Spotlight on Performing Arts Centre

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All attendees received a ballot to follow along and select shows for series subscriptions and added tickets, as well as a ‘parting gift’ of the freshly-minted 2019-20 SPOTLIGHT Season brochure.

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The event also marked the beginning of the annual renewal campaign for subscribers with a deadline of Monday, July 22 to renew “Classic” Series subscriptions and save reserved seats from last season.

New for 2019-20, renewing and new subscribers can add or pick shows from across all Series with the “Pick 5” (or more) or “Pick 10” (or more) options, customize their SPOTLIGHT subscriptions and take advantage of the “Subscriber Discount” on all their tickets for next season.

Tickets and the previewed “Classic” Dance, Theatre & Kids Series subscriptions went live on the Society’s Ticketseller.ca website immediately following the Public Launch, including the event’s Preview Video for online visitors.

Those wanting to subscribe or for more information about the “Pick 5”, “Pick 10” and the Subscriber Discounts are urged to visit or contact the Society’s Ticket Seller box office directly.

Introduced by the Society’s executive director, Jim Harding, heading into the Performing Arts Centre’s 18th season, it was the first time the Society staged such a public launch event.

“We had such success last season running our preview video in Ticket Seller and on our lobby monitors for all public performances and events, so clearly audiences want to see in advance what the SPOTLIGHT shows are all about,” said Harding, “especially if they don’t recognize a title or company or an artist from an article or a brochure, so this way patrons can get a pretty good idea of what their live theatre experience is going to be like—or realize what they might miss.

“So we thought it was definitely worth experimenting with a free public launch event for our 2019-20 season to give audiences that chance to see everything and choose.”

Buffy Sainte-Marie to SPOTLIGHT’s “Special Presentations” series kicks-off the season on September 23.

“We have been working over three years to bring Buffy to Vernon,” said Kennedy. “We are so excited for our community to offer this rare solo performance.”

Sainte-Marie was promoted to “Companion of the Order of Canada” on June 27,

“For her multi-dimensional contributions to music, visual arts and education, and for her continued support for Indigenous rights and environmental activism.”

Among her many honours, Buffy won the 2015 Polaris Music Prize awarded annually for the “Best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label.” She was the first and still remains the only Indigenous artist to ever win an Academy Award, (‘Best Original Song’) in 1983 (for “Up Where We Belong” from “An Officer and A Gentleman”), for which she also won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

The Society’s 18th Annual Birthday Bash follows on September 28 with the featured return of the immensely popular, charismatic and highly talented musician, Michael Kaeshammer, back for the first time since 2015.

Other SPOTLIGHT “Special Presentations” include: The second “Diwali in Vernon Festival” (October) with Toronto’s internationally renown Red Sky Performance’s contemporary Indigenous dance production of “Trace” added to the week’s daily pop-up events around Vernon, culminating in the closing night’s vibrant multicultural “Showcase” performances; Two acrobatic circus extravaganzas, (following on last season’s thrilling “Saloon”): Gravity & Other Myths’ “Backbone” from Australia (November) and Kalabante Productions’ “Afrique en Cirque” from Montreal (April); and the ever-irreverent 16th annual celebration of International Women’s Day, “I Am Woman, Hear Me Laff!” (March) featuring guest comics (TBA), and always “one of the biggest stand-up comedy events of the year”.

In addition to “Trace”, Dance Series enthusiasts will be treated to the return of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (November), who last performed here in 2017; and Ballet Jorgen du Canada’s cross-Canada tour of the world premiere of “Anne of Green Gables–The Ballet” (full-length) in February.

Shay Kuebler Radical System Art returns with his multi-media contemporary dance “Epilogos” workshopped during his residency at the Performing Arts Centre earlier this year. Arts Club Theatre On Tour, (who gave us “Onegin”, “Misery”, “Mom’s the Word III-Empty Nest” and last season’s “The Piano Teacher”), headlines the Theatre Series with the widely-acclaimed Mark Crawford comedy “Bed & Breakfast” (November). Western Canada Theatre will bring a second Crawford comedy, “The New Canadian Curling Club” (February).

Comedy abounds when four ‘new(ish)’ Canadians who sign-up for a free ‘Learn to Curl’ program. What follows is the hilarious and inspiring story of a group of unlikely athletes who face-off against local prejudice and become a true team.

“Infinity” by award-winning Canadian playwright, Hannah Moscovitch, will feature Vernon’s own Jonathan Young in the lead role (January).

Both the Kids Series and First Stages (Toddlers) offer more interactive theatre in 2019-20 with the return of Dufflebag Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” (December) where kids from the audience get the chance to play the lead roles, (as in last year’s “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”).

“SAMAJAM” Rythmo2! Show (from Montreal) is a fully participatory, fun and energetic show where each audience member receives a bag full of musical instruments to become the performing musicians of the show.

Vancouver’s Axis Theatre’s “The Troll Grandfather” by award-winning Canadian playwright Clem Martini, follows the adventures of a 9-yr old girl, who discovers her grandfather is a troll and together, set-out to learn more about her family and her past– which also features an encounter with a larger-than-life dragon.

Reviewed by Rolling Stone as “Absolutely incredible” and as seen on ‘America’s Got Talent’, Lightwire Theatre brings “DINO-LIGHT” (March), an original storyline about a famous scientist, a dinosaur and a world full of creatures “that light up the darkness and help find the true meaning of love”—dubbed “A Glow-in-theDark Adventure” as all characters appear in blacklight.

For toddlers, the First Stages Series features the return of Charlotte Diamond for a full auditorium concert (October) and two interactive shows. “Paper Playground” (November) from Foolish Operations with three, same day performances for ages 18mos-3yrs, 3-5yrs & 4-7yrs in the Marie Fleming Hall (limited seating), set on a large paper “carpet” and full of dancing, drawing (on the floor!), live music and projections.

To better distinguish what the Society does as a ‘presenter’ from the 100+ guest rental performances each year, the Society held a naming competition for audiences in early-2018 and selected “SPOTLIGHT” from 164 submissions to re-brand the former “Society Presentations” beginning with last year’s 2018-19 season.

“The Society was created in 1990 to get a performing arts centre for Vernon, led by community champions and respected community leaders, with part of our co-management agreement with the RDNO to operate as a Presenter to reflect and serve the cultural needs of our community,” said Harding, “So we believe it’s important to clearly identify and be recognized for how we contribute with our SPOTLIGHT Seasons.”

For more information about the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre Society’s upcoming 2019-20 SPOTLIGHT Season, go online to Ticketseller.ca to view the Preview Video and visit or contact the Ticket Seller box office at: 250-549-SHOW (7459).