Always a winning combination don’t you think?
Such was our evening last night at the opening of “THE SHINE.”
Presented by “THE BEAUMONT STUDIOS ARTS SOCIETY“ which aims to advance the public’s knowledge and interest in the Vancouver art scene through participation in events and artistic exhibitions.
“THE SHINE” is described as a Stephen King themed burlesque and cocktail bonanza. I cannot say for sure which part I found most intriguing as it was all so well put together.
It was my first time at the studios so I had nothing to compare it to, and no expectations – which turned out to be a big surprise in a gorey meets glam kind of way. Lots of twists and turns (literally) in a pre-Halloween scary celebration of some of the “King of Horrors” most iconic figures from “THE SHINING,” “CARRIE,” and “MISERY” – three of my personal favourite creepy movies of all time.
The evening started with a lineup outside the studios before being let in. My first thought was this might turn out to be a bit of a let down. But thankfully it turned out to be the opposite.
Once inside, we were greeted by the infamous Annie Wilkes character from “MISERY” (played by Kathy Bates in the movie) handing out two drink tickets while the novelist character of Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan in the movie) is typing away frantically at an old fashioned type writer. Do you remember this line from the movie –“God came to me last night and told me your purpose for being here. I am going to help you write a new book” – because Wilkes didn’t like the ending of his latest book. Still gives me the creeps.
Then we were led into the first themed room (of three) to get our first cocktail served up by a clown who dropped a bit of blood on top for colour. And it went on from there. A little burlesque, another cocktail served up by Lloyd, the iconic bartender from “THE SHINING,” the eerie twins from the Overlook Hotel did a twisty-turned cirque-like performance, Jack Torrence (the Jack Nicholson character) makes a vaudevillian and villainous appearance, and finally; the prom scene from “CARRIE” including that bloody pail.
Don’t want to give too much away because this extravaganza is on until October 27th. If you reside in or around Vancouver you should really try to get a ticket for something unique, refreshing, campy and utterly spellbinding. The talented group really outdid themselves. Fab, Fun, Entertainment.
A Bit About the Beaumont:
This place exists to inspire and engage artists, designers, and creative small business owners with space, events and opportunities to work together, play together, share, learn, create and produce art and artistic projects and engage with the community around it. It is a place for the public to engage with art, learn from our artist community and appreciate creativity for what it brings to our lives.
The Beaumont was established in 2004 by artist Jude Kusnierz, as an open and supportive environment for a wide variety of creative professionals. Being a full-time professional artist for over a decade, Jude’s goal was to create a unique environment where artists, like herself, could work in a beautiful, safe, reasonably priced, positive and upbeat environment, a place that would offer opportunity for growth, mentoring and cross-pollination of ideas and business.
Photos: d. king
Tickets for upcoming events:
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
You must be logged in to post a comment.