The Edmonton Chante International Festival, Edmonton’s foremost francophone music and arts extravaganza, has turned on the taps in Old Strathcona from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2.
This year the festival has grown from eight to 10 days and highlights 21 artists, primarily from Alberta. Featured on the top bill is Edmonton-based roots quartet Allez Ouest.
The multi-instrumentalists comprised of Jason Kodie, Joel Lavoie, Mireille Moquin and Robert Walsh released their last album CD Hybride in 2008 and have further raised their profile performing at the Smithsonian Folk Festival and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Other artists on the bill are pop artists Justin Blais and Galala, world beat unit La luna de Santiago, spoken word performer La petite Lulu, reggae entertainers MAJUSCULE, jazz and roots singer Marie-JosĂ©e Ouimet and folk guitarist Natacha Homerodean and rocker Raphaël Freynet.
All performances except the closing show on Saturday, Oct. 2 are free to the public. For a schedule of events visit www.edmontonchante.ab.ca or call 780-469-4401.
St. Albert Theatre Arts Guild, a newly incorporated amateur adult theatre group, is holding auditions for its first full-length production. SATAG’s debut show is an Alan Ayckbourn comedy, Season’s Greetings, slated to run Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 25 to Dec. 4.
In this script, Ayckbourn’s wit and cynicism surfaces when nine family and friends gather for an old-fashioned Christmas only to have it degenerate into three days of petty squabbles.
Auditions will be held this coming Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at St. Albert United Church on Green Grove Drive. They will be about 10 minutes and will consist of a cold read from the script provided at the audition, said artistic director Beth Rogers.
To book an audition time, email [email protected].
Pancakes, polkas and popular melodies are some of the much-in-demand events at the Accordion Extravaganza Festival running Sept. 24 to 26 at the Central Lions Senior Centre, 11113 – 113 St.
Featured highlights include the Accordion Grandstand Concert on Friday and The Cimarrons Band Dance on Saturday night as well as full weekend competitions and trade show.
Advance tickets for the Accordion Grandstand and The Cimarrons Band Dance are $15 each. Call 780-420-1757 or visit www.tixonthesquare.ca. For full details visit www.edmontonaccordion.com.
Local writer and recovered alcohol addict Luke Tougas recently self-published Meet My Shadow, a book that deals with his descent into addiction and how he overcame it.
Tougas will visit the St. Albert Public Library on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a talk on his life and work. With limited seating, please register by calling 780-459-1682.
