JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Jan. 2-7
Tickets: $161 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: You won’t find many musicals more beloved than Jesus Christ Superstar, which is why the rock opera from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice has sustained its remarkable 50-year run. The production is celebrating its golden jubilee with a North American tour that stops for eight performances at the Royal Theatre, courtesy of Broadway in Victoria, the production company behind a string of stage successes (Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Come From Away) in recent years.
The version of Jesus Christ Superstar headed to the Royal Theatre on Tuesday is an Olivier Award-winning production from London, England, and its updated version of the events leading up to the death of Jesus Christ (played here by Jack Hopewell) has been receiving rave reviews thus far.
Don’t wait to purchase tickets to one of the most iconic rock operas in history, which produced a chart-topping soundtrack in 1970 and Oscar-nominated film in 1973. Tickets will be hard to come by (if not near impossible) once the run gets underway.
ASTROCOLOR
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $50 from capitalballroom.com
Why: Improvisation is a key element of live performances by Victoria collective Astrocolor, which bodes well for Dance Dance Resolution, its New Year’s Eve celebration at the Capital Ballroom.
Astrocolor doesn’t play regularly but manages to assemble its crew for mark-your-calendar events throughout the year, so fans can expect the electro-groove unit to put forth an effort worthy of an end-of-the-year throwdown. With opening sets from DJAMA and Sport Mode, and lights by Photon, the stage where Prince played during an after-party in 2011 will be in good hands on this night.
NEW YEAR'S DAY WITH THE VICTORIA SYMPHONY
Where: The Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Monday, Jan. 1, 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29-$108 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: It’s not clear what the program Monday will specifically entail, but it may not matter; the annual New Year’s Day performance by the Victoria Symphony has become one of the city’s top annual events.
A strong roster of guests, including Toronto soprano Lauren Margison, members of the Pacific Opera Chorus, and dancers from Ballet Victoria, will be led through a “musical banquet of arias and choruses, glamorous dances, and much-loved instrumentals,” with conductor Giuseppe Pietraroia at the helm.
Margison, who has sung locally with her Victoria-born father, celebrated tenor Richard Margison, is a standout performer so patrons taking in their first concert of 2024 can expect to be well entertained.
