The best way to cool off in Vancouver amid this summer heat is to treat yourself to Broadway Across Canada’s Frozen. Under the direction of Michael Grandage, this stage adaptation of the iconic 2013 Disney animated film is as spectacular an experience as one would expect, with jaw-dropping effects and scenic, lighting, and costume designs. But it’s the show’s inspirational messages about sisterhood and inner strength that make this experience truly impactful and unforgettable.
Read moreChelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen's dreamlike tribute still holds poetic magic, at the Firehall Arts Centre
“HOW CAN I BEGIN anything new with all of yesterday in me?” asks Adrian Glynn McMorran, in Firehall Arts Centre’s Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen.
Read moreStrong performances and a fairy-tale forest at Studio 58's Sondheim musical Into the Woods
WHAT DO YOU WISH for? In Studio 58’s production of the beloved Broadway musical Into the Woods, we see iconic fairy-tale characters co-existing in the same kingdom, each fighting to make their wishes come true, and experiencing the happy and not-so-happy results from each action.
Read morePowerful performances and music as Choir Boy examines how society shapes young lives
“WOULD YOU RATHER be respected or feared?” This is a question that’s repeatedly asked by Pharus, a gay teen at a Black all-boys boarding school in Choir Boy, a compelling play by Tarell Alvin McCraney. The question is one of many asked throughout the show that not only drive the plot but stay with audiences long after the final blackout, in this thought-provoking story that critically examines societal authority and the power it has in shaping the course of young lives.
Read moreMean Girls' witty teen comedy makes a "fetch" mix with song-and-dance spectacle
The iconic film has long been stamped into pop-culture legacy, and the recently released film, an adaptation of the 2017 hit Broadway musical, has been crushing it at the box office. Meanwhile, Broadway Across Canada’s touring production opened in Vancouver last night. Like the original film version, the show is hilarious and smart, but here, the storytelling is heightened through the magic of musical theatre, complete with splashy song-and-dance numbers and vibrant young cast members who offer their own takes on the story’s well-known characters.
Read moreGateway Theatre’s modern take on Cinderella retains the charm of a classic fairy tale
A STORY’S INTERPRETATION can evolve with time and culture—a fact made wonderfully evident in Gateway Theatre’s smart and inventive new production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Read moreReflections on Crooked Walking skips down its own whimsical path
WHILE CHRISTMAS SONGS and candy canes are currently sweetening theatres across Vancouver, there’s one stage in town that dares to go down a different path.
Read moreWith pirates and puns, Sinbad! sails with shameless old-school panto fun
THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a good traditional English pantomime during the holiday season, and Metro Theatre’s Sinbad! is exactly that. Pantos usually take a familiar story such as a fairy tale, add in a localized perspective, and revel in slapstick comedy, unapologetic word puns, drag, and a ton of audience participation—including booing all the bad guys. And Sinbad! is so bad it’s good!
Read moreThe Gingerbread Men: A Holiday Cabaret delights with four-part harmonies
WITH THE HOLIDAY season in full swing, an entertaining offering that will appeal to those who love nostalgic Christmas songs and high-quality singing is The Gingerbread Men: A Holiday Cabaret. This vocal showcase by The Gingerbread Men (TGM), a local quartet with a distinct 1950s-era flavour, makes for a fun and intimate evening, as though audiences are treated to a personal concert in a cozy living room. The suave and personable performers deliver their material with enthusiasm, style, and polished attention to detail in their vocals and movements.
Read moreElf: The Musical gives beloved holiday comedy an energized old-Broadway spin
ELF: THE MUSICAL, based on the beloved Will Ferrell film, brings the holiday classic to life on stage in a style that tips its hat to the golden age of Broadway musicals. Think tap dance, comedy, romance, and a stylized parade of eye-pleasing sets and costumes, in a show that’s packed with crowdpleasing fun.
Read morePowerful Hadestown pulls ancient Greek tragedy into contemporary times
CONTEMPORARY THEATRE AND GREEK tragedy come together brilliantly in Hadestown, the Tony Award–winning musical currently in Vancouver thanks to Broadway Across Canada. In this retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a talented, largely BIPOC cast performs poignant music and lyrics by Anais Mitchell, under director Rachel Chavkin’s imaginative concept. The show is captivating from start to finish and the story’s messages of undying love and hope hit with modern relevancy.
Read moreNostalgic appeal helps CTORA Theatre's The Wizard of Oz fly
THERE ARE FEW CULTURAL treasures as iconic as The Wizard of Oz. Thanks largely to the 1939 film, the characters, story, and quotes such as “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” have been beloved to generations of people worldwide. CTORA’s classic production of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Wizard of Oz builds off all that nostalgia, bringing the popularized versions of its characters to vivid life and keeping the story’s messages on friendship and family alive. And yes, there are even little flying monkeys.
Read moreTe Tangi a te Tūī's acrobatic stories of Māori magical spirits speak eloquently to colonial damage
THE COMPLEXITIES OF reconciliation are vast. Te Tangi a te Tūī is a Māori circus-theatre piece that explores some of these intricacies in a visually and emotionally powerful presentation.
Read moreStudio 58's The Tempest finds fresh energy, and hope, atop a garbage heap
STUDIO 58’s THE TEMPEST goes beyond serving simply as a student showpiece, with director Diana Donnelly’s imaginative vision—helped by the collaborative efforts of fellow creative team members, including choreographer Lee Su-Feh and set designer Emerenne Saefkow—creating a fresh, quirky, and innovative interpretation. The production brings contemporary resonance to Shakespeare’s classic, including messaging on climate change and broken communities. A reimagined work like this would not feel out of place on the professional stages of the likes of Bard on the Beach, and it’s a tremendous opportunity for Studio 58’s students. In turn, Donnelly’s vision is brought to life with the talent and energy of the young actors.
Read moreThe ravenous plant villainess is just the start of the fun in an enjoyably evil Little Shop of Horrors
YOU MAY ENJOY a little chuckle the next time you tend to your plants if you see the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. This comedic horror musical has been reimagined with an enjoyably evil and stylish diva of a plant, and a combined cast and creative team of B.C. and Alberta talent in a coproduction with Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre. The result is a delightfully entertaining production under the direction of Ashlie Corcoran that goes wildly over-the-top and leans into campiness at full-force.
Read moreAin't Too Proud's ode to The Temptations delivers grit alongside impressive song-and-dance numbers
“THE ONLY THING that lives forever is the music,” says the character of Otis Williams in the musical Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, currently playing in Vancouver as part of its Broadway Across Canada tour.
Read morePhysical feats of manhood and bird metaphors among standouts at Vancouver Fringe Festival
Theatre reviews of the 2023 Vancouver Fringe Festival’s productions of Generic Male, The Pigeon and the Dove, and Trudeaumania. All reviews were written for Stir. Read the full reviews here.
Read moreSultry tango, orange puppets, and orca laments—a first look at Vancouver Fringe Festival shows
Tango in the Dark, presented by PointeTango, is a piece that dazzles with artistic brilliance. Danced by Erin Scott-Kafadar and Alexander Richardson, two world–class artists and athletes, the show is a brilliant fusion of classical ballet and Argentinian tango, packaged in a creative production that considers story, flow, visuals, and the audience.
Read moreShowstopping dance numbers and dazzling sets help Disney's Aladdin fly
DISNEY’S ALADDIN is lighting up the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with a fun theatrical production that’s as dazzling as the title character’s magical lamp.
Read moreTheatre Under the Stars rises brilliantly to the demands of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
THIS SUMMER, the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park has been transformed into a whimsical storybook world, thanks to Theatre Under The Stars’ production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical.
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