Bedfull of Foreigners
The wacky British bedroom farce A Bedfull of Foreigners – directed by Ellie King for her Royal Canadian Theatre Company – is coming to White Rock this week in 8 p.m. performances at the Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.).
Official run is Aug. 4-28, but a two-for-one preview night is being offered Wednesday, Aug. 3.
A high-energy door-slammer, it’s a symphony of mistaken identities and intentions in a small hotel on the border between France and Germany.
The gala opening takes place Aug. 5, with reception at 7 p.m. and performance at 8 p.m.
For tickets, call 604-536-7535 or visit www.rctheatreco.com
Crescent showcase
Crescent Beach Moments, a showcase for several local artists, will open Sunday, Aug. 7, from 1-4 p.m. at the Upstairs Gallery at Seventh Heaven Art & Beauty Salon, at 12185 Beecher St.
Featured artists (who will also be in attendance at the opening) are Judy Jordison, Jim Cowan, Joan McLardy, Ron Glowe, Jackie Neufeld and Luc Charchuk, plus nature photographer Eric Kehler.
Showcase subjects will include sunsets in local areas such as Crescent Beach and White Rock, other landscapes (including west coast shores and forests, Blackie Spit and paintings inspired by the iconic work of Emily Carr), and figurative compositions.
The show, co-sponsored by Tiggy’s Folk Art Studio and Seventh Heaven, runs to Aug. 30, with open-house viewings every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (other times by appointment).
For more info, call 778-292-0687 or Charchuk at 604-541-3677.
Red Beans & Rice
The house band for the White Rock Traditional Jazz Society, Red Beans & Rice, featuring Rice Honeywell, is keeping a reliable staple of the musical diet – the danceable sounds of Dixieland jazz – going during the society’s summer hiatus.
The band continues to play most Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, Crescent Branch 240, 2643 128 St.
Admission is $10 (age 19 and over, only) or $8 for society or legion members.
Confirmed and revised dates include Aug. 7, 14 and 28.
Wilde at the winery
The wise and witty words of Oscar Wilde will return to the Surrey-Langley area Aug. 12 and 13 when his play An Ideal Husband is presented by Township 7 Vineyards and Winery, 21152 16 Ave. (at 212 Street) in Langley.
A co-production of the winery and Twisted Tree Theatre/Bare Bones Productions, the local presentation follows performances at Township 7’s Naramata winery in the Okanagan in July and early August – themselves a followup to a successful teaming of the winery and theatre company last year to present Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
An Ideal Husband, first produced in London in 1895, is a late Victorian comedy that revolves around sex, blackmail and political corruption. Spanning a 24-hour period in the lives of a successful politician, his wife, friends and family, the play mixes farce and morality with a liberal sprinkling of witticisms, exposing the social conventions – and hypocrisy – of the times.
Twisted Tree is a young and enthusiastic theatre company based in the Okanagan, dedicated to sharing accessible, entertaining theatre with community audiences, and keen to offer the experience of live summer theatre in the laid-back, welcoming atmosphere of winery venues.
Performances are at 7 p.m.
For tickets, call 604-532-1766, email wine@township7.com or visit www.township7.com
Blues By The Sea
Summer Music at the Spirit Stage, a concert series masterminded by Phil Q. Davey of Q Sound, in collaboration with the Semiahmoo First Nation, will continue Saturdays in Semiahmoo Park (on Marine Drive) throughout the summer.
Coming up Aug. 13, in collaboration with the ubiquitous White Rock Blues Society, is Blues By The Sea.
Advancing the proposition that ‘the blues’ has more to offer than a single chord progression, the concert will include contemporary electric blues from Sean ‘Blues Puppy’ Riquelme (2:30 p.m.); the Piedmont-style blues of David ‘Boxcar’ Gates (3:15 p.m.); the traditional blues and jump jive of Harpdog Brown and the Original Bloodhounds (5:15 p.m.); plus the rockabilly and traditional gut-bucket blues of Butch Murphy and the Bloody Miracles (5:30 p.m.).
Concluding the day will be the powerhouse punch of the phenomenal Brickhouse, house band at the Yale for years, but now focusing on original material (7 p.m.). Tickets for series events are available from the Surrey Arts Centre box office, 604-501-5566.
For more information call 604-538-2951.
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.
Both evenings (usually running 5-9 p.m.) offer a rewarding opportunity for local fans to catch up on the music scene of tomorrow in an agreeably intimate, art-friendly venue.
For more information, call 778-294-1237.
