U of L gearing up for busy fall season

A“Crossing Boundaries” symposium, a saxophone conference and a concert collaboration — guitarists, pianists, vocalists and other instrumentalists — are part of this fall’s entertainment lineup at the University of Lethbridge.

New Media film screenings, intriguing dramas and noon-hour concerts are also on tap from now until the end of semester.

For music fans, Opera Workshop students will be offering “Fairy Tales and Magic” on Nov. 2 and 3, before turning their attention to a fully staged version of “Candide” in the new year.

The University Singers, the Jazz Ensemble, the Wind Orchestra and the Global Drums ensemble have also set concert dates in November or early December.

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Open to all interested, the collaborative symposium — Oct. 25-27 — will “showcase the diversity and cross-disciplinary nature of the professional creative world.” This year it will run alongside an interactive art, science and technology symposium that’s attracted artists and scholars from 13 more postsecondary institutions across Western Canada.

Obviously, we’ll share more details a little later!

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Drama productions this fall will include “Invisible,” an immersive experience presented by the U of L Drama Department in collaboration with Handsome Alice Theatre. It’s coming right up, Oct. 913 in the David Spinks Theatre.

Then from Nov. 6-10, the Qui Nguyen comedy “She Kills Monsters” takes to the stage in University Theatre. In the new year, students will mount an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” followed by an avant-garde cabaret, “Dada Does Not Mean Anything.”

As usual, students involved in Theatre Xtra will be announcing shows as well. •••

Free “Music at Noon” concerts will resume Sept. 25 with soprano Liesel Fedkenbheuer and pianist Cheryl Emery-Karapita performing in Recital Hall. The Tuesday, 12:15 p.m. series will continue Oct. 2 with Brad Parker and Deanna Oye on piano, then Oct. 9 featuring the Jamani Duo. We’ll update these listings through the fall.

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And downtown at the public library, the schedule of no-charge New Media films includes “Get Out,” an Academy Award-winning look at race relations on Wednesday; a 2016 Hot Docs Toronto winner, “The Amina Profile: A Gay Girl in Damascus” on Sept. 19; and the military mystery “Annihilation” on Oct. 3.

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There’s no mystery about the entertainment lineup for Coulee Fest on Sept. 15.

No-charge events will run at Lethbridge College from 1 to 7 p.m., with plenty of activities to consider. Family events include a petting zoo, face painting, a bouncy castle and lawn games. Children and parents may also enjoy stories from the college’s own “Indigenous grandparents.”

Teens might enjoy “mini games” against the college’s Kodiak athletes, while adults can check out the “street market” selection of food, produce, hand-made crafts and other items.

Everyone will be invited to view showcases of college programs, and join a campus tour.

Live music will be served up by Adequate, White Chocolate Thunder and Kavanagh and Hepher. And visitors will have food trucks and a beer garden for sustenance and relaxation. •••

No-charge film nights are scheduled at both public library locations, Tuesdays at the Crossings and Fridays downtown. Up next at the Crossings is “The Lobster,” followed Sept. 18 by “The One I Love” and Sept. 25 by “How to Talk to Girls at Parties.”

At the main branch, a French language feature, “The Workshop – L’atelier” will be screened on Sept. 15 and the recently released “Indian Horse” on Sept. 28. Showtimes are 7 p.m. at both locations.

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Yes, the Yates Centre updates are nearly complete. So New West Theatre will be launching its new season there Wednesday, with a re-creation of a reallife jam session between Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. The show will run three weeks, Wednesday through Saturday until Sept. 29, with matinee performances each Saturday.

(Watch for a preview on these pages.) The Yates box office is scheduled to reopen on Monday.

Later in the fall, the city’s professional theatre company will present “Night Life 2.0,” a cabaret event Nov. 16 and 17, followed by a seasonal “Hit Parade,” Dec. 18 to Jan. 5 along with “Munsch-o-Rama,” a children's feature from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

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Here’s a salute to Lethbridge businessman and frequent election candidate Bal Boora. Having ensured his three sons would attend the University of Lethbridge, he decided — since they’ve all graduated — to establish the Muthada Boora Family Award scholarship fund.

Its first awards will be presented this month, and U of L officials say nearly 400 applications were received. The four winners will be announced during a School of Liberal Education social justice symposium here on Sept. 21.

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Our last-minute suggestions: The Geomatic Attic launches its fall season Sunday, featuring John Wort

Hannam and special guests. Showtime is 8 p.m., with tickets available today from Street Legal Records and The Yellow Door, or online.

And if you haven’t yet been out to Waterton Park, a reminder that this year’s “Wildlife Weekend” is set for Sept. 13-16. Wildlife walks, art classes, photography sessions and other events are being organized by the Waterton Park Community Association, with details offered online at