Closures, cancellations and postponements have become a daily occurrence for the arts in Victoria amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many arts organizations are offering tax receipts for patrons who do not require a refund on their tickets, so patrons can either donate or hang onto previously purchased tickets 鈥� the long-term future of your favourite club or pub could depend on it.
Here are the latest closures and cancellations:
鈥� The Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney, which houses the popular Charlie White Theatre, will be closed to the public until further notice. The facility鈥檚 box office will remain open by phone (250-656-0275), email ([email protected]), and through its website, . Upcoming events affected by the closure include Hayley Wickenheiser (March 26), The Motown Show (March 27), Palm Court 91原创 Impressions (April 2) and Completely Creedence (April 3).
鈥淲e ask for your patience while we work closely with promoters to re-schedule performances,鈥� the venue said in a statement. 鈥淚f you are a ticket holder to any of our affected shows, we ask you to consider donating the tickets back to the Centre and receive a charitable tax receipt, or exchange your tickets for a credit to future performances.鈥�
鈥� Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre has postponed all four performances of its Spring Beatles concert scheduled for March 26-29. There is also some uncertainty around its summer season, which is set to begin April 28.
鈥淟ike so many arts and cultural organizations in our community, province and across our country, we ask the patience of our supporters and employees as we determine our best strategies to weather this crisis,鈥� artistic director Brian Richmond said in a statement.
鈥� On the nightclub front, the Capital Ballroom has postponed the majority of its shows through April, with the expectation that the window will also include May events. Distrikt in the Strathcona Hotel and Upstairs Cabaret are closed until further notice, while events at the Rubber Boot Club, located on Store Street under Swans Hotel and Brewpub, have been cancelled until May. The Duke Saloon on Discovery Street has also closed its doors.
鈥⒙燞ermann鈥檚 Jazz Club is still in operation with a capacity of 50 people for select events, as per the provincial government鈥檚 order, though the majority of bookings have been postponed or cancelled. Sunday Brunch Matinee with Tom Vickery and the Al Pease Quartet (March 22, 1:30聽p.m.) and the Unfaithful Servants with Bill Johnson (March 22, 7:30 p.m.) remain on the calendar this week, however.
鈥� Other high-traffic tourist areas are affected as well. The Royal B.C. Museum and its associated partners (including IMAX Victoria Theatre) closed Tuesday at 5 p.m., and will remain shut until further notice. All on-site programming has been cancelled. Craigdarroch Castle closed Monday until further notice, while the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria will be shuttered until at least April 1. All events and related programming (such as offsite programs and AGGV Studio Spring camps and classes) are cancelled as well. Quazar鈥檚 Arcade in Trounce Alley is also closed to the public and has postponed all leagues, events, and rentals.
鈥� Open Space Artist Run Centre will be closed for a minimum two weeks, after which they will revaluate. Effective immediately, the Victoria Conservatory of Music is closed to the public and all lessons, classes and music-therapy sessions at both their downtown and Westhills locations are cancelled until further notice. The venue鈥檚 music library is currently closed, and all scheduled concerts and events will be postponed until later this year.
鈥� Cineplex Odeon and SilverCity are temporarily closed through April 2. The Capitol 6 remains open, as does Cinecenta at the University of Victoria 鈥� though kids鈥� matinees are no longer being screened. In spite of screenings going forward as planned, Cinecenta is encouraging patrons to check their website () daily. Sidney鈥檚 Star Cinema closed Monday and will remain shut until further notice.
These cancellations are in addition to .
They include the Victoria Symphony, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, the Early Music Society of the Islands, the Civic Orchestra and the Linden Singers.
Also cancelled are 91原创 Opera Victoria鈥檚 eight performances of The Flight of the Hummingbird set for March 18-22 and POV鈥檚 production of Carmen April聽16-26.
