Bluebird North #60
The Songwriters Association of Canada presents
BLUEBIRD NORTH
Where Writers Sing and Tell
Vancouver Show #60
Tuesday June17, 2008
The Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
(Corner of Davie & Pacific)
7:30 pm
Tickets $12
Discount at door for SAC members w/ card
Information (604) 224-6201
Featuring
Wil
Carolyn Arends
Joel Kroeker
Joe Mock
Bluebird North celebrates 60 shows in Vancouver with a crackerjack line-up of Canadian songwriting talent: sharing the stage with host/producer Shari Ulrich are Wil (“expansive roots-rock sound and world-weary lyricism”), Carolyn Arends (“warm and soul-stirring pop”), Joel Kroeker (“poised pop-folk…somehow riding the fence between joy and melancholy, happiness and the fear of rejection”) and Joe Mock (beloved to West Coast audiences as Shari and Rick’s cohort in Pied Pumkin, also described as “a voice of erratic charm; warm, comprehensive and plain…”). This is a musical party you won’t want to miss!
Bluebird North: Where Writers Sing and Tell is produced by Shari Ulrich for the Songwriters Association of Canada. For more information on the SAC’s mandate, activities and membership programs please visit www.songwriters.ca.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
Wil was born to musical parents, and was influenced early on by listening to them play and sing along to the old crooners and guitar legends such as Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins and Hank Williams. He went on to blend his love of old school country with diverse new influences from Led Zepplin to Michael Hedges. In 2002 Wil released his first full length record, “Both Hands.” That year he played over 300 gigs with acts such as Colin James, Matthew Good, Joel Plaskett Emergency and Xavier Rudd. His famously intense live shows have since been described by the Calgary Sun as having so much “power and soul it could stop your heart.” On his second album, “By December,” Wil collaborated with some of Canada’s most respected musicians: Dave MacKinnon (FemBots), 54-40’s Neil Osborne, Broken Social Scene’s Jason Collett, and a host of others known for working with Arcade Fire, Hidden Cameras, Feist, The Weakerthans and Blue Rodeo. The whole shebang was mixed in Nashville by Grammy-winner Trina Shoemaker. Wil is currently touring in support of “By December” and will appear at select festivals and engagements this spring and summer before entering the studio to record his third full length record. www.ibreakstrings.com
Carolyn Arends has released 9 albums and is the author of 2 critically-acclaimed books. 15 of her songs have become top 10 radio singles on the Canadian pop and US Christian charts. She has earned 2 Dove Awards, 3 Juno Nominations, and was recognized as the West Coast Music Awards’ Songwriter of the Year. Her newest project, Pollyanna’s Attic, is already being heralded as her most honest and beautiful work. Accolades aside, Arends is known for songs and books that stir the soul, and a warm, engaging style that leave her audiences feeling like they’ve found a new best friend. Arends graduated from Trinity Western University in Langley, BC with a degree in psychology and English. She lives in Surrey, BC with her husband Mark, nine-year-old son Ben, and six-year-old daughter Bethany. www.carolynarends.com
Joel Kroeker began playing guitar while in high school in Winnipeg, performing in different folk, jazz, world beat and rock bands over the years. His debut CD “Naive Bohemian” (1999) reached # 7 on the Canadian National Campus Radio chart. In the year of its release Joel was named Best New Recording Artist by the Alberta Recording Industry Assn., and won the Film Score of the Year category for the documentary “Tokyo Gardens.” Joel’s song “The Wind” was featured in the Canadian film “Ham + Cheese”; and “Joan of Arc,” co-written with Lee Aaron, was featured on the soundtrack of the Canadian film “Life, Death & Mini-Golf.” Joel has also co-written with Annette Ducharme, Emm Gryner, Haydian Neale, Stephan Moccio, Liam Titcomb, Simon Wilcox, and Australia’s Brooke McLymont. Joel’s songs have been covered by Jonas, Pavlo, Deekaye Ibomeka, Patricia O’Callaghan, and Lee Aaron. His latest solo album, “Closer to the Flame”, was released in 2007 on True North Records. www.joelkroeker.com
Joe Mock was part of the emerging West Coast folk scene back in the early sixties, as a member of several groups including the psychedelic band the Mock Duck and, of course, Pied Pumkin. He has spent time in Japan, where he wrote and recorded songs for the Kawai language series “Embarkations,” as well as English versions of 23 of Japan’s top 40 for Daichi Kikaku. Other composition credits include the score for the NFB film ‘Potlatch” and also for the JTP video “Canadian Memories’ by Taki Sekiguchi. Joe is a Juno Award winner for the songs Fear of Flying and I’m Ready, both of which were recorded by Shari Ulrich on A&M. He presently lives in France but tours annually with the Pied Pumkin. www.joemock.piedpumkin.com
BC Highland Games & Scottish Festival 2008
The United Scottish Cultural Society presents
BC HIGHLAND GAMES
& Scottish Festival 2008
Saturday June 28, 2008
Percy Perry Stadium
(formerly the Coquitlam Town Centre Stadium)
10 am – 6 pm
Tickets $12 / $8 / $2
www.bchighlandgames.com
Info: 604- 263-6955
Hundreds of pipers, drummers, dancers, heavy events champions, entertainers, Celtic musicians and more will take the field at Percy Perry Stadium this June for the 77th annual BC Highland Games. This massive celebration of Scottish culture is the largest event of its kind in the province, and – tracing its origins back to the 1880s – older than the City of Vancouver itself. Highlights of this year’s colourful and dynamic line-up include:
• Performances by Scottish folk icons Gaberlunzie (Robin Watson & Gordon Menzies)
• Champion Pipe Bands and Highland Dancers
• Whisky tastings and a lively Beer Tent featuring the best of Scottish beer
• The amazing CaberMan, BC Provincial Women’s Heavy Events Champion Karyn Dallimore and many other competitors from all over BC performing astounding feats of strength in the Caber Toss, Sheaf Toss, Hammer Throw and other heavy events
• The Annual BC Highland Games Shortbread Competition: play your cards right and you could be a judge!
• British Car Show
• Face-painting, kite flying, mini-golf and other fun activities for kids
Join the Scots in celebrating the Canada Day weekend! The Games offer something for all ages and tastes, so come and kick off the summer with a fabulous day of family entertainment.
The Life of Paper (Pangaea Arts)
Pangaea Arts presents
THE LIFE OF PAPER
An Origami Theatre Event
Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
May 24 – June 1, 2008
(2-for-1 Preview May 23)
Tues- Sat 8 pm; Matinees May 25 & June 1 at 2 pm, May 28 at 1 pm
Show Tickets $22/$18 at http://www.ticketstonight.ca
Admission to exhibition, workshops & other ancillary events is FREE
In this ground-breaking world premiere, world-class origami artist Joseph Wu and performers from East and West take audiences on an amazing theatrical adventure spanning centuries, cultures and continents.
The Life of Paper traces the ancient art of paper folding from 105 AD China through Korea, Japan, the Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Germany, England, France and all the way to contemporary North America and Asia, calling on different theatrical styles (from Chinese opera and Buddhist chant to Japanese magic and Victorian English vaudeville) to illustrate the milestones in paper’s long and colourful history. Vibrant characters – artists, professors, musicians, mathematicians, monks and magicians – tell the story, with help from stunning costumes, props, masks, puppets and musical instruments…all made of folded paper.
Award-winning interdisciplinary theatre company Pangaea Arts collaborates with Joseph Wu, Vancouver’s Orchid Ensemble and a cast of talented performers, including renowned Chinese opera performer Ling He, Japanese mime and mask artist Yayoi Hirano, local actors Lenard Stanga, David Warburton, Tomoko Hanawa and stage manager Yvonne Yip. The production, directed and co-written by Heidi Specht, also features music by composer Judy Specht, set and lighting design by John Webber, and costume design by Margaret McKea. The Life of Paper is a partnership with the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.
SPECIAL EVENTS: WORKSHOPS, LECTURE, LIVE PAPER ORCHESTRA
The Life of Paper will be complemented by an interactive origami exhibit, opening on May 21 in the Exhibition Hall at the Roundhouse. The public will be encouraged to attend origami workshops and lectures by Joseph Wu, in which they will learn how to create their own paper art and add pieces to the installation over the course of the exhibit’s 2-week run. All are also invited to participate in a paper instrument-making workshop, and then to bring their instruments to the Roundhouse on May 25th (4-5 pm), where they will become part of a large paper orchestra. (Yes, you read that right!) Under the guidance of the Life of Paper artistic team and the musicians of Orchid Ensemble, this one-of-a-kind orchestra will perform a piece written especially for the occasion by composer Judy Specht. The performance will be recorded for later broadcast. (E-mail admin@pangaea-arts.com to reserve your spot in the orchestra!)
The Life of Paper is an epic journey; a meditation on how knowledge is passed between individuals and cultures, and how it evolves over time; a reminder that there is magic in ordinary things, and that myriad stories can be told starting with a single small square of paper.
Laudate Singers: SPRING IN VIENNA
Laudate Singers present
SPRING IN VIENNA
Friday May 2, 2008 – 8:00 pm
Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre
2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver
The North Shore’s premier chamber choir concludes its subscription season with the musical equivalent of a glass of fine champagne: an evening of sparkling, graceful melodies from 19th-century Viennese opera. The May 2 concert will feature Laudate Singers, artistic director Lars Kaario and pianists Gaye Alcott and Bernard Duerksen in a programme that includes such beloved favourites as Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, choruses and solos from Lehar’s The Merry Widow and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Audiences are invited to join the choir for refreshments – wine, coffee and authentic Viennese pastries – during intermission. Music to make your ears sing and your spirit dance!
Tickets ($25/$20/FREE for 17 years & under): 604-990-7810
Yesterday Once More: A Tribute to the Music of the Carpenters
Creber Music presents
YESTERDAY ONCE MORE:
A Tribute to the Music of the Carpenters
featuring
Monique Creber
with Joani Bye, Janet Warren, Nathen Aswell, Steve Maddock
The CM Singers and The Michael Creber Band
Friday April 4, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Kay Meek Centre, West Vancouver
Vocalist Monique Creber, whose voice has been described as “eerily similar to that of the late, great Karen Carpenter” (The Province), joins forces with an outstanding musical cast to present an evening of classic, beloved songs by one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Singer-songwriter Barry Greenfield (“a raw, rough vocal quality that speaks of truth and passion” – The Peace Arch News) opens the programme.
“Yesterday Once More” is the fulfillment of a long-held dream for Monique, who maintains a busy career as a performer, session vocalist, producer and educator on Vancouver’s North Shore. She’s a versatile vocalist who has sung and recorded in many genres – jazz, pop, musical theatre, classical – but ever since she started singing professionally over 25 years ago, listeners have constantly compared her deep, rich voice to Karen Carpenter’s…and the music of the famous duo has always held a special place in her heart. The tribute concert will be a family affair, with Monique’s husband, Grammy-nominated pianist/composer Michael Creber leading an all-star band that also features Miles Black on keyboards, Brian Newcombe on bass, Phil Robertson on drums and Robbie Steininger on guitar. Well-known local vocalists Joani Bye, Janet Warren, Nathen Aswell and Steve Maddock will contribute the intricate backing vocals that are so integral to the Carpenters’ signature sound.
The warm-up act is Barry Greenfield – an outstanding singer, #1 hit songwriter and storyteller who has toured and opened with such acts as Supertramp, Frank Zappa, John Lee Hooker, Steve Martin, Cheech & Chong, Mose Allison, the Pointer Sisters, Susan Jacks and Chilliwack.
Tickets ($35): 604-913-3634
CHASING RAINBOWS Across Canada
For Immediate Release: March 31, 2008
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR FULFILLS HER DAUGHTER’S DREAM
– SCREENS DOCUMENTARY ACROSS CANADA FOR YOUNG ADULTS LIVING WITH CANCER
Vancouver-based actor Sara Taylor Gibson was diagnosed with cancer in 1997 at the age of 23; she spent the next two and a half years “living life while fighting for it,” and working to raise awareness of the particular needs of young adult cancer patients. She dreamed of doing something about the lack of resources targeted at her age group…something to let others like her know that they weren’t alone. She began work on a documentary called Chasing Rainbows: Young Adults Living With Cancer; but sadly, she died in 2000 while the film was still little more than raw footage. Six years later, Sara’s mother, producer/director Pat Taylor, finished the film and screened it at cancer centres throughout BC in the spring of 2007. In April-May 2008, Pat will take another step towards fulfilling Sara’s dream: she’ll take Chasing Rainbows across Canada, presenting screenings in Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
Chasing Rainbows: Young Adults Living with Cancer is a dynamic 43-minute documentary built around an honest, intimate living-room conversation between six young adults: four women (Sara being one) and two men. With passion and humour, they discuss hope, fear, faith, sexuality, infertility, family relationships, finances, the future and more. Their stories are an invaluable source of information, inspiration and hope – not only for other young adults facing life-threatening illness, but also for their families, friends, caregivers and medical support teams.
“I couldn’t protect Sara forever,” says Pat. “But I can certainly help her reach one of the goals she had before she died: to make sure Chasing Rainbows reaches young adults throughout BC, Canada, the US and the rest of the world. Our hope – Sara’s and mine – has always been that the film can be used to raise public awareness of the unique challenges facing young adults living with cancer. They need help to address their needs – which are not only medical, but also financial, logistical and emotional – both in the short and long term. I will continue to do what I can to make that happen.”
It seems that Pat and Sara are well on their way: in addition to last year’s screenings in BC and those planned across Canada this spring, the film was shown in Mumbai, India last November – and Pat has received requests for screenings in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia.
Chasing Rainbows: Young Adults Living with Cancer also features animation by Derek Cummings, evocative original songs by Michael Booth Palmer and underscoring by Edward Henderson. Copies of the DVD are available from the BC Cancer Foundation, online at www.bccancerfoundation.com/chasingrainbows or via www.chasingrainbowsproduction.com.
VICO: Dreams of the Wanderer
Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra & Capilano College present
Dreams of the Wanderer
featuring
Capilano College Singers
Capilano College Festival Chorus
Cecilia Ensemble Women’s Choir
Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra
Amir Haghighi, vocalist
Lars Kaario, conductor
Performing the WORLD PREMIERE of a new work by Moshe Denburg
Saturday April 5, 2008, 8pm & Sunday April 6, 2008, 3pm
Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre
2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver
A diverse and colourful musical landscape, exciting new work rooted in centuries-old traditions, and the promise of adventure…all this will be on offer as Capilano College School of Music collaborates with the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra (VICO) to present the world premiere of Dreams of the Wanderer, a major new piece by BC composer Moshe Denburg. The composition weaves together the musical traditions of many cultures, incorporating texts sung in Farsi, Mandarin Chinese, Hebrew and English by tenor soloist Amir Haghighi and the combined choirs of the Capilano College Music Program, all under the direction of Lars Kaario.
The concert program will also include a cappella songs from a variety of cultures, performed by the choirs, as well as several instrumental works for smaller forces performed by members of the VICO.
Tickets ($22/$18): 604.990.7810.
“Music that sounds like Vancouver looks.” – The Georgia Straight
Raise the Roof! A Rockin’ Benefit Concert
CANADIAN MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH & CENTRE FOR PEACE LAUNCHES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR 80th ANNIVERSARY
“Raise The Roof!”
Saturday March 15, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Canadian Memorial United Church
(Corner of Burrard & West 15th)
Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace is proud to launch its 80th anniversary celebrations with a rockin’ benefit concert featuring well-known local performers Corinthian Clark, Rachel Landrecht and Brian Tate, backed by the Peace in the City Band (Dave Danylchuk, Sean Dillon, Jason Nickel and Neil Weisensel), a 40-voice mixed choir and a 10-piece string section. This explosive line-up is guaranteed to raise the roof with music – fitting, since the concert kicks off a capital fundraising campaign intended to provide the church’s sanctuary with an actual new roof. As organizers put it, “The Old Lady needs a new hat!”
The concert will feature the music of Bob Marley, John Lennon, Brian Tate, Neil Young, the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Neil Weisensel, U2, Arcade Fire, Rachel Landrecht, Marvin Gaye, Corinthian Clark and others, performed by the same fiery, fearless entertainers who played to full houses at such events as John Lennon: A Celebration of Peace I and II (celebrating the 20th and 25th anniversary of Lennon’s death in 2000 and 2005) and the World Peace Forum Concert in 2006.
Canadian Memorial United Church was built by national subscription in the aftermath of World War I, as a memorial to the fallen and a commitment to the cause of peace in the future. It is home to a series of beautiful stained glass windows representing the provinces and territories, as well as to the only existing replicas of Canada’s Books of Remembrance (the originals are housed in the Peace Tower in Ottawa). The church began holding regular services on November 11, 1928 (ten years to the day after Armistice), and has been an active force in the community ever since.
Tickets $40/$25 at 604-731-3101 or at the door
William Davis Centre Joins Forces with VanArts
NEW PARTNERSHIP ENERGIZES MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION IN VANCOUVER:
William Davis Centre Joins Forces With VanArts
Vancouver, BC – March 4, 2008
The William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study (WDC) and the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts) are proud to announce an exciting new partnership that will see the WDC moving into new digs at VanArts, and merging its acclaimed actor training programs with VanArts’ internationally renowned curriculum, which currently includes full- and part-time courses in animation, video game art and design, digital photography and visual effects. The formal alliance of these two career training institutions – both widely recognized in the entertainment industry for the quality of the education they offer – will open up an array of fascinating new opportunities for students, faculty and Vancouver’s thriving media arts industry in general.
“There is so much potential for creative synergy,” says VanArts President Alan Phillips. He quotes the Institute’s founding program director, Academy Award-winning animator Lee Mishkin: “Lee used to say ‘Animators are actors with pencils.’ Animation students need some performance training in order to be able to bring characters to life. We used to bring in acting instructors…now we will have a full acting program and a wonderful faculty right here in house.”
Similarly, students in the Acting for Film & Television diploma program will be able to beef up their demo reels by participating in short films produced by students in the visual effects department, thus gaining additional experience not only in front of the camera, but also in acting against a green screen. They are also already working on various projects with students in the digital photography program. “We’ve only just begun to discover all the possibilities for collaboration between different departments,” says Christine Willes (former co-owner and Artistic Director of the WDC, now Department Head of what will henceforth be known as the William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study at VanArts). “It’s incredibly inspiring for both students and faculty.”
The William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study was founded in 1989 by actor, director and teacher William B. Davis (best known for his role as Cigarette Smoking Man on TV’s The X-Files), while the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts opened its doors in 1995. Both institutions have demonstrated a long-standing commitment to providing students with a nurturing, challenging learning environment and practical, state-of-the-art career training. Under the VanArts umbrella, this merger allows both to offer a diverse mix of cutting-edge vocational programs in both the visual and performing arts.
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Trio Verlaine Releases Debut CD
Vetta Chamber Music presents
Trio Verlaine
Fin de Siècle: The Music of Debussy and Ravel
CD Release Concert
Featuring
Lorna McGhee (flute), Heidi Krutzen (harp) & David Harding (viola)
Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 8:00pm
West Point Grey United Church
4595 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver
Flutist Lorna McGhee (former BBC Symphony principal), harpist Heidi Krutzen (Vancouver Opera/CBC Radio Orchestra principal) and violist David Harding (UBC Professor) are three of Canada’s most sought-after chamber musicians. Having recently joined forces to perform as Trio Verlaine, they are moving full steam ahead into 2008 with the release of their first ensemble CD: Fin de siècle: The Music of Debussy and Ravel (Skylark Music).
Fittingly for an ensemble named after Paul Verlaine, the French poet who inspired Debussy, Ravel, Fauré and Stravinsky, the trio’s new CD offers a fresh, compelling take on the music of two great French composers from the turn of the 20th century. It was, in fact, Debussy who first wrote chamber music for flute, viola and harp; almost a hundred years later, Trio Verlaine takes this unusual instrumental combination to exciting new heights.
Trio Verlaine will launch Fin de siècle as part of the Vetta Chamber Music Series, on March 7th at West Point Grey United Church. Programme highlights include one of Debussy’s greatest chamber music works – the Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp, written in 1915 – and Ravel’s baroque-inspired Le Tombeau de Couperin, completed in 1918 (each movement dedicated to a fallen friend or colleague) and arranged especially for Trio Verlaine by Vancouver composer Jocelyn Morlock. Other works on the bill include Leclair’s elegant, baroque Trio Sonata, Jolivet’s mysterious and folk-like Petite Suite, and earlier works by Debussy (Ballade) and Ravel (Menuet antique).
Tickets: 1-866-863-6250 or info@vettachambermusic.com
Laudate Singers: CHORAL TAPESTRY
LAUDATE SINGERS present
CHORAL TAPESTRY
Saturday March 8, 2008 – 8:00 pm
St. Andrew’s United Church
10th & St. Georges, North Vancouver
In their first concert of 2008, Laudate Singers and conductor Lars Kaario weave a rich and lively Choral Tapestry out of music from across centuries and world cultures. The radiant sounds of the North Shore’s premier chamber choir will be accompanied by a colourful display of scarves, dresses, tapestries, dolls, kelp baskets and other art pieces by members of the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts.
The musical programme will feature the world premiere of a new work by Laudate Singers’ award-winning young composer-in-residence Bruce Sled, as well as Gregorio Allegri’s glorious medieval Miserere, Mei Deus, Samuel Barber’s moving Agnus Dei, a trio of sacred pieces by 19th-century German composer Josef Rheinberger, Claude Debussy’s Trois Chansons, and newer works by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Juhani Komulainen (both from Finland) and Vancouver’s own Moshe Denburg.
Laudate Singers are pleased to join with local artists in creating this Choral Tapestry, full of vibrant textures both aural and visual…a warm, bright blanket of sounds and colours. Music to make your ears sing!
Tickets ($25/$20) & Information: 604-831-3158
VICO: Setting the World to Music
Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra & Vancouver Public Library present
Setting The World To Music
Tuesday February 12, 2008 at 7 pm
Co-presented by Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad
Vancouver Public Library, Main Branch – Alice MacKay Room
FREE Admission
The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra is proud to announce its participation in Cultural Olympiad 2008, with a one-of-a-kind educational/performance event produced in collaboration with the Vancouver Public Library and Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. “Setting The World To Music” offers a fascinating sneak peek at the composer’s craft and, in particular, at the challenges of writing and performing music that combines instruments from different cultures. Four well-known Vancouver composers – Mark Armanini, Moshe Denburg, Farshid Samandari and Jin Zhang – will address varying approaches to inter-cultural music, through live demonstrations by an inter-cultural orchestra of 15 musicians (including violins, violas, woodwinds, zheng, erhu, pipa, bansuri, sitar and tabla).
“Setting The World To Music” is the third presentation in a six-part educational series titled Music of the Whole World: Explorations of World Music by Canadian Composers, produced annually by the VICO in collaboration with the Vancouver Public Library. The presentations in the series typically involve one composer and 4-5 musicians; partnering with Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad has allowed the VICO to expand the Feb. 12 presentation into a colourful and dynamic world music event.
Whether you’re a veteran composer, a beginner student of music, a performer or simply a music lover wishing to learn more about the many forms of music in the world and the bridges between them, “Setting the World to Music” will offer a fresh and exciting palette of sounds and ideas.
PINK SUGAR by Natalie Meisner (Solo Collective)
Solo Collective presents
the WORLD PREMIERE of
PINK SUGAR
Written by Natalie Meisner
Directed by Katrina Dunn
Starring David Beazely, Scott Bellis, Moya O’Connell & Laara Sadiq
“Ask yourselves, doesn’t everything flow from South to North, from poor to rich, from dark to light, from girls to men? You prefer not to think about it. Fine, that’s where I come in.”
February 7-16, 2008
Performance Works (1218 Cartwright St, Granville Island)
From one of Vancouver’s most innovative theatre companies comes the world premiere of Pink Sugar, a new play by award-winning writer Natalie Meisner. In four interlocking monologues, a charismatic cast brings to life a bitingly funny, desperate world in which everything’s a commodity to be bought, sold or stolen – from guns and drugs to human bodies.
Spencer (David Beazely)’s holiday in Europe goes horribly wrong after he falls in love with the mysterious Elan (Moya O’Connell, making a brief return to Vancouver in between Shaw Festival seasons). Left alone and seriously injured, the young man tries to piece together what happened – but is it too late? Meanwhile, Sylvie (Laara Sadiq), a trafficker in weapons and other merchandise, strikes a deal with Max (Scott Bellis), a lawyer on dialysis, which draws everyone into a very questionable transaction. The line between innocence and culpability is blurred, then redrawn, in this dark tale of love, betrayal, and missing body parts.
Pink Sugar also features set design by Yvan Morissette, lighting by Adrian Muir, sound by Chris Hind, costumes by Sheila White, video projection by Jamie Nesbitt, stage management by Robin Richardson and Lisa L’Heureux, and dramaturgy by Johnna Wright.
Tues-Sat at 8pm; matinees Sun Feb 10 & Sat Feb 16 at 3pm
Tix $22/$15 at Tickets Tonight: 604-631-2872 or http://www.ticketstonight.ca
PWYC preview Feb 7; 2-for-1 Feb 10 3pm or Feb 12 8pm;
Group rate available via info@solocollective.ca
StoryFeast 2008
Vancouver Society of Storytelling presents
STORYFEAST 2008
16th Annual Vancouver International Storytelling Festival
February 1-3, 2008
Heritage Hall (Main St. @ W. 15th)
The Vancouver International Storytelling Festival celebrates its 16th year with “a feast of tales and tales of feasts”…a three-day-long cornucopia of performances by professional storytellers, on the theme of food for mind, body and soul. Local favourites like Pepe Danza, Melanie Ray and Lucia Frangione join international stars such as Theresa Amoon (France) and Licia Perea (US) to bring us stories told through words, music and dance.
The festival’s new management team (artistic director Tim Perez and producer SG Lee) have put together a dynamic programme that features tellers from the Latin American community, and includes concerts and a cabaret, workshops for storytellers of all ages, special kids’ events and exciting story jams. Prepare to be surprised!
Tickets at http://www.ticketstonight.ca or 604-631-2872.
Euripides’ HECUBA (Blackbird Theatre)
Blackbird Theatre presents
Euripides’ HECUBA
A new adaptation by George McWhirter
December 29 – January 12, 2007
Vancouver East Cultural Centre
From the creative team responsible for last season’s award-winning production of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt comes one of the year’s most anticipated theatre events: Blackbird Theatre’s production of Euripides’ Hecuba. John Wright directs a superb all-female cast: Linda Quibell in the title role, with Anna Cummer, Lesley Ewen, Carmen Grant, Mia Ingimundson, Nicola Lipman and Laara Sadiq.
Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, Euripides’ Hecuba is a powerful reminder of the ancient truth that violent conflict and retribution are a plague on the planet. “This may be the clearest and most profound statement on that subject that has ever been written,” says John Wright. “The play comes to us in a clear voice from 2,500 years ago, reverberating with a passion, intelligence and moral courage that should be heard by all who value life and fear for the future of humankind.”
Commissioned by Blackbird Theatre, Vancouver Poet Laureate George McWhirter has produced a richly expressive yet accessible text that retains the power and dramatic range of Euripides’ original. With set, costume and mask design by Marti Wright, projections by Tim Matheson, lighting by John Webber, musical direction by Wendy Stuart (drawing from the ‘chest singing’ tradition of eastern European women, Japanese Noh drama and the ululations of Muslim women), and movement design by Wendy Gorling and Heidi Specht, Blackbird’s production promises to be a gripping, dynamic interpretation of one of Ancient Greece’s most vitally modern plays.
Euripides’ Hecuba also features production management by Mélissa Powell, technical direction by Jayson McLean and stage management by Noa Anatot.
Evening shows at 8 pm except Tuesdays and Sundays; $20 Matinees Dec. 30, Jan. 5, 6, 12 at 2 pm
Pay-What-You-Can Preview Dec. 28 at 8 pm / No show Dec. 31
TICKETS at ticketmaster.ca or 604.280.3311
$30 / $20 (matinees) / $15 (students with valid ID) plus applicable service charges
Melanie J Thompson 
