Kevin Armstrong, a versatile and unorthodox performer with an international career, will be bringing his hit one-man show, Opera! (As it Wasn’t Intended) to the Snoring Sasquatch in Creston on June 7.
Armstrong performs a wide range of music, from opera arias and musical numbers to grandiose, vocal-oriented music by Meat Loaf (in German), Queen, Styx, and others. Opera! (As it Wasn’t Intended) played to sold-out houses at the 2011 Edmonton Fringe Festival, as well as the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival.
Armstrong grew up in Nelson. He started music lessons by age 10, and by college, had already studied classical, jazz and rock guitar, drums and voice. After completing a master’s degree in vocal performance at McGill University in Montreal, Armstrong moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where he did an apprenticeship at the Zurich Opera House. There he had the opportunity to perform onstage next to some of the biggest names in the opera world.
Some of Armstrong’s recent credits include the world-premiere of the opera Khaos with Nelson Community Opera, the roles of Pilate and Judas in numerous productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as opera performances in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Zurich. He also recently completed a 60-city tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland with Night of the Musicals, Europe’s longest-running touring musical show, as well as a recital tour of the B.C. Interior with internationally renowned organist Robert Kwan. Most recently, he directed and starred as Judas in the Amy Ferguson Institute’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, selling out all six six shows, and making the mega-production one of Nelson’s most successful of all time.
With Opera! (As it Wasn’t Intended), Armstrong mixes opera with rock, flamenco, country, and whatever else he feels like. Showcasing his versatile and powerful voice with his dexterity on guitar, Armstrong is literally a one-man rock opera. Opera! (As it Wasn’t Intended) was called “a beautiful and often electrifying display” by the Vue Weekly, and “a wonderfully entertaining hour. Five suns (out of five)” by Colin Maclean of the Edmonton Sun.
Opera! (As it Wasn’t Intended) is being presented at the Snoring Sasquatch in Creston on June 7; doors open at 7, and the show starts at 8. Tickets are $15 in advance at Kingfisher Used Books and Black Bear Books, and $18 at the door.
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