From music to dance to comedy, the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre has it all on tap to finish up January and take the Cowichan Valley through February.
First up on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. is International Guitar Night, always a favourite with those who admire some of the finest in the business.
The world’s premier touring guitar festival is back this year after a hiatus through 2021 due to COVID. The wait, they promise, is worth it.
Brian Gore, founder of the show, has put together a lineup that includes “talented fresh faces from the world over.”
See Luca Stricagnoli from Italy, Thu Le from Vietnam, Jim “Kimo West from Hawaii, and guest host Lulo Reinhardt from Germany. They will perform classical guitar, modern fingerstyle, jazz, Latin swing, and more.
“For 21 years we have slowly built a loyal and ever-growing audience for IGN. Each tour offers an enthralling view of the burgeoning acoustic guitar renaissance. Sell outs and encore requests are the norm for IGN, and each tour is its own unique musical experience. Every year is the best year yet, and this year is even better!” said Gore in a press release.
Tickets for the show are $38. To get them, call 250-746-2722 or visit the Ticket Centre at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan.
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Next up, on Monday, Jan. 31 at 10:30 a.m., is Noteworthy Concert Oboe D’Amour.
Hosts Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann welcome guest Emma Ringrose, oboist. The trio will interpret the Three Romances by Clara Schumann, the elegaic Sonata by Frances Poulenc, and Gabriel’s Oboe by Ennio Morricone, among other selections.
Tickets are $30, though there are some eyeGo seats for $5. Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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February begins with the Cowichan Valley’s own Adagé Dance Studio’s Winter Highlights on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
“The Competitive and Academy students of Adagé have been diligently practising over the past two years preparing for the moment when they can return to performing in front of an audience. That time has arrived!” says a press release.
Performances will include highlights from ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, musical theatre, modern stage, hip hop and street jazz.
Tickets are $32.50 for adults and $19.50 for children under 12. Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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On Saturday, Feb. 5 CPAC hosts An Evening with 54•40.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. enjoy Neil Osborne on vocals and guitar, Brad Merritt on bass, Matt Johnson on drums, Dave Genn on guitars, keyboard and backing vocals and David “Oz” Osborne on organ and backing vocals.
“54•40 have certainly left their mark on the Canadian cultural landscape,” says a press release for the show. “As of 2021 the band enters their 40th year of performing and recording.
“The band has an unbelievable catalogue of hit songs. Led by chief songwriter Neil Osborne, 54•40 have carved out a legacy of gold and platinum albums and an outstanding reputation for their live performances that carries through to this day. Forty years, thousands of performances.”
The band is preparing for their 2022 release of a new album Embassy Supreme, recorded remotely during the COVID pandemic.
Tickets are $47.50 plus fees.
Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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On Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. the Cowichan Symphony Society presents their next concert, Celebrating John Williams.
The Victoria Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sean O’Loughlin, will “celebrate the Maestro of the Movies himself, John Williams, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. John’s music has been the soundtrack of our lives and the Victoria Symphony will present some of his favorites like Star Wars, Harry Potter and E.T. along with some hidden gems from his vast catalogue. Get ready to run away from dinosaurs, swim to safety from sharks and raise the Olympic torch in this unforgettable evening of music,” says the press release for the event.
Tickets are $55. Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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Then get ready to laugh with Canadian comedic legend Mary Walsh on Friday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Walsh will perform some of her best comedic bits and most popular characters from Dancing With Rage, CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, along with up-to-the-minute local political satire, promises a press release for the show.
Walsh has been a mainstay on two CBC Television comedy shows, CODCO, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. On the latter, her Warrior Princess character Marg Delahunty, “became famous for ambushing politicians and submitting them to satirical interviews.”
Walsh, from St. John’s, NL, is also the recipient of 25 Gemini awards, the Order of Canada and in 2012 she received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
Tickets are $38. Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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On Feb. 18-20 the Cowichan Musical Society’s blockbuster Beauty and the Beast is back for its second weekend.
Tickets are $49 for adults and $39 for children eight and under. To get them call 250-746-2722 or visit the Ticket Centre at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan.
RELATED: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a triumphant return for Cowichan Musical Society
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Finishing off the February lineup on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., audiences will be treated to Kalabanté: Afrique En Cirque.
This production combines theatre, dance, music and “some utterly astonishing physical feats”, says a press release for the show, which is further described as a “high-flying, audaciously athletic feast for the senses.”
“An immersive journey for the whole family, this show will transport you to mystical places — such as a rainforest in the midst of a sacred dance ceremony around a fire – while listening to the dynamic sounds of live musicians.
“The Afrique en Cirque show symbolizes the strength, agility and joy of life found in African youth. A handful of daring acrobats, accompanied by their musicians, perform to the pulsating rhythm of the djembes of Guinea with their authentic and original choreography and acrobatics. With the melodious sound of the Kora, Yamoussa Bangoura transports us to a place where the diversity of traditional African arts are illuminated and combined with the virtuosity of a modern North American circus performance.”
Tickets are $36 for adults, $16 for children and $89 for a family.
Get them online at www.cowichanpac.ca, or call the Ticket Centre at 250-746-2722 or visit the Centre in person.
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All shows at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre require patrons aged 12 and older to show a vaccine passport. A photo ID is also required for everyone 19 and older. Masks are mandatory for everyone aged five and older.