Emily Carr: Small Wonders, a musical about the young life of an artist, comes to the Tsawwassen Arts Centre this Saturday.
Book, music and lyrics by Ladner playwright Allen Desnoyers, the performance is set for 2 p.m. at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre.
The Canadiana Musical Theatre presentation has toured extensively throughout Western Canada since it was conceived seven years ago. The show just finished a tour of Alberta with performances in Edmonton, Stony Plain, Calgary, High River, Carstairs and Olds.
“It’s a show that focuses predominately on what were the passions of Emily Carr’s life as a young person that encouraged her to pursue a life as an artist,” said Desnoyers. “I studied piano in Victoria many years back just a few blocks from where she grew up, (so I’m) pretty familiar with the many places she visited.
“I thought it would be a remarkable thing to focus on her young life, particularly because Anne of Green Gables is kind of an Eastern story, but Emily Carr has so many similarities to Anne of Green Gables being an outsider or misfit, that I thought it would be lovely to do.”
Desnoyers said Carr was also a phenomenal author and musician.
“You might say she was kind of the Joni Mitchell of her day,” he said. “A lot of these elements are close to my heart. I had an affinity to be in the visual arts, as well as a musician and a writer, and I recognized that kind of restless, driving spirit of a creative artist in her writing. I find her an incredibly inspiring human being.”
Desnoyers said the story is how she discovers her art, affirmed in it by her own father and is told musically, partially through English-folk style songs he wrote as well as orchestral pieces recorded in advance.
“We have this wonderful sonic backdrop that kind of echoes the era and the artistic journey that she is on,” he said. “I think it is quite moving, a beautiful piece.”
Advanced tickets for the show are $15 for adults ($18 at the door), $12 for seniors/students and $10 for children 12 and under. They’re available by calling 604-943-9437 or visit DeltaReg.ca (barcode 450812).
Doors open for the performance at 1:30 p.m.
