Gourmet Gala in the Cowichan Valley

We’re thrilled to be guests of Gourmet Gala taking place in the Cowichan Valley Saturday October 1st, as a fundraiser of the Duncan Chamber of Commerce for a new regional visitor information centre. It’s only in recent years that I’ve come to know the valley better. As a child growing up in Ucluelet, with grandparents [...]

Vancouver Fringe Festival suggestions (from the Victoria Fringe)

I am not a reviewer, but do see a lot of theatre – 38 shows at this year’s Victoria Fringe Festival (and somehow I managed NOT to see all the shows from Victoria going on to Vancouver).   Here’s a list of all the shows from the Victoria Fringe that are coming to Vancouver. The productions [...]

Nanaimo Fringetastic Theatre Festival

After 14 years, Fringe Theatre returns to Nanaimo thanks to a trio of eager young impressarios – Jeremy Banks, Spencer Sacht-Lund and Chelsee Damon. From September 8-11, revel in a variety of theatrical experiences – 8 performers, 32 shows, 3 venues – something for everybody at the Nanaimo Fringetastic Theatre Festival. What is “fringe theatre”? [...]

Sponsor @ChrisTheRoadie for Drop Zone

Chris Loran of 100.3 the Q radio station, aka @ChrisTheRoadie or # 1 son is celebrating his birthday September 15th by participating in the Drop Zone for the Kids to raise funds for Easter Seals – Camp Shawnigan. I still remember vividly the September he was born, a perfect late summer not unlike this year. [...]

The Superior Restaurant Announces September Lineup

One of Victoria Magazine’s favorite restaurants, the weird and trendy The Superior at 105 Superior Street near Fisherman’s Wharf, has announced its new September lineup of musical guests. On Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m., locals and tourists alike can hear Oliver Swain, one of Canada’s quintessential folk and traditional musicians. With his pure, finely tuned vocals that have an astonishing range, and his undeniable skill behind a banjo or upright bass, Oliver grabs the attention of all who hear him, and holds it with his enormous sound and stature. From the most vulnerable and innocent sounding banjo ditties to the brave and imposing bowed bass, Oliver delivers his own brand of alternative folk and traditional music to the masses with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m. are reserved for Paul Laverick, Victoria’s own ukelele and guitar master. Paul has been playing the guitar for more than fourteen years in bands or as a soloist in both Leeds, England and the Victoria area. He undertook private lessons from Paul Judge and David Ashworth as well as studying guitar at Leeds College of music in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He has a good knowledge of music theory and can play several other instruments, including the Piano. Paul performs regularly as a soloist or with the “Hey Marmaduke” band, among others.

Thursdays (same time) will feature Yacht Club with Shark En Ciel.

Sundays from 7 to 10 p.m. will be Friends and Inventions of Mr. Aaron Watson. Aaron performs around town as part of the Cold Cut Combo, a Victoria-based acoustic duo of improvisational musicians specializing in Gypsy Jazz, Parisian Musette Waltzes and Swing & Latin standards.

Sunday Brunch (Noon to 2:00 p.m.) will see the Pocket Orchestra .

The Superior
106 Superior Street
Victoria
Tel 250.380.9515

Victoria Steampunk Expo at Craigdarroch Castle September 24 & 25

Craigdarroch Castle will host the second annual Victoria Steam Expo on September 24th and 25th, 2011. Featuring a full weekend of exhibits, lectures, demonstrations and performances, the event will introduce guests to the genre of Steampunk and provide those already familiar with the culture a perfect venue to celebrate all its forms.  The Victoria Steampunk Society’s Jordan Stratford describes Steampunk as “the collision of history, technology, imagination, and attitude. Nineteenth-century sensibilities with impossible Jules-Verne-inspired technology. Teak-paneled computers, corsets and jetpacks, top hats and rayguns.”  A genre of art, science fiction, technology and counter-culture, steampunk brings together the best of past and future and most importantly:  in a fun and imaginative way.

As a genre of literature, it was highly popularized in the 1980’s and 1990’s but its inspiration is the science fiction and fantasy adventure stories popular during the Victorian period itself.  By the time the Dunsmuir family moved into Craigdarroch Castle, Jules Verne had published many of his now well-known works.  Fantastic stories like A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Steam House, a novel recounting the travels of a group of British colonists in a wheeled house pulled by a steam-powered mechanical elephant, had been in print since the 1860’s.  It is highly likely that the Dunsmuirs read these books and the Castle itself projects the whimsy and exuberance embodied by Steampunk culture.

Like the châteauesque architecture that was predominant in Canada’s public buildings and hotels during the Victorian era (The Empress, the Parliament Buildings, or Chateau Frontenac,) Craigdarroch Castle combines fantastical elements of various architectural styles, which correlate with the spirit of Steampunk.  The Castle’s endless wood paneling, brass speaking-tubes, intricate iron work and state-of-the-art Victorian details easily provide perfect backdrop to absinthe-inspired imaginings of time-travel and airship pirates. To highlight the connection between Craigdarroch Castle and contemporary Steampunk culture, The Castle will co-host this year’s event.

The $40 weekend pass to the Victoria Steam Expo gives visitors weekend-long re-entry access to the castle and its permanent collections, as well as exhibits and demonstrations of steampunk jewelers, tinkers, corsetières, milliners, leather and glassworkers, artisans and anachronists.  Additionally there will be continuous panel discussions on costuming, history, literary readings, prop-making, and a one-of-a-kind art cabaret party on Saturday evening.  Both days will feature a Victorian picnic on the castle’s lawns, complete with period refreshments by History Bites.  Sunday’s activities will include live entertainment, and a children’s costume contest.

Headlining the Saturday evening cabaret-style event is San Francisco’s glam-noir siren Jill Tracy, who will conduct a “séance” communing with the spirits not of the departed, but of the castle’s nineteenth-century Steinway pianos. Burlesque dancers and gypsy folk music will intertwine with tattoo artists, brass goggles, and mad contraptions.

One of the featured artists will be Kyle Miller, a visual artist, luthier and propmaker based out of Vancouver Island. His work has been featured on a multitude of websites, and his impressive craftsmanship and delightful imagination result in contraptions that exemplify the best of Steampunk culture.

The Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society would like to lend hearty thank you to our sponsors: Driftwood Brewery, Hotel Rialto, Big Bus Trolley, History Bites, Pedersen’s Event Rentals, and Laudanum Events & Such.

Advance tickets are available for purchase online only through the Victoria Steam Expo’s website:  www.victoriasteamexpo.com.

 

Victoria Fringe Festival – my “away” picks

Disclaimers first: I am not a reviewer, but I do see a lot of theatre –33 shows at last year’s Victoria Fringe Festival. During the year I volunteer regularly with Atomic Vaudeville, Intrepid Theatre, The Canadian College of Performing Arts and Theatre SKAM. I attend the Belfry, Theatre Inconnu, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre and the [...]

Coffee Festival at Crystal Garden August 27th & 28th

On August 27th & 28th 2011, the Western Canadian Coffee Collective society invites you to attend For the Love of Coffee, the first Canadian specialty coffee event of its kind. This two-day festival, held at the beautiful Crystal Garden in Victoria, BC, will be the definitive coffee event of the year here on the West Coast. For the Love of Coffee is geared towards professional baristas, industry representatives and coffee enthusiasts alike. Hosting this event is the Western Canadian Coffee Collective society, a not-for-profit organization created to support local cafes and create awareness of the specialty coffee industry.

For the Love of Coffee is a prime opportunity for businesses to showcase their products, gain consumer exposure and network within their industry. This festival will form the backdrop of the Western Canadian Barista Championship, the most prominent coffee competition in the region. Other exciting events such as the first International Pairs Competition, Canada’s first Brewer’s Cup and various other coffee-related competitions will provide a venue to interact with some of the biggest names in coffee today. Some such invited guests include former World Barista Championship winners, international competition judges and world-class industry professionals.

Victoria has recently blossomed into a vibrant hub of culinary innovation with many successful new businesses thanks to networking opportunities like For the Love of Coffee. The Western Canadian Coffee Collective society would like to offer your business the chance to be featured in this year’s For the Love of Coffee. Festival organizers are looking to showcase a variety of businesses and products for both consumers and professionals, and there are a couple of ways that you can be involved. You can exhibit your product by reserving a booth, or you can enjoy promotional advertising of your product when you offer the festival your sponsorship. Participation at the highest level as a Gold Sponsor starts at $3, 000, giving you the choicest advertising available and clearly communicates your stance in the coffee industry. Silver Sponsors at $2,000 will be offered prime advertising space, and booth holders at $1,000 will automatically be accredited as Bronze Sponsors with advertising privileges.

As well as being favored in the most eye-catching coffee exhibit in the region, sponsors will also be privy to exclusive hotel deals and private sponsor functions during the event. Comprehensive branding throughout the festival and during the months running up are also added sponsorship perks. Gold and Silver sponsors will be invited to dine at an evening of fine cuisine orchestrated by some of Victoria’s top chefs, mixologists and baristas. Gold and Silver sponsors will also see their products displayed through various media avenues such as full page adds in Barista Magazine and Fresh Cup, among others.

Victoria Fringe Festival Goes Pro August 25th thru Sept 4th

The Victoria Fringe Festival gets off to a raucous start beginning August 25th! Over the last 25 years, the festival has grown to become Vancouver Island’s biggest theatre event. In 2011,  72 international, independent performing companies will descend on the City of Gardens for ten days and nights of comedy, drama, dance, spoken word, and physical theatre – over 400 performances in fourteen venues. Fringe-going is easy, fun and slightly addictive. Meet friends, artists and strangers in lineups, buy cheap tickets and see live shows, grab a bit or beer in between and figure out what you’ll see next. It’s the best part of the summer.

This year, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fringe in Victoria, festival organizers are planning a 4-night long party – the Fringe’s 25th Birthday Bash. Join the fun in Centennial Square for this FREE celebration from August 23-26 which will include a Fringe Prom All-Ages Dance Party, the famous Fringe Eve Preview, a Block Party concert featuring live bands, a breathtaking illuminated installation of lanterns and giant puppets created specially by the Luminara Festival, spectacular aerial dance performances by the Romp! Festival, a beverage garden and more! Keep an eye out for more details in Fringe Program guides, which hit the streets on August 2.

FringeKids Fest – Sat August 27

This completely free one-day family festival in Market Square introduces young children to the magic of theatre, with live performances, craft activities like puppet making, an inflatable bouncy bunny, life-sized puppets and a cardboard castle for small artists to paint!

Festival program guides are note available at Intrepid Theatre, around town and on the top shelf of Monday Magazine boxes.

Join the Fringe e-news list and keep up to date on this big event, and all of Intrepid Theatre’s great festivals and programs year round.

The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is one of the oldest Fringe Festivals in Canada – 2011 is our 25th anniversary! Intrepid Theatre hosts the festival, which features lots of venues in downtown Victoria, and around 70 productions from all over the world. Tickets are cheep-cheep, and volunteering is a huge part of this awesome community event.

The international theatre companies that participate in the Fringe are selected by lottery – that’s right, they draw the names out of a hat! The deadline to apply to the Fringe lottery in 2011 was January 11, and the lucky winners were drawn at noon on January 12th. Those companies prepare and produce their shows, and bring them to the festival ready to be seen by an audience. Interested in applying next year?

In 2010  24,000 people came to events at the Fringe Festival. 19,800 tickets were sold, and $163,000 was returned to the participating companies (they make 100% of their box office revenue). There were more than 440 performances in all, and great free public events like the Fringe Block Party and Fringekids Fest – a 100% free mini-fest for kids and families in Market Square.  All this and more are back for 2011!

The Fringe Festival movement is more than 30 years old in Canada, and there are dozens of Fringe Festivals across Canada and the US. Want to know more about the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) and where you can find more Fringe Festivals in North America?

1. You must have a ticket and a Fringe Visa Button (cost: $5) to enter a Fringe Venue. (See the Tickets & Passes for details)
2. NO LATECOMERS – Fringe shows start on time. If the doors are closed when you arrive, we cannot let you in, even if you have a ticket.
3. All ticket sales are final. No exchanges or refunds unless show is canceled.
4. CASH ONLY or passes for tickets at the door.

If you have questions about the Victoria Fringe, please contact Intrepid Theatre at 250-383-2663

Below are a list of shows from the Fringe website:

Show Title	Company Name
Aladdin, The Secret Voyage	The Story Theatre Company
All Alone On Stage	Sleepy Productions
All My Day Jobs	Broad Theatre
Animal Show, The	Romantic Animal Theatre Posse
BFA: THE MUSICAL!	The Kicks
Birdmann, The	The Birdmann
Burning Brothels: Sex and Death in  Nevada	Katherine Glover
Canterbury Cocktails	Scrumpy Productions
Charles Presents: A Trip Through The Multiverse	Charles
Dianne & Me	Arbutus Productions
Disinhibition Effect, The	Pandoval Productions
Donnelly Sideshow, The	Ausable Theatre
EXTRAterrestrial	Off the Cuff Productions
Fabulous Miss Rosie Bitts, The	Best Bitts Productions
Fortunate Son	Rolling Stock Theatre
Giant Invisible Robot	Stars And Hearts
Giving Into Light	dancingstorysinger
God Is A Scottish Drag Queen	Delcon Entertainment
Grim & Fischer: a deathly comedy in full-face mask	WONDERHEADS
Hip.Bang! Improv	Hip.Bang!
Houdini’s Last Escape	Monster Theatre
Human Body Project, The	Tasha Diamant
Hysteric, The	Found in New York Productions
I Guess You Weren’t Expecting Me!	the Lost and Found Department
Inconvenient Truthiness, An	Third Beat Productions
It’s Been Taken	Bzzt! Trap Door Theatre
Jalopies	Gale Force Wind
jem rolls IS PISSED OFF	big word performance poetry
Last Gig of Lenny Breau	Colin Godbout
Limbo	Andrew Bailey
Little Orange Man	SNAFU Dance Theatre
Lizardboy << CANCELLED
Love Letters for Georgia	Raving Beauty Productions
Magic Soup Stone, The	The Story Theatre Company
MUDDY FOOTPRINTS a living nightmare	Kiss The Unicorn Productions
Music on the Orient Express	Colin Godbout
My  FirstTime	Our First Fringe
One Man’s Trash	Andrew Barber Sketch Comedy
OUT OF MY HEAD	Random Samples Theatre (RST)
PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU TELL THEM	Chris Wakaluk
Peter ‘n Chris and the Mystery of the Hungry Heart Motel	Peter & Chris
Phone Whore (a one-act play with frequent interruptions)	Little Black Book Productions
Photo Booth	Dave Morris
Pickin n’ Shtick	Global village idiot productions
Pink Shoelaces, The	Garbagebear Productions
Rambo: The Missing Years	Howard Petrick Presents
Ratfish Comedy Show	Ratfish Comedy
RED << NEW- Not in Print Program!	SXS Productions
Rerentless	One Dead Troll and a Cranny
Return of Love, The	Knight in Shining Armour Productions
SEMINAR, The	Poiema Productions
Service, The	Not the Mermaid
Shadows in Bloom	Gemma Wilcox
ShLong Form Improv	Probationary Theatre Company
Sizzle!	Canadian College of Performing Arts
SmartArse	Rob Gee
Smell of the Kill, The	Dragon Monkey Theatre
Sonnets for an Old Century	Rapid Rocket Productions
Sparrow and the Mouse – Creating the Music of Edith Piaf	Sisterscene
Spitting In The Face Of The Devil	John Montgomery Theatre Company
Stalemate	Ready, Set, Theatre!
Struwwelpeter	Suspicious Mustache Theatre Company
Suckerpunch, The	Stupid Gumball Dispenser Productions
Tara Firm and the Lunar War Chronicles	Launch Pad Productions
TIRADES of LOVE, The	IMPULSE THEATRE
[Title of Show]	Urban Arts Productions
Troubles, The	Resounding Scream Theatre
Ukrainian Dentist’s Daughter, The	Yana Kesala
Urinetown	SMUSMTI (St. Michaels University School)
Whiskey Bars, a kabarett with the songs of Kurt Weill	Big Empty Barn Productions
William vs The World	Spired Theatre
WONDERBAR!	Sansregret Productions
ZACK ADAMS: Love Songs For Future Girl	Weeping Spoon Productions

“And Slowly” Beauty” at the Belfry Sept 20-Oct 23

The Belfry Theatre in Fernwood will present the English language premiere of Michel Nadeau’s “love letter to life,” the award-winning play “And Slowly Beauty,” from September 20 through October 23. The play, directed by Michael Shamata, has been called “a fabulous tribute to the imagination and the beauty of this world.” The plot is simple: A random office draw wins an Everyman sort of character (aptly named Mr. Mann) tickets to the theatre, to see Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters.” In those few hours of the play, the central character’s life finally begins to make sense. His quiet yearning for happiness seems to take on meaning. And Slowly Beauty… is a fresh, gentle revelation of the beauty of life and the transformative power of art.

Tickets $27.00 – $37.00
Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria BC

http://www.belfry.bc.ca/

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