Twenty years ago a new drama teacher at the Foothills Composite High School pitched the idea of bringing a bit of Broadway to Okotoks.
The result of that musical vision is one of the most renowned high school arts programs in the province and Mainstage remains an entrenched tradition at the Alberta High School of Fine Arts.
Teacher Jim Senft proposed the idea and the musical gained unprecedented momentum among not only students, teachers and parents but also the entire community as people stepped up to help support the production. The result …

The feel-good vibe of the acoustic Christmas concert in Okotoks has as much to do with bringing the musicians together as the nostalgia of the songs.
On Monday and Tuesday a concert to support the Okotoks Food Bank will bring together musicians and people from across the foothills to share some holiday spirit.
Okotoks musician John Fraser, who is co-organizing the Christmas concert for the Okotoks Food Bank, said the event draws musicians together because the food bank needs support.
“I love being part of these Christmas concerts. They’re for a great cause …

A gallery in Black Diamond is offering a crop of new artwork to satisfy the shoppers looking for a one-of-a-kind gift, that is pleasing to the eye, is affordable and supports local artists.
The Terra Cotta Gallery is presenting a show of mixed media art, called Small Works, that has been created with gift giving in mind. The show features artworks 8” by 10” plus a frame and costs as little as $40.
“It’s to encourage people to give original art for Christmas,” said gallery owner Evonne Smulders. “A lot of people …

For more than 150 years Ebenezer Scrooge has shown audiences it’s never too late to minimize your regrets and start being a gracious and kind person.
Students at Oilfields High School in Black Diamond have been working to bring their own version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol to life. They’ve been taking a good look at themselves and figuring out how best to bring out the emotion of the story for their peers and audiences starting tonight (Dec. 9) and continuing until Dec. 12.
Grade 11 student Janine Griffin said …

Sheep, llamas and a donkey are likely to give some comic relief to the annual re-enactment of the birth of Jesus Christ this week in Black Diamond.
The Black Diamond Gospel Chapel’s congregation is presenting the seventh annual live nativity pageant on Thursday and Friday and the free event is geared to entertain residents of the communities in the area as well as bring the spiritual side of Christmas into focus.
The 15 actors playing key roles in the story will be dealing with the miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ …

When a Calgary musician looks over the crowd of fans from his vantage point on the stage, he knows he’s with his people by the sea of AC/DC T-shirts, jackets, hats, belt buckles, patches and horns.
Joe Motta, guitar player for the AC/DC tribute band Noise Pollution, and his bandmates have been playing sold-out shows, including two at The Willy in Okotoks, since they formed three years ago.
On Saturday they will invade Okotoks again for a free show, and he figures once again AC/DC fans will fill the place.
“When we open …

Those who are concerned the birth of Jesus Christ is being overshadowed by Santa and the commercial Christmas can join hundreds of other foothills residents in celebrating the spiritual side of the season on Sunday.
The Big Rock Singers, a community choir, is presenting their 20th annual Christmas concert on Dec. 6 at the Foothills Centennial Centre. The concert will feature popular songs, traditional carols and a set of contemporary music that takes another look at the events leading up to wise men, a young boy, shephers and several others following …

Students at Red Deer Lake School are inviting the community to help them support people in need.
This Saturday the school is hosting its 10th annual Service Saturday, an event that gives students an opportunity to focus on people in the community who do not have enough to eat, do not have adequate clothing for winter and may not even have a home. The event is also an opportunity for residents to follow the students’ lead.
Guests are invited to stop in and drop off loose change, winter coats, blankets and toiletries, …

Foothills youth will bounce through their musical theatre numbers with confidence next week — which is a transformation their parents will certainly notice.
The North of Broadway Show Choir (NOB) is presenting its Christmas concert next Wednesday and Thursday at the Foothills Centennial Centre.
The performers range in age from three years old to 18 in the youth choir and from age 18 to seniors in the adult choir.  Many of them started rehearsing with NOB with an abundance of interest and an equal amount of stage fright.
Many parents in the audience …

Okotoks’ arts and culture scene is about to get a new home on-line.
The Town of Okotoks is gearing up to launch a new website and publication promoting its arts and cultural venues and events.
The website www.okotoksculture.ca will be launched on Dec. 12 along with a new Okotoks culture and heritage program guide.
“The whole reason why we’re moving this is we have so many good exhibits next year and with it so many good programs that we need to be able to communicate them,” said Ron Ulrich, Okotoks’ cultural and historical …