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Lively City: Burnaby teen onstage in Arts Umbrella festival

Sewit Haile is no stranger to the spotlight; in fact, she’s been performing longer than she’s been walking. Since auditioning for her first Huggies commercial at the age of three months, she’s pretty much been performing ever since.
Sewit Haile
Burnaby’s Sewit Haile is onstage in Arts Umbrella’s production of Charlotte’s Web, part of the Expressions Theatre Festival.

Sewit Haile is no stranger to the spotlight; in fact, she’s been performing longer than she’s been walking. Since auditioning for her first Huggies commercial at the age of three months, she’s pretty much been performing ever since.

And she’s about to take the stage again – this time in the Arts Umbrella production of Charlotte’s Web, part of its Expressions Theatre Festival running May 18 to 27 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.

The 13-year-old Burnaby girl, who’s a Grade 8 student at Notre Dame Regional Secondary, is studying in Arts Umbrella’s pre-professional theatre program. She’s onstage as The Gander in the production of the children’s classic story, one of five productions being performed by 13- to 19-year-old students.

Sewit has been studying at Burnaby’s HZ Ballet Classique since age three, and her resumé includes credits in commercials and TV movies on A&E and Nickelodeon, plus theatre performances.

She also studies piano and ukulele and is part of Notre Dame’s concert choir and show choir.

Don’t miss her on stage May 20 at 7 p.m. and May 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15.

The Expressions Theatre Festival also features Urinetown: The Musical, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Living In My Skin, and a theatre and music showcase. Tickets for the productions range from $10 to $20, and everything takes place at the Waterfront Theatre at 1412 Cartwright St. Check out www.artsumbrella.com/expressionstheatre.

 

PHOTO SHOW AND WALK

Photography lovers, be sure to stop by Burnaby Neighbourhood House’s north house this weekend for a photo art show celebrating the neighbourhood.
 
Grant Withers is opening his show tonight (Friday, May 5) with a reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the gallery at the Neighbourhood House, 4908 Hastings St. You can also stop in Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
Partial proceeds of all art sales support Burnaby Neighbourhood House.
 
Withers is also leading a Heights photo walk and talk, offering tips on photographing the neighbourhood, on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. To register, call 604-294-5444. The walk will leave from Neighbourhood House.
 
 

AUTHOR CHATS ABOUT NEW BOOK

Here’s a fun one for the book-loving crowd.

The Burnaby Public Library is hosting a couple of author visits by local author Aaron Chapman. Chapman will be presenting from his book The Last Gang in Town: the epic story of the police vs. the Clark Park Gang. Chapman is a writer, historian and musician with a special interest in the history of Vancouver after dark – previous works include Liquor, Lust and the Law: The story of Vancouver’s legendary Penthouse nightclub, and Live at the Commodore: the story of Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom.

He’ll be on hand at the McGill library branch (4595 Albert St.) on Monday, May 8 from 7 to 8 p.m., and again at the Tommy Douglas branch (7311 Kingsway) on Thursday, May 11 from 7 to 8 p.m.

Books will be available for purchase – cash only.

Seating for both presentations is limited, so please register ahead. For McGill, call 604-299-8955; for Tommy Douglas, call 604-522-3971. Or see www.bpl.bc.ca/events to register for either session.

 

MAKE ART WITH MOM

Want to do something special with Mom for Mother’s Day?

Why not stop in to the Burnaby Art Gallery and make art together as a family? The gallery is hosting its monthly In the BAG family studio drop-in on Sunday, May 14 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Folks of all ages can stop in and check out the gallery’s two ongoing exhibitions – Arts Alive, featuring the work of Burnaby students; and The Salish Weave Collection, featuring contemporary Coast Salish artwork – and then get into the studio to create their own collaborative assemblage art.

Check out the details at www.burnabyartgallery.ca or call 604-297-4422.

 

COASTAL CITY PRESENTS GISELLE

A young dancer from Burnaby will be onstage in Coastal City Ballet’s production of Giselle this spring.

It’s the first time in a decade that the traditional classical ballet – a favourite since its Paris premiere in 1841 – will be onstage in Vancouver.

Coastal City Ballet is a repertory company based in Vancouver that offers performance opportunities for emerging dancers, both Canadian and international.

Among their ranks for Giselle is Burnaby’s own Megan Kinders, a 15-year-old dancer whose training encompasses classical ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, lyrical and stage. She studied with Danzmode Productions from 2010 to 2015 and has since been training with Pacific Dance Arts. She has also taken part in summer intensive programs with MOVE: The Company.

Giselle will be onstage Friday, May 19 at 8 p.m. at the Vancouver Playhouse, with tickets ranging from $29.95 to $59.95. See www.vtixonline.com or call 604-241-7292.

It then moves to the Surrey Arts Centre for a performance on Friday, June 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $42. See tickets.surrey.ca or call 604-501-5566.

 

 

Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, jmaclellan@burnabynow.com, or find her on Twitter @juliemaclellan.