CRITIC’S PICKS: American Dreamer; Take Flight; Allison Brown
AMERICAN DREAMER
Where: The Vic Theatre,
808 Douglas St., Victoria
When: June 1-6
Tickets: victoriafilmfestival.com
Why: This comedy-drama starring Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine (with support from Matt Dillon and Danny Glover) finally has a theatrical release, which will matter to Victorians who may recall scenes being shot around Victoria (including the Parliament Buildings) in 2021. Two years of studio delays is never a good thing in the movie world, but the film was written by Theodore Melfi, who scored an Academy Award nomination for co-writing Hidden Figures, so all is not lost. American Dreamer’s fourscreening theatrical run in
Victoria is liable to be met with a resounding response, so prepare in advance if you’re hoping to see local flavour writ large on screen.
TAKE FLIGHT
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Sq., Victoria When: Thursday, May 30, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $29.75-$34.75 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: Could the next prima ballerina be in our midst? There’s a world of possibility when a student showcase brings its yearend production to the stage, and the Victoria Academy of Ballet has its share of capable dancers participating in Take Flight, which includes excerpts from classics such as Giselle and Don Quixote in addition to contemporary works by Orlando Ballet’s
Jorden Morris and Victoria’s Alysa Pires, the first Canadian woman commissioned by New York City Ballet. If nothing else, patrons who attend Take Flight will give students from the school’s professional division a sympathetic landing prior to graduation. That’s never a bad thing.
ALLISON BROWN
Where: Wheelies Motorcycles, 2620 Rock Bay Ave., Victoria When: Friday, May 31, 9 p.m. (doors at 8)
Tickets: $10 on eventbrite.ca
Why: You won’t have to cast a wide net if you’re looking for rootsy Ontario singer-songwriter Allison Brown in the coming weeks. The performer — not to be confused with Connecticutbred banjoist Alison Brown — has been on Vancouver Island since May 3, and has a string of
concerts and festival appearance on tap through August, beginning with her appearance Friday alongside Victoria’s Dan Belgue at Wheelies Motorcycles in Rock Bay. She’ll also give a performance for the Victoria Folk Society on Sunday, followed by appearances on Salt Spring
Island (June 8) and in Duncan (July 26-28) before saying farewell to the area with a Victoria return (at Caffe Fantastico) on Aug. 16. Her new EP, Just Another Memory, is currently available for free on Brown’s website — take it for a spin.