By David F. Rooney
One of Revelstoke’s best-loved holiday traditions — the Nickelodeon Museum’s Grand Victorian Christmas Magic Lantern Shows — promises three slide shows narrated — and, in one case, sung — by Ken Jones, John Baker and Robyn Abear this Friday and Saturday.
This is the sixth year that the museum’s proprietors, David and Leslie Evans, have held one of their Grand Victorian Christmas Magic Lantern Shows which always culminates in what can only be described as a Victoria disco light show. These performances are pretty tame compared to what’s available online or in any movie or video game shop.
But there are some dark and murky Victorian themes at play here.
The Christmas Stocking, to be narrated by the irrepressible Ken Jones, tells the story of a boy living in a workhouse — one of those places to which Victorians consigned poor people. Sounds Dickensian, doesn’t it?
Then there’s the sappy-sounding 1906 song When I Marry You, which will be sung by Robyn Abear, who swears she’ll be in period costume for it and then there’s In the Harbour, a ghostly ballad by Victorian journalist, playwright and songwriter George R. Sims. Like the other pieces in this show, his works were meant to be accompanied magic lantern.
If you’ve never seen a magic lantern show you must come — and do bring the kids — and see one of these presentations. Developed in the 17th century magic lanterns were very popular in the 19th century and persisted right into the 1930s. They are magical in a way that television and digital media are not and we are lucky to have people like David and Leslie who keep this tradition alive.
I’m also told that Jackie Pendergast has been shanghaied into doing The Fireman’s Dog. That should be fun. What you don’t know what The Fireman’s Dog is? Well, then, you had better come down and find out.
The shows are being held at 7 pm on both nights at the Nickelodeon Museum located at 111 First Street West.
Admission is by donation ($12 per person if you can manage it in cash) and all proceeds go to the Food Bank.
However, be advised there are only 50 tickets available each night so be sure to call the museum at 250-837-5250 or send them an e-mail at mechmusic@aol.com.
Click here to see a poster about this event. Here are some photos of what you can expect from the magic lantern shows:
