The 26th Chutzpah! Festival returns November 3-15 with an incredible lineup of performances showcasing music, theatre, comedy, dance, and storytelling presentations by local, national and international artists through a multicultural Jewish lens.
Since 2001, Chutzpah! has been a highlight of Greater Vancouver’s autumn arts season, and once again audiences will see innovative and entertaining works brought to the stages of the festival hub at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre at the JCC. Performances will also take place at other Vancouver venues; the Rio Theatre, Temple Sholom, Fox Cabaret, and the ANNEX Theatre.
The 26 th Annual Chutzpah! Festival will include a world premiere dance presentation, a Jewish panto with Yiddish-translated pop songs, sensational theatre performances, hilarious comedy, and more. In addition, we’ll have engaging workshops, stimulating conversations, and opportunities to interact with creatives and artists. With an emphasis on Canadian artists, the Festival will also present artists from Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Spain.
“We cannot wait to welcome audiences back to the Chutzpah! Festival this November,” says Shayna Goldberg, Artistic Managing Director. “With over 25 years of sharing performing arts that have thrilled and engaged audiences, this year will be just as enticing. Over 13 days, we’ll be showcasing some of the best performances from the global Jewish community, here at our home in Vancouver.”
The Chutzpah! Festival lineup includes:
OPENING NIGHT!
Local Artists Showcase (Canada)
November 3 at 7:30pm at Rio Theatre
The Chutzpah! Festival is known as an international performing arts festival, and while we love introducing Vancouverites to artists from around the world, we also have some amazing talent closer to home. The 2026 Chutzpah! Festival is opening with a bang, presenting an eclectic evening of BC artists.
Festival favourite Jacob Samuel will emcee a fantastic evening of homegrown talent, featuring flamenco with Liat Har Lev, a drag comedy piece by Uriel Yekutiel, a Yiddish-inspired theatre performance by Angelic Goldsky, music by Haley K Turner, and more.
THEATRE
Things My Dad Kept (Canada)
November 4 at 7:30pm at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Making its West Coast premiere is Ronit Rubinstein ‘s Things My Dad Kept. What would you do if, 12 years after losing someone you love, you discovered that they’d documented every moment of your life? And does it count as hoarding if the thing hoarded is…memories? After a sold-out run at the Toronto Fringe, winning T.O. Live’s Best of Fringe prize, award-winning playwright and storyteller Ronit brings us a hilarious, irreverent, and moving solo show about her dead dad, the unexpected ways grief evolves, and the wildly impractical ways we show love.
This show will be presented as a Relaxed Performance. For this performance, that means that some house lights will be on throughout the show, there will be slightly lowered sound levels, and the audience has the ability to leave and re-enter as needed.
Presented in Partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.
PLUS: Ronit will be hosting a storytelling workshop at 9:30am on November 6.
An Evening with Ari’el Stachel (USA)
November 9 & 10 at 7:30pm at ANNEX Theatre
Chutzpah! welcomes Tony Award-winner, Ari ‘el Stachel, for two evenings of his original show that draws from the themes and stories that have defined his critically acclaimed theatrical work. Through humour, vulnerability, and transformative character work, Ari’el explores Jewish identity, mental health, and belonging as an Arab-Jewish artist navigating multiple worlds.
Written and performed by Ari’el, the show is a deeply personal and darkly funny exploration of identity, resilience, and what it means to reclaim wholeness – onstage and off.
DANCE
Kristin (Israel)
November 5 at 7:30pm at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
The North American premiere of Kristin by Israeli choreographer May Zarhy , featuring dancer Amit Zaretsky . Kristin is a choreographic sketch made of a series of physical positions, through which the dancer moves. This performance is presented in a unique format: solo, conversation, and solo presented for a second time . By experiencing a piece twice with a discussion in the middle, new things are revealed, and fresh insights are found.
Exile (Canada)
November 10 & 11 at 7:30pm at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
The World Premiere of Exile by choreographer and dance artist Meghann Michalsky . Developed in partnership with Project InTandem and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, this piece explores Michalsky’s personal journey where wind and water have been sources of salvation. Exile is a contemporary reflection on displacement, resilience, and transformation, creating a world where water and wind are both scarce and sacred. Featuring five dancers, this piece pushes the boundaries of Michalsky’s signature primal and rigorous movement to their limit.
MUSIC
Kosha Dillz (USA)
November 7 at 7:30pm at Temple Sholom
Chutzpah! partners with Temple Sholom for a performance by Kosha Dillz, a lyricist who has been entertaining the world with his rhymes. He has toured the world with rappers from Matisyahu to Rza of the Wu Tang Clan, plays festivals like SXSW and Vans Warped Tour, and is routinely featured on Wild n’Out.
Duo Andalus (Morocco/Spain)
November 12 at 8pm at Fox Cabaret (19+)
For Chutzpah! first presentation at the Fox Cabaret, the festival brings Duo Andalus to the stage. Featuring Moroccan vocalist Lala Tamar and flamenco guitarist and oud virtuoso Ofer Ronen, Duo Andalus will take audiences through an intimate encounter of voice and strings, sounds and cultures. This duo masterfully weaves an evening of tenderness and depth, enchanting listeners into a ritual that celebrates the roots of three cultures in one.
Audience note: This show is 19+.
COMEDY
Matthew Broussard (USA)
With opener Laura Sogar (USA)
November 8 at 7:30pm at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Comedian Matthew Broussard is known for his sharp wit and self-effacing humour. Matthew’s comedy is a heady mix of academic intelligence and punchy-stand up, that will have you laughing to his jokes about being a failed financial analyst, his love of physics and grammar, and the hardships of looking like a movie villain. Opening for Matthew will be his wife, Laura Sogar, a comedian in her own right! Laura, an ex-competitive swimmer who failed to make the Olympics, thought that since she’s funny, she’d take up improv and stand-up comedy instead.
MUSIC/THEATRE/PANTO
Yankl and the Beanstalk (Canada/UK)
November 14 at 7:30pm (16+) & 15 at 3:00pm (All Ages) at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Closing out Chutzpah! 2026 is a North American premiere from festival favourite, Tamara Micner ‘s Yankl and the Beanstalk. It’s the 1890s in East London, and Yankl, who works at a pickle factory, is just days away from his bar mitzvah when his cousin Milly decides to go on strike. With the help of some magic beans, a pickle fairy, and some popular songs translated into Yiddish, Yankl and Milly will do everything they can to stop the greedy Lady Mayfair and Giant to save the day. This hilarious pantomime was first introduced to Chutzpah! audiences at the 2022 festival as a work-in-progress.
Throughout the Festival there will be additional workshops and talkbacks with festival artists, facilitated by members of the Vancouver arts community. Visit the Festival website for updates and registration info, single tickets and ChutzPacks are available online at chutzpahfestival.com or by phone at 604.257.5145.