Critics' Picks: Angela Hewitt, Sonic Jazz Showcase, Curtain Up!

CLASSICAL

What: Angela Hewitt
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett St.
When: Thursday, 7.30 p.m.
Tickets: $45 ($30 for students) at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, Christ Church Cathedral, Ivy’s Bookshop, Munro’s Books or online at Ticketfly.com
Why: Ottawa pianist Angela Hewitt will take the bench in Victoria Thursday to play a rare $295,000 Fazioli piano, a world-class highlight of the new Pacific Baroque Series presented by Christ Church Cathedral, the Pacific Baroque Festival and Early Music Vancouver. Hewitt, who turned 60 last week, will take listeners through Book II of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, which has become one of her signature pieces on piano. The performance comes at the mid-point of a four-year Bach Odyssey tour by Hewitt, who is performing all the keyboard works of J.S. Bach in a series of recitals that culminate in 2020. Hewitt’s previous Victoria performance sold out, so prepare accordingly.
— Mike Devlin

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

What: Electro-Acoustic: Sonic Jazz Showcase featuring JP Carter, Kenton Loewen and James Menger
Where: Beacon Park, Sidney
When: Monday, 2 p.m.
Admission: Free
Why: The Garden City Electronic Music Society closes out its ongoing series of annual events with a pair of outdoor public park performances this weekend. Both instalments (Wonderment and Electro-Acoustic) are free and open to all ages and get underway at 2 p.m. Wonderment (which runs Sunday at Banfield Park in Vic West) focuses on modular synthesizers, with guests from Seattle, Ucluelet and Qualicum Beach, while Electro-Acoustic (Monday at Beacon Park on the Sidney waterfront) explores electronics in jazz with JP Carter of Destroyer, Juno Award winner Kenton Loewen and James Menger.
— MD

MUSICAL THEATRE

What: Curtain Up!
Where: Charlie White Theatre, Sidney
When: Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.)
Tickets: $25 available at the Mary Winspear box office (250-656-0275) or online at marywinspear.ca
Why: Former C-FAX personality Steve Ivings — back on Vancouver Island soil following a stint running a 100-seat theatre in Toronto — joins the cast of Victoria troupe Variety Fare for a tribute to the music of Broadway and Hollywood. Ivings will add comedy and mimicry to the musical stylings of Bob LeBlanc and his Variety Fare gang for the series kickoff on Saturday at the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney. Curtain Up! continues Aug. 11 and 12 at the Dave Dunnet Theatre in Oak Bay high school. For more information, visit varietyfare.ca.
— MD