ARTS

ARTS Lara St. John never tires of Vivaldi’s one big hit

by Steve Newton

It’s no big surprise when accomplished musicians like top-ranked Canadian violinist Lara St. John mention that they started playing at an early age. But it’s still a little hard to believe that St. John first laid her hands on the instrument when she was just two years old.

“It’s a little crazy,” she admits on the phone from her New York City home, “and, of course, it can not have sounded good. But, I mean, I played my first concerto when I was four years old, and made my European debut at nine, so things went really quickly very early in my life. And then things have just kind of continued along those lines. I basically travel around the world and play music.”

The night before our chat, St. John flew in from Istanbul, where she was doing a concert, and before that she was performing in South America. She’ll continue her travels when she treks out to Vancouver to perform with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on December 17 and 18.

Looking back on her childhood musical experiences, St. John explains that her starting at two had more to do with her stay-at-home mom needing a way to keep her and her older brother occupied than hoping they’d become virtuoso violinists one day.

“My brother was four, and I was two and a half, and she was getting really sick of having us running around and underfoot,” St. John says. “So these violin lessons came to town—this was in London, Ontario—and she sent my brother to one, and he came home with a little violin. And I was just one of those sisters that was like, ‘There’s no way my brother is gonna get something that I don’t have.’ So I got an even smaller one, and then it just went from there.”

Although St. John took to the instrument very early, it wasn’t as if she had any violin heroes she was trying to emulate. Although she does profess an early fondness for Fritz Kreisler—”I remember my parents had records of his, just such charming playing”—she didn’t grow up idolizing masters of the instrument.

“I have heroes, but they’re not necessarily violin [players]. I was, and still am, a big Glenn Gould fan. And also there’s a lot of singers that I’m a big fan of. I mean, ‘cause basically—I wouldn’t have known this then—but we’re basically just an imitation of the human voice, right. We can go faster and we can go higher, but it’s all about the voice. So, for me, I learned a lot from keyboard players—like organists— but especially singers.”

Quickly developing a fierce talent on violin, St. John took the top prize in several competitions and in 1997 won the use of a 1702 Lyall Stradivarius violin for two years from the Canada Council for the Arts and an anonymous donor.

“So I played on that for a little while,” she recalls, “and then the same donor had this Guadagnini come through the shop— [George] Heinl & Company of Toronto— and for me it was almost like we had been separated and now we’re back together. It was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is my fiddle!.’ Anyway, it took a little while, but I gave up the Stradivarius in order to have this Guadagnini. And people were kind of like, ‘Well, why would you do that? The Stradivarius is worth twice as much?’ And it’s like, ‘I don’t care anything about what it’s worth; I care how it sounds!’ So it no longer belongs to the anonymous donor. It is now mine, but it took me 23 years to make it mine, so there ya go.”

That 1779 “El Salabue” Guadagnini of St. John’s will be the one she’ll play at the Chan Centre while performing Antonio Vivaldi’s iconic The Four Seasons, a piece she’s played numerous times but never gotten tired of, either as a performer or a listener.

“Sometimes familiarity doesn’t breed contempt,” she points out. “I mean, I think that a lot of people are just like, ‘Oh, I heard that when I was doing this.’ It’s so familiar. People enjoy just going to hear the whole entire thing. And obviously they’re based on stanzas, on various poems, so what Vivaldi did, which I think is super interesting, is he used the string instruments to imitate, for example, birds, to imitate heat. In the second movement of ‘Spring’, there’s a little dog barking while the shepherd sleeps under a tree—like, all these little things that he manages to evoke. It’s so descriptive, and I think that that’s really fun for people. They’re like, ‘Oh, these are the cuckoos now; it got really hot!’ and ‘Oh, here comes the storm!’ This kinda thing.”

The way St. John raves about the powerful effect of The Four Seasons, you’d think Vivaldi might be one of her alltime favourite composers. But she views the Italian Baroque musician as more of a one-hit-wonder.

“These Seasons are sort of his particular hit,” she says, “and also, I think it’s

Virtuoso violinist Lara St. John will be performing on her prized 1779 “El Salabue” Guadagnini violin when she joins the VSO for Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Photo by Adrienne Lloyd.

Sometimes familiarity doesn’t breed contempt.

– Lara St. John basically the best thing he wrote. I don’t know why he didn’t write anything else like this, because it’s so much further ahead than his other concertos. Like he wrote, I don’t know, hundreds of violin concertos, but none of them even stand close to this one.”

So if Vivaldi doesn’t really do it for St. John, who would her number-one classical composer be?

“That’s so hard to say,” she replies. “I mean, obviously, we all have to sort of bend at the knee for Johann Sebastian Bach, but I’m also a big fan of a lot of Beethoven, and a Stravinsky person. It’s kind of like if you think of visual art, you can have a favourite painter, but maybe not every painting they do is your favourite. So it’s a little bit like that for me. And I would not say that I gravitate towards the romantic period; I’m not a big Brahms fan, or Schumann, or anything like that. “I would much rather skip directly over to 20th century,” she adds with a laugh. g

Lara St. John joins the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on December 17 and 18.

Rebecca Margolick (L), Livona Ellis (R ), photo Faviola Perez

LIVONA ELLIS REBECCA MARGOLICK FORTRESS + FOUR SOLOS

December 17-18, 2021

Scotiabank Dance Centre thedancecentre.ca

Presented by

ARTS Cameron Wilson prepares to fiddle with Chor Leoni

by Charlie Smith

The word eclectic doesn’t even begin to describe the range of musical styles arranged, composed, and performed by Vancouver violin virtuoso Cameron Wilson. He was with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for 17 years. He’s written music for and performed alongside legendary CBC Radio storyteller Stuart McLean. Wilson has played with pop star Bryan Adams, children’s entertainer Charlotte Diamond, hard rockers Nickelback, and famed poet George Bowering. And he’s done musical parody. That’s to say nothing of all the jazz, mariachi, Celtic, and Beatles music that he’s performed.

“I’ve just been exposed to a lot of different kinds of music—all kinds of music,” Wilson tells the Straight in a phone interview. “When I was 13, I heard Stéphane Grappelli play. I really like swing-jazz music, I like rock ’n’ roll, and I like country music. And I like the old-time music that my parents grew up on.”

His dad was a fiddler from the Ottawa Valley who couldn’t read music but loved playing tunes by Don Messer and Ned Landry. Wilson says that when his family moved to Edmonton, he was exposed to the Suzuki method, created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki.

“It was the first Canadian city that had the Suzuki string program,” he states. “A lot of violinists and cellists and string players are from that era.”

Spellbinding Dance

BORN TO MANIFEST

JOSEPH TOONGA OF JUST US DANCE THEATRE (UK) Laced with krump, popping, and martial arts styles, Joseph Toonga’s dance performance is a kinetic expression of defiance, with racial identity as the site of both oppression and pride. JAN 25-27 | PERFORMANCE WORKS &

SELECT ONLINE PRESENTATIONS

SE PRENDRE

LION LION (MONTREAL) Two women come together in an acrobatic dance that evokes tenderness and tension. A psychodrama played out in physical terms, Se prendre is a truly haunting experience. JAN 29-31, FEB 2-4 | WATERFRONT ESTATE

DEER LAKE

PRESENTED WITH SHADBOLT CENTRE FOR THE ARTS

LA GODDAM VOIE LACTÉE

MAYDAY (MONTREAL) Five women conduct a pagan mourning ritual in this wildly eccentric performance. From the rich colours, trance-like dancing, and animalistic utterances emerges something truly cathartic: a ceremony for our grievances. FEB 4-6 | SCOTIABANK DANCE CENTRE

PRESENTED WITH THE DANCE CENTRE

Jan 20 - Feb 6, 2022 PUSHFESTIVAL.CA

I’ve just been exposed to a lot of different kinds of music…

– violinist Cameron Wilson

On December 17, 18, and 20, Wilson will premiere six new arrangements in the return of Chor Leoni’s popular Christmas concerts. Wilson’s links to the men’s choir go back to when it was conducted by its founder, Diane Loomer, performing with the singers in a tent at Bard on the Beach. He also arranged music for Chor Leoni’s Cadillac Cathedral shows following Loomer’s death in 2012.

He’s thrilled that he’ll be back playing live with Chor Leoni, emphasizing that artistic director Erick Lichte has the choir singing at a very high level. In light of the pandemic, Wilson says, he is never going to take playing in front of an audience for granted.

“It’s been such a part of my life, performing in front of people, getting energy back from an audience, just feeling a connection with an audience,” he says. “When that was taken away…it’s a part of your soul that’s just been taken away.”

It’s hard to sum up a career as varied as Wilson’s. But when asked for the highlights, he most certainly includes his times performing with McLean. They were introduced by Denise Ball, a former executive producer at CBC Radio, when Wilson was a member of the CBC Orchestra. Wilson arranged music for McLean’s History of Canada recording, then followed up by writing and arranging music for another McLean story called “I Remember Wayne”. It’s loosely based around a family that lived next door to hockey great Wayne Gretzky.

“It was fantastic,” Wilson recalls. “We found out we had similar tastes in music, too. Right toward the end, before he passed away, he invited Joe Trio to do a western tour with him.… It was just great working with him because he had a really great sense of humour.”

Another highlight for Wilson was gathering Vancouver musicians at the Cultch to re-create the Beatles’ White Album on its 30th anniversary. That was in 1998. Then Wilson revisited this 20 years later with different musicians at St. James Community Centre.

“It just goes to show what an incredible array of musical talent we have right here in Vancouver,” he says. “I don’t think people realize how many great artists there are in town.”

A third pinnacle was a retroactive musical guide called Green Eggs and Cam, featuring music he had written for different groups.

“It was all over the map,” he says. “That’s kind of me, anyway—some classical and some not so classical.”

Then there have been the good times with the VSO, Hard Rubber Orchestra, and so many others over the years.

“You think of a violin as a lead instrument, or an instrument that plays solos or is in the forefront,” Wilson says. “But when I’ve been involved in group situations, I often say to people that the violin is an amazing accompanying instrument too, because you can do so many things with it that enhance what other people are doing. It doesn’t have to stick out and be a lead.” g

Cameron Wilson can lay claim to being B.C.’s most versatile musician, based on his history.

Christmas with Chor Leoni will be performed live at 8 p.m. on December 17; at 2 p.m., 5 p.m., and 8 p.m. on December 18; and at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on December 20 at the newly restored St. Andrew’sWesley United Church (1022 Nelson Street).

Hear it. Feel it.

Lara St. John

DEC

18/19

Traditional Christmas

Dec 18 | 4 & 7:30pm | Orpheum Dec 19 | 4pm | Orpheum

THIS WEEKEND!

The annual festive tradition returns this Christmas with host Christopher Gaze. Celebrate the season with music brimming with Christmas joy.

DEC

17/18

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Fri & Sat, 8pm | Chan Centre LIMITED AVAILABILITY

THIS WEEKEND!

A VSO holiday tradition returns. The incredible Canadian musical-maverick, Lara St. John, leads and shares a personally curated selection of festive music from around the world.

Christopher Gaze

JAN

8/9

Haydn & Mozart with Jens Lindemann

Sat, 7pm | Bell Centre, Surrey Sun , 2pm | Chan Centre at UBC

Precision, presence, and style come together as Canadian trumpet legend Jens Lindemann leads the VSO in a thrilling and virtuosic performance.

Jens Lindemann

JAN

14/15

Steven Page with the VSO

Fri & Sat, 8pm Orpheum

Canadian icon Steven Page returns to the VSO for a heartfelt performance of some of the greatest Canadian music ever written.

Steven Page

JAN

21–23

Christie Reside

Symphonie fantastique

Fri, Sat, 8pm | Orpheum Sun, 2pm | Orpheum

Berlioz’s dramatic and fantastical tale, plus VSO Principal Flute Christie Reside featured in Swiss composer Frank Martin’s haunting Ballade.

This Christmas, Give the Gift of Music.

JAN

28/29

Charles Richard-Hamelin

Chopin, Berlioz, Ravel & Bologne

Fri, Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

This (almost) all French concert features award-winning Canadian Chopin specialist Charles Richard-Hamelin in a ravishing program led by Maestro Tausk

FEB

11/12

Paul Shaffer Live!

Fri & Sat, 8pm Orpheum

Paul Shaffer, former music director to David Letterman, shares symphonic renditions of his favourite pop, R&B, and jazz tunes plus anecdotes and reminiscences from a remarkable career.

Paul Shaffer

FEB

25/26

An Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s 9th

Fri & Sat, 8pm | Orpheum

Beethoven’s magnum opus performed by your VSO, renowned soloists, the Vancouver Chamber Choir with music direction of Kari Turunen, and under the baton of Andrew Crust, conductor.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Some of the most celebrated and stunning movies of all time on the big screen at the Orpheum, accompanied live by the VSO.

Rocketman Live in Concert

Mar 18, 19 | Orpheum

PRESENTATION LICENSED BY

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert

Jun 10, 11 | Orpheum

STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI PRESENTATION LICENSED BY

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Apr 22, 23, 24 | Orpheum

Singin’ in the Rain — Film with Orchestra

May 13, 14 | Orpheum

VancouverSymphony.ca 604.876.3434

DEC 17, 18, JAN 9 CONCERT SUPPORT PROVIDED BY DEC 18–19 TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CONCERTS ENDOWED BY

SHEAHAN AND GERALD MCGAVIN, CM, OBC

MAY 13, 14 VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR JAN 15 VSO POPS CONCERT SPONSOR JAN 21, 22 MASTERWORKS GOLD SERIES SPONSOR JAN 23 SYMPHONY SUNDAYS SERIES SPONSOR JAN 28, 29, FEB 25, 26 MASTERWORKS DIAMOND SERIES SPONSOR MEDIA SPONSOR BROADCAST MEDIA PARTNERS TICKETS AND GIFT CARDS MAKE

THE PERFECT STOCKING STUFFER

ARTS LISTINGS

ONGOING

EAST VAN PANTO: ALICE IN WONDERLAND Theatre Replacement’s ninth annual East Van Panto sees Alice follow the White Rabbit into a topsy-turvy version of East Vancouver. To Jan 2, York Theatre. Tickets from $35. DOLLY PARTON’S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL A musical rediscovery of joy and compassion through understanding the true wealth that comes from connection. To Jan 2, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Tix from $43. SNOWFLAKE Festive hit by playwright Mike Bartlett about generational conflict, fathers, and daughters. To Dec 23, The Red Gate Revue Stage. $16-32. VANCOUVER CHRISTMAS MARKET Annual Christmas market at the Olympic Cauldron features local artisans and festive regional refreshments. To Dec 24, Jack Poole Plaza. Tix from $7.99. SANKOFA: AFRICAN ROUTES, CANADIAN ROOTS Exhibition explores the relationships between traditional and contemporary African art and Black Canadian art. To Mar 27, 2022, 10 am–5 pm, Museum of Anthropology at UBC. SPEED AND SPLENDOUR: BY SEA TO ASIA Exhibition explores western perceptions of Asia through travel posters and ephemera from early- to mid-20th century. To Feb 27, Vancouver Maritime Museum. $13.50 adults/$11 seniors. A SEAT AT THE TABLE Exhibition explores historical and contemporary stories of Chinese Canadians in B.C. and their struggles for belonging. To Dec 31, 10 am–4 pm, Museum of Vancouver. $10. CANOE CULTURES :: HO'-KU-MELH Work of 20 Indigenous artists and carvers curated by Indigenous artist and cultural historian Roxanne Charles. To Jul 3, Vancouver Maritime Museum. $13.50 adults/$11 seniors. CHARLENE VICKERS | ANCESTOR GESTURE Painting, sculpture, performance, and installation by Charlene Vickers. To Jan 2, Contemporary Art Gallery. SHO ESQUIRO: DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY Solo exhibition by designer, artist, and activist showcases meticulously crafted couture gowns, textiles, paintings, and photographs. To Jun 5, Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art. SCULPTORS' SOCIETY OF BC Sculpture exhibition by members of the Sculptors' Society of B.C. To Dec 20, Italian Cultural Centre. Free. THE HUMAN VOICE City Opera Vancouver presents an online adaptation of Cocteau and Poulenc, starring Isaiah Bell. To Dec 31, Online, cityoperavancouver.com. Free. OG PUNK Dina Goldstein's photographs of key figures from the punk scenes of the late 1970s and 1980s in Vancouver and Victoria as they are today. To Jan 2, The Polygon Gallery. POSITIVELY PETITE MINIATURE EXHIBITION Annual exhibition showcases miniature artwork created by over 30 local artists. To Dec 16, Place des Arts. WINTER TREASURES ARTISAN MARKET Sale of handcrafted gifts, pottery, jewelry, glass, and art. To Dec 22, Port Moody Arts Centre. HOLIDAY ARTISAN SHOP Handcrafted housewares, accessories, skincare, décor, cards, and ornaments made by local artists and artisans. To Dec 18, 9 am–9 pm, Place des Arts. CROWS OF COMMERCIAL DRIVE Nine local artists combine for a celebration of Commercial Drive crows. To Dec 31, 11 am–5 pm, Arts Off Main Gallery. Free. ART BOX HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET Unique items and gifts handcrafted by local artisans including jewelry, cards, seasonal items, decor, and apparel. To Dec 19, 12-4 pm, Silk Purse Arts Centre. STEVEN SHEARER Exhibition curated by Polygon Gallery director Reid Shier marks the first major Canadian survey of Shearer’s work since 2007. To Feb 13, 2022, Polygon Gallery. By donation. THE POLYGON GALLERY ANNUAL HOLIDAY POPUP SHOP One-of-a-kind gifts created by mostly local, women-led, and BIPOC makers, artisans, and creatives from Vancouver and around the world. To Dec 26, Polygon Gallery. SNOW WHITE: A METRO THEATRE HOLIDAY PANTO Metro Theatre presents its holiday musical pantomime. Graham Clark performs a 24-hour standupcomedy marathon on December 17 and 18.

To Jan 3, 7:30 pm, Metro Theatre. From $25. DANCEHOUSE PRESENTS BABEL 7.16 Digital dance event featuring the work of Belgian choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Damien Jalet. To Dec 19, online, dancehouse.ca. THE IMPROV CENTRE'S HOLIDAY SPECIAL An improvised twist on a holiday TV variety show. To Dec 24, 7:30-9 pm, The Improv Centre. $20-30. COURTNEY BARNETT Australian indie-rock singersongwriter and musician. Dec 15, 7 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $46 (plus service charge). THE NUTCRACKER: TCHAIKOVSKY MEETS ELLINGTON Symphony 21 presents Tchaikovsky’s timeless Nutcracker Suite alongside Duke Ellington arrangements for jazz orchestra. Dec 15, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Starting at $25.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16

KORA NIGHT WITH ZAL SISSOKHO West African rhythms featuring kora player Zal Sissokho. Dec 16, 7 pm, WISE Hall. $30. HOME ALONE IN CONCERT Screening of the 1990 Christmas comedy classic Home Alone, with live music by the Vancouver Symphony. Dec 16-17, 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre. Both performances SOLD OUT. ALICE IN WONDERLAND: A PANTO A classic pantomime written by Crystal Weltzin. Dec 16-26, Surrey Arts Centre. $24.99-34.99. FESTIVE CHRISTMAS CANTATAS Early Music Vancouver presents some of the most popular Christmas music of Germany in the 18th century by Johann Kuhanu and J.S. Bach. Dec 16, 7:30 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. From $17.75. VANCOUVER WELSH MEN'S CHOIR PRESENTS 'SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS' An evening of heartfelt Christmas carols, old and new. Dec 16, 7:30 pm, Centennial Theatre. $18-$33. FESTIVE CANTATAS: BACH'S CHRISTMAS ORATORIO For this performance of Cantatas IV and V from the Christmas Oratorio, five Canadian soloists join the musicians of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. Dec 16, 7:30 pm, Chan Centre for The Performing Arts. From $17.75. LOCARNO: SHINE BRIGHT NEW WEST Worldmusic group led by singer-guitarist Tom Landa. Dec 16, 7:30-9:30 pm, Anvil Centre. Adults $35, students/ seniors $25. A BROADWAY HOLIDAY Festive hits from Broadway shows like Let it Snow, Sleigh Ride, and White Christmas. Dec 16-23, 8-9:30 pm, Gateway Theatre. $29.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17

24 HOURS OF COMEDY Vancouver comedian Graham Clark performs a 24-hour standup-comedy marathon to raise funds for the Little Mountain Gallery Eviction Fund. Dec 17, 8 pm, to Dec. 18, 8 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $22.23. EUGENE RIPPER'S FAST FOLK UNDERGROUND HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY Canadian punk-folk musician is joined by Sparky Spurr, Evan Symons, and Nippleback. Dec 17, LanaLou's Restaurant. $15 advance, $20 at the door. NUTCRACKER SUITE - FLAMENCO TABLAO Live flamenco dance in an intimate cabaret-style theatre. Dec 17, 7-8 pm, 9-10 pm, Flamenco Tablao. $20 adults, $10 Children. LIVONA ELLIS + REBECCA MARGOLICK The Dance Centre and BC Movement Arts present dancers Livona Ellis and Rebecca Margolick in an evening of four solos, plus the world premiere of their duet Fortress. Dec 17-18, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $34/$25. A WINTER'S TWIST Lamondance presents a reimagining of the beloved classic Romeo and Juliet. Dec 17, 18, 7:30-9:30 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts. $30. VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS Canadian violinist Lara St. John joins the Vancouver Symphony in Antonio Vivaldi’s most iconic work. Dec 17-18, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. CHRISTMAS WITH CHOR LEONI The Chor Leoni Men's Choir presents the joyous live return of its holiday concert in the newly restored St. Andrew’sWesley United Church. Dec 17-20, 8-6:30 pm, St. Andrew’s-Wesley United.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18

VANCOUVER CANTATA SINGERS: CHRISTMAS REPRISE XVIII Program of traditional carols and contemporary holiday compositions for unaccompanied choir. Dec 18, Holy Rosary Cathedral. QUILLS DON'T TWEET 2 Bernard Cuffling and Anna Hagan present the latest instalment of their ode to letter writing. Dec 18-19, Pal Studio Theatre. $32. ROYAL CITY YOUTH BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER Royal City Youth Ballet dances the two-act classical ballet, with score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Dec 18-19, 1 pm, Massey Theatre. $36-47. WINTER HARP Holiday concert featuring new and traditional Christmas carols. Dec 18, 3 pm, The ACT Arts Centre. $49. ALAN AND BRAYDEN LIU The Vancouver Classic Guitar Society presents guitarist Alan Liu and pianist Brayden Liu in their first concert together. Dec 18, 7 pm, Pyatt Hall. $25-35. KEITHMAS XII Various Vancouver bands and musicians perform at a tribute to Keith Richards. Dec 18, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $25 (plus service charge). TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS Host Christopher Gaze joins soprano Rachel Buttress, conductor Karl Hirzer, and the Vancouver Symphony in a program of favourite Christmas carols. Dec 18, 7:30 pm; Dec 18-19, 4 pm, Orpheum Theatre. Tix $43.24 to $64.67. ROSA MYSTICA Musica intima weaves together spoken word and song in a musical exploration of motherhood. Dec 18, 7:30 pm, Christ Church Cathedral. $40/35/10. DALANNAH GAIL BOWEN The Rogue Folk Club presents local blues, rock, and soul vocalist. Dec 18, 8 pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. $10 livestream, $20 in-person. TITS THE SEASON! LATE SHOW Performances by local drag, burlesque, circus, and variety performers, with headliner Jimbo from Canada's Drag Race. Dec 18, 10 pm, Rio Theatre. $30-80.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19

WINTER HARP: NORTH VANCOUVER Harps combine with flutes, violin, rare medieval instruments, percussion, poetry, and song to evoke the Christmas spirit. Dec 19, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts. VAN DJANGO 9TH ANNUAL COOL YULE A festive Christmas mix of jazz standards, nostalgic favourites, classical elements, and pop tunes. Dec 19, 8-10:30 pm, Mel Lehan Hall at St. James. $10 livestream, $25 in-person.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21

WINTER HARP 2021 Harps combine with flutes, violin, rare medieval instruments, percussion, poetry, and song to express the Christmas spirit. Dec 21, 7:30-9:45 pm, St. Andrew's–Wesley United Church.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22

FESTIVE CANTATAS: BACH CHRISTMAS ORATORIO | EMV'S DIGITAL CONCERT HALL For this performance of Cantatas IV and V from the Christmas Oratorio, five Canadian soloists join the musicians of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. Dec 22, 7:30 pm, online, earlymusic.bc.ca. Free or by donation. O CHRISTMAS TEA: A BRITISH COMEDY James & Jamesy present their Christmas comedy classic. Dec 22, 7:30-9 pm; Dec 23, 3-4:30 pm, Centennial Theatre. From $29 ($19 students).

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23

RUPLOOPS Interactive, live-looping performance, using vocal percussion and rhythmic rhymes with an arsenal of eclectic instruments from around the globe. Dec 23, 2-3 pm, Anvil Centre. $20 adults, $10 student.s SCRAWNY SHOW Standup comedy show features headliner Yumi Nagashima. Dec 23, ANZA Club. $8 advance/$10 at the door. DING DONG! Musica intima performs new arrangements of seasonal favourites by Joni Mitchell, the Chieftains, and Dolly Parton, featuring members of local folk band Mad Pudding. Dec 23, 8 pm, St. James Community Square. $30/10 rush tickets.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29

CONTACT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring headlining performances by Excision, Eric Prydz, Slander, and Loud Luxury. Dec 29-30, Vancouver Convention Centre. Two-day passes start at $139.99 (plus service charges). THE IMPROV CENTRE PRESENTS: YEAR IN REVIEW An improvised look at the year’s top stories. Dec 29-31, The Improv Centre. $20-30. TRIOLOGY Jazz trio performs arrangements of classic standards and original tunes. Dec 29, 7:30-9:30 pm, Anvil Centre. $35 adults, $25 students/seniors.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30

AXÉ CAPOEIRA Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. Dec 30, 2-3 pm, Anvil Centre. $20 adults, $10 students. BLACKTHORN Canadian Celtic-folk band performs with A Shot of Scotch Vancouver Highland Dancers. Dec 30, 7:30-9:30 pm, Anvil Centre. $35 adults, $25 students/seniors.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31

NEW YEAR'S EVE VARIETY SHOW New Year's Eve variety/circus show features acrobats, jugglers, aerialists, and live music by the Tim Sars Band. Dec 31, 7:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. From $29.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 1

ALICE IN WONDERLAND: A PANTO A classic pantomime written by Crystal Weltzin. Jan 1-2, 3:30 pm, Massey Theatre. $24.99-34.99.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7

THE (VERY) FIRST VIENNESE SCHOOL Musical journey through the court of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II led by ensemble Quicksilver. Jan 7, 7:30 pm, Christ Church Cathedral. From $32.25. VANCOUVER SPECIAL COMEDY Standup comedy show featuring comics seen on Netflix, Disney+, Just for Laughs, and CBC’s The Debaters. Jan 7, 9:30-10:45 pm, Slice of Life Gallery . $20.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 9

OPEN STAGE #2 Program of dance works by Anya Saugstad and Artists, Lamondance, Linda Hayes, Rachel Maddock, and Tomoyo Yamada. Jan 9, 7 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $25/$20.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20

OUR FATHERS, SONS, LOVERS AND LITTLE BROTHERS Play based on the murder of Trayvon Martin that's a protest for all Black life beyond headlines and hashtags. Jan 20-22, Firehall Arts Centre. From $15.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3

SHAUN MAJUMDER, THE LOVE TOUR Comedian and actor performs his newest standup show. Feb 3, 7:30 pm, Massey Theatre. $56.

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit events online using the eventsubmission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

MOVIES / TV Whistler fest films are now on video across Canada

by Charlie Smith

The Whistler Film Festival wrapped up its in-person screenings at the all-season resort on December 5. But movie lovers can still enjoy most WFF offerings via the Internet until December 31.

“We’re online across Canada,” WFF executive director Angela Heck told the Straight by phone. “So people can tell their friends if they’ve seen something awesome.”

On December 13, the WFF began offering the video-on-demand premiere of Drinkwater. It’s a coming-of-age comedy directed by Stephen Campanelli, a longtime camera operator for Clint Eastwood.

Set in Penticton, this quintessentially Canadian film stars Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) as Hank Drinkwater, a selfcentred father to his awkward and occasionally bullied teenage son, Mike (Daniel Doheny). Mike strikes up a friendship with a girl named Wallace who moves in next door (Louriza Tronco), and together they run, cycle, and drive through some spectacular Okanagan scenery.

Anyone who orders this and other films has 48 hours to finish watching it after hitting “play”. The WFF splits the revenue of its online films 50-50 with the moviemakers—a practice that it began last year to help them through challenging times.

“We’ve always been a filmmakers’ festival and actively promote Canadian independent voices in cinema,” Heck said.

The WFF was an early advocate for gender parity in its ranks of directors. This year, according to Heck, the WFF achieved exact parity between male-directed feature films and features directed by women and nonbinary people. There is a majority of women and nonbinary directors once the shorts are included in the count.

“That really signals a shift in the industry,” Heck said.

One of the woman-directed films is $avvy, Robin Hauser’s well-regarded documentary on the need for women to pay attention to their finances. The WFF presented the Canadian premiere in Whistler and it’s now available online.

Another woman-directed film that had its Canadian premiere at the festival is Katie Boland’s We’re All In This Together. Based on a novel by Amy Jones, the film focuses on a Thunder Bay family, with Boland playing twins who don’t get along.

Another women-directed film that will be available online is Valerie Buhagiar’s Carmen, which is set in Malta. It revolves around a middle-age woman breaking free of the church and discovering romance.

“It’s absolutely beautiful and lyrical and very calming in a chaotic time,” Heck said.

Other female-directed films include Rebecca Campbell’s exposé on federal fertility-industry restrictions called The Secret Society and Iuli Gerbase’s pre–COVID-19 lockdown film The Pink Cloud.

“We’ve taken a very, very deliberate approach in making our entire programming representative,” Heck said.

The WFF also takes pride in its selection of films by francophone directors. Heck pointed to Luc Picard’s Confessions of a Hit Man as one of these movies worth watching. (This film is not available to online viewers in Quebec.)

In addition to being the director, Picard plays Gérald Gallant, a paid real-life assassin who worked for Quebec biker gangs, in what the festival is calling “Canada’s own version of The Irishman”.

Information about more than 60 online features and shorts being screened is available at WhistlerFilmFestival.com. g

Giovana (Renata de Lélis) has to stay in a flat with a man whom she just met after a toxic cloud makes it dangerous to venture outdoors in Brazilian director luli Gerbase’s The Pink Cloud.

Vancouver’s Gia Metric sashays out of Drag Race

by Ramona Leitao

Viewers knew someone would be eliminated during the Canada’s Drag Race reunion episode.

This despite half the episode dedicated to a wholesome reunion between the final four— Kendall Gender, Gia Metric, Icesis Couture, and Pythia— and the eliminated queens, with Brad Goreski hosting and Suki Doll winning Miss Congeniality.

There was slight shade given to the final four during Stephanie Prince’s reads but it seemed to be done out of love. And then came the lip-sync battle finale to cross someone off the list.

Each queen had to pick up a lipstick to find out which song they would lip sync to. The queens who had the same song would battle against each other. The winners of Round 1 would qualify for the finale, while the losers would have to battle it out a second time to avoid elimination.

Gia Metric and Kendall Gender—members of the “Brat Pack”—had to face each other in the first round. They performed to RuPaul’s “Main Event”, and it was definitely a close call. The eliminated queens that were watching believed Gia had the dance moves locked down while Kendall was better with her words and facial expressions, especially by the end of the song.

Icesis Couture and Pythia were next, which was stressful as well, especially since they were the eliminated queens’ top picks for who should be the winner. It’s also important to note that Pythia has never had to lip-sync battle for their life. The two performed to RuPaul’s “Born Naked”, with Icesis dominating the battle.

Pythia and Gia Metric went neck and neck in the last round, lip synching to RuPaul’s “Call Me Mother” and doing the most with their moves.

In the end, it was Gia Metric who had to sashay away— but not without one last speech. “To be here is a dream come true,” the Vancouver-based queen said. “This is not the last of me.”

And it definitely is not. Chatting about their elimination the morning after, Gia Metric spoke candidly about their time on the show.

“I have no control over what anyone thinks of me,” Gia Metric said. “What I want them to think of me or see me as is just a hard worker and a master of my craft…I put a lot of love—but a lot of fun—and a whole lot of me into everything that I brought to the competition. “I really hope that that’s what people see and take away, because that’s truly all you can ask for.” g

In Episode 5 of Canada’s Drag Race, Gia Metric served up some robotic artificial intelligence. Photo courtesy of Bell Media.

I have no control over what anyone thinks of me.

– Gia Metric