The online journal devoted to dialogue and debate about the performing and live arts. By seeking to create a countrywide community, we provide local coverage with national impact. We've spanked the ass of culture in Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: all car, no subtlety

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, guess who the star is?Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, guess who the star is?By Justin Haigh

To call the touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ‘family friendly’ would be inaccurate. The show, imported by Mirvish Productions and now playing at Toronto’s Canon Theatre, is very kid friendly, but parents hoping for an equally engaging theatrical experience may be disappointed.

The story of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is certainly not the problem. The production stays reasonably true to the whimsical and fanciful tale crafted for the 1968 film by Roald Dahl (who in turn adapted it from a children’s book by ‘James Bond’ author Ian Flemming). There are tweaks here and there, but the basics remain the same.

Widower and inventor Caractacus Potts’ life is turned on its head when he buys and refurbishes an old wreck of a racing car for Jeremy and Jemima, his two free-spirited children, only to discover the car, named Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after it’s rhythmic engine purr, has a mind of its own and a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve. Potts’ personal life also gets a tune-up after several contentious chance encounters with Truly Scrumptious, the sightly daughter of a wealthy candy magnate, lead to a blossoming romance. Things don’t stay idyllic for long thanks to Baron Bomburst, the villainous and toy-obsessed monarch of the small and oppressive European state of Vulgaria. Desiring the magnificent car for his own collection, the Baron sends two bumbling spies to snatch it away from Potts and his family. The spies fail to nab Chitty, but do kidnap Potts’ eccentric father, believing that he is the inventor of the car, thus leaving it to Potts, his children, Truly, and of course Chitty, to rescue Potts’ father from the Baron’s castle.

Guys and Dolls: the survival of the revivals

Take that New York! The cast of Guys and Dolls in RichmondTake that New York! The cast of Guys and Dolls in RichmondBy: Ingrid Nilson

A funny thing happened on my way to New York City…at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond. On my list of must-see Broadway shows for a brief visit to NYC was South Pacific a revival that has garnered enough awards to make you go cross-eyed. As a proud musical theatre nut, I grew up singing and dancing to the 1958 film version of the Rogers and Hammerstein classic which features tunes like “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa my Hair”. Much to my dismay, I had never seen a staged production. The same was true of another revival being staged closer to home, Guys and Dolls at the Gateway.

Here was another musical turned into a popular film by MGM (this time in 1955) featuring a star-studded cast that includes Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine. Back in the day, my mother was hesitant to let me watch the film because it centres on gambling and features gangsters and scantily clad women who dance in nightclubs. But now, having myself performed in a Broadway Jazz, burlesque-influenced dance company in venues like the one featured in Guys and Dolls, I figured mom would be okay with me seeing the show. I thus ventured on a pre-trip getaway to a matinee performance of the familiar tuned favourite.

I was curious with the revivals in both Richmond and New York; would I savour the experience or find that time has turned the old, sweet hits stale? Would the content and conflict in these musicals translate to the modern stage? Would the old be given a new spin? In the case of Gateway’s Guys and Dolls, director Sarah Rodgers had no intention of mucking around.

BLINK: and you'll miss it

One of the coolest things about Leaky Heaven is their connection to East Vancouver, specifically to the Strathcona and Grandview neighbourhoods. This connection was in full evidence at the third edition of Blink at a packed Russian Hall on December 13th.

At times, Vancouver can feel like a rootless city: it’s a place people come to, not a place people come from. It is also an over-planned and over-managed environment where spontaneity and organic expression are not encouraged (but being in bed by 10:00 pm is). There are some glorious exceptions and Leaky Heaven is one of them. No matter how wacky the concept, their shows have a sense of being rooted in a specific artistic community, creating work at a specific time. If someone asked me to show them something that represented Vancouver as a unique, cultural centre, Leaky Heaven would be at the top of my list.

The York Theatre: saved!

York Theatre looking forward to better (and less pink) days.York Theatre looking forward to better (and less pink) days.In a promising sign of their commitment to arts and culture, Vancouver’s newly minted City Council unanimously passed a motion on 18 December that should ensure the future of the historic York Theatre on Commercial Drive on the city’s eastside.

Slated for destruction as early as January 15, the nearly century-old theatre is currently owned by EDG Homes, who purchased the property in August 2007. According to the Province newspaper, at the time of the purchase, EDG had been assured by city staff that the theatre was of no historical significance or interest. EDG wishes to tear down the building in order to clear space for a townhouse development.

Vancouver developer Bruno Wall has stepped forward with a $12 million commitment to purchase and restore the 500 seat theatre. According to the Province, Wall has also offered to hand ownership to the city — in exchange for development rights equivalent to a 20-storey building, to be built on an as-yet undetermined city site. According to Tom Durrie of the Save the York Theatre Society, it is Wall’s intention that the restored facility be run by the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. In an e-mail announcement, Durrie described this arrangement as a guarantee of sound operation of the venue and that rental agreements will be affordable to local arts group.

The Vancouver Plank Panel argue over whether it's a wonderful life

Marta and Andrew making up after their fight? No, Todd Talbot and Jennifer Lines in It’s a Wonderful Life; photo: David CooperMarta and Andrew making up after their fight? No, Todd Talbot and Jennifer Lines in It’s a Wonderful Life; photo: David CooperYour Plank Panel, filled with seasonal cheer:

Andrew Templeton who thinks life is wonderful and is a sucker for movies with angels in them
Marta Baranowska, the non-movie watching wonder, who likes to claim: “If it’s a good movie, chances are I haven’t seen it, but I will review the play!”

The play: The Arts Club second go at It’s a Wonderful Life at the Granville Island Stage

Andrew: For the second night in a row, I’ve witnessed a theatrical adaption of a movie on an Arts Club stage. Last night it was Beauty and the Beast, tonight it was It’s a Wonderful Life. Interestingly enough, I had no blocks with Beauty and the Beast; I was able to accept it as a stage creation in its own right. Perhaps this is due to the original Disney film having borrowed so heavily from musical theatre in the first place and also my having only seen the movie once 17 years ago. It’s a Wonderful Life, on the other hand, I’ve seen countless times.

This probably won’t do my creditability as a serious playwright any favours but It’s a Wonderful Life is my favourite film. Alas, it’s not Bicycle Thieves or Citizen Kane but Frank Capra’s schmaltzy ode to the impact one person can have on the lives of others that would go with me to a desert island. No matter how many times I see it, I still get misty eyed when Mr Gowar hits young George and then begs for forgiveness and bawl like a baby when the community comes together to help out our hero.

Brief Encounters 11: experimentation free of ego

By Nicolette Little

For Brief Encounters 11, Vancouver’s The Tomorrow Collective has again paired artists from vastly differing backgrounds, given them two weeks to create and rehearse a work of their own, and set the stage for the resulting creations at the eastside’s Anza Club. This year’s curious pairings include: lighting designer Itai Erdal with urban dancer Natasha Powell; experimental musician Gabriel Mindel Saloman with dance artist Jennifer Mascall; musician and composer Steve Charles with martial artist John Camp; dancer Wen Wei Wang with filmmaker Pia Massie; comedian Alicia Tobin with fashion designer Rich Nguyen, and; drummer Joy Mullun with and theatre artist Heather Lindsay.

The Vancouver Plank Panel go to Twelve Minutes Max

Julia Carr shows what she can do in twelve minutes maxJulia Carr shows what she can do in twelve minutes maxYour quick thinking Plank Panel:

Ashleigh Dalton: writer and community development worker who can teach you to tango in twelve minutes.
Rachel Scott: writer and theatre gal who can make and drink a martini in twelve minutes.

Who are reviewing Twelve Minutes Max XXXVI, Co-presented by The Dance Centre and Firehall Arts Centre

Ashleigh: The only thing you can be certain about in 12 Minutes Max, an annual dance performance program, is that each piece will be kept to a twelve minute limit. The 36th edition, curated by Tanya Marquardt and Joyce Rosario, featured six short works by dance and interdisciplinary performers.

Rachel: Before this evening, I had no idea that a dance presentation like this was curated. I didn’t realize that these six pieces had been selected so specifically.

Ashleigh: I really appreciated that the curators came out and talked to the audience about the format, the purpose and why the pieces we were about to see were chosen to be included. Marquardt described the show as “performance dramaturgy” and put emphasis on the role of the structure in facilitating experimentation. 12 Minutes Max was designed as an outlet for emerging and established performers to take risks and test out new material and ranges.

Rachel: I loved that they were encouraging artists to explore new frontiers. For some, this risk manifested in unexpected ways. The first piece, Farewell Laminaria by Julia Carr was a surprisingly quiet.

The Vancouver Plank Panel encounter a beauty and a beast

What does she see in this man? Steve Maddock and Amy Willis in Disney’s (not anyone else’s) Beauty and the Beast; photo David CooperWhat does she see in this man? Steve Maddock and Amy Willis in Disney’s (not anyone else’s) Beauty and the Beast; photo David CooperYour Plank Panel rambling around a cramped castle:

Andrew Templeton who has never wrestled a pack of wolves but can be occasionally beastly, although generally he’s rather polite
Cathy Sostad who is a beautiful Nordic princess who from time to time leaves her castle disguised as a peasant in order to slay dragons, return library books and get a manicure.

The play: the Arts Club fourth go at Beauty and the Beast at the Stanley Theatre

Andrew: Before we start, I have a confession to make. I had a serious crush on Belle the star of the animated Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. Yes, I had a thing for a cartoon character. Now it’s out there, I feel better.

The film came out in 1991 and I haven’t seen it since, so my memory of what it was about Belle that flamed my ardour is a little lost in the mists of time. I know it was more than just her good looks. It had something to do with her attitude, her ambitions and her love of books. As we discussed after seeing the opening night of the Arts Club’s (fourth!) production of the stage adaptation, the original film was revolutionary (it was the first animated feature to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture). There is any number of reasons why: the songs are actually good, the story has enough emotional depth to engage adult audiences but probably most importantly is Belle. Ah, Belle. She wasn’t shoved to one side while some bland prince went on an adventure, nor did she behave like a boy so she could go on her own adventure. She was, well, a young woman, actually. And, if I remember correctly, an astonishingly well rendered woman (in both senses of the word for an animated character). There had never been a cartoon character like Belle, and Beauty and the Beast was really Belle’s story.

The Sweetest Swing in Baseball: Darryl Strawberry, Rebecca Gilman and Me

Sweetest Swing in Baseball: what if mike is a figment of gilman’s imagination?Sweetest Swing in Baseball: what if mike is a figment of gilman’s imagination?
By Michael John Unger

The best way I can describe it is, sometime in 1986, I was 8 years old and I awoke from a vivid dream and it was all laid out in front of me: Baseball, specifically the New York Mets. But even more importantly was one player in particular: Darryl Strawberry. There was no other outside influence that I can remember, my dad was only a casual baseball fan and I’m from Vancouver where it’s hockey and football first. That’s where the obsession started for me and continued into my creative life with my first screenplay which is still undergoing many drafts called Darryl Strawberry, You’re Our Only Hope. It’s semi-autobiographical tale of a young boy and his daydreams of the aforementioned ballplayer. Then along comes Rebecca Gilman’s play, The Sweetest Swing, a tale of a struggling and depressed artist that is checked into a psychiatric hospital and decides to extend her stay by taking on the persona of Darryl Strawberry.

You can understand my curiosity when the Evolving Arts Collective announced that it would be mounting The Sweetest Swing on the Beaumont Stage.

The York Theatre: in danger

York Theatre on Commercial Drive operated at the Raj Cinema for ten years before closing its doorsYork Theatre on Commercial Drive operated at the Raj Cinema for ten years before closing its doors
Heather Redfern, Executive Director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, has sent out an urgent plea to members of the performing arts community about the fate of the York Theatre on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Redfern is requesting that people turn up at City Hall on December 18 to show their support to save this historic theatre. The full text of the letter is posted below.

Built in 1913, and originally known as the Alcazar, the York seats 500 and is an important part of Vancouver’s theatre history. For 54 years, it was the home the Vancouver Little Theatre, starting in 1923. As the Vancouver Arts and Culture Forum website describes it, “during much of that time Vancouver Little Theatre was virtually the only live theatre seen in the city. Many well known performers received their first opportunity and experience in The Little Theatre.”

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