Local Arts

ON NOW: To Saturday, February 22 Shrek the Musical, presented by Align Entertainment, at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca. Info: alignentertainment.ca.

Local dignitaries, music lovers and bands joined forces to help those devastated by the downtown New Westminster fire in October. The Columbia Performing Arts Society hosted a Fire in the Heart fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Columbia Theatre .

On Feb. 12, The Record began its special series on the local theatre scene.

Backstage Youth Performers Society hosts A Night of Stars at Massey Theatre Feb. 22

ON NOW: To Sunday, February 16 Out of a Dream, a Rodgers and Hammerstein revue presented by New Westminster's own Patrick Street Productions, at the York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr., Vancouver. Tickets from $19.

Katherine Freund-Hainsworth is delving into history through art. Freund-Hainsworth is the featured artist at the New Westminster Public Library's reference gallery this month, with an art exhibition inspired by B.C. Heritage Week.

Reporter Julie MacLellan continues her three-part look at New Westminster's theatre scene

Musical theatre lovers still have a few more chances to experience the magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Patrick Street Productions' Out of a Dream, a Rodgers and Hammerstein revue, is onstage at the York Theatre on Commercial Drive until Feb. 16.

Affordability + quality = value. It's a pretty simple equation, really. And all four local theatre groups who talked to The Record about the state of local theatre agreed that equation is key to success in a competitive entertainment market.

* Vagabond Players: Officially formed in 1937, the Vagabond Players grew out of the Unity Club at St. Aidan's Church. The community theatre group stages five-play seasons each year at the Bernie Legge Theatre - its headquarters in Queen's Park.