Burlesque meets the Beatles when a Burnaby-born guitarist brings his new show to the stage.
Blue Morris is presenting Beatles Burlesque at New Westminster's old Columbia Theatre on March 24.
"There couldn't be a better venue in the Lower Mainland for this show than the Columbia," Morris said. "The restorations have brought back the beauty of the old theatre, and now we get to play this historic music there."
Morris took guitar lessons at a small guitar shop in Burnaby to learn as many Beatles songs as he could.
"Now I get to play this music at a beautiful theatre and for some of the best burlesque artists in town," he said.
The Beatles Burlesque show will feature some of Vancouver's top burlesque performers, including Miss Fitt, Calamity Kate, Connie Lingus, Miss Kiss, Miss Via Rose and Violet Femme.
The show is at the Columbia Theatre on Saturday, March 24. Doors open at 7: 30 p.m., with showtime at 8: 30 p.m.
The Columbia is at 530 Columbia St.
For more on the show, check out www.beatles burlesque.ca.
Tickets are $25, available through www.brown papertickets.com.
SFU PIPE BAND CELEBRATES
Simon Fraser University's world champion pipe band is turning 30 this year - and it plans to do so in style.
The pipe band is offering up a special 30th anniversary concert for hometown fans in Vancouver on April 15 and another in New York City on May 4.
"This is a special year for the SFU Pipe Band," pipe sergeant Jack Lee said in a press release.
"Very few bands have been able to maintain themselves as world championships contenders, and we are proud of the band's accomplishments."
Over the past 30 years the band has won six firsts and nine second-place finishes at the Glasgow world championships, as well as capturing both the North American and Australian championships, releasing 10 CDs and performing around the world.
The celebration concert in Vancouver is at the Vogue Theatre and will include soloists, champion Highland dancers and other special guests. For tickets, see www.sfupb. com.
The concert in New York is set for the Lincoln Theatre, where the band will record a live CD and conduct a Highland Arts Festival teaching weekend May 4 to 6. Check out www.sfuinnyc.com for all the details.
And, of course, the band will make a return to Scotland for the world championships this summer.
Kudos to the band - and a happy 30th!
GOTTA SING? GOTTA DANCE? TRY THIS
Is there a young person in your house who loves to sing and dance?
Children and teens aged nine to 19 are invited to apply for the Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! summer musical theatre program that runs at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver.
The program has been running for 17 years, attracting hundreds of participants from across B.C. and farther afield - across Canada, the U.S. and Israel.
Young performers will get instruction from a variety of industry professionals, including musical director Wendy Bross Stuart, director Chris McGregor, choreographers Isabelle Maheux, Jason Franco and Laura Krewski, set and costume coordinator Jay Havens and musical director Lonnie Delisle.
The first session runs July 3 to 26, the second from July 30 to Aug. 23. Both sessions run Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The program culminates in the presentation of an original musical at the Norman Rothstein Theatre.
Applications are due by April 2.
Call the Jewish Community Centre at 604-257-5111 or see www. theimpresario.ca/gotta sing.html.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected]. You can also follow her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan, or check out her blog at www. burnabynow.com.
