A scene from We Will Rock You, a jukebox musical filled with Queen songs.
What’s new in theatre in Vancouver? A Queen jukebox musical dating all the way back to 2002, a drama from Toronto with a mostly-Vancouver cast, and a hot-topic play about housing in the city—not to mention the 2020 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, which also kicks off this month.
Find out more below.
New:
Infinity (Cultch, Jan 7-19)—”The cynical, skeptical daughter of a theoretical physicist and a composer, Sarah Jean’s clinical approach to love meets with little success” in this blend of science, classical music and drama from Toronto’s Volcano Theatre. With Amy Rutherford, who wrote last year’s exceptional Mortified, and Jonathon Young. (Tickets: $26 at thecultch.com and 604-251-1363)
Shoplifters (Jan 9-Feb 9, various venues around the Lower Mainland)—Canadian playwright Morris Panych’s comedy about a career shoplifter and her misfit crew ran at the Granville Island Stage last year. This touring Arts Club production now hits North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, Surrey, Coquitlam, Mission, Maple Ridge, and Burnaby. (Tickets and info: artsclub.com or 604-687-1644)
We Will Rock You (Jan 10 & 11 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton St.)—A fresh production of a jukebox musical based on the music of Queen. The show dates back to 2002, and has a book by Ben Elton. You’ll hear not just Queen hits but deep-dive cuts like “Seven Seas of Rhye.” Don’t say we didn’t warn you. (Tickets: starting at $84.55 at ticketmaster.ca)
The WonderWombs (Jan 14-19 at York Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr.)—New Zealand’s The Dust Palace presents this show featuring seven female and non-binary circus performers performing aerials, acrobatics, burlesque, dance, spoken word, and performance art. (Tickets: from $26 at tickets.thecultch.com and 604-251-1363)
PuSh Festival (Jan 21-Feb. 9, various venues)—Hey, we’ve already posted about this one—twice. Check out this PuSh Festival 2020 preview or that PuSh Festival 2020 preview.
House and Home (Jan 11-25 at Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E. Cordova)—If you know anything about Vancouver, then you know people here are always bellyaching about housing and the cost of living here. Well, now we have a play about it. The media release describes Jenn Griffin’s House and Home as “a biting, comedic take on Vancouver’s current real estate crisis where property values are high, rental vacancy rates are low, and owning your own home is unaffordable for the average home buyer.” (Tickets: from $20 at firehallartscentre.ca and 604-689-0926)
Home loan / reverse mortgage or transforming assets into cash concept : House paper model , US dollar hessian bags on a wood balance scale, depicts a homeowner or a borrower turns properties into cash
Noises Off (Jan. 23-Feb. 23, Stanley, 2750 Granville St.)—Tess Degenstein, last seen in Vancouver in the dazzling Blind Date, stars in this Arts Club production of the British farce about a play-within-a-play. (Tickets: from $29 at artsclub.com)
Ongoing:
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Dec. 5-Jan. 4 at Granville Island Stage, 1585 Johnston St.)—The Arts Club brings back last year’s holiday hit, a sort-of sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Set after Lizzy Bennet has married Mr. Darcy and come to live on his estate, Christmas at Pemberley was one of the top ten most-staged plays in 2017. (Tickets: from $29 at artsclub.com and 604-687-1644)
It’s a Wonderful Life (Dec 19-Jan 5, Anvil Centre Theatre, 777 Columbia St., New Westminster)—This musical adaptation of the holiday classic is based on Frank Capra’s original screenplay but with the addition of songs by composers such as George and Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill. (Tickets: starting at $24 at patrickstreetproductions.com and 604-684-2787)
2 Responses to A Queen jukebox musical, a British farce and more—January 2020 theatre listings for Vancouver