Hey Viola!

TDAC’s Performing Arts Trail Series presents Hey Viola! Viola Desmond – The Soundtrack of a Life on Friday October 13th at 7:30 pm at The Bailey Theatre.

Tickets – $30 Adult. Tickets 30 years and under $10.

Performing Arts Trail Series Pass – 6 shows for $164.00. NEW – Purchase a 2023-24 Patron Membership $25 and get a 20% discount on all 2023-24 shows presented by Trail & District Arts Council (some exceptions apply) plus more benefits. More details here.

In Hey Viola! Vancouver songstress and actor Krystle Dos Santos, whose extraordinary commanding, powerful and rich voice, brings to life Viola Desmond by using a dynamic and inspirational live musical soundtrack from the 1930s to 1960s. With the support of musicians Chris Davis, Steven Charles and Jen Lewin, Krystal explores the many facets of this incredible woman through stories and song in a jazz-style cabaret.

Hey Viola! could not be more relevant in this time of Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter, and Women’s Rights movements. As the newest face on Canada’s ten-dollar bill, Viola Desmond’s life is an important Canadian story. This multi-faceted person is brought to life through an interactive conversation with the audience. Best known for her courage to stand up to systemic racial injustices in Canada when she refused to leave the whites-only section of Nova Scotia’s Roseland cinema in 1946, she was also a feminist and successful businesswoman as a beauty product icon.

Teaming up to create this work are two immense talents: Tracey Power and Krystle Dos Santos. Tracey Powers, who created Glory, Chelsea Hotel, The Songs of Leonard Cohen and the musical Miss Shakespeare is the co-creator and director. Working with her is Krystle Dos Santos, 2x Western Canadian Music Award winning soul, jazz and R&B singer based out of Vancouver, Canada. With an extraordinary actor, blues, jazz and soul singer and creator of BLAK, exploring Canada’s Black history.

“I feel so honoured to be able to continue to share Viola’s story, now more than ever as we continue to make our way through a time when perspective and togetherness is so important,” stated Krystle Dos Santos. “Viola was such an incredibly driven, intelligent, and strong woman. Her story is an important message to share … audiences really open up to her experience and feel a connection to her as a person through this production.”

The show features iconic songs, including: I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, Dream A Little Dream, This Train, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Tomorrow is my Turn, A Kiss to Build a Dream On, A Change is Gonna Come, Sinnerman, Trouble In Mind, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, Smile, Feeling Good, Mississippi Goddam, and I Wish I Knew How It would Feel to be Free.

“Hey Viola! gives us a surprisingly in-depth portrait of an extraordinary woman, a pioneering Canadian entrepreneur and reluctant civil rights hero and martyr…first-rate entertainment, a story of hard-earned hope generously told with artistry and class.” – Vancouver Sun

“Raw, genuine, and emotional”- Broadway World

90 min – no intermission. Reserved Seating. All tickets available online at tickets.trail-arts.com, by phone at 250-368-9669, and in person at the Bailey Box Office at 1501 Cedar Ave., Trail.

Photo by Murray Mitchell.

This performance is made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors The Best Western Plus Columbia River Hotel, Century 21 Kootenay Homes (2018) Ltd., Pharmasave Trail, Teck Trail Operations, Tourism South Kootenay and media sponsor Bounce FM, as well as our funders the BC Arts Council, BC Touring Council, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

2023-24 Performing Arts Trail Series includes:

Hey Viola! on Friday, October 13 at 7:30 pm.
A musical exploration of Canadian Civil Rights hero Viola Desmond using a live musical soundtrack of iconic songs from the 1930s to 1960s. Vancouver songstress and actor Krystle Dos Santos uses her extraordinary powerful and rich voice to explore the life of this incredible woman through stories and song. Tickets $30.

Casting Off by A Good Catch on Friday, November 3 at 7:30 pm.
Award-winning Australian circus group Casting Off throws away stereotypes as these dynamic women tumble, talk, and balance precariously. This joyful, witty, and family-friendly circus show is a refreshing and uplifting conversation between three generations. “…a multi-faceted gem of a spectacle”. Tickets $30.

The High Bar Gang on Saturday, February 10 at 7:30 pm.
The Juno Award nominated BC supergroup uses stunning vocal harmonies for a unique take on old time bluegrass. The Band is – Dave Barber: banjo, mandolin, guitar, vocals; Kirby Barber: vocals, guitar, bass; Rob Becker: bass; Barney Bentall: vocals, guitar; Wendy Bird: vocals, guitar; Colin Nairne: guitar, mandolin, vocals; Shari Ulrich: vocals, fiddle, mandolin. Tickets $30.

Ballet Jörgen’s Anne of Green Gables – The Ballet® on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:00 pm.
A uniquely Canadian story of a young orphan whose imaginative spirit changes lives, Anne of Green Gables the beloved novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery is now a full-length ballet. Making the production even more special, a company of 16-20 dancers will be joined on stage by 8 local participants. Tickets $45.

The Wilds by WONDERHEADS on Tuesday, March 5 at 7:30 pm.
The moving and magical wordless award-winning show, about a man’s journey into The Wilds to find his wife and beloved tree, features WONDERHEADS’ signature masks and captivating puppetry to move its audiences to both laughter and tears. The show is Pixar meets Miyazaki with a touch of Henson. Tickets $30.

Arts Club Theatre’s Made in Italy on Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 pm.
A one-man, hilariously heartwarming show that celebrates family and food by weaving the electrifying music of the 1970s with classic Italian tunes. A second-generation Italian teen struggling to find his place in Jasper, Alberta, reinvents himself as a crooner and ladies’ man. Equal parts comedy, music, and heart.
Tickets $40.