Find your voice. This is an oft-bandaged phrase amongst performing artists, as well as writers and musicians. Of course it doesn't necessarily mean shout out loud and be heard - although keep that option open. Tell a story, capture a moment, , right a wrong and express your opinion through your chosen art form. Celebrate that we live in a part of the world that allows and sometimes even encourages diverse "voices."
Vocal expression is popular. And hey, we don't have to love every style of music, or agree with the message. Of course, there is a message in everything - that's why it is art. Anyway, if you aren't ready to sing, you can be part of the audience.
St. Mark's Anglican Church in South Surrey has launched a concert series to raise funds for the ministries. Next up is one of Canada's favorite vocal talents, Steve Maddock, in a concert of "hot jazz for a cool season." The concert is at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 at St. Mark's, 12953 20th Ave. (Ocean Park). Tickets are only $15, plus service charges, at Brownpapertickets.com/event/1147796, or you can phone the church office at 604-535-8841.
Maddock is a versatile vocalist who has performed with a 65-piece symphony orchestra, a 10-piece show band on a cruise ship and a jazz trio in a local club, among other places, for about two decades. His first love, though, is jazz, and since high school he has immersed himself in the jazz language. He is also an accomplished musical-theatre performer, and I am sure you must have seen him perform at one time or another. This personal concert should be on your list. Maddock has definitely found his voice, and knows how to use it.
Norman Foote also has a voice and message. His adaptation of nursery rhymes sung by rock stars is made for family fun. His jokes are perfect for all ages. His crazy collection of props comes to life before your eyes, and his
backup singers are kids from Surrey. His one-hour concert at Surrey Arts Centre is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31. Tickets for the show are $12, including all fees, at 604-501-5566 and Tickets.surrey.ca.
Community theatre is alive and well. Hundreds of people volunteer hundreds of hours to put together a play suitable for presentation to the public. Working together as a team (or sometimes not, for sure), community theatre clubs are not just about the actors who want to strut their stuff on stage. What you, the audience, sees on stage is just a small part of all the interaction that happens behind the scenes. It is a learning experience and just another way we can learn about each other. Plus, we get some good entertainment! Surrey Little Theatre is presenting a thriller for its winter show. Peter Colley's I'll Be Back Before Midnight, directed by Rita Price, runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 21 - Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. This is one of my favorite plays, and I first saw it at SLT many years ago. This time around, the cast includes Harry Pering, Shannon Peddar, Joe Tenta and Holly Zonveveld. The storyline has all the twists you could want from a thriller: Jan has recently had a nervous breakdown, and her husband Greg has rented an old farmhouse where she can recover.
When George, the eccentric farmer they rented the house from, tells stories about a terrible murder that once took place in the house and the ghost that reputedly stalks the night, Jan's imagination gets fired up. Things get even worse when Laura, Greg's sister, arrives. Soon Jan finds herself tormented by strange sounds in the night and visions of the vengeful ghost driving her to the brink of another breakdown. This show comes with a warning: it may not suitable for young children.
Tickets can be reserved by phone (604-576-8451), or go online at Surreylittletheatre.com. The theatre is located on 184th, just north of Fraser Highway. Parking is challenging, as the city has been working to improve 184th Avenue. But you are up for the challenge. Park yourself in the audience and discover Surrey Little Theatre.
Across the river in New Westminster, Vagabond Players starts the new year with one of Agatha Christie's most intriguing murder-mysteries. Go Back for Murder is based on the novel Murder in Retrospect, and the play weaves a fascinating tale of a murder that happened many years ago. You may have seen a version of this story on television.
Directed by Jacqollyne Keath, Go Back for Murder stars Corrine Out as Carla and Brian Hoskins as Justin Fogg, the lawyer who comes to her aid. Miles Lavkulich takes the role of Amyas Crale, the brilliant artist whose roving eye and selfish manipulation of those around him leads to tragedy, and Alanna Nicole plays Elsa, the glamorous model who causes the rift between Amyas and his wife. Faith Hurd and Mary Stockwell take the roles of the young and older Angela Warren, while Angela's governess is played by Alison Main-Tourneur. The able cast also includes Richard Wiens, John Holland, Chilko Tivy and Richard Pare.
This Christie classic runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 21 at Bernie LeggeTheatre, in Queen's Park. For tickets ($15, or $13 for seniors and youth), call 604-521-0412 or email reservations@vagabondplayers.ca.