“gray dood - aS MORE TI AN 100, 000 “EXPECTED Children’s Festival gets b: gger, a ey +3 ice ed better THE INCREASED popularity of the Vancouver Children’s Toronto in order to begin work on Festival in recent years has been a surprise for festival founder Ernie Fladell. The West Vancouver resident says organizers are expecting more than 100,000 participants this year, over the original 24,000 attendance at the first festival in 1978, The festival has attained inter- national recognition, Fladell says, but adds he hopes it will remain a local, non-commercial event. “It’s gone from a nice, little idea to a major world event,’’ said Fladell. “We've kept a certain lid on it because if it gets too big it’s like anything else — a good idea times a million equals chaos."’ AVOID COMPETITION The ninth annual Vancouver Children’s Festival will be held earlier than usual this year because of Expo '86. It will run from April 21 to 27 at Vanier Park in Van- couver. “We don’t see ourselves in competition with Expo. We’re do- ing what we’ve always done — putting on an event that belongs to the children of this area,’’ he said. Fladell and the festival's artistic programmer Marjorie MacLean, By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter also from the North Shore, are leaving this week to visit Philadelphia, Montreal and VANCOUVER Children’s Festival founder Ernie Fladell...has seen the local event grow in popularity. THREE ABRACADABRA ACTS Magic! comes to N. Van photo submitted next year’s festival program. Fladell said Toronto duplicated Vancouver’s children’s festival five years ago, followed by Montreal, Halifax and Winnipeg. He said Ottawa and New Brunswick are considering holding children’s festivals in the future. Since its 1978 inception, Fladelt said ticket sales have continued to increase every year. SIMILAR FESTIVALS More than 11,000 tickets were sold in the first week of sales for this year’s festival. He said this year’s highlight will be Le Cirque du Soleil, Quebec’s travelling theatrical circus, which features over 60 performers in a 1500-seat tent. “It's a show that we know adults will want to go see. It's an extraordinary circus,” he said. Some of the other festival events include a puppet show from Japan, a wizard from Holland and a gala performance by the Van- couver Opera Association. Tickets are available at the Van- couver Ticket Centre. The cost for all shows is $4 per ticket and $7.75 for the circus show, THE CENTENNIAL Theatre will be presenting a special Easter con- cert completely devoted to the fine art of magic. Called Magic!, the 90 minute ——family_show.March 30 _at 2. p.m, 11 - Friday, March 21, 1986 - North Shore News goes Greek PAGE 74. photo submitted CLOWNS and children always get along, and at the Vancouver Children’s Festival, a special feature this year will be Le Cirque du Soleil. The theatrical circus from Quebec is one of the many events planned for entertaining children Apri! 21-27 at Vanier Park in Vancouver. on GOO/ will feature three separate magic acts with some of the most talented magicians in the business, says Theatre Publicist Dwight Dubowits. “We've put together what we think is a truly unique event,’’ says Dubowits. ‘‘Magic is once again gaining in popularity and the three acts we have booked reflect a wide range of styles and illusions. This is something the entire family can enjoy.” Headlining the show will be the renowned Paterson and Pandora. The opening acts are Shawn Far- quhar and the husband/wife team of Tony and Ann Eng. An internationally acclaimed act, Paterson and Pandora have entertained hundreds of audiences from Canada to Australia, along with 200 standing room only per- formances at Hollywood's Magic See Top Page 13 ENCHANTMENT is the name, and performing magical tricks is the game. Here John and Maureen Paterson strike an unusual pose during a rehearsal for their upcom- ing magic show at Centennial Theatre March 30 at 2 p.m. KS acl fi