It’s the irresistible story and unforgettable songs of one of the most popular Disney films of all times, Mary Poppins, and Broadway Across Canada is bringing the show to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from July 17 – 22, 2012.

“This is the rare touring production that over-delivers on every level!!!” raved Variety.

Even the New York Post rated the show 4 out of 4 stars and called the show “a certifiable super hit!”

There will be brand-new dance numbers and spectacular stage-craft, making Mary Poppins everything you could ever want in a Broadway show!

Presale tickets:

• Time: May 11, 2012 at 10:00am  – May 13, 2012 at 10:00pm
• http://www.ticketmaster.ca/venueartist/139293/1320016?brand=bac
• Presale code: FLYING

Home is more than a place that a person sleeps and keeps their belongings. It’s a community. A feeling on belonging. A sense of security.

But what if you were an immigrant to Canada, a refugee fleeing from another country, or someone disowned by a family for loving someone of the same gender?

Screaming Weenie has created Chasing Home, a live theatre performance exploring what ‘home’ means to outsiders, immigrants, refugees and others who have been forced to flee their counties and build a new life for themselves in Vancouver.

Directed by Pedro Chamale and Seán Cummings, Chasing Home is performing at the Vancouver Playhouse Recital Hall, located at 601 Cambie Street in Vancouver, from March 15 – 17, 2012.

Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the door or can be purchase in advance online.

Screaming Weenie’s mission is to produce and promote queer and sex positive performance, facilitating a stronger queer community by creating and encouraging the performing arts and artists.

Photo credit – © SCOTT SUCHMAN

Don’t Stop Believing, We Built This City, The Final Countdown, Can’t Fight This Feeling, and a mix of rock’n 80’s tunes are coming May 8 – 13 to the Centre of Performing Arts in downtown Vancouver.

The Rock of Ages musical is set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip, where a small-town girl meets a big-city dreamer. They fall in love to the greatest songs of the ‘80’s in one of LA’s most legendary rock clubs. The totally-awesome, good time show is about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on!

The five-time 2009 Tony nominee musical is a hilarious and feel-good love story musical told through the hit songs of iconic 80’s rockers including Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake and many others.

Rock of Ages is directed by Tony award nominee Kristen Hanggi, choreographed by Kelly Devine, original arrangements by David Gibbs, and with musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.

Performances run Tuesday, May 8 to Sunday, May 13, 2012. Shows Tuesday – Saturday evenings are at 8:00pm, Sunday evening at 7:30pm, and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Tickets vary in range depending on performance, seat location and date of purchase and start at $35.00 (plus applicable charges).

Rock of Ages is presented by Broadway Across Canada and is part of a three city tour in Western Canada including dates in Regina April 24-26 and Saskatoon April 27 – 29, 2012.

Pre Sale Tickets:

• 10:00am, Friday, March 9 – 10:00pm, Sunday, March 11
• http://www.ticketmaster.ca/venueartist/139276/1291934?brand=bac
• Presale passcode: STACEE

Tickets go on sale on Monday, March 12, 2012 through all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone 1-855-985-5000, or on line at www.ticketmaster.ca.

“]

CATS opens April 10 – 12, 2012 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for 8 performances. [Photo credit: 2010 Joan Marcus

Photo credit: 2010 Joan Marcus

After celebrating its 30^th anniversary on May 11, 2011, CATS, the longest continuously touring Broadway musical in history will return to Vancouver, BC for eight (8) performances Tuesday, April 10 – Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

On May 11, 1981, CATS opened at the New London Theatre in the West End. Eight years later, it celebrated its first important milestone: after 3,358 performances CATS became the longest running musical in the history of British theatre. CATS played its final performance on its 21st birthday, May 11, 2002.

CATS opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City and continued to live up to its motto "Now and Forever."  On June 19, 1997, it became the longest running musical on Broadway. CATS ended its 18 year run on September 10, 2000 with 7,485 performances.

With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS won seven 1983 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Lighting, and Best Costumes.

Five continents, 26 countries, and over eight and a half million audience members later, CATS is still America’s most loved family musical. Celebrating not only its Broadway touring legacy but the birth of the musical spectacular, CATS is still revolutionary and awe inspiring.

Performances for the Vancouver show run Tuesday – Saturday evenings at 8pm, Sunday evening at 7:30pm with Saturday and Sunday 2pm matinees.  Tickets start at $35 (plus applicable charges), and will go on sale on Monday, December 19, 2011 through Ticketmaster by calling 1-855-985-5000 or purchasing online.

Enjoy the magic of the holidays! From now until January 2, 2012, the Vancouver Park Board and British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund welcome guests to come and experience the 14^th annual Bright Nights in Stanley Park.

The Plaza area of Stanley Park has been completely transformed with two million twinkling lights, animated displays, holiday theme characters, music and carolers.

There is hot chocolate, popcorn and roasted chestnuts. Admission to the Plaza is by donation to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

The miniature train in Stanley Park is also in full holiday operation. Tickets for the train are available in advance online or at the ticket booth in the train Plaza in Stanley Park.

All donations and proceeds from the miniature train ticket sales go to the Burn Fund, helping burn survivors and their families. To date, Bright Nights has raised over $1.5 million for the Burn Fund.

Hours:

• Sunday – Thursday, 3:00pm – 10:00pm
• Friday – Saturday, 3:00pm – 11:00pm
• (Closed Christmas Day)

The most romantic date night in Vancouver this holiday season is at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. Every night from now until January 2, 2012 (excluding Christmas Day), the VanDusen Botanical Gardens will be open from 4:30pm – 9:00pm for the annual Festival of Lights.

The highlight event at the gardens are the Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake. There are two different shows that play every half-hour starting at 4:30pm – one at the top of the hour, and the second on the half-hour, repeating in sequence throughout the evening. The magical light show dazzles the imagination.

Throughout the park there are displaying including the Gingerbread Woods, Golden Chain Walk, Make-a-Wish Shrine, Candy Cane Lane and the Sparkling Spruce in the Centre Court.

There are community choir concerts and hot food and beverages. Santa even makes appearances every hour from 5:30pm – 8:30pm in Santa’s Living Room.

Tickets are $13.50 for adults (19-64). It’s best to arrive early, especially on weekends, to avoid the long line-ups.

Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus

The classic musical love story, Beauty and the Beast, will be coming to Vancouver this February 8-12, 2012. Based on the Academy award-winning animated film, the Broadway musical has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide.

The show is filled with the unforgettable characters, lavish sets, detailed costumes and song and dance to all your favourite songs including, “Be Our Guest”.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast if presented by Broadway Across Canada and will be showing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver.

Just in time for Christmas, tickets can be purchased online for the evening and matinee shows until the end of Sunday, December 4, 2011. Tickets can be purchased before the general sale using the special code “CASTLE”.

The Grand Marshal of the 2011 Grey Cup Parade in Vancouver was actor / director, Cory Monteith, best known as Finn Hudson on the hit television series, Glee. The parade was held on Saturday, November 26, 2011, and despite the pouring rain, Cory proudly wore a BC Lions jersey as he rode in the back of a pick-up truck along the parade route through downtown Vancouver. Thousands of CFL and Glee fans lined the streets hoping to get a glimpse of the now famous BC actor.

Before the parade route got underway, Cory signed a number of autographs and had hit photo taken with dozens of fans who happened upon him in the parade staging area. The parade even paused for a brief moment for Cory to have his photo taken with the national sport treasure, the Grey Cup.

Born on May 11, 1982 in Calgary, Alberta, Cory grew up in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Cory’s parents divorced when he was just seven years old. He and his older brother grew up with his mother.

The now successful actor does have a shady past. Throughout his teen years Cory dropped out of high school, abused drugs and had a drinking problem. He eventually went to counselling and in 2011 received his high school diploma through a Victoria-based alternative school.

In 2010, Cory co-hosted the Teen Choice Awards and hosted the Gemini Awards in Toronto, Ontario.

Cory has also appeared in numerous Canadian-made television series including  Smallville, Supernatural, Flash Gordon, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, and played minor acting roles in the movies Final Destination 3, Whisper and Deck the Halls.

Prince Poppycock as Pagliacci on “America‟s Got Talent,” Photo: www.ShawnSmithPhoto.com

This Saturday night will be Vancouver’s chance to see the performer America’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan said was “becoming my guilty pleasure”.  During his run on Season Five on America’s Got Talent, Prince Poppycock proved he was America’s guilty pleasure too as the foppish, baroque dandy made it all the way to the final four.
Created by singer-songwriter John Quale initially for a single performance of an aria from Figaro, the Prince Poppycock character has taken on a life of his own.  His over the top outfits, wigs and stage pieces have won over audiences around the world.  Beneath the camp exterior there lies Quale’s solid classically trained voice that provides a solid foundation to base the frocks and frills that made Sharon Osborne call him the “male Lady Gaga”.
This coming weekend Prince Poppycock will entertain Vancouver along with a host of other talents at Five-Sixty – Guilty Pleasures is a new bi-annual fundraiser produced by MN events and benefiting 4 local HIV/AIDS organizations. A Loving Spoonful, YouthCO Aids Society, McLaren Housing Society and Positive Living BC.
Tickets are available Tickets available at Priape, www.MNevents.ca and at each beneficiaries office: 20% of each ticket goes to the beneficiaries.

The world premier of Falling in Time, a fearless, hard-hitting play by award-winning, Vancouver-based dramatist C. E. Gatchalian is showing in Vancouver from November 4 to 12, 2011 at the Performance Works on Granville Island.

Said to be one of the boldest, most controversial Canadian plays in recent memory, Falling in Time is an epic exploration of armed conflict, savage masculinity, flagrant sexuality, unqualified forgiveness and unexpected love.

Directed by Seán Cummings, the story is set in 1994 in Vancouver, the year North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung died. The play criss-crosses two hemispheres and spans more than forty years.

Steve is an aging, outrageous, twisted, bisexual Korean war vet who embodies, in his verbal and sexual brazenness, the psychotic, sadistic tendencies of Western imperialism that polite society has too often tried to sweep from view.

Jamie is an aloof, repressed ESL teacher haunted by a troubled childhood. Chang Hyun is a young Korean ESL student brimming with anti-Western sentiment and fresh off a traumatic experience in the Korean military. In the middle of it all is Eun Ha, a Korean woman who lives through the Korean War and, against all odds, finds the will to survive.

Produced by Screaming Weenie Productions, Western Canada’s professional queer theatre company, the play is an honest depiction of war, rape, racism and animal sexuality, but brings these issues to the stage in a non-linear way and with great integrity.

The cast includes 4-time Jessie Award winner Allan Morgan (Steve), Manami Hara (Eun Ha), Kevin Kraussler (Jamie), and Nelson Wong (Chang Hyun).

Every Saturday from early April until the end of October, 140 vendors set-up in Centennial Park just off Ganges Harbour for the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market.

The market is open from 8:30am until 4:30pm and includes everything from fresh, organic grown vegetables to hand made jewelry. The market organizers are very particular to ensure only items that are handmade or grown on the island by the vendors, are sold at the market.

Luckily this mantra isn’t an issue for the vendors because Salt Spring Island is renowned for producing locally grown organic fruits, meats and vegetables. Salt Spring Island is also the home to many sculptures, painters, carvers, jewelers and potters, providing a wide variety of hand-made, one-of-a-kind original art pieces.

A great tip from the locals: arrive early, but before you go, hit up Salt Spring Island Coffee for the best coffee on the island!

If you could go back and meet your younger self, what advice could you offer to make your future turn out differently?

That’s the questioned asked in the new feature film “Judas Kiss” from international award-winning director J.T. Tepnapa & writer Carlo Pedraza.

The story revolves around disillusioned filmmaker Zach Wells’ (played by Charlie David) visit to his peculiar alma-mater and how the events of this visit will influence his complex past and tumultuous present.

The film could be a simple tale of ‘what would you do if’ but the filmmakers have created a much more complex telling of what could have been a mundane story.  While at times a bit confusing, good acting and script keep the film engaging as it takes an unexpectedly sci-fi twist, which is not often found in LGBT aimed films.  The filmmakers have a history with sci-fi as both met while working on the fan-film, Star Trek: Hidden Frontier. Carlo Pedraza states that they hadn’t originally written the screenplay to have such a strong sci-fi slant but during filming they realized it could take this angle and appeal to another genre, perhaps gaining a wider audience.

Taking five years from conception to the screen, Judas Kiss has been a passion for the filmmakers as they collaborated on all aspects, from casting to filming.  Sean Paul Lockhart (aka former adult entertainer Brent Corrigan) was the first cast, having worked with Tepnapa on a past project.  Sean says the script intrigued him as he had definitely made some (quite public) judgement errors in the past that he’d like to go back and advise himself against.  Based on this work he is well on his way to putting his past behind him and looking forward to a good future as an actor.

Canadian actor, writer, TV personality, Charlie David (Dante’s Cove, Mulligans, Bump) had initially come to the film as a producing partner but like the script so much he wanted to take on the lead role.  Casting such a well known and respected actor for the lead was a coup for the film but also made casting the second lead Danny Reyes Jr. more crucial as the chemistry between Zach and Danny was key to the film. They found their Danny in Vancouver actor Richard Harmon (Caprica) who does a splendid job portraying the cock-sure bravado of the freshman Reyes who’s short film “Judas Kiss” is up for the prestigious Keystone Film Scholarship of which Zach is a judge.

The full cast, a mix of Canadian and Americans, began filming August 2010 on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.  The first screening debuted Judas Kiss at the Phoenix Film Festival April 1, 2011 and since then has screened at numerous film festivals around the United States, Canada and Europe.  A North American theatrical release is scheduled for October 25, 2011.

Photo credit: North American Tour 2010 by Joan Marcus

Inspired by the magic of ABBA’s songs including “Dancing Queen”, “S.O.S.”, “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me”, Mamma Mia’s! North American tour is returning to Vancouver from Tuesday, August 16 through Sunday, August 21.

Mamma Mia! is a musical set to the classic songs by ABBA. The story is about an independent single mother, Donna, who owns a small hotel on a Greek island. Her daughter, Sophie, is about to get married, and Donna has invited her two lifelong friends, Tanya and Rosie. Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own.

Sophie begins her mission to find her father to walk her down the aisle, bringing three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they had visited 20 years earlier. The next 24 hours of their lives will encounter new love and the rekindling of old romances.

Mamma Mia! will be performing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on Tuesday, August 16 through Saturday August 20 at 8pm, and Sunday, August 21 at 7:30pm, and additional Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm.

Tickets range from $25 – 88 plus applicable charges. Tickets are on sale online now or by phone at 1-855-985-5000.

The current North American Tour has played over 3,000 performances in over 130 cities with 125 repeat visits.

How does a young guy from Vancouver, BC, get a roll in the hit movie series, Twilight? According to Charlie Bewley, who played Demetri in the Twilight series, it was hard-work, timing and a great agent.

Before he starred in the Twilight series, Charlie was essentially a broke actor and was working at Vancouver’s Lift Bar and Grill to pay his bills.

Charlie was also dating a local girl at the time he landed his big role. In the lead up to the filming of Twilight their relationship ended and they quickly parted ways.

To secure his role, Charlie was working with coach, Susan Batson. She brought the opportunity to audition to him. He credits Susan with the way she was able to bring his essence to the role during the casting.

Charlie had just ten short weeks to prepare for the roll from the time of casting to the beginning of filming. His roll required him to put on muscle in preparation for his strip-down on set.

Charlie has since filmed multiple Twilight films as the character Demetri. The next Twilight movie comes out later this year.

Charlie Bewley, who played the roll of Demetri on the hit movie series, Twilight has enjoyed being single since he started filming his first Twilight movie. It’s no secret the young, successful heartthrob is available, but, is he looking for a relationship?

“Anyone is welcome to have it a go!” said Bewley in a recent interview.

Bewley made it very clear that he does not date for reputation.

“I’m looking for someone with energy more than anything.”

He is attracted to passion positive aura.

But hold on boys and girls… does Charlie play for Team Jacob or Team Edward?

“I play for team Demetri and then team Volturi,” said Bewley.

Boys, you’re out of luck. Charlie Bewley is not gay and he is looking forward to meeting the right girl.

Each year, Vancouver hosts many fantastic shows geared towards kids and families. Late this summer one show really captured my attention, Walking with Dinosaurs.

Produced by the BBC at a cost of approximately $20 million, Walking with Dinosaurs is narrated live show that takes you on a journey of the three eras (200 million years) of when dinosaurs ruled the earth. The storyline is easy to follow and understand, and kids were generally engaged. The lighting and transitions were extremely well done. The 15 dinosaurs are said to be the most realistic moving and looking of anything to-date; they were truly remarkable!

If this show comes back to Vancouver, I would highly recommend it for families with kids ages 3 – 15. The ticket price was a bit higher than I expected, but well worth it. Oh, and skip on the popcorn, toys and other goodies – they are a waste of money – just sit back and enjoy the amazing show!

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to see, Refuge of Lies at the Pacific Theatre. This play is a rendition of the off-broadway performance, Refuge, which played in September 2008 at the Lion Theatre on 42nd Street in New York.

This was my first visit to the Pacific Theatre. It is located in the lower-level of the Anglican Church at 1440 West 12 Avenue in Vancouver, B.C. The theatre is very quaint, holding about 100 people. The stage is uniquely positioned in the centre, with the the audience being spit in half on either side in theatre-style seating. I must admit, it was an intimate atmosphere all things considered.

Refuge of Lies is a play based on actual events. The Pacific Theatre’s describes the production:

Rudi Vanderwaal is a quietly retired man whose religious conversion may hide terrible wartime secrets. When a Dutch journalist travels to Vancouver to confront him with the realities of his past, memory and fantasy, dream and nightmare collide in a searing vision of guilt and the cost of redemption.

About five minutes into the production is quickly realized that this was not a play about war-crimes, but rather about religion. I felt it to be very unappealing, however, I felt I should give it a chance to redeem itself.

As the performance continued going through various scene, bouncing from past to present, from one story-line to the next, it was very confusing. It was about the half-way point that I could finally follow-along with what the playwright, Ron Reed, was trying to convey.

The intermission came three-quarters of the way through. I scanned the crowd and it was mostly older folks who I would imagine would be regular church-goers, and much to my surprise, about one-third were under the age of 35.

Throughout the play religion vs mans-law is debated heavily; should someone be punished for something they did over 50 years ago, or does being baptized wash away your sins. At the end, they never answered the question (you’ll have to watch the performance to see how the get out of that one!). I’m sure I wasn’t the only one left questioning what would be the right answer.

There’s a strong undertone that religion and war go hand-in-hand.

One of the characters was a female who would was in her younger adult years – mature, aware of society and morals and educated. I really sided with her – that the past is in the past – we need to move on, look towards the future. Sure, we can learn from the past, but why hold grudges.

Overall, I thought the acting was fairly decent. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in religion, war-history, or local theatre.