September 19th, 2012
New Shadbolt Season
by Lima Al-Azzeh
With every passing year, the Shadbolt Centre for the arts delivers a new set of creative, inspiring and often award-winning live arts programming involving a mix of dance, theatre and music. This year, the Shadbolt intends on engaging audiences with a touch of the unexpected.
The Lounge
The Shadbolt’s “Lounge” series offers virtuosic musical performances in a sultry cabaret setting. Befitting of this scenario are the dulcet jazzy tunes of Jesse Peters, a young, energetic artist who received early acclaim from distinguished artists like Canadian music legend Diana Krall.
Another act that promises to please is The Lost Fingers, a unique jazz trio hailing from Montreal, Quebec. Named after a famous guitarist with a few missing digits, you won’t want to miss this quirky group of musicians.
Amongst the candlelight you can also enjoy the musical stylings of award winning pianist, singer and composer Tyler Yarema. A veteran of the Toronto jazz scene, Yarema continues to stun audiences with his crooner voice and his effortless manner.
The Independents
If last year’s lineup of insightful, memorable performances are any indication, then this year’s string of original independent theatre will surely have audiences running the gamut of emotions, from experiencing heart wrenching tragedy one moment to fall-to-the-floor laughter the next.
The hit holiday farce, Hotel Bethlehem makes a triumphant return to the Shadbolt this year after a warm reception from audiences at its debut in 2011. This delightful story, produced by none other than the raucous theater company Ruby Slippers, brings a unique adaptation of the nativity story to the stage. Facts need not apply.
Photog will surely prove to be a memorable experience. This show created by the Boca del Lupo company utilizes mixed media to tells the stories of conflict photographers, unearthing stories that showcase as much internal turmoil and conflict as the pictures they’re depicting.
The Sole
It’s fair to say that the dance program put on by the Shadbolt could aptly be dubbed “The Soul”. This lineup isn’t shy about introducing some powerful and provocative stories to the stage, told through the impressive athletic and artistic abilities of some of the best dancers in the country.
What’s even more exciting about the dance lineup this year perhaps, is the fact that the Artists-in-Residence for 2012-13 season is Ballet BC! The Choreographic Series focuses on developing new choreographers and choreography from within the Ballet BC company, culminating in an event of works-in-progress in May 2013. These new works will be developed based on the theme 
“Expect the Unexpected”.
You won’t catch a more vivid, raw set of performances than with this series of brand new works from a most impressive company of professional artists.
In another exciting collaboration, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts will also be teaming up with the Burnaby Lyric Opera to bring an awe inspiring double bill of operatic masterpieces: Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, the story of a clown who succeeds at making everyone around him laugh while he himself suffers from the depths of sadness and Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini, which tells the story of greedy relatives fighting over the will of their recently deceased wealthy patriarch.
And in August 2013, don’t miss the ultimate in theatrical performances that unites acrobatics, music, dance and theatre with Boca del Lupo in Deer Lake Park.
From the Shadbolt Centre’s brochure: “Like past productions such as Vasily the Luckless, Quasimodo, and The Last Stand, this new show promises high flying antics, live music, theatrical contraptions and tackles contemporary social issues through Boca del Lupo’s unique intergenerational lens.
It’s going to be a great season for the arts thanks to the Shadbolt’s stellar line up. Stay tuned for more artist interviews and theatre reviews right here on 11 Stations. For more information on show tickets and even more events visit the Tourism Burnaby Event Calendar. You can also win a pair of tickets to see three of “The Independants” including Hotel Bethlehem, Photog and One.
