Greater Victoria’s art scene has something to offer everyone this fall.
Victoria International Jewish Film Festival
Now in its ninth year, the Victoria International Jewish Film Festival (VIJFF) showcases cross-cultural films with Jewish and Jewish-adjacent themes in film events with food and music, reaching diverse audiences through being a free community event. The 2023 VIJFF runs Oct. 17 to 22 at the Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St., and online via the VIJFF virtual cinema (watch.eventive.org/vijff2023). Five feature-length films include engaging live pre-show music, plus in-cinema snacks prepared by local bakeries, patisseries, and caterers.
“It’s captivating cultural cinema – with film events that treat audiences to some really interesting music and some really great nosh, like black forest parfait from La Roux Patisserie,” says festival co-director Deborah Bricks. “Via film the festival presents different communities and cultures and their intersections or interests in Jewish communities and cultures.”
The festival opens at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, running film events through Oct. 22, including America, a poignant German-Israeli co-production in which three lives intersect with sudden brief intensity (pre-show music by Ukrainian bandurist Georgiy Matviyiv); Exodus 91, an Israeli film that examines Operation Solomon, the airlift of 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel using historical footage, interviews, and reimaginations (pre-show by the Dana Sipos Trio); March ‘68, inspired by a moment in time that shaped the social consciousness of Polish director Krzysztof Lang, depicting a momentous collision of history and romance (pre-show jazz by Elliot Freedman’s trio with Nick Apivor and Ryan Oliver); Where Life Begins, an Italian film about the relationship between lost souls, the French daughter of an Orthodox rabbi and the Calabrian farmer hosting her family’s citron picking (pre-show performance by Cascadia Strings); and Matchmaking, an Israeli romcom about tolerance and love, with a light Orthodox twist on the Romeo and Juliet tale (pre-show by the Avram McCagherty Trio).
On Oct. 20 a newly added matinee screening features the French film Farewell Mr. Haffmann. Deftly crafted with twists and turns, this film, set in 1941 Nazi-occupied Paris, is a tale of complex contradictions at the edge of the Holocaust.
On Oct. 22, families can enjoy the animated short The Tattooed Torah (a true story, narrated by Ed Asner, about the discovery and restoration of a small Torah in the Czech Republic), plus storyteller Shoshana Litman, and a musical program by Avram McCagherty.
Online screenings include SHTTL, the story of a Yiddish-speaking Ukrainian village near Poland 24 hours before the Nazi invasion; Silent, a film about a controversial TV host back from suspension at the height of the Israeli election and on a path to his own reckoning; Egypt a Love Song, legendary Egyptian singer Souad Zaki’s story is explored by her granddaughter, director Iris Zaki with her father; and Songs for a Lost Pod, a Vancouver film that uses music, storytelling, and shadow puppetry to juxtapose cetacean histories on one Jewish family’s experience of surviving the Holocaust.
Guided by the notion of tikkun olam, Hebrew for “repair of the world” the VIJFF is a non-religious, multicultural program of the Jewish Community Centre of Victoria that builds capacity and connections among communities through cinema about Jewish and Jewish-adjacent themes and their intersections.
Tickets are free but donations are appreciated. Visit vijff.ca for information.
Bolen Books’ 2023 Fall Literary Festival
Featuring six amazing authors over the course of 10 days in October, join Bolen Books for their 2023 Fall Literary Festival.
Bolen Books is thrilled to be hosting another fantastic lineup this fall season, including in-store appearances from Emma Donoghue (Academy Award nominee and bestselling author of The Room), Writer’s Trust for Fiction winner Katherena Vermette, and Canadian actor, comedian and author Brent Butt.
Don’t miss your chance to hear from these celebrated authors and get your copies signed. Personalized books make a great holiday gift and autographed copies will be available after each event while quantities last.
All events are free and in-store unless otherwise noted. To reserve your spot, RSVP at bolenbooks.com or at any of the desks in Bolen Books. For the full event schedule, visit the Events page online.
A Celebration of the Arts in the Hispanic World
The Hispanic Film Society of Victoria and the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at UVic present A Celebration of the Arts in the Hispanic World. The event features the cultural richness, artistic explorations, and political activism of accomplished practitioners in Spanish-speaking regions of the world.
It includes the 13th Latin American and Spanish Film Week, which runs from Oct. 11 to 15 at Cinecenta (UVic campus). It presents six documentary films about the arts in Cuba, Mexico, and the Hispanic communities in the United States. All films are screened with English subtitles and regular prices apply.
On Oct. 13, the 37th Annual Colloquium of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies will feature presentations about cinema, poetry and dance, a poetry reading, and a roundtable about art in times of crisis. The keynote speaker will be Lansdowne Visitor Scholar Prof. Cecilia Enjuto Rangel from the University of Oregon. She will give a presentation about Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s film Pinocchio (2022). The Colloquium takes place from 10:20 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in DSB Room C122 at the UVic campus. It is free and open to the public.
On Oct. 14, join us for A Night of Latin Music with Pablo Cardenas and The West Coast Cuban Orchestra. The music show takes place at the Victoria Event Centre (1415 Broad St.). Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with salsa dancing at 8 p.m. and the show at 9. Tickets are $25 for the general audience and $15 for students with ID. For sale only at the VEC website or in person.
Palm Court Light Orchestra
Another season, another reason – the Palm Court Light Orchestra opens its 2023-2024 season in October with Palm Court Souvenirs, a concert celebrating Victoria’s Edwardian Heritage. Baritone Steven Price sings On the Road to Mandalay, The Holy City, Vincent Youman’s Without a Song and Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s Mattinata. The Orchestra will add an overture by Arthur Sullivan, selections from Victor Herbert’s Sweetheart and Albert Ketelbey’s In the Mystic Land of Egypt to complete this rarely performed program.
Concerts in February and April present a greater enthusiasm for operettas, musicals and love songs with soprano Lindsay Kolbe and mezzo-soprano Kiiri Michelson. Expect to hear songs by Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, Ivor Novello and Cole Porter plus selections from Mary Poppins and Burton Lane’s Finian’s Rainbow.
The Orchestra with conductor Charles Job and concertmaster Pablo Diemecke are pleased to present concerts in Oak Bay and Sidney. For more information, go to palmcourtorchestra.com or call 250-656-0275 or 250-748-9964.
Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular
The Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular returns for season 15. Back in 2006, Katy Bowen-Roberts of Comox found herself dreaming while sitting in an old country pub in England. With experience performing as a singer on stages both in Canada and Europe, she decided it was time to look behind the scenes. This is where her Yellowpoint journey began.
Bowen-Roberts moved back to Canada in 2007, ready to begin building this popular show for her home community. It started in a small cozy community hall in the heart of beautiful countryside near the Crow & Gate Pub in Yellowpoint. Patrons travelled from surrounding communities to take in this unique holiday experience. The show can now be found in three larger cities across Vancouver Island.
On Dec. 3, the cast and crew of 18 singers, dancers, musicians, and the creative team will move into the Sid Williams Theatre. They will complete their three-week rehearsal process with a final invited dress rehearsal performed to 450 elementary school children from the Comox Valley. This will be followed by four performances at this venue from Dec. 4 to 6. From here the team will move to Victoria where they will perform three shows at the McPherson Playhouse on Dec. 9 and 10, before finishing at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo with eight shows from Dec. 12 to 17.
Bowen-Roberts has been working to create this year’s show since February. She begins her process by listening to a great variety of music. “There is always so much music to choose from and never enough time in the show. I spend many hours selecting a mix of musical genres where the cast can perform different dance and vocal styles. The show is designed to invoke a range of emotions in our audiences and we love putting it together with many dazzling costumes,” said Bowen-Roberts. “I feel so lucky to be able to bring live music and dance to our Island.”
James Mark, music arranger, director and violinist, began his part in arranging the show back in May. James works hard to stay true to original musicians as he arranges the parts for our four vocalists and the five-piece band.
This year’s singing and dancing extravaganza includes musical medleys of well-known songs by the Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, George Gershwin and the Beach Boys, songs from the musical Chicago, a collection of Sea Shanty songs, Hot Chocolate from the Polar Express, Bing Crosby’s classic White Christmas as well as many more classical hits and Christmas favourites.
Tap dance professional Lindsay Sterk and owner of Pantuso Dance Studio is back to choreograph and co-direct again this season.
The creative team was in Vancouver in June where they auditioned over 100 singers and dancers. “It is always such an honour and pleasure to hear and watch so many talented young professional performers. The decision-making is always a challenge but we are excited to welcome this year’s cast,” said Bowen-Roberts.
For more information or tickets visit yellowpointchristmasspectacular.ca or @yellowpoint_xmas_spectacular.
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre welcomes audiences back to the Roxy Theatre on Nov. 23 with a thriller in the best tradition of the old Hollywood movies that kept us all on the edge of our seats with our hearts in our throats. Misery is William Goldman’s breathtaking script of Stephen King’s best-selling novel. Written in 1987, this psychological horror novel was adapted into a film three years later with a performance by Kathy Bates that won her an Academy Award.
Successful romance novelist, Paul Sheldon, nearly dies when he crashes his car on a desolate mountain road in a snowstorm. Miraculously, he is rescued by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes, who nurses him back to health in her remote snow-bound cabin. In true Stephen King fashion, things are not what they seem to be and Annie soon has Paul writing again as if his life depended on it. Because it does.
Misery will be directed by veteran actor, director, and playwright, Michael Armstrong, whom Blue Bridge audiences will remember from numerous performances with the company over the past decade in shows such as The Drawer Boy, Our Town, and Of Mice and Men. Though he has taught and directed all over the province, this will be Armstrong’s first time directing for Blue Bridge.
“This script is a non-stop 90-minute thrill ride,” said Armstrong. “I can’t wait to bring it to life with our terrific cast. Some of Victoria’s best actors.”
The American Film Institute rated Annie Wilkes the 17th most iconic villain (and sixth most iconic villainess) in the history of film. Taking on this iconic role is Naomi Simpson. Victoria audiences will remember her performances in Blue Bridge productions of Uncle Vanya and True West. She is also an award-winning theatre, film, and TV actress who has appeared in dozens of popular shows including recurring roles in SyFy’s Deadly Class, AMCs The Terror and guest starring roles in Josh Duhamels Buddy Games 2 feature film released this summer, and Showtime’s smash hit, Yellowjackets, opposite Juliette Lewis. Other recent credits include the award-winning independent film Rice Boy Sleeps, Disney’s Descendants 2, Bates Motel, and A Score to Settle opposite Nicholas Cage. A lifelong reader of Stephen King, Simpson is excited to play the iconic villain that is Annie Wilkes.
Appearing opposite her as the ill-fated Paul Sheldon is a Victoria favourite, Trevor Hinton. Hinton has been featured in many Blue Bridge shows – most recently Around the World in 80 Days and Hedda Gabler. He has been working in professional theatre for 18 years with companies like Blue Bridge, Puente, The Belfry, Electric Company, Kaleidoscope, and many more. He has more recently been working in film and TV where he can be seen on shows like The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney), Hitler’s Last Stand (National Geographic), Supergirl (CW), Bones of Crows (CBC), and The Peacemaker (HBO).
And rounding out the cast is Sarah Anne Murphy who will be playing Buster, the local sheriff. Murphy, a graduate of CCPA, appeared in Blue Bridge productions of Sweeney Todd and Animal Crackers and was the playwright for the 2021 production of Day After Day. She will also be familiar to Victoria audiences from her work with Kaleidoscope, Atomic Vaudeville, and Theatre SKAM, among others. “She is a joy to work with,” Armstrong said. “Watch for her in the years to come.”
Joining the on-stage team will be a talented team of designers including sets by Hans Saefkow, sound by Jason King and lights by Blue Bridge’s own Rebekah Johnson.
“This is a little like old home week in a haunted house,” Armstrong said. “I have the highest regard for this team of actors and designers, friends, and colleagues. We intend to leave you gasping for breath with this one. It is a roller-coaster ride. Don’t miss it.”
Misery runs Nov. 21 through Dec 3. For more information, including tickets, visit Blue Bridge Theatre or call 250-382-3370.
Victoria Festival of Authors returns for eighth season
For the first time, the festival is offering sliding scale pricing, with a free option, for all virtual events and for the five in-person events taking place at Langham Court Theatre.
“This year our focus is on increasing the accessibility of the festival, and a large part of that is reducing the financial barrier to accessing our programming,” said Laura Trunkey, festival producer. “All five events at Langham Court Theatre have a free ticket option, and will also be live-streamed so that those who are unable to attend in person can still take part in our events.”
There are 13 events in 2023. Some major highlights include Advocacy Through Story; Forest to Poet/Tree Walk; Banned: On Diversity, Censorship, and Children’s Books; and In Conversation: Jack Knox with Ian and Will Ferguson.
Advocacy Through Story explores how Indigenous women are recognized as stewards of traditional knowledge systems, holding fundamental roles in maintaining and preserving knowledge over generations. It’s even more important now, during today’s concurrent climate and biodiversity crisis, to lift up the voices that advocate for Indigenous knowledge, land and water rights, and the development of sustainable, culturally relevant policy change. Join Indigenous leaders who create movement and change through activism, literature, and performance: Michelle Poirier Brown (You Might Be Sorry You Read This), Helen Knott (Becoming a Matriarch), Katłįà Lafferty (This House is Not a Home), and Angela Sterritt (Unbroken) at Langham Court Theatre on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
A much-loved event at the Victoria Festival of Authors, the Forest to Poet/Tree Walk returns for its sixth year. Come walk the trails of W̱MÍYEŦEN Nature Sanctuary (formerly Mary Lake), near the shores of Mary Lake and through the Coastal Douglas-fir forest, as four poets read in the shadow of cedar and oak. This year’s poets are Robert Bringhurst (The Ridge), Wanda John-Kehewin (Spells, Wishes and the Talking Dead), Samantha Nock (A Brief Celebration), and Russell Thornton (The White Light of Tomorrow). This year the event has two sessions on Oct. 14, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Banned: On Diversity, Censorship, and Children’s Books – as the call for a more diverse children’s book scene continues, authors attempt to include depictions of sexual, gender, and racial minorities. But, with every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction, as authors are challenged with public library bans, media outrage, online harassment, and even death threats. One of the festival’s four virtual-only panels, Banned, curated by Danny Ramadan (Adventures of Salma), features authors Christy Jordan-Fenton (Fatty Legs), Robin Stevenson (Pride), and Kathy Stinson (The Bare Naked Book) on Oct. 14 at 3:30 p.m.
What’s more entertaining than one funny Ferguson? Two of them. Brothers Ian and Will Ferguson have both won the Leacock Medal – Canada’s top humour-writing prize – independently. They also collaborated on the satirical (and wildly successful) How to Be a Canadian, which captured the CBA Libris Award for non-fiction. Now they’re back together with I Only Read Murder, the first instalment of a new comedic crime series. The conversation will be led by Victoria humourist Jack Knox.
“Another way we’ve shifted the festival’s offerings this year is by inviting guest curators to program the majority of the festival’s offerings,” Trunkey added. “Though we’ve programmed around a theme in the past, the offerings this year are incredibly varied, reflecting the diversity of voices that have curated the events, and the 35 festival authors who will appear on the stage, the trails, and virtually over our five-day event.”
The Victoria Festival of Authors runs Oct. 11 to 15. For more information, visit victoriafestivalofauthors.ca.
Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra
Symphonic sounds spring from the Baumann Centre in downtown Victoria every Saturday morning. Sixty young musicians from early teens to mid-twenties – collaborators committed to their musical craft – make up the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra (GVYO). Expressive, focused and adventurous, the GVYO is respected as one of the finest youth ensembles in the country.
Guided by expert GVYO faculty and guest artists, the musicians study and perform symphonic repertoire, developing instrumental technique, musicianship and ensemble skills. Their orchestral experience opens the door to lifelong musical opportunities and friendships.
Now in its 38th year, the orchestra brings music to life as only young people can, with energy and enthusiasm, orchestrating joy for themselves and their audience alike.
Join the GVYO for two Sunday afternoon concerts at The Farquhar at UVic on Nov. 12 and April 21. Program highlights include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and music by Mendelssohn, Grieg, and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Plus, the GVYO joins the Victoria Symphony to perform Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 on Feb. 11 at The Farquhar at UVic.
For more information, visit gvyo.org, call 250-360-1121, or email gvyorchestra@gmail.com.
Kaleidoscope Theatre celebrates 50 years of imagination
In a remarkable milestone, Victoria’s Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People is celebrating its 50th anniversary season, marking half a century of inspiring young people through professional theatre experiences for young audiences.
Established in 1973, Kaleidoscope Theatre has etched a profound legacy in the national sector of theatre for young audiences, having presented over 246 productions to three million young people across seven countries. To mark this golden milestone, Kaleidoscope has curated an anniversary season that promises to be nothing short of magical.
Opening with C.S. Lewis’s beloved classic The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe from director Pat Rundell, audiences of all ages will be transported to the enchanting land of Narnia.
In March 2024, Kaleidoscope takes a trip down memory lane by bringing back the company’s beloved and acclaimed production of The AllihippoRhinoCrocodilligator, a whimsical production that first graced the stage in 1976. This revival, directed by original company member Barbara Poggemilller, promises to captivate hearts once more with its playful blend of play-acting, wordplay, music and sheer joy.
The season concludes in May with The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito by renowned Canadian playwright Tomson Highway. This heartwarming tale weaves together music, storytelling, and Cree language, creating a narrative tapestry of resilience, friendship, and self-discovery.
Kaleidoscope’s 50th Anniversary Season is a testament to the theatre’s enduring commitment to providing quality artistic experiences for young audiences. At its core, Kaleidoscope Theatre has always been about more than just entertainment. It’s about nurturing creativity and imagination in young minds and instilling a love for the arts that lasts a lifetime. Through the years, Kaleidoscope has accomplished this by captivating audiences with unforgettable stories, from classics to new works, and by fostering a space where young people can shine and explore theatre through the company’s Performing Arts Studio for children.
Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale for all productions and can be purchased through the Kaleidoscope Box Office by phone (250-900-8163), online at kaleidoscope.bc.ca, or in-person at the Kaleidoscope Arts Centre, 613 Pandora Ave.
Caravan World Rhythms
Over the past seven years, Caravan has become a leading presenter in Greater Victoria of the best in world music and dance, hosting Canadian and international artists as diverse as Tuvan throat singing, Spanish flamenco, Eastern European Balkan, Afro-Cuban song and rhythms, Afrofuturist electro-percussion, Indigenous guitar and folk music, Estonian and Scandinavian alt-folk, and much more. This past season Caravan featured the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir at a sold-out show at the Royal Theatre.
Caravan’s upcoming season promises to be just as exciting, offering unique experiences for Victoria audiences. The season features the return of the now legendary voice of Ukrainian resistance Dakhbarakha at the Farquhar at Uvic on March 30, 2024, with their multimedia show; and a rare appearance by world music icon and Indian Tabla percussion maestro Zakir Hussain with an all-star trio at the Royal Theatre on April 28. The lineup also includes award-winning Canadian world music groups, such as Toronto’s flamenco-Balkan-Jewish singer-dancer Tamar Ilana with her band Ventanas at the Victoria Event Centre on Feb. 4.
The season opens with a Klezmer-Eastern European party on Oct. 19 at Hermann’s Upstairs, featuring Montreal’s eight-piece Klezmer-Balkan band Oktopus. Oktopus is a major presence on the Canadian world music scene, with over 250 performances to its credit at home and abroad. The group is primarily devoted to Klezmer – the musical heritage of Eastern European Jews – distinguished by a novel approach that incorporates various components of classical, Quebecois, and jazz repertoires.
The group’s eight virtuoso musicians offer festive, high-energy performances, at once melancholic and profound, sprinkled with humour and spiced with narrative, in which original compositions and finely crafted arrangements combine with improvisation.
Opening the evening will be Victoria’s own youth Klezmer-folk fiddle group, the Sizzlers.
Victoria audiences are promised unique and uplifting experiences at Caravan World Rhythms events.
For tickets and more information, visit caravanbc.com.