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Entertainment Briefs

Ian Parker back to share wealth of knowledge Budding pianists again have the opportunity to pick the mind of one of Canada’s most talented young musicians, Ian Parker.

Ian Parker back to share wealth of knowledge

Budding pianists again have the opportunity to pick the mind of one of Canada’s most talented young musicians, Ian Parker.

Parker is currently one of two musicians selected for the Artists Diploma at New York’s Juilliard School of the Performing Arts, a format similar to an artist in resident program. He will offer a masterclass for interested students at 2 p.m. this Saturday at MY Place.

Parker’s accomplishment are truly too numerous to name but as a soloist, he has appeared with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony, and the Calgary Philharmonic. Upcoming engagements include concerts with the Regina Symphony, the Calgary and the Victoria Symphony orchestras, and recitals in Vancouver, Montreal, New York, Dallas, Baltimore, and Paris.

Following the masterclass, Parker will perform a recital at 4.30 p.m.

Local production of Snow White expected to sell out

Last year’s production from the Whistler player’s Theatrical Guild Society, Cinderella, sold out and expectations from those involved is this year’s production of Snow White is even better.

The fairytale comedy is for children and adults alike and features men dressed as women, women dressed as men, a prince who is a logger by trade and of course Princess Snow White, the most beautiful woman in the world.

The stage is set firmly in Whistler, B.C., where the seven unusually tall dwarfs live in a chalet and spend all their time skiing, eating ice-cream and hiding from the Wicked Witch, a.k.a the evil stepmother, Queen Magnolia.

Some of this year’s cast members include Whistler Players alumni Leah Blok, Marnie Fontaine and Lithena Evermon and Whistler Players virgins Angie Nolan, Mike Varrin, Andrew Cathers and Cole Stewart.

The show plays on Nov. 21, 22 and 23 at 7.30 p.m. with a special matinee performance on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12.30 p.m. For more information contact Heather MacPherson on 604-905-0590.

New regular band at the Crabshack

Starting Nov. 9, rising Vancouver-based band exithiside will make regular appearances at the Crabshack.

With a well-received self-titled album and videos already in play on MuchMusic, exithiside is poised to break through. The band played at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival this past winter and are renowned for their energetic and electric stage show.

Their debut album, the self-titled exithiside, is described as energetic, catchy, hard-edged rock by Canadian Musician Magazine and mixes progressive rock, metal, power-pop and ska.

The band was a semi-finalist in X-fm’s Last Band Standing 2002, placing them in the Top 10 of the hundreds of bands that entered the contest.

Check the listings for up-coming dates at The Crabshack.

Date changes for MY Place performances.

Winter Harp plays MY Place Dec. 5, not Dec. 12 th as listed in the 2002-03 Performance Series brochure.

Winter Harp plays a remarkable collection of rare medieval instruments that invoke an era of mysticism and perpetual winter.

Oscar Lopez’s show has been postponed until May 9. Lopez performs original, Latin-based guitar compositions with unparalleled expertise, passion and joy. His latest release, Armando’s Fire, won a 2002 Juno Award for best instrumental album. His music blends blues, jazz, flamenco, rock and rhumba.

For more details about MY Place’s 2002-03 Performance Series, including package deals, contact MY Place Box Office on 604-935-8410.

Nearly Neil performs at WAG fundraiser

He’s younger than Neil. He’s got more hair than Neil. But Nearly Neil is all about being Neil.

Impersonator Bobby Bruce, a one-time child actor and teenage singer for a Judas Priest heavy metal tribute band, is renowned across Canada for his ability to slip into a gold lame shirt and crank out the hits, Neil Diamond style. He’s got a fan club, he’s got what he calls the Nearly Neil-heads and he’s got a damn fine living singing Neil’s songs.

His career as Neil started in a mall, at a karaoke contest. His friends always told him he looked like Neil, so Bruce dressed up and did his thing. In the process he impressed an Elvis impersonator who happened to tour with a show called Legends: A Tribute to the Superstars. Bruce was hired. He toured the States with Elvis’ and Marilyn Monroes and Tom Joneses. It was the beginning of something big.

Nearly Neil has played in Whistler several times over the last few years and his shows tend to sell out. This one, on Nov. 7, is for a good cause, which means it is even more likely to sell out. Get to the Crabshack to get your ticket, $30 for dinner and the show, or $10 for just the show.

Whistler Film Festival Calls for photography submissions

The second annual Whistler Film Festival, Dec. 5-8, is all about the adventure of film and this year that includes photography.

A new event, Tribute to the Mountains, will feature special film presentations and an inspiring photography exhibit of mountain culture. This gala event is in honour of the United Nations declaration of 2002 as the International Year of the Mountains, which is aimed at increasing international awareness of the importance of mountain ecosystems.

Photographers are invited to submit their work for inclusion in the Mountain Culture Photography Contest. Images selected will be exhibited at the Tribute to the Mountains celebration. All selected entries are eligible to participate in a silent fundraising auction held by the Whistler Film Festival at the tribute.

The Whistler Film Festival will present a People’s Choice Award for the best photograph selected from the Mountain Culture Photography Exhibit.

Photo submissions are being accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22. Submission forms and details are available at www.whistlerfilmfestival.com. The Whistler Film Festival Photography Panel will review all submissions and will select the winning photographs based on: content, originality, composition, technique and the photographer’s ability to capture a Mountain Culture theme. Applicants will be notified by Nov. 27 if their work has been selected.

Showcasing films in the categories of Adventure, Culture and Mountains, the second annual festival also features a dynamic series of digital filmmaking workshops, a filmmaker panel and appearances.