New West Theatre revisits some of their favourite moments with their new show “Starlight,” which takes place at the Chinook High School Theatre, Dec. 19-Jan. 6.
 Scott Carpenter, who has been a member of New West Theatre for 25 years, is enjoying directing his first New West variety show.

“It’s been great. It’ s been interesting having to get off the stage and look at the show from an audience’s perspective and envisioning where I am on the stage,” Carpenter enthused.
“ But the best part was I got to go through New West Theatre’s archives and find my favourite music. So there’s a lot  ’60s and 70s music in the show. And because it’s me, there’s also a lot of goofy humour in the show,” he said, noting there will be a variety of music including the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music,” ABBA, Neil Diamond, Sonny and Cher, Joan Jett, Jefferson Airplane and more.

 There are a lot of familiar faces in the cast including Erica Hunt, Kyle Gruninger, Kathy Zaborsky, AJ Baragar and Rylan Kunkel and newcomer Ashley Thomson.
“She did a New West show when she was 16. She’s an occupational therapist at the hospital and her  co-workers have been very generous  lending her to us,” said New West Theatre general manager Derek Stevenson.

“She also performed in Icelandia and in University of Lethbridge shows before taking a break,” Stevenson continued.

 New West also welcomes pianist  Zain Solinski, who steps into Bente Hansen’s shoes while she takes a well deserved break.

“ He’s one of Bente’s protégés,” Stevenson said adding they are thankful to Chinook High School for renting their theatre to New West for their show.
In addition to the best of New West, the show also includes some new material.

“ It’s a best of New West show ,” observed Baragar, noting the cast gets to sings a couple of their favourite new songs as well.
 He gets to sing one of his originals called ”Cool It.”

LCI is coping with the loss of the Yates Centre due to renovations by utilizing their own drama room to stage their production of the musical Anne of Green Gables.

“It’s been a challenge. But on the other hand you can build the set and not have to worry about tearing it down,” observed director Kelly Frewin, who has double the cast the production with 51 Grade 9-12 students, who have been rehearsing for the production since the beginning of the school year in September.

“ We also have a 20 piece orchestra which is also double cast and we have a 10-15 technical and backstage crew so there are about 80 kids involved,” Frewin noted.

 He said double casting has been helpful.

“ A lot of the kids have other things scheduled, so if one can‘t show up to rehearsal, another will be able to,” he observed.
He said Anne of Green Gables is a perfect show for this year.
“ It’s Canada 150 this year, and  Anne of Green Gables  is a perfect family friendly story that will appeal to a wide range of people who I hope will come and enjoy it,” Frewin said.

The second annual Shakespeare meets Dickens returns to  Casa, Dec. 12.
“ It’s our second annual fundraiser for the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society,” said Shakespeare in the Park president Kate Connolly, noting this coming summer’s production of  the Tempest, directed by DJ Gellatly, will be the local Shakespeare  group’s seventh summer production in Galt Gardens.

“Shakespeare Meets Dickens was extremely successful last year, so we’re doing it for a second time,” Connolly said.

“It’s a combinations of Victorian era Shakespeare poems and Christmas pieces under the direction of our fabulous music director and pianist Jillian Bracken,” she enthused.
“ The first half of the of the evening is a reader’s theatre  of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol created by Richard Epp, a retired professor of the U of L theatre department,” she continued, noted there will be several familiar faces on stage including Shakespeare in the Park actors and directors,  and actors and board members of Playgoers of Lethbridge and Hatrix Theatre, plus university of Lethbridge students.

Some familiar faces include Cole Fetting, who was in this summer‘s production of A Comedy of Errors, Chris Peterson who was in last summer’s production of Romeo and Juliet, Shelly David, who was on stage with Hatrix Theatre’s  12 Angry Jurors as well as Playgoers of Lethbridge’s “Savannah Sipping Society,” Lyle Boswall who was in Hatrix’s  production of  “Spamalot”, Bryson Brown and many more.
“The second half will be Shakespeare songs and songs from Shakespeare inspired musicals like ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Kiss Me Kate.There will also be six or seven well known Christmas carols,” Connolly continued, adding there will also be Victorian and Tudor era inspired food and drink.

“The food and drink is free and Victorian and Tudor in flavour, so there will be Victorian sandwiches and shortbreads and mince pies. And we have a liquor license, so we will be selling wine and local beer,” she said.
Rita Peterson is a familiar face behind the scenes and on stage with Playgoers of Lethbridge.

 She is excited tobe part of her first Shakespeare Meets Dickens performance.
“Kate asked me to be part of it and I love working with her, so I said yes,” Peterson said.