The Hot L Baltimore showcases community on and off stage

What happens to the core of a community when the structure keeping it in place crumbles and the mosaic of outcasts in that circle shatters? This is what The Hot L Baltimore, an award-winning comedy written by playwright Lanford Wilson, will ask when it hits the stage at UVic’s Phoenix Theatre this month. The production […]

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Pacific Baroque Festival unforgettable, emotional, magical

I recently had the pleasure of attending three nights of the Pacific Baroque Festival. I’ll admit, my expectations were a bit high going into it—I love classical and baroque music. These expectations were not only met—they were exceeded in every way. My first night—Wednesday, February 28—began at Christ Church Cathedral for Le Nuove Musiche 2, […]

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Murder Weekend intriguing and fun mystery

As a first-time viewer of a Langham Court Theatre production, I was intrigued to see what was in store for me when I went to see Murder Weekend last night. The play stays shrouded in mystery and its twists and turns will keep any viewer on their toes. Murder Weekend is set in the 1980s […]

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Ainadamar gives new life to old art form

The art of opera was born in 16th-century Italy, combining the visual spectacle and rich storytelling of theatre with striking emotive soundscapes of intertwined voice and orchestra. Opera was historically an elitist art form, presented in dazzling theatres frequented by society’s snobbery. Subsequently, opera has gained notoriety as being a pompous overblown affair showcasing gaudy […]

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Listen and Learn: Camosun student Keu taps into unique sound

Local musician and Camosun College student Keu dropped So This Is It, a six-song mixtape, on January 31; I discovered him on the Camosun Spotify playlist. He’s a student in Camosun’s Music Creativity and Performance Foundations program, which takes place at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Keu’s music is chill and fits well into a […]

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Baroque fest explores 17th-century Italian music

Victoria’s Pacific Baroque Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. According to artistic director Marc Destrubé, this year’s festival will focus exclusively on Italian music from the baroque period. “This year we’re focusing on Italian music mostly composed in the 17th century,” says Destrubé. “That was a really fascinating and interesting time, and exciting […]

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Ainadamar combines classical opera and Spanish flamenco

Contemporary opera Ainadamar: A Fusion of Flamenco and Classical Music tells the true story of queer poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. Written by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov, Ainadamar explores Lorca’s life and assassination through the eyes and voice of his muse, Catalan actress Margarita Xirgu. While the thought of opera may conjure up images […]

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New Music Revue: Revival Season have something to say on debut

Revival Season The Golden Age of Self-Snitching (Heavenly) 4/5 Georgia-based rap duo Revival Season is composed of rapper Brandon Evans and instrumentalist Jonah Swilley. Their debut album, The Golden Age of Self-Snitching, hits the shelves on February 23. The tracks are fast-paced and in your face, with quick rhymes and ’80s beats. If you’re tired […]

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Local art gallery owner to speak on Indigenous art

On Sunday, February 25, Mark Loria will be giving a lecture on contemporary Indigenous art of Vancouver Island as part of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Sunday Art Lecture Series. Loria has the experience to talk about the subject: The Mark Loria Gallery, located on Fort Street, opened over 40 years ago. Originally under […]

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Snotty Nose Rez Kids offer night of healing, messages, entertainment

Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce are Indigenous hip hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids; the two brought their sounds to the Capital Ballroom from Kitamaat Village, BC on Friday and Saturday night. On Friday night, the air was filled with excited anticipation waiting for the show to start. When opener Travis […]

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