Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is currently in town and you have a few more days to catch this uproariously hilarious musical from the twisted minds of the creators of South Park. I've seen it three times already (once on Broadway, once in Seattle, and once here in Vancouver the last time it came to town).

But I couldn't RESIST the Student Rush Ticket deal they have going on right now. Every show, two hours before curtain time, the box office will open with 20 Student Rush Tickets priced at $25 each. Since I am a student, I had to make use of my student card, amirite?

Each student is allowed to purchase a maximum of 2 tickets, to be paid in Cash Only. I caught Sunday evening's performance, which began at 7:30pm, which meant the Student Rush tickets went on sale promptly at 5:30pm. A friend and I snagged FRONT ROW seats to this spectacular show!

If you've never seen the Book of Mormon musical, what are you waiting for? Go do it now! It's only here for a few more days!

The Vancouver run closes on September 4th. Check out Broadway Across Canada for more info!

Vancouver Mural Festival

I checked out the gorgeous offerings of the Vancouver Mural Festival the other day in Mount Pleasant. If you're in the area, this is a must do! And if you're not nearby, then make it a destination. Check out the website for a map of all the mural locations. Here are some photos I snapped of some of the murals!

#ArtTakesOver

In Order of Disappearance

Fans of Stellen Skarsgaard can rejoice!  He is starring in the film that's currently playing at the Vancity Theatre, In Order of Disapperance.

Set in Norway, this thriller suspense revolves around a man whose son has been murdered by a drug lord. This revenge film doubles as a black comedy with Skarsgaard as a Liam Neeson-type protagonist out to avenge his son's death. Throw in a neurotic drug kingpin, a goofy Serbian gang, and a precocious little boy and you've got a recipe for hijinx and shenanigans.


With gorgeous shots of Norway, you'll marvel at the wonder of the majestic snowy landscape (and for me, appreciate not having to live in a climate that looks completely bone-chillingly cold!)


In Order of Apperance is on at the Vancity Theatre on: August 30 at 4pm,  August 31 at 8:20m, and September 1 at 3:45pm.





 

VQFF: Strike a Pose

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival is currently on, and I had the pleasure of attending one of their gala screenings last night, of the documentary Strike a Pose!

I was super excited to see this, as I was a huge Madonna fan growing up and saw Truth or Dare countless times. Now, 25 years later, a new documentary follows up on her backup dancers, who truly made up the heart and soul of Truth or Dare.

In Strike a Pose, we see how being Madonna's back up dancer for her Blond Ambition tour influenced and impacted these young men, mostly gay and of colour, in 1990, and how their lives have evolved since then. It's a testament to the true impact that Truth or Dare and these dancers had on the world, as we heard from numerous audience members during the Q&A session about how much influence it had on us as young queer people dealing with sexuality and coming out in the early 90s.

I cried through the entire film, I must admit. It was absolutely touching and so nice to see all these dancers back together again, and the impact they had on each other. I was lucky enough to meet both Jose and Kevin, who were both in attendance and took a photo with them. They were both so gracious and so sweet, I'm so glad I got to meet them. If you get a chance to see it, do yourself a favour and get your tickets now!

Strike a Pose is being shown again this Friday at 2:30pm.

Weiner

If you're trying to escape the heat, might I suggest going to the movies? That's what I've been doing. And I just went and saw WEINER at the Vancity Theatre the other night, and it was thoroughly entertaining!

Yes, this is the documentary about American Democrat politician Anthony Weiner, who got in trouble for sexting and sending photos of his dick to women. This film follows him after the scandal and his rise back up out of the ashes to run for the mayor of NYC. It's a story about a husband and wife dealing with modern day infidelity, as much as it is a story about public shaming and the will to keep going. It's inspirational, funny, and touching.

Weiner is on at the Vancity Theatre tonight at 8:20pm, as well as on Aug 15 (3pm), Aug 20 (4pm), and Aug 21 (4pm). 

Summer exhibit at Rennie Collection

The current summer exhibit at the Rennie Collection is a bit underwhelming, I found. A photography exhibit featuring several different artists. I like photography, but I can't seem to appreciate photography where it's "artsy" such as a photo of a basketball hoop in the middle of a forest, as is the case in Richard Prince's "The Girl Next Door." I liked the photo, but I prefer things such as street photography a la Vivian Maier or Fred Herzog, or photos that capture moments that are newsworthy or something you might find in National Geographic. Call me basic.

If you've never been to the Rennie Collection, know that it's 1) Free and 2) comes with a guided tour by an art student, which in this case was very helpful in terms of understanding and appreciating the art more. And the building itself is a piece of art in its own right. If you're a tourist and you're visiting Vancouver and like your art galleries, then yes try to make it to the Rennie Collection!

Life, Animated

I went to check out the film Life, Animated the other day at the Vancity Theatre. This is a documentary about an autistic guy who used Disney movies to communicate and make sense of the world around him. It's a touching and heartwarming portrait of how pop culture can have such an important effect on someone.

Life, Animated is on at the Vancity Theatre August 11 and 14.

Heathers The Musical

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. I've been struggling with a bit of depression. Even last night, I was considering just staying in, laying in bed, and staring at the wall. However, I knew that wasn't going to be productive so I forced myself to find a show playing in town and to invite someone to go see it with me.

So, I chose the trusty folks at Fighting Chance Productions, who are churning out two musicals this summer: Green Day's American Idiot, and Heathers: The Musical. I had seen both of these shows in New York. On Broadway, I saw American Idiot and wasn't overly impressed with the show's thin storyline. I also caught the off-Broadway premiere of Heathers, and it was fantastic! It came complete with  blue "drainer fluid shots" in the lobby! How VERY!

So of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Heathers again, and thank goodness for Fighting Chance Productions for putting on these amazing shows for us Vancouverites that we may not otherwise get a chance to see! (They put on CARRIE THE MUSICAL a few years back! I mean, amirite?!)

Anyhow, Heathers was great! They did a wonderful job of it. I felt it could have used a bit more camp but I think they went more for the dark comedy, which they did really well. The whole ensemble cast were great, but the two that stood out for me were Annastasia Unger as Martha Dumptruck, whose BRILLIANT voice just soared during her solo performance of Kindergarten Boyfriend, and David Z Cohen's portrayal of J.D who came across more manic than broody, with a voice that exposes his vulnerability.

If you've never seen the movie, what's your damage?? And if you have seen the movie and loved it and haven't gone to see the musical yet, well then fuck me gently with a chainsaw! GO already! The guest I brought with me had seen the movie but had never heard the music from the musical and absolutely adored it, her favourite song being Blue. Afterwards, she immediately thought of a crew of her friends that she wanted to bring to the show.

In this world we currently live in of school violence, bullying, and homophobia, this musical based on the 80s cult favourite could not be more timely.

Heathers: The Musical is on now until August 26 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, in rotation with Greenday's American Idiot. For more info, check out Fighting Chance Productions!