Dinner Concert Series




Spring 2008!

Built in 1889, The Ashcroft Opera House hosts a fabulous International vegetarian buffet and presents dinner concerts and dinner theater. Be delighted by the incredible acoustics, the rustic elegance, the intimate atmosphere and Martin's culinary creations. 

An evening to be remembered.





Regular Concert Times:

Weekdays  7:30pm  -  Fridays & Saturdays  8:00pm  -  Sundays  7:00pm

Come for dinner one hour before the show! $18.50 ($15 for members, seniors and students)

Download the Opera House Schedule



Saturday August 23

Alan Moberg




Wednesday & Thursday August 27 & 28

The Motherlode




The Motherlodetouring road show is taking the musical story of the discovery of gold and the birth of British Columbia to communities of B.C. The BC rush for gold from 1858 through the 1860s was the greatest world migration of the time and included people from virtually every continent.They arrived in a country populated by First Nations and a few Europeans in scattered HBC posts, a land that had only seen the first intrusions 50 years previously with the arrival of by Europeans. Motherlodecentres around a meeting of several characters from the 1850’s who find themselves sharing an evening at one of the many roadhouses along the Cariboo Road. The musical play explores and highlights the multi-cultural make-up of the thousands of pioneers who participated in the creation of the Cariboo Road and the very establish- ment of the province as a part of Canada. Newman and

Wright have created an entertaining story illustrating the early history of colonial British Columbia. The title Motherlodedenotes the upstream travel of the miners searching for the source of gold. Similarly it is the travel of the province toward the union with Canada. It reflects the current struggle and upstream travel toward economic development and sustainability for today’s communities. The musical production and the accompanying workshops is an initiative of The New Pathways to Gold Society, and Newman & Wright Theatre Company, who operate the Theatre Royal, in Barkerville Historic Town. Until recently the arts and culture of early BC has not been well exhibited, with the exception of a few heritage sites. Barkerville’s Theatre Royal, under the stewardship of Newman & Wright has been a leader in this field and will bring the stories, poems and songs of this time to audiences. N&W have produced shows in Barkerville for five years, reaching an audience of approximately 100,000, entertaining and introducing them to the excitement of historical music and drama.The script for the Motherlodeshow was developed by the collaborative team of Ross Desprez, Richard Wright and Don Hauka, with musical direction by Alison Jenkins.




Wed & Thurs - workshops @ 2pm ~ FREE!

Show $15 regular, $10 members, students and seniors.




Saturday  August 30

Joey Only



This six piece psychedelic electric folk act created a bluesygrass country sound that was completely their own. The intensity, speed and musical freedom of the Outlaws convinced audiences that this band could pull out any trick, any time. The Outlaws toured western Canada four times, excelled on festival stages and sent their first recording JOEY ONLY OUTLAW BAND EP to 8 on the Earshot charts for independent and campus radio in Canada. In their first 18 months the Outlaws played an incredible 140 shows through western Canada while Joey Only continued to tour east alone. The Outlaws new album FIRE ON ANARCHIST MOUNTAIN is highly anticipated and promises to be an instant classic when it is released in July 2008.

www.joeyonly.com        Show $20, members $15





Thursday September 11

Po’ Girl


The beauty and mystery of Po Girl's music - a sound that has beguiled fans the world over - springs from the dynamic, improbable, mesmerizing bond shared by its two principle singers and writers - Allison Russell and Awna Teixeira. Hailing from Montreal and Toronto respectively, both women left untenable home situations at fourteen, found music instead of bad ends, and lived to sing the tales. The interplay between these two stunning performers is truly something to behold - and after honing it relentlessly in 13 countries in the last 12 months, the ladies are set to release a true testament to their bond and to their tremendous growth as writers in the last years. Casual Po' Girl fans may not be ready for what they will hear…

www.pogirl.net        Show $20, members $15


Saturday September 20

Earthbound


Nothing less than incredible vocal expression delivered by singer/songwriter Kira Haug and supported by multi instrumentalist Evan Wilds,who in addition to guitar, keys & sitar, delivers harmony vocals. Taking you to the world of soul, beats, jazzed horns & funk are horn duo Graham & Kevin How, ace of bass Peter Mehrfert and Kelowna session drummers Scot Grant and Mark Greenhalgh. Taste the funky, soulful sound & celebrate the brilliant collection of dance inducing tracks, with the release of the much anticipated debut Earthbound CD, almost 2 years in the making. It's a clever blend of organic tracks from acoustic guitars, horns and fender rhodes to elements of electronica.

www.earthboundmusic.ca    Show $20, members $15



Wednesday September 24

Heather Blush



Heather Blushes’ songwriting and vocals are most often compared to Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, and Maria Muldaur, but her style is truly unique.  Her songs are difficult to categorize, but are most often described as jazz, folk, and R&B-influenced. Her eclectic style is not surprising when you consider her background as a classically-trained pianist, folk guitarist, and jazz vocalist.
Heather's debut CD, First Blush, released in March 2005, was recorded with Juno award-winning producer Dan Donahue (Valdy, Connie Kaldor) of Winnipeg.  It received radio play nationally, and as far away as Portugal, Spain, and Serbia. Her Latest release ‘Vice’ is getting rave reviews across the country  and is played almost daily on the CBC.  Heather is definitely one of Canada’s up and coming premiere jazz vocalists. 

www.heatherblush.com www.myspace.com/heatherblushtriples www.getlivemusic.com



Saturday October 4

The Polyjesters


The Polyjesters are Canadian brothers Jason and Sheldon Valleau who hail from Alberta and honed their musical talents in Europe playing for everyone from passers-by while they busked to the Prince of Monaco. Since then they have been everywhere, including the Epcot Centre and sharing the stage with the famed Trailer Park Boys. It’s a bumpy, twisting road they travel rife with adventure, great stories and excellent music.


They play everything from Billie Holiday to The Beatles…from old swing/jazz standards to alternative country. A breadth of musical appreciation that produced their special home-grown blend called CHUNK, a unique sound that is highly energetic, completely contagious, unfailingly entertaining and appeals to a wide range of musical taste.         

Have a listen …  www.polyjesters.com     


Thanksgiving Monday, October 13

Garnet Rogers

Garnet Rogers has established himself as 'One of the major talents of our time". Hailed by the Boston Globe as a "charismatic performer and singer", Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence - close to six and a half feet tall - with a voice to match. With his "smooth, dark baritone" (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere. His music, like the man himself, is literate, passionate, highly sensitive, and deeply purposeful. Cinematic in detail, his songs "give expression to the unspoken vocabulary of the heart" (Kitchener Waterloo Record). An optimist at heart, Garnet sings extraordinary songs about people who are not obvious heroes and of the small victories of the everyday. As memorable as his songs, his over-the-top humour and lightning-quick wit moves his audience from tears to laughter and back again.

www.garnetrogers.com     Show starts @ 7pm  - $20, members $15



Sunday October 19
Winter Harp

Look out Opera House patrons -- a nyckelharpa and bass psaltery are coming to town. That’s right, Celtic harpist and singer Lori Pappajohn returns to the Opera House with Janelle Nadeau and Joaquin Ayala and their eclectic collection of odd instruments that you’ve probably never seen  or heard before.

You’ll be treated to Celtic, Gothic and classical harps, singing, and an array of fascinating and rare medieval instruments. And you’ll hear them in a world music setting with everything from Celtic to medieval, flamenco and the blues.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry -- and if you are lucky, you may even get a chance to play one of these odd instruments.

Nominated BC Touring Artist of the Year, Lori Pappajohn and Winter Harp have appeared numerous times on radio and television. The acclaimed ensemble’s sold-out concert tours consistently garner standing ovations.

PS: Go to the website and check out the frocks -- these musicians know how to dress!

www.winterharp.com       Show $30 members $25  




Wednesday October 22

Rita Chiarelli


"Rita Chiarelli… a voice that can growl at her demons or soar with the angels, a gift for lyric, an ear for melody and the heart to combine them." She is an accomplished singer-songwriter, a gifted vocalist and a skilled musician. Add to that a warm persona and a fine sense of humour and you have all the ingredients for an outstanding performer. Rita Chiarelli's style defies definition. Although dubbed the goddess of Canadian blues by CBC's Shelagh Rogers, Chiarelli is equally comfortable belting out the blues; delivering her original material, crooning an Italian folk song or wailing R&B or an Elvis Presley cover tune. At first listen it's her voice – that three octave range - that garners all the attention! But Rita's songwriting is also outstanding; three of her four JUNO nominations have been for albums consisting largely of original material.       www.ritachiarelli.com




Saturday November 1

National Steel Blues Tour




Hard as nails, tough as steel, but with a warm silver glow stretching from coast to coast. Join Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett, two of Canada’s most uncompromising, most travelled and most storied acoustic blues artists as they bring the real deal to your town. Feel the heat from two vintage National Steel guitars, up close and personal. Experience true blues on the edge and share the inspirations of these veteran artists, together only for this unique tour. The Ammo's in the Icebox, and there's a raw steak on a plate, cut like a valentine. So be ready.

http://nationalsteelblues.blogspot.com





Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 7, 8 & 9

Connie Kaldor



Connie Kaldor is a performer without borders. A contradiction in terms. She is a Juno-award winning singer who has flourished on the folk music scene for over two decades yet her repertoire of original material blurs musical boundaries, embracing elements of gospel, rock, country and western, folk, blue grass and adult contemporary. Her live performances are legendary and her fan base broad and fiercely loyal. People come back to see her again and again because a Connie Kaldor performance is about more than just the power of music. It is also about the power of personality. What she says between songs is as intriguing as the lyrics she sings.

www.conniekaldor.com    Show $30, members $25




Sunday November 16

Dust Poets




The Dust Poets are a five-piece acoustic folk-pop group with roots deep in the Canadian prairie. The band pokes affectionate fun at themselves and the world around them while spreading their own irreverent brand of small town angst. The Dust Poets have performed extensively across Canada and are well known for their infectious spirit, powerful stage presence, genre-bending originals, hot instrumental chops, and juicy harmony singing.

www.dustpoets.com    Show $25, members $20







Visa, MC, Interac and cash accepted at the door.

All purchases final ~ no refunds ~ GST and gratuity not included

Email us at info@ashcroftoperahouse.com

or call  (250) 453-9009