Local Arts

About six years ago, while he was caring for his dying mother at Crossroads hospice in Port Moody, Gregory Elgstrand had somewhat of a revelation.

Four years ago, Cause4Drama was the opening band for the inaugural Rock for a Cure that raised money for the Michael Cuccione Foundation, a Coquitlam-based charity that supports childhood cancer research. Now, Rocky Milino Jr.

Actors Isabel Mendenhall and Yvonne Arnason will appear in a murder-mystery dinner show next week at Coquitlam's Pasta Polo.

A world-famous composer, music arranger, symphonic conductor and teacher who now calls Port Moody home will be honoured at a gala concert on Friday.

Otto Kamensek is the new ceramics artist-in-residence at the Port Moody Arts Centre. Kamensek replaces James Kemp, who ended his term last month with an exhibit called Morphology , which is currently on show in the PMAC 3D Gallery.

Acrylic and watercolour painter Alex Fong will show off his skill at the next public meeting of Port Coquitlam's Art Focus Artists' Association. The workshop will happen on Wednesday, May 22 at 7 p.m. in The Outlet (2253 Leigh Sq., behind city hall).

Around this time last year, Coquitlam's Jennifer Gillis was auditioning to be part of a new CBC-TV reality competition called Over the Rainbow with the aim to be cast as Dorothy in an upcoming stage musical by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Teenaged students from Coquitlam's Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts will take audiences under the sea starting tomorrow (Thursday) for The Little Mermaid Jr.

The Better Business Bureau of B.C. issued an advisory this week about a Coquitlam-based dance and drama school that appears to have shut its doors for good. BBB claims many parents have been charged for dance classes at C.A.P.A.

Dirt - an Alice in Chains tribute band made up of (left to right)Bridget Mattson, Braeden Matson, Avery Geres, Luke Tochkin, Flint Patterson and Jessica Vandergulik (missing from photo) - will perform live next week as part of the semester wrap-up fo