Hey Winnipeg! Another weekend is upon us! What are you doing?

Friday night (Jan 23) the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra presents Beethoven's 5th Symphony ---Beyond the Score. Created by the Chicago Symphony, this Beyond the Score series is a wonderful multimedia productions that takes audiences back into the history and context of some of the most famous classical music compositions. This is the third season the WSO has brought a Beyond the Score production to Winnipeg. For Beethoven's fifth, you'll see actors and live theatre bringing you the origins of Beethoven's masterpiece to life.

Watch this great video produced by the Chicago Symphony on the genesis of these Beyond the Score concerts.

 

 

 

Earlier this week Morning Light host Michael Wolch chatted with the production stage director of Beyond the Score - Jennifer Parr. Watch the interview here.

 

 

 

There are two performances – Friday night (Jan 23) and Saturday night (Jan 24) at the Centennial Concert Hall at 7:30 PM. The orchestra and production crew then travel to Brandon where they will perform the concert at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium at 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon (Jan 25).

 

Thursday night (Jan 22) is the opening of Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers' second show of their 50th anniversary season entitled Segno. It features two premiers. – A new work by Manitoba choreographer Karen Kuzak for dance trio, plus the world premiere of Brent Lott's new solo work 'Camino' featuring dancer Kayla Henry with music by the late Oliver Schroer.

 

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There are 4 performances. Thursday night (Jan 22), Friday night (Jan 23) and Friday night (Jan 24) at 8:00 PM and Sunday afternoon (Jan 25) 3:00 PM at The Rachel Browne Theatre. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students. You can get those by calling the WCD Box Office at 204.452.0229 or in person at 211 Bannatyne Ave – The Crocus Building in the Exchange District. Go HERE for more information.

 

Another wonderful show opened this week compliments of Prairie Theatre Exchange. The highly anticipated Life, Death and The Blues started its run Thursday night at the downtown theatre centre. If you haven't heard about this show, you should. Life, Death and The Blues was written by and stars Canadian actor and musician Raoul Bhaneja. It is an innovative new concert/theatre hybrid that explores the power, passion and meaning of the Blues. Raoul is aided in this endeavor by his band, The Big Time, and amazing R&B artist Divine Brown. The show combines autobiography, interviews and multimedia to draw you into a personal, poetic and visceral world of The Blues.  And if that isn't enough, each performance will end with a local blues artist performing with the cast for a couple of numbers. Each show will feature a different local performer.

Watch a preview of the show here. (Warning. Some of the content may not be suitable for a younger audience)

 

 

Life, Death & The Blues is on right now and runs through to February 8th.

 

Saturday night (Jan 24), Winnipeg's International Recital & Chamber Music Concert Series, Virtuosi presents Montreal group Ensemble Caprice. The Quintet tours the world performing on period instruments. The concert they're performing is based on their acclaimed 2010 Salsa Baroque CD which brings audiences music of Latin America and Spain – a musical dialogue between the Old and the New Worlds in the 16th & 17th centuries.

 

 

Here's a great video of Ensemble Caprice performing a selection from Salsa Baroque.

 

 

 

Showtime is 8:00 PM at the University of Winnipeg's Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall. For tickets call the Virtuosi box office at 204.786.9000 or email virtuosi.concerts@gmail.com.  And make a date to tune in to The Morning Blend with Simon Rusnak tomorrow morning in the last hour of the show – between 11:00 AM and noon. Simeon will welcome some of the members of Ensemble Caprice live in studio. So make sure you tune in for that!

 

And finally, you heard him in the Diamond Lane yesterday afternoon with Host Sarah Jo Kirsch, American Baritone Todd Thomas is performing Sunday night (Jan 25) in a recital presented by Westminster United Church. Recognized by opera companies and critics alike as one of the true Verdi Baritones gracing stages today, Todd Thomas continues his career as one of America's most sought after artists.

Here is Todd performing in a production of Rigoletto.

 

 

Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 students. There is also a VIP package for $60 which gets you reserved seating and an invitation to a reception with the internationally recognized baritone. You can purchase tickets at McNally Robinson Booksellers or at westminsterchurch.org.

Proceeds from this event will benefit Westminster Church's Outreach Projects and Community Kitchen

 

Those are just some of the events happening in Winnipeg this weekend.

Tune in to the Classic 107 Arts & Entertainment Calendar with Claudia Garcia de la Huerta every Thursday and Friday at 7:45 AM and 4:40 PM and Saturday morning at 11:15 AM