Tina - The Tina Turner Musical !

Premiering on Broadway just before the Covid pandemic hit is this jukebox musical about the life of Tina Turner! And now, it's here in our fair city of Vancouver! I've been wanting to see this and will be heading to it this weekend. 

I have a friend who is a Tina Turner enthusiast and has seen the show several times in New York and London, and will be going twice during its Vancouver run. If that's not a stamp of approval, then I don't know what is! 

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical is on now through Broadway Across Canada and runs until Sunday March 30! 

Mirrors art exhibit

Come by this evening 6-9pm for the opening night reception of the latest art exhibit at the Queer Arts Festival's Sum Gallery in Chinatown! 

Register here for your free ticket! 

"Mirrors presents a series of watercolour nudes created by Michael Morris during his Berlin residency in the 1980s. Unique in Morris’ predominantly abstract oeuvre, these paintings depict hustlers, artists, and friends, many of them posing in front of a mirror, so that their form could be captured from different angles. Some three dozen nudes, none of which have ever been exhibited publicly, are presented alongside six newly commissioned paintings — “reflections” on Morris’ work — by West Moberly First Nations artist Dion Smith-Dokkie."

Mirrors is on until April 4 at the Sum Gallery. 

Wonderful Joe

 Well, if you don't already have a ticket for Ronnie Burkett's Wonderful Joe at the Cultch by now, then you are out of luck, as the show has completely sold out its run! 

Ronnie Burkett needs no introduction in these parts. If you've never gone to one of his shows, then you need to get with the program and grab a ticket as soon as they go on sale, as many Vancouverites seemed to have done! They've caught on to his remarkable talent as an artist and puppeteer. 

In Wonderful Joe, Burkett takes a break from the antics and hi jinx of his Daisy Theatre cabaret to return to a more linear story that will make you laugh and also break your heart. My first introduction to Burkett was his show 10 Days on Earth, which had a profound sadness to it, and I'm thrilled to see a bit of that melancholy heart brought back here in his latest outing. 

Wonderful Joe is on at the Cultch until February 23 and is sold out. 

Heathers: The Musical

Dear Diary, quelle surprise! Studio 58's production of Heathers The Musical at Langara is just so... VERY. 

I was fortunate enough to catch the premiere of this show in NewYork on Broadway where they had electric blue Liquid Drano shots for sale at the bar. Alas, Langara does not serve booze, otherwise that would've been a fun addition to what is already a fully entertaining night out! 

If you're not familiar with the cult 80s classic, this is the original Mean Girls but darker - I'm talking guns, suicide, and school bombings. A standout for me was Evan Andersen Sterns as the moody bad boy, J.D. He is charming and cute in Act One, and spirals into psychopath manic territory by the end, while dragging along Saidi Mader's Veronica with him. 

Normally with musicals, I find Act One to be the stronger half. But with this show and production, it's actually Act Two that has some serious stand out moments. When Carol Chu as Heather McNamara gets a shot in the limelight, she takes it and runs away with it. Her mini solo was a delightful surprise. But then with the 11 O'Clock number is Stella Jack-Rennie, who in true 80s fashion removes her dumpy eyeglasses to reveal a beautiful soul underneath as her Martha Dunnstock character takes flight in a touching and sombre suicide song, that left the audience gasping as the lights went out. 

Apparently this is the 5th time that Heathers The Musical has been done in our fair city! I had no idea. If you too had no clue, and wanted to see this show, then there's no better spot to go than Studio 58! 

Heathers The Musical runs until February 16.  

The Height of the Storm

There is a gem of a show playing right now at a gem of a theatre over on the West side. 

I have been a fan of Florian Zeller's writing for awhile now, having read several of his novels translated from the French. When I heard that United Players of Vancouver had secured the rights and were going to mount a production of his play The Height of the Storm, I was definitely intrigued. 

It's been a while since I've seen anything at the Jericho Theatre, so what a great welcome back this was! Wonderfully directed by Adam Henderson, the show nails it on every detail, from the set design to the lighting to the sound. All the actors are just fantastic as well. 

The story is slightly murky, making the audience work for the viewing. It blends memory with the present, dementia with reality. At 80 minutes with no intermission, the show is a welcome addition to Vancouver's theatrical landscape. 

How lucky are we that the opportunity to see a wonderful production of  a Florian Zeller play is right at our doorstep? 

The Height of the Storm is on now until February 9.