THEATRE
What: A Christmas Carol
Where: Craigdarroch Castle, 1050 Joan Cres.
When: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Dec. 19 to 23, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets: $20 ($18 for members) through thecastle.ca or 250-592-5323
Why: Jason Stevens has staged his one-man version of the Charles Dickens classic on stages across North America, so don鈥檛 miss out on this small-scale wonder when it arrives for 12 performances at Craigdarroch Castle during the course of the next week. Stevens (who will be familiar to some from his role in Theatre Inconnu鈥檚 The Pillowman) has earned raves for his multi-layered portrayals, which will fill the fourth-floor Craigdarroch ballroom with Christmas spirit. Highly recommended, especially for patrons ages 13 and up. 鈥� Mike Devlin, sa国际传媒
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MUSIC
What: Tidings: Allison Crowe with C茅line Sawchuk
Where: Charlie White Theatre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Sidney
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29 ($24 for students and seniors) at the Mary Winspear box office, tickets.marywinspear.ca or by phone at 250-656-0275
Why: Nanaimo鈥檚 Allison Crowe (who now lives in Corner Brook, N.L.) makes a point of coming home for Christmas each year, which is a very good thing for fans of her piano- and guitar-driven folk. Crowe is back on Vancouver Island this weekend to stage Tidings, her annual concert of seasonal fare at the Charlie White Theatre in Sidney. She鈥檚 bringing help in the form of cellist C茅line Sawchuk, who recently moved to Salt Spring Island from Germany鈥檚 Black Forest. The pair will deliver a sure-to-please set of originals and traditional Christmas and holiday favourites, ranging from Silent Night to In the Bleak Midwinter. Glad tidings, indeed. 鈥� MD
MARKETS
What: Fourth Annual Christmas Market
Where: Copper Owl, 1900 Douglas St.
When: Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: Free
Why: If it鈥檚 happening at the Copper Owl, you can bet the fourth annual Christmas Market will have some funk in the trunks on display. Local vendors with a wide selection of hand-crafted products (gifts, jewelry, fibre arts) will be joined at the table by a DJ jollying the mood with rare Christmas tunes. Speaking of music, vinyl records will also be for sale, which will attract record hounds, so expect a crowd. But what is the Christmas shopping season if not for fighting your brothers and sisters in a mad rush to find the perfect gift? 鈥� MD
