Choosing forgiveness

Hiro Kanagawa’s adaptation of Forgiveness invites us to discuss the divisive world we’ve come to live in and why embracing forgiveness is so important. “At this point, in my life and career, I think it is important for me to engage with these stories and tell them from my point of view,” says Kanagawa, actor, writer and…

Source Amnesia – A look at faulty memory, fake news, and truth vs. fiction

Joshua Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY presents the world premiere of Source Amnesia, an exploration of false memory and the fragility of truth, in which five Vancouver-based contemporary dance artists navigate a reality in constant flux in an age of misinformation and information manipulation. “I am thrilled to bring together such a talented group of dance artists from Vancouver to…

Leaning into the nighttime

Dreams connect us to the past and to the future, says Emily Dundas Oke. Oke, curator for the Burnaby Art Gallery, says dreaming can be a collective and powerful pursuit, giving us insights into the collective psyches of our communities and connecting us with our ancestors. Dream Marrow, the exhibit currently at the Burnaby Art Gallery,…

Huffing and Puffing: The 3 Little Pigs revisited and somewhat twisted

Vaxxing and masking has brought out the age-old struggle of individualism vs solidarity, and Stiles & Drewe’s The 3 Little Pigs is the best platform for opening children’s imaginations. Described as a cute, fun, and whimsical musical by director Chris Lam, Carousel Youth Theatre’s version delights young and old with this unexpected take on the traditional folk…

When music tells a good story

Taiwanese Canadian harpist Vivian Chen joins in Chor Leoni’s annual Christmas choral celebration at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church from Dec. 16–19. The celebrated harpist has performed with the Vancouver Opera and on the international stage and is excited to bring forth a joyous seasonal reprieve that is equal parts serene and light-hearted. “Sometimes for Christmas…

Japanese women of change

Women of Change, an exhibition hosted by the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) and the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC), aims to highlight the vibrant narratives of six Japanese-Canadian women, to hear the voices of those in underrepresented communities and to draw attention to past injustices. Lisa Uyeda, collections manager at the NNMCC,…

3 little pigs come to town

A mother pig becomes a sole parent when the progenitors’ father gets taken away by the Big Bad Wolf, and she must encourage them to leave the family’s sty to make their way into the big wide world. Carousel Theatre for Young People (CYTP) presents the Canadian premiere of a classic tale with a musical…

Children’s classical music – A different world of sound

Music is an experience. Unfamiliar sound, such as classical, allows the listener a chance to explore says David Bui. Bui leads the third and final show, Nov 20, in the Music is a Theme Park series, a kids-focused concert series presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Leading the VSO as its RBC assistant conductor, Bui says the…

A fire in the forest

Never in nature does one see different animals come together in a small space with tolerance. Then again, never in nature has anyone seen so many forest fires. JMar Electric’s The Cave explores the effects of climate change through the point of view of animals whose home is being engulfed in flames. Displaced and fearful, some animals…

Puns, poems and humour

Death Rides a Unicorn Events is putting on another night of funny people and hilarious poems for their witty literary and spoken word performance, Famous Last Words, Season 1 Episode 2. The event welcomes back returning champions Dina Del Bucchia, RC Weslowski, Lucia Misch, Johnny Trinh and a mystery player, whose name will be unveiled…

Keeping the song alive

Potlatch: music and food. The importance of re-connecting to an ancestral past to heal was not an experience lost on ethnomusicologist Ida Halpern (1910–1987). Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art – developed in collaboration with the Jewish Museum & Archives of BC – presents the Canadian premiere exhibition of Keeping the Song Alive from Nov. 2,…