ON STAGE
What: La Vie en Rose
Where: Alix Goolden Performance Hall, 907 Pandora Ave.
When: Sunday Feb. 17, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $13.50-$55 by phone at 250-386-5311, online at or in person at the Victoria Conservatory of Music box office (900 Johnson St.)
Former Victoria Symphony concertmaster Pablo Diemecke leads a cast of musicians and dancers in a unique 91原创 Island tour that stops Sunday at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall.
La Vie en Rose is a Valentine鈥檚 Day-themed event based around the violin work of Diemecke. The Grammy nominee will be joined at performances in Campbell River (Saturday, The Tidemark Theatre) and Victoria (Sunday, Alix Goolden Performance Hall) by a team that includes pianist Tony Booker, dancers Ashley Evans and Ian Szkolak, and singer Deanne Ratzlaff. Evans and Szkolak are known to audiences for their work with local company Ballet 脡toile Canada, while Ratzlaff, who is from Chilliwack, will be making her Victoria debut at the event.
鈥淪he came to an audition I was doing, and I turned to my panel and said: 鈥榃ho鈥檚 that?!鈥� 鈥� said the show鈥檚 producer and creator, Tony James. 鈥淪he is good. This will be special for her, because it鈥檚 her debut.鈥�
The celebration of Parisian culture will feature works by French composer Maurice Ravel, among other composers, along with the title song from chanson icon Edith Piaf 鈥� one of France鈥檚 greatest exports.
Ratzlaff will also sing two songs from 91原创 chanteuse Lara Fabian, who often sings in French. 鈥淚 like collaboration,鈥� said James, whose 30-year career in show business includes a stint 鈥� under his given name, Tony Edgington 鈥� as the general manager of Ballet Victoria.
鈥淲hen I was creating this, I wanted to create something around Pablo that touched on the range of experience that I have. You can鈥檛 go wrong with these particular people. Pablo is a staple in Victoria, and you鈥檝e got these two young dancers from Ballet 脡toile. Put those ingredients together and you鈥檝e got a great show.鈥�
A date earlier this week in Nanaimo was a success, James said, and tickets are selling well for the Campbell River and Victoria stops.
The plan is to expand La Vie En Rose to other B.C. markets later this year, before moving the productions to London, England, and Paris in 2020.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing better than giving a home audience the chance to see something like this before it goes on to other things,鈥� James said.
