Mere days remain for young performers to sign up for the Synergy at Play Musical Theatre Intensive workshop, run by indomitable artistic director Varya Moysey-Rubin.
The two-week program for youth ages eight to 18 runs from July 17 to 29 at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons.
Each day will feature acting, dancing and singing workshops taught by industry professionals, along with individual coaching and ensemble work.
The session concludes with public performances on July 28 and 29. Following on the heels of last year’s dynamic revue, this summer’s spectacle is bound to include an array of classic and cutting-edge Broadway showstoppers.
Learn more by browsing to synergyatplay.ca. Tickets for the performances will be available via heritageplayhouse.com.
Healthy dollop of Peanut Butter Jam
The 12th annual Peanut Butter Jam takes place this weekend at Henderson Beach in Roberts Creek.
The July 15 live show features classic rock ‘n’ roll with original songs by the local band Slightly Twisted. Special guests Michael Friedman and Al Harlow of the Vancouver band Prism will also appear. (Harlow released a solo album titled Now! last year on Feb. 14.)
The concert runs from noon to 5 p.m. Net proceeds will benefit the Sunshine Coast Food Bank.
The surfside concert is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and sunscreen.
Music video drops this week
Local dancers Andrea Villanueva and Connor Dixon will be featured in a forthcoming music video shot in Los Angeles. Villanueva trains with the Coast Academy of Dance and Dixon is with the Gibsons Dance Centre.
Throughout early July, the pair participated in the Focus L.A. training program offered by Liberate Artists, a non-competitive dance and performing arts collective. During the program’s intensive workshops, the group choreographed and filmed an original music video.
The video featuring Villanueva and Dixon will be released at a gala release party on July 15 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. It will be posted to YouTube following the event; browse to youtube.com/c/LiberateArtists to support these Sunshine Coast stars.
Free music every weekend
In Gibsons, the free Music in the Landing series this weekend features the pitch-perfect Anagram duo of Anna Lumiere and Graham Ord) on Friday, July 14 at the gazebo on the dock, from 7 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, the 3:30 show at the Winegarden Park amphitheatre spotlights the Billy Hillpicker Band and its infectious rhythms. Later that night, at 7 p.m., Winegarden Park plays host to the sizzling Susana Williams and her Latin Jazz Band.
The Sechelt Summer Music Series will feature two free outdoor concerts this Saturday at the Hackett Park stage. At noon, Kirin Lamb (flute/whistle/vocals), Emily Wood (piano) and Will Chernoff (acoustic guitar) bring together Irish and Scottish-influenced music, pan-Canadian folk songs, and creative contemporary roots tunes. Lamb and Wood, who were raised in the fiddle music traditions on the Sunshine Coast, and Will, best known as a jazz player in Vancouver, form a dynamic trio full of stories and lively instrumentals. At 1 p.m., Deborah Holland, Joe Stanton, and Simon Paradis — all Sunshine Coast singer-songwriters — will come together for an “in-the-round” presentation of their songs, accompanying each other on guitars, bass, accordion, and harmonies.
More free music takes place at Slow Sundays in the Creek. Check out the gazebo behind the Roberts Creek Community Library between noon and 3:30 (bring your own seat or blanket). The weekly lineup is announced a few days before each appearance — browse to facebook.com/groups/SlowSundaysintheCreek for details.
