We don’t need a White Christmas
Christmas is less than a week away and I am dreaming of a white Christmas.
I hope that is where it stays this year — only in my dreams — because I am loving the mild weather we’re having now. Blue skies and dry roads are keeping the economy alive. I drive around the city and notice full parking lots of cars, traffic on the highways at all times of the day and each shop seems to have happy customers who most likely feel that way because the roads are safe for rushing home with their treasures.
In the evenings, it’s a pleasure to take a drive through the streets, enjoy the lights and decorations that adorn many houses. I recommend going to Candy Cane Lane in Rutland: Collison Road, Gramiak Road, and Mary Court. This lightshow spectacular is the brainchild of Damjan Madjar, whose family home is on one of the aforementioned streets.
Madjar found a clever way to help the food bank, and with the efforts of the neighbours, this yearly fundraiser gains neighbourly momentum each year, literally illuminating the feelings of giving.
If you do drive through, bring a grocery bag of non-perishable items and leave it in the bins provided in front of 575 Gramiak.
————— Tonight, the stars from the Crave TV series Letterkenny are at the Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water St. Funny men include Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, K. Trevor Wilson and Mark Forward performing original sketches, as well as additional sketches and video not seen on the previous tour. The evening will also feature original stand-up sets from Forward and Wilson.
Tickets are $35-$75 plus charges and can be purchased through Select Your Tickets. Showtime is 8 p.m.
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More comedy tomorrow night, but this time at the Rotary Centre for the Arts when O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy with James and Jamesy takes the stage inside the Mary Irwin Theatre.
Grab your teacups and enjoy a night of physical comedy, theatrical performances with extended characters, rich emotion and fantastical trips of the imagination.
I am a great fan of this comedy duo. You won’t be disappointed. Find the links for tickets at rotarycentreforthearts.com or visit the venue on 421 Cawston Ave. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
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On Friday, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra will present a seasonal concert, Yuletide Tales. Classic heartwarming holiday stories are brought to life with Canadian baritone Garry Gable, who will sing and narrate his way through Child’s Christmas in Wales and The Grinch along with the music of the Symphony and 100 backup singers from the Youth Chorus. Held at the Kelowna Community Theatre, tickets can be purchased through Kelowna Tickets.
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The eve before Christmas Eve has always held a special place for me because it’s when I hold my annual Christmas Presence concert. This year, we are back inside the quaint and perfect setting of the Benvoulin Heritage Church to present this yearly Jazz Cafe soiree.
Sunday at 6:30 p.m., I will be on stage my musician friends to perform a concert of seasonal originals and some of our favourites.
There is will be sing-a-longs, a special story-telling guest, and a heartfelt candlelit Silent Night finale, as the prayer to wish you and yours a merry Christmas.
Reserve your tickets beforehand because the venue is small and usually sold out. Call me at 763-6141 or email fabulousPR@gmail.com. Tickets are $25. There is a cookie bar for sweet snacks, hot chocolate and a licenced pay bar to add a little spirit to the occasion. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The little white church is at 2279 Benvoulin Rd.
————— Christmas is when we need to gather as brothers and sisters, in love, to share a meal and be at peace. For some of us, this is not possible with our loved ones being far away, deceased or moreso that our personal finances are not as flush as we hoped.
My husband and I are proud to be part of the serving staff at the Victory Life Christmas Day dinner at the Parkinson Recreation Centre. This meal is for anyone who will be alone. The meal is free and includes turkey dinner with desserts, served by volunteers. There will be food gift bags, gifts for children and youth, prizes, games and music.
No one should spend Christmas alone so spread the word and join in. There is no registration needed. Start time is 5 p.m.
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It’s the last week of Kelowna Actors Studio’s Christmas blockbuster musical Elf, and as Buddy the elf would say,”I just like to smile... Smiling’s my favourite.”
And that’s exactly what you will be doing throughout the show. This gag-packed nod to the original film relies on the cast to deliver energy and creativity to the story and songs, and they surely deliver.
Fans of the 2003 movie will know what to expect. It’s a musical story of Buddy the elf, an orphaned baby who crawled into Santa’s sack and was inadvertently whisked off to the North Pole.
Finally told the truth by Santa, Buddy goes back to his native New York where he seeks to meet Walter Hobbs (Mark Sorestad), his grumpy birth father.
Nathan Flavel plays Buddy with a dose of adolescent charm and a surge of energy. The relationship with his younger brother, Michael (Caden Hergott), is as sweet as breakfast spaghetti served with syrup, which Buddy introduces to his family.
I especially loved their heartfelt letter to Santa (the musical number “I’ll Believe in You”) and “There is a Santa Claus,”per-formed by wife Emily Hobbs (Delphine Litke) and Michael.
Another favourite character for me was the wise-cracking assistant to Mr. Hobbs, Deb, performed by Susan Skinner. It was so much fun watching all the singing and dancing numbers she had with Buddy.
Buddy’s love interest Jovie, (Megan Delowsky) was a standout. Her singing voice was pitch perfect. “Never Fall in Love (With an Elf)” was her solo piece and it blew me away.
The director would have been wise to freshen up some of the out-dated film references like City Slickers or the actor’s name Billy Crystal. If Santa can have an iPad and had stopped using reindeer after complaints from PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), I think using artistic licence in some of the script would have a desired effect.
Elf runs until Sunday at 1379 Ellis St. Tickets are available through Kelowna Tickets.
May I take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas with happy holidays and peace on Earth.