The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre delivers an eclectic mix of events this June from Dr. Seuss to local dance groups, an evening of hypnosis, a tribute to ABBA, two mornings at the opera, and for film buffs, Reel Alternatives with the Bill Nighy film Living.
June’s the perfect month for busting loose, and to kick it off with Dr. Seuss. Students of Queen Margaret’s School bring Seussical the Musical Jr. to the big stage at Cowichan Performing Arts Centre on June 2 for a 1 p.m. matinee, and 6 p.m. evening show. Directed by Tilly Lorence, nearly 100 students collaborate to breathe life into some of Seuss’s most beloved characters, in this unforgettable musical caper full of fun, friendship, and some important life lessons along the way. The matinee is a school show which is open to the public with limited rows, general admission for both is $20 or $14 for students. Read more about this production in the Arts and Entertainment feature story.
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On June 4, Judy Hogg’s Celtic Rhythm Dancers get jiggy with it for their year end 2 p.m. dance recital of Celtic Traditions Remixed at Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. What has been described as an entertaining, energetic, fun afternoon of dance is open to all to enjoy for just $23 a ticket, which can be purchased through the box office.
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On June 9, and 10 Carlson’s Dance School celebrates two year-end recital performances with students across all ages and genres showing off their fancy footwork at Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. There will be a 6 p.m. show on the Friday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets for adults are $30, and for students just $18.
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On June 15, and 16 the celebration of dance continues as Adage Studio presents their two final year-end performances. Students of all ages will show off their best moves in a myriad of genres in two 6 p.m. presentations on the Thursday and Friday. Regular price tickets are $35.50, while students can enjoy an evening of dance for only $22.50.
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Community recitals are sure to set the tone for dancing queens, and kings to enjoy ABBA Revisited at CPAC on June 21.
VaughnCo Entertainment presents North America’s No. 1 tribute to ABBA. Since the band’s 1974 triumph at Eurovision, their record-breaking hits continue to delight, making them still one of the world’s most popular bands today. A press release for the event calls it a must see, as the tribute rekindles the magic of the original fab four through “authentic costumes, spectacular harmonies and note-perfect musicianship taking their audience on a musical journey back in time.”
Since 2021, this musical journey has graced numerous stages across the world including venues in Vegas, Bermuda, Mexico, Dubai, and Guatemala to name a few. Taking a chance on this show promises to please new, or die hard ABBA fan as they sway and sing along to timeless classics. Tickets are $55 for the tribute, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
ABBA REVISITED DUNCAN from VaughnCo Entertainment on Vimeo.
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On June 22 get ready for some hypnotizing entertainment with Scott Ward’s comedy hypnosis show.
Critics call Ward a natural with the audience who delivers a high quality show of hypnosis and hilarity that will keep attendees wanting more. Ward has entertained thousands of people through his hypnosis for more than two decades from the Vegas strip, to the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe, and even headlining Edmonton’s River Cree Casino. This show is suitable for all ages and is $45 a ticket.
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On June 24, opera aficionados are in for a treat as Tony Award-winning director Ivo van Hove of A View from the Bridge and West Side Story makes a major Met debut with Mozart’s tragicomedy Don Giovanni on the big screen at CPAC.
This Metropolitan Opera, and Opéra National de Paris co-production features Maestro Nathalie Stutzmann who makes her Met debut conducting a star-studded cast led by baritone Peter Mattei as Don Giovanni. Bass-baritone Adam Plachetka plays Leporello, while sopranos Federica Lombardi, Ana María Martínez, and Ying Fang comprise a trio as Giovanni’s conquests — Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina. Tenor Ben Bliss is Don Ottavio.
Shining a light into the dark corners of both the stroy and its characters, van Hove resets this familiar tale of deceit and damnation in an abstract architectural landscape. Tickets for this Saturday morning show, which plays at 9:55 a.m., are only $35.
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On June 26, film buffs unite as top class cinema hits the big screen for Reel Alternatives with the Bill Nighy drama Living.
Living is an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 classic Ikiru by Nobel & Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro, and shows how a small but epic act can become a monumentous event.
Set in London 1952, Williams, a veteran civil servant, learns he has a fatal illness and sets off to add meaning in his life before it is taken away.
Reel Alternatives is a monthly fundraiser for Cowichan Hospice that brings critically acclaimed films from the Toronto Film Festival to Cowichan.
Tickets are $17.
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On June 28, capping off a month filled with dance and musical numbers, is another trip back to the opera on the big screen, leaving enthusiasts something to sing about with Die Zauberflote.
The original co-production from Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; English National Opera, London; and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has renowned English director Simon McBurney at the reins putting a daring spin on one of opera’s most beloved works. McBurney draws the audience in with theatrical flourishes, incorporating projections, sound effects, and acrobatics to match the spectacle and drama of Mozart’s fable with an ensemble including soprano Erin Morley as Pamina, tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Tamino, baritone Thomas Oliemans in his Met debut as Papageno, soprano Kathryn Lewek as the Queen of the Night, and bass Stephen Milling as Sarastro.
Leading the Met Orchestra is conductor Nathalie Stutzmann. Tickets for this operatic odyssey, which which will begin at 9:55 a.m. are only $35.
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Tickets for all events can be purchased in person from the box office at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan, online at cowichanpac.ca, or by calling 250-746-2722.