Hummingbird604.com » theatre

White Christmas (@TheArtsClub) – Win tickets!

Raul — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:00:33 +0000

Given that I had planned my blogging hiatus a long while ago, I figured I’d start doing the Christmas/holidays giveaways a bit early so that I could actually spend my holidays, completely free. And since I know most of you are already planning for the holidays (heck, have you seen the commercials on TV already?!) I figured I’d remind you of the wonderful musical White Christmas, put together by The Arts Club. I have seen this musical before a few times, and this year will hopefully not be the exception. I think everyone I know loves White Christmas, and I’m sure you’ll definitely have your heart warmed with this fantastic production.

For one lucky reader of mine, I have a pair of tickets to opening night, December 7th at 8pm at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (on 12th and almost Granville).

You can enter my giveaway and accumulate up to 2 entries by commenting here on what you love the most about the holiday season. In my case, and I’ll be the first to admit, I love having the break between university terms so I can actually take some time off and be with my family. During the academic year I work so hard with teaching, research and consulting, that I really look forward to the holiday season in December. Also, that’s when I do most of my academic research writing.

What do YOU love the most about the holiday season? Tell me in the comments section, and to earn a second entry, post the following on your Twitter stream:

Shared what I love most about the holidays w/ @hummingbird604 http://is.gd/TLv2C3 for a chance to win tix to @TheArtsClub White Christmas

I will draw a winner on November 24th at 2pm. White Christmas opens to the general public on December 1st and goes until December 28th (opening night will be December 7th, for which the winner’s tickets are). You can purchase tickets here (be aware that 7 shows are already sold out, so get your tickets now).

True Love Lies by Touchstone Theatre

Anabelle — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:30:13 +0000

There’s always something good at The Cultch; for the last weeks of September, the historical theatre is showing True Love Lies, a dark comedy by Edmonton playwright Brad Fraser.

Credit: Emily Cooper

Brad Fraser’s Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love was a huge hit for Touchstone in the early nineties, and True Love Lies meets up with two of its characters – Kane and David – twenty years later. Kane is now straight, married and living in mortgaged suburbia with two kids. David’s reappearance outs dad to his kids and forces the question, does true love ever die? With the crackle of lightning fast one-liners, acidic exchanges and wickedly witty characters, this hilarious new play shatters our illusions about the “perfect” Canadian family.

I’d be curious to see (or at least read) the other plays just to get the back story, but the play can be understood on its own without any trouble.

Hummingbird604 will be at the premiere and will review the play for you on September 22nd, so stay tuned!

What: True Love Lies by Brad Fraser and Touchstone Theatre
When: September 22nd to October 1st; post-show talkbacks on September 24, 25, 27 and October 1st
Where: The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6
More info: The Cultch website

Stay Away From My Boat @$$hole at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011: Review

jessica — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:30:38 +0000

Image Credit: ITSAZOO Productions

This was probably the most interesting theatre experience I have ever had. Picture an episode of Mr Bean: 20 minutes of mimed dark humour. This was exactly that. In a post-apocalyptic world, it’s every man to himself. As the men in this one-scene-act play do what they must to survive in a flooding city at the end of the world, elements of black and white film and overdramaticization are a huge theme.

I would absolutely recommend you to attend this play at this year’s Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011.

The idea of having the audience watch from a bridge and be surrounded by the characters and the very setting of the play is totally fantastic. Lots of couples were there on dates, and since it’s fairly short and concise, it leaves lots of time for dinner and drinks!

The topic is also a conversion-sparker: “the end.” I must say that I totally enjoyed the miming as well. It was layered on a very well-chosen soundtrack, and as a music enthusiast I’d say that made all the difference.

Disclaimer: Jessica attended the show on a Super Pass graciously provided by the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 organizers. We were not otherwise compensated for our review, nor was a positive one expected. Raul always maintains editorial control over content published on Hummingbird604.com.

Read all of our Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 coverage here.

Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 Preview: Suicide(s) in Vegas

jessica — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:30:36 +0000

Photo Credit: NJ Calder for MW Productions

The name of this play sort of gives away the entire dark-comedy theme: Suicides, and Vegas. Produced by MW Productions, this play is set in a modern world where two women find each other randomly on the internet, both with the intention of dying soon, but not alone – they band together and hit up Vegas. Critics acclaim the play to be “Clever,” “Engaging,” and “Beautiful.”

“MW Productions, a Denver-based production company, will tour the World Premiere play Suicide(s) in

Vegas throughout Canada this summer, from Montreal to Vancouver.

Written by Evan Placey, Directed by Margaret Whittum, Starring Elinza Pretorius & Amber Green.

Runs September 9th to September 17th.

False Creek Community Center, 1318 Cartwright Street, Granville Island”

Big Shot at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 (review)

Anabelle — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:30:14 +0000

This play has a lot of hype at this year’s Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011–and for good reasons. Big Shot is a compelling solo play featuring six different characters whose destiny all meet at one fateful moment on the SkyTrain.

The narrator is a boy who loves cinema; he is coming back home after seeing a movie somewhere in Vancouver. The most interesting thing about Big Shot is that it uses movie language to show what theater can do that movies can’t.

The writing was excellent: gripping, poetical and emotional. The writer/actor did a good job of depicting all the different characters, not only physically but also through their words. Each scene slowly builds up to the final moment and weaves all the different strands together. As you gain more and more information, you start to see the picture: inevitable, tragic, real.

John Lachlan Stewart is an actor to watch–literally. I thought his physical acting top notch, easily switching between a recovering drug addict, an 8-year-old boy and an old Japanese man. I was especially impressed with his delivery of Japanese–I don’t understand the words but I’ve watched enough animes to know the natural flow of the language, and this was very close. By the sweat on his shirt at the end of the play, you could see that John was totally into his characters.

The set–well, there’s no set actually. The only prop is a black blazer. I think any object or background would have distracted from the physical performance. The lighting was right on and the sound design, used parsimoniously, had the desired effect of enhancing certain moments or character traits.

The play left me breathless and moved. Even when you see the end coming, its inexorability is hypnotizing. There’s nothing you can do but watch when it all finally together in a final scene that could rival even the best movies. But this play is not a movie, and that’s the best thing about it. It’s all a movie cannot be; it shows what theatre can do and still does despite its decline in popularity. Thanks to festivals like the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, there is still a space where these artistic issues can be explored.

My boyfriend, a playwright himself, fan of solo plays and physical acting, was impressed. I can’t think of a better endorsement for Big Shot. A definite must-see at this year’s Fringe. Here’s some video from the play we found on YouTube.

Disclaimer: Anabelle attended Big Shot on a Super Pass graciously provided by the Vancouver International Fringe Festival organizers. We were not otherwise compensated for our review, nor was a positive one expected. Raul always maintains editorial control over content published on Hummingbird604.com.

Read all of our Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 coverage here.

The Sparrow + The Mouse at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival (Review)

jessica — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:30:35 +0000

Photo Credit: Karen Gall for Sisterscene Theatre

Edith Piaf left a hard pair of shoes to fill. Her vocal range, beauty, and emotion left an imprint on French history and music forever. This story, written and featuring Melanie Gall, lives up to the high standard of Piaf’s voice and music.

I arrived at the play wondering who would play Piaf and what the setting would look like. Portraying Paris in the 1930s would be difficult but could be beautiful. Interstingly enough, I saw neither of those things.

The featureless background actually works itself perfectly into the performance as the costumes do all of the work.: beautiful silks and sequins, contracted with Simone’s humble blue skirt and sweater. As for Edith, she doesn’t directly appear at all. Although this is the story of her life and times, the character is actually Simone, her step-sister.

Although Melanie Gall could have pulled off Piaf if she wanted, she was humble enough to write herself in as the sister and narrator. I think it was best that Piaf remained imagined instead of seen, as some of the story became extremely tragic and despairing, something maybe best not portrayed directly.

The songs were sung absolutely beautifully. Only at one point did I notice a mistake, and it was inconsequential. My favourite of Piaf’s songs, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, was as gorgeous as it could get. Melanie Gall`s voice was strong and clear, yet somehow softer than Piaf`s original voice. I loved when the two voices were overlapped at one point, with the original record playing in the background. The audience was totally into the music, and Gall encouraged interaction as she spoke to different audience members throughout the monologue.

I would certainly recommend this play to anyone, especially opera lovers. Although the subject matter is extremely difficult and sad, there is humour and light-heartedness within the presentation. I didn’t leave feeling upset, but rather having enjoyed my evening.

Disclaimer: Jessica attended the media premiere of The Sparrow and The Mouse on a Super Pass graciously provided by the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 organizers. We were not otherwise compensated for our review, nor was a positive one expected. Raul always maintains editorial control over content published on Hummingbird604.com.

Read all of our Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 coverage here.

Tuesdays with Morrie

jessica — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 18:45:05 +0000

Photo Credit: Dianna Lewis for Pacific Theatre

After having worked at a bookstore for 3 years, I can name a few key books that people really responded to. Tuesdays with Morrie is one of the most raved about books, with some customers even coming though the line with a stack of them to give away to friends. This heart-string-tugger book is definitely appealing to the sensitive souls of the world. Now that Mitch Albom has collaborated with Jeffery Hatcher to make this book come alive in theatre, the expectations are certainly high. This is basically a reenactment of Albom’s visits with a dying professor and the wisdom that is passed down to him. It’s the re-telling of a teacher-student relationship between these two men that runs deep and strong.

Pacific Theatre presents Gallery 7 Theatre’s guest production of Tuesdays with Morrie. Mitch Albom, a life-changing true story about generosity of spirit in the face of death. From the NY Times best-selling novel. Playing September 14-24th Wednesday – Saturday at 8pm with 2pm matinee on Saturday at Pacific Theatre, 1440 W 12th Ave. Artist talkback Friday, September 23rd. For tickets ($16.50-29.50 HST not incl.) call 604.731.5518 or pacifictheatre.org.

Here at Hummingbird604.com, we are offering a set of tickets to see the show! Comment a piece of wisdom passed down from a mentor to you, and you could win a set for the Wednesday, Sept 14th opening night! An additional entry can be earned by posting the following text on Twitter. We will draw a winner on Tuesday September 13th at 11 am.

I shared a pearl of wisdom with @hummingbird604 for a chance to win tickets to @PacificTheatre Tuesdays With Morrie http://is.gd/T4s46w

Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 Preview: The Sparrow and the Mouse

jessica — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:30:39 +0000

Photo Credit: Karen Gall for Sisterscene Theatre

This year the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 is bringing us the non-fiction story and reenactment of the life and troubles of Edith Piaf. Her beautiful and haunting songs are as famous as her tragic life story. I fully expect this play to be a tear-jerker, but for anyone who loves the richness of this woman and her music, and her contribution to French history, I would encourage you to go.

My hopes are that the musical (yes, a musical at Fringe! Of course, featuring Piaf`s own music.) explores the life and times of Paris in the 1930`s – fashion, lifestyle, and so-forth. The story is told as a narrative from the point of view of Edith`s half-sister Simone, which should add a sort of twist. It`s also the only play at the festival which will performi n both English and French – a huge attraction for the Francophone community as well as those who find beauty in the French language.

Sisterscene Theatre [featuring Melanie Gall as Piaf] will present The Sparrow and the Mouse: Creating the Music of Edith Piaf as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, September 8 -18, 2011. The Sparrow and the Mouse is a musical comedy/drama that explores the early life of famed French chanteuse Edith Piaf.

The Sparrow and the Mouse is being performed at the False Creek Community Centre Gym. Showtimes are: Sept 8 at 8:30, Sept 10 at 2:00, Sept 11 at 9:35, Sept 15 at 6:15, Sept 17 at 6:00, and Sept 18 at 3:35.

Tickets are $11/$9 (students/seniors), and are available from the Fringe Box Office or at the door. The Sparrow and the Mouse runs 60 minutes and is suitable for ages 10 and up.

Stay Away From My Boat @$$hole (Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011)

jessica — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:30:45 +0000

Stay Away From My Boat @$$hole
Vancouver Fringe Festival 2011

photo credit: sprklg

As a part of Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011′s Onsite Program, Stay Away From My Boat @$$hole will be running at the water below the Alder Bay Bridge on Granville Island. The site-specific performance requires the audience to sit on the bridge and watch the show from above. The theatre company, ITSAZOO Productions has partnered with The Only Animal to make this concept a reality.

ITSAZOO is known for some non-orthodox and wonderful shows in unconventional, open-air locations, but this is their first ever in the open water. SAFMB@ runs along the same lines as the production company: witty, satire, and humour. The press release claims that the inspiration has been found in “silent films, clowns, radio dramas and the apocalypse.” The dramatic story includes the flooding of Vancouver, a mysterious stranger, and times of war. Oh, and the entire thing is lit by flashlights.

Stay Away From My Boat @$$hole offers a showcase of Vancouver’s rising talent including David Benedict Brown (Performer), Colby Wilson (Performer), Sebastian Archibalt (Playwright), Chelsea Haberlin (Director) and Chris Adams (Sound Design). this production was created under the guidance and mentorship of Vancouver’s premier site specific theatre company the Only Animal and was developed as part of The Fringe’s Onsite Program. The show runs September 8-18 and advanced tickets can be purchased through the Vancouver Fringe Festival, check out itsazoo.org for more information.

Here at Hummingbird604.com, we are doing a giveaway for a pair of tickets to the play! Comment on this post about an open-water adventure you’ve had or would like to have to enter to win! Mine (Anabelle) would definitely be sitting in a truck that was sitting on a barge crossing an inlet on the Sunshine coast. Contest will close Wednesday, September 7th at 1PM.

TOUGH! by Twenty-Something Theatre

Anabelle — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:48:31 +0000

Another week, another play!

As the Vancouver International Fringe Festival 2011 approaches, we’ll have a ton of plays to preview and review for you, so stay tuned in the next few weeks if you’re into drama and Fringe-y things. And if you’re not, we’ll turn you into fans, too!

In any case, today’s featured play is TOUGH!, written by George F. Walker, directed by Tamara McCarthy and produced by Twenty-Something Theatre. While it’s not part of Fringe, Twenty Something Theatre always put together great plays showcasing amazing new talent and, as you know, we love to encourage local and fresh theatre.

Contemporary Canadian drama deserves more exposure than it has had these days; the Canadian literary scene is often overshadowed by American and British imports. Written in 1993 and yet still relevant, the story of TOUGH! is simple yet never out of date:

Bobby and Tina are nineteen. Bobby gets caught cheating. Tina finds out she’s pregnant. Jill, Tina’s best friend, hates Bobby and welcomes the opportunity to kick his ass. Sometimes life is tough.

Jessica will be heading to the Friday opening night and come back with a review. We hope you can make time to drop by; there will be a 2-for-1 and talkback special on Tuesday, August 30th which promises to be fascinating.

Photo credit: David Cooper

TOUGH! by George F. Walker
Where: Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island
When: August 24 to September 3
Info and tickets: Tickets Tonight Vancouver or 604-684-2787

Win tickets to bare: a pop opera (@F_C_Productions) via @hummingbird604

Raul — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:45:02 +0000

There are several things I love about the fact that the Greater Vancouver theatre community appreciates my blogging about the arts. By providing the British Columbia arts community with exposure on my blog and encouraging my audience I have also began building great friendships. And one of those great friendships is with Ryan Mooney (Artistic Director of Fighting Chance Productions) and the whole crew.

Through my regular attendance to their performances, I have begun getting to know the Fighting Chance Productions actors, and two of my favorite (Braedon and Lucas) are the leads in bare: a pop opera. Based on the musical of the same name, the Fighting Chance Productions rendition promises to be one of the most amazing performances this theatre troupe has put together. FCP gave me a chance to see a full dress rehearsal before JT took off as he wasn’t going to be able to see this limited engagement.

There are many reasons why I think you should totally see bare: a pop opera, but one of them is that musicals are the bread and butter of Fighting Chance Productions. If there’s something FCP does well is musicals. And this one treats with issues that are extremely sensitive, but does so with extreme delicacy and kindness. From the FCP Tickets Tonight website:

bare tells the touching story of Jason and Peter, two gay high school students at a private Catholic boarding school. Entirely sung through (in the style of Rent or Hair, two FCP hits from previous summers) bare stars a stunning cast of 19 up and coming musical theatre performers from the best schools across the province and continent including graduates from the Canadian College for Performing Arts, Capilano University, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Circle in the Square, Vancouver Film School and Simon Fraser University.

Directed by CTC and Ovation Award winning Artistic Director Ryan Mooney with musical direction by Ovation nominee Caitlin Hayes this promises to be an exciting summer offering of a relevant and topical story.

Starring Lucas Blaney, Braedon Cox, Lena Dabrusin, Emma Leigh Hillier, Matt Parsons, Jennifer Suratos, Jeremy Leroux, Nancy Von Euw, Stephanie Liatopoulus, Arlie Worthing and featuring Stewart Yu, Cameron Dunster, Hal Rogers, Max Friesen, Katie MacQueen, Imelda Gaborno, Arielle Tuliao, Morgan McTaggert and Katie Purych.

With only 9 performances and limited seating, don’t miss your opportunity to get bare this summer. The prices are ridiculously accessible for good, high caliber theatre:
Adult $30.00 + $4.25 s/c, Senior/Student $25.00 + $3.75 s/c and on Aug 4th and 7th $20.00 + $3.75 s.c

I have a pair of tickets for opening night on August 9th of bare: a pop opera, and a lucky reader of mine will win them. All you have to do is tell me whether you’ve ever been heartbroken. You don’t need to identify the offender, and you don’t need to post your name (your email needs to be the real one, though!). But I can tell you one thing: bare: a pop opera very much depicted MY own story of heartbreak.

You can earn an additional entry by posting the text below on Twitter.

Have you been heartbroken? http://is.gd/OJ9HHC I told @hummingbird604 about heartbreak for a chance to win tix to bare @F_C_Productions

And I’ll draw all random winners on August 7th at 2pm. You should totally check out this musical, it promises to be amazing. You can buy tickets here.

The Wiz (Fighting Chance Productions)

Raul — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:40:54 +0000

It’s a well-known fact that musical theatre is the bread-and-butter of Fighting Chance Productions. Ryan Mooney, artistic director of FCP, has built an ensemble of fantastic young actors who give their all in each and every production they perform in. I have had the pleasure of seeing some of their other productions, one of my favorites being their adaptation to musical theatre of the well-known movieThe Wedding Singer. I will fully admit I did not know what to expect from The Wiz, but I am happy with what was delivered to me. Fast-paced, funny and energetic (like most of the work that Fighting Chance Productions does), The Wiz is a must-see, witty, irreverent and funky production.

The Wiz has a variety of musical numbers that will make you tap your feet while you watch. And your neighbour won’t mind, trust me Sean Parsons is as always, incredibly funny in his incarnation of The Lion, although for God… that hair, that hair!!!! Nick Fontaine, who owns my heart with every performance I see him at, showcases his voice for the first time since I last saw him in Rent.

In a risky and daring move, actors/singers in The Wiz were fitted with wireless microphones, which at one point led to a minor mishap. Sound issues seem to appear with relative frequency at Fighting Chance Productions’ early opening nights, but I would attribute that to the technical and sound team, as the deployment of each actor, the choreography and the music itself, as well as the band, are supreme.

Lucas Blaney (The Scarecrow) was a surprise to me. He melted my heart with his portrayal of a brain-less scarecrow, and his vocal abilities are notable. But the one who steals the night and who is absolutely brilliant (without any detriment to the rest of her cast) is Arielle Tuliao in the role of Dorothy. Man, does that girl know how to sing, and HOW! Arielle is going places, trust me on that one.

It was nice to see the choreographic work of Dawn Ewen for the second time in a row (the first being 42nd Street), as I am a trained dancer myself. While there were some minor rough patches in the performances, I was absolutely in love with each and every number. Believe In Yourself is definitely the song of this show.

Jennifer Suratos as Aunt Em, and Glinda (Emily Canavan) have some powerful pipes, and they aren’t shy about showcasing them. Overall, I would encourage my readers to check The Wiz, playing until April 30th at Presentation Works. I had a wonderful time, so did JT and from what I have read from my fellow theatre bloggers, it looks like we weren’t the only ones.

Disclosure: The tickets to attend the play were sponsored very generously by Fighting Chance Productions. Thanks to Ryan Mooney for always being so generous with tickets for me and for my readers. While I did not pay to attend the musical, I will very gladly pay to attend a repeat performance, as it is a great production. This post hasn’t been paid for either. In any review I write or publish on my site, I retain editorial control at all times, and producers and publicists are well aware of this. Should you have any questions/concern feel free to contact me via e-mail through my contact form.

The Chutzpah! 2011 Festival in Vancouver (win tickets to a show)

Raul — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:00:35 +0000

The 11th Annual Chutzpah! Festival (also known as the The Lisa Nemetz International Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts) is an annual performing arts festival of music, dance and theatre that been growing in size and profile over the past 11 years. This year there are shows at the Norman Rothstein Theatre, the Wosk Centre for Dialogue’s 2nd Stage, The Commmodore, VENUE, Presentation House Theatre and the Dance Centre.

I am particularly thrilled about the Chutzpah! 2011 Festival in Vancouver because not only does it include music (one of my loves) but also my other two passions: dance and theatre. Seeing as I am a former stage actor and competitive dancer, and given how frequently I write about the fine and performing arts, the Chutzpah! 2011 Festival seems the right festival for me.

For the 2011 Chutzpah! Festival, I am giving away a pair of tickets to Ekodoom, performed by the KIBBUTZ CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY (Israel), choreographed by Rami Be’er (Artistic Director). More information on the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and Ekodoom here:

The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company is internationally renowned and one of Israel’s most prominent
dance companies. Having performed all over the world to great acclaim with its exclusive and unique character, a trademark both in Israel and abroad, KCDC has been widely identified with the works of its Artistic Director Rami Be’er whose creations have been met with unswerving world-wide praise.

Featuring a company of 18 dancers, Ekodoom is an incisive and eclectic observation of and about ourselves, performed and choreographed with magnificent skill and artistry. In a penetrating and enthralling sequence of scenes, Be’er creates a world with all its component parts and possibilities; the harsh, cruel, gray world in conflict, and the world of fantasy, dreams and romance.

When: Tuesday & Wednesday February 22 & 23 @ 8pm and Thursday February 24 @ 7pm
Where: Norman Rothstein Theatre (41st and Oak)

To enter this giveaway, you can earn a first entry by checking the programme for Chutzpah! 2011 and coming back here and dropping a comment letting me know about which show you would be most interested in seeing. A second entry can be earned by tweeting the text below:

Music, dance & theatre @ChutzpahFest http://is.gd/1EhSGx – I entered to win tickets to Ekodoom from @hummingbird604 – you can too!

I will draw a random winner from all entries (Twitter and blog) on Valentine’s Day night (February 14th), even though I should let you know that Chutzpah! 2011 starts on February 10th and goes all the way to the 27th of February. Hope you can get to enjoy some of this amazing festival!

Win tickets to Salt-Water Moon! (theatre performance)

Raul — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:20:47 +0000

As my dear readers know, I am always a very strong supporter of local talent, particularly theatre troupes and companies. Tanja from Hoarse Raven Theatre (HRT), and producer of the award-winning theatrical play Salt-Water Moon, was kind enough to give me 2 pairs of tickets to give away to my readers for the opening night (Thursday, July 16th, 8pm).

Salt-Water Moon is a beautiful play written by Canadian playwright David French. For more insight into the characters of Salt-Water Moon you can read this piece in the journal Theatre Research in Canada (1991). From the press release:

It’s a splendid moon-filled night at Coley’s Point in August, 1926. Eighteen-year-old Jacob Mercer has returned from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland out-port, hoping to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. But Mary has become engaged to wealthy Jerome McKenzie, and she is still hurt and bewildered by Jacob’s abrupt departure a year earlier. She will not be easily wooed!

WHERE: Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St, Vancouver
WHEN: Opening night is July 16th, but the play runs from July 15th to August 1st, 2009
TICKETS: $ 20/$ 15. Call 604-224-8007 ext. 3 or visit Jericho Arts Centre‘s website, or Hoarse Raven Theatre’s site (linked above).

To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post! I will draw a winner on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm. This play sounds like a must-see, so I am envious of the lucky readers who will be able to take in the opening night of the performance!

You’re being sent on a secret mission to Paris…(Contest)

Raul — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:08:29 +0000

Credit: Switchhook on Flickr

I recently interviewed my good friend Grace Carter and I asked her a question that I thought would bring the spy out in her…

You’re being sent to Paris on a covert mission. Who do you take and why?

I have been lucky to be in touch with the fantastic folks of The Arts Club, and they’ve agreed to be an awesome sponsor, so we are giving away two sets of tickets to Les Miserables. So I’ll be drawing one set on Father’s Day (Sunday) and the other one on Tuesday, the day we have the Meetup of Meetups! Thanks to the lovely people from The Arts Club for sponsoring my contest!

So what’s the contest? Drop a comment on my blog answering the question above (you’re being sent to Paris on a covert mission. Who do you take and why? and I’ll draw a random winner on Father’s Day at 11:00am and then another one on Tuesday at 2:00pm. I look forward to the entries! Be creative, and have fun with it!

UPDATE – Since I didn’t draw a winner on Father’s Day, I’m going to draw 2 winners randomly today at 2:00pm.

UPDATE – Thanks to @elijah and @jkparker for drawing the random numbers, and the winners are Richard (@mozy19) and Kirsten (@6oz). Congrats! Thanks to the Arts Club for sponsoring the tickets! Stay tuned for more contests in the future!

Silk Threads (upcoming theatre play)

Raul — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:15:18 +0000

Andrea Loewen has kindly offered two tickets to her upcoming one-woman play titled “Silk Threads”. She’s even so awesome that she is offering the tickets to be valid for opening night (Thursday June 18th). So, I thought that the best way to give away the tickets would be through a quick instant contest. Here’s the rules – to enter the contest, drop a comment speaking about the last time you went to a theatre play. I’ll draw the winner at 6:30pm on Wednesday June 17th and announce it on Twitter and here on my blog.

More information on the play from the media release:

This girl has BIG dreams: she’s going to be a ballerina/actress/writer/ballet
teacher/model/photographer/counselor/interior designer. She’s got a lot to accomplish, and she’s
not going to let her all-too-practical, physics-teaching Grandpa get in the way. Silk Threads,
written and performed by Pacific Theatre apprentice Andrea Loewen (You Still Can’t) tells her
story of figuring out what she really needs to get out of life.

Drop a comment to enter the contest and win tickets for two to this play!

WHEN: June 18th to 20th, 2009, 8pm
WHERE: Pacific Theatre (12th and Hemlock)

Theatre review – “tick, tick… BOOM!” (Fighting Chance Productions)

Raul — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:40:24 +0000

Ryan Mooney, artistic director of Fighting Chance Productions, invited me to check out their production tick, tick… BOOM! a few weeks back, and since I couldn’t make it any other day, I finally managed to catch one of the shows tonight. JT was my companion for the evening, and I’m glad that he enjoyed it as much as I did.

I am really glad that the theatre folks are reaching out to social media types, as I firmly believe that this method of spreading the word out to potential audiences will prove really effective. I’ve been invited to review several local productions, including The 21st Floor and Metamorphoses. I love theatre. I used to act on stage, and I have dated actors before, so I know a substantial bit about theatre as an artistic expression. Sadly, I left theatre to concentrate on my dancing. But that’s another story.

Back to the show… the synopsis offered in the Wikipedia entry is pretty telling, so I’ll offer a short excerpt.

tick, tick… BOOM! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, best known for creating RENT. It tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to be part of the performing arts.

While I am going to admit that I wasn’t sure about what to expect, I was very pleasantly surprised. The three actors who play the main characters, Jon, Susan and Michael, were extremely good. Very agile, nimble, and with great voices. I’m not going to say that there aren’t elements that can be improved (which I’ll share privately with the production themselves) but I should definitely highlight the high notes. I found the musical and dance performances extremelly well staged. For the size of the theatre stage (Jericho Arts Centre) I was kind of expecting less of what I was offered, so again, a very pleasant surprise. The acoustics worked relatively well, and the actors really gave their 110%. Kudos as well to the musical ensemble that backed them up.

I will definitely support Fighting Chance Productions in their efforts (they plan to put together a production of RENT), and if you have time between tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday, I’d seriously recommend to come down and check the show. Go support a local, engaged and hard-working theatre troupe. Thanks to Fighting Chance Productions for inviting me to the show!

Fighting Chance Productions’ Facebook page is here.

Theatre review – “The 21st Floor” at PAL Theatre (Coal Harbour)

Raul — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:01:14 +0000

Photo by Wendy D. (c) Lyrics Stage

If you only see a play this season, “The 21st Floor” should be the one. Trust me on that one. Being a former stage actor myself, I have a very deep appreciation for well-created, solidly-developed, non-formulaic theatrical experiences.

The 21st Floor, a masterpiece created by Michèle Lonsdale Smith in a harmonious and skillfully coordinated effort with the rest of the cast as an ensemble, is an examination of the lives of 11 residents of a Coal Harbour apartment building. These apparent strangers have their lives intertwine (and at times, collide) by virtue of being neighbours in the 21st floor.

Lonsdale Smith and the Lyrics Stage Project have made sure that the play is consistent with their core objective: to tell stories that are relevant to the people in the time and the place where the play is being shown. This six-month project saw the light just recently (November 11th) but you should totally run and see before November 22nd.

“The 21st Floor” is an in-depth examination of the behavioral patterns of Vancouverites through the lenses of their domestic lives. What goes on in 2107 every night? Who is that blogger who broadcasts our daily comings-and-goings to the world? And the most important question, have we lost the opportunity to create a sense of community by choosing to isolate ourselves within the confines of our apartments? Are the doors to enter our souls closed, as demonstrated by our choosing to close the door behind us and ignore what else is going on in the 21st floor? All of these are questions that I believe the cast was exploring throughout the play.

The stage design was phenomenal, as the stage manager recreated a full floor with different apartments (although we could very easily see through). I was deeply moved and strongly connected with the themes of the play. As you may remember, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, I’ve previously written about the sense of aloofness in Vancouverites and asked the question whether Vancouver is a toxic city.

“The 21st Floor” will definitely resonate with long-time Vancouver residents, and I strongly suggest you to take an opportunity to go and enjoy the performance. The actors are simply phenomenal. I can’t single out any particular one of them, as all did a wonderful job of portraying the characters they were assigned to play. At no point does the play feel cartoonish. On the contrary, it’s such a strong, lived performance, that I really, really want to go and see it again.

I had the opportunity to enjoy “The 21st Floor” thanks to an invitation by Simon Ogden, of The Next Stage Magazine and the Marketing Director of Lyrics Stage Project. Amongst a gazillion other things he does, Simon blogs about theatre in Vancouver and is very passionate about helping raise awareness on the world-class theatre we have in our beautiful city.

One thing you should know is that the show is rated around PG 13 as it contains strong language, scenes of violence, nudity, and sexuality, with some occasional loud noises. The show’s length is 90 minutes with no intermission. But you won’t even notice. The play flows so nicely that you won’t need the intermission.

Performances of The 21st Floor run Tuesday through Saturday, November 11th to 22nd at the PAL Theatre, 581 Cardero Street, Vancouver. You can reserve tickets online at www.ticketstonight.ca

If you’re not making a lot of $$$, you can go on Tuesday November 18th, as it’s “Pay What You Can” night. You REALLY, REALLY should go and see it. I strongly recommend it. And I do hope to have a chance to hang out with the actors after one of the performances, as I didn’t have a chance to do so when I saw the show. Everyone involved with The 21st Floor should be proud of their work. Maybe at some point, I might be able to participate in one of their plays (not in the near future, though! — too much stuff going on in my life)

UPDATE – You can check details on the UQ Events page!

Theatre review – Metamorphoses at the Pacific Theatre

Raul — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:17:55 +0000

On my daily commute towards the university, back when I used to live in what is now called the South Granville area, I would walk past the Pacific Theatre and wonder whether I would ever attend an event there. Despite being so close to my house, I rarely ventured here. And last night, I had the pleasure of attending the play “Metamorphoses: Greek Myths Reflected In a Modern Pool“, directed by Christine Willes. Both Rebecca and Karen (and her husband) were in attendance.

Since my life has been in turmoil in the past few weeks, I didn’t clue in that Metamorphoses was based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses. As a Greek mythology buff (I once wanted to win a national contest and therefore studied hundreds of stories, scoured everything you could read from the Ilyad to the Odyssey to the Eneid and tried to absorb it), Metamorphoses hit me right in the heart.

This contemporary remaking of Metamorphoses takes place in a pool, and modernizes the events from the past. Anyone who has read Greek mythology in thorough detail will be able to recognize many of the stories. In this new version, Phaeton wants to drive his Dad’s car (whereas in the traditional version, he brags that he is the son of the Sun god and wants to drive his Dad’s chariot, the sun – an absolutely apt metaphor!)

While slightly on the long-ish side (runs for 1.5 hours) I found the play engaging, energetic, the actors were simply outstanding, and of course, each one of the tales resonated with my inner child. Remember the story of Alcyone and Ceyx, where Alcyone was so grief-stricken by the drowning of her husband that she threw herself into the sea? Or the ill-fated love story of Eurydice and Orpheus?

I particularly liked the story of Eros and Psyche, as this duality hits home with me all the time [my Dad once told me that my capacity to think was only surpassed by my capacity to love]. Every one of us has that duality in varying degrees, where our emotions can overtake the rationality of our thought processes.

Photo Credit: Pink Monkey Studios.

Metamorphoses is an excellent production whose thematic thread is love in all its forms. I encourage you to see it, highly recommended. The skill, agility and audacity of the actors involved in the production makes the 1.5 hours absolutely worth it. And if you haven’t done so, you may want to brush up on your Greek mythology beforehand. It will make the play so much more interesting. But you don’t need to know any Greek mythology to enjoy it.

Metamorphoses runs until August 16th at the Pacific Theatre. You can check the Facebook event here. And read Rebecca’s review here and The Province’s review here.