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Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is full of farce and imagination
September 26, 2016Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, this play by Ken Ludwig is full of corny lines and all the idiosyncrasies that we have come to love in both Holmes and his trusty assistant Watson. The script, set, and costumes all impressed, but the fancy technical additions such as moving screens, scrims, projections, and puppetry only served to distract and pull me out of the story. Despite all the fancy technical wizardry involved, the most impressive thing about the play is that the vast number of characters are played by only five actors. Sherlock Holmes (Alex…
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Swans bring an intensity like no other to the stage
September 12, 2016Seeing Swans perform live is intense. The difference between hearing the band’s studio recordings and hearing them in the flesh is akin to the difference between watching violence on screen to watching violence in real life. The emotional force of…
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Juno award winners Metalwood return after 14 years
September 6, 2016Just when we thought they were gone for good, Canada’s premier electric jazz group Metalwood explodes from a gooey, melted mélange of bass-heavy funk, bubbling brass, and rambunctious drum medleys that defined their recordings at the turn of the 21st…
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Parquet Courts lacks stylistic cohesion, but made for an interesting show
September 4, 2016Parquet Courts walks a fine line between being a post-punk revival band and a post-punk cover band. If the nostalgic post-punk elements were somehow more smoothly and completely integrated into the whole sound, then these guys would be in the…
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CENTRE STAGE: Dancing on the Edge wraps up an impressive 28th year
August 1, 2016This year’s festival was as dynamic as ever, with more of a focus on local choreographers along with a few visitors from elsewhere. Jennifer Mascall, who has been involved in the festival almost every year since it began, presented her…
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Yes We Mystic will be your Forgiver
July 11, 2016After touring through Germany and the UK, Winnipeg band Yes We Mystic are excited to return home. “Touring Western Canada is our favorite because that’s what’s familiar to us. It’s where we started,” Adam Fuhr, lead vocalist and guitarist, said.…
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CENTRE STAGE: Western Gold Theatre presents Splitting Heirs and White Rock Player Club presents both gender versions of The Odd Couple
July 7, 2016Splitting Heirs – Western Gold Theatre PAL Studio Theatre June 24 – 26, 2016 Western Gold Theatre serves a vital purpose in our local theatre scene: they focus on producing plays that feature roles for actors over 55 years old. While…
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CENTRE STAGE: BroadWHAT?! brings musical improv to the masses and How to Survive an Apocalypse is a witty rom-com for the end times
June 17, 2016BroadWHAT?! Off Key Improv June 15 – 19; Studio 1398 Most people have heard of Theatresports or been to one of their hilarious improv shows on Granville Island, but musical improv is still relatively new to our city. Off Key…
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Kevin Morby brings the Media Club to its feet
June 17, 2016An intimate night of music at the Media Club started with Jaye Bartell, a solo act featuring only Johnny Cash-style vocals and exquisite finger-picking skills on an acoustic guitar. Bartell’s voice was deep and soothing, despite also sounding melancholic. He…
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CENTRE STAGE: Pre-professional CatchingART Contemporary Ballet shows off aspiring talent in West Vancouver
June 6, 2016Dancing a famous pas de deux from Le Corsaire at the Pro Arte Gala, Ethan Ponton and Cassia Slager of CatchingART Contemporary Ballet Theatre looked ready to step into professional roles. Slager effortlessly performed her turns and jumps while Ponton…
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