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Arts Briefs

Encore, encore darlings

By Nicole Fitzgerald

Clink a cosmo to the return of Britain’s best sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous, to the Whistler stage.

Bushwoman Productions remounts the hilarious lives of the flamboyant Edina 'Eddy' Monsoon and sexed-up Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous “Fat” on Saturday, Feb. 3 as well as Feb. 9 and 10 at MY Millennium Place. The Feb. 3 preview performance is held as part of WinterPRIDE festivities.

The infamous duo of fad-obsessed, vodka swilling gals is a must see with actors Michele Bush starring as Eddy and Monique Davidson as Patsy bringing the famed sitcom written by Jennifer Saunders to life.

The first run of the production four years ago sold out, as did the encore engagement of two additional shows. Audiences looking for a great laugh don’t want to miss out on this Sex and the City on crack production.

Be prepared for a full-on assault of Lacroix gaudiness and boozing in the afternoon hours as Eddy tries to lose weight in time for a visit from a twiggy, ex-model friend.

The evening of hilarious debauchery begins and ends with a martini party shakin’ it up at 7 p.m. before the 8 p.m. show.

Tickets are $20.

 

Cutting-edge art show on the tables

Audio/Visual night on Monday, Jan. 29 at Maxx Fish features the artwork of local talent Stan Matwychuk .

Audio/Visual showcases a partnership of local artists showing their works alongside turntable talent from DJ Jon Parris in a funky lounge setting twice a month.

This will be Matwychuk’s first solo show since the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival’s BraveArt showing last year. He was recently featured in UpDown Magazine .

His thought-inspiring work isn’t afraid to shed light on politics or social ideas. He recently shipped a political mural to New York City for a benefit for social activist Dan McGowan.

Matwychuk’s works are also no stranger to the local art circuit with showings and performance art painted at ARTrageous and the Children’s Art Festival. He also collaborates with the Gnarcore Videoplay Group and hosts his own gallery, called Homebase Studio.

Check out his most recent works at stanmatwychuk.com.

In addition to Matwychuk’s exhibit, lyricist Kronik Logik will dish out wordplay with funky laid back jazz and house beats.

Admission is $5.

 

Awakening environmental awareness party

Awakening yourself to truly become aware of your life can lead to self-improvements in both your emotional and physical health. But this raising of consciousness can also extend itself to benefiting those things around you, including the environment.

And that is why Marie Fortin, organizer of Hilltrip’s next Step It Up series on Friday, Jan. 26 at Maxx Fish, is inviting locals and visitors alike to an Awakening Session with Kelly Oswald, Tina James and Robbie Dagg.

Most locals know Oswald as the owner of The Oracle and leading voice and talent in the spiritual arts in Whistler. The founder of the West Coast Institute of Mystic Arts in Vancouver is also an ordained minister and teacher of spirituality and metaphysics. Her intuitive arts workshops and psychic readings are known all over the world.

Oswald will begin the presentation with a talk on consciousness and how it can improve all aspects of our lives.

Tina James will then lead participants on a journey into the practice of a yogic lifestyle of loving-kindness, peace and fun.

Robbie Dagg will close the evening with a musical Buddhist mantra to get everyone into a good vibration.

The presentation runs from 7 to 9 p.m. with free readings available until 7:30 p.m.

All the good vibrations from the workshop will then shift to the dance floor with DJ Jamie Vale playing funky grooves all night long after 9 p.m.

The event raises funds for the Snowrider Project, a stewardship program that preserves and restores alpine and valley watersheds.

Attendees will have a chance to win door prizes as well as enter a free raffle to win a three-day Surf Experience Expedition sponsored by Deep Snow and Surf Experience.

Awakening Session admittance is by a suggested donation of $5, which includes free psychic readings for early-bird arrivals.

 

Dinner fit for the podium

The Pemberton Rotary plates a culinary celebration with six world-class chefs stepping into the kitchen to produce a six-course meal to both raise funds for an African street youth program as well as foster Olympic spirit as part of the Pemberton WinterFest festivities.

The intimate goodwill dinner of divine deliciousness will be hosted Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Pemberton Valley Vineyard.

The event aims to showcase talented chefs as well as promote local products pulled straight from the grounds of Pemberton.

Spectacular Mount Currie views will be coupled with the even more spectacular crew of talent, including vineyard executive chef Ryan Leitch who will share his kitchen with Whistler food aficionados James Walt of Araxi, Melissa Craig of the Bearfoot Bistro, Vincent Stufano of the Fairmont Chateau and RD Stewart of La Rúa.

A sommelier will introduce different wines with each course to further add to the special evening.

The dinner raises funds for the Pemberton Rotary Club and the WinterFest committee. The Rotary Club will contribute funds to support the Emanuel Boys Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. The centre is a home and rehabilitation centre for youth living on the street. Shelter and education is provided for the boys with the hopes of helping the young men grow into responsible adults, rising above challenges such as physical and emotional abuse.

Tickets for this intimate evening of fine dining are $150. Tax receipts are available. To purchase tickets, contact Lisa Ames in Whistler at 604-932-1661 or Peter Vandenburg in Pemberton at 604-894-0065.

 

Show us some skin!

The Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival is putting out an artist call to design a snowboard topskin for the 3 rd annual Masterpiece in Motion Snow and Skate Board Art Competition that carries a $1,000 US cash purse as well as the opportunity to showcase talent to an international audience.

The worldwide call hunts out the best original snowboard and skateboard art in the world. Artists must submit original visual art and graphic designs for snowboard and skateboard canvasses before March 16.

Thirty finalists will be chosen and showcased at the festival with the 2007 Masterpiece in Motion champion walking away with $1,000 as well as an Ascension snowboard featuring their winning art and the opportunity to work with Ascension to develop a line of snowboard art.

The exposure Masterpiece in Motion provided to last year’s finalist Zak Wilson led to the artist being commissioned to produce a series of designs for a California-based company. His work became a part of a winter-long traveling road show that covered the North American skate, surf and snowboard scene.

In addition to electing a Masterpiece champion, three honourable mentions will be given. The public will also vote for best in show.

For submission guidelines, visit whistler2007.com.