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Marathon variety show

More than 50 presenters - actors, musicians, singers, dancers, clowns, and comedians - have stepped forward for a performance, Carnivale Humanitarium, this Sunday, June 3, at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse, to provide entertainment for a good cause.

More than 50 presenters - actors, musicians, singers, dancers, clowns, and comedians - have stepped forward for a performance, Carnivale Humanitarium, this Sunday, June 3, at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse, to provide entertainment for a good cause.

The fundraising variety show, with admission by donation, is being held to support a Gibsons' single parent and family and is part of a campaign from the organizers, who are in the process of becoming an official charity (CAFIN) to support families in need. The marathon event starts at 1 and goes to 9 p.m. with the audience free to come and go during those times. It begins with Pecha Kucha presentations (six-minute narrated photo series) and is followed by dance, poetry, and theatre until 5 p.m. After a one-hour break, the music section will take over. A silent auction will also run along with the show, and all funds go towards the charity.

Blues Festival

This weekend the Pender Harbour Blues Festival offers a line up of winners for the three-day music bonanza. Of special note is Terry Hanck, who has just won the 2012 Blues Music Award for best instrumentalist, horn. The sax player and his band will be performing at the dance on Saturday night at the Pender Harbour Community Hall. See www.penderharbourbluesfestival.com for full details.

Concert of firsts

The Coast Symphony Orchestra presents There's a First Time for Everything this Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Raven's Cry Theatre in Sechelt. Hear firsts by Mozart, Schubert and Kalinnikov, performed by the orchestra and with a guest violinist from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Adriana Lebedovich.

Coast Phoenix

The Coast Phoenix Singers perform at Gibsons United Church this Sunday at 3 p.m. with their presentation, Music Hath Charms. The concert will be conducted by Bill Bourns and Sara Douglas, with Kelly Smit as piano accompanist. Featured vocalists include baritones Steve Price from Victoria and Tony Roper from Abbotsford, as well as Coast soloists Sara Douglas, Leanne Frewin and Tony Beaumont.Concert includes an eclectic mix of music ranging from Bach to Gershwin as well as Manhattan Transfer, Stephen Chatman and David Millard. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12, available at Laedeli in Gibsons and the Sechelt Visitor Information Centre.

Calendar & Cedar

The exhibition at the Doris Crowston Gallery in Sechelt continues until this Sunday. On show are many images from the camera of Tella Sametz, who contributed to the Sunshine Coast Conser-vation Association's 2012 calendar and other calendar competition winners: Bob Evermon, Allan Forest, Don Khan, Carl Olsen, Alan Sirulnikoff and Frank Thorburn.

Following the Calendar show, the Sunshine Coast Arts Council presents Jessica Casey's exhibition of weaving - Red Cedar Woman / têxêm-ay s-lhânay - opening on Wednesday, June 6, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

This exhibition is a mix of both wool and cedar. The gallery is at the corner of Trail and Medusa in Sechelt.

Nutcracker progress

It's strange to think of winter traditions in sunny spring, but a dedicated group of dancers is currently working year round towards bringing a production of The Nutcracker to the Coast next December. Meetings, auditions and co-ordinating volunteers are all underway, says dancer David Holmes.

"We are finding all kinds of talent we didn't know existed," he said.

There are already indications that the performances will be pre-sold. The spectacle will have full production values in its stage set, costumes and two casts of 80 dancers. The traditional ballet, loved by children and adults, will be adapted for a smaller stage at the Heritage Playhouse. To get involved as a sponsor or crew, contact Holmes at 604-740-9951.

100 Artists

Coast artists Brian Romer, Sa Boothroyd and Todd Clark are among the many artists who will be presenting at the Ferry Building in West Vancouver for a group show, 100 Years, 100 Artists. The show opens June 5 with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. and a Meet the Artists on June 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. See www.ferrybuildinggallery.com for more.

Chamber Music

The Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival is not until Aug. 16 to 19, but tickets go on sale today, June 1, and judging by last year's festival, they will sell out quickly. Purchase tickets by calling 604-989-3995 or on-line at www.penderharbourmusic.ca/chambermusic.

Asian appetizers

On Friday, June 8, the New Moon Festival Society presents another in its Asian Cooking Series: Appetizers. Learn how to prepare pakoras, Chinese lettuce wrap and Indonesian gado gado salad, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Roberts Creek. Fee of $20 includes demonstrations, recipes and appetizers. Space is limited. For information or to register,call Del at 604-885-8103 or Patricia at 604-886-4108.

Kleindale book

Ray Phillips's book,The Little Green Valley: The Kleindale Story(Harbour Publishing) has won the British Columbia Genea-logical Society Family History Book Award for 2011.

The annual awards recognize books that encourage family history research and writing in and about BC written by a British Columbian.

Phillips is a natural-born storyteller who grew up in Kleindale, named for all the Kleins. His bookis full of fascinating characters, including a cougar hunter and a six-foot-seven friendly giant. The matriarch of the Klein family was Martina Klein, who came to the area at the age of 50, after travelling the United States with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, raising 10 children and farming in Washington and the Lower Mainland. She adeptly operated the Klein Ranch.

Tuesday deadline

Send notice of your arts events to jandegrass@dccnet.com or phone 604-886-4692 by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for Friday's newspaper. Let me know who, what, where, when, why and ticket info briefly. Because of the volume of submissions, Art Beat covers events one day to one week ahead only.