on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The park is located at 14970 Marine Dr., and admission to the show is free.
Original musical
The Pacific Showtime Chorus – the Peninsula-based men’s ensemble – is presenting another of its excellently-sung, but firmly tongue-in-cheek annual original musical productions.
Robin Hood and his Merry Olde Men, created by chorus musical director Jonathan Wiltse comes to the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 on Saturday, June 8 in both a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7:30 p.m. evening performance.
Billed as “a comedic musical tale of wit and song set in the deep woods of Sherwood Forest,” it concerns the efforts of Robin (Bruce Kleeberger) and his men to thwart the evil plan of Prince John (Richie Traer) – and his main henchman, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Leigh Anderson) – to impose a ban on all singing in Sherwood Forest.
That the plan doesn’t ultimately succeed can be inferred from a tuneful score, for which Wiltse has chosen many classic pop favourites identified with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Paul Simon and John Denver.
The legion branch is located at 2643 128 St. Tickets ($20) are available at 604-435-5558 or online at pacificshowtime.com
Traditional jazz
White Rock Traditional Jazz Society’s regular series of Sunday dances may be on hiatus at Crescent Legion Branch’s Club 240, but the sounds of live New Orleans and Chicago jazz and small-band swing can still be heard every Sunday, 2-5 p.m., at the venue, thanks to a new summer series by the society’s house band, veteran pianist and vocalist Rice Honeywell Sr.‘s Red Beans N’ Rice.
Starting this Sunday (June 9), they’ll be keeping the jazz going until the return of regular society sessions in the fall.
Honeywell’s elegantly rhythmic piano stylings and vocals are complemented by all-star sidemen Jim Armstrong on trumpet, Ray Batten on trombone, Gerry Green on clarinet and tenor sax, Don Ogilvie on guitar, Casey Tolhurst on bass and Scott Robertson on drums. The venue is at 2643 128 St.; admission is $10; $12 (non-members) and $6 (students with ID).
Yvonne Maximchuk
Author, artist and former White Rock resident Yvonne Maximchuk, still well-known on the Semiahmoo Peninsula for her paintings – and her lively memoir – returns to where her art career began with a show of new work at White Rock Library through June.
Imbued with the salty tang of life on the B.C. coast – including the environs of Maximchuk’s current home, Echo Bay – the paintings employ her careful draftsmanship, as well as her sense of colour and mood.
The library is located at 15342 Buena Vista Ave.
For more information on Maximchuk’s show, call 604-541-2201.
Open-mics
The burgeoning Semiahmoo Peninsula scene for open-mics and coffee houses continues to grow.
A live open-mic for musicians, hosted by well-known local musician Dennis Peterson, is a regular Saturday night feature, 6-9 p.m. at Pelican Rouge Coffee Shop, 15142 North Bluff Rd.
Sign up is at 5:30 p.m.
A music-oriented open-mic is held most Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at Three Dogs Brewing (1515 Johnston Rd.), and while it’s not an open-mic, per se, students of NUVO Music School are regularly featured in Saturday afternoon performances at Everbean Cafe (106-15331 16 Ave.)
The long-established Crescent Moon Coffee House is at Kwomais Point Park’s Sanford Hall every Thursday night from 8-11 p.m.
Parking is free at the venue, which is located at 1367 128 St.
Suggested donation at the door is $5.
For more information, subscribe to Crescent Moon’s newsletter at htp://bit.ly/cmcoffeehouse
For fans of stand-up comedy, and aspiring comics, Lizzie Allan‘s Addictive Comedy presents a regular open-mic every second and fourth Friday (7-9 p.m.) at 1-1381 King George Blvd.
It’s advertised as “a safe space to try comedy, get ready for shows or just watch.”
Admission is by donation.
For more information on the event, email lizzie@addictivecomedy.com or call 604-354-3369.
Meanwhile, the popular monthly open-mic night created by The Drama Class’ Michele Partridge continues the last Sunday of each month at 7 p.m., at the White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russell Ave.
Open to actors, musicians, singers, comedians and storytellers of all ages – and featuring a regular over-the-top lip-synch contest each month – the show is hosted by well-known local actor and director Dann Wilhelm.
Next show is scheduled for June 30.
Admission is $5 at the door; performers can register at the sound check at 6:30 p.m. or, in advance, by email to dannwilhelm@gmail.com
Hazelmere singalong
Hazelmere United Church presents one of its highly-popular singalong and dessert buffets with resident musical group The Hazeltones, Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. at the church, 1614 184 St.
Tickets ($15) can be picked up at the door (doors open at 1:30 p.m.).
To reserve tickets, email hazeltones@shaw.ca or phone Carol at 604-538-1149 or Jo-Anne at 604-538-0197.
Neil Simon comedy
The White Rock Players Club’s next production is the comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon, running June 12-29 at White Rock’s Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.
A semi-autobiographical piece based on Simon’s early experiences writing for live television – particularly Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows – the play, directed by Lance Peverley, shows the life of seven writers toiling on the 23rd floor of Rockefeller Centre for Max Prince, volatile star of a weekly comedy-variety show.
Will they be able to hang on to their jobs without killing each other?
And, more importantly, will the show still go on?
Performances are Wednesday to Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
For tickets ($22, seniors and students $19 – all tickets $10 on Wednesdays), visit whiterockplayers.ca or call 604-536-7535.
