CROSSING: ART, HERITAGE, AND PERSONAL JOURNEYS
Where: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1040 Moss St.
When: Feb. 10-May 26
Admission: Free (Saturday only; regular gallery admission from Feb. 11-May 26)
Why: Crossing: Art, Heritage, and Personal Journeys showcases the work of local artists Yumie Kono, Andy Lou and Chrystal Phan, whose pencil drawings, oil paintings, and mixed-media document their unique multicultural backgrounds. The exhibit of work by Kono (who was born in Japan), Lou (born in China), and Phan (born in Victoria to Vietnamese parents) was curated by Heng Wu, curator of Asian art at the gallery, and is meant to unite various cultures, communities, and generations through art. Crossing opens Saturday with a free public open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kono, Lou, and Phan will be on hand at 11 a.m. for a free artist talk moderated by Wu.
HIGH VALLEY
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $64-$85 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: High Valley was a highlight during this year’s Sunfest country music festival in Lake Cowichan, which wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Since 2019, the quartet from Calgary has scored seven consecutive Top 10 hits on the Canadian country music charts, and now has the benefit of an expanding fanbase on both sides of the border. The quartet’s Small Town Somethin’ tour stops tonight at the Royal Theatre, the kick-off to a 16-date tour across the country with opening act Tim and the Glory Boys. One the most successful country bands in Canadian music, fans will find out Thursday that the faith-based High Valley can also move the needle on stage.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Where: Canadian College of Performing Arts, 1701 Elgin Rd.
When: Feb. 9-17
Tickets: $30-$35 from ccpacanada.com or 250-595-9970 ext. 104
Why: Eight performances of The Drowsy Chaperone are on tap thanks to the Canadian College of Performing Arts, which is giving fans several chances (over two weekends) to see the college’s first-ever production of this Canadian classic. A five-time Tony Award winner when it premiered on Broadway in 2006, the immensely popular farce featuring studio ensemble students — in their last production prior to graduation — is working with the esteemed book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, which mixes a razzle-dazzle story with loads of musical and dance numbers. Don’t miss it.
