Who’s ready to put on a show? Who’s ready to see a show?
There are plenty of options coming up in the 85th Kiwanis Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival, March 16-28.
Approximately 1,100 performers , plus their parents , teachers and friends and assorted volunteers are excited about it. There will be performances in a variety of different categories including choir, piano, strings, musical theatre and many others at seven different venues around Lethbridge.
“It’s pretty much the same thing, but it ’s never the same show,” said Festival general manager Beth Cook, who has been working with the festival since 2010.
The festival has been a March highlight in Lethbridge for the past 85 years.
The participants will be adjudicated by 14 adjudicators who will give each of them feedback on their performance.
There is one new venue this year as CASA replaces the library for this year’s festival.
“ CASA is where the conservatory is and there is good parking there,” Cook observed.
The bigger performances and two best of concerts (Musical Showcase concert March 21 at 7 p.m. and the grand finale —Stars of the Festival concert, Feb. 28 at 7:30, p.m.) take place in the Yates Theatre. Performances take place over two weeks in the Sterndale Bennett Theatre, St. Augustine’s Church and hall, Southminster Church and St. Patrick’s school.
Most performances are at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. with a few exceptions due to bussing schedules and the adjudicators’ personal schedules, so it is best to check the program for details.
Cook observed there are a few subtle changes this year.
“ We‘ve increased the number of strings sessions. Junior Voice is up by one session, Junior Speech is up by one session and there is one less piano session,” Cook summarized.
Voice teacher Alicia Begras, who teaches out of CASA as well as at the University of Lethbridge said the Kiwanis Speech and Arts Festival is important event for the participants.
“ I’ve been sending students to the festival for seven years and before that in B.C and Alberta, I’ve been participating in the festivals since I was seven,” said voice teacher Alicia Bigras, who will be taking a break from the festival next year due to moving to Medicine Hat and going on maternity leave.
This year she has 32 students participating in the festival— her largest group to date as she usually has approximately 25.
“I teach opera, pop, musical theatre and country. It’s a ton of work, but it is a very rewarding experience,” she said.
“ It’s a great opportunity for them to learn and I learn a lot doing it. So it is a great way for me to solidify my teaching techniques,” she said.
“ They all do such a great job and it is such a perk when they make it into one of the two concerts. Some of them have even made it into the nationals and the provincials,” she added.
“And that’s really rewarding,” she continued.
The best performances go on to the provincial festival in Edmonton May 7-9 for choral and May 27-30 for soloists. The best performers from that compete in the national festival Aug. 12-15 also in Edmonton.
Her students look forward to the festival.
“ I always wanted to sing something from Phantom of the Opera,” said Sophia Makela,15, who will be performing “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” in the musical theatre portion of the festival. Her voice instructor Alicia Bigras chose the piece for her.
“It challenges her. There are some really nice high notes which require a lot of control. It’s been challenging but it’s also been a lot of fun,” Bigras added.
Makela will be in several other voice categories in addition to musical theatre including German, musical theatre duo, pop, country and folk.
“I won a couple awards last year for placing in the top three for three of them, ” Makela said.
“I just love to sing and perform and I wanted to experience this opportunity again,” she continued.
While she has performed in several other events including pop, classical and gospel in previous years, she has never performed in the musical theatre event. She will be performing “Some Things Are Meant To Be” from “Little Women.”
“I really like the story. It’s about this little girl who is writing a letter to her sisters about all of the things she wants to do with them before she dies,” she said as Bigras noted the character is dying of scarlet fever.
She was immediately drawn to the piece after hearing the song being performed by another person in a workshop being held by Bigras and voice instructor David Shefsiek.
“I like performing in front of the judges who listen and help me how to become a better singer,” she said.
“Musical theatre is one of the most competitive events,” Bigras said.
“It’s not just about singing. They have to act and perform. There is choreography and costumes, so it is definitely harder to put together,” she said.
She enjoys watching her students on stage.
“They love doing it, so it is nice to see them up on stage doing it,” she said adding while she teaches several different song styles it is tough to choose a favourite.
“It’s hard to pick just one, so I sit through every single performance,” she said adding if she had to choose one style she prefers, she’d choose pop music.
“A lot of people don’t like pop music. But they (the students) enjoy it, whether or not parents think it is the best style of music for their children to sing, it is all in how it is performed. And they enjoy it,” she said.
Voice instructor Dave Shefsiek has 40 students participating in the festival this year. He has also been an adjudicator in festivals in Olds, High River and Medicine Hat.
“These kids make a lot of fast progress. And they’re busy kids. Some of them are in productions in their own schools. They’re involved in theatre and choirs and sports. They really are busy,” he observed en route to adjudicating the Medicine Hat Festival.
He said by participating in the Lethbridge Speech and Arts Festival and other similar festivals, the participants not only learn how to perform under pressure, they also learn a lot by getting feedback from the adjudicators.
Several of his students are participating in the musical theatre portion of the festival. They will be performing excerpts from musicals including Matilda, Cinderella, Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and Big River to name a few.
“Different kids respond to different aspects of it. Some of them like the beautiful melodies, others like the songs,” he said.
“They are working towards a goal,” he continued.
“Performing in front of an audience is very helpful to them,” he said, praising festival coordinators and volunteers for putting on such a well run and supportive event.
“Beth Cook does an excellent job,” he enthused.
Cook encourages more people to check out these sessions.
“ These young people deserve your support. These people are the future,” she said adding you won’t find as much and as a diverse amount of entertainment for a lower price anywhere.
“ These kids are very busy. And the teachers are involved in the community in band, choir and musical theatre,” she said.
“ It is amazing. They do it so well and they’re great kids,” Cook continued.
Admission to individual events are $2 or you can buy a program for $10 which acts as a pass to all events for all two weeks of the festival.
There will be two best of concerts this year— March 21 at 7 p.m. featuring the best of the musical theatre performances and the grand finale — Best of the fest concert, Feb. 28 at 7:30, p.m. Programs are available at the Music Court in park Place Mall and at the door at the Yates.
Admission to each of them is five dollars per person or $15 per family at the Yates Memorial Centre.
