Until last week, the cast of storytellers, jokesters, singers, and musicians in Through Their Eyes, which offers glimpses of historic highlights during Armstrong’s past 150 years, featured mostly Vernonites, Salmonarmonians, Chetwyndians, and Vancouverites.
Apart from much beloved bass player Rod MacDonald and production manager Beverley Peacock and her crew, no one was from Armstrong.
But then Christine Pilgrim, writer-director of this exuberant historical extravaganza, happened upon virtuoso violinist Colleen Venables, an Armstrongian, born and bred.
Venables will fly home to Armstrong from Vancouver where she’s been playing in the operas Othello and Dead Man Walking at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. She’ll also put her studies of music production and composition at the Nimbus Academy of Recording on hold so she can pay homage to her hometown.
The cast includes Pilgrim as pioneer Catherine Schubert, soldier Charlie Livingstone, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; along with singer-songwriter Carolyn Anele; storyteller Meredith Rusk; guitarist-vocalist Hugh Spinney; harmonizer Moneca Hilton on accordion and mandolin; and Venables on violin.
Through Their Eyes runs for one night only, Friday, May 12 at 7 p.m. at the Centennial Theatre, Armstrong. Tickets are available for $15, $12 for seniors and students, at The Chamber, Chocoliro, The Legion, or by calling 250-351-4443.