If you dream of the City of Lights around Valentine’s Day, Renee James Productions has you covered.
Visions of Paris await with La Vie en Rose on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Alix Goolden Hall. Elegant melodies from French composers Elgar, Kreisler and Baptiste entwine with dance from Ballet Etoile Canada. Combine that with the world-famous Parisian landscape and the night might just take a rose-coloured lens.
The Vancouver Island tour of La Vie en Rose features Ballet Etoile Canada’s principal dancers Ian Szkolak and Ashley Evans.
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Szkolak’s romantic ballet work includes Prince Desiré in Tchaikovsky’s swoon-worthy Sleeping Beauty with Ballet Victoria. Evans is a familiar face in Victoria’s arts community, having worked with Victoria Operatic Society (VOS), Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre and others. Together, they’ll glide from the Tuileries Gardens, down the streets beside the Seine, to the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Grammy award-winning violinist Pablo Diemecke leads with vibrant strings. While he demonstrates the best of French music this tour, his career included working 20 years as lead violin of the Victoria Symphony. Victoria’s own pianist Tony Booker will tickle the ivories to the backdrop of Paris. With a 50-year career in music, his work has taken him from Vancouver Island to all over Europe.
Tickets for La Vie en Rose range from $15-$42, with a 10-per-cent discount for groups of 10 or more. For more information or tickets visit ticketfly.com, call the Victoria Conservatory of Music at 250-386-5311 or drop by their office at 900 Johnson St.
– Felicia Santarossa
editor@mondaymag.com
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