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Patrons can get into the ‘Hey Viola!’ Show for $10 on April 21.

Photo by David Cooper

Gateway Theatre to celebrate Viola Desmond

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 2:47 PDT, Wed April 19, 2023

Last Updated: 2:48 PDT, Wed April 19, 2023

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On April 21, bring a $10 bill with Viola Desmond on it and you will be able to buy a ticket to Gateway Theatre critically-acclaimed musical Hey Viola! on the Mainstage Theatre. To get the special $10 price, patrons will need to buy tickets at the door and pay with a $10 Viola Desmond bill for a seat of any price to the 7:30 p.m. performance. This incredible price is valid for only one day before Hey Viola! closes on April 22.

Audiences have been raving about this show with glowing comments such as:

“One of the best performances I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Krystle Dos Santos is amazing. I experienced a range of emotions, there were lots of laughs and some tears. She portrays the life story of Viola Desmond so well. Highly, highly recommend!”

“The musical performance was fantastic and on point all while learning about inclusivity as a part of our shared Canadian history and values.”

This smashing tour-de-force performance by Canadian jazz and blues singer Krystle Dos Santos, Hey Viola!, is a musical exploration of civil rights trailblazer, Viola Desmond. With the support of live musicians, Vancouver songstress, and actor Krystle Dos Santos brings the life of Viola Desmond to the stage using the dynamic and inspirational music that filled the home of this trailblazer of the civil rights movement. Featuring hot jazz, gospel, and traditional spirituals, this eye-opening new musical brings bold, new energy to the life and times of a remarkable woman.

Who is Viola Desmond, other than the newest face on the Canadian ten-dollar bill? She is best known for her courage in refusing to leave the whites-only section of Nova Scotia’s Roseland cinema in 1946, a decision that made history. What was the fire within this successful black Canadian businesswoman that gave her the courage and confidence to stand up to systemic racial injustices in Canada? Her story is told through music and song featuring brilliant hits of the era from Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, The Mills Brothers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Richard M. Jones, and more - plus songs that influenced history including Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, A Change is Gonna Come, Sinnerman, and Mississippi Goddam.

This eye-opening musical was created by Tracey Power (Glory, Chelsea Hotel, and The Songs of Leonard Cohen), co-creator and director, and Kyrstle Dos Santos, an extraordinary actor, blues, jazz and soul singer and creator of “BLAK”, exploring Canada’s Black history, Sereana Malani joins as associate director.

Local musicians performing in this production are musical director Steve Charles, on bass and guitar, Mary Ancheta on piano and Chris Davis on drums and trumpet. This touring production of Hey Viola! was designed by set designer Drew Facey with Lightning Design by Jillian White and costumes designed by CS Fergusson-Vaux. Angela Beaulieu is the stage manager at Gateway Theatre.

Regularly priced tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at gatewaytheatre.com/hey-viola. Hey Viola! runs until April 22. This production is presented in English with Traditional and Simplified Chinese subtitles.