Jazz singer holding vintage microphone with bassist playing upright bass in dark studio.

Jazz singer performs onstage with pianist, drummer and bassist under Smalls Paradise marquee.

Singer in vintage dress stands at microphone under lit Smalls Paradise stage sign.

Tue Feb 23, 2027

Hey Viola! - Viola Desmond, The Soundtrack of a Life

Name: Hey Viola! - Viola Desmond, The Soundtrack of a Life
Start: 2027-02-23
End: 2027-02-23

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Hey Viola! - Viola Desmond, The Soundtrack of a Life in Camrose offers a powerful musical theatre experience that brings a Canadian civil rights icon to life. This pay-what-you-will performance invites audiences to discover Viola Desmond beyond the ten-dollar bill, exploring her courage in challenging a whites-only cinema in Nova Scotia in 1946. The show highlights her role as a successful Black Canadian businesswoman, feminist and beauty product icon, asking what inner fire drove her to confront systemic racial injustice. Vancouver songstress and performer Krystle Dos Santos leads the production, supported by musicians Chris Davis, Steven Charles and Mary Ancheta, using dynamic, inspirational music that echoes what might have filled Desmond’s home. After the show, guests can stay for a talkback with the artists, hosted by Dr. Joseph Wiebe from the Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion & Public Life, offering space for reflection and conversation.