Kay Meek Arts Centre unveils 20th season spanning Ukrainian-folk quartet Yagódy, Juliet: A Revenge Comedy, and more
A first round of shows has been announced in the Amplify, Resonate, Play, and Cabaret series, ranging from classical music to Vancouver theatre favourites
Ukrainian-folk quartet Yagódy.
KAY MEEK ARTS CENTRE is kicking off its milestone 20th-anniversary season this fall, and has just revealed a first look at the main lineup of shows that will take place during the celebratory year.
Programming has been divided into four curated subscription series, for which tickets are officially on sale: Amplify, Resonate, Play, and Cabaret.
The Amplify Series will feature five international-music headliners. Energetic, Juno award-winning B.C. swing duo Blue Moon Marquee will kick off the series on November 2, accompanied by keyboardist Darcy Phillips and an opening performance from guitarist Paul Pigat. On April 15, Ukrainian-folk quartet Yagódy will take to the stage for a high-energy performance that fuses modern sounds and ancestral influences. The all-female ensemble’s four-part vocal harmonies will be supported by drums, guitar, and accordion. Other concerts in the series include French jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel on January 24, silky-smooth singer Stella Cole on April 25, and American jazz quartet The Bad Plus on May 10.
VSO Chamber Players Grace Huang (left), Alex Wide, and Nicholas Wright.
In the Resonate Series, audiences will bear witness to five showcases of classical virtuosity. Concerts include 19-year-old Canadian piano superstar-in-the-making Kevin Chen on September 28, violinist Marie-Christine Marcoux and pianist Vanessa Poirier of Duo Cordelia on November 3, and the VSO Chamber Players—featuring Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Nicholas Wright, principal horn Alex Wide, and pianist Grace Huang—on December 1. There’s also the New Orford String Quartet with Ian Parker on May 17, and CBC broadcaster, storyteller, and musician Tom Allen will perform J.S. Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow, a vivid snapshot of the composer’s youth, on March 16.
Monster Theatre’s Juliet: A Revenge Comedy.
Audiences will get their fix of compelling theatre with the Play Series, which will remount some beloved Vancouver shows in the Grosvenor Theatre and McEwen Theatre. Among them are three Arts Club Theatre Company presentations: Michelle Riml’s internationally adored rom-com Sexy Laundry on October 10 and 11; Christine Quintana’s Someone Like You, a millennial spin on Cyrano de Bergerac, on January 9 and 10; and Johnny Cash songbook reimagining Ring of Fire on March 20 and 21. Another returning favourite is Monster Theatre’s Juliet: A Revenge Comedy by co-creators Pippa Mackie and Ryan Gladstone from December 4 to 8. Director Britt Small’s live-puppetry film Epidermis Circus, produced by SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles, will offer audiences a change of pace on April 10 and 11.
Flamenco guitarist Nat Hulskamp (left) and Moroccan singer Lamiae Naki of Seffarine.
A fourth subscription lineup, the Cabaret Series, will bring six eclectic concerts to the Kay Meek Arts Centre in an intimate jazz-club setting. Performances include Scottish-folk singer Iona Fyfe on September 26 and 27, Beatles retrospective Get Back Unplugged on October 24 and 25, and flamenco-Arabic music duo Seffarine on November 30 and 31. Audiences will also get the chance to see high-energy ensemble Petunia & The Vipers on January 16 and 17, award-winning Canadian bluegrass band The Slocan Ramblers on February 22 and 23, and melodic folk singer Le Ren on April 3 and 4.
Single tickets to each show will be available for the general public to purchase on August 14. Keep an eye on Stir for more programming announcements as the season draws closer. 
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