Mr. Speaker, the Royal City Musical Theatre Company is alive and well in my riding of New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby.
Unlike the big production theatres, the Royal City Musical Theatre Company is primarily made up of volunteer talent. The theatre is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a lavish production of Rogers and Hammerstein's classic The King and I .
My wife and I had the privilege to see this production. I can say that it is visually stunning, with colourful costumes, exquisite dancing and wonderful music with singing to match.
The spin-off to businesses that the Royal City Musical Theatre Company brings to New Westminster is worthy of accolades, but it is the quality and professionalism of the productions which have earned this amateur group the respect of patrons from all over British Columbia and the United States. It is estimated that over 19,000 patrons will see The King and I this year in New Westminster between now and May 2.
The theatre is certainly fit for a king and is testimony of what a community can do without much government help. Congratulations to director Ed Harrington, choreographer Dolores Kirkwood and musical directors James Bryson and Lloyd Nicholson for giving opportunity for Canadian talent and for New Westminster to shine.