Vancouver Arts Guide Nov/Dec 2018

A SECTION OF ®

NOV DEC

VANCOUVER ART GALLERY’S K AT H L E E N B A RT E L S & ROCHELLE STEINER

W EEKEN D S C R I P T THE A LIST SEEN O N T H E S C E N E

Photo by Rob Trendiak.

ARTSLANDIA.COM

2018

OCTOBER 13, 2018 TO JANUARY 20, 2019

ALSO ON VIEW THIS SEASON A CURATOR’S VIEW: IAN THOM SELECTS Sept 22, 2018 - Mar 17, 2019 DANA CLAXTON: FRINGING THE CUBE Oct 27, 2018 - Feb 3, 2019 THE METAMORPHOSIS Nov 24, 2018 - Mar 17, 2019 GET TICKETS AT VANARTGALLERY.BC.CA

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery in collaboration with SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film Visionary Partners for the Institute of Asian Art

Liu Bao, Wang Ying and Liu Manzhao

Supporting Sponsor:

Additional Sponsor:

Guo Pei, Garden of the Soul, 2015 (detail), embroidered silk dress with hand-painted motifs and embellished with Swarovski crystals, brass beads and brass florets; mask and headpiece with bead, crystal and brass floret embellishment, Photo: Courtesy of SCAD

®

NOV DEC 2018

5 STAYING CONNECTED

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#ArtslandiaWasHere

Follow recent happenings in Artslandia.

7 CHRISTINE QUINTANA TOP: Rebecca deBoer and John Voth. Photo by Emily Cooper. BOTTOM LEFT: Guo Pei. BOTTOM RIGHT: Benjamin Beilman. Photo by Giorgia Bertazzi.

Weekend Script

Actor, playwright, and producer Christine Quintana shares her destinations for a diverse and dynamic weekend.

AND CONQUER 8 COLLABORATE Vancouver Art Gallery’s Kathleen Bartels and Rochelle Steiner in conversation about leadership and the future.

CALENDAR 13 NOVEMBER Artslandia Vancouver Arts Guide With the darkening days come bright stages throughout the city and so many opportunities to be thankful for your local artists and presenters.

CALENDAR 20 DECEMBER Artslandia Vancouver Arts Guide Celebrate the holiday season with traditional favourites and at least one singalong!

28 SEASON GALAS! SEASON OPENERS! Seen on the Scene

Catch a glimpse of who’s who at fabulous arts events.

30 TOP 10 ARTISANAL SHOPS FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS The A List

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Remember the good old days of handmade delights?

Bring them back this holiday season with a visit to our favorite shops for artsy and crafty gifting.

FIND YOUR ART: Arts Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ballet BC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 22 Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13, 20, 21 Contemporary Art Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19, 25 The Cultch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17–18, 25, 27 The Dance Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 17 DanceHouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Douglas College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–18 Eastside Culture Crawl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Elektra Women’s Choir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14–15 Friends of Chamber Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 20 Gateway Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 23, 25 Kay Meek Arts Centre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 17, 20, 22 Laudate Singers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Massey Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–14, 18, 20, 22, 25 Music on Main. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 20, 22 Opus Art Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Pacific Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17–18, 25, 26

Presentation House Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 17, 25 Shadbolt Centre for the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 17–18 Touchstone Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Vancouver Art Gallery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19, 25 Vancouver New Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Vancouver Recital Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–14, 20 Vancouver Symphony Orchestra . . . . . . . . . . 13–14, 20, 22 Vancouver TheatreSports™ League. . . . 17–18, 22, 24–25

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Where Art Connects Heaven & Earth...

5,000 YEARS OF CIVILIZATION REBORN

Presented by Name of Presenter

“A Must-See!” —Broadway World

MARCH 22–31 • QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE ENTIRELY NEW 2019 PRODUCTION WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA FROM NEW YORK Presented by Falun Dafa Association of Vancouver

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ONES TO WATCH: Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann of the Bergmann Piano Duo. We were at the opening of artist Germaine Koh’s exhibition Home Made Home at @artgalleryevergreen. If you love ‘tiny home’ culture, go see this! #artslandiawashere

We headed Back to School with @vantheatresports! #A+ #improvnight #hahawithvtsl #artslandiawashere

PODCAST

SUSANNAH

MARS

ARTSLANDIA’S PERFORMING ARTS PODCAST

Our jaws dropped to the floor seeing @vanartgallery’s exhibition featuring over 40 avant-garde designs by designer @guopei. #Treat yourself! #artslandiawashere

We gave away a pair of premium tickets to @VancouverOpera’s delightful rom-com caper The Merry Widow !

Follow @artslandiayvr to enter all of our contests. #bigwinner #artslandiawashere

In our latest podcast, Adventures in Artslandia host Susannah Mars chats with DAVID PAY, Artistic Director of Music on Main.

Do you have an Adventure in Artslandia?

Email smars@artslandia.com.

Follow us on social for more highlights and giveaways. Don’t forget to tag #ArtslandiaYVR and #ArtslandiaWasHere on your event photos for a chance to be featured!

@artslandiayvr

@artslandiayvr

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Artslandia Magazine

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N O V / / D EC 2018 ®

Contemporary Art Gallery VANCOUVER ARTS GUIDE

PUBLISHER + FOUNDER

Misty Tompoles

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER + MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Katrina Ketchum

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Barry Johnson

MANAGING EDITOR

Kristen Seidman

MEDIA DIRECTOR

Regular free guided exhibition tours in English, French, Mandarin and Spanish

Chris Porras

SALES DIRECTOR

Lindsey Ferguson DESIGNERS

www.contemporaryartgallery.ca/whats-on

Lisa Johnston-Smith Dan Le Jackie Tran ARTSLANDIA BOX MANAGER

Bella Showerman

MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Nicole Lane

PUBLISHING COORDINATOR

Sara Chavis

NEW BUSINESS ASSOCIATE

Ashley Coates

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ariane Fleischmann

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christine Dong Max McDermott Rob Trendiak

PODCAST HOST

Susannah Mars

Opus Art Supplies

By All Means Create

opusartsupplies.com Opus Art Supplies

By All Means Create

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artwork by Charles van Sandwyk

Artslandia the Guide is published by Rampant Creative, Inc. ©2018 Rampant Creative, Inc. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

Rampant Creative, Inc. /Artslandia Magazine 6637 SE Milwaukie Ave. #207, Portland, OR 97202

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w eekend s cript

variety is the

SPICE OF LIFE

CHRISTINE QUINTANA is an award-winning playwright, actor, and Artistic Producer of Delinquent Theatre. This year, she is premiering a new work titled Never The Last and performing in shows for Theatre Replacement, Gateway Theatre, and Ruby Slippers Theatre. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @christinequinty.

Photos by Christine Quintana.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

MISCELLANY FINDS

SPADE

My go-to thrift store for everything: clothing, shoes, housewares, and the always incredible and sometimes outrageous banter between the staff and customers. Proceeds support programs for marginalized women and youth, so I can visit twice a week with no guilt.

There are no such things as weekends and holidays for freelancers, but my friends and I can often be found here slamming coffees and sending emails (usually with a slice of freshly baked cake on the side).

SUNDAY

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY I spent a lot of my teen years nestled in the stacks reading plays and listening to musical theatre cast recordings. It’s an ideal place to come on a rainy day.

OPEN DOOR YOGA LYNN CANYON PARK Even in the depths of winter, I try to get out of the city centre for some restorative time in nature. This spot is beautiful year-round and leaves me refreshed and inspired.

I’m playing a yoga teacher in Gateway Theatre’s Yoga Play in February, so I’m taking classes at Open Door Yoga as often as I can! The inclusive and relaxed vibe is perfect for me––the only posturing at this studio is on the mat.

FIGARO’S GARDEN I’ve developed a low-key houseplant obsession, and this shop is brimming with tropical beauties. Bonus: The first Friday of every month is #plantchat, with B.C. wines, charcuterie, and flora-centered conversation.

Do your weekend plans make for the perfect arts and culture itinerary?

Visit artslandia.com / YVR /weekend to share your fabulous weekend script.

ARTSLANDIA.COM

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Vancouver Art Gallery’s Kathleen Bartels and Rochelle Steiner in conversation about leadership and the future.

AND

COLLABORATE

CONQUER

By Ariane Fleischmann. Photos by Rob Trendiak.

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l a d i e s leading

D

ivision of labour keeps companies lean and effectual. It allows them to be nimble. At the Vancouver Art Gallery, these two leading ladies certainly divide some of the work, but they also create a culture of collaboration—one that propels the institution forward relevantly and conscientiously.

Kathleen Bartels is the long-time Director at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Over the past 17 years, she has led the Gallery through unprecedented growth, notably launching the institution into a $350 million capital and endowment campaign for a new facility.

In contrast, Rochelle Steiner, Associate Director and Chief Curator, has been at the Vancouver Art Gallery for just five months. Steiner’s career spans 20 years in modern and contemporary art, architecture and urbanism, nonprofit management, and education. She’s organized over 60 major art exhibitions and large-scale public art projects in the United States, Europe, and Asia. She was formerly a professor at the University of Southern California and was a curator at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Chief Curator at the Serpentine Gallery in London, and leader of the Public Art Fund in New York City.

Founded in 1931, the Vancouver Art Gallery has operated in its current location—a former provincial courthouse—for 35 years. While the permanent collection consists of close to 12,000 works, only 3 percent is typically on view. Former Senior Curator, Ian Thom, has united historical and contemporary works from the permanent collection in A Curator’s View, on exhibit through March 2019. Later in the season, an exhibition of contemporary works from the collection, The Metamorphosis, will highlight the significance of transformation in a variety of forms: physical, spiritual, and cultural. Its headline exhibitions recently opened—Guo Pei: Couture Beyond, curated by Associate Curators Stephanie Rebick and Diana Freundl, and Dana Claxton: Fringing the Cube, curated by Grant Arnold, Audain Curator of BC Art. Through strategic collaboration, Bartels and Steiner are bringing the Vancouver Art Gallery through a period of growth and development, especially as they plan the opening of a new gallery. We had the immense privilege of sitting down with the pragmatic pair for a conversation about their working relationship, the Vancouver Art Gallery’s fall exhibitions, and plans for the new building.

ARTSLANDIA (A): Kathleen, what were you looking for in a new Associate Director and Chief Curator?

KATHLEEN BARTELS (KB): We were looking for the best possible Chief Curator for the Vancouver Art Gallery, and we did an expansive international search. I’ve known of Rochelle for many years, but we hadn’t met before. I was drawn to her international curatorial and academic experience. We had an initial conversation over Skype, and it was one of those conversations that could have gone on for hours. That’s always a very good sign.

ROCHELLE STEINER (RS): I knew of Kathleen in the field, but we never had an opportunity to collaborate before. When the opportunity of this role presented itself, I thought it would be great to pursue. >>> ARTSLANDIA.COM

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continued from page 9

KB: We’re a very artist-focused institution, and you have an enormous amount of respect for artists and have worked closely with artists throughout your career. That’s critically important.

RS: I think you’ve built an institution that values and respects art and artists. That’s always been important to me. I was also attracted to how Vancouver as a city is changing and defining itself.

KB: Yes, absolutely.

A: Are you collaborative leaders, or do you

divide the work?

RS: Kathleen is a longtime insider, and I’m a brief outsider, but I think that’s a complementary way to look at things. Our conversations are very fluid, very frequent.

We work back and forth—in person, by phone, and through email. There is a real flow of information. It’s a toggling of big picture and details, what’s immediate and what’s upcoming. It’s always a juggling act, but that’s the fun of it.

KB: I would echo that. You’ve brought a

fresh perspective to our conversations.

We’ve been able to talk about bigger institutional goals and strategies as we plan for the new gallery, but then there’s the day-to-day. I think you’ve gotten a flavour of many things: the exhibition program, our thoughts about the future— which is like putting a big jigsaw puzzle together. We meet every week to go over all the things that are happening within the organization, but there certainly is a division of labour. You run the curatorial department—that’s your bailiwick—and we work closely together on defining the Gallery’s overall artistic direction.

Cambie Location 493 W 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC 604.558.3118 Fraser Location 3588 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC 778.379.5667

Photographer: Rob Trendiak @trendiakphoto Hair: Maegen Vis @hairbymaegen

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RS: So many things are happening at the speed of light, so timely and efficient communication is helpful. That’s one of the things we strive for: being as in sync as possible so that we’re working and operating with as much information at hand.

KB: We’ve had the pleasure, too, of spending time together, travelling and looking at shows; looking at art, our likes, our dislikes; what’s of interest in the future; what artists we have our eye on. Those are always joyful times.

RS: You’re a kindred spirit in terms of supporting artists, being able to spend time together and deepen our conversations and our thinking about what

we want to achieve. It doesn’t mean we always agree!

KB: I think it’s very healthy. We also have a strong curatorial team. It’s not just about two people; it’s about a team of people. I think that’s what makes both of us excited about the work that we do—engaging with colleagues that have other perspectives.

A: On the subject of teams, how would you describe your leadership style?

RS: Giving counsel and guidance is important to me. That sense of what my team is doing and how my team is doing is of great interest, concern, and responsibility.

The Gallery is always an open space for conversation. I

think we’ve crea ted

a culture here that if people want to have those conversations and discuss how it affects our work at the Gallery, we can.

KB: I feel it’s very important to be collaborative, to work as a team, to be very focused and purposeful. I think those are the things that I aspire to work toward continually.

RS: I strive for clarity, for focus, for being inspired and inspiring others, for building a team and being part of a team; All of that is key to leading an organization. I’ve been lucky to have incredible role models, and I feel like I’ve learned from them what to do and what not to do. That’s the work.

A: Have you ever faced discrimination

based on your gender?

KB: I spent many years at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and have the most wonderful memories of the time I was there. That institution was headed by a dynamic director, Richard Koshalek, and he provided me with so

many opportunities for growth. He was a wonderful mentor, and even though sometimes our relationship had its challenges, that’s any relationship at a big organization with a hierarchical nature. I’ve never felt a sense of being dismissed or diminished because of gender-related issues.

RS: I have pretty similar thoughts. I’ve worked in a number of organizations. I’ve worked with and for both male and female colleagues and mentors; I’ve worked in supportive organizations; I’ve worked in challenging organizations. I haven’t found those challenging situations to be gender-biased; I’ve found them, in some cases, to be the results of very complex or very political organizations. I know that’s not everybody’s experience, and I recognize that, but it hasn’t been my experience to feel discrimination based on gender.

KB: The Gallery is always an open space for conversation. I think we’ve created a culture here that if people want to have those conversations and discuss how it affects our work at the Gallery, we can.

How can we take some of the issues happening in our society and have those complement the programs we’re doing at the Gallery? Who are the people you bring to the fore when you’re organizing symposia, lectures, and other public programs? More recently, for example, we had a dynamic conversation between designer Guo Pei and Bronwyn Cosgrave— who is a fashion professional, a writer, a

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond will be on exhibit through January 20. Dana Claxton: Fringing the Cube will be on exhibit through February 3.

critic, a curator—and it was presented in both English and Mandarin, providing broader engagement.

RS: What I found so interesting about that conversation between Guo Pei and Bronwyn is that we had two women of a similar generation who were brought together to talk about fashion and being women professionals. They talked about their work, but they also talked about being women in the industry. I think that this was extremely relevant to the work that’s on view at the Gallery but also relevant to other conversations about the role of women and diversity of practice and diversity of thought.

KB: There were a lot of young people in the audience, from diverse backgrounds.

It was touching to see some of Guo Pei’s reactions to questions from these young women and men, asking for her career advice.

RS: One of the things a gallery can do is open these conversations beyond ourselves, beyond our walls, and put ideas out into the public. This is why we do what we do. It’s absolutely to build culture internally, but it’s also to reach people. Through the work that we’re able to put on view, through exhibitions and

educational programming, and through public opportunities, we engage people in dialogues about artistic practice and why artists do what they do. Artists are our best mentors in many ways; They’re our inspiration points. We want to be able to be expansive in our thinking, and it’s important that what we show reverberates and is engaging to different audiences and populations.

KB: It’s challenging to do all this in the current building. I think we’ve certainly done great work in this building and will continue to do great work. But I think, to support artists and be more relevant to our community, it will be critical to have a new facility. We can’t do all of the things we should be doing and want to be doing in the confines of an institutional building that speaks to a colonial past.

RS: This building is still new to me because I’ve just started working in it, but there are quirks. I think the Vancouver Art Gallery has inhabited it well, but it’s a courthouse.

One of the great possibilities is to be in a building that is meant to be an art gallery, that is designed by a great architectural team, and thought through in terms of its public spaces and the way it’s open and engaging to people and the community. .

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NOVEMBER 10 & 11 // ST. ANDREW’S-WESLEY UNITED CHURCH, WEST VANCOUVER UNITED CHURCH

WHEN THERE IS PEACE

Chor Leoni Men’s Choir

WHEN THERE IS PEACE Chor Leoni Men’s Choir honours the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice with When There Is Peace. This concert-length oratorio by Zachary Wadsworth uses WWI poetry and letters from soldiers in the trenches to trace the ache of the war through to that incandescent moment of joy when guns fell silent, hope bloomed again, and birdsong was heard once more. The renowned Borealis String Quartet, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, and soprano Arwen Myers join the choir for their 27th annual Remembrance Day performances.

chorleoni.org

Lucas Brown, bass. Photo by Emily Cooper.

FEATURED SHOW:

M U SI C

vancouver M US IC

NOVEMBER 2–4

MOZART & TCHAIKOVSKY WITH MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre Acclaimed conductor Xian Zhang marks her first VSO performances conducting Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony. Iconic Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin performs one of Mozart’s finest concertos—one that perhaps should be called the “Starling” concerto for the famous (and actually true!) story of Mozart’s pet bird that could sing the principal theme of this concerto’s finale. vancouversymphony.ca NOVEMBER 2–6

MODULUS FESTIVAL

Music on Main, Various Venues Five days. Great music. Fun, intimate settings. Connect with leading musicians and composers from around the world, including pianist Eve Egoyan performing Nicole Lizée’s David Lynch Etudes, flutist Claire Marchand and harpist Albertina Chan, France’s Ensemble Variances, and co-productions with U.K.’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival featuring composer and vocalist Laura Bowler. musiconmain.ca NOVEMBER 4

IGOR LEVIT, PIANO

Vancouver Recital Society, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts Igor Levit was recently announced as the winner of the prestigious quadrennial Gilmore Artist Award

D AN C E

TH EATR E

VI SUAL ART S

ARTS GUIDE

and snagged Gramophone’s Recording of the Year 2016. He returns to the VRS stage after a soldout Canadian debut in 2016.

His riveting performances leave audiences wanting more and critics scrambling for superlatives. vanrecital.com

NOVEMBER 10 & 11

NOVEMBER 15 & 16

Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church & West Vancouver United Church

Kay Meek Arts Centre

NOVEMBER 4

Massey Theatre

POPS CONCERT: NEW WESTMINSTER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Massey Theatre

The NWSO policy of admission by donation ensures that everyone who enjoys good classical music can attend their concerts. Their members and volunteers range from their teens to 70-plus years, with an equal balance of male and female members. Home to dedicated musicians from all backgrounds and training, the NWSO provides the opportunity to perform with a professionally directed symphony orchestra. newwestsymphony.net NOVEMBER 9 & 10

LEST WE FORGET: DVORÁK’S STABAT MATER Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre

Commemorating the 100 th anniversary of the end of World War I, Maestro Tausk and the orchestra present the VSO’s very first performances of Dvorák’s epic cantata, Stabat Mater, a beautiful, complex, emotional work and perfectly suited prelude to this most important of Remembrance Days. vancouversymphony.ca

WHEN THERE IS PEACE

SEE PAGE 12 for full description.

NOVEMBER 11

WITH GLOWING HEARTS A spectacular expression of remembrance with the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and the 15th Regimental Band. masseytheatre.com NOVEMBER 11

CMS OF LINCOLN CENTER: “TROUT” QUINTET Friends of Chamber Music, Vancouver Playhouse

This mixed group of master musicians, some familiar and some new to Friends of Chamber Music will perform diverse gems of 19th-century music. Selections include Beethoven’s variations on a theme by Mozart and culminate in Schubert’s dazzling Piano Quintet in A major, more commonly referred to as the “Trout” Quintet. friendsofchambermusic.ca NOVEMBER 14–18

NOBLE CREATURES

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Pyatt Hall The Chamber Players present an array of pieces that are noble in character yet remarkably intimate.

Jocelyn Morlock’s poetic I conversed with you in a dream is flanked by Mozart’s greatest string trio and George Crumb’s formative, atmospheric Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale). vancouversymphony.ca

BENNETT & BLACK: AN ODE TO TOOTS & STEVIE Keith Bennett and Miles Black pay homage to the music of Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder.

Bennett’s chromatic harmonica and vocals with Black’s velvety piano combine to present a taste of Thielemans’ and Wonder’s musical stylings. Joel Fountain on drums and André Lachance on bass join them. kaymeek.com NOVEMBER 17

ROBIN FOX

Vancouver New Music, Scotiabank Dance Centre CentreRobin Fox (Australia) returns to Vancouver with Single Origin, his new work for laser and sound exploring the possibilities of mechanically induced synaesthesia.

Renowned for creating unique,and intense sound worlds, Fox blends his split A/V personality with this one-of-a-kind concerto for a laser beam. newmusic.org NOVEMBER 17

LA LA LAND IN CONCERT

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre Experience the original musical film like never before with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra! La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams. vancouversymphony.ca ARTSLANDIA.COM

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c a l e n d a r n o v e m be r NOVEMBER 26

DEAN BRODY Massey Theatre

Benjamin Beilman, violin.

Photo by Giorgia Bertazzi.

Current CCMA Fan’s Choice, two-time Juno Award-winning artist, and celebrated songwriter Dean Brody will be hitting the road this fall for the Dirt Road Stories Tour. This compelling, intimate, acoustic tour showcases Brody’s depth as a songwriter and his unparalleled ability to bring storytelling to the forefront of country music. masseytheatre.com NOVEMBER 28

TANIKA CHARLES NOVEMBER 18

ANDREA LUCCHESINI, PIANO

Vancouver Recital Society, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts Trained under the guidance of the great Italian pianist Maria Tipo, Andrea Lucchesini garnered international attention at a young age when he won the Dino Ciani International Competition at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Around that time, he made his debut at the VRS series at the Vancouver Playhouse. He enjoyed a close collaboration with renowned Italian composer Luciano Berio and recorded all his works for piano. vanrecital.com NOVEMBER 22

SPANISH NIGHTS

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre Spend an afternoon dreaming of sultry Spanish nights with the passionate, Spanish-themed music of Bizet, De Falla, Chabrier, Rimsky-Korsakov, and more. vancouversymphony.ca NOVEMBER 23 & 24

HOLLYWOOD SINGS

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre Hooray for Hollywood! An endless source of great creativity and great music, Hollywood movies have produced some of the most memorable musical moments.

Relive Hollywood’s glorious past and present, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, Henry Mancini’s Moon River, Disney classics including Beauty and the Beast and music from Frozen,

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selections from The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, La La Land, and much more. vancouversymphony.ca NOVEMBER 24 & 25

CHEZ NOUS: CHRISTMAS WITH ELEKTRA

Elektra Women’s Choir, Shaughnessy Heights United Church & Good Shepherd Church SEE PAGE 15 for full description.

NOVEMBER 25

SIMON KEENLYSIDE, BARITONE & MALCOLM MARTINEAU, PIANO Vancouver Recital Society, Vancouver Playhouse

Simon Keenlyside is one of the world’s most sought-after and charismatic singers, noted for his versatility and highly charged performances onstage. In 2006, he was the winner of the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, the ECHO Klassik Male Singer of the Year Award in 2007, and was honoured as Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2011. vanrecital.com NOVEMBER 25

MEET THE MAESTRO!

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre VSO Music Director Otto Tausk takes the stage to help audiences discover the role of a conductor and just exactly what a “Maestro” is in a concert that features a number of classical music gems and treasures. vancouversymphony.ca

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts In a few short years, Tanika Charles has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, and a staple of the Canadian soul scene. Both onstage and off, Edmonton-raised Charles presents an immutable charm, at times endearingly abrasive and honest in her vulnerabilities. Her art is inherently autobiographical; If Charles’ singing it, she’s lived it. shadboltcentre.com DECEMBER 1

TCHAIKOVSKY: PATHÉTIQUE Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre

Maestro Tausk’s first Musically Speaking concert as Music Director kicks off in a unique way, with a focus entirely on the VSO’s brilliant brass section, in two sacred works by the Baroque composer Gabrielli. Magnificent violinist Baiba Skride then takes the stage for Gubaidulina’s mesmerizing Violin Concerto before the concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s fateful final symphony. vancouversymphony.ca D A NC E

NOVEMBER 1–3

PROGRAM 1

Ballet BC, Queen Elizabeth Theatre Building on the past decade, Ballet BC opens the 2018–19 season with an evening of riveting works by leading voices in dance.

Following the success of Romeo + Juliet, they are delighted to bring you returning favourite, Petite

Cérémonie, by Medhi Walerski.

Emily Molnar premieres a new work, infusing her driving choreographic style with the rhythm of the blues. The program closes with the Canadian premiere of William Forsythe’s groundbreaking Enemy in the Figure. balletbc.com NOVEMBER 6–8

WARD/WARD-ANN VAN DEN BROEK: THE BLACK PIECE The Dance Centre

Elegant and seductive.

Reassuring and comforting.

Frightening and sinister. The many qualities of the colour black are examined in Dutch-Flemish choreographer Ann Van den Broek’s thrillingly audacious The Black Piece. This startling, award-winning work by one of Europe’s most provocative and original creators expertly taps into our deepest emotions. thedancecentre.ca NOVEMBER 17

MED’CINE

Presentation House Theatre Med’Cine is a two-part performance of contemporary dance works by Vancouver-based O.Dela Arts, including Gateways, an ensemble work that brings together artists from Canada and New Zealand, and Rematriate, a solo work conceived and performed by Olivia C. Davies. phtheatre.org NOVEMBER 21–24

AKRAM KHAN COMPANY (UK)

DanceHouse, SFU Goldcorp Choreographer/dancer Akram Khan’s Chotto Desh (“small homeland” in Bangladeshi) takes a storybook view of Khan’s childhood growing up under the stern eye of his authoritarian father. Freely mixing Kathak dance with storytelling and mime, Khan creates a series of worlds that run from the ordinary to the mythic. While themes of exclusion and identity are wound throughout, the work is light on its feet and filled with luminous humanity that grounds the fantastical in the universal. dancehouse.ca

NOVEMBER 24 & 25 // SHAUGHNESSY HEIGHTS UNITED CHURCH & GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

CHEZ NOUS: CHRISTMAS WITH ELEKTRA Elektra Women’s Choir

Elektra Women’s Choir. Photo by David Cooper.

FEATURED SHOW: CHEZ NOUS: CHRISTMAS WITH ELEKTRA Hear one of Canada’s most celebrated choirs in a family-friendly concert of familiar melodies and new choral music in celebration of the Christmas season. Elektra promises to lighten the darkening days with beautiful, seasonal music. Joining Elektra is Canadian opera star, tenor Ben Heppner, Artistic Director Morna Edmundson, pianist Stephen Smith, and the delightful VYC Kids with Director Cassie Luftspring.

elektra.ca

NOVEMBER 2–9 // DOUGLAS COLLEGE, STUDIO THEATRE

TALES FROM OVID Douglas College

TALES FROM OVID Ovid’s tales, which he wrote around 1 BCE, became a literary conduit for Chaucer, Shakespeare, and more recently, Marvel comics. This adaptation by Tim Supple and Simon Reade, of the English poet Ted Hughes’s version, is a piece of theatre that plays with transformation and aspiration, revealing what happens when the mythic plane is exposed to human chaos. Directed by Kathleen Duborg.

talesfromovid.bpt.me

Antigone. Photo by David Denofreo.

FEATURED SHOW:

n ovem b er calendar NOVEMBER 22

DANCERS OF DAMELAHAMID The Dance Centre

Dancers of Damelahamid is an Indigenous dance company from the northwest coast of British Columbia, with a rich history of masked dance that inspires compelling performances.

Through dramatic dance, captivating narrative, intricately carved masks, and elaborate regalia, Spirit and Tradition shares the treasures of the company’s heritage and bridges the ancient with a living tradition. thedancecentre.ca NOVEMBER 27–DECEMBER 1

THIS DUET THAT WE’VE ALREADY DONE (SO MANY TIMES) The Cultch, Historic Theatre

Frédérick Gravel, whose talent and audacity cross borders, joins the fierce and fiery Brianna Lombardo in this intimate and electrifying dance duet—a vulnerable examination of the poetry of everyday life. Freed from the traditional codes of dance performance, they construct an original dramatic language. At the controls of an exhilarating playlist, the multidisciplinary artist is spreading his rock vision of the inexhaustible theme of love. thecultch.com T H E AT R E

THROUGH NOVEMBER 10

THE WOLVES Pacific Theatre

A pack of teenage girls prepares for battle on the soccer field. In

the exhilaration of adolescence, they grapple with everything from pop culture to politics, discovering their identities as individuals and as a team. Who will come out on top? A guest production by With a Spoon Theatre in association with Rumble Theatre. Written by Sarah DeLappe. pacifictheatre.org NOVEMBER 2 & 3

VIMY

Kay Meek Arts Centre Vimy is a striking drama about a group of Canadian soldiers convalescing in a field hospital after facing the horrors of Vimy Ridge. Vern Thiessen’s play is based on the journals of World War I soldiers—shifting back and forth in time through the recollections of the soldiers and what they witnessed, both in the trenches and at home. kaymeek.com NOVEMBER 2–9

TALES FROM OVID

Douglas College, Studio Theatre SEE PAGE 16 for full description.

NOVEMBER 2–DECEMBER 22

CLASSIC THEATRESPORTS™

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre Relying on razor-sharp wit and lightning-fast reflexes, two teams of performers compete in improv matches. The teams use audience suggestions to fuel scenes and must create totally improvised situations on the spot.

More than just a whimsical host, the ref will slap the improvisers with penalties and jabs or reward them with bonuses as he/she sees fit. vtsl.com

Dennis Alamanos in Akram Khan Company (UK)’s Chotto Desh.

Photo by Jean Louis Fernandez.

NOVEMBER 2–DECEMBER 22

NOVEMBER 7–17

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre

The Cultch, Historic Theatre

WTF–WHAT THE FUN!

With the aid of audience suggestions, WTF takes its inspiration from the quirky stories found in the weekly news and turns them into edgy comedy. We can all attest to seeing weird stories pop up in our news feeds.

Who hasn’t felt the compulsion to open one to see if the headline is really true? The stories never turn out the way you expect them to, and that is part of their fascination. vtsl.com NOVEMBER 3 & 4

THE PIANO TEACHER

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

THREE WINTERS

Modern actresses put on a play about midcentury women who enact the WWII men in POW camps performing Shakespeare.

Three Winters by Amiel Gladstone is a highly theatrical case for the creation of art as a means to survive. During WWII, Canadian airmen were captured and held in camps throughout Europe. The soldiers were constantly trying to escape to stay alive, stay warm... and create theatre. thecultch.com NOVEMBER 7–DECEMBER 19

OK TINDER

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre

Erin, a concert pianist, hasn’t touched a piano since her husband died. As Elaine, a piano teacher, gently reacquaints Erin with her instrument, other life changes follow. A simple update to Erin’s home, for instance, brings the unexpected companionship of a contractor, Tom. shadboltcentre.com

Join VTSL Wednesday nights as improvisers match up to turn the good, the bad, and the ludicrous of Vancouver’s dating scene into 60 minutes of sidesplitting laughter based on suggestions given by the audience. This show is NC17+. vtsl.com

NOVEMBER 6–16

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

SMALLWAR

The Cultch, York Theatre SmallWaR looks at the man-on-the-ground and the consequences of what our leaders tell us. Through verbatim reflections from soldiers and nurses in WWI, we discover the human cost of conflict. This play is an emotional reflection on the trauma and repetitiveness of war, concentrating on the deadlock instead of the action. thecultch.com

NOVEMBER 8

MARY WALSH

No stranger to television audiences, Mary Walsh may be best known for her work on CBC’s The Hour Has 22 Minutes. The series, which she also created, earned her numerous Gemini Awards and showcased her dynamic range of characters.

In addition to her many awards and doctorates, Mary is also the recipient of the Order of Canada. shadboltcentre.com NOVEMBER 8–11

JAKE’S GIFT

Presentation House Theatre World War II veteran Jake reluctantly returns to Normandy, France, for the 60 th anniversary of D-Day. While on the shores of Juno beach, he encounters Isabelle, a precocious local 10-year-old whose inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long-ignored ghosts. Jakes’s Gift >>>Continued to page 18 Download the Artslandia App to have all these listings in the palm of your hand.

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Maiko Yamamoto and Hokuto MacDuff in Theatre Replacement’s MINE. Photo by Tim Matheson.

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explores the legacy of remembrance and personalizes the story behind one soldier’s grave. phtheatre.org

NOVEMBER 9–16

NOVEMBER 8–17

Saskatchewan, 1914. Sarah McCrea faces a bright future in a new country. Leaving Ulster behind, Sarah and her family carve out their existence in an emerging community. Drawn to one another through tales of mythical Ireland, Sarah and her neighbour Michael Donaghue become firm friends, but centuries of old conflict threaten to blight their love. By Nicola McCartney. A Canadian premiere directed by Deborah Neville. heritage.bpt.me

EMPIRE OF THE SON Gateway Theatre

In this acclaimed autobiographical one-man show, Tetsuro Shigematsu tells the dynamic tale of an emotionally distant father, Akira, whose legacy is felt beyond his lifetime. Shigematsu paints an intimate portrait of the evolving connection between father and son, and the deep-seated love for one another that they both struggle to express. gatewaytheatre.com NOVEMBER 8–DECEMBER 20

MIA–MIXED IMPROV ARTS

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre Are you ready to rumble? The gloves come off Thursday evenings as VTSL turns the stage into a cage. In this winner-takesall contest, you will see opponents face off in a fierce competition of wits for who can win the most laughs. In MIA, two improv directors go head-to-head as they put a team of improvisers through a set of gruelling and hilarious improv formats. vtsl.com

HERITAGE

Douglas College, Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre

NOVEMBER 14–17

MINE

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts Using the computer construction game Minecraft as a kind of theatre, a group of gamers/ performers enact different narratives, such as Grendel’s mother’s brutal act of revenge and the lessons Bambi’s mother teaches him before that horrible day in the meadow. These stories become the myths within a performance that unpacks one of the world’s most essential relationships—that of mother and son. shadboltcentre.com

NOVEMBER 15–DECEMBER 2

NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 29

Touchstone Theatre, Studio 58 at Langara College

Pacific Theatre

MORTIFIED

A woman runs into a man from her past and is surprised by the power he still holds over her. In an attempt to uncover the truth of what happened between them, she recalls her adolescent self.

Humorous and dark, Mortified explores sex, shame, transformation, and how we reckon with the experiences that have shaped us. touchstonetheatre.org NOVEMBER 21–DECEMBER 24

ROOKIE LEAGUE

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre Rookie Night puts VTSL young improvisers (all graduates of their theatre school) to the test in front of a live audience. These are the improv stars of tomorrow. vtsl.com V IS U A L A RT S

SEE PAGE 24 for full description.

Contemporary Art Gallery

NOVEMBER 24 & 25

DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID

The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical Productions. Based on the animated 1989 Disney film and the classic story by Hans Christian Andersen, the musical is about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. masseytheatre.com NOVEMBER 28–JANUARY 6

EAST VAN PANTO: WIZARD OF OZ

The Cultch, York Theatre SEE PAGE 27 for full description.

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ONGOING

THROUGH DECEMBER 30

Massey Theatre

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SEE PAGE 26 for full description.

MERRY KISS-MAS

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre James & Jamesy in O Christmas Tea. Photo by Thaddeus Hink.

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE

DOVE ALLOUCHE: NEGATIVE CAPABILITY The Contemporary Art Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in North America of Paris-based artist Dove Allouche. Developed in collaboration with Centre d’art contemporain d’Ivry - le Crédac, this exhibition situates newly developed bodies of work alongside recent practice, tracing correlations and connections across the artist’s expansive practice. contemporaryartgallery.ca THROUGH JANUARY 20

GUO PEI: COUTURE BEYOND Vancouver Art Gallery

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond is the first Canadian exhibition devoted to the work of Guo Pei, China’s pre-eminent couturière. This midcareer survey features more than 40 complete

looks from Guo Pei’s most iconic runways from 2006 to 2017. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of her evolution as a designer as well as her contribution to global fashion culture. vanartgallery.bc.ca THROUGH FEBRUARY 3

DANA CLAXTON: FRINGING THE CUBE Vancouver Art Gallery

This is the first exhibition to survey the formidable career of Vancouver-based Hunkpapa Lakota (Sioux) artist Dana Claxton. Known for her expansive multidisciplinary approach to art making, Claxton investigates notions of Indigenous identity, beauty, gender, and the body.

Comprising photography, video, text-based work, and documentation of her performances, Fringing the Cube presents a body of work that is both visually compelling and thought-provoking. vanartgallery.bc.ca

THROUGH MARCH 17

A CURATOR’S VIEW: IAN THOM SELECTS Vancouver Art Gallery

A Curator’s View: Ian Thom Selects unites historical and contemporary works as selected

by Ian M. Thom. Over his 30-year tenure at the Gallery as Senior Curator, Thom has curated more than 80 exhibitions and stewarded hundreds of acquisitions. Deliberately personal, this exhibition focuses on one curator’s selection of highlights from the more than 12,000 works in the Gallery’s collection. vanartgallery.bc.ca THROUGH MARCH 17

KAMEELAH JANAN RASHEED Contemporary Art Gallery

American artist, writer, and educator Kameelah Janan Rasheed’s exhibition will continue her ongoing examinations of conflicting histories, visual culture, being Black in America, unearthing buried narratives, and the complexity of memory.

Through her characteristic text-based immersive environments, these installations will develop into an educational experience investigating our personal relationship with history and public spaces. contemporaryartgallery.ca NOVEMBER 13–DECEMBER 24

SHARE YOUR GIFT: DONATION DRIVE Opus Art Supplies

Share the gift of creativity with your community! Donate new, lightly used, or unwanted art materials at your local Opus Art Supplies for donation to a school or nonprofit organization in need.

Unusable materials will be recycled or disposed of responsibly. opusartsupplies.com NOVEMBER 15–18

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL East Vancouver

The largest of its kind in Canada, the Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual visual art, design, and craft festival where artists on

Guo Pei.

Vancouver’s Eastside open their working studios to the public. The event represents a wide range of artists—from emerging to established—and includes preview exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops designed to reveal the art-making process. culturecrawl.ca

vancouver, bc | 845 burrard st. | (604) 642-2900 boulevardvancouver.ca | @blvdyvr

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DECEMBER 2

TAKÁCS QUARTET

Friends of Chamber Music, Vancouver Playhouse This internationally acclaimed quartet is a perennial favourite with Friends of Chamber Music’s audience. The group’s irresistible blend of virtuosic technique and engaging personality offers a window into the Hungarian quartet tradition. For its 22nd visit since 1982, the ensemble will play later music by Haydn, an earlier Shostakovich quartet, and a mature Brahms work from 1873. friendsofchambermusic.ca DECEMBER 2

VANCOUVER WELSHMAN’S CHOIR WITH WINTER HARP Massey Theatre

The Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and Winter Harp join together for a magical concert you won’t want to miss. Harps, flutes, rare medieval instruments, and percussion surround Canada’s largest male voice choir onstage. masseytheatre.com DECEMBER 2

ALL STAR BRASS: JENS LINDEMANN & FRIENDS Kay Meek Arts Centre

Jens Lindemann returns to the Kay Meek stage and brings with him some of the world’s virtuoso brass soloists. Performing with Lindemann are Ryan Anthony on trumpets, J.D. Shaw on horn, James Miller on trombone, and Patrick Sheridan on tuba. kaymeek.com

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DECEMBER 6

MICHAEL KAESHAMMER Kay Meek Arts Centre

Kaeshammer’s loyal legion of fans around the globe has come to expect the unexpected from this B.C. based pianist/singer/ songwriter/producer. His 2018 tour explores his latest album, Something New. kaymeek.com DECEMBER 6 & 8

BRONFMAN PLAYS BRAHMS Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre

Yefim Bronfman, one of the greatest pianists of our time, makes his welcome return to the Orpheum stage to perform the monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 of Johannes Brahms, in a concert that also features one of Richard Strauss’s great tone poems, Don Juan. vancouversymphony.ca DECEMBER 7

A JAZZY NUTCRACKER Kay Meek Arts Centre

Bill Mays and the Toronto Chamber Jazz Septet perform a new take on the music of the Nutcracker Suite, combining jazz improvisation with a holiday theme. kaymeek.com DECEMBER 8

ROCK ’N’ SOUL CHRISTMAS Massey Theatre

World-class tribute acts perform a collection of hit songs from the greatest rock ’n’ soul artists of all time! Garry Moore returns to Canada as Little Richard, Kenny Wayne as Fats Domino, Mike Henry as James Brown, and Samira as Tina Turner. masseytheatre.com

DECEMBER 8

A GERMAN BAROQUE CHRISTMAS Laudate Singers, Highlands United Church

Back by popular demand and at a new venue, a Baroque orchestra featuring renowned North Vancouver violinist Nancy DiNovo will join Laudate Singers to present a thrilling seasonal performance of masterworks from the German Baroque. laudatesingers.com DECEMBER 9

PAUL LEWIS, PIANO

Vancouver Recital Society, Vancouver Playhouse The first of Paul Lewis’ four concerts in the VRS 2017–18 season set a high bar, underlining the humour in Haydn and the tenderness in Brahms.

Beethoven’s rarely heard Bagatelles made a great link between the two opposites. vanrecital.com DECEMBER 12–22

A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Various Venues

The Lower Mainland’s most beloved holiday music tradition: the VSO’s Traditional Christmas concerts feature heartwarming music associated with Christmas, carols, and plenty of audience singalongs. vancouversymphony.ca DECEMBER 14 & 15

HOME ALONE: VSO AT THE MOVIES

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orpheum Theatre A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features

renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Hilarious and heartwarming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family! vancouversymphony.ca DECEMBER 14–17

CHRISTMAS WITH CHOR LEONI Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, St. Andrew’sWesley United Church & West Vancouver United Church SEE PAGE 21 for full description.

DECEMBER 16

FREE FAMILY CHRISTMAS CONCERTS

Laudate Singers, West Vancouver Memorial Library and St. Andrew’s United Church To bring high-level, live choral music to young listeners, Laudate Singers presents two free Christmas concerts for families. This annual tradition includes classics, newer works, singalongs, and opportunities for children to participate. laudatesingers.com DECEMBER 18

COMPOSERS + COCKTAILS WITH NICOLE LIZÉE Music on Main, The Post at 750

Get an insider’s perspective on creation from Composer-inResidence Nicole Lizée over cocktails and conversation. This JUNOnominated composer and video artist’s work is celebrated with performances around the world.

Meet her in person at Music on Main. musiconmain.ca

Download the Artslandia App to have all these listings in the palm of your hand.

DECEMBER 14–17 // ST. ANDREW’S-WESLEY UNITED CHURCH & WEST VANCOUVER UNITED CHURCH

CHRISTMAS WITH CHOR LEONI Chor Leoni Men’s Choir

Kyle Harland, second tenor. Photo by Emily Cooper.

FEATURED SHOW: CHRISTMAS WITH CHOR LEONI The glow of candlelight beckons as Chor Leoni Men’s Choir presents a traditional holiday concert of seasonal songs to warm your winter night. Glorious new works, including the premiere of Snow-Flakes by Zachary Wadsworth, will be featured alongside familiar tunes in sparkling, new settings. Highlights from the choir’s new Star of Wonder CD make Christmas with Chor Leoni an unforgettable holiday delight!

chorleoni.org

c a l e n d ar d ecem b er DECEMBER 19 & 20

MUSIC FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE Music on Main, Heritage Hall

A Music on Main tradition that is anything but traditional. MoM lights up the night for the fifth year in a row to celebrate the solstice in style with holiday merriment and luminous music. Featuring music by Nicole Lizée, Corey Payette, Alfredo Santa Ana, Caroline Shaw, Jocelyn Morlock, and others. musiconmain.ca DECEMBER 21–23

VIVALDI’S FOUR SEASONS

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts & Massey Theatre

Nathalie Paulin soprano

Daniel Cabena countertenor

Hailed as one of the most significant artists of his generation, young American violinist Benjamin Beilman makes his VSO debut leading a performance of Vivaldi’s timeless classic, The Four Seasons, in an enduring VSO holiday season tradition. vancouversymphony.ca DECEMBER 22

A CARPENTERS’ CHRISTMAS Kay Meek Arts Centre Isaiah Bell tenor

Stephen Hegedus bass-baritone

8pm Fri, Dec 7, 2018 The Orpheum with Vancouver Chamber Choir and Orchestra Pacifica Singers Nathalie Paulin, soprano Daniel Cabena, countertenor Isaiah Bell, tenor Stephen Hegedus, bass-baritone Jon Washburn, conductor In this 48th season of the Choir, Jon Washburn will conduct his 48th performance of Messiah, Vancouver’s perennial Christmas favourite. It features the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Pacifica Singers, Vancouver Chamber Orchestra and a stellar roster of Canadian vocal soloists.

1.855.985.ARTS (2787) vancouverchamberchoir.com

Get into the festive spirit with the Creber Family, Maestro Clyde Mitchell, and other outstanding musical guests as they present an evening of classic, beloved Christmas songs

by The Carpenters from their best-selling holiday albums. kaymeek.com D A NC E

DECEMBER 7

CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND DANCE Massey Theatre

The New Westminster Symphony Orchestra and the Richmond Academy of Dance are proud to present their 18th annual Christmas dance concert. This concert is a citywide favourite, with a wonderful mix of ballet and classical music. masseytheatre.com DECEMBER 7–9

ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET’S NUTCRACKER

Ballet BC, Queen Elizabeth Theatre Set in 1913 and danced to Tchaikovsky’s glorious music, this heartwarming ballet is full of surprises. Enchanting costumes and set design will delight audiences with its sparkle, beauty, and endearing Canadiana. balletbc.com DECEMBER 7–9

WINTER SHORTS

Arts Umbrella Theatre & Music Program Join the Arts Umbrella Pre-Professional and Intensive Theatre & Music Program students

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as they share the culmination of their work from the fall term. From scene work and songs to original creations and movement pieces, there is something for everyone. artsumbrella.com DECEMBER 14–16

MIXED NUTS

Arts Umbrella Dance Company A classic holiday performance reinvented with a twist. Families and kids of all ages can enjoy this modern and engaging retelling of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Mixed Nuts is more than just a ballet, with a variety of dance styles from hip-hop, to ballroom, to the classic grand pas de deux. artsumbrella.com DECEMBER 17

PERFORMANCE RESEARCH PROJECTS SHOWING Arts Umbrella Dance Company

Emerging and established dance professionals come together to present a showing of a new work created by award-winning choreographer Serge Bennathan. artsumbrella.com DECEMBER 22

ROYAL CITY YOUTH BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER Massey Theatre

Experience the magic of The Nutcracker this holiday season with RCYB’s full-length ballet, danced to the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker score. Featuring a cast of more than 100 dedicated dancers under the artistic direction of Camilla Fishwick-Kellogg. masseytheatre.com T H E AT R E

NOVEMBER 2–DECEMBER 22

CLASSIC THEATRESPORTS™ Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre SEE PAGE 17 for full description.

NOVEMBER 7–DECEMBER 19

OK TINDER

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre SEE PAGE 17 for full description.

NOVEMBER 8–DECEMBER 20

MIA–MIXED IMPROV ARTS

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre SEE PAGE 18 for full description.

NOVEMBER 22–DECEMBER 22

MERRY KISS-MAS

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre SEE PAGE 24 for full description.

DECEMBER 6–31 // GATEWAY THEATRE

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Gateway Theatre

Nick Fontaine. Photo by David Cooper.

FEATURED SHOW: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE With a little help from his guardian angel, George Bailey is brought back from despair on Christmas Eve to see how he has truly touched all the people in his life. Travel with Gateway Theatre to Bedford Falls for a joyous journey that will have you checking for Zuzu’s petals in your own pockets and make you believe that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.

gatewaytheatre.com

NOVEMBER 21–DECEMBER 24 // THE IMPROV CENTRE

MERRY KISS-MAS

Margret Nyfors, Jullian Kolstee, Dan Dumsha, Lauren McGibbon, and Chris Casillan. Photo by Rob Gilbert Photography.

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League

FEATURED SHOW: MERRY KISS-MAS VTSL takes a humorous look at sappy, heart-warming holiday specials and movies, using audience suggestions to create hilarious holiday memories. A new Vancouver tradition in the making.

vtsl.com

d ecem b er calendar DECEMBER 1

O CHRISTMAS TEA Massey Theatre

When catastrophe strikes at James and Jamesy’s Christmas tea party, flooding the world with tea, the friends leap into action, finding innovative and hilarious solutions to keep them afloat.

Redefining immersive theatre, these masters of physical comedy sweep the audience out to sea in a jolly aquatic escapade brimming with whimsy, action, and ingenuity in a celebration of friendship at Christmas. masseytheatre.com DECEMBER 4–22

LITTLE DICKENS: THE DAISY THEATRE

The Cultch, Historic Theatre The holiday hit returns! In Ronnie Burkett’s Little Dickens, the cast of The Daisy Theatre takes on the beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, in the merriest marionette mashup ever. Faded

Daisy diva, Esmé Massengill, plays the role of miserly, drunken, bitter Esmé Scrooge, encountering all your Daisy favourites (as Dickens’ familiar characters!) on her journey to redemption. thecultch.com

with both old and new songs, Christmas Presence is an intimate and warm way to usher in the holiday spirit. Performers vary from night to night. pacifictheatre.org

DECEMBER 6–16

DECEMBER 26–31

Presentation House Theatre

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre

HOLIDAY BAKING TIME Bun and Bap invite young audience members to become bakers and join in the sugary joy. There’ll be lots of stirring, live music, and chances for everyone to play. It’s a recipe for festive fun! phthreatre.org DECEMBER 6–31

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Gateway Theatre

SEE PAGE 23 for full description.

DECEMBER 9–18

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE Pacific Theatre

Pacific Theatre’s favourite Christmas tradition. With poems and prose that range from the heartfelt to the hilarious mixed in

YEAR IN REVIEW

Year in Review finds the funny in the important and not-soimportant events of this past year.

Quick-witted VTSL improvisers, working with suggestions from the audience, journey back through the headlines of the past year to create on-the-spot mashup interpretations of various events, all certain to elicit maximum hilarity. vtsl.com ONGOING

ROOKIE LEAGUE

Vancouver TheatreSports™ League, The Improv Centre SEE PAGE 18 for full description.

V IS U A L A RT S

THROUGH DECEMBER 30

DOVE ALLOUCHE

Contemporary Art Gallery SEE PAGE 18 for full description.

THROUGH JANUARY 20

GUO PEI: COUTURE BEYOND Vancouver Art Gallery

SEE PAGE 18–19 for full description.

THROUGH FEBRUARY 3

DANA CLAXTON: FRINGING THE CUBE Vancouver Art Gallery

SEE PAGE 19 for full description.

THROUGH MARCH 17

A CURATOR’S VIEW: IAN THOM SELECTS Vancouver Art Gallery

SEE PAGE 19 for full description.

THROUGH MARCH 17

KAMEELAH JANAN RASHEED Contemporary Art Gallery

SEE PAGE 19 for full description.

SALT. PHOTO: BRYONY JACKSON

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NOVEMBER 30–DECEMBER 29 // PACIFIC THEATRE

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE

FEATURED SHOW: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE One rainy day, the Pevensie children discover that an old wardrobe is actually a doorway to the enchanted land of Narnia. A magical reimagining of C.S. Lewis’ classic tale of hope, change, and sacrifice in a world where it is always winter but never Christmas.

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Rebecca deBoer and John Voth. Photo by Emily Cooper.

Pacific Theatre

NOVEMBER 28–JANUARY 6 // YORK THEATRE, THE CULTCH

EAST VAN PANTO: WIZARD OF OZ

Craig Erickson, Christine Quintana, Raugi Yu, and Dawn Petten. Photo by Tim Matheson.

Theatre Replacement (Vancouver)

FEATURED SHOW: EAST VAN PANTO: WIZARD OF OZ Poor Dorothy! When a pipeline bursts, Dorothy and Toto are flung to the magical Land of Oz, aka Nanaimo and Hastings. There, Dorothy is pursued by a Wicked Witch, meets a trio of new friends, and embarks on a magical journey to the World’s Greenest City in search of brains, heart, courage… and yoga pants! Remember: There’s no place like Poco! There’s no place like Poco!

thecultch.com

SEEN on the scene SEASON GALAS! SEASON OPENERS! View more photos at A R T S L A N D I AY V R . C O M

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KATHERINE DENNIS, Visual Arts Manager and Curator at the Art Gallery at Evergreen & GERMAINE KOH, artist, at Evergreen Cultural Centre’s season launch party.

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PATRICIA JOHNSTON, artist, BRADLEY HARMS, artist & BEN SKINNER, artist, at Arts Umbrella’s Splash 2018 Art Auction & Gala.

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PATHENA BAX, Splash Auction artist.

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RICHARD STEWART, Mayor of Coquitlam & JON-PAUL WALDEN, Executive Director, Evergreen Cultural Centre.

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Ballet BC dancers PARKER FINLEY, MIRIAM GITTENS, NICOLE WARD, SCOTT FOWLER & PATRICK KILBANE at Ballet BC’s season launch party.

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FRED LEE & GLORIA MACARENKO, CBC News personalities and gala emcees, CHRISTIE GAROFALO, philanthropist and Splash Co-Chair & PAUL LAROCQUE, President and CEO of Arts Umbrella.

WHAT’S Photo by Jon McRae.

the

word

Congratulations to our amazing artists whose works were a real success at the spectacular Splash auction! @kurbatoffgalleryvancouver #artauction #artsumbrella #canadianart

Thank you for the great coverage and support of Splash 2018, Artslandia Vancouver!!

It was great to have you with us!! @pjlarocque @au_splash

@artsumbrella #inspiringcreativity #greatart #generosity

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ARTSLANDIA.COM

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t o p 1 0 a r t i s a n a l sh op s

TOP 10 ARTISANAL SHOPS F O R H O L I D AY G I F T S

1946, this nonprofit shop has partnered with small-scale artisans in developing countries, helping them earn wages to live a higher quality life and diversifying Vancouver’s gift scene to reflect an array of cultures.

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1660 DURANLEAU ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 633-0440 // TENTHOUSANDVILLAGES.CA

SAUL GOOD GIFT CO. Make someone’s

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day with a customized gift basket loaded with locally made, artisanal, hand-picked goodies, and a personalized greeting card curated by award-winning, environmentally friendly, and community-oriented shop.

MAKE Visit Granville’s longest-running

retailer (formerly Justin Stitches) for hilarious to elegant, quirky, one-of-a-kind, recycled goods. Make offers custom t-shirts or laser engravings, inspired by their creatively upcycled wares, using their in-store technology and time-tested embroidery services.

7

BIRD ON A WIRE CREATIONS

Select one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts for the whole family made by a collection of Vancouver artists. The shop includes an education center that offers a variety of classes, including felting and cross-stitching.

8

THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY OF TEXT Not only can you browse quality

postcards at this comforting stationery gift shop, but you can also customize buttons and take a break from your shopping break in their reading room that’s full of magazines and self-published books.

3934 MAIN ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 877-2247 // ASSEMBLYOFTEXT.COM 30

ARTSLANDIA.COM

in Main Street’s trending scene, you’ll love this shop’s selection of domestic musthaves. From edgy to classic, the shop blends a thoughtful selection of trends and concepts.

DANDELION RECORDS & EMPORIUM

A husband with a passion for LPs and an artisanenthused wife bring us this used record store of rare garage, punk, and new wave vinyl, featuring fairly priced collections of local and global treasures.

2442 MAIN ST, VANCOUVER, BC V5T 3E2, CANADA (778) 737-7367 // DANDELIONEMPORIUM.BLOGSPOT.COM

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2535 MAIN ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 874-7415 // BIRDONAWIRECREATIONS.COM

5

OLIVE + WILD If you feel right at home

4391 MAIN ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 875-0611 // OLIVEANDWILD.COM

1648 DURANLEAU ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 684-5105 // MAKEVANCOUVER.COM

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your holiday gifting done at this co-op, connecting over 300 B.C. artisans to consumers since 1972. Their annual market, Granville shop, and an online store will make your holiday shopping a breeze!

1-1666 JOHNSTON STREET, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 669-8021 // CIRCLECRAFT.NET

EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE (604) 210-2932 // ITSAULGOOD.COM

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CIRCLE CRAFT CHRISTMAS MARKET Get all

WALRUS You’ll find this contemporary

lifestyle boutique bursting with functional, playful, high-quality, Canadian-focused clothes, bags, and décor. On special nights, you’ll catch well-dressed individuals, wineglasses in-hand, celebrating new art.

3408 CAMBIE ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 874-9770 // SHOP.WALRUSHOME.COM

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NETTLE’S TALE Should your holiday

itinerary include tropical travel, gift yourself a fabulous swimsuit from this Vancouver-based swimwear company with a vast selection of suits for the perfect fit and supreme comfort no matter the shape and size of your realwoman body.

330 WEST CORDOVA ST, VANCOUVER, BC (604) 633-8907 // NETTLESTALE.COM

1: Jennifer Kwan @jenktraveltoeat. 2: Michael J.P. Hall at Framework Photography. 3: Abbye Dahl. 4: Chara Berk Photography. 5: Vanessa Szajnberg. 8: Laura Frederick. 9: Christine C. 7: Olive + Wild owner, Bella. 6: Tim Matheson. 10: Britney Berrner.

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES Since

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EASTSIDE CULTURE

CRAWL

nov 15–18 2018

a visual arts, design & crafts festival

culturecrawl.ca

thurs & fri 5 pm - 10 pm sat & sun 11 am - 6 pm

VANCOUVER ARTS

at your fingertips.

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your cultural concierge Photos (left to right): Davida Monk, photo by Tim Nguyen (Citrus Photography); Jonathan Roozeman, photo courtesy of Vancouver Recital Society; Desiree Bortolussi and Valentin Chou of Ballet Kelowna, photo by Emily Cooper; Jens Lindemann, photo courtesy of Kay Meek Arts Centre.