It’s the final fun-up to Christmas, just 10 days to go, but still a lot of entertaining picks of the week
Bach: Tomorrow night, Early Music Vancouver – Festive Cantatas: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio feat. Pacific Baroque Orchestra features some of the most popular Christmas music of Germany in the 18th century by Johann Kuhnau and J.S. Bach at Chan Centre for Performing Arts at UBC, Chan Shun Concert Hall.
Dolly: The Arts Club Theatre Company 2021–2022 season opener Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, is bringing audiences to to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, where Dolly Parton’s music and lyrics put a heartwarming country twist on a Christmas classic.
Panto: The annual tradition, East Van Panto: Alice in Wonderland – back at The Cultch York Theatre until January 2, 2022 with in-person or online performances, as a terribly bored Alice follows a White Rabbit onto the Skytrain, she falls down a hole only to find herself in a Grandview-Woodlands Wonderland!
Centre: December 17 – 18 The Dance Centre and BC Movement Arts present two of BC’s brightest young female artists Livona Ellis + Rebecca Margolick in a duo performance Fortress + Four Solos
Flake: Mitch and Murray Productions, in association with Red Gate Revue Stage, are presenting the Canadian premiere of Mike Bartlett’s dramedy SNOWFLAKE until Thursday, December 23 on Granville Island at the Red Gate Revue Stage.
Broadway: December 16 – 23 Gateway Theatre’s A Broadway Holiday
welcomes audiences back to the mainstage to enjoy a festive concert featuring a selection hits from Broadway shows like “Let it Snow”, “Sleigh Ride”, “White Christmas” and more. As well, an online on-demand option is available December 18-23
Chapel: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition displaying 34 of the frescoes adorning the Vatican ceiling in breathtaking, life-sized close-up at the Vancouver Convention Centre East Building until January 25, 2022
Modern: Imagine Picasso brings the works of the Master of modern art, to life in a brilliant immersive exhibition at Vancouver Convention Centre East (Canada Place) showing until January.
Gold: December 18 & 19 at Pal Studio Theatre, Western Gold Theatre presents Quills Don’t Tweet 2 Creators Bernard Cuffling & Anna Hagan are back with the latest instalment of their ode to letter writing: a celebration of memories, nostalgia, and the art of the written word accompanied by music and song with a nod to Christmas.
Carol: Online Western/Virtual Gold Theatre presents A Christmas Carol – The Radio Play Adapted and Directed by Emily Grace Brook on YouTube December 9. Charles Dickens’ classic family favourite is presented with an updated contemporary twist set in 2021
Main: Music On Main: Music for the Winter Solstice 2021 welcomes audiences in-person at Heritage Hall to bask in the candlelit glow and great music of this annual concert on December 15-16, 2021 and online on-demand on December 18, 2021 until January 6, 2022
Orchestra: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s annual tradition returns this Christmas with host Christopher Gaze to celebrate the season with Christmas favourites such as Angels We Have Heard on High, Sleigh Ride, Auld Lang Syne, River, and more, for three shows December 18-19, 2021 three shows at Orpheum Theatre.
Choral: December 17, 18 & 20 Christmas with Chor Leoni brings back the holiday tradition in-person to St. Andrew’s-Wesley United as the voices of Chor Leoni promise to fill it and you with comfort and joy.
Dance: Streaming until December 19, 2021 DanceHouse, with Digidance, present Babel 7.16 from Belgian choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Damien Jalet. In the updated version of the duo’s acclaimed 2010 work, Babel(words), 22 dancers from 15 nations gather on-stage inspired by the biblical tale of the Tower of Babel
Heritage: Take a step back in time as you wander Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum enjoy all of the seasonal entertainment and activities, enjoy a meal or treat at the Ice Cream Parlor or take a ride on the restored 1912 C.W. Parker Carousel.
Market: The 2021 Vancouver Christmas Market fills Jack Poole Plaza (Olympic Cauldron) with entertainment, arts, crafts and tasty goodies back to its home at until Christmas Eve
Drive: On select nights throughout December, load your family into the sleigh for a magical holiday drive-through journey around Hastings Park! PNE Winter Lights features nine enchanted lands filled with glowing lights, special characters and festive performers as you drive along.
Presents: Until December 22nd at Pacific Theatre, Christmas Presence LIVE lights up the season with two full weeks of songs and stories, and a rotating cast of faces old and new
Sails: Port Metro Vancouver presents the annual Christmas at Canada Place , the family-friendly, outdoor experience featuring the historic Woodward’s Windows and Avenue of Christmas Trees, special holiday-themed Sails of Light display, Canada’s North light display and more runs until January 2nd
Shine: December 16 – 30 Shine Bright New West – Anvil Centre
presents a series of 8 seasonal events live music, dance, and magic performances
Canyon: Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park are back new for this year, the world-famous bridge will be lit, end to end, with a multi-colour changing display. Explore the “Arc de Lumina” light tunnel the eight tallest Christmas trees in the world surrounded by the Treetops Adventure.
Lights: Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden turn the gardens into twinkling winter wonderland, reawakened and illuminated in spectacular winter brilliance making this one of the city’s most popular Christmas Light displays
Train: Bright Nights, Stanley Park Christmas Train back for a 24th year, Bright Nights train is once again chugging through the sparkling magically-lit forest of Stanley Park this year until January 2nd, 2022
Snow: Until January 3, 2022, Metro Theatre presents Snow White The Panto an annual tradition for more than 35 years brings the enchanted forest for a traditional pantomine
Solo: The Polygon Gallery presents Steven Shearer, until February 2022, the acclaimed Vancouver artist’s first solo show in Canada in over a decade, the expansive exhibition showcasing Shearer’s personal archive of more than 74,000 images
Luminations: Making its Canadian debut at Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Surrey, BC. Lumagica Surrey is a 1km light walk through diverse lands to capture and believe in the spirit of the Holidays. Stroll through a light tunnel to Gingerbread Lane, leading to the magical North Pole Village.
Peak: The Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain transforms the mountaintop into Vancouver’s North Pole, with Santa in his workshop, meet reindeer Dancer and Vixen, experience the enchanting Light Walk, glide across the 8,000 sq ft mountaintop Ice Skating Pond and snow, snow, snow.