Step into a world of vibrant cultural expressions at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, where an array of events promise to captivate audiences with diverse artistic talents and exciting performances. From the soulful strains of opera to the improvisational genius of jazz, Shadbolt's calendar is brimming with unique experiences. Whether it's the dramatic storytelling of Rodney DeCroo's 'In the Belly of the Carp', the rhythmic allure of the B3 Kings’ funk-filled jazz, or the compelling narratives of Advance Theatre Festival, there's something to inspire every art enthusiast.

A Cultural Extravaganza at Shadbolt: From Opera to Jazz and Beyond

The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts is gearing up for a vibrant season with an exciting lineup of events starting January 2025. From the comedic twists of 'Someone Like You' to the experimental play 'Hair Hair Everywhere,' and the soulful tracks of 'Valentine's Jazz Evening,' this season promises a blend of diverse artistic experiences. Join us as we delve into the details of these fascinating events and discover the artists behind the magic, making this season at Shadbolt an unforgettable cultural journey.

From Comedy to Jazz: A Creative Feast at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts is gearing up for an eclectic series of performances this spring, showcasing a wide range of artistic expressions. From the haunting indie folk tunes of Adrian Glynn to the rich storytelling through Johnny Cash's music in 'Ring of Fire', these events promise to captivate audiences with their unique narratives. Joining them are Martha Wainwright's introspective songs, Van Django's vibrant gypsy jazz, Jeff Newman's mind-bending mentalism, and a thought-provoking play by Kate Beswort as part of the Advance Theatre Festival.

Exploring Artistic Narratives: A Closer Look at Upcoming Events at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Spring 2025 at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby, BC, promises to be an unforgettable season of creativity and expression. From the folk tunes of Adrian Glynn to the iconic storytelling of Johnny Cash, alongside mesmerizing performances by Martha Wainwright and Van Django's gypsy jazz, the lineup is diverse and exciting. Add in the mind-bending feats of Jeff Newman, and theatrical advancements with 'From This Side of the End,' the stage is set for a cultural feast that caters to all artistic appetites.

A Spring Showcase of Music, Theatre, and Mind-Bending Magic at Shadbolt Centre

Ruby Slippers Theatre in association with The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Playwrights Guild of Canada present The Advance Theatre Festival: Advancing the Radically Inclusive Stage. Five Staged Readings over Five Days

FROM THIS SIDE OF THE END

Playwright: Kate Beswort

Advance Theatre - From This Side of the End

Shadbolt Centre For The Arts

Jeff Newman will influence your thoughts. He’ll predict what you'll do before you even know you’re doing it. He will even read your mind. He’ll fool you badly, and you’ll love every minute of it. For over a decade, award-winning mentalist and magician Jeff Newman has created astounding, engaging experiences that his audiences will not stop talking about. Jeff has been seen and heard on CBC, CTV, Global TV, and has performed to sell-out crowds and rave reviews for cruise ships, theatres, and private events around the globe. Jeff Newman's extraordinary performances will have people laughing, cheering, and gasping as they witness something they've never seen before!

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Jeff Newman Mentalist

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Our music is well-rooted in the gypsy jazz of 1930's Paris France, but beyond that it's all pure blue-skying; flights of dazzling fancy, driving rhythms and boundless creativity, featuring original compositions and arrangements including humorous mash-ups wearing their eclectic influences in full regalia. Since the group's formation in 1998, they have toured extensively in Canada as well as international forays to the US, Europe and China.
Perhaps Nick Lehr, former director of Djangofest Northwest, summed it up best describing Van Django when he said: "In an increasingly crowded niche, Van Django is a standout act. With a clever mix of contemporary standards, classical ditties, rock homages and solid originals they effortlessly whip the audience into a joyful frenzy."

Van Django

The beguiling performer and songwriter returns with Love Will Be Reborn. Not since 2012’s Come Home to Mama has a Martha Wainwright record been so full of original written material. Wainwright’s fifth studio album follows recent years of loneliness and clarity in search of optimism and joy.
Wainwright wrote the first song—and what would become the title track— of the record a few years ago. It was a very dark time, she says, but the positivity and luminosity of “Love Will Be Reborn” signalled what was to come. Wainwright was at a friend’s home in London to collaborate on something else entirely when she was struck by the need to write the song. Wainwright demures when songwriting—her process is undisciplined and she prefers to be alone. That day, soon left to that solitude, “Love Will Be Reborn” poured out of her.

Martha Wainwright

A REMARKABLE LIFE OF STORY AND SONG Let the songbook of the iconic storyteller Johnny Cash guide you on a journey of struggle and success, love and redemption. Brought to life by a talented collection of singers and musicians, this theatrical concert gets to the heart of Cash’s unique life story and connects it with universal experiences in songs such as “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Country Boy,” and “A Boy Named Sue.”

Ring of Fire

Fresh off a recent Juno nomination with his folk ensemble, The Fugatives, singer- songwriter Adrian Glynn releases a new album tracking the story of his Ukrainian grandparents. Situated somewhere in Glynn’s usual wheelhouse of dark indie folk, the album has tinges of traditional Ukrainian folk music

Adrian Glynn

JAZZ @ THE BOLT FESTIVAL WEEKEND PASS FEBRUARY 15th & SUNDAY FEBRUARY 16th

Jazz at the Bolt, now in its 5th year, has become an annual Burnaby treasure. A music festival that celebrates diversity, community, and jazz music.

Jazz @ the Bolt Festival

The Vancouver Jazz Orchestra (VJO), under the direction of saxophonist/clarinetist James Danderfer, features an array of the city's finest jazz artists. The VJO is dedicated to the presentation of classic big band music as well as a focus on Vancouver composers, past and present. Recent performances have featured international artists such as Jeremy Pelt and Seamus Blake and 2025 promises to be the VJO’s biggest year yet starting off with this very unique presentation.

This evening will feature one of Vancouver's "Legacy" composers Dave Robbins. Robbins was a seminal figure in the development of large ensemble jazz in Vancouver, nationally across Canada, and beyond. He made invaluable contributions as a trombonist, bandleader, arranger/composer, and teacher to the fine art of big band and jazz orchestra performance. It’s been criminal that no recordings of large jazz ensembles led by Robbins have been available for years. Instead, studio and live recordings that were made were passed between enthusiasts privately. That was the case until now, with the happy release of Happy Faces. Join the VJO as they celebrate the release of HAPPY FACES on Reel To Real Recordings


Valentine's Jazz Evening

This ain’t a sob story about war crimes, dementia, nor getting old. It’s a sprint down the memory lane of a butt-kickin’, bar-spittin’, tough grandma who escapes the care home to be with her family. When our favorite Filipino grandma Lola Basyang goes missing, it’s up to her grandchildren Nika and Jun-jun to bring her back to safety. Using their lola’s unfinished memoir, they find clues to her whereabouts, her full-of-beans origin story and the historical turmoils of their motherland. Reminiscent of their immigration stories, they reflect on what it means to maintain family ties in a Western society

Grandma. Gangsta. Guerilla.

Join us for a reading of the play "The Consent Club", an adaptation of Moliere's The Learned Ladies. Set on a North American university campus, this satire about zealotry, hypocritical puritanism, and sexual paranoia follows our horny heroine Anita as she tries to get laid at the height of the #MeToo movement. Told from the lens of a Latina socialist feminist who is a refugee and a survivor of childhood rape, this controversial and hilarious play takes on the essentialization of women as victims and men as predators.

Advance Theatre - The Consent Club

Grace lives the perfect life, but something is missing. When her first attempt to claim the title of Great Canadian Baker fails, she spirals into obsession. Soon enough, she’s trapped in a pit of her own deception and turns to the one thing she has left…sabotage.

Advance Theatre -The Baking Show Show: The Play

Ruby Slippers Theatre in association with The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and Playwrights Guild of Canada present The Advance Theatre Festival: Advancing the Radically Inclusive Stage. Five Staged Readings over Five Days

Advance Theatre - Rougarou

Welcome to Hair Hair everywhere, where we meet Shabnam’s head hair, armpit hair and leg hair! Through shadow puppetry, sound scores, spoken word in Farsi & English, this experimental comedic play tries to question the beauty standards, the roots of anti-body hair culture, and ways we can embrace Persian Femme bodies. Should Shabnam shave or not?

Advance Theatre - Hair Hair Everywhere

Best friends Isabelle (Steffanie Davis), verbose and open-hearted, and Kristin (Jasmine Chen), vulnerable and loyal, have been through thick and thin since university. When Isabelle takes her “wingman” duties for Kristin’s rebound romance with Harjit (Praneet Akilla) a bit too far, feelings and friendships are fraught with complications. A millennial take on the mistaken identities of Cyrano de Bergerac and set in East Vancouver, Someone Like You is first and foremost a comedy and a love story, featuring intensely relatable characters and scenarios.

Someone Like You

The B3 KINGS were formed in 2002 for a Christmas concert at Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, BC. The show was such a huge success the concert and subsequent tours became an annual event.
The KINGS are anchored by Canadian vocal sensation Denzal Sinclaire who also doubles as the drummer. Denzal is known internationally as a jazz star and has had his praises sung by the likes of Diana Krall and Cassandra Wilson. Hammond B3 Organist Chris Gestrin is responsible for making this group as funky as it is with his wicked organ grooves and creative arrangements of the Christmas classics. Cory Weeds is a tenor saxophonist with an expressive sound rooted in Jazz tradition. His recent release Just Coolin' is his Cellar Music Groups' most successful recording with songs being found on some of the biggest playlists in the world. Guitarist Bill Coon is as funky as they come but brings with him a wonderful jazz sensibility that really compliments the quartet beautifully.

B3 Kings

Opera on a Sunday Afternoon

When talented but erratic songwriter Rodney DeCroo has to give a concert, spectres from his troubled past emerge to play tug of war with his well being, torpedo his relationships and plunge him into a battle for his soul inside a giant fish. This hybrid concert/poetry/reading/play includes visual fantasias byaward winning shadow puppeteers "Mind of a Snail"
Written and Performed by: Rodney DeCroo and Samantha Pawliuk

In the Belly of the Carp

Alice and Henry are coming to grips with their lacklustre sex life. Time, kids, and stress - not to mention gravity - have taken their toll. In an effort to rekindle the magic in their 25-year marriage, they go on a naughty hotel retreat, equipped with a copy of Sex for Dummies. But they soon find that when the clothes come off, so do the gloves! This couple’s relatable, humorous, and inspiring escapade will touch audiences.

Sexy Laundry

BLAK is a powerful musical journey celebrating notable Black Canadian women in music. Krystle Dos Santos shares historically important stories about the underground railroad, civil rights movement, and key events in Black history while weaving in iconic songs from the eras in which these women lived and performed. Featuring songs and stories from a variety of classical and contemporary Canadian artists in an array of musical styles including spirituals, jazz, blues, soul, R&B, pop, and country

BLAK by Krystle Dos Santos

In a stirring follow-up to their 2018 debut Got a Light?, the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio returns with Gravity: a high-powered set of new original music, brimming with fresh ideas and the jaw-dropping virtuosity and musicality of Ledbetter on piano with Rich Brown (electric bass) and Larnell Lewis (drums). This is a group very much at home tackling intricate lines and rhythms, drawing from jazz, rock, funk and varied Latin genres, often at a high level of intensity.

Jeremy Ledbetter Trio

In this classic of silent cinema, directed by F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu), the demon Mephisto makes a bet with an archangel that a good man's soul can be corrupted. Mephisto sets his sights on the alchemist Faust, who is desperately trying to save his village from a plague. Mephisto offers a solution...but at what cost?" featuring live score by the Vancouver based post-rock band Griefwalker.

Faust Silent Film

Khari Wendell McClelland is a diversely talented and ever-evolving artist. Originally from Detroit, Khari has become a darling on the Canadian music scene with reviewers lauding his performances as a clever mix of soul and gospel.
Khari’s songwriting crosses genres and generations, joyfully invoking the spirit of his ancestors who straddled the US-Canadian border in efforts to escape slavery and discrimination. His music draws from this rich history, integrating the rhythms and folklore of early African-Americans with contemporary sounds and stories of struggle. Recently, Khari received critical acclaim for his Freedom Singer project, recreating the music fugitive slaves carried on their journey north into Canada. Khari also performs with the Roots Gospel group The Sojourners. Whether on stage or in the studio, Khari's passion for community, equality and justice is palpable, as is his belief in the redemptive power of music. Khari’s past Jazz Festival performances in Halifax, Winnipeg and Vancouver left audiences and reviewers wanting more. Opening for both Andra Day and Ms. Lauryn Hill, Khari is at home with Soul and R&B giants. His debut solo album "Fleeting Is The Time" is available through most online platforms.

Khari Wendell McClelland

Tomorrow's Another Day may be trumpeter and composer Jeremy Pelt's most experimental recording to-date, notable for its variety and bold auricular explorations. With greater emphasis on the dynamic aspects of sound, it is a thought-provoking record.
Pelt's newest band features vibraphonist Jalen Baker, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Leighton McKinley Harrell and drummer Jared Spears. Their talents seamlessly come together to produce an utterly unique universe of sounds which have the ability of evoking gritty scenes that pulse with elemental energy or surge transcendently skyward. Through it all it is the trumpet and creative presence of Pelt which provides a sense of ballast to the myriad sounds and textures with an intensely personal and mesmeric weave of arguably some of the most stunningly imaginative and communicative work he has given us so far.

Jeremy Pelt

Bobert is a silent character a la Charlie Chaplin who has a little red bird for a heart. His story asks us, what happens if we are to deny our deepest dreams and desires? Teetering on the brink of absolute failure, Bobert discovers his heart to be more important than he knew. Ideas Bobert is a clown tour de force of comedy and conundrum created and performed by award-winning multidisciplinary artist Candy Roberts. With vintage silent film styling, shadow puppetry, stop motion animation projections, dance and live music, the wordless world of Ideas Bobert is rich with magic and creativity. Like Ginger Rogers meets Mr. Bean on the Muppet show, Ideas Bobert dances with the hilariously absurd

Ideas Bobert by Candy Bones

Hosted by the inimitable Cory Weeds of the Cellar Jazz Society, the Jazz Jam features a stellar line-up of local jazz musicians in an improvised evening of music. The Jam is open to musicians of all ages and abilities and offers a fun, informal and free opportunity to get your groove on with the best of the local jazz scene. The Jazz Jam is a licensed event.

Jazz Jam

Indigenous storyteller Dallas Yellowfly brings "Qwalena: The Wild Woman Who Steals Children'' to life in this unique and scary theatrical multimedia storytelling performance. The purpose of this performance is to promote anti-racism, create awareness of the Indian Act and the intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools while strengthening communities through education. By blending oral tradition, multimedia, mature content and a bit of humour, Yellowfly hopes to promote an understanding of present day impacts of the Indian Act and how Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island are trying to break the cycles of oppression caused by Residential Schools. Audience 13 years 

Qwalena

Teen Angst is the brainchild of Sara Bynoe, who hosts and produces the show. She believes that laughter is the best way to exorcise the demons of adolescence. "We all went through those awkward teenage years filled with hormones, crushes, and existential dilemmas," says Bynoe. "Teen Angst is an opportunity for people to celebrate and embrace the hilarity of their past selves, creating an unique evening of shared laughter, unlike any other show in town.

Teen Angst

Canada's incomparable vocal jazz jewel Emilie-Claire Barlow - leads her stellar band through innovative arrangements of American-Songbook treasures, rhythmic bossa novas and elegant ballads. She continues to endear herself to critics, peers and audiences everywhere with her relaxed, polished demeanor, her charming humor, and a voice of unforgettable beauty. Emilie-Claire’s concert will feature favorites from her extensive repertoire as well as new arrangements from her forthcoming 13th album "Spark Bird"

Emilie-Claire Barlow

Deer Lake Park

Since that early accolade Amai Kuda et Les Bois have made their mark on Toronto’s music scene, performing at venues like the Jane Mallett Theatre, Harbourfront, The Rivoli, and festivals such as Luminato, Kultrun, and Small World, as well as at venues and community centers on four continents. They’ve been featured in NOW magazine and on CBC’s Canada Live and Big City Small World, while a single from their 2019 release with Version Xcursion, Holding Back, premiered on Strombo Show. The group also won the Best Folk/Roots award as well as placing 2nd for the Best Song at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. They’ve opened for Joel Plaskett, Kellylee Evans and Sarah Slean, and collaborated with M1 of the legendary Hip-Hop duo, Dead Prez on a call-to-action song called We Can Do It.

Amai Kuda Et Les Bois

The second Down Syndrome Film Festival will showcase three films featuring people with Down syndrome in leading roles, including Color My World with Love, Chicken, and CrossRoad: Where Down Syndrome Meets Autism. An audience Q&A with some of the performers and creators will follow.

Down Syndrome Film Festival

A Wild Philley Production The Year of Magical Thinking" class="css-u850">The Year of Magical Thinking" class="css-u850">The Year of Magical Thinking A play by Joan Didion Directed by Melanie Yeats Featuring Cory Philley “This happened on December 30, 2003. This may seem a while ago but it won’t when it happens to you…” Adapted from Joan Didion’s best-selling memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking is a moving, one- woman tour-de-force about the resiliency of the human heart. It's Didion journey as she grapples with the sudden death of her husband of 40 years and the illness of her only daughter and navigates the uncharted waters of unfathomable grief. With her signature intelligence, Didion has conjured a surprisingly witty, unsparingly honest exploration of loss, perseverance and love, in a year of her remarkable life. Cabaret seating Doors: 7:00pm Performance: 7:30pm

The Year of Magical Thinking

This musical masterpiece is a timeless tale of love, loss, deception and heart-break, with glorious music as only Puccini could write. It stands the test of time as one of the most popular operas ever performed and comes to life again with Burnaby Lyric Opera’s production team and the best of B.C.’s operatic talent. The story of La Bohème, centers around a poor seamstress, Mimi and her poet lover, Rodolfo. They live in a dank Parisian garret amid a group of bohemian friends which include Marcello, a painter and his lover, Musetta. There is constant flirtatious behavior and jealousy amid an underlying atmosphere of foreboding, culminating in Mimi’s death. This is a must see performance at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

La Bohème

Made in Germany during the Weimar period, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder, the wealthy son of the city master, and Maria, a saintly figure to the workers, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes in their city and bring the workers together with Joh Fredersen, the city master. The film's message is encompassed in the final inter-title: "The Mediator between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart". Live score by Beautiful Violence. Originally from the UK, Vancouver duo Beautiful Violence use electronic production, guitars and synths to create expansive sonic landscapes that traverse between ambient music and noise. Featuring Simon Dobbs & Jon McGovern.

Metropolis

Meet Francesco Mantini, a second-generation Italian teen struggling to find his place in Jasper, Alberta. Inspired by pop culture icons Rocky Balboa and John Travolta, he reinvents himself as Frank Martin: crooner and ladies’ man. As buoyant and bubbly as a glass of prosecco, Made in Italy is a celebration of music, food, and family that’s so delightful you won’t soon fuhgeddaboudit.

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Apr 29, 2025

Advance Theatre - From This Side of the End

Apr 26, 2025

Jeff Newman Mentalist

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Shadbolt Centre for the Arts