“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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.  

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

HIGH SCHOOL PROM is romanticized as a special milestone for kids to bid farewell to childhood and celebrate the start of a new chapter. But in reality, there are often mixed—sometimes painful—emotions associated with this symbolic coming-of-age tradition.

ELVIS IS BACK in the building. And he’s with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins! If the idea of these four rock and roll icons having a jam session together seems too far-fetched, consider this: it actually did happen on December 4, 1956 in Memphis, Tennessee. Million Dollar Quartet, a Broadway jukebox musical, re-enacts this famed jam session and the events that unfolded. The Arts Club’s version of the Tony Award-winning musical is inventive and pays terrific tribute to the music legends, highlighted by high-energy, crowd-pleasing performances. 

THERE’S A STORY behind every song. In Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, one of the characters comments on how hard it is to tell a story in a three-minute song. So why not tell it in a full-scale musical? The Arts Club’s latest offering at the Stanley Theatre, Beautiful tells the story of American singer-songwriter legend Carole King’s rise to fame and her relationship with collaborator Gerry Goffin. It’s an uplifting, entertaining show, neatly packaged with punch under the direction of Ashlie Corcoran, with choreography by Julie Tomaino, and musical direction by Ken Cormier.

DOING LAUNDRY CAN be a drag. Thankfully, Australia’s Briefs Factory International has taken this literally. Their show, Dirty Laundry, currently playing at the York Theatre, is a queer spectacle of drag, circus, dance, and burlesque—or as it’s called in the gay dance world, “boylesque”. The eight cast members are all world-class performers in their respective disciplines and the show is a roaring good time with a wonderful inclusive spirit. 

SPRING AWAKENING IS a bold and daring Tony Award-winning musical about sexual discovery and adolescent struggles in Germany during the turn of the 19th century. But in addition to addressing these timeless themes, the show is also about challenging the cultural norms and restrictions set by older generations—something that resonates strongly these days, as Gen Z continues to rise up and question how things are done.

Thank goodness cats have nine lives, because the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats is still kicking it 41 years after it first premiered in London’s West End. The current national tour, which is currently playing in Vancouver, is a re-creation of the 2016 Broadway revival—the second major version in North America. This production maintains the authenticity of the original London/Broadway production, with exciting freshness thanks to the young, talented cast members, many of whom probably were not born yet when the original Broadway production closed in 2000.

WITH THE LIGHTNING Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, CTORA Theatre has unleashed a fun and imaginative theatrical experience that audiences of all ages will love. Thanks to a cast of young, talented performers, and impressive staging and design, the show does a fine job of bringing the first story in Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson & the Olympians novel series to life.

IT’S BEEN A long time since Metro Vancouver has been treated to a locally-produced splashy Broadway musical at the calibre of Royal City Musical Theatre’s Crazy For You. This show offers first-rate performances, grand-scale costumes and sets, and classic Broadway magic under the leadership of renowned director and choreographer Valerie Easton.

AT THE OUTSET, The Legend of Georgia McBride has the visage of being a fun, sparkling, drag-themed play. But every drag performance has a meaningful personal story under the glitter—and the relevance of drag is increasing daily as political and societal forces threaten to oust it.

IN THE DIRECTOR notes for Studio 58’s production of Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen, Amiel Gladstone discusses how this play is rarely done due to its size. “Enjoy this special thing—33 actors in a big bold play, full of life,” he writes. And that’s indeed what this play is—a big, bold play, full of life, and an absolute stellar opportunity for Studio 58’s students to sink their teeth into interesting, varied, and complicated characters. It’s a chance for the emerging actors to showcase their talents in a work that has the production qualities and scale usually reserved for Broadway musicals.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a fun night out, Pretty Woman the Musical is an enjoyable option. This touring production of the Broadway show offers some strong performances, including those of lead Jessie Davidson and original Broadway Rent star Adam Pascal; high-energy production numbers; and pleasing visual designs. But don’t expect much originality, substance, or memorable songs, apart from Roy Orbison’s classic title track, which of course is included.