Tag Archives: Veda Hille

East Van Panto Celebrates 10 Years With Their Own Spin On The Little Mermaid

6 Nov

The Cultch and Theatre Replacement are thrilled to present East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid, November 16, 2022 until January 1, 2023, at the York Theatre.

For a decade, Theatre Replacement and The Cultch have partnered to bring this holiday tradition like no other. It transforms well-known stories with an East Van twist and has something for all ages. This year, East Van Panto is going under the sea with a wild East Van-centric adventure to the bottom of the Burrard Inlet and back.

In East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid, Ariel is busking with her girl band at New Brighton Beach, when she falls in love with a teenage mer-person. She dives into an ocean adventure, where she makes a questionable deal with a devilish octopus named Ursula, fights off evil electric eels with her trash crab BFF, Sebastian, and has to help save the ocean from a mysterious purple slime of despair.

The writer-director duo from last year’s East Van Panto: Alice in Wonderland, Sonja Bennett and Meg Roe, return to create this year’s 10th anniversary production with Veda Hille, who has been writing the music and fun parodies of popular songs since East Van Panto began. For those that have attended past shows, you will know the music is great every year. Tickets start are $35 and are now available online for in person shows with audience participation encouraged. If you prefer to take in the show from the comfort of home, The Little Mermaid is available to watch online on-demand from December 17, 2022 – January 31, 2023 through RE/PLAY, The Cultch’s digital playground. To learn more, visit The Cultch.

“It is the silliest, most wonderful of traditions.
And for me, it has become essential.” 
The Globe and Mail

“If the East Van Panto isn’t part of your holiday tradition yet,
what are you waiting for?”
Georgia Straight

“East Van Panto has earned its place as one of the best-loved holiday traditions in Vancouver…”
Colin Thomas

Photo Credit: Emily Cooper

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Music At The Cinemas Series At The Fox Cabaret

23 Nov

Vancouver Independent Music Centre and No Horses Music present Music at the Cinemas Series. Curator, Tony Wilson, presents two double bill concerts at the Fox Cabaret Saturday, November 27th and Friday, December 3rd at the Fox Cabaret, 2321 Main Street.

Saturday, November 27th

Veda Hille
On November 27th, Veda Hill will perform songs about love and nature and time, in an art rock/chamber folk style. She will be accompanied by vocalists Lucien Durey and Patsy Klein, Nicholas Krgovich voice and keyboard

Veda Hille has been writing music, making records, and performing internationally since 1992. She is a classically trained pianist, art school drop-out, performance curator, self-taught singer, theatre interloper, and independent artist. She has released 22 albums, the latest being Little Volcano, a solo album that accompanies her new touring show.

Tillicum Shantie
Featuring jazz arrangements of Salish songs and the music of two legendary indigenous jazz artists – Mildred Bailey and Jim Pepper. To purchase tickets for the November 27th performance, visit Eventbrite.

Friday, December 3rd

Josh Zubot Strings
Josh Zubot Strings will perform a wide gamut of melodic/suspenseful harmony, improvisation and extended exploration in sound Josh will be accompanied by Jesse Zubot violin, viola, James Meger bass, Meredith Bates violin, Peggy Lee cello.

Josh Zubot’s string explorations have found a new home with his string quintet of genre defying West Coast players. Josh’s compositions take on emotion, energy, calmness, unpredictability and virtuosic technique. The music combines traditional and graphic notation while slicing group improvisation moving from the tiniest of sound to the extreme. After hearing his acoustic string music, the listener’s sonic universe will be stretched to the limits.
www.joshzubot.ca

Scott Smith and Tony Wilson’s Tribute to Lenny Breau and Buddy Emmons

Tribute to Canadian legendary guitarist Lenny Breau and Nashville pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons with music drawn from the jazz tradition.

In the late ’70s guitarist Lenny Breau and pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons teamed up and recorded an album entitled Minors Aloud. Recorded in Nashville, the album became a hard-to-find classic and a must-listen for guitarists of any kind. The quartet will play the entire album as well as other tunes Lenny and Buddy collaborated on.

Scott Smith is an award-winning pedal steel player and guitarist who has toured and recorded with Barney Bentall, Rich Hope and Terminal StaQon among many others. Host of the popular Adventures in Pedal Steel series at the Heatley, he released the instrumental album Lifeboat: Explorations in Pedal Steel in 2020.

Guitarist and composer Tony Wilson has been a fixture on the West Coast jazz and free improv scene for decades. In addition to releasing numerous albums under his own name such as Looking Back and A Day’s Life, he has also played and recorded with the Peggy Lee Band, Waxwing and Pugs and Crows.
To purchase tickets for the December 3rd performance, visit Eventbrite.

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It’s Back …. Do You Want What I’ve Got? A Craigslist Cantata Returns Feb 5-7, 2021

11 Jan

Did you miss The Cultch’s presentation of A Craigslist Cantata in November? You are in luck, it’s back for a short run February 5 – 7, 2021. If you haven’t already heard about this fun virtual show it’s your personal ads set to music and streamed to your living room. You are invited to join a cast of wild and wacky characters from the Craigslist community as they attempt to buy and sell online, all the while longing and searching for human connection. Do You Want What I’ve Got? A Craigslist Cantata. The production touches on social isolation and is live-streamed from The Cultch’s Historic Theatre. You can expect a witty and poignant exploration of physical distancing along with original songs such as 300 Stuffed Penguins, Chili Eating Buddy and Decapitated Dolls. The production features the incredibly talented local cast including, Meaghan Chenosky, Josh Epstein, Chirag Naik, Amanda Sum, Andrew Wheeler and choreography by Amanda Testini. The production is written by the talented Veda Hille, Bill Richardson and Amiel Gladstone. Tickets start from $29 for a 1 viewer household and $58 for a 2 viewer household. To grab your ticket(s), visit The Cultch.

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Holiday Favourite East Van Panto Goes Digital This December

30 Nov
One of our favourite things in December is attending the East Van Panto at The Cultch. It’s always good fun with lots of laughs for all ages. And honestly couldn’t we all use a few more laughs this year? For its 8th season, Theatre Replacement’s Artistic Directors James Long and Maiko Yamamoto are bringing the production digital direct to your living room.

In 2020’s Panto Come Home!  Artistic Directors James Long and Maiko Yamamoto sneak into the York to find a very sad pyjama clad Veda Hille parked at her piano. Seems she’s moved into the theatre and has been spending her days trying to relive Panto memories of old. In an attempt to cheer her up they call up a bunch of their favourite Panto friends to sing and dance her best East Van Panto hits. Things go sideways fast when the Phanto of the Panto swoops in. He’s been watching these things ever since Jack and the Beanstalk opened the York 8 years ago and has a few choice ideas on how to make this year’s Panto really work. We hear physically-distanced antics then ensue.

Expect a silly production as favourites from Pantos past come together to remix the best of the last seven Pantos into a brand new holiday extravaganza. From the ‘Cheese Song’ to the BC Ferry Godmother, Panto Come Home! is guaranteed fun for the whole family. So grab your front row seat where you can cheer, sing and dance along with the show in the comfort of your home, hey in your PJs if you want. Panto Come Home! runs December 17-27, 2020. Single tickets start from $35 with a Family Box available with other options. To learn more or purchase your ticket(s), visit The Cultch.

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Do You Want What I’ve Got? A Craigslist Cantata Live To Your Living Room Nov. 19-22

7 Nov

The Cultch invites you to join a cast of wild and wacky characters from the Craigslist community as they attempt to buy and sell online, all the while longing and searching for human connection. Do You Want What I’ve Got? A Craigslist Cantata revisits one of the most popular and critically acclaimed shows to come out of Vancouver. The upcoming production comes with a fresh, new perspective on social isolation and is live-streamed from The Cultch’s Historic Theatre November 19- 22, 2020. What you can expect is a witty and poignant exploration of physical distancing along with original songs such as 300 Stuffed Penguins, Chili Eating Buddy and Decapitated Dolls. The production features the incredibly talented local cast including, Meaghan Chenosky, Josh Epstein, Chirag Naik, Amanda Sum, Andrew Wheeler and choreography by Amanda Testini. The production is written by the talented Veda Hille, Bill Richardson and Amiel Gladstone. Tickets start from $29 for a 1 viewer household and $58 for a 2 viewer household. To grab your ticket(s), visit The Cultch.

“Must-see theatre…one of the most unique and entertaining theatrical concoctions this town has seen in many a year”
– JERRY WASSERMAN, THE PROVINCE 

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‘Little Red Riding Hood’ An East Van Panto At The York Theatre November 23rd to December 31

16 Nov

eastvanpantoThis December, we invite you to make some time for a bit of fun and check out the East Van Panto: Little Red Riding Hood.  Now in its 4th year, this production is brought to you by the creative minds at Theatre Replacement. The show will be playing at the York Theatre from November 23rd to December 31st. For those not familiar with the term panto, by definition a Panto (another name for Pantomime) is a tradition of holiday musical comedy theatre. Pantomime takes a familiar fairy tale, in this year’s case, Little Red Riding Hood and injects music, contemporary references and (best of all) audience participation to create raucous, noisy entertainment that is fun for all ages. In this year’s East Van Panto, Little Red Riding Hood will be bombing down the Adanac bike trail to deliver a basket of goodies to her sweet little granny. In easy path in theory right?  Well this IS the East Van Panto. Little Red Riding Hood will have to battle a few things along the way like some bike thieves along with some distracted drivers and, of course, The Big Bad Wolf. Will there be a murder of crows in her path? Or maybe it will be the Three Little Pigs. Well you will have to come out and find out and cheer her on.  During the show, expect  just a few (or well maybe many) East Van references that will be sure to make you laugh. Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the musical talents of Veda Hille who will be on hand for the first week after that Benjamin Elliott of Are We Cool Now? fame will be performing Veda’s signature tunes.    The East Van Panto is open to all ages 5 and up. Tickets start at $20, family packs are available which include 4 tickets for $120.  Note, all seats for ages 18 and under are $20.  Tickets are available at The Cultch either in person, by phone or online. The shows run begins November 23d at 7:00 pm and continues till December 31st. For those looking for a matinee, there are many 2:00 pm shows. For more information on tickets and performances, visit The Cultch. See you there! eastvanpantotimmatheson

Photo Credit: Tim Matheson

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