Six residents from the Sunshine Coast are collaborating to present a world premier of Arcadian Production's family concert, Carnival of the Animals and Carnival of the Other Animals, with the Victoria Symphony on Sunday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Victoria at the Royal Theatre.
Coast favourites, identical twin sisters Val and Julie Rutter of Gemini, perform this family classic on two pianos with symphony along with fantastical original puppets designed and created by Andrea Zimmer and Tamara Unroe of the Public Dreams Workshop in Vancouver. Introducing each piece, hosts Val and Julie will read species specific poetry by Aaron Zerah and Sari Magdala Zerah (a father and five-year-old daughter writing team, also from the Coast) to tie together the many pieces of the two works.
Carnival of the Other Animals is an original score written by Vancouver native Cameron Wilson (of Joe Trio), bringing some crazy characters to the production, like the Energizer Bunny and the Canadian Goose. This show is part of the Victoria Symphony's Family Concert series and is designed to help highlight the symphony orchestra for a young audience. The show will be very colourful and fun, with audience participation and the original puppets bringing to life the animals from the music.
This symphonic kids' concert is one of four shows produced by Coast residents Ross Powell and Nancy Cottingham Powell of Arcadian Productions.
Their four shows, Cirque Symphonique, Professor Checkerhead, Aliens Stole My Brains and Carnival of the Animals, are being marketed throughout North America and will be presented with the Virginia, Winston-Salem, Buffalo, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria Symphonies over the next couple of seasons.
For more information on tickets for the upcoming March 13 concert in Victoria, contact the Victoria Symphony Box Office at 250-385-6515. For more information on the Arcadian Family Concerts, visit their website at www.arcadianproductions.ca.
