East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast hits the York Theatre from November 22 to January 7, 2024

Theatre Replacement and The Cultch’s holiday tradition is written by Jivesh Parasram and Christine Quintana this year

SPONSORED POST BY THE CULTCH

Photo credit: Photo of Steffanie Davis and Panto Kids by Emily Cooper; illustration by Cindy Mochizuki.

The Cultch and Theatre Replacement have announced East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast—a wild, hilarious take on the classic tale! 

The Cultch and Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto has delighted Vancouver audiences for over a decade and earned rave reviews. “This is a show that will make you feel merry and bright again,” Janet Smith wrote for Stir about last year’s Panto. “It is the silliest, most wonderful of traditions. And for me, it has become essential,” says Marsha Lederman for The Globe and Mail.

This year, things get beastly with East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast. Live performances will run from November 22 to January 7, 2024, at the York Theatre. It will also stream on-demand online from December 18, 2023, until January 7, 2024.

The story begins with a curse that transforms a corner of Venables Street. When a smart kid named Belle wanders onto a strange part of Venables Street, she is imprisoned in an enchanted specialty grocery store by a stubborn and strangely familiar Beast. Time is running out, and Belle must team up with her new sushi pals to break the curse before the last cherry blossom falls!

Known for its goofy and irreverent take on everything from politics to pop culture, its super local satire, lovable characters, and pop song parodies, each Panto upends a familiar story. This year, the new award-winning writing team of Jivesh Parasram and Christine Quintana reinvent the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast with an East Van spin.

“An East Van Beauty and the Beast of course demands a different perspective [than the original]. More specifically, the willingness to flip one’s own perspective,” say Parasram and Quintana. “What keeps a neighbourhood healthy is the willingness to hear each other out, be affected by how we see things, and most importantly—to be open to changing our minds… and that is the is the type of neighbourhood we live in [East Van].”

Returning director Anita Rochon, who helmed two East Van Pantos (Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood), will bring the tale to life, with choreographer Amanda Testini on hand for the dance numbers. Performers include new and returning faces: Steffanie Davis plays Belle alongside Munish Sharma, Jason Sakaki, Mark Chavez, Maiko Yamamoto, June Barry, and Mishelle Cuttler. Veda Hille returns to the keyboard as composer, adapting songs by everyone from Billie Eilish to The Beach Boys.

The show pops with colourful tributes to East Van. This year, costumes are by Alaia Hamer, lighting is by Sophie Tang, sound is by Brad Danyluk, and sets are by Lauchlin Johnston, with vibrant scenic illustrations by Cindy Mochizuki.

Alongside evening performances at 7 pm, there are special matinees throughout the season at 2 pm, with a Baby Friendly-Performance on December 3 and a VocalEye Performance on December 17. On December 5 and 6, you can join The Cultch’s studio audience as the performance gets filmed for online streaming; all tickets just $35 for those filming nights.

Catch up on the beloved tradition or discover it for the first time and start a new, shamelessly silly holiday tradition of your own. Join in as audience members of all ages warn characters to “Look behind you!” 

You can find tickets and more information here, or by calling The Cultch box office at 604-251-1363. The family-friendly show is recommended for ages 5 and up—and everyone who loves to laugh.

Post sponsored by THE CULTCH.