STARS TRIBUTE: Theatre Under the Stars musical society, affectionately known as TUTS to arts insiders, opened its 71st season with a pair of Broadway musical classics — Beauty and the Beast and West Side Story. Naveen Kapahi, TUTS board president, welcomed guests to the iconic summertime tradition at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, showcasing the amateur and professional talents of 200-plus individuals on and off stage.Before the curtain was raised on the opening night performance of Disney’s beloved tale as old as time, Kapahi paid tribute to general manager James Pollard, a longstanding member of the TUTS family who recently passed away from a courageous cancer battle. Credited with rejuvenating the financially strapped company, Pollard led the non-profit to its most successful season last year. Also instrumental in the construction of the Malkin Bowl outdoor lobby entrance, the pavilion will now bear Pollard’s moniker.
STAFF APPRECIATION: TUTS was assured of at least of one sold-out performance during its opening week when the Beedie Group bought out the 1,000-seat Malkin Bowl venue for one of this summer’s most exclusive events. Real estate scion Ryan Beedie and his wife Cindy welcomed 3,000 guests to Rock’n the Park, a musical jamboree they created for their employees, clients and friends. Modeled after the Coachella Music Festival in Palm Springs, the all-day affair featured an impressive line up of artists: Honeymoon Suite, Magic, Metric, Sam Roberts Band and Huey Lewis and the News. A party with a purpose, the musical extravaganza supported three local charities: Greater Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Food Bank, Music Heals and ONE, a campaign and advocacy organization working to end extreme poverty and preventable disease in Africa. Making the scene was Neil Patrick Harris’s husband, author and chef David Burtka, and their two kids Gideon Scott and Harper Grace.Ìý
PLAY BALL: For the past five years, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canadians Baseball Foundation, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of South Coast B.C., has been bringing kids from across the Lower Mainland to Nat Bailey Stadium for a unique baseball experience. Building community through the game, kids receive free equipment, a glove, helmet and bag, which they get to keep as their own, and develop a set of skills that will help not just on a baseball diamond but in life. The goal was simple— provide as many local youth as possible the opportunity to play ball. Last week, the club — thanks to the generosity of corporate donors and baseball fans —welcomed another 300 more kids, ages six to 11 to the summer league. Over the next six weeks, games will be played in an atmosphere that promotes collaboration and a spirit of fair play. Children who might not have an opportunity to play baseball otherwise will be coached and mentored by dedicated volunteers, media personalities and community leaders.
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