Vancouver Sunset

Captured tonight at English Bay around 6:00pm. The days, they're getting shorter.

The New BC Place Roof

I finally got a chance to go check out the new BC Place roof, which they've been working on the past year or so. The other night, Iris and I headed out for a Whitecaps game (soccer) but really we just wanted to hang out and see each other. I also wanted to see the inside of the stadium and the new open-air roof. There's a fancy new HD jumbotron in the middle too, which had fantastic quality. Here are some photos!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Sondheim Show

I've never been a huge fan of Sondheim. Most times, I don't get it. I don't see the genius or brilliance. However, tonight Emily and I chose to go watch a local production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a musical comedy which we found out to our dismay was written by Sondheim.



Cut to us at the end of the evening, thoroughly going over the production and how much FUN we had at it! The songs were funny and the story was fun. It was silly over the top farce, for sure, but we had a fantastic time! Who knew!?

It's playing at the Jericho Arts Centre until Oct 23, so check it out! You can get tickets here.

YVR: Next To Normal, VIFF, and CBC LIVE Vancouver

So I did take a break from my Game of Thrones-a-thon and made it out to some live theatre on Sunday afternoon with Emily.



We hit up the Stanley to take in the local production of the modern musical Next To Normal.

This is the hard to swallow story about a woman having a nervous breakdown due to a family tragedy 18 years in the making. The music and story are all original, which is rare these days in the times of musicals based on movies. I saw the Broadway production of this with the one and only Aaron Tveit, as well as Tony award winner Alice Ripley. I have to say though, Vancouver does this proud. The production at the Stanley is probably the best show I've ever seen there. It only runs till Oct 9, so you best get your tickets fast!

I'm really busy with work these days, so it's amazing that I even got to go watch this musical on the weekend. I spent Saturday morning talking to a bunch of Future Shop employees about donations and how they can impact their community. Today I was at their head office for a big kick off party, tomorrow I'll be speaking to the folks at Canada Revenue, and then Wednesday I have to stand in front of a bunch of firefighters. GULP. But I am LOVING IT.



In addition, I'm also doing volunteer work for the Vancouver International Film Festival! It's always my favourite time of year, and with a volunteer pass in hand, it's even better! There are so many films I want to go see this year! I'll have to blog about them, if only for "outreach" and "publicity" purposes.

And this Friday, there will be a big event over at CBC Vancouver! It's the kick off to Cultural Days, and will feature tons of CBC celebrities and a live concert! Check out the schedule here!

Anything Goes!

Last night, Alexis, Emily, and I went to Stanley Park to watch Theatre Under the Stars' production of the musical Anything Goes (which is currently a revival on Broadway starring Sutton Foster!) If you've never been, it's a wonderful evening out, watching a live musical outside in the fresh air and beneath the night sky. How much more romantic can it get? There's food, you can bring a blanket, and the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass.

However, Theatre Under the Stars has a reputation for being...amateur? Sure, but still. It's a great opportunity for locals to get their feet wet in a musical (both watching and/or being in one). As for Anything Goes, I must admit, this is one of the better productions I've seen from Theatre Under The Stars! The singing was good, the dancing was fun, and it was just a light and enjoyable show.

Ok, I could've done without the racist Asian characters with the thick accents, but I guess considering this is an older musical, it just shows the time it comes from. I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie in New York and it had the same issue of Asians with bad accents.

Overall though, if you want to go to a musical and experience a good show at Theatre Under the Stars, then put on your sailor's outfit and set sail for Anything Goes!

It's no Sutton Foster, mind you!!

The Outgames are Here!

So the North American Outgames are in town this week!

I'm volunteering for them and it's been fun and chaotic and a great way to meet new people! I'll be volunteering all week, and it's Pride as well! So, definitely hoping to have a good week ahead!

Anyhow, happy Pride to everyone and enjoy the Outgames!!

Teenage Dream

Oh to float around on a cotton candy cloud. That's what Katy Perry did last night at her last Canadian stop of her sold out California Dreams tour. I managed to snag tickets to the exclusive event after checking on Ticketmaster every single day until more tickets were released.

I loved that the entire show centered around her "kitty" and following her into a magical world full of candy and cupcakes. Her cover of Whitney's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" was a high point, as were all of her hits. I wished she had saved Teenage Dream for later on in the show instead of opening with it, but it was still awesome to jump up and down screaming like a schoolgirl when it started.

"Have you guys ever been depressed? Some of you don't even know what that word even means. Oh to be nine again." She was very interactive with the audience, talking and making jokes. It was nice to see that she comes across as funny and quirky live as she does in her videos. Her sense of humour really shines through! She talked about going bowling in Vancouver, how she loves Canada because we spell "coloured" the right way, because there is colour in U!

From the moment we stepped into the stadium, we were greeted with folks selling cotton candy. How fun is that! She had several moments where she allowed audience members up on the stage, including one lucky guy who was only allowed up if he took his shirt off. He complied, got up there, and got a kiss from Katy and she even allowed him to return one. Very sweet!

And not to mention the entourage of fans she brought up to dance during I Wanna Dance With Somebody. She took one girl aside and asked if she wanted to take a photo together for her Facebook. Too cute!

And then there's her singing ability. I've seen her sing live on tv and it has SUCKED. So, I did not expect much. But she delivered! She sounded great last night!

It was a fun show, light and fluffy and perfect for the summer!