Springtime brings a feast for the eyes and ears
THEATRE Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects
Few know of Selma Burke, the Black American sculptor who played a major role in the Harlem Renaissance movement of the 1920s and '30s. Among her works is a bas-relief plaque of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, now widely accepted to be the basis for the design on the American dime, and something for which she never received credit within her lifetime. A play about the importance of art, courage, romance, and justice, Burke's story is brought to life in this world premiere running April 2-27.
Pumphouse Theatre
Rocky Horror Picture Show. A hilarious, campy, and thrilling tribute to the sci-fi and horror B films from the golden age of Hollywood to the 1960s, The Rocky Horror Show tells the tale of a recently engaged couple and their wild misadventures. Put on by Misfit Theatre YYC and Morpheus Theatre, it runs from April 5-13.
Rosebud Theatre
One hundred years after the epic race at the 1924 Paris Olympics, actors run full-out on Rosebud's Opera House Stage in this rendition of Chariots of Fire. Music from Gilbert & Sullivan and an original score combine to tell the story of Harold Abrahams, the son of a Lithuanian immigrant Jew, running to overcome prejudice against his people and Eric Liddell, the son of Scottish missionaries, running for the glory of God. Runs April 5 to May 25 at Rosebud's Opera House Stage. Tickets at the Rosebud website or call 1-800-267-7553.
MUSIC
Studio Bell
No matter your era of music — from Joni Mitchell and the Guess Who to Maestro Fresh Wes and The Weeknd — you'll swing along with the show, Rock the Nation.
Presented by the National Music Centre in Studio Bell, the musical revue is a celebration of more than 50 years of Canadian music, featuring songs from the '60s to present day. You'll be surprised at how many major hits were from Canadian musicians.
The show runs every Saturday and Sunday until April 28 with matinees at 12 and 2 p.m.
Tickets include admission to both sets. Each set contains a different performance and music selection.
Luminous Voices presents Robert Levin's edition of Mozart's Requiem, at MRU'S Bella Concert Hall on Friday.
The concert will feature a selection of works, both accompanied and unaccompanied, by composers Andrew Balfour, Owain Park, Jeffrey Ryan, and Tchaikovsky.
The performance also features long-standing members of Luminous Voices. Tickets on sale now.
Rozsa Centre
For the first time in more than eight years, 2012 Honens Prize Laureate Pavel Kolesnikov returns to Calgary April 2 for a highly anticipated recital.
Pavel is a sought-after soloist around the globe. This program will feature waltzes, nocturnes, and mazurkas from Chopin and wrap up with Schubert's final Piano Sonata No. 21.
The Honens recital is in Eckhardt-gramatté Hall at Rozsa Centre. Tickets available through the University of Calgary's School of Creative and Performing Arts.
ARTS COMMONS PRESENTS
Part music, part theatre and all performance, the Ukrainian show by Dakhabrakha takes over the Jack Singer Concert Hall April 4.
Hailing from Kyiv, Dakhabrakha takes audiences on a roller-coaster of storytelling, theatrical experimentation and folk culture. Their musical spectrum is intimate and riotous, transnational but rooted in traditional Ukrainian sounds, and plumbs the depths of contemporary roots and rhythms while inspiring cultural and artistic liberation.
A Dakhabrakha performance is far more than a concert: their shows have impressive theatrical flair with rich costumes, multimedia projections, and a playful performance style.
Tickets available at Arts Commons.ca