Qusenel Live Arts has its lineup of artists performing at Chuck Mobley Theatre in Correlieu Secondary starting Sept. 27 with the jazzy music of the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio.
The Qusenel Live Arts members have worked to ensure a diversity of musical performances throughout the season. There will be performances from the comedic musical show Piano Heist to JUNO award winning singer Wesli whose Haitian roots influence his musical style.
Colleen Brines is a member of Quesnel Live Arts and she told The Observer one of the challenges for them will be getting the piano onto the stage for the first show.
"There's no way of moving it onto the stage easily," she said of when they're holding performances at Correlieu that involve a piano. "We bring somebody in, usually from Kamloops, who has a cradle. Who takes the piano apart, puts it on the stage, puts it back together."
Brines said she's always been passionate about arts and culture and hopes events like the shows put on by Quesnel Live Arts and the events of the upcoming culture days give people the opportunity to appreciate art.
"I was a kindergarten/grade one teacher and it was really important to me that we'd have artists come in. That the kids would learn how to appreciate and pay attention to things like that," she said. "Unless young people learn to appreciate and understand music, theatre and dance, they're not going to when they're older."
Quesnel Live Arts has been working to bring performances to the city for nearly 60 years. Throughout the years they've had the goal of including a diversity of performances with everything from Indigenous performances, Celtic music, acapella groups and dances and much more being made available to Quesnel.
The 2024/2025 season will have seven shows from September to April.
- Sept. 27: The Jeremy Ledbetter Trio (Latin jazz trio)
- Oct. 29: Duo Cordelia (Classical violin and piano)
- Nov. 19: Piano Heist (theatrical wonder, comedy, stories and musical madness)
- Dec. 3: A Christmas special, separate from the regular season, O-Celli (eight cellists)
- Jan. 20: T. Buckley (Canadian folk)
- Feb. 8: Sechile Sedare (contemporary roots duo)
- Apr. 24: Wesli (Haitian world music)
Brines loves that the arts are easy for anyone to take part in.
"I can't roller skate. I can't go cross-country skiing anymore. But I can go to the theatre and I can appreciate music. I can appreciate dance when we get it. And I love virtually every form of the arts. I think everyone else should too," she said.
Tickets for the shows can be purchased at the Quesnel Live Arts website, Save On Foods, Homesteader Health, at the door or occasionally at the farmer's market. All performances start at 7:30 p.m.
