I was shocked when I heard that the beautiful Centre for Performing Arts that is used by many Vancouver arts organizations and touring shows was about to be sold to an evangelical church. Four Brothers Entertainment, the current owner of the theatre, is reportedly in the midst of arranging a sale to Westside Church whose pastor is looking for a new place of worship for his congregation.
Since this pending sale, Four Brothers have cancelled all contracts with groups who had booked the theatre, including the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Goh Ballet who have performed their annual Nutcracker there since 2009.
Without any warning, the Goh received a letter that simply stated their contract had been cancelled. “They didn’t say why and they have not responded to phone calls,” said Katie Weber, Communications Associate for the Goh. “We found out about it through the Vancouver Courier, so we found out through the media ourselves . . . it was pretty shocking,” said Weber.
This news that The Centre is no longer available for their use has put the Goh Ballet in a difficult position. “The show is built based on the fact that it is performed in that theatre,” explained Weber, and not many other venues in Vancouver can accommodate a 30-piece orchestra or their huge sets. The only other venue that really makes sense for their show is the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, which is of course already booked for all of December this year.
Ticket sales, which should have launched already, are on hold for the moment as the fate of the production is up in the air. There are also the guest artists such as internationally renowned maestro Ken Hsieh and dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet to consider. They have turned down other job offers and been contracted to participate in this show.
The same week the Goh heard of this news from Four Brothers Entertainment, they held auditions to complete their cast, and now 200 local children have been informed that they will have the tremendous opportunity to dance in the show.
“We are wanting to talk to the church about accommodating us . . . there’s not much else we can do this year,” Weber continues. “The church has returned our calls, and they are quite friendly.” Since the sale is also not confirmed, everything is still very uncertain, but the Goh is hopeful that it can work something out with the church to still use the space at least for this year. If that doesn’t work out, I’m not sure what will happen to the show as it is too late for them to find another home.
The Goh dancers and their parents are all very concerned, but Weber says they have been supportive and willing to help out however they can. At a recent council meeting where a motion was put forward to ensure that 2013 contracts are honoured, some of the young dancers spoke about what it means to them. The three girls cast as Clara have been dreaming of this role, and it is the opportunity of a lifetime.
Weber says that the Goh has no ill feelings towards Westside Church, but they will definitely miss The Centre as it has been their home since they began producing The Nutcracker. “It’s a wonderful venue, and I’m sure it will serve them well,” said Weber. The Goh will have to start thinking about what they will do next year, and Weber said that the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a frontrunner, but since the Alberta Ballet uses this venue for a Nutcracker each year as well, they will have to see if the venue would allow two shows with the same name.
With so many logistics involved in a production of this scale, it will be a huge endeavor for this company to find a new home. “This is Vancouver’s Nutcracker; it’s locally produced with all local kids, and Vancouver has really embraced the show,” said Weber. “We were hoping to increase the run from six shows to eight since it has done so well at the box office.”
They are just hopeful that they can keep the show alive this year and work with the new owners to still use the space in December. Although this is an extremely difficult situation, especially because nothing is finalized, Weber seemed optimistic: “We hope it works out well for everyone involved.”
The Vancouver Sun reported in early June that “It appears the Goh Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker will go ahead this December after all,” and Executive Director Chan Hon Goh was quoted as saying, “It’s going ahead for sure, but we’re still working out contractual obligations.” So it looks like Westside Church is willing to work with the Goh, as long as they can work out a contract.
Update: The Goh Ballet will be hosted by Westside church for the 2013 year.
