Are you having Film Fest withdrawals now that VIFF has been over and done for almost a month?
Fear not! Vancouver has enough film fests to sustain you throughout most of the year! From November 7 - 10 will be the 17th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival!
Kick things off with this year's Centerpiece film: John Apple Jack
John Apple Jack is a Vancouver-shot and produced romantic comedy tells the story of John, who when he "discovers his sister’s fiancé is Jack, his childhood crush,
passions ignite and his life spirals out of control… losing his job, his
playboy reputation AND his underwear – all
while rushing to the altar to finally confess his love! Promiscuous John
was once easy for Jack to ignore. But a newer, penniless, more soulful
John may soon prove too hard to kick to the curb. Set in Vancouver’s
East-meets-West glamourous restaurant industry… the challenge for both
John and Jack is to find a way to blend money, sex, love and family into
one sumptuous recipe for life."
Vancouver will be celebrating Diwali with DiwaliFest from October 29 - November 8.
There will be numerous events taking place all across the Lower Mainland, so be sure to check out the DiwaliFest website for all the details and listings!
Last night I attended a friend's art opening at the Dundarave Print Workshop and Gallery on Granville Island. If you've got a penchant for creatures, animals, biology, and mash-ups, then check out Barb Snyder's exhibit "look / see" on now until November 17.
"The show consists of polymer plate lithography from drawings based on interviews requesting a description of a creature. Coming into play are considerations of observation & communication, society's separation from nature, and the current planet-wide mass loss of species. The outcome is both playful and painful."
"I'm crying at the Cobalt!" my friend turned to me and exclaimed last night during a performance of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, now on at the historical Vancouver establishment.
I first saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch back when it came out as a movie over ten years ago, and fell in love with it immediately. I then had the opportunity to go see it at the old Lotus Hotel and marveled at its live incarnation. With news that Neil Patrick Harris will finally be taking it to Broadway for the first time, I knew that I would give anything to fly to New York to see that! But why bother with all the airfare and accommodations when you can just cross over to other side (East Van) and see the show the way it was meant to be seen - in an intimate dive-bar type setting. (No offense to the Cobalt at all, I love the Cobalt, and it's the perfect venue for this!)
The Kat Gillis Band plays live as the "Angry Inch" band, rocking out and slowing it down perfectly with each number. Lee McKeown as sidekick Yitzhak is an absolute marvel, and then there is the lead, Mr Ryan Alexander McDonald as Hedwig. Whoa. I mean, you have to give the man props for basically carrying the entire show on his shoulders. Singing and acting for the most part all on his own, he puts himself through the gauntlet and comes out shining like the brightest star. The entire cast and crew deserved the standing ovation that the audience bestowed upon them last night.
I have minor criticisms: I wish the screen with the imagery being projected on it was a bit more visible, but that's probably more to do with the location of the Cobalt's projector, so they worked with what they got. At first I found Alexander's Hedwig a little too polished and I wanted someone harder and worn-out, but by the time he collapses on the stairs to sing the first few lines of Wig In a Box, I got my harder/worn-out Hedwig right there! "On nights like this... when the world's a bit amiss... " TEARS. INSTANT TEARS.
So what are you waiting for already Vancouver? Put your wig in a box, grab a sugar daddy, and go discover the origin of love! Hedwig and The Angry Inch is on NOW at the Cobalt until November 2. (Half price tickets on the day of are also sometimes available at Tickets Tonight.)
And P.S. - Dear Ghost Light Projects, where have you BEEN all my life? Thanks for bringing this production to town, and I am STOKED for your upcoming season. Check out what they've got lined up! CLUE THE MUSICAL! BOYS IN THE BAND!? I CANNOT WAIT!
And here's a perfect Hedwig song to add to your Halloween playlist:
Toted as a "kinky comedy" is Venus In Fur, presented by the Arts Club Theatre Company. I was thrilled to see it come to Vancouver stages this month, as it is fresh from Broadway as of last season. Usually we have to wait eons for anything from Broadway to get here, but this was less than a year in the making, so great job Arts Club on delivering us this Tony nominated play.
It centers around Thomas, a playwright who is trying to cast the lead role in his show but just can't seem to find the right woman for the job. In from a rainstorm comes Vanda, who at first starts off as the clumsy newbie but ends up with Thomas eating out of the palm of her hand.
Lindsay Angell and Vincent Gale throw out electrifying performances that you will want to catch! Director David Mackay does a great job at moving the two characters around the stage - there was not one seat in the house that could never see anything, because the movement and positioning was so thought out and precise. The play is layered with complexity, touching upon issues of sexism and art but at the same time making the audience laugh. Well done, good job everyone!
Venus In Fur plays at the Granville Island Stage until November 2.
I recently visited the Contemporary Art Gallery, located at 555 Nelson Street. Vancouver deserves to have a cool modern art gallery such as this, and with Free Admission, why aren't more people visiting? Currently, they are exhibiting the work of renowned British artist Mike Nelson, on until November 3.
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