About: Philip Pierce

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http://culturevulturevictoria.com

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I'm a person who is driven by a deep love of artistic expression. It's in my blood. My family tree is full of performers. My grandfather sang with the Arion Male Voice Choir and was a long time member of the Salvation Army International Staff Band, playing from time to time for the royal family at Buckingham Palace. My grandmother sang and was a published poet. My mother danced and still performs as a singer. My father plays almost every instrument there is. And I inherited every ounce of their cumulative artistic passion. My mother started me on piano and voice lessons when I was very young. By the age of seven I was a soprano in a local choir and from there (at least as far as singing goes) my next 20 years was a blur of different choirs, music camps, musicals, pageants, and of course my nylons a cappella cover group "The Leotards". At age 12 I found the martial arts and took training very seriously for the next 15 years. Early on in high school, our school’s dance teacher saw me stretching on the stage and asked me to give dance a try. I did, and was hooked. Fast forward a *cough* few more years and I'm still dancing today. Factor in a lifelong steady diet of drama and musical theatre (thanks to my mother) and you will get me. I sing, I dance, I watch, and I write. But most of all I simply search out and bathe in as much of this amazing city's artistic culture as humanly possible. It's just what I do. -PP

Posts by Philip Pierce:

    Victoria’s Weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: December 5, 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week features:

    Footage from one of Victoria’s best known landmarks, The Fairmont Empress Hotel, as well as photos from the big Movember Victoria wrap up bash, Pecha Kucha at the Victoria Events Centre and more!

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

    Culture Vulture Victoria's Clive Notes

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s Weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: November 27, 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week features:

    The 4th Annual DVBA Christmas Tree Light Up and Island Farms Santa’s Light Parade, Movember Victoria wrap up events and more!

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s Weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: November 21, 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week features:

    Sunny November days in Victoria, B.C., wrapping up Mt Doug`s 80th Anniversay Celebration, long table dining (Tuscany style) at Prima Strada, Victoria’s own Howie Siegel takes the stage and more!

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

    Culture Vulture Victoria November 21, 2011

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: November 15, 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week features:

    An all star lineup of Victoria’s talent for the Mount Doug Alumni Showcase this weekend, our newest and youngest contributor, Movember Victoria, and more!


    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: 7 Nov 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week: The Victoria Downtown Public Market Society’s Winter Market opens in Market Square, Movember kicks off, lunching and learning with London Chef Dan Hayes, Pacific Opera Victoria’s latest and more!

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: 30 Oct 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week’s video:  tales of Hurricane Rina, what not to miss this halloween/week, our arts and culture event recommendations, slow motion ballet clips, and more…

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

    Phil Pierce and Leanne Allen of CultureVultureVictoria.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: 16 Oct 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria, B.C.

    This week’s video: Victoria singers compete, Mount Doug alumni perform, CVV heads south and you must go directly to jail…do not pass go!

     

     

    For many more Victoria, B.C. arts and culture videos, please check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

     

     


     

     

     

     

     

    Victoria’s weekly Arts and Culture Video Update: 9 Oct 2011 by Culture Vulture Victoria

    Culture Vulture Victoria reports on recent and upcoming arts and culture events in Victoria B.C.

    This week: Give classical arts a try! Ballet Victoria’s Ballet Rocks, Chateau Victoria – our latest Victoria B.C. travel destination video, Pacific Opera Victoria’s The Flying Dutchman, Island Star Search, Mt. Doug Idol, Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon video clip.

     

     

    For many more Victoria B.C. arts and culture videos check out CultureVultureVictoria.com.

     

    Rodelinda – A Guide for First-time Opera Goers

    Here’s a good question: how many of you reading this know what opera is? Mhm… really? And when was the last time you went to one? Riiiight. That’s what I thought. Opera is one of those things that people tend to either subscribe to religiously, or avoid altogether. So… group number two… why is that? I suspect the answer is that the picture you have of opera in your mind doesn’t appeal to you. Fair enough. But what does that picture look like? Adam Sandler doing opera man? Elmer Fudd’s kill the wabbit? We’ve all seen operatic impressions, for sure. But until you’ve actually been to the opera, you haven’t really seen opera, and can’t really say you know what it is. Agreed? Good. Let’s start there.

    Photo Courtesy of David Cooper Photography

    I do get it though. There’s a moat of sorts around opera. It’s kind of a come over here attitude, rather than I’ll come over there. It’s one of those art forms that zealous supporters protect with their lives. And not nearly enough effort has been made to communicate its appeal to the general public. Advertise yes… but not communicate… or maybe translate is a better word. Either way, I’d like to give it a shot here using my Rodelinda experience to construct a sort of mini-guide for potential first-timers.

    Having been raised on opera and classical choral music by a mother who to this day still sings in a professional choir, and having trained in opera myself as a youth, I can claim at least some understanding. Although my life took me in other directions and I’ve stayed active in many performing arts circles, prior to Rodelinda it’d been over a decade since I’d been to the opera. So I might be just the man for this job.

    Ok. The first thing that will take you by surprise when you get to the theatre is the warm and decidedly non-stuffy welcome. There will be greeters at the door in addition to the theatre’s front of house staff. They will answer any questions you have then usher you into the foyer where you may be offered an amuse-bouche or two. Don’t worry, they aren’t trying to sell you anything. Just go with it.

    Take some time to read the program before the show. I’ll tell you that Rodelinda is a story (sung in Italian) about war, politics, deceit, and love. But reading a more detailed synopsis ahead of time will make a big difference… more about that later.

    As the show starts you’ll be introduced to the Victoria Symphony. Not a symphony fan? You will be. The deep strings will shake your insides while the harpsichord takes you to another place… another time… long ago.

    Then… the vocalists. No one can hear the power and control in these voices and not be impressed. I don’t care who you are. There is something inside all of us that bows down a little when we hear a sound that is many years in the making. This cast is more than solid, with standouts Nathalie Paulin (Rodelinda) and Gerald Thompson (Bertarido) leading the way. Speaking of Thompson, don’t be confused when a guy who looks (from a distance) like Mickey Rourke from The Wrestler launches into a vocal range closer to Kurt Hummel from Glee. During the Baroque period, which gave rise to this and many other operas, leading roles were often played by castrati (you’re going to have to look that one up). These roles are now frequently played by countertenors like Thompson. It takes a minute to digest but you’ll get over it, and then you’ll see Thompson as the star of the show like I did. He has one solo near the end, just… wow. That’s all I have to say.

    I mentioned above that knowing a little about the story ahead of time is important. But that’s not so you can ignore the surtitles. It’s so that you don’t have to treat those words as information and can enjoy them as they were intended. One of the things that struck me the most about this opera was how poetic it was. Like spoken word… but sung. Allow yourself to get lost in the words as you listen to the voices and the symphony. If you do, I guarantee you’ll be a convert for life.

    One last thing, prepare yourself for the applause. The night I went the audience erupted as the final note was sung. It was the loudest and longest ovation I’ve heard at any performance all year. Pacific Opera Victoria has some enthusiastic fans in this town, that’s for sure. And after this performance I can see why. Apparently, twice as many people attend Pacific Opera Victoria performances than any other opera company in Canada. They have also been recognized as the fastest growing opera company in Canada. Much of the credit for this success goes to Artistic Director Timothy Vernon, who received The Order of Canada in 2008 for his work in expanding Canadian professional opera. Lofty achievements indeed,  but it’s we Victoria residents and the tourists who visit our fair city that are the real beneficiaries here. So get out and see this show while you still can. Rodelinda plays two more times: November 18th and 20th, at 8pm at the Royal Theatre.

    Ginger Ninjas at the 24th Annual Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival

    The Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival is underway! Over the past 24 years this annual event has evolved into a much anticipated local institution and major tourist attraction for our town. Artists from around the world have joined Victoria’s most talented performers in this 11 day theatrical showcase running August 26 – September 5 at various venues within walking distance of the downtown core.

    Photo Courtesy of the Victoria Fringe Fesitval

    The first night of the festival I went to see “Ginger Ninjas” by Elliott Loran & Ingrid Hansen (directed by Atomic Vaudeville’s Britt Small). There’s nothing random about the fact that Ginger Ninjas was scheduled first on my list of shows to see at the Fringe this year. I’m a huge Ingrid Hansen fan. In my June review of Hansen’s Gnomeward Bound , I signed off with “Forbløffende Ingrid. I’ll be the first one in line to see your next show.” As it turns out I was second in line, but I’m pretty sure the woman in front of me camped out in front of Venue 1 last night, so I don’t feel too bad. Like I said, I’m a fan… not a stalker. Gnomeward was a one woman show. This time Hansen is joined by the talented Elliott Loran. Together they are incredibly strong. Great chemistry. Balanced. A perfect match.

    The duo play Nicholas Renfrew III and his twin sister Francesca, or “Frankie and Nubbs”: foster kids, adventurers, ninjas. The storyline follows the two as they escape from the modern child welfare system and run off in search of their long lost biological brother. Sometimes heavy, sometimes humorous, the journey’s emotional cadence will keep you engaged and off balance the entire time. From a night at the circus to a day of Rumspringa! it’s a lot to take in. And yeah… I mean that in the best, and most satisfying way.

    Both actors deliver rock solid performances, as expected. These two are consummate professionals with so much to offer. I highly recommend getting out to the Fringe and seeing Ginger Ninjas. It’s sure to be one of the festivals highlights this year! For more information visit http://victoriafringe.wordpress.com/