If you didn't get a chance to head out to Fort Langley this past summer to check out the best local beauty pageant around, then now's your chance! The Miss BC pageant airs on Shaw TV on Saturday, September 15 at 8pm and Sunday, September 16 at 9am! Don't miss it!
Last night the Eighties stormed into town in the form of Swedish duo Roxette and Canadian band Glass Tiger.
We stumbled in late at 7:45 (the tickets said 7:30) and Glass Tiger were already up on stage singing their hit Someday! What?! Concerts never start on time in Vancouver, so we were shocked and saddened that we had missed some of their performance. They followed up with Animal Heart, Healing Hands, and ended with Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone, which had the entire arena singing along.
I had seen Glass Tiger before at the Commodore alongside Honeymoon Suite, and that was such an epic show. I hope those two bands come back together again and do another set in a more intimate venue like the Commodore.
After intermission, Roxette took the stage and they concentrated on singing all of their hits as well. I thought for sure they would bust out some new tunes because their latest CD, Charm School, was being sold at the merchandise table.
But the audience was in for a treat because they basically played all of their greatest hits, beginning with Dressed for Success, Spending My Time, How Do You Do, Fading Like a Flower, and Dangerous. I think a lot of people were wondering why the lead singer of Roxette wasn't as energetic as her counterpart and couldn't really hit all the high notes. A quick search on Wikipedia reveals that she had a brain tumour years ago, so that might account for her modifications in terms of song arrangement. And yes, she flubbed up the second verse of It Must've Been Love, but all is forgiven, yes?
The night was completed with The Look, Listen to Your Heart, and Joyride. The crowd was on their feet for a lot of the show, so good on you Vancouver for having a great time! It was a fun blast from the past and it definitely brought me back to a time when things were a lot different than they are today. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Introducing Kuba Oms! He's from Victoria over on Vancouver Island, so that's close enough for me to feature him on the blog! Plus I Shazaamed a song on the radio and it turned out to be one of his, which means I really liked the song not knowing who sang it! Isn't that the best?
So the song that caught my attention was his tune, Electrolove, which you can hear right here:
So Kuba is half Scottish and half Indian, and a third generation Canadian. His debut album is coming out in October and he had this to say about it, "It’s funny what a little heartache can do. Some pretty good songs can result." Can't wait to hear what he's got in store!
I knew a couple who used to live in Arthur Erickson's Waterfall Building but I was too uneducated to appreciate it at the time. Looking back, I wish I had explored it more and taken more photographs. Now I just have to rely on a Google Image search to share with you this important piece of design in Vancouver.
"The building was designed in 1996 with Nick Milkovich Architects. The concrete and glass structure houses units for artists that combine living and work space. The focal point of the project is the central skylit gallery that makes use of innovative steel trusses to hold up the large sloped glass front. Steel is also key in its use in the construction and detailing of the balconies, stairs and enclosures -- the lightness and texture of which creates a sharp contrast with the heaviness of the exposed concrete frame." - Text from University of Waterloo
Fans of the TV show The L Word may also recognize this building as it was a prominent location for the series.
Late Sunday night, I attended Andrew Kooman's She Has a Name, now on at the Firehall Arts Centre as part of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival. It was an intense production on human trafficking. Harrowing and emotionally draining, I could have used a bit more balance to help relieve the tension that built up but given the subject matter, that would be a hard task to accomplish.
Instead, we are presented with an important and powerful show that strives to bring awareness of human trafficking to audiences across Canada. By shedding light on the topic, hopefully it will drive people to want to get up and do something about it. At times earnest in its approach, the show does manage to touch upon all sorts of perspectives in this dark underbelly - from the victim to the people who are trying to help but whose hands are tied by laws and bureaucracy and corruption.
The story centers on a young man named Jason who has gone undercover to help gather evidence for a case against a human trafficker in Thailand. He meets Number Eighteen, a young girl forced into being a sex trade worker, and who just may be the key to blowing the case wide open. There is also a chanting Greek chorus who help give voice to unspoken emotions and events, which at first came off a tad annoying but blossomed into pure poetry by the end of it. The show runs for 90 minutes with no intermission.
The performances were all solid, but on an aesthetic level, I found there to be a lot of shouting. The standout for me was Sienna Howell-Holden, who played the role of "Mamma" - the middleperson between the victim and the victim's pimp. It is Mamma who runs the brothel and who keeps the girls in place, reporting any suspicious activity to the big boss. I found this character intriguing because it made me wonder, what drives this person to do what she does? Why would she let young girls be put into these situations of abuse and violence? Is it for the money? Was she once one of them? Does she have her own family to take care of and this is the only way to do so? Or is she just a flat out evil person? The commitment that Sienna puts into the role really made me see her as yes, a bad person, but at the same time, still a person...
She Has a Name runs for the remainder of the Fringe Festival at the Firehall Arts Centre (280 East Cordova Street) with the following showtimes:
Visit the She Has a Name website for more information on the national Canadian tour as well as more information on what you can do to help join the fight against human trafficking.
If church was like this, I would be going every Sunday! Today I joined over 100 other patrons and headed down to Performance Works Theatre on Granville Island to take in the gospel of comedian Mike Delamont in his one-person stand-up act, God Is a Scottish Drag Queen. And boy is he Hilarious!!
This is the first show I've attended at this year's Vancouver International Fringe Festival, and I'm so glad it was because it was a riot! But now the bar has been raised, and you know that it can be hit or miss when it comes to festivals and picking out what you want to see. I'm happy to report that God Is a Scottish Drag Queen is a bonafide hit!
I only went to this because a friend on Facebook had an extra ticket and had done the research, saying that the show had garnered rave reviews at Fringe festivals in other cities. In fact, between the last two shows here in Vancouver, Delamont has to fly out to perform two nights in New York before coming back to help wrap up the Fringe! He had the audience rolling in the aisles as he pontificated on topics such as gay marriage, heaven, and his role as the Almighty. Each show is bound to be different, as one never knows where the audience participation (i.e. heckling) is gonna take you! Delamont handles it all with finesse and humour, making this a word-of-mouth must-see at The Fringe.
What Fringe shows are you seeing? Any recommendations or suggestions?
God Is a Scottish Drag Queen only has 2 shows left, and it has been selling out so get your tickets quick! Catch him on Sep 11 @ 9:30 PM or Sep 14 @ 6:45 PM at Performance Works on Granville Island. Happy Fringing!
If you're in British culture withdrawal now that the London Olympics and Paralympics have wrapped up, then look no further to cure your blues than the Jericho Arts Centre where United Players are mounting the Canadian premiere of A Room With a View.
Based on the classic novel by E.M. Forster, this is a coming of age story that follows the young innocent and wide-eyed Lucy Honeychurch as she discovers the thrills and heartache of first love. Along the way, you'll meet an array of delightful characters from the flighty Miss Lavish, the nervous Charlotte, the uptight Cecil, playful Freddy, and the handsome George Emerson.
Act One sets up the introduction of the two young lovers, Lucy and George, against the backdrop of Florence, Italy. The vacation of Lucy and her cousin Charlotte is rife with one misstep after another - from not getting the room they initially wanted to getting lost in the streets of Florence. Things come to a head when Lucy finds herself in the middle of a street brawl turned ugly, only to be saved in the arms of the mysterious George.
Act Two transports us back to the countryside of England where it turns out Lucy is engaged to the rigid Cecil. How ever will she get out of this predicament? Will she reveal what happened during her time in Italy? What happens when George shows up at her estate? The packed audience erupted into fits of laughter and applause, giddy and wild with excitement at the unexpected nude scene of three of the male leads! It was a room with a view, indeed!
The production is cheery and softly inviting. It's the perfect opener to the season at Jericho Arts Centre. With the last few weeks of summer before us, this play ushers us into Autumn with a nostalgia for times gone by. If only we could all take a jaunt to Italy and fall madly in love!
The Jericho Arts Centre is a sweet charming theatre that makes the perfect venue for the Canadian premiere of this slice of Edwardian England. Put on your bonnets and gloves, pour yourself a cup of tea, and come on down with your parasol in tow to the United Players' A Room With a View, on now until September 30th.
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