One of Canada’s longest-running theatres is gearing up to celebrate its diamond anniversary, and it includes an exciting lineup of upcoming events in New Westminster.
Massey Theatre is celebrating its 75th season with international artists and local stars making up the 2024/2025 Mainstage and Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces Studio Series presentations.
The fun starts in November with the highly anticipated Kid Koala’s Nufonia Must Fall, an immersive multimedia experience brought to life by 15 puppeteers, musicians, cinematographers, and technicians. Tickets for all events are on sale now.
“We are passionate about bringing high quality, incredible performances to our stages,” said Jessica Schneider, executive director, Massey Theatre Society. “This is your chance to see something new.
“It is our passion to provide so much for you to discover and make the Massey and Eighth & Eight your go-to venues for the arts.”
Kid Koala’s Nufonia Must Fall, directed by Oscar-nominated production designer K.K. Barrett, features over 20 miniature sets and eight cameras. The acclaimed Vancouver DJ will be accompanied by the Afiara String Quartet, with each scene performed, filmed and projected in real-time onto a large screen above the stage.
The lineup for the Mainstage Series also includes the 25th International Guitar Night on February 1, 2025, curated by Brian Gore. You won’t want to miss performances by Lulo Reinhardt, Alexandra Whittingham, Niwel Tsumbu and Sönke Meinen showcasing a variety of styles.
Niwel Tsumbu (Massey Theatre/Facebook)
Just one week later, on February 8, Ballet Jörgen: Sleeping Beauty the Ballet takes to the stage for a magical interpretation of the timeless story of Aurora and her prince. The performance will include the original 1890 score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and is set to a libretto based on Charles Perrault’s story La Belle au Bois Dormant.
Audiences will also want to make plans to check out The Eighth & Eight Creative Spaces Studio Series, which will spotlight the over 75,000-sq-ft Massey Theatre Arts Complex.
Whether you’re visiting the Massey Theatre, Plaskett Gallery, multipurpose, performance, or dance studios, digital labs, or the Garden/Gathering Space, the New Westminster arts haven offers something for everyone to discover.
Ballet Jörgen’s Sleeping Beauty: the Ballet (Massey Theatre/Facebook)
Highlights include The Performing Arts & Technology Festival: A Celebration of Arts, Technology, and Community from November 14 to 17, Old School Music Hall Series in Studio 1C with upcoming performers such as Krystle dos Santos and Ndidi O, and classic film scholar Michael van den Bos treating audiences to a deep dive of Razzle Dazzle Divas, the Flair of Fred Astaire, and more.
“The Old School Music Hall Series includes dynamic music events sure to get the heart pounding and feet dancing,” said Massey Theatre Society in a release. “This series harkens back to the days of community Music Halls and celebrates musical artistry, diversity, and sharing musical experiences with friends, neighbours, and friends you haven’t met yet.”
To see Massey Theatre’s full 2024-2025 season lineup, visit them online.