; Fun! Fun! Vancouver!: January 2010

Thursday 28 January 2010

Olympics 2010: Free Events!

Olympics Olympics Olympics!

Here's a savvy website that is keeping an eye out for free events going on around town for the Olympics! I also picked up a guide yesterday for the Cultural Olympiad and it too is jam packed full of attractions, some of which are completely free.

Best Before



This is where conception doesn't quite meet up with execution. Last night I attended another show from the PuSh Performing Arts festival. Best Before is an interactive event that aims to provide every member of the audience with his/her own video game controller. Then on a big screen, the audience collectively and anonymously helps to create a new society.

Was this piece attempting to shed light on choices? Or was it a statement on interactive art? The challenges of building a society? Whatever the case, it was a bit of a mess. I think the idea was greatjavascript:void(0), but with last night's very small audience (20 people, maybe?) it became a bit of a headache in terms of people not listening to direction and glitches in the software (which they hope to iron out before the official opening this week).

I found myself, like many others, busy playing with my avatar than I was paying attention to the people on stage. An interesting idea, but maybe needs a bit more development, in my humble opinion.

Best Before runs at The Cultch from Jan 29 - Feb 6.

Check out more shows playing as part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Olympics 2010: Free Admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery

Thank you to Krista for pointing this out!

The Vancouver Art Gallery will have free admission during the 2010 Olympics Vancouver Winter Games!

And with it comes an exciting exhibit: Leonardo Da Vinci - The Mechanics of Man.

Olympics 2010: One Dream by Sarah McLachlan

So here's one of the offical theme songs from the 2010 Olympic Winter games in Vancouver. Written by Vancouverite singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan:

Monday 25 January 2010

Jerk

Will Vancouver become a festival city? I sure hope so! I know right now it feels like it could, since there are so many things to do and see at the moment! It's great because this time of year is usually so dead and gloomy. Dine Out Vancouver usually takes place at this time, but it's gotten pushed to March, after the Olympics are over.



On Saturday night I went to the PuSh International Performing Arts festival and caught a showing of the one-man play Jerk, which is based on the true story of a serial killer from the 70s who had two teenage accomplices lure boys from the neighbourhood over for him to rape, torture, and kill. Suffice to say it was quite the intense evening. Even though the murders were re-enacted with puppets, it didn't make it more endurable. In fact, I think because of the use of puppets, the show felt like it could be all that much more graphic with it.

Great performance, albeit disturbing!

Check out the PuSh festival for more intriguing performances taking place around town!!

Friday 22 January 2010

Olympics 2010: Richmond O-Zone

Another exciting destination during the Olympics will be the Richmond O-Zone, which will be featuring their own line-up of free concerts, including a headlining performance from Our Lady Peace!!



As well, on February 9th is when the Olympic Torch arrives in Richmond!

Sunday 17 January 2010

Forbidden Broadway

Last night I went to the final performance of the local production of Forbidden Broadway, an off-Broadway musical that pokes fun at its very own genre!



From a washed-up and over-30 little orphan Annie to a spoof of Wicked's Idina Menzel singing "Defying Subtlety," this was a well put together show geared towards Broadway nerds like myself and Emily. I think we were one of a few people who laughed at the Stephen Sondheim mockery about his tuneless shows and wordy lyrics. And we may have been the only ones there under 50 who actually knew who Ethel Mermon and Carol Channing are. My favourite part may have been the Les Miserables number, featuring Eponine's lament of barely being in Act One and then dying in Act Two, all the while just waiting around backstage singing an aptly written rendition of "On My Phone."

If you get a chance to see Forbidden Broadway, it is definitely a gas!

Thank you Fighting Chance Productions for not bringing the same overused and overdone musicals to Vancouver!! How many more sittings of Rent or Cats does our city really need? I'm definitely looking forward to April when Fighting Chance Productions brings us The Wedding Singer!!!

Thursday 14 January 2010

Olympics 2010: LiveCity Vancouver!

So it's not all negativity when it comes to the Olympics. I'm actually looking forward to LiveCity Vancouver, which is a series of free concerts taking place outdoors in downtown Vancouver during the 2 weeks of the Olympics. Some of the performers include Jully Black, Wilco, Alexisonfire, and Sam Roberts Band, whom I'd love to go see!!



Olympics 2010: Road Closures

I'm trying to wrap my head around the road closures and parking restrictions that are being enforced during the upcoming Olympic games.



I work in the heart of downtown Vancouver. In fact, the big media centre where all of the world's media will be setting up base, is a mere half-block away from my work's building. Egads!!

We had a staff meeting today in which the whole 2 hour delay warning issued by our public transit system Translink was addressed. Yes, we are being told to expect a 2 hour wait to even get onto a Skytrain (our version of the subway). I'm probably better off taking a bus all the way downtown from home, but that's if the busses are even allowed into the downtown core!

Thankfully though, my manager made it clear that we are to wake up at whatever time we normally wake up, and head to work at whatever time we usually do, and leave it at that. Whenever we arrive at work is when we arrive. It's all up in the air, as no one knows for sure just how chaotic the city will or will not be.

It's annoying but it's kind of exciting too!

Thursday 7 January 2010

Biennale

As part of the public art exhibition known as The Vancouver Biennale, sculptures have been cropping up all over town.

Here we have Artificial Rock #143, which can be found outside the new skytrain station downtown on the corner of Granville Street and Georgia.



"History of Loss" is an eye-catching piece that's situated outside another new Skytrain station, over on King Edward and Cambie. This one is so far my favourite.



And the most recent one that's been causing quite the stir is located out in Richmond. "Miss Mao" features a giant-sized Lenin head made of chrome, with a Chinese acrobat on top, who bears the face of Chairman Mao planted on top of a female body.



If you're visiting Vancouver for the upcoming Olympics, try to check out these art pieces all over the city!