If you like ABBA, you might want to "take a chance" on a tribute band playing this weekend at Massey Theatre.
Rock.It.Boy Entertainment presents Abra Cadabra: a Tribute to the Music and Magic of ABBA, this Friday, Aug. 24 at 7: 30 p.m.
Performing hit singles like Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Fernando, S.O.S. and Take a Chance on Me, this high-energy group "recreates and celebrates the timeless music of the original band in a fresh, respectful and classy way," according to a recent release.
Tickets are $30 (plus service charges and fees) at the theatre ticket centre, or by phone, 604-521-5050, or online, www.massey theatre.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Massey Theatre at 735 Eighth Ave.
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
For a more exotic experience at Massey Theatre, an evening of classical Indian performance art is planned for this Saturday, Aug. 25.
In a tribute to his guru, the late Ghazal Queen Mushtari Begum, New Westminster's own internationally recognized Cassius Khan is inviting the public to hear six Canadian and Indian artists perform for the first Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance.
Headliners will be Khan, a Western Canadian Music Award nominee, and Juno Award nominee Pandit Salil Bhatt, who will be here from Jaipur, India especially for this event. Khan will showcase his trademark mastery of singing ghazals while playing the tabla, and Salil Bhatt will play his satvik veena, a unique 20-stringed slide guitar he created himself.
Also featured will be Salute to Excellence Award recipient and kathak dancer Amika Kushwaha; rising star Akhil Jobanputra; the 2011 RedFM Idol Dr.
Kamaljeet Gill; and the sitarist Mohamed Assani.
Tickets are on sale at the Massey Theatre box office.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show runs from 6: 30 to 10: 30 p.m.
For more information, visit www.mushtaribe gumfestival.com.
MILESTONE FOR OPERA COMPANY
For a taste of opera this summer, New Westminster's own DragonDiva Operatic Theatre Company is celebrating its fifth year this summer with a new take on Gian Carlo Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief.
The show will be on Thursday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. at Queen's Park.
As it is in English, and runs about two hours in length, this opera might be a good choice for those without any prior operagoing experience.
The Old Maid and the Thief premiered in 1939 as a radio play for NBC Radio.
As such, the audience will be watching the 'live recording' of the radio show, including all that entails - authentic 1940s commercials, backstage drama, and even a warmup act by The Three Graces, performing several hits from the Andrews Sisters repertoire.
Formed in 2007, DragonDiva Operatic Theatre's mission is "to create high calibre opera that is accessible to both opera lovers and future enthusiasts, (and to) foster an environment where artists are encouraged to learn from each other by engaging a blend of community members, students and emerging professionals," a press release from the company stated.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25, available through the Evergreen Cultural Centre box office, 604-927-6555. For more information, visit www. dragondiva.org.
Have an item for Lively City? Send arts ideas to Marelle Reid at mreid@royal cityrecord.com.
