DEAR ROUGE
With: Hotel Mira
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Friday, Dec. 9, 9 p.m. (doors at 8)
Tickets: Sold Out
Why: Vancouver’s Dear Rouge has radio-friendly Can-rock down to a fine art, which explains why tickets for their double bill with Hotel Mira at the Capital Ballroom on Friday have already been scooped up. There are still some available for Dear Rouge’s appearance in Nanaimo at The Queen’s tonight, so make haste over the Malahat if you want to see husband and wife duo Drew and Danielle McTaggart bring their hits Black to Gold and Live Through the Night to life in an intimate setting.
THE BLACK RIDER — THE CASTING OF THE MAGIC BULLETS
Where: Theatre Inconnu, 1923 Fernwood Rd.
When: Dec. 8-17
Tickets: $14 (adults), $10 (seniors/students/unwaged) by phone from 250-360-0234 or theatreinconnu.com
Why: With music and lyrics by avant-everything performer Tom Waits, and a book by beat poet William S. Burroughs, expect nothing less than a roller coaster ride from The Black Rider – The Casting of the Magic Bullets. The 1990 musical, directed for Theatre Inconnu by Clayton Jevne, features contributions from several top-tier locals (including musical director Brooke Maxwell, choreographer Sylvia Hosie, costume designer Linda MacNaughton and actors Rosemary Jeffery and Ian Case), all of whom will point this jewel of a musical in the right direction. As with everything by Waits and Burroughs, the results will be challenging but spectacular. Don’t miss it.
A BROOKE WHITE CHRISTMAS
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Saturday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 11, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29-$98 from the Royal McPherson box office (26-386-612) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: Phoenix folk-pop performer Brooke White made it to the Top 10 on American Idol in 2008, wowing judges with her Carly Simon/Carole King vibe. White will change directions during two performances this weekend with the Victoria Symphony, and will tackle a program of seasonal classics and holiday hits as part of the symphony’s pops series. White is a perfect fit, given that she’s recorded a full album of Christmas classics and should provide ample opportunities to sing along.
mdevlin@timescolonist.com
