SPOTLIGHT Special Presentations

SPOTLIGHT Special Presentation Series has something for everyone!

Season Events

Shane Koyczan
Performing Arts Centre Society Presents

Shane Koyczan

SPOTLIGHT Special Presentation
25 09 04 Shane Koyczan 320

$40 Adult
$30 Student
Includes fees & charges

The world caught a glimpse of Shane Koyczan’s prodigious Spoken Word talent with his presentation at the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver. This stand-out performance shone a bright light on this street poet from Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.

Shane, an artist, inches away from living on the street and even in those troubled times, was putting out work like “To This Day”, a video that’s garnered 24 million views and used worldwide in classrooms as a teaching tool, as well in speech and forensic competitions. His second book, “Stickboy”, was adapted by Vancouver Opera. His voice has been sought after by luminaries like director George Miller, who worked with Shane on “Mad Max: Fury Road”. Koyczan also created the piece, “Shoulders”, which he toured with David Suzuki as part of The Blue Dot Tour, a movement to enshrine environmental rights in the constitution.

A collaborator with artists such as Ani DiFranco, Dan Mangan, Tanya Tagaq, and others, Koyczan has elevated the Spoken Word art form, from its humble beginnings in after-hour cafes to stages both grand and distant. Shane brings an authenticity to his work that connects with audiences, as evidenced by his fiercely honest TED Talk, which highlights the kind of humanity he brings to each performance.

Not just a poet moving from one subject to the next, Shane weaves his pieces together in a spellbinding narrative that show audiences themes that stretch over our lives. Koyczan continues moving through the difficult parts of our existence with humour in heart, and a notepad in hand; he scribbles down the whispers inside us and uses laughter as a poultice to press against our wounds.

In 2017 Shane invited us deep into family trauma with the documentary “Shut Up And Say Something”, an emotional trip through his past as he comes to terms with his estranged father. The film won Most Popular Documentary at Vancouver International Film Festival, moving audiences with its bravery and vulnerability.

An artist whose work has transgressed genres and given breath to a new generation of voices, Shane Koyczan wears the mantle of human and dares others to discover what that means.

Shane Koyczan – “We Are More (Define Canada)”

A Perfectly Reasonable Night of Comedy

A Perfectly Reasonable Night of Comedy

SPOTLIGHT Special Presentation

$45 Adult
$40 Senior 60+
$25 Student 24yr or under
*includes all fees and tax

Step out of the house for an unforgettable evening with Peter Oldring and Pat Kelly (CBC Radio’s This is That) as they reunite with Carolyn Taylor (Baroness von Sketch Show). These comedy powerhouses come together for the first time since their early days at The Second City to deliver a delightfully absurd and wildly entertaining variety show. Presenting a little bit of what made This is That and Baroness von Sketch so special, your algorithm has no business being in the theatre during this evening when these seasoned comedians launch into their exceedingly reasonable evening of comedy. Don’t miss this rare and hysterical reunion!

CAROLYN TAYLOR is a whip-smart comedian, writer and actor known for her fearless satire and bold sense of humour. As a co-creator and star of CBC’s hit show The Baroness von Sketch Show, and creator of I Have Nothing on Crave, she’s won fans and accolades with her unique blend of sharp social commentary and character-driven sketches.

PAT KELLY is a creative powerhouse and co-creator of CBC’s acclaimed satirical radio show, This is That, with the touring stage version playing the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre in Fall 2017. Known for his sharp wit and knack for finding humour in the everyday absurd, Pat has carved a unique space in comedy, blending smart storytelling with biting satire, such as his memorable TED Talks parody.

PETER OLDRING is a comedian, actor and improviser celebrated for his chameleon-like ability to inhabit ridiculous characters. From his award-winning work on CBC’s This is That, to standout performances in film and TV, Peter has charmed audiences from coast to coast for over 30 years, always unpredictable and endlessly funny.

DON’T MISS “A PERFECTLY REASONABLE NIGHT OF COMEDY”!

Five Alarm Funk
Vernon & District Performing Arts Society Presents

Five Alarm Funk

SPOTLIGHT Mainstage Concert
Five Alarm Funk Poster Custom

$42 Per Person
Including fees & charges

Five Alarm Funk is Canada's premiere sonic and visual assault. With 20 years experience, in high voltage Funk infusion, FAF has carved a new path of live entertainment. The engagement, the hilarity, the precision and execution have heralded these manic Funk Bots with eight studio albums, two JUNO Award nominations, three Western Canadian Music Awards and a rap sheet of positive reviews.

Over the last 20 years, the band has toured premiere festivals across the globe in Canada, USA, Taiwan and even all the way to Mali, Africa at the UN headquarters. Five Alarm Funk is ready to take this fun, energized, atomic economic sonic and visual ritual to your doorstep. Fans and the curious alike will recall Five Alarm Funk as the “Saturday Night Festival Headliner” at Vernon’s annual SunDog Festival in 2024.

Stand & Dance at your Seat! In the words of FAF front man & drummer Tayo Branston: "Let's Funkin’ GO!!"

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR!
The Vernon & District Performing Arts Society Presents

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR!

We Will CHOIR! You: An EPIC QUEEN Sing-Along!
25 11 11 Choir Choir Choir 320

$59 Per Person
$49 Per Person for Groups of 10+
Includes fees & charges

“Why see a show when you can BE the show!?”

Choir! Choir! Choir! is the world-wide phenomenon, fully interactive, participatory show that turns audience into performer! So get ready to laugh, dance and SING! your hearts out with hundreds of other musiclovers just like you. It’s like a big birthday party for the greatest songs of all time--AND you’re invited!

So grab a friend (or ten), and come out ready to GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT! - all voices welcome, no experience necessary. They Teach, You Sing! Everyone Wins!

This time, Choir! Choir! Choir! Presents: We Will CHOIR! You!: An EPIC QUEEN Sing-Along!

When it comes to EPIC anthems, it doesn’t get BIGGER than Queen! And nothing feels better than belting out their biggest hits with a room full of Queen fans! So unleash your inner Freddie Mercury, grab your best friends and frenemies, and create harmonies that will blow the roof off the place! “We Will CHOIR! You!” will be the most fun you’ve had in years…

Since 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir! directors Daveed Goldman + Nobu Adilman have blurred the lines between performer and audience, traveling the world to create harmony with strangers and friends alike. They’ve collaborated with renowned artists like Patti Smith, David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Rick Astley, Rufus Wainwright, and even Kermit the Frog at New York’s Lincoln Center, creating memorable videos that have garnered views in the millions.

Now it’s your turn to SING! So grab your friends, get your tickets and we’ll C! you there! #NeverStopSinging

“Choir! Choir! Choir! has fashioned a profound way for people to connect and interact” – The New Yorker

Jeremy Dutcher in Concert

Jeremy Dutcher in Concert

SPOTLIGHT Special Presentation
25 11 12 Jeremy Dutcher 320B

$49 Adult
$45 Members/Seniors
$35 Students

Jeremy Dutcher, is a classically-trained Canadian Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist, who currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his ground breaking first album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, which won the 2018 Polaris Music Prize and the JUNO Award for “Indigenous Music Album of the Year” at the 2019 JUNO Awards.

Jeremy merges traditional songs with neoclassical, jazz, and pop influences. Join Jeremy and your VDPAC for this transcending performance, featuring music from Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa and his newest album, Motewolonuwok. Jeremy merges traditional songs with A Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) member of the Tobique First Nation in North-West New Brunswick, Dutcher studied music and anthropology at Dalhousie University. After training as an operatic tenor in the Western classical tradition, he expanded his professional repertoire to include the traditional singing style and songs of his community.

He recorded Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa following a research project on archival recordings of traditional Maliseet songs at the Canadian Museum of History, many of which are no longer being passed down to contemporary Maliseet youth.

The profound and indelible artist, Jeremy Dutcher identifies as Two-Spirit, a modern, Pan-Indian, umbrella term used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe aboriginal people fulfilling a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ceremonial cultural role in their community.
neo-classical, jazz, and pop influences.

A Coast to Coast Cowboy Christmas: George Canyon and Aaron Prichett

A Coast to Coast Cowboy Christmas: George Canyon and Aaron Prichett

 Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Fri, Dec 19, 2025 At 7:30pm
25 12 19 Cowboy Christmas Poster 320 4

$69 Per Person
Including fees & charges

Canadian Country Music Award-winners George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett unite for “A Coast-to-Coast Cowboy Christmas” cross-Canada tour, delivering their chart-topping hits and your favourite holiday classics!

George Canyon rose to fame in the early-2000’s, winning multiple JUNO, CCMA & East Coast Music Awards, and induction into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. George is best known for hits including Just Like You; I Want You to Live; and Slow Dance; and is a celebrated humanitarian, receiving the CCMA Humanitarian Award and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He has also appeared in acting roles on Heartland; Trailer Park Boys; and in Hallmark’s One Starry Christmas.

Aaron Pritchett has been a Canadian country favourite for over 20 years, with 13 Top Ten hits including Hold My Beer; Worth a Shot; and his #1 Single Better When I Do. Aaron is widely-loved, known for his dynamic live performances, heartfelt songwriting, and his continuing to push country music boundaries.

Don’t miss two of Canada’s country music legends, together: George Canyon & Aaron Pritchett’s “A Coast to Coast Cowboy Christmas” this holiday season at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre.