Announcing the 2022-23 SPOTLIGHT Presentation Season
A Cirque Alfonse spectacular. Juno-Award winning musicians. Musicals with all the feels. A glittery, ballsy burlesque-drag-circus-cabaret that cannot be missed! The 2022-23 SPOTLIGHT Presentation Season thunders back on stage at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre this September.
VERNON, BC— The award-winning Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre Society is proud to announce the September return of its no-holds-barred SPOTLIGHT Season of unforgettable stories, breathtaking acrobatic spectacles, and heavy-hitting musical acts from across Canada and around the world.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to throw open our doors with a full season of performances from Canada, Germany, the United States and even Australia!” said VDPAC Artistic Director Erin Kennedy. “Our 2022-23 Season is packed full: twenty-two spectacular shows, four intimate OnSTAGE Concerts, and our 2nd annual North Okanagan Children’s Festival.” Kennedy was named BC’s Presenter of the Year in April 2022 by the BC Touring Council.
VDPAC’s 2022-23 SPOTLIGHT Season again offers a wide variety of unique programming that, all together, make up this year’s familiar series of Dance, Theatre, Special Presentations (concerts, special events, & the genre-busting shows), Kids and First Stages (toddler) performances.
“For the first time in since Fall 2019 we are able to offer subscriptions to a full season of live performances with a revamped, more flexible series subscription program,” said VDPAC Executive Director, Jim Harding. “We are excited to safely welcome back our subscribers, sponsors and supporters, as well as the many first-time patrons and Vernon newcomers who took in performances this spring!”
The Special Presentations Series offers heavy-hitting concerts and not-to-be-missed spectacles. The 2022-23 Season opens with Juno award-winning singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett on September 10. Fan favourite Michael Kaeshammer returns in concert on December 2, and circus lovers will be delighted by the acrobatics and live music of Cirque Alfonse, who return to Vernon with their irreverent, farm-themed Animal on September 29.
“There are no animals in Animal,” said Kennedy. “Unless you count the mechanical bull!”
VDPAC’s ever-popular, cabaret-style OnSTAGE Concerts will feature four events with a roster of uplifting, diverse and mesmerizing performers, including indie-pop powerhouse Begonia and the otherworldly acoustic folk of Raine Hamilton Trio. The Special Presentations Series closes in June with Dirty Laundry by the multi-award winning, glitter-bombing, Briefs Factory, who bring their mix of drag, burlesque and circus to Vernon all the way from Australia as part of their cross-Canada tour.
“Special Presentations are some of our most in-demand SPOTLIGHT performances, and our unique OnSTAGE Concerts routinely sell out,” said Harding. “The best way to ensure you get tickets is to subscribe to one of our Classic Series and add them on to your package.”
The 2022-23 Dance Series features a mix of returning crowd favourites and Vernon-premieres. On September 23, the Yukon-based Dakhká Khwáan Dancers spin an energizing fusion of traditional dance, song and storytelling with the electronic hip-hop beats of DJ Dash as this year’s Birthday Bash celebration. World-touring Ballet Kelowna returns in November with a mixed program featuring taqəš, a powerful and compelling new work by Vernon’s own Cameron Fraser-Monroe. Classical ballet aficionados will be delighted by annual favourite Ballet Jörgen’s Cinderella, one of their most popular ballets set to the beautiful music of Sergei Prokofiev, just in time for Valentine’s Day. In March, renowned hip-hop dancer Crazy Smooth presents In My Body, a masterpiece of intense physicality that explores the effects of aging on street dances. Finally, Ballet Edmonton makes their Vernon debut with a mixed program of bold new works including SWAN, a contemporary reimagining of Swan Lake by celebrated choreographer Wen Wei Wang.
The 2022-23 Theatre Series begins with The Cave featuring music by John Millard and lyrics by Tomson Highway. This humorous, dystopian musical cabaret tells the story of a ragged group of animals who take shelter from a forest fire. Ridge by Brendan McLeod is an intimate music storytelling show featuring reimagined World War I soldier songs performed by the Canadian folk quartet The Fugitives – recognized with a 2022 JUNO nomination for Best Traditional Roots Album. Crowd-favourite Rick Miller returns in January with BOOM X, the second of his sensational trilogy of solo multimedia performances that capture history and pop culture through stunning visuals and mind-blowing impersonations. Multi-award-winning Raven by Still Hungry weaves story, dance, and acrobatics together in a warm and funny exploration of motherhood. Prophecy Fog, a powerful, meditative exploration of the sacred by Juno-nominated veteran performer Jani Lauzon, will be presented in-the-round in the Marie Fleming Studio on March 23 and 24 (limited seating available).
The 2022-23 SPOTLIGHT Season will also see the return of VDPAC’s North Okanagan Children’s Festival (admission by donation) and a special Kids Series for children, toddlers and families featuring four shows for just $40. On October 2, Broadway-based, Grammy-nominated artist Mil’s Trills shines in her gentle, participatory show Let It Out! perfect for little ones ages 2 and up.
“Our Kids Series is filled with fun and interactive shows that will delight kids of all ages and their parents,” said Kennedy. “Parents will laugh just as hard as the kids when Alex Zerbe juggles bowling balls and slices flying vegetables in half with a playing card in The Zaniac Comedy Show, and I dare you not to get on your feet for Karima Essa’s Body Positive Bollywood Dance Show. “
Subscriptions are on sale now! New and returning subscribers who book their subscription during the month of August can take advantage of an exclusive pre-sale period to secure additional seats to their first-choice shows – including OnSTAGE Concerts – before they go on sale to the general public on September 1.
Classic Theatre, Dance, and Kids Series subscriptions are available via the VDPAC website or the Ticket Seller Box Office. Flexible “Pick 5” and “Pick 10” subscription packages are currently available by phone or in person and will be available online as of September 1, 2022. Single tickets for most SPOTLIGHT performances will go on sale on September 1, with a few exceptions that have been released early.
VDPAC is finalizing plans for the return of our “FREE Night in the Theatre” event on September 14. Those curious about the upcoming SPOTLIGHT Season who claim a free ticket from our Ticket Seller box office can get a firsthand sneak peek at video highlights of the 2022-23 season, including interview clips with some of our guest artists. Watch for details!
To learn more & book your SPOTLIGHT tickets call 250-549-SHOW (7469) or visit www.vdpac.ca.
