Chutzpah! Plus Spring Edition announces 2025 programming
Performances spanning music, theatre, comedy, dance, and family entertainment take place from March 19 to 23
Yamma Ensemble. Photo by Ruth Luar
THE CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL is back for a special spring edition, running at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre and at the Vancouver Playhouse from March 19 to 23.
Performances at Chutzpah! Plus Spring Edition span music, theatre, comedy, dance, and family entertainment.
Iris Bahr, Stories From the Brink: My Festive Near-Death Adventures.
On the theatre front, The Lisa Nemetz Festival of International Jewish Performing Arts presents Stories From the Brink: My Festive Near-Death Adventures by Iris Bahr on March 19 at 7 pm at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre. Bahr (who is known for her roles in Curb your Enthusiasm, Hacks, and Friends) shares true tales of near-death experiences, from her fragmented childhood in the Bronx to her time in Israel, Asia, South America, and back to Tel Aviv. She combines humour with pathos in her engaging storytelling.
Talia Reese. Photo by Limor Garfinkle
For a slice of comedy, Chutzpah! Festival presents Talia Reese on March 20 at 7 pm at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre. Reese is a bankruptcy lawyer turned stand-up comedian who performs regularly at New York City’s most notable comedy clubs and events throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Ariana Barr (left) and Justin Rapaport, Universus. Photo by Sylvain Senez
Taking place at the Vancouver Playhouse on March 21 and 22 at 8 pm is Universus, a dance double bill by Vancouver’s Belle Spirale Dance Projects (Chutzpah! resident artists) and Spain’s Fernando Hernando Magadan. New Constellations of Creation features two new works that touch on cosmic questions by eight dancers on an interdisciplinary journey. Universus is presented in partnership with the Vancouver International Dance Festival and New Works.
Yamma Ensemble. Photo by Zohar Ron
A night of music happens on March 22 at 7 pm at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre with Israel’s Yamma Ensemble. “Yamma” means “toward the sea” in Hebrew, while in Arabic it means “mother”. Since 2010, the five members of the group have been sharing Hebrew and Jewish music with influences including ancient traditions, tribal singing, and sacred and secular Jewish chants. The ensemble performs unique instruments such as the duduk (woodwind instrument); shofar (horn); ney, bansuri, didgeridoo, and fujara (wind instruments); and kopuz and oud (strings).
Yamma Ensemble will also present an intergenerational matinee performance on March 21 at 10 am geared to school and seniors’ groups. A workshop exploring Middle Eastern instruments and rhythms will be available following the performance. Chutzpah! Festival’s programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
City Birds. Photo by Javier Ortega
Finally, for family entertainment, Chutzpah! Festival is hosting the U.S. and Israel’s City Birds on March 23 at 11 am at Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre. It’s a new project in the tradition of Americana by Tamar Eisenman and Sagit Shir, two prominent musicians each in their own right, coming together to create a collection of songs that bring families together while reflecting inclusivity and love.
Eisenman is an Emmy-nominated musician, known for her energetic guitar riffs and versatile “hip-rock” style that blends rock, folk, vulnerability, and ruggedness. Shir is the co-founder of the indie-rock duo Hank & Cupcakes who’s signed to BMG.
Tickets for all shows are now on sale. 
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