When it comes to the annual Ovation Awards honouring the best in the Lower Mainland's musical theatre scene, Burnaby is always in the mix - and this year is no different.
The Ovation Awards were handed out on Sunday, Jan. 18, and a newcomer to the local scene made a big impression for its first year.
Align Entertainment's Shrek, which played at the Michael J. Fox Theatre last February, captured the award for Outstanding Community Production (Large Theatre).
Its lead performer, William Ford Hopkins, walked away with the Outstanding Newcomer award.
It was also nominated in a number of other categories, including Outstanding Music Direction (Brent Hughes), Outstanding Direction (Chad Matchette), Outstanding Lead Performance - Male (Hopkins), Outstanding Supporting Performance - Female (Cathy Wilmot), and Outstanding Chorus Gypsy, both male and female, with Alex Gullason, Ben Bilodeau and Matthew Fedorowicz all earning nominations.
Leah Cuff also earned a special nomination for her prosthetics and makeup work on the show.
Not to be outdone, Burnaby's longtime Footlight Theatre Company also made an impression with its fall production of The Marvelous Wonderettes.
The company earned a nomination for Outstanding Chamber Production (for casts of six or fewer performers), while Steve Draper captured a nomination for Outstanding Set Design. Stefania Wheelhouse also earned herself a nomination for Outstanding Newcomer.Also up for Outstanding Community Production - Large Theatre was the Theatre Under the Stars production of Shrek, which starred Burnaby's own Ken Overbey as Donkey.
Whew. I think that's the list of Burnaby connections, but you can check out the whole list of winners and nominees for yourself at www.applausemusicals.com.
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The Nikkei National Museum is taking a closer look at the so-called "magic hour."
"Magic hour"- that golden period just after sunrise or just before sunset - is the basis for a new exhibition at the museum, which is being pulled together by the Instant Coffee Artist Collective.
A press release notes that the artist collective has been working with the museum's archives - the legacy of many people of Japanese descent who have made Canada their home since the 1800s.
"It is a privilege to have access to these archives: filing through images, listening to cassette tapes, watching VHS recorded interviews and unwrapping the numerous eclectic objects," the collective says in the release. "We are fascinated by the process of recording and archiving and wanted to give the varied approaches of documentation and preserving a performative element."
Beth Carter, the museum's director-curator, notes that the exhibition gives the museum a chance to take a fresh approach to showcasing items from its collection.
"By showcasing our Nikkei collection through the creativity of a non-Nikkei collective, we broaden our opportunities for innovation and an explosion of creative expression," she said.
The partnership came about thanks to a grant from the B.C. Arts Council Innovations Fund, the province of B.C. and the Deux Mille Foundation.
Magic Hour opened Jan. 17 and is ongoing until April 5. It also includes some special events, including a "Holy Hum" event on Jan. 31 from 3 to 5 p.m., a speakers series on Feb. 28 and a party and fundraiser on April 1.
The Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre is at 6688 Southoaks Cres. Check out www.nikkeiplace.org or call 604-777-7000 for more information.
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Got a crafty kid in the house? The Cameron branch of Burnaby Public Library is offering up a Valentine's Day Papercrafts session on Sunday, Feb. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Kids aged four to 12 are welcome to take part to make Valentine's-themed paper crafts. Caregivers must accompany children aged 10 and under.
It's free, but registration is needed - call 604-421-5454, stop in to the library at 9523 Cameron St. or see www.bpl.bc.ca/events for details.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter,@juliemaclellan.
