Want to try your hand at one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world?
Everyone is invited to stop by the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on Saturday to take part in Chinese brush painting. The activity, in celebration of Chinese New Year, is this month's free Art on the Spot demonstration.
Longtime students from the Shadbolt's Chinese brush painting/watercolour classes will be on hand to demonstrate and instruct people on the use of Chinese brushes, ink and paint. You can stop by and try your hand at basic techniques, creating your own simple painting on rice paper.
Interested? Just drop by the Shadbolt Centre, 6450 Deer Lake Ave., between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21.
And, while you're at it, mark your calendar for the next Art on the Spot session coming up in March - on Saturday, March 7, instructor Arlynn Nobel will demonstrate the art of throwing clay on a potter's wheel. She'll be at the Shadbolt from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that day.
Check out www.shadboltcentre.com or follow @ShadboltCentre on Twitter to stay on top of all the happenings at the city's busy arts centre on Deer Lake.
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A reminder to opera fans that you can catch a production of the perennial favourite Madama Butterfly right here at home, starting this weekend.
Burnaby Lyric Opera is staging the Puccini classic at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Feb. 21 to 28.
The opera follows the story of a beautiful young geisha, Cio-Cio-San, who falls in love and marries B.F. Pinkerton, an American naval lieutenant. Shortly after their wedding, he returns to America, and Cio-Cio-San waits three years with their son for this return - only to find that when he comes back, it is to take his son back to America with him.
Music director David Boothroyd and stage director Adam DaRos will lead a cast of emerging B.C. opera artists in this classic production, sung in Italian with English surtitles. The ensemble features Gina McLellan Moral, Nicolas Rhind, Francesca Corrado - who, by the way, is a Burnaby native - and Geoffrey Schellenberg.
It's on Feb. 21, 26 and 28 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 23 and 25 at 2 p.m.
See tickets.shadboltcentre.com or call 604-205-3000 to buy tickets.
You can also find out more at www.burnabylyricopera.org.
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It's a partnership that works on many levels.
The Michael J. Fox Theatre Society recently received a $9,000 cheque from Align Entertainment - one night's ticket profits from the company's current run of The Addams Family musical, which is onstage until Feb. 21 at the Michael J. Fox Theatre.
Chad Matchette, one of the founders of Align Entertainment and the owner of the Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts, presented the cheque to John White, a director and acting chair of the theatre society.
"In our world, this is a wonderful partnership where Lindbjerg Academy for the Performing Arts teaches and helps encourage young people to express themselves and find their voice through musical theatre and dance, where Align Entertainment allows them the opportunity to master and practise their craft through recognized professional productions, and where the Michael J. Fox Theatre gets to showcase these productions in front of live audiences of up to 613 people," writes Russ Read, a director of the theatre society, in an email to the Burnaby NOW.
It's the second straight year for Align Entertainment to make such a donation - it did the same thing during last year's run of Shrek the Musical, which was the new company's inaugural production.
Kudos to all for helping to boost local theatre on many levels.
For more about the company or tickets for the final couple of shows, see www.alignentertainment.ca.
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Here are a couple of upcoming dates for arts lovers to note, courtesy of the Shadbolt Centre.
* Continuum Dance Company: The resident dance company and special guests will perform Sunday, March 1 at 7 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. Tickets are $10.
* Footprints: The Shadbolt's Youth in Motion group, along with special guests, performs on Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. Tickets are $10.
Find Julie MacLellan on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
