Featured Events in St. John's in September, 2024 (June Updated)

The play examines the NAPE Strike of 1986 from both a political and a personal perspective. The main character in this piece is Joan, a woman and union leader, who is struggling to manage in two worlds - the traditional world of a housewife and mother, and an empowering world as a union leader. Joan’s husband Robert wants the order and peace of a home life, with Joan managing the children and taking care of it all. Ernie’s wife wants to remain at home to care for her children and both men find their relationships at a breaking point. Donna, Joan’s daughter, is confounded by her mother, who fights for equity in the workplace but expects her to tend on her brothers at home. Of course it is only love that carries them all through the political, institutional, family, and personal struggles that all push at each other in this very human drama. Showdown won Senior Dramatic Script in the 2023 Arts and Letters Competition. Pick up your free Year of the Arts Women’s Play Festival passport and get a stamp for every night you attend! Bring a cushion for your tushin' Doors Open 6:30PM Venue Information: Parking: We are located in the heart of Downtown St. John’s at 81 Cochrane Street, and there is no dedicated parking lot. On-street parking is available throughout the neighbourhood between April-November. For blue-zone pass holders, there is one accessible parking space on the ramp that leads up to the front doors. Accessibility: Although we have made progress towards full accessibility with our recent upgrade to the ramp leading to the main doors, there are some features of our building that may be challenging to navigate for some audience members. The floor seating is all one level with a gentle downward slope leading to the front of the space, and there is one row with extra leg room that we designate as accessible seating because it has more room for placement of mobility aids. There is a ramp to the washroom area as well, and we've recently renovated so that all doors are button-operated in the washroom area. Please note that the balcony seating area is only accessible via staircase. If you have any other questions or concerns about accessibility, or would like to request specific accommodations, please contact lauren@firstlightnl.ca and we'll do what we can. Community Spirit: Donations of food items, and personal care items are graciously accepted at the door for tenants of First Light's Indigenous-priority affordable housing units. Information Source: First Light Arts | eventbrite

WRIFFS has had two amazing shows already and we are returning to Bannerman on August 29th! 7pm show is sold out NEW SHOW AT 9:30PM ADDED GUESTS THIS MONTH: - Comedy with Veronica Dymond - A musical performance by Tim Baker - and more music with Len O'Neill WRIFFS will be hosted at Bannerman Brewing on - August 29th - September 26th (with Steve Maloney, Mike Hammond, and more!) Information Source: Matt Wright | eventbrite

PerSIStence Theatre proudly presents the Year of the Arts Women’s Play Festival - a major celebration of artistry in Newfoundland and Labrador - 12 days, 16 plays from September 17-28, 2024. Pick up your free Year of the Arts Women’s Play Festival passport and get a stamp for every night you attend! Bring a cushion for your tushin' Doors Open is 6:30PM Venue Information: Parking: We are located in the heart of Downtown St. John’s at 81 Cochrane Street, and there is no dedicated parking lot. On-street parking is available throughout the neighbourhood between April-November. For blue-zone pass holders, there is one accessible parking space on the ramp that leads up to the front doors. Accessibility: Although we have made progress towards full accessibility with our recent upgrade to the ramp leading to the main doors, there are some features of our building that may be challenging to navigate for some audience members. The floor seating is all one level with a gentle downward slope leading to the front of the space, and there is one row with extra leg room that we designate as accessible seating because it has more room for placement of mobility aids. There is a ramp to the washroom area as well, and we've recently renovated so that all doors are button-operated in the washroom area. Please note that the balcony seating area is only accessible via staircase. If you have any other questions or concerns about accessibility, or would like to request specific accommodations, please contact lauren@firstlightnl.ca and we'll do what we can. Community Spirit: Donations of food items, and personal care items are graciously accepted at the door for tenants of First Light's Indigenous-priority affordable housing units. Information Source: First Light Arts | eventbrite

Vancouver Islanders arriving in St John's! Join us for traditional pop, swing, and jazz from the west coast with vocalist Angela Verbrugge (Western Canadian Music Awards Jazz Artist of the Year 2024 nominee), dazzling pianist Ashley Wey, and veteran Canadian jazz bassist Jim Vivian. Come join us for an afternoon of amazing music with The Vancouver Islanders overlooking the beautiful St John's harbour at Sláinte Whiskey & Wine. They will be presenting the Great American (and Canadian!) Songbook. Get ready to be swept away by their incredible blend of traditional pop, swing, and romantic jazz music while you sip and dine on Slainte's exceptional cocktails and delectable menu delights. With mesmerizing piano melodies and soulful singing, this event promises to be an afternoon to remember. Don't miss out! TripAdvisor: Everything from the drinks and wine, to the appetizers and meals were absolutely perfect. Everyone loved the variety and raved about the meals. The Vancouver Islanders:ANGELA VERBRUGGE & ASHLEY WEY ATLANTIC CANADA TOURSWING, CHEMISTRY AND CHARISMAAll the way from Vancouver Island, vocalist Angela Verbrugge and pianist Ashley Wey are in Atlantic Canada to perform for you for the first-time! Angela has been touring the world singing about love gone right (or very wrong!). Her lyrics range from humorous tales of romance while trying to eat buttery corn at a summer picnic, to the mad dash panicked adventure of being late, to sweet reflections newfound infatuation, to sour reflections on feeling wholly unloveable. The whimsical style takes inspiration from vintage movie musicals (such as those with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), traditional swing era pop and American songbook (such as those sung by Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Julie London), and jazz standards (such as songs performed by Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé and Newfoundland vocalist Heather Bambrick). Born in Kingston, Ontario, Angela has a penchant for drama having studied theatre in Toronto (and just generally being a dramatic person!) before moving to western Canada in 1997. Verbrugge has released three critically-acclaimed albums, in 2019, 2022 and the latest in May 2024 on USA-jazz labels. She won the JazzTimes’ Magazine poll for Best Female Vocalist, and was nominated for Jazz Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Rave reviews of her recordings have resulted in performance opportunities in far-flung places including Japan, Türkiye, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Taiwan, UK and many Canadian provinces, all in the last four years. Her music has been played on radio around the world including CBC, NPR, and she took the number one spot of the Earshot charts multiple weeks. Angela is joined by Ashley Wey, a red-head, born-and-bred, infrared west coast pianist (yes, we love rhymes!). The vibrant, passionate and swingin’ pianist started at the tender age of 5, and turned pro at age fifteen, never looking back. She attended Humber under mentors such as Don Thompson before setting sail to play jazz on cruise lines and in Australia. Returning to settle in Victoria, she became one of the busiest most in-demand musicians as both a leader and an accompanist on Vancouver Island. An in-demand educators for all ages, Ashley spent several years as one of the captains of the ship at Hermann’s Jazz Club, helping it weather the pandemic storm… curating programming, doing sound and operations. In one moment she will deliver a ridiculously swinging Oscar Peterson tribute. In the next, she is a tasteful interpreter of soul/pop sounds. Ashley's on-stage charism and joy have built her a huge following in British Columbia. The Vancouver Islanders offer the attendees a lively evening of fun and flirty classics with a modern twist to keep audiences on their toes, which incidentally will be a-tappin. ​Jim Vivian has been at the forefront of music making in Canada for over 30 years, and has performed and/or recorded with most of the well known jazz artists working in the country today. He has also performed and recorded with many internationally esteemed artists such as John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, David Leibman, John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, and Norma Winstone. Originally from Newfoundland, he has spent much of his career in Toronto working with ​top names in jazz such as Mike Murley, Jeff Johnston, Don Thompson, Brian Dickinson, and John MacLeod, as well as teaching including many years at University of Toronto beginning in 2001. He appears on over 130 recordings, 30 of which have been nominated for Juno awards in as many years. Jim holds a Masters Degree in Music from York University. Website: https://www.angelaverbrugge.com https://www.ashleyweymusic.com https://www.uoftjazz.ca/jim-vivian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelaverbrugge/ https://www.instagram.com/ashleyweymusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelasjazz https://www.facebook.com/ashleyweymusic Twitter: Https://www.twitter.com/AngelaLovesJazz Information Source: Angela Verbrugge | eventbrite

Join us on September 26th, 2024, at 7:30 PM for an Evening of Song at Terrace on the Square featuring Meghan Herder, Abra Whitney, and Bill Brennan. Doors open at 6:45 PM, performance beings at 7:30 PM. Meghan Herder is a voice technician and performer whose work is both technically precise and deeply expressive. Abra Whitney is a singer, conductor, and educator known for performances characterized by authenticity and emotional depth. Bill Brennan is a seasoned pianist, percussionist, composer, and producer with a career spanning over three decades, during which he has collaborated with renowned artists and contributed to numerous recordings. This evening will showcase the diverse musical styles of these remarkable artists. Pricing: HST will be added to your ticket(s) at checkout. Adult: $25.00 Children (6-12) and Seniors (65+): $20.00 No physical tickets will be provided. You will need to have your order confirmation ready at the door. Free parking is available, along with paid parking options. Metrobus routes are within a 2-minute walk. All orders are subject to HST and service fees. Information Source: Opera on the Avalon | eventbrite

“Is This the Hill You Wish You’d Died On?” is a ghost story for people who don’t believe in ghosts. It’s the story of Taylorbeth, a young Newfoundland woman in her early 20s, who visits the grave of her great-great-grandmother Theresa in an old St. John’s graveyard. Taylorbeth, who is working through her grief over the death of a friend, has always admired the story of Theresa, who was shunned by her Irish Catholic family for marrying a Protestant in 1870s St. John’s. She looks to Theresa as an example of resilience and courage. But when Theresa actually appears, Taylorbeth (who doesn’t believe in ghosts) has to confront the many ways in which her values and Theresa’s don’t align. Theresa is soon joined by three other ghosts: her daughter Lizzie, matriarch of a large clan, and two of Lizzie’s daughters – the brilliant and cynical university professor Jean, and the devout and idealistic Isabel who died young from tuberculosis. The stories these women tell Taylorbeth about their lives echo and sometimes clash with the family stories she's heard about them. She admires them, yet she’s troubled by how central their religious faith is to all their lives. Taylorbeth is angry not just at her family’s religious past but at all religion – and we learn as the play unfolds that she has good reason to be. Her best friend Danielle died by suicide a year ago, and Taylorbeth blames the suicide on Danielle’s deeply religious family, who refused to accept their queer daughter. Taylorbeth struggles to square her admiration for her ancestors with their loyalty to a belief system she sees as toxic and deadly. When the ancestral ghosts are joined by Taylorbeth’s dead friend Danielle and her very-much-alive mother Gail (who also doesn’t believe in ghosts), all these tensions come to the surface in a final confrontation. What, if anything, can the living learn from the dead – and vice versa? Pick up your free Year of the Arts Women’s Play Festival passport and get a stamp for every night you attend! Doors Open 6:30PM Venue Information: Parking: We are located in the heart of Downtown St. John’s at 81 Cochrane Street, and there is no dedicated parking lot. On-street parking is available throughout the neighbourhood between April-November. For blue-zone pass holders, there is one accessible parking space on the ramp that leads up to the front doors. Accessibility: Although we have made progress towards full accessibility with our recent upgrade to the ramp leading to the main doors, there are some features of our building that may be challenging to navigate for some audience members. The floor seating is all one level with a gentle downward slope leading to the front of the space, and there is one row with extra leg room that we designate as accessible seating because it has more room for placement of mobility aids. There is a ramp to the washroom area as well, and we've recently renovated so that all doors are button-operated in the washroom area. Please note that the balcony seating area is only accessible via staircase. If you have any other questions or concerns about accessibility, or would like to request specific accommodations, please contact lauren@firstlightnl.ca and we'll do what we can. Community Spirit: Donations of food items, and personal care items are graciously accepted at the door for tenants of First Light's Indigenous-priority affordable housing units. Information Source: First Light Arts | eventbrite

The Champions + Music@Work Come join us at The Rock House for an epic night of music and fun! Get ready to rock out with The Champions (Queen) and groove to the beats of Music@Work (Tragically Hip). This event promises to be a night to remember, filled with great live music, good vibes, and unforgettable memories. Don't miss out on this incredible experience! Information Source: Savanna Muscat | eventbrite

This week we will walk the Bowring Park Loop!Meeting location will be the big gravel parking lot - 399 Waterford Bridge Road / Park Road Information Source: First Light | eventbrite