Ah, that special time of year between winter and spring. A sunny sky inspires dreams of being outdoors, frolicking in a warm breeze with the feel of grass between your toes. So you hop in the car, ignoring months of caked-on dirt and salt, and head out to that favourite spot. Reality awaits: the moment you set foot on the mushy ground and a blast of arctic air pierces your insufficient layers and leaves behind a dust cloud so thick you can taste it.
It’s still the absolute best season to take advantage of Vernon’s beautiful Performing Arts Centre – climate controlled and comfortable seating.
In the next few weeks, you’ll definitely find something to see you through what’s left of Old Man Winter.
Winners and Losers, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., is a play, complete with a director, stage manager, actors and a script. It’s also a game that was invented by the two actors featured in the play, Marcus Youssef and James Long. With a little ad lib, debate, and full-on arguing thrown into the mix, it’s a recipe for a fun and unique theatrical experience. The secret sauce to this brilliant show is keeping the audience guessing as to what is real and what is not.
Ballet Kelowna returns to the stage Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for its production of Boundless.
A heart rendering selection of music by Johnny Cash, choreography by Josh Beamish and a world premiere from former National Ballet of Canada dancer Matjash Mrozewski, this diverse program includes four distinct and inspiring pieces from a company that has reinvented itself under the direction of Simone Orlando.
The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra brings its production of Music of the Night to Vernon March 6 at 7 p.m. Featuring soprano Melina Moore and tenor Peter Karrie, this evening of music celebrates the extraordinary Broadway hits of Andrew Lloyd Webber and friends. Selections from Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and more are on the program.
Now in its 12th year, I Am Woman! Hear Me Laff! is one of the biggest comedy events of the year and a favourite “girls night out.” March 8 at 7:30 p.m., the centre is your hilarity and laughter headquarters as comediennes Jen Grant, Michelle Shaughnessy, Amber Harper-Young and Jane Stanton take the stage for a hilarious night of standup comedy in honour of International Women’s Day.
On March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Western Canada Theatre and Thousand Islands Playhouse bring their co-production of A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline to the Performing Arts Centre.
Actress Allison MacDonald leads a four-piece band to tell the story of this dazzling star lost at the peak of her career. Featuring all of your favourite Patsy Cline hits, A Closer Walk is more than just a tribute concert, it’s a full play written by Dean Regan to preserve Cline’s legacy.
The superconscious experience of Reveen is on stage at the Performing Arts Centre, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. Ty Reveen took over the legacy when his father, “The Great Reveen,” retired from stage in 2011. High-speed memory games, light-hearted hypnotism and shaman-like showmanship go hand in hand with a profound respect for the audience, especially those who volunteer to come onstage and fall under Ty’s hypnotic spell.
For tickets to all shows, call the Ticket Seller at 250-549-7469 or order online www.ticketseller.ca.
– Brian van Wensem is the audience development coordinator at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.