Hey Viola! – CAPITOL SEASON

Adult $35
30 and Under 31.50
Hey Viola!, a musical exploration of Canadian Civil Rights hero, Viola Desmond. But who is Viola Desmond…? other than the newest face on Canada’s 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, but she was also a feminist and beauty product icon. 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?
In Hey Viola!, Vancouver songstress and performer Krystle Dos Santos, along with Steve Charles(bass/guitar), Jen Lewin(piano), and Chris Davis(trumpet/drummer), bring 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. Using the musical format enriches the telling of her amazing and powerful story, ultimately an important Canadian story.
The show features iconic songs, including: I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire, Dream A Little Dream, This Train, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Tomorrow is my Turn, A Kiss to Build a Dream On, A Change is Gonna Come, Sinnerman, Trouble In Mind, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, Smile, Feeling Good, Mississippi Goddam, and I Wish I Knew How It would Feel to be Free.
“Hey Viola! gives us a surprisingly in-depth portrait of an extraordinary woman, a pioneering Canadian entrepreneur and reluctant civil rights hero and martyr…first-rate entertainment, a story of hard-earned hope generously told with artistry and class.” – Vancouver Sun
“Raw, genuine, and emotional”- Broadway World
Show length: 83 minutes. No intermission.

teaser video

This show is made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors Prestige Lakeside Resorts, The Bridge FM, Yum Son Night Owl Hospitality, Nelson District Credit Union, Kootenay Co-op, Nelson Star and Hall Printing and our funders the BC Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, and the Government of Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the City of Nelson and the Province of British Columbia.

Performance venue:

The Capitol Theatre

421 Victoria Street
Nelson, BC V1L 5R2
Phone: (250) 352-6363