Kay Meek Centre 2014-2015 season preview. For more information and a full schedule visit kaymmekcentre.com.
It's been a decade since Kay Meek Centre opened its doors with its inaugural public performance.
With the 2014-2015 season prepared to launch, offering North Shore residents a diverse range of music, theatre, film and children's programming, those involved with the West Vancouver arts centre are full of enthusiasm for the year to come.
"The 10th anniversary is definitely something that we're quite excited about," says Jeanne LeSage, Kay Meek's executive director.
The arts centre continues to present highcalibre professional artists, providing a unique experience for local residents in their own backyards.
"I think that's what's unique about the Kay Meek Centre and that's what's very important about its place on the North Shore," says LeSage.
In addition, centre staff work to ensure its presentations remain accessible for all. "We've always made sure that there are tickets starting from $25 for all of our shows," she says.
What LeSage also feels is unique about Kay Meek is its strong focus on working with community partners, including outside groups that use the space, as well as the West Vancouver School District, which accesses the centre on a regular basis.
"This is very much in line with what Kay Meek herself really had in mind when she started working with the team to build this place," says LeSage. "Her wish was very much that this be a community hub, so that you could see professional artists but also kids get to get up on that same stage and get to try things out on their own."
Kay Meek Centre's season opener is set for Oct. 1 in its Grosvenor Theatre, bringing together well-known B.C. artists Barney Bentall, Jim Byrnes and John Mann.
"It's going to be a fantastic show," says LeSage. "It's the first time the three of them have played together."
Other highlights of Kay Meek's upcoming music series include a performance by saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas on Oct. 19, showcasing their quintet, Sound Prints. The show is a co-presentation with the BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts at Capilano University, a frequent collaborator with Kay Meek.
The Cecelia Quartet will take the stage Oct. 26 and Marc Cohn will perform Jan. 25, 2015 in addition to a host of other artists through to the spring.
The centre's Theatre K series will kick off in the New Year with a presentation of The Odd Couple, produced by the Arts Club Theatre Company, Jan. 12-13, 2015. An exciting season highlight for LeSage is The Goodnight Bird, which she describes as "a real departure." A coproduction with Montreal's Centaur Theatre Company, the work will make its North American premiere Jan. 29-Feb. 14, 2015.
The Goodnight Bird is being directed by Roy Surette and will star acclaimed local actress Nicola Cavendish. Following its North Shore run, the work will travel to Montreal.
"This is a show that we are producing, so it's rehearsing here, we're building the sets, the costumes, so this is being created right here in West Van," says LeSage.
This season marks the third time Kay Meek has offered its Cabaret series. Presented in its Studio Theatre, the black box space seats approximately 100 guests, offering an intimate setting for cabaret-style performances. The shows are also offered at a lower price than mainstage productions.
"It's tables and chairs, bar in the corner. You can sip on a glass of wine and hear pretty amazing musicians in a small space - Being in the neighbourhood, we're already starting to get a nice following of folks that love it because they can just walk down the hill and come and have a glass of wine at the Kay Meek and see some pretty great musicians.
We're pretty excited about the continuation of the cabaret," says LeSage. The first cabaret performance of the season is Oct. 2 by Locarno, a Latin project by Juno award-winning musician Tom Landa of the Paperboys.
Other upcoming cabaret performances include B3 Kings Dec. 10-11, Here's to Ladies Who Laugh March 5, 2015, and Amanda Wood: From Britain With Love April 2, 2015.
For the younger set, the centre's Just Kidding Series features performances by Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favourites Nov. 30, and Norman Foote, May 9, 2015.
Kay Meek Centre's film program will also be back for another year. In addition to the regular Tuesday night offerings, they plan to offer some Sunday afternoon screenings followed by a facilitated chat or a presentation by a guest speaker, and discussion. The centre's Youth Conservatory program will continue to offer children performance-based learning opportunities through classes and workshops at different times of the year, as well as an opportunity to work on a full technical production. For example, this summer, teenage participants worked on A Chorus Line and younger participants, Aladdin.
Based on the conservatory's popularity, Kay Meek is expanding its offerings this year. "This winter we're actually looking at doing some Youth Conservatory weekend intensives, which we think are going to be very popular," says LeSage. Planned intensives include Glee-style voice, Fosse dance, stage combat and classical acting.
"It's a little bit of a different format but it's something that we think is going to work really well in West Van," she says. LeSage encourages community members to mark their calendars for Nov. 6, as Kay Meek will host an anniversary celebration that evening. The event, still in the planning stages, marks the centre's 10th anniversary of its first public performance.
"We're involving a lot of our community partners to help celebrate and maybe do some performing and also a lot of speaking and involving a lot of the folks that were involved with the early stage," says LeSage.
