Lots of live entertainment to pass the time
Even if you booked the whole week off, you’d have trouble keeping up with all that’s happening on the city’s entertainment front these days.
It’s opening night Monday for the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and Tuesday for Playgoers of Lethbridge, with the annual Foreign Film Festival also opening Monday at the public library.
The Lethbridge Folk Club and the Geomatic Attic have major attractions on stage in the next few days. And if you haven’t had your fill of Oktoberfest quite yet, there’s a Craft Beer Festival next Saturday.
Our symphony orchestra, now in its 57th year, will launch its main series Monday with “The Lark Ascending,” a concert pairing a group of English folk songs (including the title piece) with the massive Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich. Violinist Airdrie Robinson will be featured artist on the English works by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The season begins at 7:30 p.m. in Southminster United Church, with last-minute tickets available at the door.
Playgoers of Lethbridge, another of our city’s cultural pioneers, will be presenting their annual dinner theatre production this week, Tuesday through Sunday at Country Kitchen Catering below The Keg.
Lee Prindle is directing a comedy, “The Savannah Sipping Society,” with doors opening at 6 p.m. with dinner and the show to follow. Tickets are available at Casa, with a limited number still available for early in the week.
The Public Library sponsored foreign filmfest opens Monday with the drama “Frantz,” continuing Tuesday with “The Salesman” — set in Tehran — and Wednesday with the comedy “Tony Erdmann.”
A love triangle story, “The Promise” will be featured Thursday, and the comedy “A Man Called Ove” on Friday. The films will start at 7 p.m. downtown in the Theatre Gallery, and they’re all free.
It’s showtime for the Geomatic Attic as well, with
Whitehorse on stage Tuesday at the Attic, Shane Koyczan on Oct. 29 at Chinook High School and Barney Bentall’s “Grand Cariboo Express” on
Nov. 1 at Southminster United. Each starts at 7 p.m., with tickets available at Blueprints Records, Casa and the Geomatic website.
More music through the week: At The Slice,
Anna Wild and Scott Petigrew with Burning Bush on Oct. 17, Bend Sinister with Band of Rascals on Oct. 18, Atomicos with the Boss Novas on Oct. 20, and Cody Hall on Oct. 21.
Over at The Owl, it’s the Junkman Quire on Oct. 20, then an early-afternoon “family jam” followed that evening by Carter Felker and
Skinny Dyck on Oct. 21.
And the beer? The craft beverages will be served at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery as a fundraiser from 6 p.m. next Saturday. Craft brewmasters from across the province have been invited to bring their wares — to be enjoyed along with pizza, of course. An “after party” will follow.
Tickets are available at SAAG, at the Andrew Hilton liquor store or from the SAAG website.
Just in time for Halloween, organizers of the university’s “Spooky Science Weekend” are accepting no-charge registrations for children from five to 12 years old. “Supernatural slime,” floating coffins and “ghost rockets” will be part of the two-hour presentations, set for 6 p.m. next Friday and then 2 and 6 p.m. that Saturday.
Children are invited to wear costumes; parents are asked to sign them up online at www.eventbrite.ca/e/lets-talk-science-spookyscience-night-tickets-38603352667
And here’s a shoutout to a Canadian international star who’s entertained and educated millions for so many years.
Saskatchewan’s own Buffy Sainte-Marie is being presented an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during fall convocation ceremonies at the University of Lethbridge today. We had the pleasure of meeting her many years ago during a TV taping with singer-songwriter Murray
McLauchlan at a campsite on Kainai land.
And our last-minute reminders: Tonight, University of Lethbridge drama department alumni have returned to the city as
Accidental Humour Co. with their parody, “The Spark: A Hero Take Charge.” Written by former New West Theatre artistic director Jeremy Mason, the show received five-star reviews at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival this summer. Curtain time will be 8 p.m. at the University Theatre, with tickets at the door.
And Sunday, the Lethbridge Folk Club will present Canadian summer festival veteran
Connie Kaldor, 8 p.m. at The Cave in Lethbridge College. Her appearances here cover many years, including a gig with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. Any remaining tickets may be sold at the door.