A Heart Wrenching Cabaret, The Cave, Hits The Stage at The Cultch November 10-20, 2022

26 Oct

The Cultch hosts a heart wrenching cabaret, The Cave, from Tomson Highway, music from John Millard and book from Martha Ross from November 10 – 20, 2022. It’s an important one to see that shows the climate crisis through the eyes of a group of animals trapped together in a bear’s cave as a forest fire draws near. As they await their inevitable demise, they sing. Their tales—reflections on their lives, their ‘lost garden,’ and their impending doom—slowly reveal the reality of a land exploited by humans. At times hysterically comical, at times dramatic and tragic, the four performers—Andrea Koziol, Derek Kwan, Alex Samaras, Maryem Tollar—sing seventeen stirring songs in English and Cree, playing abstractions of Bear, Moose, Beaver, Skunk, Snake, Wolf, Crow, and Fox. And presiding over everything, the cabaret is hosted by a wry and charming MC played by the composer, Millard, himself.

An online version of The Cave was part of The Cultch’s 2021 digital season. It was an immediate hit with critics and audiences alike, who expressed their desire to see it in person when it became possible. The newly staged in-person version comes to Vancouver with new animations.

“I was born and raised in a completely natural environment,” recalls lyricist Tomson Highway. “It was completely safe, and a blissful experience to live in that ‘garden’. And a true garden it was. Now, a half-century later, it is no longer safe to live up there. The reason? Forest fires. Hundreds of them every summer. In Fort McMurray’s fire some 2,000 people lost their homes. How many animals lost theirs? The destruction was, and is, gargantuan. That is to say, the current state of global warming is THEIR eviction from the garden. And it is ours.”

Tickets are available online now at The Cultch. What people are saying about The Cave:

“Messages on climate crisis delivered in a creatively charged cabaret that defies expectations” 
Janet Smith, Stir

“Playfulness abounds… But there are operatic thrills, too, and heartbreaking lyricism.”
Colin Thomas, colinthomas.ca

“The Cave is never preachy, always entertaining.”
Jo Ledingham, joledingham.ca

Photo Credit: Cassandra Popescu

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The Eastside Culture Crawl November 17 – 20, 2022

25 Oct

The Eastside Culture Crawl is back November 17 – 20, 2022. This 4 day visual arts festival is an amazing opportunity to check out the work of over 500 local artists. As the name indicates, most of the studios are on Vancouver’s Eastside in bounded by Columbia Street, First Ave and Victoria Drive.

The Eastside Culture Crawl will feature painters, furniture makers, jewellers, sculptors, potters, photographers, glassblowers and so much more. Take the opportunity to visit artists in their working studios and view their work up close and personal. Artists are generally available to discuss their work and creative process. The Eastside Culture Crawl runs from November 17 and 18 from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm and November 19 and 20 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. This is one event we never miss. Check out the Crawl Map and take a visual tour to see which studios you might like to visit.

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Yaga – A Crime Thriller Comes To The Cultch October 27 to November 5, 2022

23 Oct

Just in time for Halloween, The Cultch hosts a crime thriller from October 27th to November 5th. Yaga is a play that features a mysterious disappearance and suspected murder of a college bad boy. The disappearance finds a small-town sheriff, a young private detective and a university professor with a taste for younger men into a labyrinth of secret lives, ancient magic and multiple suspects. You are invited to check out this genre-bending crime thriller that we hear conjures up the dark magic of a wicked old witch, BabaYaga. Yaga will lead you on an unforgettable world of trickery and revenge. Tickets are on sale now and available online at The Cultch.

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The Parade of Lost Souls Hosts An Intergalactic Disco October 29, 2022

17 Oct

The much loved Parade of Lost Souls is back for another with an Intergalactic Disco which takes place on Saturday, October 29th. If you live in East Van, you likely know about this grass-roots festival. Creative direction comes from the folks at The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret. The event itself encompasses dance, art, music, installations, acting and the well attended parade and much loved Thriller Flash Mob.

Everyone is invited to participate in the Parade of Lost Souls on Saturday, October 29th which procession will be led by The Carnival Band. The band will be doing hourly processions at 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm from the Britannia Community Centre.  Costumes are encouraged and the wilder the better. For those interested in buying or making a costume, you may wish to check out the Open Houses being hosted on October 21st and October 28th from 4:00 – 6:00 pm which is all about costumes. You can find more information on their Facebook page.

For those familiar with the event, you may know there is usually a Lost Souls After Party which is set to get under way at the Wise Hall at 10:00 pm to 1:00 am. Tickets are $40 and available online.

As always, The Dusty Flowerpot is open to volunteers assisting and performers and artists participating. Each year, organizers host a series of workshops which are currently running throughout the month of October. To learn more visit The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret.

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Gourmet Warehouse Announces More Great Cooking Classes

11 Oct

Gourmet Warehouse has added more great cooking and baking classes heading into the holiday season. If you haven’t already experienced one of their classes, it is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening with some like-minded food lovers. If you have participated, you know it’s a great way to pick up some knowledge and some great tips in the kitchen. Added bonus is after each cooking class all the participants are offered a 10% discount for purchases made the day of your class. We have set a few of their upcoming classes that caught our eye.  For a full line up of all the classes Gourmet Warehouse is offering visit Cooking Classes.

Introduction to Pastry – November 5, 2022

Chef Andrei Godoroja, winner of ‘Great Canadian Baking Show’, will be leading this hands on pastry class. For those not familiar with pastry marking, it encompasses a wide spectrum of textures and techniques. In this class, you will learn to produce wonderfully flaky pastry that may be the basis of the most impressive and fastest desserts. We’ve set out below what you will be making in this class:

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• Savoury Galette – Leek, Potato and Goat Cheese
• Sweet Galette – Apple and Cinnamon
• Puff Pastry – Seasonal Fruits and Fillings
• Fresh Fruit Tart – Chocolate Ganache, Pastry Cream, Fresh Fruit

Caren’s Holiday Appetizers 1 – November 23, 2022

Chef and owner of Gourmet Warehouse, Caren McSherry, hosts this demonstration cooking class in which she will teach you how to make 7 stunning canapes. In this evening class, you will learn to make:

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• Turkish Lamb Kofte Skewers with Toasted Flatbread & Yogurt Tahini Drizzle
• Crisp Saffron Risotto Cakes with Grilled Prawns
• Prosciutto Parmesan Fingers
• Swiss Cheese Gougères
• Crispy Korean Tootsie Rolls with Kimchi Dipping Sauce
• Decadent Mini Dark Chocolate Tarts with White Chocolate Drizzle

Go Nuts For Doughnuts – November 26, 2022

Who does not love doughnuts? On November 26th, in this hands-on class, Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu will teach you how to make four different types of doughnuts and yes, you will make them yourself. Expect to learn the proper techniques including proofing, rolling out dough, correct practices for cutting and shaping dough and consistent frying. Chef Deniz will guide you through each step. The menu which includes sweet and savoury is set out below:

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• Sourdough Beignets with Gravlax, Sour Cream and Pickled Onions
• Boston Cream and Berry filled Doughnut
• Cake Doughnut with Triple Chocolate topping
• Lokumades with Hot Honey

Taste of Taverna – December 1, 2022

Chef Deniz Tarakcioglu is back to lead this demonstration cooking class that shares the delish delicacies that Greece has to offer in “Taste of Taverna”. Ingredients that will feature prominently in the dishes include Roasted Garlic, Pistachio, Honeycomb and Lemon. Chef Deniz has spent his life in Turkey and the Mediterranean learning from friends and family the heart of European cuisine which he loves to share in each of his classes. The menu for this class is set out below:

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• Roasted Garlic Hummus with Pita Crisps
• Pan Fried Halloumi with Honeycomb, Pistachios, Preserved Apricots
• Aegean Style Ling Cod Souvlaki, Fisherman’s Salad with Feta and Olives, Lemon Potatoes with Fresh Herbs
• Walnut Baklava with Clotted Cream

To see all the classes being offered and or to register, we invite you to visit GourmetWarehouse.ca.

Photo Credit: Gourmet Warehouse

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Nightmare Before Christmas Market At The Croatian Cultural Centre October 8 & 9

5 Oct

If you are looking to shop for the wacky, weird and the wonderful, you may wish to check out the Nightmare Before Christmas Market happening this weekend at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive.   The event will host 79 vendors that celebrate Halloween handmade style. Along with a variety of vendors, you can also expect to find crafts for kids, face painting as well as performers. Admission is $3 for adults if you purchase tickets online and $4 at the door. Free entry for those 13 years of age and under.  The event runs Saturday, October 8th from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sunday, October 9th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Stop by to get into the Halloween spirit.

Photo Credit: Toni Cuenca

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Firehall Arts Centre Presents The Unbroadcast – The Life Of Mildred Bailey October 14 & 15

28 Sep

The Firehall Arts Centre along with the Red Cedar Theatre are pleased to present The Unbroadcast Life of Mildred Bailey for two evenings only Friday, October 14th and Saturday, October 15th.  

The production was created by award-winning composer and traditional singer from the Lil’wat Nation, Russell Wallace. The Unbroadcast Life is a live podcast play featuring the life and music of Salish jazz singer, social darling and musical pioneer of the 1930s, Mildred Bailey.  She was known as “The Queen of Swing”, “The Rockin’ Chair Lady” and “Mrs. Swing”, Mildred Bailey was one of the first female singers to make a name for herself in the American pantheon of jazz. She captured the subtleties of the 1930s’ African American blues and ragtime music and became the first female jazz singer to perform regularly with a band. The Unbroadcast Life of Mildred Bailey explores the singer’s life and impact on the jazz scene and offers glimpses into that era’s rehearsal rooms, music studios and lively, star-studded wingdings. Tickets start are $20 and are available online at Firehall Arts Centre.

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The Portuguese Kids Present: Faz O Relax! At The York Theatre October 22nd

21 Sep

For anyone that has grown up with immigrant parents, you will likely find something relatable when the Portuguese Kids come to town Saturday, October 22nd with Faz O Relax! The Portuguese Kids are an ethnic based comedy group from Massachusetts, USA. For nearly two decades, they have been highlighting the funnier side of growing up as first generation kids of immigrant parents. The show is a mix of sketch comedy and improv comedy. They say it’s like SNL meets Who’s Line is it, Anyway? but with an ethnic twist. The show is performed in English 90% of the time. Joining them on stage will be Luso-Canadian standup comedian Mike Rita and from California, comedian Taylor Amarante. The show is for one night only, Saturday, October 22nd at the York Theatre. Tickets are $35.25 and $45.25 and available online at The Cultch.

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Bad Parent Premieres At The Cultch October 13-23

20 Sep

The Cultch and vAct (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) present Bad Parent, a brand new play from renowned award-winning playwright, Ins Choi. Bad Parent will have its Vancouver premiere at The Cultch Historic Theatre, October 13-23, 2022. It was originally scheduled to run in the spring of 2022, but had to be postponed due to COVID.

The production features Norah and Charles who are trying to navigate their lives as parents of a toddler, but are figuring out who they are in relation to their son, to each other, and to the audience. Bad Parent, is a billed as a hilarious new feel-good comedy from Ins Choi, the creator of the hit CBC sitcom and play Kim’s Convenience, is an honest, no-holds-barred portrait of young parents struggling to find their way through the messy reality of parenthood.

Like all the best fiction, Bad Parent was born of true experience. “There was a turbulent time, early in our marriage, when my wife and I argued a lot. I began writing long unfiltered rants in an attempt to clarify how I was feeling and why,” says playwright Ins Choi. “Many years later, I came across those rants and felt sorry for that couple back then trying to make ends meet, meet each other’s needs and the needs of a newborn.”

Renowned award-winning Vancouver theatre company vAct has gained a reputation in the city for premiering groundbreaking works by some of the biggest names in Canadian theatre. They are one of the only theatre companies in the country to focus on Asian Canadian creators, and they have been responsible for creating and producing some of the most exciting theatre on Canadian stages. Bad Parent, the latest of their Mainstage productions, written by one of Canada’s most famous contemporary playwrights continues the legacy of telling great stories from incredible Asian Canadian talent. “Stories disarm by inviting us into the lives of others wholly different from ourselves only to help us realize how similar we all are,” says Choi. “Through stories, we’re entertained as a group and comforted to know we’re not alone both in our struggles and what we find funny.”

Bad Parent takes the stage in the Historic Theatre at The Cultch from October 13 to 23, 2022.  Tickets start at $29 and are available online at The Cultch.

Photo: Emily Cooper

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First Pick Handmade – Fall Pop Up Sale At Heritage Hall September 24 & 25

17 Sep

First Pick Handmade is back at the Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, on Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th.  The Fall Pop Up Sale features fashions for you and the home. There will be a wide range of high quality Canadian designs.  For this Fall Show, you can also expect to find size inclusive and gender-neutral designs for all body types.

Some of the designers on hand including Givers and Takers Clothing, Jessica Redditt Designs, Kate & Francis, Uni Design, Winterluxe Recycled Cashmere, Joanna Lovett Sterling, Zula Jewelry + Design, art by Lydia Cecilia and Sola Fiedler as well as skin care and beauty products by Conscious Care. Whether you are looking for something for your home, for yourself, or as a gift, there will be lots to choose from with all of this talent under one roof. Stop by and check it out between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm September 24th and 25th. Admission is $3.00 at the door or online.

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