The Festival of the Performing Arts presents the Highlights Concert on Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Playhouse, Gibsons. This popular concert reprises some of the best of the three-week festival and encompasses all genres of music from choral to brass to folk instrumental. Awards, certificates and scholarships are given to the participants based on their performance in the preceding competition. See www.coastfestival.com for more details.
Dinner Music
Ray McNally will be playing an acoustic solo performance during dinner at the Roberts Creek Little Legion this Friday, April 27 – all original music by donation with free admission. Come on by to hear some new tunes. The kitchen is open from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Street Art Film
You are invited to a screening of the film Changing the World: One Wall at a Time, a film that was initiated by Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and human rights activist, who although not a Baha’i himself, feels that the persecution of the Baha’is in Iran (Iran’s largest religious minority) is emblematic of many of the problems Iran faces. Street art meets human rights in this film that highlights education of the oppressed. It will screen this Friday, April 27, at Mission Point House in Davis Bay at 7:30 p.m. Free admission.
This weekend
• Artesia Coffee House is on this Friday at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre (Trail & Medusa, Sechelt). Enjoy music and poetry with your $10 admission.
• The men’s vocal quartet Sh-Boom and Java Jazz Nouveau, a six-member vocal group of women, are performing on Sunday, April 29 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Bart’s Church, Gibsons. Tickets are $22 advance or $25 at the door and are available at Strait Music, The Blackberry Shoppe or from Joy at 604-886 4930.
• The Suncoast Concert Band performs at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 29. It’s always an entertaining concert with conductor Tak Maeda at the baton.
Dawson at the Gumboot
On Saturday, April 28 CBC Searchlight winner Desirée Dawson performs at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek. Ken Dunn and Anna Green will open the evening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door or call 604-219-6774.
Young Marx
The National Theatre of London presents a new comedy, Young Marx, on Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Raven’s Cry Theatre, Sechelt. This is live theatre recorded in London and broadcast to the wide screen in HD. The story, by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman (One Man, Two Guvnors), follows the progress of a young Karl Marx hiding out in London, broke and in trouble with revolutionary factions, creditors and spies. He seeks other employment but laments his wasted genius to his friend Engels. Tickets are $15 adults, $10 for under 17. Call 604-885-4597 to reserve.
Author Reads
On Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. you are invited to a free reading by shíshálh elder xwu’p’a’lich (Barbara Higgins) at Gibsons Public Art Gallery, author of Etched in My Memory. All are welcome. Phone 604-886-0531 for details.
Kishkan Interview
On Wednesday, May 2 at 6 p.m. the Gibsons Public Library celebrates local author Theresa Kishkan’s critically acclaimed new book, Euclid’s Orchard, which is now a finalist for a BC Book Prize. Kishkan is no stranger to awards. With ten books to her credit, she has been nominated for or won several awards and prizes. On May 2 the public has an opportunity to delve into Kishkan’s work through a discussion of her writing facilitated by retired English professor Dick Harrison.
Meet the Artists
Artists Jen Drysdale and Inez Tancre who are showing work at the Gibsons Public Market will hold a meet and talk with the artists event at the Market on Friday, May 4, 3:30 to 4:40 p.m. All are welcome.
Christy’s Back
The Off the Page play reading series continues at Gibsons Public Market on April 29 with Jackie and Jack by the legendary Jim Christy who has returned to Gibsons after several years in Ontario. He is the author of around 35 books, he said, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and is the subject of a soon-to-be-published biography The Last Vagabond, by Ian Cutler of Wales. The play is based on an imaginary meeting between Jackie Kennedy and Jack Kerouac. The premiere performance took place in Toronto, where Christy enthralled cast members with a story about an encounter with the former First Lady. Cast members are Radhika Samwald, Steven Schwabl, Janet Hodgkinson, Varya Rubin and David King. Jim Christy will be present to take questions. Off the Page takes place in the Market’s third floor community room, 1 to 3 p.m. on April 29; pay what you can.
Beginning Hula
Puna Kalama Dawson, hula kumu (teacher) of ancient royal and hula lineage on Kauai, has offered to come to Gibsons this coming fall to teach Keia Papa Kaua students. Dhyana Bartkow is starting a new Beginners Hawaiian Hula class that would prepare dancers for participation in this opportunity. Bartkow says: “I find it quite amazing and a great honour that she comes to our small community as I know she usually travels to gatherings of hundreds of students in Japan and Europe. Hula is such a beautiful expression of the sacredness of life, and of gratitude for the magnificence of nature and of each other.” It will be an evening class, probably 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays (four-class series/$60), held at Inner Moves Studio, 625 Glen Rd. in Gibsons. Contact Bartkow to let her know if that time works for you: 604-886-9737 or [email protected].
PH Blues
Tickets are now available for the 15th annual Pender Harbour Blues Festival. See www.phblues.ca for a full schedule of events, musicians’ page and ticket purchase info. Tickets are also available at Strait Music in Sechelt, Java Docks and the Legion in Madeira Park. If you are planning on taking in one of the dinner shows, reserve now as they fill up quickly. (Tickets are not required for these shows.) Headliners include: Brent Parkin, Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne, Jim Byrnes, David Gogo, Brandon Isaak, along with the talented House Band of Tim Hearsey, Chris Nordquist, Dennis Marcenko, Darryl Havers and Jerry Cook. Email [email protected] or phone 604-741-1186 for more details.
Message Me
Please send notice of your arts and entertainment events to my email: [email protected] or phone 604-741-9360. Items go into the Art Beat column one day to one week ahead only, depending on space. Deadline is Tuesday noon for Friday’s paper.
