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[jminter]

CTORA brings The Lightning Thief to the stage May 18-28

Packed with Mythology, Music, and Magic, CTORA Theatre (formerly known as Children's Theatre of Richmond) is bringing The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, to the the JCC Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, 950 W. 41st Ave. The electrifying musical stage adaptation of the best-selling novel by Rick Riordan, with book by Joe Tracz with Music and Lyrics by Rob Rokicki, runs from May 18 to 28,

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical follows the story of Percy Jackson, a half-blood son of a Greek god, who discovers that he has extraordinary powers he cannot control. As if that wasn't enough, Percy embarks on an action-packed adventure to recover Zeus's master lightning bolt, which has been stolen, and prevent a devastating war between the gods. The two-act full-stage musical with intermission features adult performers, a 5-piece live orchestra, Ancient Greek and modern-day scene changes, lightning & sound effects along with giant puppets, bringing the world of Percy Jackson to life on stage. “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a captivating story of courage, friendship, and self-discovery that will inspire audiences of all ages," says Director Mark Carter. "We are thrilled to bring this electrifying production to Vancouver, and we invite all theatre enthusiasts to join us for a truly magical experience." CTORA Theatre is a not-for-profit organization providing opportunities for emerging artists to perform in professionally staged productions. For more information and to book tickets for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical visit ctora.ca online. Read the full article

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Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns for the 46th year with an impressive line up

The 46th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival returns this July 14-16 at Jericho Beach Park, thanks in no small part to audiences’ huge support and a groundswell of support. The 2023 edition of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival carries on the great legacy of musical excellence and eclectic discovery the annual summer tradition is renowned for bringing to the park.  From July 14-16, some of the world’s finest traditional and contemporary folk, world and roots music artists will spend the weekend bringing their works to friends, fans, appreciators of music and those who love the magic of this festival are invited to gather again to celebrate.

Board member and Programming Committee Chair, Fiona Black says: “This festival is a touchstone in the lives of so many of its far-reaching community: long-time and new audience members, out-of-town visitors who come year after year, volunteers, donors, sponsors, artists and so many more. I think this year everyone appreciates this iconic festival a little more. None of us take it for granted. For the VFMF, “folk music” is an inclusive term that encompasses as broad a range of roots-based music from around the world as you can imagine. The beauty of this festival is that it brings such an extensive range of artists together for three days of connecting with each other, inspiring unique collaborations and making lasting memories for the amazing gathering of folks that unite every year to celebrate life, community and music. That tradition continues this year with these artists, and we welcome everyone back to the park this summer to be part of this joyful experience.” Some 40 music acts from 10 countries, 6 states and 8 provinces will be found performing on the Festival’s three daytime stages and an evening stage over the summer  weekend. Additional artists will be announced shortly. The festival’s gates open at 3pm on Friday, July 14, and music runs on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 & 16 from 11am to 11pm. This year's lineup includes a number of acclaimed artists known to many in the festival’s audience, including: Arizona’s Tex-Mex outfit Calexico, women’s music icon Ferron, the multi-faceted Joachim Cooder, the award-winning William Prince, and two genuine music legends, Joe Henry and Albert Lee. Music from around the world takes centre stage at the festival as well, including a towering figure in the world of traditional Persian music, Kayhan Kalhor and, among other international visitors, three groups who live for the music of the dance. From Italy’s Kalàscima, teaming up at the festival with stunning singer, Andrea Ramolo comes the passion and energy of the tarantella; the Cláudio Rabeca Quartet with special guest, Serena Eades play forró, the popular dance music of Brazil, and; we’re exciting to share the remarkable collaboration in the Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong Flamenco-World Trio. From south of the border, a number of artists are slated to bring the sounds of the US to the Jericho stages. Including one of zydeco and Cajun music’s great accordionists, Cedric Watson, who performs with fiddler Jourdan Thibodeaux; East LA’s Las Cafeteras’ son jarocho tunes will sure to bring folks to their feet; and folk music treasure, Aoife O’Donovan, brings her beautiful voice. Emerging artists are also on the roster including the Berklee College vocal trio and internet sensations, Tiny Habits; a strong and clear voice for social justice, Tré Burt, and BC’s own hip hop adventurer, Ruby Singh and The Future Ancestors. Homegrown talents are well represented on this year’s roster, including Jim Byrnes, The High Bar Gang, Jill Barber, The Sojourners, Ceileigh Cardinal and Newfoundland’s Rum Ragged and many more. This year's Vancouver Folk Music Festival curates an event that offers a truly global spirit, broad and eclectic in range, with something for everyone of all ages. In addition to whetting your musical appetites, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival offers a wide range of ways to feed you soul with food and artisan vendors as well the festival prides itself on its environmental awareness, sustainability initiatives, and accessibility.  With over 30, 000 people expected to descend upon the park get your tickets soon. Find the full Festival line-up and information about performers, vendors and artists at thefestival.bc.ca https://youtu.be/G_tDW04H6P0 Read the full article

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The eagles have landed at @canadaplace. New archway to welcome aboard guests and visitors. #canadaplace #explorebc #explorecanada #alaskacruise https://instagr.am/p/Cr6vVT8ytRt/

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Picks of the Week - May 3, 2023

Did those April Showers bring May Flowers? A line up of activities certainly bloomed in this picks of the week Musical:  Royal City Musical Theatre presents its 31st Season bringing the Gershwin comedy musical Crazy for You, starring Todd Talbot (Love it or List it-Vancouver) to the Massey Theatre from April 27 – May 14.

Todd Talbot in RCMT's Crazy For You Photo: Moonrider Productions, Mark Halliday Blooms: The Fraser Valley’s annual cavalcade of colour continues to bloom for the next few weeks, the 17th annual edition of the Chilliwack Tulip Festival covers acres of flowers Festival: Continuing until May 28th, Urban Ink and The Cultch welcome new works and past favourites to a free, all-digital TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival focuses on empowering Indigenous artists and encouraging collaboration with non-Indigenous artists. Legend: When an Elvis impersonator finds career troubles, he finds a new way to make ends meet, The Legend of Georgia McBride brings a banquet of fabulous outfits, fierce performances, and epic drag anthems to the Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until May 21st Opera: Closing out its 2022-23 season, Vancouver Opera brings Wagner’s epic opera, The Flying Dutchman with two more performances, May 4 and May 7, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Improvise: The Improv Centre on Granville Island debuts its spring show, Bring Back The ‘90s!, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm until May 27 Femme: The Cultch’s continuing Femme Festival, features seven performances from women in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and circus, on its three stages with Body Parts and útszan (to make better) coming to the stage this week. Choir: Chor Leoni and its star ensemble The Leonids prepare for a busy month of music, beginning with its May 5th Schubertiad collaboration with Early Music Vancouver.  

The Leonids in The Turning (left to right):Eric Alatorre, Jacob Perry Jr., Steven Soph, Enrico Lagasca, Erick Lichte, Steven Caldicott Wilson, Dann Coakwell, Jonathan Woody, Andrew Fuchs, Sam Kreidenweis. Photo: David Cooper. Project: Pi Theatre, adds a touch of intrigue to its next production. Continuing its Provocateurs Series with the next presentation, Untitled Peter Tripp Project, running from May 4 - 6 at a secret location which will be announced to ticket holders days before the performance. Balls: Hoping to make it an unbeaten in 8 MLS matched, Whitecaps FC take the field at BC Place to host Minnesota United FC, Saturday at 7:30pm Futures: Until January 14, 2024, 25 years since the artist’s passing, the Bill Reid Gallery presents the Canadian premiere exhibition of Bright Futures, co-curated by Bill Reid Gallery Curator Beth Carter, Assistant Curator Aliya Boubard, and in consultation with Jordan Wilson (Musqueam).  Quintet: Saturday May 6th, New Westminster's Anvil Centre presents Huu Bac Quintet's, Mekong Waters, a skilful fusing of the traditional sounds of his Vietnamese and Chinese heritages with North-American jazz. Huu Bac Quartet at Anvil Centre Saturday May 6th. Photo: Johanna Katrina Comedy: Running to May 7, The Firehall Arts Centre and Savage Society present the remount of Taran Kootenhayoo’s White Noise, a comedy about two families who have dinner together for the first time during Truth and Reconciliation week. Exhibition: On display until June 11, Richmond Art Gallery, in partnership with the Richmond Public Library, presents A Small but Comfy House and Maybe a Dog the first major solo exhibition by Amy Ching-Yan Lam, guest curated by Su-Ying Lee, featuring sculptures made in collaboration with HaeAhn Woo Kwon, with objects from the collections of the Gallery and the neighbouring Richmond Public Library. Gallery: On display until May 14, Polygon Gallery presents As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic Curated by Elliott Ramsey, the exhibition is organized by Aperture and features more than 100 photographs from the Wedge Collection — Canada’s largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists. Read the full article

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On Now! The 31st Season of @rcmtheatre debuted last week with the toe-tapping, hand-clapping, frolicking follies of #CrazyForYou, with triple-treats @rabeccatalbot & @toddtalbot leading a brilliant cast at the @masseytheatre until May 14, 2023. Review on the blog in bio Production photos 📸 @moonriderpro #Gershwin #Musical #CrazyForYou #musical #songanddance #follies #programpic https://instagr.am/p/CrwMuGdvSkF/

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Go Crazy for Royal City Musical Theatre's Crazy for You!

Royal City Musical Theatre (RCMT) debuted it's 31st season with the long-awaited opening of Crazy For You, at the Massey Theatre. Starring a powerhouse duo of Todd Talbot as Bobby Child and Rabecca Talbot as Polly Baker, this romantic comedy checks all the boxes of a golden-age Broadway musical. If 42nd Street and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers had a musical child, this is it!

Todd Talbot leads RCMT's Crazy For You Photo: Moonrider Productions, Mark Halliday The glitz and glamour of New York, NY to the dust and depression of Deadrock, NV are perfectly nailed by costume designer Danny Tejani's work, from the lavish showgirls costumes and head-dresses to well-worn dungarees and boots of Deadrock cowpokes. Crazy For You finds aspiring song & dance man Bobby Child (Todd Talbot), working as a banker but longing for the footlights of Broadway sent to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a theatre. There, he falls for Polly Baker (Rabecca Talbot), the sweet postmistress, whose father happens to own the beautiful, but decaying, Gaiety Theatre.  Bobby concocts a scheme to bring together New York City Follies Girls with the local layabout singing cowboys to put on a show and save the theatre. However, the tried and true trope of mistaken identity, slamming doors, and love-hate battles ensue to create a rom-com for the ages.  While Crazy For You feels like a musical from the golden-age of Broadway, it’s relatively new making its Broadway debut in 1992. Ken Ludwig wrote the “New Gershwin Musical” loosely based on the Gershwin’s 1930 Girl Crazy, pulling songs from that musical as well as others from the songwriting duo’s vast catalogue to come up with a musical that’s fun and familiar.  With songs like: “Embraceable You" , "Someone to Watch Over Me", "But Not For Me", "They Can't Take That Away from Me", "Nice Work If You Can Get It", and "I Got Rhythm", there’s sure to be something everyone will recognize and tap along.

Dynamic Duo of Todd Talbot and Rabecca Talbot in Crazy For You Photo: Moonrider Productions, Mark Halliday RCMT was set to open Crazy For You in Spring 2020, but just weeks ahead of opening the pandemic closures put a pause to that idea.  Now three years later, luckily almost all the cast was able to return and you could feel the excitement on opening night for the company to get this show on stage with a live audience.  Leading the charge, Todd Talbot says this is one of his favourite musicals and his love for the show, and the genre shines. He embodies the musical leading man, with the charm, and talent, like Danny Kaye, he’s an actor with great comedic timing and a light in his eye that’s felt in the back of the room, along with being a superb dancer and singer owning the stage with his fancy footwork. We only wish the stage was bigger to see even more of Director-Choreographer Valerie Easton's Busby Berkley-esque numbers, but the intimate Massey Theatre stage allows us to see and feel the intimate moments better, especially the (as expected) perfect chemistry between Todd and his wife Rabecca Talbot. When “Bobby” sings “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” to “Polly” it feels like Todd is singing to Rabecca.  It’s not just Bobby that puts Polly on a pedestal as he tries to win her over, Rabecca’s powerful but effortless vocals and endless charisma, elevate her in the eyes of everyone present.  She shines in this role, playing both the no-nonsense country-girl and the love-struck ingénue with equal believability. Crazy For You runs until May 14, 2023 at Massey Theatre, 735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster.  Even on opening night, some audience members were already on their second visit, having watched previews so get your tickets now, at royalcitymusicaltheatre.com/crazy-for-you or masseytheatre.com/event/crazy-for-you Read the full article

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Chor Leoni and The Leonids fill May with Music

Chor Leoni and its star ensemble The Leonids prepare for a busy month of music, beginning with its May 5th Schubertiad collaboration with Early Music Vancouver.  For their second performance, on May 11th, it celebrates strength and vulnerability in The Turning: Chor Leoni & The Leonids, both shows are on stage at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church. 

The Leonids in The Turning (l to r): Eric Alatorre, Jacob Perry Jr., Steven Soph, Enrico Lagasca, Erick Lichte, Steven Caldicott Wilson, Dann Coakwell, Jonathan Woody, Andrew Fuchs, Sam Kreidenweis. Photo: David Cooper. The Turning is part of a full week of mentorship, rehearsals, and performance for Chor Leoni and The Leonids, bringing together more than 200 singers of all ages for the week of study and celebration, culminating in the annual VanMan Summit Concert on May 13th at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC.  Closing out the month, May 24th at St. Andrew’s-Wesley, Resound is Chor Leoni’s 30th Anniversary Fundraising Gala. The intimate evening of music, dinner, wine pairings, and along with an immersive experience with the celebrated Men’s Chorus, raises funds that will ensure Chor Leoni can continue to inspire audiences through performances, expand its youth educational programs, and broaden its reach and the reach of Canadian music to communities around the world. Chor Leoni’s guiding tenet of transformation through music is at the core of The Turning. It features newly commissioned and existing works that speak directly to mental health and wellness, including the world premiere of composer Sarah Rimkus’ The Watcher of the Wood, a deeply personal and poetic exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “In both The Turning and the VanMan Summit programs we give voice in exquisite words and song to often invisible, hidden emotions and mental health struggles,” says Erick Lichte, Artistic Director of Chor Leoni. “Our members and audiences come to Chor Leoni as a place of support and acceptance. These spring events express and embody our commitment to creating joyful spaces where vulnerability and strength are in harmony, and people can be wholly themselves.” The Turning: Chor Leoni & The Leonids features new works by Sarah Rimkus, Giovanni Bonato, and Maura Bosch. Together The Leonids, Chor Leoni, and its Emerging Choral Artist Program perform the world premiere of American composer Rimkus’ The Watcher of the Wood, a profound and intimate piece with text by the composer’s husband Thomas LaVoy, who writes from his own experiences with PTSD. The program also includes the North American premiere of Sügav Rahu (Deep Peace) by the Italian composer Bonato in his manifestation of peace in our souls. The concert takes its title from The Turning, by Minneapolis composer Bosch. This deeply intimate work, with texts written by men in court ordered anger management classes, explores the beginning of vulnerability, of asking for help and of wanting to make profound change in our lives. Also on the program, Jocelyn Morlock’s An Die Musik, which was commissioned by Chor Leoni eight years ago. The powerful work speaks to the transformative power of music in our lives and its potential to drive away the darkness around us. Rimkus’ composition will also be performed at the VanMan Summit Concert on May 13. Adds Lichte: “One of the goals of the VanMan Summit is to create a space for singers to positively and collectively access, process, and express their emotions. Each of these works, written by women but using the words of men and their trauma, give voice to men’s emotional experience through an open and honest spirit of sharing.”

Erick Lichte, Artistic Director, Chor Leoni After a week of mentorship, workshops, and rehearsals, the 200 plus singers from The Leonids, Chor Leoni, its MYVoice youth choirs, Emerging Choral Artists, and the VanMan Festival Singers take the stage for the VanMan Summit Concert in a celebratory performance including Argentinian and Malay folk songs, Medieval and Renaissance motets, show tunes, pop songs, sea shanties, and Romantic and contemporary choral classics. Each group will perform their own sets and then unite to become Canada’s largest lower voice choir for one-night only. For tickets and information about The Turning, VanMan Summit Concert and Resound, visit chorleoni.org For information about Schubertiade with The Leonids and Chor Leoni visit earlymusic.bc.ca Read the full article

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As The Flying Dutchman closes out this season, Vancouver Opera reveals it coming 2023–2024 season.

As Vancouver Opera closes out its 2022-2023 season it has announced the performances coming in the 2023–2024 season. With Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman wrapping the current season with performances April 29, May 4 and May 7, audiences won’t have to wait long in anticipation of the new season. The Vancouver Opera 2023-2024 season begins in October with Mozart’s The Magic Flute, followed by Donizetti’s Don Pasquale in February 2024. The season comes to a close with Bizet’s much-loved opera Carmen for five performances in April and May 2024.

“We are excited to present an incredible season of opera “classics” to expose our great art form to new audiences,” said Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director. “Two of the operas have not been seen in over a decade and one has only been produced once in our 64-year history. Each of our productions feature returning directors who wowed VO audiences in the past and understand the magic and passion that courses through these stories. We are excited to be presenting these spectacular productions that burst with colour and energy, reach the very core of our humanity and illicit passion, smiles and tears with their sweeping compositions.” Opening the 2023–2024 season is The Magic Flute by Mozart, directed by Ashlie Corcoran (The Barber of Seville, February 2020) and making her VO debut is Conductor Tania Miller. This opera is a fairytale within a fairytale, immersing the audience in a magical, wild journey of high drama and whimsical delight. In February, dive into a 20th-century Technicolour makeover of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale by acclaimed creative duo of costume/set designer André Barbe and director/choreographer Renaud Doucet (La Bohème). This all-Canadian production features Maestro Jacques Lacombe returning to Vancouver Opera (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) to conduct Donizetti’s finely-calibrated music in this comic masterpiece. Concluding the season is one of the most beloved and widely performed works in operatic history, Carmen by Georges Bizet. This passionate story is told through seductive arias and enduring, richly coloured melodies. Rachel Peake returns to Vancouver Opera (The Pearl Fishers) to direct Carmen alongside conductor Leslie Dala (The Flying Dutchman) for a five-show engagement. Adds Wright, “together, the storybook enchantment of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, a vivid pop art reimagining of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and the fiery passion of Bizet’s Carmen make for a season of grand scale, dazzlingly immersive experiences.” Throughout the year, Vancouver Opera will also present several special events including Opera in the Park on Sunday, July 16. This is a free, family-friendly event will find audiences will be entertained with an evening of duets, arias and more led by Music Director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington at Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park. In partnership with re:Naissance Opera and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the world premiere of Sanctuary & Storm will take place November 17 – 19 opening IndieFest 2023. An imagined debate between the two most powerful women in Medieval Europe—Hildegard of Bingen and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of the Normans—frames this striking new chamber opera by award-winning composer Tawnie Olson and librettist Roberta Barker. With the omniscient Angel of History acting as commentator, the brilliant and unconventional women struggle with how to move beyond the oppression of patriarchal society, but risk losing sight of their common goal: a world reborn. Vancouver Opera continues its community engagement with its work in schools, arts organizations, and community groups. Vancouver Opera in Schools brings fully-staged operas to children and families throughout British Columbia. Project Opera sees students working with VO artists and teachers to design and deliver their very own opera. From spring 2024, Vancouver Opera and Pacific Opera Victoria will remount their co-production of The Flight of the Hummingbird, and resume a school tour across the province.  The opera is based on an Indigenous parable from the Quechuan people of South America. The opera is influenced by the graphic novel written by acclaimed Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas and includes elements of his dramatic Haida-manga illustrations. In it, the animals of the forest are inspired to come together by Dukdukdiya, the Hummingbird, to save their beautiful home from a raging fire. For more information about the 2023–2024 Vancouver Opera Season, including ticket on-sale dates and subscription details, visit vancouveropera.ca. Read the full article

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EMV Brings Music to the Stage & Seeks New Artists

Early Music Vancouver (EMV) begins May with a pair of programs to ensure early music is celebrated now and for years to come. A live concert brings music to audiences May 5th and a competition aims to find new artists. From Monday, May 1st to Monday, May 15th EMV is looking for its next “Emerging Artist”.  Open to young musicians, 30 years old or younger, from around the world, who are invited to create a musical project based on how they think the next generation of early music may appear.  Projects can be audio file or creative music videos, with the goal of engaging and creating the next generation of young early music performers.  

The winning Emerging Artist will be announced on Thursday, June 1st, 2023 with the winners receiving: First place: $500 cash, an Intimate Conversations interview with their music featured, and featured content on EMV’s website, YouTube channel and Social Media. Second place: $350 cash, as well as being featured on EMV’s website and social media platforms. Third place: a feature on EMV’s website and social media platforms. Full details are available online at earlymusic.bc.ca/emerging-artist-competition “Young artists of the next generation need opportunities to explore and showcase their ideas, their research and their new projects,” says EMV’s Artistic & Executive Director, Suzie LeBlanc, C.M. “With this competition, EMV wishes to help spread the voice of the next generation of early music artists and give their projects a place to be heard by a wider community.” Whist the young artists are preparing their projects, EMV is preparing its next live concert to take the stage. LIVE CONCERT: Schubertiad with the Leonids and Chor Leoni at St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church on May 5, 2023. Vancouver’s renowned Chor Leoni and its recently created ensemble, The Leonids: a nine-voiced professional ensemble with the best tenor, baritone, and bass voices from Canada and the US, led by Alexander Weimann on EMV’s newly acquired Graf fortepiano, will bring audiences a memorable and unique Schubertiad with solos, quartets and part-songs sprinkled with piano solos from Schubert’s Moment Musicaux. For more details on both the Emerging Artist Competition and Schubertiad with the Leonids and Chor Leoni are available online at earlymusic.bc.ca

The Leonids photo: David Cooper Read the full article

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Pi Theatre offers a surprise in Untitled Peter Tripp Project

Pi Theatre, adds a touch of intrigue to its next production. Continuing its Provocateurs Series with the next presentation, Untitled Peter Tripp Project, running from Thursday, May 4 to Saturday, May 6 at a secret location which will be announced to Pi Theatre ticket holders days before the performance. Peter Tripp, a once-celebrated radio DJ, performed a publicity stunt in 1959 wherein he broadcast continuously for 201 hours from a glass booth in Times Square. This act was his undoing – he suffered psychological complications from prolonged sleep deprivation, and his increased fame made him a target for investigators who would indict him for commercial bribery in the “payola” scandal of 1960. “Tripp serves as an aspirational (and cautionary) figure in our current thinking around arts practice. We find rich territory in the metaphor of the radio broadcast – the host sends performative energy into literal thin air, not knowing whether it is being received by listeners. Exhaustion acts as a character in Tripp’s story, as the ever present wolf-at-the-door threatening to consume the performer while simultaneously motivating his gimmick.” Says co-creators Johanna Bundon, Jayden Pfeifer, and Lee Henderson.

Untitled Peter Tripp Project part of Pi Theatre's Provocateurs Series photo: Lee Henderson Untitled Peter Tripp Project is a physical and poetic interpretation of Tripp’s dilemma, created by artists Bundon, Pfeifer and Henderson, and performed by this trio along with artist Tess Degenstein. The work highlights the natural interdisciplinarity of performance by composing an atmosphere that activates space, breath, gesture, voice, light, and sound with equal importance. Endurance-based movement, improvisational and written text, image projection, radio frequency programming, and the fracturing/looping of sound recordings conjure hallucination, fugue states, and doppelgänger-paranoia. The work is imaginative and sensation-rich, and aspires to affect the collective nervous system of its audience through the performers’ embodiment of these heightened states of presence.

Stoic Trio ; Co-creators Bundon, Pfeifer and Henderson photo: Lee Henderson Audiences will encounter aspects of ‘Peter’ (or an imagined facsimile thereof) as they are variously inhabited and shed by the performers over the course of the piece. This multitudinous portrayal enacts the altered forms of consciousness that a sleep-deprived performer experiences. Narrative, in its broadest sense, is present, but steps aside to allow visual metaphor to lead the conversation. This ensemble of artists moves fluidly between the roles of performer and technician, activating the performance space for one another. They work in relay to create the images and performance actions, handing off the metaphorical baton to keep the momentum of both the technical aspects and performative actions. And, they enter the arena of Tripp’s myth to research their personal relationships to themes of exhaustion, public failure, and loneliness. Untitled Peter Tripp Project runs May 4-6, 2023 at 7:30pm (Matinee, May 6 at 2pm) at a Secret Location To Be Announced only to ticket holders. Tickets and details at pitheatre.com Read the full article

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DanceHouse Premieres Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice and Reveals 2023/24 Season

As DanceHouse announces its 2023-2024 season including six exciting performance, it readies for the final presentation in its 15th Anniversary season. DanceHouse presents the exhilarating North American premiere of Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice, May 5 and 6, 2023 at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse. Inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring, South Africa’s award-winning choreographer Masilo roots her powerful rendition in the rituals, rhythms, and sounds of Botswana. Together, the cast of ten dancers and four musicians interacts to explore the intricate symbiosis of community, sacrifice, and renewal in a riveting fusion of Tswana, the traditional dance of Botswana, and contemporary dance performed to a live original score.

Dada Masilo's The Sacrifice Dance Factory Johannesburg 30 June 2021 Photograph: John Hogg “We’re thrilled to introduce Vancouver audiences to Dada Masilo’s innovative and intoxicating vision in The Sacrifice,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director of DanceHouse. “Masilo combines the European heritage of The Rite of Spring with the uniquely rhythmic and expressive movements of Tswana to examine the universal cry of sacrifice for the greater good, and the need to give back to help something grow. It is a timely call to all of us.” Vancouver is the first North American stop in the highly acclaimed international tour of The Sacrifice. Following its DanceHouse performances, the production continues to Ottawa, Toronto, and the United States. Dada Masilo (South Africa), The Sacrifice, runs May 5 and 6, 2023 at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamiliton. Tickets are available now online at dancehouse.ca Subscriptions for the DanceHouse 2023/24 Season are also now available. The season offers six  productions as part of the 2023/24 subscription, plus one special add-on presentation in July. The season includes: September 27-30, 2023:  Compañía Rocío Molina (Spain), Fallen from Heaven (Caída del Cielo)at 8pm at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Co-presented with SFU Woodward's Cultural Programming and Vancouver International Flamenco Festival. October 25-28, 2023: Kidd Pivot (Vancouver), New Work by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse January 25-27, 2024: Gravity and Other Myths (Australia), The Mirror at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse Co-presented with The Cultch February 23 & 24, 2024: Elle Sofe Sara (Norway), Vástádus eana - The answer is land at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse Co-presented with Dancers of Damelahamid March 22 & 23, 2024: Côté Danse (Toronto), X (Dix) at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse April 19 & 20, 2024: Dorrance Dance (US), SOUNDspace at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse July 14 & 15, 2023: Nova Dance (Toronto), Sv?h?! at 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse Co-presented with Indian Summer Festival and SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs Nova Dance can can be added to a season subscription, or single tickets are available now online at dancehouse.ca https://youtu.be/rVP3zNqWuFw Read the full article

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Picks of the Week - April 19, 2023

These April showers are getting tedious so let's amuse ourselves some entertaining picks of the week. Tastes: Tonight, Vancouver Foodster and Tasting Plates YVR take patrons on an exploration of flavours around Vancouver on the Asian Eats Tasting Tour. Trailblazer: There's still a few days left to see Gateway Theatre's presentation of the critically-acclaimed musical Hey Viola! starring Krystle Dos Santos as Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond before it closes April 22.   Bloom: The Fraser Valley’s annual burst of spring colour returns today, Wednesday, April 19 with the 17th annual edition of the Chilliwack Tulip Festival bursting into bloom for the next few weeks.

17th Annual Chilliwack Tulip Festival opens today Festival: Continuing until May 28th, Urban Ink and The Cultch welcome new works and past favourites to a free, all-digital TRANSFORM Cabaret Festival focuses on empowering Indigenous artists and encouraging collaboration with non-Indigenous artists. Cabaret: At The Arts Club Granville Island Stage, until April 30, Rubaboo is a theatrical indigenous cabaret, guided by powerhouse Métis performer Andrea Menard, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and actor. Featuring the sounds of drums and guitar, this grand musical feast includes songs of reconciliation, unity, love, frustration, and resilience. Improvise: The Improv Centre on Granville Island debuts its spring show, Bring Back The ‘90s!, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm from April 21 to May 27, with a special opening night on Thursday, April 20 at 7:30pm. Concert: Friday at Christ Church Cathedral, Early Music Vancouver presents La Rêveuse in The Birds Concert, an association of birdsong with the music of the 17th and 18th centuries Dance: The April edition of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series features Lamondance in a double bill of vibrant contemporary works on Thursday April 20th at 12 noon Scotiabank Dance Centre Laughs: Deconstructing a chef’s journey from food to comedy, Canadian Comedian Ali Hassan is bringing his hilarious show titled Does This Taste Funny?  to Anvil Theatre in New Westminster, April 19. 

Exhibition: From this Saturday, April 22 to June 11, Richmond Art Gallery, in partnership with the Richmond Public Library, presents A Small but Comfy House and Maybe a Dog the first major solo exhibition by Amy Ching-Yan Lam, guest curated by Su-Ying Lee, featuring sculptures made in collaboration with HaeAhn Woo Kwon, with objects from the collections of the Gallery and the neighbouring Richmond Public Library. Femme: The Cultch’s sixth annual Femme Festival features seven performances from women in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and circus, on its three stages continuing until May 14, 2023. Gallery: On display until May 14, Polygon Gallery presents As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic Curated by Elliott Ramsey, the exhibition is organized by Aperture and features more than 100 photographs from the Wedge Collection — Canada’s largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists. Comedy: Running to May 7, The Firehall Arts Centre and Savage Society present the remount of Taran Kootenhayoo’s White Noise, a comedy about two families who have dinner together for the first time during Truth and Reconciliation week.

White Noise - Braiden Houle & Anais West photo from 2022 production, credit: Moonrider Productions Photography: Keep your eyes open until April 30 for the the Capture Photography Festival, Western Canada’s largest lens-based art festival, pops up at dozens of galleries and other venues throughout Metro Vancouver, also including an extensive Public Art Program, an Events Program including tours, films, artist talks, and community events as well as an educational partnership with Emily Carr University. Hawaii: You only have until April 23rd to take off to the sun as Hawaii From Above takes flight at Fly Over Canada, bringing its lush forests and flowing waterfalls to sandy beaches and dazzling shorelines to the Canada Place attraction Read the full article

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TUTS 2023 Season Takes Audiences to School

Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) returns this summer with a 2023 season that is both hilarious and heartwarming, featuring The Prom and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, on stage at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park, from July 6-August 26, 2023.    Welcoming audiences since 1940, this year’s TUTS productions take audiences from high school prom to elementary schoolyard as both musicals invite audiences to witness the power of kindness and inclusion in the fight for freedom to love and be loved.

Theatre Under The Stars @ Stanley Park's Malkin Bowl photo: Shawn Bukhari “This summer, we look forward to continuing the annual tradition of spectacular theatre in our magical outdoor setting with our faithful and supportive TUTS audience, whether families, friends, or passionate theatre-goers,” says TUTS General Manager Kevin Woo. “This year’s season is full of heart, hope, mischief, and merriment, featuring two of Broadway’s smash hits: the big-hearted comedy, The Prom, and the fast-paced family adventure, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical. Audiences will be moved by both musicals’ warmth and optimism – and their ultimate promise that love always prevails.” Set at a small-town high school, The Prom masterfully balances unabashed hopefulness, heartfelt vulnerability, and hard-hitting hilarity. Desperate to improve their public image, four down-on-their-luck Broadway actors rally behind Emma, a teenager whose prom has just been cancelled because she planned to attend with her girlfriend. But their scheming quickly goes sideways, and they ultimately come to learn what everyone is searching for – a place to belong. The Prom will be directed and choreographed by Tracey Power, who makes her TUTS debut. A revered director and choreographer, Power has worked with numerous theatre and opera companies, including Vancouver Opera, Bard on the Beach, Arts Club Theatre, Firehall Arts Centre, and Citadel Theatre. Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical takes place in a small English village, where a brilliant little girl with a lively imagination is bullied by her self-absorbed parents and tyrannical headmistress. Through the strength of her whimsical storytelling abilities, she uses her newfound magical powers to ‘fight for the right to be a little bit naughty.’ With toe-tapping songs and outstanding dance numbers featuring a talented cast of young people, this family-friendly stage phenomenon is the perfect TUTS introduction for young audiences. Also making her TUTS debut is Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical director Stephanie Graham. Graham’s directing credits include Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, and Mamma Mia for Globe Theatre and Anne of Green Gables for Thousand Islands Playhouse. On sale now through May 17th, TUTS offers a two-show subscription pack – allowing audiences to secure their seats to both productions for one great price.  Subscriptions are $90 for adults and $60 for youth ages 5-12, and include premium tickets to both productions, souvenir programs, and exchange insurance for both nights. Subscriptions are available by visiting tuts.ca or by calling 1-800-514-3849 until May 17. Early bird single tickets, from $20, will go on sale May 25. Read the full article

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The Cultch lines up a sixth annual Femme Festival

The Cultch has announced the line-up for its sixth annual Femme Festival. With seven performances from women in music, theatre, dance, comedy, and circus, The Cultch’s Femme Festival will fill its three stages April 15-May 14, 2023. April 26-30 The Cultch’s York Theatre features the Festival centrepiece, Raven, a contemporary circus act from German circus collective still hungry, a company made up of acrobats Romy Seibt, Anke van Engelshoven, and Lena Ries. Raven is a show that presents the balancing act of being a mother and an artist. It explores the German concept of “Rabenmutter” (raven mother—a selfish, neglectful mother) with high-flying acrobatics. April 15th, the Festival opens with a performance from Juno-nominated artist, Jill Barber, who kicks things off as part of the tour for her new album Homemaker. May 11-14, wrapping the Festival, Amanda Sum presents her “part pop-up book, part performance”, New Age Attitudes: Live in Concert with Theatre Replacement.

RAVEN by Still Hungry is part of Femme Festival 2023 Photo: Andy Phillipson April 18-22, comedy comes to the Vancity Culture Lab stage with Bird by Kylie Vincent. Following an 8 month tour the US and a month-long run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the New York standup comedian stops in Vancouver to present her memoir/comedy show which offers big laughs about the hard topic of Kylie’s personal childhood abuse. May 3-6, another show bringing comedy to the festival is the dance show Body Parts from local choreographer Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. Known for her unique style of performance, combining comedy and dance,  Friedenberg’s Body Parts is a look at how body dysmorphia plays a role in how we all perform in society, while also a celebration of what our bodies can do. May 4-13, The Cultch offers something for those who love straight-up theatre with ?tszan (to make better), a story about Indigenous language reclamation created by Ucwalmicw artist Yvonne Wallace, and produced by Ruby Slippers Theatre. This play tells the story of a young women who starts to pursue language fluency when her auntie, who is at the end of her life, decides to stop speaking English.

?tszan (to make better) by Yvonne Wallace is part of Femme Festival 2023 Photo: David Ward The Femme Festival will also include one digital production on The Cultch’s digital playground, RE/PLAY. In Response to Alabama was presented in person at the 2022 Femme Festival. Folks who missed this powerful look at true stories of abortion, and folks that would like to see it again, will be able to view this show on-demand during this year’s festival. “We are so excited to bring you this year’s Femme Festival,” says Cultch Executive Director Heather Redfern. “It is going to be a huge celebration of female-identifying voices. The biggest in the city!” The sixth annual Femme Festival runs April 15-May 14, 2023 at The Cultch’s three East Vancouver stages; the Historic Theatre, Vancity Culture Lab, at 1895 Venables Street and The York Theatre 639 Commercial Drive, as well as RE/PLAY, online. For festival and show details or to buy tickets, visit thecultch.com/femme-festival or call The Cultch Box Office at 604-251-1363 Read the full article

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DOXA 2023 Festival Line-Up Debuts

This week, DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival, announced its 2023 Festival line-up.  The 22nd edition Festival returns to screens May 4 through May 14, 2023 with a roster of crucial and thought-provoking documentaries in theatrical venues across the city, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for a communal cinema experience. For those folks who prefer to view from the comfort of their own homes, a selection of festival films will be available to stream online after festival dates, between May 15 and 24, 2023. The 22nd annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival will showcase a total of 39 features and mid-lengths, 25 short films, as well as Industry events and multiple opportunities for filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals to connect.  Online films will be available to stream Canada-wide, through DOXA’s Eventive online platform. Theatrical screenings will take place at The Cinematheque, VIFF Centre and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, while in-person industry events will be held at SFU’s World Arts Centre. DOXA presents Karen Cho’s Big Fight in Little Chinatown as this year’s Opening Presentation, screening on May 4th at SFU’s Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema. All across the globe, Chinatowns are under threat of disappearing—and along with them, the rich history of communities who fought from the margins for a place to belong. Big Fight in Little Chinatown follows the communities that are fighting to end perpetual gentrification and displacement across North America. Other Special Presentations include: Kokomo City, directed by D. Smith, which documents the stories of four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia as they share reflections on tangled desires, far-reaching taboos and gender’s many meanings (Justice Forum); King Coal, directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, witnessing the daily rituals of life in Appalachia as the cultural roots of the coal industry continue to permeate, even as its economic power wanes (Rated Y for Youth);

and Kaveh Nabatian’s Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones), which weaves together ancestral veneration, choreographed dance and interviews to tell a story of fighting back against colonial oppression in Haiti (Closing Gala). DOXA also features three guest-curated programs. Vancouver-based curator, writer and current Director of Artspeak Gallery, Nya Lewis has selected the film Beba (Rebeca Huntt, 2021) for their program, A Radical Pluriverse: Reflections on Black Womanhood on Both Sides of the Lens. In Lewis’s words, “I consider it a privilege to access a spiritual legacy of mothers, sisters and daughters—a lineage or geneology of Black women(hood) that is defined by collective self-awareness, shared political consciousness, love, magic, quests for liberation and futurism.” Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issifou, whose research and curatorial work focuses on Afro-diasporic cinema and visual arts, has curated a program of short films called I AM A (WO)MAN: Transatlantic Perspectives on Political Struggles in the 1960s–1970s in Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, the USA and France. These short works highlight the cross-cultural and -continental “struggles for the emancipation of colonized peoples,” and display the collaborative work of filmmakers and labour activists in the fight. Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis program titled NORITA: The Mother of All Struggles features Jayson McNamara’s work-in-progress doc, Norita, which examines the life and revolutionary work of Nora Cortiñas, the most famous of the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo—Argentina’s movement of women fighting for justice amidst the country’s rampant political oppression. Beyond the festival’s cornerstone Justice Forum and Rated Y for Youth programs, DOXA 2023 will include two Spotlight programming streams: DANCE, DANCE OTHERWISE WE ARE LOST and THIN PLACES. As German dancer Pina Bausch once advised: “Dance, dance otherwise we are lost.” In an effort to make sense of the world, the films in this spotlight program meld the disciplines of dance and filmmaking, strengthening relationships between ancestors, culture and community in the process. Thin Places presents a collection of films exploring liminal and precarious zones. “There are places,” says Irish writer Kerri ní Dochartaigh, “both hollowed and hallowed, all in one.” Thin places, as they are known in the Celtic tradition, are locales where a sense of Heaven and Earth meet. But in this dense collection of films, Hell is present too.

NOT QUITE THAT tells the story of a nice Jewish butch lesbian with a genetic mutation that might just allow her to be fully seen at last Several Canadian filmmakers will bring their world premiere to DOXA 2023. Amy Miller’s latest film, Manufacturing the Threat, is a festival highlight: After the arrest and imprisonment of a young Surrey couple, their plot to commit acts of terrorism was revealed to be the work of government agent provocateurs aiming to entrap and create their own “threats.” Miller will also be giving a masterclass, co-presented by DOC BC | YT | NWT, as part of DOXA’s Industry program. Ali Grant’s Not Quite That champions an affecting local story; after finding out she is predisposed to breast cancer, Sarah White—a Jewish woman, mother, and butch lesbian—must decide whether to wait and see what happens, or act fast and have a preventative double mastectomy. These Canadian films and more are exciting titles in DOXA’s 2023 festival program. DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs May 4-14, 2023, with select films available to stream online after the festival, between May 15 thru 24, unless otherwise specified. Online films are geo-blocked to Canada and virtual tickets will be limited. Select screenings will include live and pre-recorded filmmaker Q+As and extended discussions. Festival tickets and passes are on sale now at doxafestival.ca    Read the full article

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Tickets for Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography are On Sale Today.

This spring, Vancouver will once again experience an immersive look at a world-renowned artist. The Frida Kahlo Corporation, Layers of Reality, and Tandem Expositions have announced the Western Canadian premiere of the world’s only official exhibition of Frida Kahlo. Tickets go on sale for Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography, today, April 4, at 10 am at TicketLeader.ca or fridakahlovancouver.com.

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography opens May 3, 2023 at PNE Argodome Opening May 3, 2023 at PNE Agrodome, Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography, is a co-creation of the Frida Kahlo Corporation and Layers of Reality, the renowned digital arts centre in Spain.  The immersive experience presents the biographical story of the life and artistry of one of the most influential artists in history in a unique and immersive way. The exhibition utilizes seven distinct transformational spaces, including an optional award-winning VR experience, enabling visitors to enter the life and work of the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. Unlike other art exhibitions, this exhibit does not include reproductions of Kahlo's paintings. Instead, it utilizes a range of innovative techniques, including historical photographs, original films, digital environments, artistic installations, collector's items, and newly created music, to create an immersive experience that captures the essence of Kahlo's life and art. “Today, the Frida Kahlo brand is considered one of the most significant and renowned on the planet, which has enabled us to venture into new cultural and commercial projects with a global, innovative, and disruptive approach, similar to how Frida lived her everyday life. Consequently, we aim to create a space that portrays Frida Kahlo in an authentic, genuine, and comprehensive manner, incorporating diverse sources of information. This has given rise to Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography," states Beatriz Alvarado, CCO and Head of Global Trends, Frida Kahlo Corporation. “Frida Kahlo’s artistry continues to be more relevant than ever, and this immersive exhibition is a must-see for anyone who admires her work and legacy,” said Paul Dupont-Hébert, President of Tandem and who is also behind the success of Imagine Van Gogh, Imagine Picasso, and Imagine Monet across Canada and the USA over the past three years.

Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography After unprecedented success in Spain and across Europe, the exhibition toured the US and made its Canadian debut in Montreal (pictured above) before arriving in Vancouver. Produced by Montreal-based Tandem Productions, Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography is designed to be an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages. Tickets for Frida Kahlo: The Immersive Biography, are on sale today, April 4, at 10 am. Starting at $30 for Children and $40 for Adults (plus taxes and fees), with discounts available for students, children, and families and add-ons for VIP and virtual reality experiences. Visit TicketLeader.ca to purchase tickets and fridakahlovancouver.com for more information. Read the full article

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Gateway Theatre brings Hey Viola!

Steven Charles on bass and Krystle Dos Santos on the mic in Hey Viola! Photo by David Cooper A slice of Canadian heritage is coming to Gateway Theatre with the presentation of the critically-acclaimed musical Hey Viola! April 13 to 22. If you’ve missed the 2022 presentation at Anvil Centre, no not miss this tour-de-force performance by Canadian jazz and blues singer Krystle Dos Santos, as she takes the audience on a musical exploration of civil rights trailblazer, Viola Desmond. Vancouver songstress and actor Krystle Dos Santos, with the support of live musicians, brings the life of Viola Desmond to the stage using the dynamic and inspirational music that filled the home of this trailblazer of the civil rights movement. Hey Viola! takes the audience on an extraordinary journey through Viola’s life and the events that shaped her, from the 1917 Halifax explosion to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s. Featuring hot jazz, gospel, and traditional spirituals, this eye-opening musical brings bold, new energy to the life and times of a remarkable woman. “You won’t want to miss her in this cabaret-style performance where she shares the inspiring true story of Viola Desmond. This musical format enriches the telling of Viola Desmond’s amazing and powerful story, which is ultimately an important Canadian story,” said Barbara Tomasic, Gateway Theatre’s Director of Artistic Programs. Who is Viola Desmond, other than the newest face on the Canadian ten-dollar bill? She is best known for her courage in refusing to leave the whites-only section of Nova Scotia’s Roseland cinema in 1946, a decision that made history. What was the fire within this successful black Canadian businesswoman that gave her the courage and confidence to stand up to systemic racial injustices in Canada? Her story is told through music and song featuring brilliant hits of the era from Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, The Mills Brothers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Richard M. Jones, and more—plus songs that influenced history including Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, A Change is Gonna Come, Sinnerman, and Mississippi Goddam. Hey Viola! was created by Tracey Power (Glory, Chelsea Hotel, and The Songs of Leonard Cohen), Co-creator and Director, and Krystle Dos Santos, extraordinary actor, blues, jazz and soul singer and creator of “BLAK”, exploring Canada’s Black history.  “I feel so honoured to be able to share Viola’s story, she was such an incredible, driven, intelligent and strong woman, an inspiration on so many levels,” stated Dos Santos. “Her story is such an important message to share, and is still relevant in today’s world. As Canadians, we have to recognize that this is not a unique story in our history, but one that reflects an imperfect culture, past and present, and is one of many examples of how we can always strive to be better.” Hey Viola! runs April 13 to 22, 2023 at Gateway Theatre, Mainstage, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, BC, and is presented in English with Traditional and Simplified Chinese surtitles. Tickets start at $35 and are available online at gatewaytheatre.com/hey-viola Read the full article