Hello troops! Wondering what’s happening in theatre in Vancouver? Thinking that tickets to a festive theatrical treat might be a great stocking stuffer? Look no further than Inside Vancouver’s hand guide to holiday theatre in Vancouver.
We have some holdovers from last month but also some additional shows, including SFU Woodward’s annual production Bah Humbug! See below for highlights.
New this month:
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (until Jan 6 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville St.)—Visit our Beauty and the Beast post for more details.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Dec. 6-16, Havana Theatre, 1212 Commercial Dr.)—Six incorrigible brats (aka the Herdman brood, aka “the worst kids in the history of the world”) put their mark on their local church’s annual Christmas pageant. Will the holidays ever be the same? (Tickets from $24/18 (seniors) at showpass.com)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Bah Humbug! (Dec. 6-22, Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings St.)—Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol gets the modern-day East Vancouver treatment. The long-running local tradition stars blues musician Jim Byrnes. (Tickets $24-39 at eventbrite.ca)
Jim Byrnes plays Scrooge in Bah Humbug!, set on the streets of the Downtown Eastside.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Dec. 6-31 at Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond)—The 1946 Frank Capra classic in musical form, with a 10-piece orchestra. (Tickets from $29 at tickets.gatewaytheatre.com and 604-270-1812)
Erin Aberle-Palm and Nick Fontaine star in It’s a Wonderful Life. Photo by David Cooper
Charlie Brown double bill (until Dec. 30 at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, 1412 Cartwright St.)—Carousel Theatre for Young People presents a double bill starring Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts gang, including A Charlie Brown Christmas and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Both are musical adaptations that feature a live jazz trio. A Charlie Brown Holiday Double Bill is recommended for ages 3+. Visit tickets.carouseltheatre.ca or 604-685-6217 for tickets, performance calendars and show times.
A Charlie Brown Christmas stars Andrew Cownden (Charlie Brown) and Emilie Leclerc (Lucy).
Still playing:
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (until Dec. 30, Granville Island Stage)—A delightful and witty farce that follows the characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice two years after events of that 1813 novel. (Tickets from $29 at artsclub.com or 604-687-1644)
Merry Kiss-mas (until Dec. 24, Improv Centre, Granville Island)—Improvised comedy celebrates/parodies holiday movie clichés.
Blind Date (until Dec. 30, BMO Theatre Centre, 162 W. 1st Ave.)—Wearing a clown nose and a tight-fitting red dress, a woman named Mimi awaits her blind date at a Parisian café. When he doesn’t show up Mimi has no choice but to bring up an audience member for a 90-minute laugh-filled and improvised date. (Tickets from $29 at artsclub.com or 604-687-1644)
East Van Panto: Wizard of Oz (until Jan 6 at the York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr.)—For its sixth year, this Vancouver tradition welcomes a new member to its creative team: award-winning playwright Marcus Youssef. The Wizard of Oz salute/parody includes lots of local references, so brush up on your Vancouver geography. (Tickets at thecultch.com)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (until Dec 29, Pacific Theatre, 1440 W. 12th Ave.)—Pacific Theatre pares down the C.S. Lewis classic to its essence: two actors, some stagecraft and your imagination. (Tickets $20-36.50 at pacifictheatre.org or call 604.731.5518)
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