Arts& cultu re

A look at upcoming arts and entertainment events in the Annapolis Valley:

POETRY READING IN WOLFVILLE

At the Vaughan Memorial Library, at Acadia University, join Basma Kavanagh for a poetry reading entitled Ruba’iyat for the Time of Apricots. The event, held in the quiet reading room, is set for Jan. 22 from 4-5:20 p.m. It is free to attend.

‘SEDUCTIVE’ DINNER THEATRE COMING TO HANTS COUNTY

The Brooklyn Fire Department Auxiliary and the Accidental Actors are presenting ‘A Little Seduction’ dinner theatre at the Brooklyn Civic Centre on Jan. 18. Doors open at 6 p.m.; showtime is 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $25 per person; adults only. Tickets are available at the Windsor and Brooklyn Home Hardware locations.

‘WILD WOMEN’ AT CENTRESTAGE

It’s never too late to take another one of life’s paths for a brand-new adventure.

‘The Wild Women of Winedale,’ a joyful and exuberant, yet ultimately touching comedy focuses on three women at crossroads in their lives — the wild sisters of Winedale, Virginia: Fanny, Willa, and their sister-in-law, Johnnie Faye.

The play is directed by Peter Booth, George Henry and Bryen Stoddard. The stage manager is Elva Kelley with Kathy Walker doing lights and sounds. Kelley is also the producer.

The cast, in order of appearance, are: Gwenyth Dwyn, Nancy Henry, Allyson Higgins, Mindy Vinqvist-Tymchuk, Josée Leclerc-Mann, Janet Westhaver, Susan Monro, and Carolyn Landry.

The featured artist is the Kings Kikima Grannies Project; a project to help declutter your life.

Remaining shows of ‘The Wild Women of Winedale’ by Jones, Hope and Wooten will be at CentreStage Theatre in Kentville on Jan. 17, 18, 19 (matinee), 24, 25, 26 (matinee), and 31, and Feb. 1, 7, 8, 9 (matinee), 14, 15.

Front of House opens at 6:45 p.m. for the evening performances and 1:15 p.m. for the matinees.

Tickets: $15 for adults; $12 for seniors/students; $5 for children ages 12 years and under.

CentreStage takes cash or cheques only. Reservations are recommended and are held until 15 minutes before show time.

Call: 902-678-8040 for reservations.

Go Online: www.centrestagetheatre.ca

PRESENT LAUGHTER VIEWING JAN. 17

As part of National Theatre Live, Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-Op is hosting a viewing of Present Laughter a comic play originally written by Noël Coward.

Andrew Scott stars in this award-winning performance as he portrays actor Garry Essendine as he is getting ready for an overseas tour. His colourful life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Essendine’s few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic and soul-searching.

Cost: $15 per person; tickets are available at the door at 6 p.m. on Jan. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The viewing will be held at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., in Wolfville.

RUMOURS, A MUSICAL TAKES THE STAGE THIS JANUARY

Hosted by Edalene Theatre, Rumours is about the pervasive nature of rumours in a digital world of oversharing within a small town, specifically at a high school. It follows the lives of several high school students and illustrates the emotional, humorous, and lifealtering impact of rumours in their lives.

The story is woven together with the music of Fleetwood Mac, arranged by Zoe Strutt and brought to life by a talented local cast and band.

The show is a remount of the 2017 sell out, but reimagined with new musical arrangements, choreography and interpretations. Co-directed by Keigan Richard (Stage Whispers) and Kerri Leier, with stage management by Brianna Schwarz, Rumours will leave the audience singing and spellbound by the choreography by Strutt, Jillie Richard and Charlotte Crouch.

The show will be held at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., in Wolfville, nightly at

7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23-25. There will be one matinee, at 2 p.m., on Jan. 25.

Tickets: $17 for adults; $14 for seniors and children under 16 years of age; and $60 for a group of four.

Tickets are available at the door or by visiting EdaleneTheatre.ca.

LEARN TO SWING DANCE IN 2020

Learn Lindy Hop in a fun introduction to swing dancing class in 2020.

No partner or experience required to participate; just a willingness to learn.

Lindy hop is a joyful dance for all ages. The dance comes from the ballrooms of Harlem in the late 1920s, 1930s and onward.

The six-session class for beginners starts Jan. 19 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. The lessons, held at Bishop Hall in Greenwich, cost $60. By the end of the session, organizers say participants will be able to dance Lindy Hop at social dances in the Valley and Halifax.

Class schedule: Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, Feb. 16 (no class, long weekend), Feb. 23, and March 1.

This is a social dance, so whether you sign up alone or with a partner, there will be rotating dance partners during each session. This helps to accelerate learning.

All ages and genders welcome.

For details, email valleyswing@gmail.com.

BE LIKE CHONG FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER

On Jan. 31, the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville presents the classic film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

This movie is being shown as a fundraiser for the Be Like Chong Foundation, a non-profit social enterprise founded in the Annapolis Valley.

Cost: $10. Tickets are available at 6:30 p.m. at the door or online at belikechong.com. Showtime is 7 p.m.

The Al Whittle Theatre is located at 450 Main St. in Wolfville.

CONCERT AT BISHOP HALL

Ariana Nasr and Curtis Thorpe take the stage at Bishop Hall, 10032 Highway 1, Greenwich, for an evening of music Feb. 8, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Admission: $15 per person

KING’S THEATRE PRESENTS CATS

King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal presents ‘Cats’ on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 19 at 2 p.m.

A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life in the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved smash musical ‘Cats’ and the poems from ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,’ by T.S. Eliot.

Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) brings new technology to transform his cast members into the dancing and singing felines.

Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.

Tickets: $11 for an adult;

$10 with a Film Buff card; $8 for youth.

Phone: 902-532-7704 Go Online: www.kingstheatre.ca

DAVID CHAMBERLAND AND FRIENDS VISITING ANNAPOLIS ROYAL

Bear River’s own David Chamberland and his band will be performing Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. for King’s Theatre’s first live show of 2020.

Chamberland was born and raised in Sherbrooke, Quebec. In his youth, he passed hours learning tunes off of the radio. Completely self-taught, this exercise involved not only deciphering the correct chords, but also the lyrics — a task less evident to a French-speaking teenager who loved Englishspeaking bands.

He played with many different musicians and was the lead singer in a Red Hot Chili Pepper tribute band and, after that, in his own band, Kedal. He has always loved playing music of all genres: pop, alternative, folk, reggae, blues, funk, and more.

Chamberland and his wife Carmen moved to Bear River, N.S. in 2013 and has since enjoyed playing regular gigs.

Performing with the Chamberlands on Feb. 1 will be Paul O’Brien, Taren Yelle, Mark Bezanson and Tim Fisk.

King’s Theatre is located at 209 St. George St., in Annapolis Royal.

Tickets: $30 for an adult;

$26 for members; $8 for youth. Phone: 902-532-7704 Go Online: www.kingstheatre.ca

WEE ART KICKS OFF 2020 EXHIBIT SEASON AT ROUND HILL STUDIO

Round Hill Studio, located at 280 St. George St., in Annapolis Royal, kicks off January with its annual group exhibit known as Wee Art. The exhibit brings together artists from across Nova Scotia and Canada. The unique feature of this exhibit is that all pieces measure six-inches square and are priced at $75.

In this exhibit, there is a mixture of styles, mediums and subjects. The exhibit runs until the end of the month.

The next exhibit will be Cheryl Hassen’s ‘More than a Rock’ from Jan. 31 to Feb. 29.

Hassen is an award-winning professional photographer, documentary filmmaker and stone artist. Her exhibit will feature large format, bold, vibrant, impressively colourful and energetic, photographs of rock from Nova Scotia.

Hassen will be at the gallery on opening night, Jan. 31, from 5-7 p.m.

Info: 902-955-0365; www. roundhillstudio.com.

ROSS CREEK ANNOUNCES 2020 THEATRE SEASON

Ross Creek has announced its 2020 theatre season with Two Planks offering three shows full of music and movement, with characters both largerthan-life and down to earth, all on the magical landscape of the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts.

They shows are as follows.

• Schoolhouse by Leanna Brodie (July 2 to Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.; and 2 p.m. on Sundays) is a warm, poignantly funny show that revives the world of the one-room schoolhouse in rural Canada in the early 20th century and examines the power of art to transform our lives.

• Macbeth by Fire by William Shakespeare (July 3 to Aug. 15 at 9 p.m.) brings Shakespeare’s most thrilling story of boundless ambition to life around a roaring fire.

• Jekyll and Hyde, adapted from the novel by Ken Schwartz (Aug. 21 to 30 at 8 p.m.), is a new fireside adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic that is sure to send a shiver up your spine.

All three productions in 2020 will be created by the award-winning ensemble visitors have come to know and love; playwrights, performers, designers and stage managers from across Canada who come together every summer to create magic on the North Mountain.

Tickets: admin@artscentre. ca; or 902-582-3842.

RIA MAE TO PERFORM IN WINDSOR

Halifax-born, Toronto-based songwriter Ria Mae hit the road with her Stars Tour last fall and will be arriving in Windsor March 6.

Mae, who is touring in support of her highly anticipated Stars EP and new single, "Too Close", featuring Dan Talevski, will take the stage at Mermaid Theatre at 8 p.m.

Mae has toured Europe with Tegan & Sara, North America with Dido, and Canada with Scott Helman. She has performed with Elle King, Xavier Rudd, Shawn Hook, Family of the Year, Francesco Yates, Coleman Hell and more. To date, her music has been streamed more than 60 million times worldwide.

Cost: $30 per person

Tickets are available at Mermaid Theatre’s Box Office, at ticketpro.ca and at all Ticketpro outlets.

The Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre is located at 106 Gerrish St. in Windsor.

ROLAND SMITH’S SHOW AT MERMAID THEATRE RESCHEDULED

Hailing from Hants County, guitar virtuoso and composer Roland Smith is garnering a reputation as a dynamic performer and recording artist, with an explosive live show and a unique brand of Latin/ nuevo flamenco fused with rock and classical crossover.

He was slated to perform at Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, 106 Gerrish St., in Windsor on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. However, due to Dorian wreaking havoc on the Maritimes that weekend, this show has been rescheduled to April 18, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.

Smith is the recipient of Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre’s emerging artist initiative which provides a platform for Nova Scotia rising stars.

Info: mermaidtheatre.ca