Spring forward with these thrilling events.
From Warhol to Banksy and From Balzar to Hunt
Until April 27, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Two provocative exhibitions explore the world of Pop Art, a form that is all about consumerism, social consciousness and activism. From Warhol to Banksy features works by the genre’s most iconic figures; From Balzar to Hunt, meanwhile, focuses on B.C.’s own Pop artists, from the 1960s to the present.
An Evening with Bruce Cockburn
March 11, Royal Theatre
One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has embraced folk, jazz, rock and worldbeat styles while writing memorable songs about the wonders of this world. Throughout his 50-year career, Cockburn has won 13 Juno Awards and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. There is perhaps no better voice for capturing the nuances of the human experience.
Banachek
March 15, McPherson Playhouse
You may know this legendary magician from TV and magazines; he’s also the guy other magicians — including Penn & Teller, Criss Angel and David Blaine — turn to for advice. Expect an evening of magic and mystery with this multi-award-winning Las Vegas mentalist.
Ballet Victoria presents Carmina Burana
March 21 to 23, Royal Theatre
Ballet Victoria artistic and executive director Paul Destrooper designed this dance to follow the 24 medieval songs in Carl Orff’s epic 1937 orchestral and choral cantata. Riveting, romantic and passionate, it also features the emotionally charged voices of the Victoria Choral Society under the baton of Brian Wismath.
Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: The Four on the Floor Tour
March 26, Royal Theatre
Enjoy this all-new show from Canada’s internationally renowned virtuoso fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. They’re joined on stage by their two eldest children, Mary Frances and Michael Leahy, who are masterful violinists in their own right. Don’t miss this rare night of musical magic.
An Inspector Calls
March 26 to April 13, Langham Court Theatre
Playwright J.B. Priestley’s morality play is as relevant today as it was when it was first performed in 1945. In this scathing commentary on upper-middle-class hypocrisy, an inspector interrogates an industrialist and his family about the suicide of a young working-class girl and uncovers how each is implicated in her undoing. A classic of 20th-century theatre.
Michael Kaeshammer
March 27, Mary Winspear Centre
The brilliant piano player, seven-time Juno Award nominee and host of CHEK-TV cooking show Kaeshammer’s Kitchen introduces his 15th album, Turn It Up, a compilation of “eclectic yet accessible jazz-based pop” from an eclectic, electrifying and consistently upbeat musician.
Glass Tiger: This Island Earth
March 28, McPherson Playhouse
Time travel to the 1980s when the multi-platinum-selling rockers from Ontario hit town with special guest MuchMusic VJ Erica Ehm. Join them in a one-of-a-kind retrospective featuring indelible hits you love, like “Don’t Forget Me ( when I’m gone),” “Someday” and “Diamond Sun.”
Judy Collins
March 28, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
Think of this award-winning singer-songwriter and you likely think of the songs that made her famous in her folkie 1960s and ’70s incarnation, “Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns.” But her career is much more than that. Listen to this Renaissance woman with the dreamy voice in an equally dreamy setting.
Children of God
April 1 to 2, McPherson Playhouse
Corey Payette’s gorgeous, powerful musical tells the story of an Oji-Cree family whose children were taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This play blends ancient traditions and contemporary realities, while celebrating Indigenous resilience, culture and spirit. Each performance is followed by a facilitated talkback from stage.
Susan Aglukark: “This Child” 30th Anniversary Cross Canada Tour
April 4, Mary Winspear Centre
The multi-Juno winner and Officer of the Order of Canada describes “This Child” as “my artist statement, my call to personal action … my song to my future artist and Inuk self.” She marks the three decades since its release with backup from the remarkable throat singer Angela Amarualik.
Dance Victoria presents Compañia Rafaela Carrasco
April 11 to 12, Royal Theatre
Winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Dance Show at the XXVII Flamenco Festival of Jerez de la Frontera, Nocturna (Architecture of Insomnia) features an exceptional cast of dancers and musicians, who lead the audience on a sleepless journey from dusk to dawn.
HMS Pinafore (or The Lass Who Loved a Sailor)
April 12 to 13, Mary Winspear Centre
Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan Society presents this classic nautical comic operetta, a romantic story with toe-tapping hummable tunes, delightful costumes and plenty of fun for everyone.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
April 18 to April 26, McPherson Playhouse
The Canadian College of Performing Arts presents an award-winning musical that reimagines one of the world’s most beloved characters in quirky and irreverent fashion. Cheeky, visually stunning and set to the indelible music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, this is one the whole family will enjoy.
Rigoletto
April 23 to 29, Royal Theatre
Pacific Opera Victoria presents Verdi’s tragic tale of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption set in Renaissance Italy. Based on Victor Hugo’s play, this grand opera follows the tale of Rigoletto, a court jester bent on avenging the dishonour done to his daughter, and features timeless themes and unforgettable music.
Jerry Seinfeld
April 26, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Be among the first to experience the newest standup routine from America’s premier comedian. Seinfeld needs no introduction — after all, his nine-year eponymous sitcom was named the best ever. His superpower is finding the hilarity in the small things in life. Be prepared to laugh.