The circus brings this local family together

Lively City column by Dan Hilborn
Published Nov. 17, 2004


A family from Burnaby will be literally swinging from the rafters at the Inlet Theatre this weekend with a live show that combines music, acting and circus style performances.

The Necklace is a unique multimedia performance that features the fiery acrobatics of Peter and Ninon Boulanger, formerly of Cirque de Soleil, plus the music of brother Bernie Boulanger's Vancouver-based Latin pop band, The Colorifics.

"The story is set in the 1940s - gangster time - and it was inspired by my brothers' music, which has a kind of loungey, jazzy feel," said Peter Boulanger of The Underground Circus, the only full- time professional acrobatic troupe in the Lower Mainland.

"It's almost like a musical, except every once in a while a circus act breaks out," he said

The Necklace, which runs Nov. 19 to 21, is the troupe's first theatrical circus show, which features a dozen circus tricks including "The Phoenix" and the tesseract climbing apparatus.

"It's not a kids' show, but kids would enjoy it," Boulanger said. "There's nothing offensive, but the humour and sensibilities are definitely aimed at adults."

Bernie, the musician in the family, is best known for his Latin pop band The Colorifics, and is currently working on a second album with his country music combo Blackfeather.

The brothers will also present excerpts from The Necklace when they play at the First Night festivities in Vancouver this New Year's Eve.

Tickets to The Necklace are $18 adults and $15 for students or seniors, and are available from the Port Moody Arts Centre box office, 2425 St. John's St., or by calling 604-931-2008.

A BOOK SIGNING

Ron Nason moved to Burnaby only one year ago, but he's already making waves in the world of self-publishing.

Nason, a retired criminal investigator from the largest sheriff's office in the U.S. state of Maine, will be signing copies of his new book The Northern Lotus at the Brentwood Mall Coles bookstore this weekend.

"It's a police action-adventure novel that takes place in Alaska and Hawaii," said Nason. "It's written for people who like adventure that's as close to the truth as fiction possibly can be."

Nason was living in Hawaii when he began writing, and only moved to Canada by virtue of a twist of fate. Using the Internet to find a proofreader, he met up with a woman from Calgary, fell in love, and the author was enticed to cross the 49th parallel.

Nason has also written a short story for children - Bandits in the Grapes, about a family of raccoons - that will be available at the book signing event.

CODE GREEN IS COMING

Calling all homeowners! How would you like to turn your abode into an icon of environmental responsibility, become famous and win a hybrid car all at the same time?

The producers of a new mini-series, Code Green, are looking for four Lower Mainland homeowners to enter the competition and be part of the two-part program that will air on the CBC this spring.

The chosen entrants will get lots of advice before being handed $15,000 to upgrade their furnace, lighting fixtures, appliances, insulation, windows and more to reduce energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Once the retrofits have been completed, the competing families will have their home energy use remeasured, and the winning family will take away a 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid car.

"The best thing about Code Green is that everyone wins," said producer Daniel Leipnik. "Each of the homeowners is going to receive $15,000 in upgrades to their homes; they're going to qualify for a rebate from the federal government; they'll see the value of their homes increase; and, for years to come, they'll see reduced electricity and gas bills."

For more information, including complete details on what kind of home is eligible, check out the website www.codegreen.tv.

FOOTLIGHT GETS FANCY

As Burnaby Village Museum gears up for its busiest time of year, the folks at Footlight Theatre are putting the finishing touches on their new production, The Red Lamp.

The play, written by Hilliard Booth in 1914, revolves around the overuse of a red lantern to signal the neighbours in the Deering household. Alice Deering uses the lamp to signal her lover, Harold uses the lamp to signal a hungry tramp and Aunt Matilda uses the lamp to tell a neighbour to come over for tea.

The play stars Mary Adams, Caroline Chojnacki, Ryan Johnson, Adam Lolacher, Marianne LaRochelle and Kevin Sloan and is directed by Marty Gagnon.

Admission to The Red Lamp is free with a paid visit to the Burnaby Village Museum from Nov. 20 to Dec. 19. For exact show times, call the museum at 604-293-6501.

Bye Bye Birdie continues at the Shadbolt Centre until Nov. 26. For reservations, contact 604-205-3000.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR VOICES

The Vancouver Children's Choir presents an Evensong for St. Cecilia at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver this Sunday afternoon.

Claire Hougan, Crystal Lam, Sarah Lam and Emily Wilkerson are the local voices in the choir, which performs at 3 p.m., Nov. 21 at the recently renovated cathedral, 690 Burrard St.