Excursions

Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025, for the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance
Cost: For ALL members: $115.00
For non-members: $145.00
Cost includes: Bus transportation and ticket to Bard on the Beach. Lunch is on your own on Granville Island in Canada and is NOT included.

Location: Vanier Park, Vancouver, B.C. in a large, enclosed tent with assigned, theatre-type, padded tiered seating.
Registration for this excursion opens on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Registration deadline: Thursday, July 24, 2025

Transportation details: Depart at 8:30 AM from the Civic Field parking lot near the ticket booth for the large stadium. The address is 1445 Puget St, Bellingham, WA 98229.

Description as stated on the Bard website:
OH, YEAH! It’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona—with a twist! This nostalgic visit to the ‘80s features a soundtrack of that candy-colored decade, from unforgettable dance hits to tear jerking ballads, as it celebrates friendship and the foolhardy ways young love makes us behave. Sent to court to learn to be “perfect gentlemen,” Valentine and Proteus are derailed by their attraction to Silvia, the ruler’s daughter. Adding to the fun, the role of Crab will be played by an actual dog, the only dog role in the Shakespearean canon.

We will leave Bellingham at 8:30 a.m. by chartered bus. After crossing the border, our first stop at approximately 10:30 will be at Granville Island, Vancouver, where you will have time for lunch and a chance to explore the area on your own. At 12:45 we will board the bus again for Bard on the Beach at Vanier Park. The venue opens at 1:00, the pre-performance “in a nutshell” talk is at 1:10, and the play begins at 2:00. Duration is approximately 2 1/2 hours with an intermission. We should be back in Bellingham around 6:30 p.m., but the time depends upon congestion at the border.

VERY IMPORTANT
Border crossing Requirement: Be sure to bring your passport, NEXUS or Global Entry card or your enhanced driver’s license as we will be crossing the border in to Canada.

For more information please contact Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@eastmanart.com or at (253) 229-9404

Registration deadline: Thursday, July 24, 2025

Register for Bard on the Beach - The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025, for the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance
Cost: For ALL members: $115.00
For non-members: $145.00
Cost includes: Bus transportation and ticket to Bard on the Beach. Lunch is on your own on Granville Island in Canada and is NOT included.

Location: Vanier Park, Vancouver, B.C. in an enclosed tent with assigned, theatre-type, padded tiered seating.
Registration for this excursion opens on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Registration deadline: Friday, August 8, 2025

Transportation details: Depart at 8:30 a.m. from the Civic Field parking lot near the ticket booth for the large stadium. The address is 1445 Puget St, Bellingham, WA 98229.

Description as stated on the Bard website:
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again] has been loved the world over, and now this irreverent, fast-paced romp makes its Bard on the Beach debut. Three players present an acclaimed (and hilarious) [and irresistible] sprint through all of Shakespeare’s canonical plays (plus the sonnets!). It’s a wild ride through the Bard’s histories, tragedies, and comedies that will leave you helpless with laughter. As The Today Show says, “If you like Shakespeare, you’ll like this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!”

We will leave Bellingham at 8:30 a.m. by chartered bus. After crossing the border, our first stop at approximately 10:30 will be at Granville Island, Vancouver, where you will have time for lunch and a chance to explore the area on your own.  At 12:45 we will board the bus again for Bard on the Beach at Vanier Park. The venue opens at 1:00, the pre-performance “in a nutshell” talk is at 1:10, and the play begins at 2:00. Duration is approximately 2 1/2 hours with an intermission.  We should be back in Bellingham around 6:30 p.m., but the time depends upon congestion at the border.

VERY IMPORTANT
Border crossing Requirement: Be sure to bring your passport, NEXUS or Global Entry card or your enhanced driver’s license as we will be crossing the border in to Canada.

For more information please contact Jeff Eastman at jeff.eastman@eastmanart.com or at (253) 229-9404.

Registration deadline: Friday, August 8, 2025

Register for Bard on the Beach - The Complete Works of William Shakespear

Date: Monday, September 15, to Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Cost: For ALL members: $310
For non-members: $390 (See section below for additional personal expenses.)
Cost includes: Bus transportation, guided walking tour of Whistler Village, presentation and lunch at Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Center, entrance to Audain Art Museum and visit to the Britannia Mine Museum and a ride on the mine train through a former haulage tunnel.

Location: Whistler Village, British Columbia
Registration for this excursion opens on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (However, you may begin making your hotel reservations now. See details below under “Personal expenses.”)
Registration deadline: Friday, August 15, 2025

Transportation details: Depart at 7:45 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, from the Four Points by Sheraton parking lot off Lakeway Drive behind Fred Meyer. We should be back in Bellingham by 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 17, but the time depends upon congestion at the border.

VERY IMPORTANT
Border crossing requirement: At the moment, to cross in to Canada you must present one of these documents: Your passport, NEXUS or Global Entry card or your enhanced driver’s license. We will update you if these requirements change.

Description of what this excursion entails:
Highlights of this excursion include an orientation walking tour of Whistler Village and visits to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, the Audain Art Museum, Shannon Falls and the Britannia Mine Museum.  You will also have free time to explore Whistler Village on your own. See below for details regarding the Whistler & Blackcomb gondolas as well as the Britannia Mine.

The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is a beautiful example of Indigenous architecture. It sits on the overlapping lands of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations.  Look it up on the web! (https://slcc.ca/)  This trip includes visiting the centre.  We will also have a buffet lunch there and the opportunity to make either a dreamcatcher or a small buckskin medicine bag. There is a lovely article about the centre in the Fall 2024 issue of the “National Museum of the American Indian” magazine (https:// www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/Indigenous-architecture).

The Peak to Peak gondola held the world record for the longest free span between towers at 1.88 miles until 2017. It is still the highest point above ground in a gondola at 1,430 feet. For those who want to stay grounded, our stop at the Britannia Mine Museum includes a visit to a variety of buildings to see historic mining and lighting equipment as well as a train ride through a historic haulage tunnel used to transport ore from the original mill buildings to the shore. The historic nature of the site has resulted in many feature films and TV productions being filmed here, most notably The X-Files, The Man in the High Castle (TV series) and MacGyver.

Personal expenses to be incurred by each participant:

• Meals: Breakfast on Tuesday & Wednesday, lunch on Monday & Wednesday and Dinner on Monday and Tuesday.
• Lodging for two nights at Whistler Village Inn & Suites (We encourage folks to “buddy up” to share the cost of a room. We have booked a set of rooms at the hotel, but each participant must reserve and pay for her/his own room by Friday, August 15th. Senior group rate is $145 US per night for Monday, Sept. 15, and Tuesday, Sept. 16 - price includes taxes.) Phone number for the hotel is 800-663-6418. To receive the discount ed senior group rate, be sure to mention you are part of the Academy for Lifelong Learning group.
• Take Whistler gondola to top of mountain, then across from Peak to Peak and then down via Blackcomb gondola to Village or vice-versa route - ($90 CD = $65.25 US).
• Optional Dreamcatcher handicraft project at Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre:  $44.80 CD = 32.00 US.

For more information, please contact either Susan Given-Seymour at sgivenseymour@gmail. com or Peggy Loudon via email at peggylou99@gmail.com or via phone at 360-510-5638.

Registration deadline: Friday, August 15, 2025

Register for Whistler & Blackcomb Multi-Day

Date: Sunday, November 2, 2025, for the 2 p.m. matinee performance
Cost:

• Balcony* seating for ALL members: $135 | For non-members: $170
• Mezzanine seating for ALL members: $165 | For non-members: $198

Cost includes: Bus transportation and two ticket options for Rigoletto. Lunch is on your own in restaurants near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and is NOT included. A map of restaurant locations is provided along with recommendations from our previous attendees at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Registration deadline: Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Transportation details: Depart at 9:30 a.m. from the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, south side parking lot. This is the side closest to the very large student apartment complex. The address is 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham between Fred Meyer and the freeway.

Description:

Composed by Giuseppe Verdi and premiered in 1851 in Venice. Sung in Italian with English projected subtitles.

The tragic tale of a father’s desperate love for his daughter -- and the dangerous double-edged sword of vengeance -- set against a backdrop of decadence and dark intrigue.

The jester Rigoletto had long enjoyed the privilege of mocking the Duke of Mantua’s adversaries, but when his beloved daughter becomes the target of the morally corrupt Duke’s abuse, Rigoletto sets in motion a revenge plot that careens with the propulsive energy of an edge-of-the-seat thrill-er while bringing themes of opulence and oppression into sharp focus. In a new production built in partnership with Pacific Opera Victoria, this performance pushes the tense tragedy’s boundaries while staying true to Verdi’s immortal story of love and revenge.

Under director Glynis Leyshon and the baton of Vancouver Opera Music Director Jacques Lacombe, unforgettable pieces like La Donna è Mobile and the heart-wrenching Caro Nome soars to life, sung by extraordinary voices like the sought-after American baritone Michael Chioldi as Rigoletto, and, as Gilda, the award-winning Canadian soprano Sarah Dufresne, praised by Opera Canada for her "tremendous dramatic presence" and "astonishing vocal dexterity."

*We have received confirmation from the production company that all balcony seats will be a minimum of 20" wide and mezzanine seats will be 22" wide. Unknown to us before-hand, some of our seats for The Book of Mormon were only 18" wide.

VERY IMPORTANT
Border crossing requirement for travel to and from Canada: You must have one of these: A passport, an enhanced driver’s license or a NEXUS or Global Entry card.

For more information about this excursion offering, please contact Jeff Eastman at (253) 229-9404.

For information regarding registration or cancellation, please call the ALL office at (360) 650-4970.

Register by October 15 for Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto Performance

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025, for the 2 p.m. matinee performance
Cost:

• Balcony seating for ALL members: $105 | For non-members: $132
• Orchestra seating for ALL members: $130 | For non-members: $165

Cost includes: Bus transportation and two ticket options for the play. Lunch is on your own in restaurants near the Seattle Rep Theatre and is NOT included. A map of nearby restaurant locations is provided for your use. The theatre is also very close to the Seattle Center with a large food court in the nearby Armory.

Location: Seattle Rep Theatre, 155 Mercer St., Seattle, 98109
Registration deadline: Friday, November 21, 2025

Transportation details: Depart at 9:30 a.m. from the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, south side parking lot. This is the side closest to the very large student apartment complex. The address is 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham between Fred Meyer and the freeway.

Description of Come From Away written by the Seattle Rep:

"Join us for a familiar favorite as you’ve never seen it before -- right here at the place where it all started! When a tragic attack shuts down the skies on September 11, 2001, a small Newfoundland town finds itself hosting thousands of stranded air travelers from around the globe. In a moment filled with fear and uncertainty, joy and resilience prevail as the tiny community pulls together and strangers become friends. Celebrating ten years since Seattle Rep premiered this heart-warming Broadway and international hit, a jubilant new staging by hometown director Brandon Ivie will welcome you back to Gander and make you feel like you never left."

Many people who have seen this play say it is one of the most heartwarming themes they have ever seen. What makes it even more poignant is the fact that it is a true story of how the folks of Gander, Newfoundland opened their homes and hearts to so many perfect strangers.

For more information about this excursion offering, please contact Jeff Eastman at (253) 229-9404.

For information regarding registration or cancellation, please call the ALL office at (360) 650-4970.

Register for Come from Away Performance

Memberships for the 2025-2026 season is now open. To be eligible for membership discounts, a new 2025-2026 membership must be purchased.

Phantom of the Opera

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Enjoy an afternoon of unforgettable theatre with a Thursday matinee on May 14 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic musical The Phantom of the Opera at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Registration opening date to be announced.

Additional Excursions Coming Soon

In addition to our performing arts events, we are planning a variety of single-day, non-performing arts excursions, with details to be finalized soon.

Looking ahead to spring, a multi-day excursion is in development-either to the Olympic Peninsula or as a curated journey to Native American cultural centers and museums throughout our region.

Stay tuned for updates as plans are confirmed!