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Picks of the Week – January 2, 2019

Happy New Year! We hit 2019 running away with more Vancouver entertainment picks of the week.

Lights: It’s your last chance to view the Canada’s North light display and the historic Woodward’s department store windows as Port Metro Vancouver presents the annual Christmas at Canada Place holiday event, until tomorrow January 3rd, 2019.

Ladies Dancing at Burnaby Village

Village: Celebrate a Heritage Holiday with traditions from a century ago at Heritage Christmas presented by Concord Pacific at Burnaby Village Museum until Friday January 4th.

Comedy: The Vancity Comedy Extravaganza brings laughter to the Vogue Theatre Stage on Friday, January 4th

Bright: Bring a twinkle to their eyes, as Bright Nights at Stanley Park brings a twinkle to the park and miniature train until January 5th

IIHF World Junior Hockey

Hockey: the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships 2019, moves into the knock-out rounds in Vancouver and Victoria heading to the medal games on January 5th.

Garden: Sunday, January 6th is your last day to wander through the spectacular Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Wiz: Take off to see the Wizard as The Cultch and Theatre Replacement present East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz at the York Theatre until January 6th

Belle:  Join your favourite characters as a tale as old as time, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, returns to the Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage,  until January 6, 2019

Improv: Starting tonight, beat back the winter blahs with laughter as Vancouver Theatresports presents Throwdown – International Theatresports Festival, until January 27th.

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Picks of the Week – December 26, 2018

Boxing Day is filled with activity as people hit the after-Christmas sales but if you’re not ready to brave the crowds and hustle of shopping, there’s plenty of festival entertainment to wrap up your week

Hockey: the holiday hockey tradition, IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships 2019, unfolds in Vancouver and Victoria starting today, until January 5th.

Life: Look in on the life of George Bailey as Gateway Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life, a new musical adaptation featuring tunes from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, running until December 31st

Pride: Catch the follow up to Pride & Prejudice with Miss Bennet : Christmas at Pemberley at The Arts Club Granville Stage until December 30

Dorothy & friends are off to see the Wizard in
East Van Panto – Wizard of Oz
photo: Emily Cooper

Wiz: Take off to see the Wizard as The Cultch and Theatre Replacement present East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz at the York Theatre until January 6th

Date: Until December 30, spend your date night watching Blind Date at The Arts Club Goldcorp Stage, each night is a unique show as a new audience member is the date in each show.

Jazz: Tyrant Studio’s Friday Jazz  offers up Bebop Saxophone Jazz with the Sam Baglier Quartet at the Tyrant Studio Lounge upstairs from The Penthouse

Thieves: American electronic act The Thievery Corporation plays the Commodore Ballroom on Saturday

Year: Recap all the improv madcap madness of 2018 with Vancouver Theatresports Year In Review until New Year’s Eve

Aurora Winter Festival

Festival: Aurora Winter Festival, Canada’s Largest Winter Festival, brings a a skating rink, a tube park, light displays, Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, and many more activities to Concord Pacific Place November 23 – December 30

Belle:  Join your favourite characters as a tale as old as time, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, returns to the Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage,  until January 6, 2019

Lights: Many of the Festival light displays around the city continue to light up the nights into January like; Bright Nights, Van Dusen Festival Of Lights, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Canyon Lights, Glow Langley, Lights at Lafarge and many more

Laughs: Saturday nights Tyrant Studio’s Comic Strip brings stand-up comedy to the Studio Lounge Stage with Aaron Charles Read and Robert Peng with Headliner Ivan Decker

EDM: wrap up your year with one of the city’s biggest music festivals as Skrillex and The Chainsmokers headline the two day Contact Music Festival at BC Place Friday and Saturday.

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Picks of the Week – December 19, 2018

There’s less than one week until Christmas, if you’ve completed all your holiday tasks, there’s plenty of entertaining activities in the picks of the week to fill your time

Wiz: Take off to see the Wizard as The Cultch and Theatre Replacement present East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz at the York Theatre until January 6th

Merry Kiss-mas
VTSL

Improv: Vancouver Theatresports presents Merry Kiss-mas – an improvised holiday comedy, parodying all the inane clichés and funny, awkward moments you’d expect to see in a holiday TV special or film at Improv Centre until Christmas Eve.

Life: Look in on the life of George Bailey as Gateway Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life, a new musical adaptation featuring tunes from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, running until December 31st

Pride: Catch the follow up to Pride & Prejudice with Miss Bennet : Christmas at Pemberley at The Arts Club Granville Stage until December 30

Vancouver Christmas Market Photo: Lindsay Elliott

Market:  The Vancouver Christmas Market celebrates its 9th year as it returns to Jack Poole Plaza, with dozens of food sellers and shopping vendors, until December 24, 2018

Date: Until December 30, spend your date night watching Blind Date at The Arts Club Goldcorp Stage, each night is a unique show as a new audience member is the date in each show.

Festival: Aurora Winter Festival, Canada’s Largest Winter Festival, brings a a skating rink, a tube park, light displays, Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, and many more activities to Concord Pacific Place November 23 – December 30

FaceOff: Vancouver Canucks play their last home game of 2018 on Saturday when they host Winnipeg at Rogers Arena

Lacrosse: The National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Warriors play host to Calgary Roughnecks at Rogers Arena on Friday night

The Daisy Theatre’s Esme Massengill as Esme Scrooge in Little Dickens

Puppet: You’re in for some madcap marionette merriment as Ronnie Burkett’s Daisy Theatre presents Little Dickens, a take on the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, at The Cultch Historic Theatre until December 22nd.

Belle:  Join your favourite characters as a tale as old as time, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, returns to the Arts Club Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage,  until January 6, 2019

Carols: Let the music of the season move you as the VSO presents their Traditional Christmas Concert at St Andrew’s-Wesley Church, December 20 – 22

Sing: Early Music Vancouver fills the Chan Centre for Performing Arts at UBC with the sounds of Festive Cantanas: Monteverdi Christmas Vespers on December 23rd.

Lights of Hope

Lights: Light up your nights by visiting some of the Festival light displays around the city like; Bright Nights, Van Dusen Festival Of Lights, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park Canyon Lights, Glow Langley, Christmas at Canada Place and many more

 

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Picks of the Week – November 21, 2018

The Holiday Season is in full swing, as we are just a couple weeks away from Hanukkah and a month away from Christmas, there’s plenty of festive fun in this week’s picks.

Ariel: Children’s Theatre of Richmond Association presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr a children’s production of Disney’s musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, November 24-25 at Massey Theatre

Enemy: The Enemy at The Firehall Arts Centre is a topical, contemporary interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, running until December 1, 2018

Late-night: Vancouver Art Gallery’s late-night art party returns with FUSE: Object Lessons on Friday, November 23, 8pm – midnight.

Dancers: Dancers of Damelahamid an Indigenous dance company from the Northwest Coast of BC, with a rich history of masked dance performs Thursday at Noon, part of the Discover Dance! series at Scotiabank Dance Centre

Dancer Dennis Alamanos in Chotto Desh.
Photo: Richard Haughton

Dance:  DanceHouse, with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs and Théâtre la Seizième, are co-presenting the Vancouver premiere of Akram Khan Company’s award-winning solo, Chotto Desh at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts until November 24th

Jazz: Tyrant Studio’s Friday Jazz finds Jimi James Trip making their way to the Tyrant Studio Lounge upstairs from The Penthouse

Merry Kiss-mas
VTSL

Improv: Vancouver Theatresports presents Merry Kiss-mas – an improvised holiday comedy, parodying all the inane clichés and funny, awkward moments you’d expect to see in a holiday TV special or film at Improv Centre until Christmas Eve

Ice: Join Moana, Belle, Elsa and other Disney favourites as Disney On Ice takes to the Pacific Coliseum until November 25

ASL: Red Gate Revue stage welcomes a world premiere of Albireo: A New Musical, a unique new production by Annahis Basmadjian, featuring ASL (American Sign Language), the story of brothers Wriker and Chambers, half human, half siren, their mythological hypnotic powers only activate when singing together in harmony.

Art: It’s your last chance to visit Kimoto Gallery to view Water, by Vancouver artists David Wilson a series of paintings looking at the natural watery surroundings and rain-soaked city streets of his hometown, closing November 24.

Pi Theatre’s Hir
Photo: Emily Cooper

Gender: Pi Theatre presents the Canadian premiere of American playwright Taylor Mac’s Hir, exploring the dynamics of a family dealing with PTSD, gender politics & more, from November 22–December 8, 2018, at Vancouver Civic Theatre’s Annex.

Drama: Seven Tyrants Theatre presents John Patrick Stanley’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama Doubt : A Parable from November 23 – December 14

Laughs: Saturday nights Tyrant Studio’s Comic Strip brings stand-up comedy to the Studio Lounge Stage with Simon King, Darcy Boon Collins, Ari Matti, and Colin Sharp

Vancouver Christmas Market
Photo: Lindsay Elliott

Market:  The Vancouver Christmas Market celebrates its 9th year as it returns to Jack Poole Plaza, until December 24, 2018

Couture: The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Guo Pei: Couture Beyond is the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of Guo Pei, China’s preeminent couturière until January 20, 2019

Shopping: From the West End, to Dunbar, and Delta, Visit one of the many Christmas Craft Markets happening around Metro Vancouver this weekend

BBall: The Vancouver Showcase featuring 4 men’s and 8 women’s U.S. Division I college basketball teams compete until Nov. 24 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Festival: Aurora Winter Festival, Canada’s Largest Winter Festival, brings a a skating rink, a tube park, light displays, Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, and many more activities to Concord Pacific Place November 23 – December 30

Candy: Saturday, Yaletown transforms to Candytown, Vancouver’s free Christmas festival filling Hamilton, Mainland and Davie Streets with Holiday fun.

 

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BC Sports Hall of Fame reveals 2019 Inductees

The BC Sports Hall of Fame recently revealed its 2019 Induction Class. The 2019 Induction Class features five athletes, three builder-coaches, one team, one pioneer, one media member and one W.A.C. Bennett award winner.

The 2019 Induction Class includes:

Athlete
Emily Brydon – Skiing
Roy Gerela – Football
Kelly McCallum – Rugby
Daniel Sedin – Ice Hockey
Henrik Sedin – Ice Hockey 

Builder-Coach
Darlene Currie – Basketball
Ken Holland – Ice Hockey
Tony Waiters – Soccer  

Team
1968 New Westminster Salmonbellies Lacrosse
Team Members: Bill Armstrong (general manager), Ray Bennie, Barry Bolton, Albert Brown (honorary president), Barrie Brownlie, Ian Bull, Dan DesLauriers, Steve d’Easum, Ron Flaten, Ed Goss, Wayne Goss, Ken Henry, Larry Henry, Ken Jew, Al Lewthwaite, Mickey Lynch, Gord MacNab (trainer), Ian Matheson (secretary-treasurer), Dave McDonald (president), Bill McMurchie, Doug McRory (playing manager), Ken Mikkelsen (trainer), Les Norman, Ken Oddy, Paul Parnell, Dr. Hugh Radford (team doctor), Bill Scriver, Cliff Sepka (playing coach), John Shmyr, Paul Shmyr, Wayne Shuttleworth, Dave Tory, Ken Tory, Mac Tyler, Don Wallis, Bill Wilkes, Ken Winzoski 

Pioneer
Ralph ‘Hunk’ Henderson – Basketball/Football

Media
Dan Jukich

W.A.C. Bennett Award
Ron Toigo

Tom Mayenknecht, Chair of the BC Sports Hall of Fame said: “Congratulations to this terrific class of 11 individuals and one team spanning eight sports. The Class of 2019 is another tribute to how British Columbia has become one of the most important sport hubs in Canada. These athletes, coaches, builders, pioneers and media will be certain to ‘Inspire the Future’. We look forward to teaming up with our partners to celebrate their achievements at the 53rd BC Sports Hall of Fame Induction Gala presented by Victory Square May 23, 2019.”

The 53rd Induction Class will be honoured at the 2019 Induction Gala, presented by Victory Square, Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Once inducted, these individuals and team will be officially recognized as Honoured Members and an Honoured Team of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Since 1966, the BC Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 385 individuals and 60 teams.

Visit the BC Sports Hall of Fame online at bcsportshalloffame.com. 
or in person at BC Place Gate A 

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Picks of the Week – November 14, 2018

Midway through November, we find the Holiday season picking up pace to bring lots of entertainment and activities to the picks of the week

Ceasefire: Honouring Remembrance Day, The Cultch honours the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice with the continuing Ceasefire Series as the last of three plays exploring the causes, effects, and traumas of war from different lenses wrap up.

Mac: Spend the Evening with Fleetwood Mac as the legendary band visits Rogers Arena tonight, November 14

From left: Owen Scott (Ralphie), Brennan Cuff (The Old Man), and Stef Stanley (Mother).
photo: Robert Sondergaard

Red Rider: Get in the Spirit of the Season as Align Entertainment brings the holiday classic A Christmas Story: The Musical to the Michael J. Fox Theatre stage in Burnaby, closing November 17, 2018

Enemy: The Enemy at The Firehall Arts Centre is a topical, contemporary interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, running until December 1, 2018

Son: Gateway Theatre remounts, the autobiographical one-man show, Empire of the Son, a son’s tale of an emotionally distant father, closing November 17, 2018

Jazz: Tyrant Studio’s Friday Jazz brings Stephanie Davis with the sounds of Broadway to the Tyrant Studio Lounge upstairs from The Penthouse

Sweat: The Arts Club Theatre Company continues to Sweat at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, until November 18th.

Austen: The Arts Club Holiday Season shows get underway with a festive follow up to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley runs November 15 – December 30.

Sense: Exit 22 Production’s 2018-19 season gets underway at Blueshore Financial Centre for Performing Arts at Capilano U, with an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility the story of sisters Marianne, free-spirited and romantic, and Elinor, sensible and reserved who find themselves thrown into an unkind world when their father dies, running November 15 – 24.

Pucks: The Vancouver Canucks play host to Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Arena on November 17th

Crawl: From November 15 to 18, 2018 the 22nd Annual Eastside Culture Crawl brings art lovers from all around Metro Vancouver to East Vancouver, for four days of open studio visits.

Supertramp: The famed Roger Hodgson brings his catalogue of classic rock sounds to the River Rock Show Theatre on November 17th and at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver on November 18th,

Laughs: Saturday nights Tyrant Studio’s Comic Strip brings stand-up comedy to the Studio Lounge Stage from Levi McCachen, with Ola Dada and Gavin Clarkson

Couture: The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Guo Pei: Couture Beyond is the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of Guo Pei, China’s preeminent couturière until January 20, 2019

Art: Visit Kimoto Gallery November 2 – 24, for a new series of paintings, Water, by Vancouver artists David Wilson looking at the natural watery surroundings and rain-soaked city streets of his hometown.  

BBall: College Basketball comes to town as the Vancouver Showcase features 4 men’s and 8 women’s U.S. Division I college basketball teams competing on Nov. 18-24 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Pop: Sunday night, Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall returns to town supporting her new album WAX at the Imperial Vancouver on Main Street.

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Picks of the Week – October 24, 2018

Halloween week is upon us, the ghouls and good times are out in full force as the entertainment ramps up for the season.

Eat: Explore the flavours of Gastown as Tasting Plates takes a tour around the neighbourhood for another evening of great tastes tonight.

Fright: Experience the thrills and chills of the haunted houses, rides and ghouls of Fright Nights at Playland throughout the month.

Glow: Opening Friday, Van Dusen Garden invites the whole family to Glow In The Garden. Like Hansel and Gretel follow the breadcrumbs to find Halloween fun for all ages all around the garden.

Improv: Grab your ghoulfriends and enjoy a month of eerie laughter as Vancouver Theatresports presents Spooktober; a selection of themed shows throughout the month

Train: The Stanley Park Ghost Train takes a voyage of the dead to explore a Celtic Halloween until October 31st.

Dancehouse Borderline
photo: Agethe Poupeney

Dance:  The Dancehouse 2018-19 season opens with the Canadian premiere of France’s Company Wang Ramirez work, Borderline, playing October 26 and 27, 2018 at 8pm at the Vancouver Playhouse.

Pucks: The Vancouver Canucks play host to Pittsburgh Penguins on October 27th at 7pm at Rogers Arena

Authors: The Vancouver International Writers Festival may have closed but the events continue as the festival presents an evening with Ian Rankin on October 27th and Yotam Ottolenghi on October 31st.

Play: The Arts Club Theatre Company brings Sweat to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until November 18th.

Couture: The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Guo Pei: Couture Beyond is the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of Guo Pei, China’s preeminent couturière until January 20, 2019

Balls: Vancouver Whitecaps FC won’t make the MLS postseason but you still have one more chance to watch Alfonso Davies take the pitch at BC Place, when Portland Timbers come to town

Pie: Until October 31, The Snapshot Collective has opened Mrs Lovett’s Pie Shop at 348 Water Street to present the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The Ones We Leave Behind
photo: Ray Shum

Stage: The Cultch & Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre present The Ones We Leave Behind a mysterious, comedy about the redemptive power of human connection, playing October 24 – November 3 at The Cultch Historic Theatre