By Melanie Minty, arts columnist
As daylight hours get shorter, and the air has a positive nip, and some people are chanting “Let it snow,” I think of one thing: Time to seek indoor entertainment. It can snow in the mountains, and ice can be found in ice rinks across the land. We can be indoors where it is warm and the lights are bright.
Comedy is a terrific antidote to winter blues. The Cause & Effect Circus is coming to Surrey’s Centre Stage at Surrey City Hall on Friday, Nov. 30, starting at 8 p.m. The show, called The New Conformity, opens with a musical vignette in the lobby, featuring Eloi Homier. With Cause & Effect, Ryan Mellors, Chris Myrdock and Yuki Ueda created a show that combines comedy, stunt work and, of course, a lot of juggling as the background for a touching story with silent characters and laugh-out-loud humour. The story tells the struggle between the comfort of conformity and the freedom of individuality. That’s a true struggle, alright. We want to be different and individual, but still desire to belong. If you love physical comedy, this may be perfect for you.
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Tickets range in price from $25 to 35, including all fees. For advance tickets, call Surrey Civic Theatres’ box office at 604-501-5566, or visit tickets.surrey.ca. Tickets will also be available at the door. Our new mayor promised no pay parking at Surrey city hall, but be prepared to pay a modest amount for the convenient underground parking there, just in case. It’s on the list of things to do, apparently, but our new council has been pretty busy already.
Surrey Little Theatre is ready with a Christmas production, A Grumpy Christmas. This mini musical, “based on our favourite Dr. Seuss Christmas story,” was written and directed by Linda McRae. Linda is once again ready to lead her youth program into a full production. Last year’s result was well received, and I can tell you firsthand that the young people involved in this program are overwhelming enthusiastic. They are the future of Surrey Little Theatre. Good to know.
With music by Cale Walde, the Nicki Roberts-produced show runs from Dec. 13 to 16 at the theatre, in Clayton. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday/Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for ages 13 and over, and $6 for under 13. Tickets only available at brownpapertickets.com. Visit Surrey Little Theatre’s website (surreylittletheatre.com) for more information and theatre program background. Remember the gift adage: Good things come in small packages.
Surrey has many performing arts programs for kids. There are lots of dance and music schools and performing arts classes, and our public school system is pretty big on arts education. There are many “graduates” from Surrey who now make a living as professional performers.
This Christmas, you may like to take the whole family the Arts Club Theatre Company’s presentation of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast. It runs from Dec. 1 to Jan. 6 at the company’s Stanley Industrial Stage, and this production is a holiday hit. Tickets from $39 at artsclub.com, or call 604-687-1644.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has been produced five times by the Arts Club since 2005. This professional theatre company gives many young people their first professional job in an industry that is very competitive. There is a lot of talent – and trained talent – out there.
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This year, there is a new Belle in the Arts Club production: Michelle Bardach, last seen as Sophie in the Arts Club hit last summer, Mamma Mia! Bardach had her first performance experience with The Young People’s Opera Society. This Surrey-based company brought Mozart’s The Magic Flute to the Surrey stage last June – not with Michelle, though.
As a graduate of YPOS and Capilano University’s Musical Theatre Program, Bardach has always been a delight to work with in any production. She is really living her dream, and good for her! Many members of this sixth production are returning from previous shows, including Jonathan Winsby as the Beast, Susan Anderson (Mrs. Potts), Shawn Macdonald (Cogsworth) and Bernard Cuffling (Maurice). Kamyar Pazandeh also returns as Gaston from last season’s production.
There is still time to catch “future Michelles” in the Young People’s Opera Society’s presentation of Ahmal and the Night Visitors. It will be performed at Bethany-Newton United Church from Friday to Sunday (Nov. 23-25). Visit yposbc.org and buy tickets ($15-$20) to support the arts in Surrey. This group is a mixture of adults and youth, and is a great opportunity for anyone of any age to get involved with opera. This church, at 14853 60th Ave. in Surrey, has amazing acoustics and is perfect for amazing voices.
Oh, it’s going to be a magical and bright season.
Melanie Minty writes twice monthly for the Now-Leader. She can be reached at melminty@telus.net.