The Anvil Centre will be helping to light up the holiday season when Shine Bright New West returns this winter.
Shine Bright is a seasonal festival that’s being held around the city between Dec. 5 and Jan. 3, encompassing holiday light displays, a variety of self-guided outdoor activities and some take-home holiday fun suggestions.
As part of the event, the Anvil Centre will be offering a host of performances – featuring music, dance, magic, storytelling and more – between Dec. 16 and 30.
On the main level, there will be a series of featured free “window” performances, so people can enjoy them as they stroll around downtown. You can catch local duo Ed and Salve Dayao with an all-ages sing-along, or enjoy pop favourites and seasonal songs from the a cappella quintet Quayside Voices. Actor Ryan Leslie Fisher will be there to keep audiences laughing with his Dandy show, while New West poet laureate Elliott Slinn and storytellers from Culture Chats will share their words and stories.
Along with the free drop-in shows, there will also be a series of ticketed events in the theatre (on the third floor) and the ballroom (on the main floor): with a jazz trio, a Latin-flavoured musical group, a master illusionist, children’s entertainers and more.
Tickets for afternoon shows are $20 for adults and $10 for students, while evening shows are $35 for adults and $25 for seniors and students. They’re available now online.
COVID-19 safety protocols – including a vaccine passport and photo ID check – will be required before entering the venue, and masks are mandatory.
SHINE BRIGHT PERFORMANCES
Locarno – Thursday, Dec. 16, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the theatre:
The spirit of Dia de los Muertos reverberates through the “Mexican-flavoured party starter” that is Locarno. Led by Tom Landa on vocals, guitar and the eight-stringed jarana, the band’s early Afro-Cuban and “son jarocho” folk-inspired sound now incorporates influences from African soukous, Mexican marimba music, Venezuelan joropo, Brazilian forro and a host of Latin styles.
The Kerplunks – Sunday, Dec. 19, 2 to 3 p.m. in the ballroom:
The Kerplunks are Canadian children’s entertainers who play catchy, self-penned original tunes that are guaranteed to get kids (and their grownups) singing along and joining in on the actions.
Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders – Wednesday, Dec. 22, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the theatre:
Vitaly Beckman, hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the most uniqu7e and innovative illusionists in the world,” stumped Penn & Teller (twice!) on their hit show Fool Us and starred in his own 16-week off-Broadway run. He blends art and illusion in a show that includes paintbrushes that paint on their own, photographs that come to life before your eyes and faces that disappear from driver’s licences, among other moments.
RupLoops – Thursday, Dec. 23, 2 to 3 p.m. in the theatre:
RupLoops is an interactive, live looping performance using vocal percussion and rhythmic rhymes with an arsenal of eclectic instruments from around the globe. Rup Sidhu mixes hip hop and global sounds to tap into themes of home, identity, culture, justice, dignity and celebration.
Kellie Haines (ventriloquist) and Puppets – Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2 to 3 p.m. in the theatre:
Ventriloquist and family entertainer Kellie Haines performs at festivals and schools across Western Canada and as a puppeteer-singer for television. Her lively and interactive performances delight audiences of all ages.
Triology – Wednesday, Dec. 29, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the theatre:
Triology is a jazz trio featuring three of Canada’s most sought-after jazz musicians: Miles Black on piano, Bill Coon on guitar, and Jodi Proznick on bass. They perform arrangements of classic standards and original tunes.
Grupo Axé Capoeira – Thursday, Dec. 30, 2 to 3 p.m. in the theatre:
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music. Grupo Axé Capoeira began in Recife, Brazil in 1982 and – as Canada’s first academy of capoeira – it continues to rise as one of the leading capoeira organizations in the world.
Blackthorn with Shot of Scotch Vancouver Highland Dancers – Thursday, Dec. 30, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the theatre
Blackthorn is a Canadian Celtic folk band with a repertoire rooted in the musical traditions of Ireland and Scotland as well as the folk music of English and French Canada.
They’re joined by Shot of Scotch Vancouver, a non-profit society that’s dedicated to honouring and expanding the Highland dance tradition through new, exciting contemporary dance pieces while maintaining a high standard of technique.
