Spring Arts Guide: Cherry blossoms, bold ballet, retro musicals, and more fill the cultural calendar
Tallis Scholars, Yefim Bronfman, Manchester Quartet, Dorrance Dance, and dozens of other artists perform across Vancouver
Ballet BC’s FOR EVER.
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Photo by Barry Yip
WE’RE STARTING TO SEE a few days of crisp blue skies intermixed with Vancouver’s usual suspects of hail and rain, which means that spring is indeed approaching—and the performing-arts scene is already in full bloom.
There’s fests galore, spanning Métis jigging at the Festival du Bois, beautifully illuminated trees at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, and feather-boa dances at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival to name just a few. Some shows that were cancelled during the pandemic, like Dorrance Dance’s thundering tap-takedown SOUNDspace, are finally making a comeback.
On the lineup are film screenings and wordless masked theatre, a capella choral works and Italian opera, Brazilian dance-martial art capoeira and multidisciplinary tech-forward works—you name it, Vancouver arts companies have got it. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for program announcements as we get closer to May and June.
Without further ado, here’s Stir’s comprehensive guide to this spring’s performing-arts happenings in the city.
Tony Chong’s Invisible无形.
MARCH
Vancouver International Dance Festival
To March 9 at various venues
Hailing from Vancouver, Montreal, Japan, and Hungary, the nine artists and companies presenting shows at the 24th annual VIDF are offering up everything from leather hoods to butoh distortion. Need to Know: From March 6 to 9, a performance of Jennifer McLeish-Lewis’s autoerotic solo New Skin at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre is free to folks who have tickets to Tony Chong’s Invisible无形 directly afterwards.
Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure
To March 24 at Granville Island Stage
Molière’s classic 1664 theatrical comedy Tartuffe gets an Indigenous revamp in this timeless Arts Club Theatre Company co-production with Touchstone Theatre. When gullible patriarch Orin welcomes the conniving Father Tartuffe into his family home on the Rez, his relatives must band together to prevent imminent mayhem. Need to know: Satire is the name of the game in this play jointly directed by Quelemia Sparrow and Roy Surette, Touchstone Theatre’s long-time artistic director who’s retiring at the end of this season.
Made in Italy
To April 2 at various venues
In Farren Timoteo’s epic coming-of-age play produced by the Arts Club, the setting is 1970s Jasper, Alberta, and the star’s a second-generation Italian teen hoping to reinvent himself. Chock-full of music, food, and family, Made in Italy secured Timoteo a 2022 Jessie Award for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Comedic Role. Need to Know: Expect a ladies’ man of a main character reminiscent of John Travolta and Rocky Balboa.
MOI – Momentum of Isolation
March 6 to 9, 7:30 pm, at Firehall Arts Centre
Edmonton-born, Vancouver-based dancer-martial artist Shay Kuebler, who choreographed FIRST/LAST for Ballet BC’s HORIZON/S program last March, is now bringing his own company Radical System Art’s latest work to the Firehall Arts Centre. Need to Know: Themes of loneliness and human connection are at the forefront of this genre-bending piece.
Jade Circle. Photo by Pedro Augusto
Jade Circle
March 6 to 17 at Gateway Theatre
Jasmine Chen reconnects with her grandmother’s history in both Mandarin and English during this solo multidisciplinary offering produced by rice & beans theatre in association with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre. Need to Know: There’s an optional community dinner add-on after the matinee show on March 10 for folks to share stories and memories over a family-style meal.
Ballet BC’s NOW
March 7 to 9, 8 pm, at Queen Elizabeth Theatre; March 22 and 23, 8 pm, at Bell Performing Arts Centre
Crystal Pite’s ever-popular battle for control The Statement returns to Ballet BC on its spring program, along with two world premieres: Out Innerspace Dance Theatre’s Last Flower, and L.A.-based choreographer Micaela Taylor’s Salt Conscious, her biggest piece to date. Need to Know: Last Flower pulls influence from choreographers Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond’s longtime obsession with Japanese musician Asa-Chang’s playful frenzy of a song “Hana—a last flower”.
Malaise dans la civilisation
March 7 to 9, 7:30 pm, at Scotiabank Dance Centre
Human impulses, mundane accidents, and moments of pure absurdity are abundant in Théâtre la Seizième’s co-presentation with Pi Theatre as four people test limits on an empty stage under the audience’s gaze, as if they’re in a vivarium. Need to Know: Expect the unexpected—this quirky show from the minds of Alix Dufresne and Étienne Lepage subverts the concept of theatre altogether.
Sister Jazz Orchestra and Dee Daniels.
Sister Jazz Orchestra and Dee Daniels
March 8, 7:30 pm, at Kay Meek Arts Centre
Celebrate International Women’s Day with Kay Meek Arts Centre and BlueShore at CapU as they host Vancouver’s Sister Jazz Orchestra, a powerhouse 18-woman ensemble, alongside passionate North Shore-based vocalist Dee Daniels. Need to Know: The repertoire for this concert fittingly focuses on women writers.
Frog Belly Rat Bone
March 8 and 9, 1 pm, at Anvil Theatre
Though it may sound graphic, Frog Belly Rat Bone is actually the name of a wholesome guard built out of scraps by a young boy in order to protect his freshly planted flower seeds from thieves. The Axis Theatre Company production set in the middle of dreary Cementland is based on a children’s book by Timothy Basil Ering, whose illustrations are in The Tale of Despereaux. Need to Know: Performers Steffanie Davis and Paige Fraser teach audiences about the beauty of patience using adorably detailed puppets handcrafted by Dusty Hagerud.
Festival du Bois
March 8 to 10 at Mackin Park in Maillardville/Coquitlam
It’s the 35th-annual edition of the beloved Francophone festival hosted in historic Maillardville, and at the heart of the lineup is Acadian music. There’s a boatload of performances and activities to behold, from a culture-rich Métis Village Experience zone to a free Friday Night Contra Dance to a Pancake Breakfast. Need to Know: Five-piece music-and-dance outfit Podorythmie opens the fest, with its signature hard-shoe stepdancing, fiddle, accordion, and crankies (a rustic 19-century hand-cranked film form).
Music for Eternity
March 8 to 11 at various venues
Vetta Chamber Music puts on a concert of music that takes listeners to the edge of time itself, featuring pianist Jane Hayes, violinist Joan Blackman, clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester, and cellist Ariel Barnes. Need to Know: The concert pulls its namesake from one of three pieces in the lineup, Olivier Messiaen’s ethereal Quartet for the End of Time; in its eerie fifth movement, Barnes’s cello acts as the voice of God.
An Intervention
March 8 to 17 at Performance Works
Mitch and Murray Productions hosts this show by award-winning English playwright Mike Bartlett that explores boundaries and responsibility when two friends have a conflict of opinion over a foreign war. Need to Know: Wit, nuance, and anxiety all band together in this play that’s bound to strike a chord with present-day audiences as the Israel–Gaza war enters its fifth month.
Singing Can Be A Drag. Photo by Cara Tench
Singing Can Be a Drag
March 9, 4 pm and 8 pm, at The Cultch; March 16, 8 pm, at Anvil Theatre
Prepare for a delightful dose of camp and sequins galore at this Vancouver Men’s Chorus live-singing drag show, now in its 16th year. The ever-popular event spans high-energy pop songs, dramatic show tunes, and heartfelt ballads. Need to Know: Expect falsettos higher than the queens’ heels (that is to say, really high).
At the Spring Dawn
March 10, 3 pm, at Pacific Spirit United Church
At this Elektra Women’s Choir concert, female composers are in the spotlight in an ode to International Women’s Day. Canadian composers Sherryl Sewepagaham, Frances Farrell, Katerina Gimon hold space alongside international talents Joan Szymko and Libby Larsen, to name just some of the featured artists. Need to Know: A standout in the lineup is Ukrainian composer Iryna Alexsiychuk’s brand-new work The Song, co-commissioned by Elektra alongside several other international women’s choirs.
Karol Szymanowski Quartet
March 12, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
From Warsaw, Poland comes the Karol Szymanowski Quartet, playing a Friends of Chamber Music concert featuring early and late Romantic music—think Haydn, Schoenberg, Mendelssohn, and its namesake Szymanowski. Need to Know: Vancouver audiences are in luck, as this is the group’s only North American performance on its 25th-anniversary tour.
Arno Schuitemaker’s If You Could See Me Now. Photo by Piotr Jaruga
Arno Schuitemaker
March 14 to 16, 8 pm, at Scotiabank Dance Centre
Dutch choreographer Schuitemaker brings his hypnotic trio If You Could See Me Now, performed by Mark Christoph Klee, Ivan Ugrin, and Stein Fluijt, to The Dance Centre as part of its Global Dance Connections Series. Need to Know: Sticking true to his hyperphysical style, Schuitemaker describes the piece’s vibe as a “chilled-out club dance” that’s transformed by undulating endurance.
Parallel 06: Ioana Vreme Moser
March 16, 8 pm, at the Annex
Wildly creative electronic soundscapes are Berlin-based, Romanian sound artist Ioana Vreme Moser’s specialty. As part of Vancouver New Music’s Parallels series, she hosts Screaming Minerals, a sonic lecture-performance that’s derived from the environmental decay of information technologies. Need to Know: Catch a pre-show artist chat with Moser at 7:15 pm to get a good grasp on the mind-bending complexities of this show, which is preceded by a three-day instrument-creating workshop called Sizzling Semiconductors.
The Wilds
March 17, 2 pm, at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
Victoria-based physical theatre company WONDERHEADS brings a profound story to the Shadbolt about a man who embarks on a search for his missing wife (and the pair’s beloved tree) by journeying into a mysterious forest. The whole thing is characterized by impressively detailed full-face masks and whimsical puppetry. Need to Know: In this case, actions speak louder than words—there’s no dialogue in The Wilds.
Film Studies: Screwball Express
March 18 to April 29, 10:30 am, at VIFF Centre
School’s in session at the VIFF Centre this spring. Not to worry, there’s no calculus involved—just screwball comedy films galore. Audiences (students?) get a cinematic tour of classics from Hollywood’s Golden Age in this weekly series that takes place on Monday mornings. Need to Know: Film scholar Michael van den Bos, who’s known for presenting tribute shows in the city, hosts each screening with a 25-minute lecture and audience talkback.
Parade
March 21 to April 13 at 191 Alexander Street
Raincity Theatre presents this tragic 1998 Tony Award-winning musical that centres an innocent man who is tried and lynched after being accused of murder. The production’s book is by Alfred Uhry with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, both of whom are award-winning artists. Need to Know: Parade is based on the real-life 1915 lynching of Jewish American man Leo Frank.
Red Velvet
March 21 to April 21 at Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
The true story of Ira Aldridge, who became the first a Black actor to play Shakespeare’s Othello in 1833 before the abolition of slavery, comes to life on stage in Lolita Chakrabarti’s production at the Arts Club Theatre Company. Need to Know: Quincy Armorer, co-director of the acting program at the National Theatre School of Canada and former artistic director of Black Theatre Workshop, plays the role of Ira.
Côté Danse’s X (Dix). Photo by Sasha Onyshchenko
Côté Danse’s X (Dix)
March 22 and 23, 8 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Toronto-based company Côté Danse’s new work X (Dix), presented by DanceHouse, is inspired by Homer’s epic Greek poem The Odyssey, which dates back to 8th-century BC. Themes of an inner compass and finding home abound in the work choreographed by Guillaume Côté. Need to Know: Dancers are performing to music by American experimental band Son Lux (the minds behind the soundtrack of 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once).
Dil Ka
March 22 to 31 at Presentation House Theatre
Ingredients in the traditional Pakistani dish biryani become a poignant metaphor for what goes into a “perfect bride” in this Ruby Slippers Theatre production with Blackout Art Society that centres a queer Muslim woman. Need to Know: The play is directed by queer, genderfluid Chinese-Vietnamese-Canadian theatre artist Tricia Trinh, who curated this year’s Advance Theatre Festival.
Handel: Hallelujah & Trumpets!
March 24, 3 pm, at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Two Quebec-based groups, Ensemble Caprice and Ensemble ArtChoral, play an Early Music Vancouver concert directed by Matthias Maute that puts Handel’s music in the limelight. Most notably, one early work (Eternal Source of Light Divine, the composer’s only court ode in English) and one late work (Blessed are they that considereth the poor, his last anthem) are united to paint an illustrious picture of his career. Need to Know: Audience members who arrive early can rehearse a special rendition of Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus to participate in a sing-along during the concert.
Fauré Quartet. Photo by Tim Klöckner
Fauré Quartet
March 26, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Germany’s Fauré Quartet makes its Vancouver debut in a Friends of Chamber Music concert with a late-Romantic program of Mahler, Fauré, and Brahms. Need to Know: The ensemble honours its namesake composer with a performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 15.
FourPlay
March 27 to April 7 at Studio 58
In a showcase of emerging playwrights, Studio 58 brings four original one-acts to the stage: Sewit Eden Haile’s Pretty Girls, Terrence Zhou and Caylen Creative’s Gillty as Fin, Jenna Leigh’s Panty Sniffers, and Yorlene Bernido’s Fly, Love. Need to Know: Anything goes, from broke college roommates selling their underwear to an orca whale on trial for murder.
Aché Brasil
March 28, 12 pm, at Scotiabank Dance Centre
Explosive energy and infectious rhythms take the stage with folkloric Afro-Brazilian performance troupe Aché Brasil in the March edition of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series. Need to Know: The group’s signature style is capoeira, a dance-infused Brazilian martial art characterized by acrobatics, kicks, and self-defence tactics set to the berimbau musical bow.
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
March 29 to April 25 at various locations
It’s that time of year when the city’s 43,000 cherry blossoms are on the cusp of blooming, sending the treeline into a beautiful tizzy of cotton-candy pinks and porcelain whites. This year’s festival features tree talks and walks, event pop-ups, haiku and painting workshops, a big group picnic, and Blossoms After Dark (a magical nighttime canopy of illuminated trees in David Lam Park accompanied by food trucks, photo opportunities, and more). Need to Know: Don’t miss the signature Sakura Days Japan Fair on April 13 and 14 at VanDusen Botanical Garden, with activities offering the likes of a traditional tea ceremony and taiko drumming performances.
Vancouver Bach Choir.
Bach’s St John Passion
March 30, 7:30 pm, at the Orpheum
This year on Good Friday, Bach’s famed oratorio St John Passion marks its 300th anniversary—which is certainly no small feat. The Vancouver Bach Choir commemorates the dramatic, reflective piece in an Easter weekend performance. Need to Know: Maestro Leslie Dala leads a star-studded lineup of singers, including soprano Magali Simard-Galdès, mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, and bass Neil Craighead.
Signum Quartet.
APRIL
Signum Quartet
April 2, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Hailing from Germany, the Signum Quartet—composed of violinists Florian Donderer and Annette Walther, violist Xandi van Dijk, and cellist Thomas Schmitz—makes its Vancouver debut in a Friends of Chamber Music concert. Need to Know: Works by musical siblings are on the lineup; hear van Dijkk’s arrangement of Schubert’s Auf dem Wasser zu Singen alongside his brother Matthijs van Dijkk’s (rage) rage against the (2018).
Vancouver International Burlesque Festival
April 2 to 7 at various venues and online
Established in 2006, Canada’s longest-running burlesque is back this year with four performance showcases, T.I.T. Talks (short for Teach Inspire Transcend, the fest’s take on burlesque-centred TED Talks), and an educational workshop series. Opening night kicks off with the fierce-and-fancy Glamourama Gala headlined by Red Tongued Raven and Moscato Sky, featuring comedy, drag, and stripteases from more than 20 performers. Need to Know: The gala also features burlesque legend Shawna the Black Venus, who performed everywhere from the island of Guam to the Midwestern U.S. in the 70s and 80s.
Hairspray
April 2 to 7 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre
It’s 1960s Baltimore and 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad has hair big enough to match her dream of dancing on TV—more specifically, The Corny Collins Show, a local hub for teen dancers. The beloved story, which manages to radiate energy and individuality while making hard-hitting points about freedom of expression and racial segregation, comes to Vancouver in a Broadway Across Canada presentation. Need to Know: Hairspray is among the highest-grossing Broadway musicals of all time, at over $250 million.
Raagaverse
April 4 and 5, 7:30 pm, at Kay Meek Arts Centre
Indo-jazz fusion ensemble Raagaverse, helmed by vocalist Shruti Ramani with bassist Jodi Proznick, pianist Noah Franche-Nolan, and drummer Nicholas Bracewell, brings its dynamic blend of traditional Hindustani nuances and modern jazz rhythms to the stage in a cabaret-style performance. Need to Know: Ramani’s training spans both styles: she first studied Hindustani music in Mumbai, India under Ritu Johri, and then earned a jazz degree from Capilano University.
OSMOSi: 422 Unprocessable Entity
April 4 and 5, 8 pm, at the Annex
In Taiwanese-Canadian interdisciplinary artist Nancy Lee 李南屏’s show presented by Vancouver New Music and New Works, a component of a delivery app gains sentience and must figure out how to escape when it realizes the app is shutting down. Need to Know: Lee specializes in unique works spanning film, movement, and technology that incorporate VR (virtual reality) and XR (extended reality).
Così fan tutte
April 4 to 7 at UBC Old Auditorium
UBC Opera and members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra breathe new life into Mozart’s 1790 Italian opera buffa, which puts two newly engaged couples to the test in an examination of infidelity, cynicism, and human nature. Need to Know: Anna Theodosakis, who led Edmonton Opera’s production of Carmen earlier this season, directs the show alongside conductor David Agler.
Parifam
April 4 to 14 at The Cultch
From Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and Medusa Theatre Society comes a powerful world premiere about Montréal-based Iranian artist Parifam Mana, whose world becomes overrun by memories and hidden truths when her childhood best friend resurfaces. Parifam is presented as part of The Cultch’s seventh annual Femme Festival. Need to Know: Iranian-Canadian women are in the spotlight onstage and off; Medusa Theatre Society’s founder Panthea Vatandoost directs the play written by Aki Yaghoubi.
Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
April 4 to 14 in person and April 15 to 19 online
As it launches its 35th annual edition with a just-announced lineup, the VJFF presents comedies, features, and documentaries that spotlight Jewish culture, heritage, and identity. Need to Know: Opening night kicks off at Fifth Avenue Cinemas with Ron Frank’s award-winning documentary Remembering Gene Wilder, a deep-dive into the multifaceted Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory star’s life.
La Bohème
April 6 to 13 at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
Giacomo Puccini’s mid-1890s opera tells of the Parisian love and heartbreak between poor seamstress Mimi and her poet lover Rodolfo. Jealousy runs amok in the pair’s bohemian friend group, and though they eventually separate due mostly to external circumstances, Mimi’s fatal illness unites them one last time. Need to Know: The production is presented by Burnaby Lyric Opera, one of the only semi-professional opera companies in B.C.
Kym Gouchie.
Kym Gouchie
April 7, 7:30 pm, at BlueShore at CapU
Authentic storytelling is at the core of Lheidli T’enneh singer-songwriter Kym Gouchie’s practice, which incorporates her powerful guitar, hand-drum, and vocal abilities. Need to Know: The Prince George, B.C.-based musician is also a cultural ambassador who has worked with the likes of the BC Touring Council, Prince George Folkfest Society, and Central BC Railway & Forestry Museum.
Anna Geniushene
April 7, 3 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Vancouver Chopin Society presents Moscow-born, Lithuania-based pianist Anna Geniushene in her long-awaited Vancouver debut that faced some pandemic delays. On her afternoon program are works by Clementi, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Weinberg, Schumann, Berg, and Brahms. Need to Know: Geniushene rose to fame after winning the silver medal at 2022’s Van Cliburn Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.
Oumou Sangaré
April 7, 7 pm, at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
World-renowned Malian vocalist Oumou Sangaré performs tracks off her latest album Timbuktu, which tells of her evolution from living in poverty in Bamako, Mali to making a mark across the globe through her African music and activism. Need to Know: Beyoncé sampled Sangaré’s love song “Diaraby Nene”, off her hit debut album Moussolou (1989), in “MOOD 4 EVA” with JAY-Z and Childish Gambino for The Lion King.
R2R International Film Festival for Youth
April 7 to 16 at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre and VIFF Centre
Reel 2 Real celebrates its 26th edition with films for children and families that cultivate cultural appreciation. There are programs for elementary and high-school students, public screenings, and even a Sunday Fun Day with creative workshops and all-you-can-eat pancakes. Need to Know: The fest opens at the VIFF Centre on April 7 with a 12 pm showing of Nina and the Hedgehog’s Secret, followed by an opening reception with snacks, drinks, and animation workshops.
Bennewitz Quartet
April 9, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Friends of Chamber Music hosts this Czech ensemble for a lineup that features Erwin Schulhoff’s String Quartet No. 1, Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No. 2, and Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Opus 81. Need to Know: St. Petersburg, Russia-born pianist Arsentiy Kharitonov joins the quartet for this show.
The Leonids. Photo by David Cooper
Harmonia: The Leonids & Chor Leoni
April 11, 7:30 pm, at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
Chor Leoni’s annual a cappella offering that combines its The Leonids ensemble with eight singers from its Emerging Choral Artist Program (ECAP) features two world premieres by local composers: Vancouver-based Robyn Jacob’s What Are You Going Through, and Victoria-based Chris Sivak’s Au claire de la lune. Need to Know: The company’s week-long ECAP provides tenor, baritone, and bass singers ages 18 to 30 with an opportunity to train and perform with The Leonids at a professional level.
Abel Selaocoe and Manchester Collective. Photo by Gaëlle Beri
Manchester Collective with Abel Selaocoe
April 11, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
Violinists Rakhi Singh and Simmy Singh and violist Christine Anderson of the experimental Manchester Collective join forces with South African cellist Abel Selaocoe in a cutting-edge program that spans Stravinsky and Haydn, African tunes, and Danish folk songs. Need to Know: The concert also stars percussionist Sidiki Dembélé and electric bassist Alan Keary, who are bandmates with Selaocoe in the experimental African trio Chesaba.
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
April 11 to 20 at Gateway Theatre
Ken Ludwig’s adventure-comedy-mystery play follows Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they attempt to solve the classic Victorian whodunit first told by novelist Arthur Conan Doyle. A murder, a supernatural hound, and a family curse are key elements here. Need to Know: There’s an Open Experience-style showing on April 20 at 1 pm, ideal for families, individuals on the Autism spectrum, folks with sensory disorders, and anyone else who may benefit from a more laid-back performance environment.
Sexy Laundry
April 11 to May 12 at Granville Island Stage
Twenty-five years of a marriage can lead to somewhat of a lacklustre sex life, as Alice and Henry Lane know all too well. But with the help of a spicy hotel escapade and a copy of Sex for Dummies, the pair might just turn things around. Lossen Chambers and Cavan Cunningham star in this Arts Club Theatre Company presentation of Michele Riml’s smash-hit play. Need to Know: Published 15 years ago, Sexy Laundry has now been translated into over 15 languages—talk about relatable around the world!
Holst’s The Planets
April 12, 7 pm, at the Orpheum; April 13, 8 pm, at Centennial Theatre
New Zealand’s Gemma New conducts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in a program with a lot of moving parts: Elektra Women’s Choir joins in for Holst’s interstellar The Planets, German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich is at the forefront of Britten’s Concerto for Violin, and British composer Alissa Firsova’s Die Windsbraut offers insights into a whirlwind of a love affair. Need to Know: Hadelich also hosts a Pyatt Hall masterclass on April 11 at 5 pm.
Abigail Lapell
April 13, 7:30 pm, at BlueShore at CapU
Toronto-based folk singer-songwriter Abigail Lapell is set to release her new album Anniversary in early May, and BlueShore at CapU audiences get a sneak peak of the tender love songs before the record’s official drop. Need to Know: Lapell is a two-time Canadian Folk Music Award-winner.
The Big Roar
April 13, 5 pm, at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
Chor Leoni, the MYVoice youth choir, The Leonids, and the Emerging Choral Artist Program band together for this epic annual singing festival previously known as the VanMan Choral Summit. Need to Know: A staggering 300-odd voices unite for this concert conducted by Erick Lichte—it’ll make a big roar, indeed.
Over the Ridge
April 13, 4 pm and 8 pm, at Massey Theatre
Acoustic folk-roots group The Fugitives’s Over the Ridge marks its world premiere this spring; the multidisciplinary performance melds music with contemporary dance choreography by Ballet BC’s Jacob Williams to tell the World War I story of a Canadian soldier’s experience during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Need to Know: Over the Ridge is a new evolution of The Fugitives’s previous musical storytelling show Ridge, from which the group’s Juno Award-nominated album Trench Songs was born.
This Is How We Got Here
April 13 to 28 at Firehall Arts Centre
This 2018 Governor General’s Award finalist play centres a close-knit mother, father, aunt, and uncle coping with an unexpected loss and the shared grief and trauma that comes with it. Need to Know: Métis Nation member Keith Barker is the playwright; he’s the former artistic director of Toronto’s Native Earth Performing Arts.
Yefim Bronfman. Photo by Todd Rosenberg
Yefim Bronfman
April 16, 7:30 pm, at the Orpheum
Vancouver Chopin Society hosts keyboard virtuoso Yefim Bronfman for a program that opens with Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A minor, D. 784, and closes with Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58. Need to Know: Bronfman had a somewhat unusual upbringing—he was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1958 (which would have been the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic at the time), immigrated to Israel with his family when he was 15, and then became an American citizen at age 31.
Maurice
April 17 to 20, 7:30 pm, at Studio 16
Affected by a stroke but determined to continue communicating with the world, economist Maurice Dancause demonstrates the unequivocal power of resilience and reconstruction in this Théâtre Bienvenue aux dames! production at Théâtre la Seizième. Need to Know: In a twist on the expected, Anne-Marie Olivier plays the role of Maurice (and be ready for some audience interaction, too).
The Year of Magical Thinking
April 18 and 19, 7:30 pm, at Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
Joan Didion’s play adapted from her bestselling 2005 memoir brings audiences along as she navigates unfathomable grief: her husband of 40 years passes away suddenly, and her only daughter falls ill. Need to Know: Didion was an American journalism icon who made an incredible impact on the development of New Journalism, a subjective-perspective writing style often used by magazines. She passed away in 2021.
You used to call me Marie... Photo by Benjamin Laird.jpeg
You used to call me Marie…
April 18 to 28 at The Cultch
Tai Amy Grauman’s Métis love story of epic proportions figures as part of this year’s Femme Festival at The Cultch. Eight generational stories of Métis women in Alberta unfurl in the Savage Society world premiere. Need to Know: Playwright Grauman based the work on the stories of her own family, the Callihoos, from the 1930s through to present day.
Aaron Diehl
April 19, 8 pm, at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Aaron Diehl, an American pianist that toes the genre line between classical and jazz, performs at the Chan Shun Concert Hall. His quiet-yet-masterful latest release, 2020’s The Vagabond, veers more jazz-heavy. Need to Know: Guest programming for this concert is by pianist and UBC School of Music faculty member David Fung.
Dorrance Dance’s SOUNDspace
April 19 and 20, 8 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
DanceHouse and the Vancouver Tap Dance Society join forces to present Dorrance Dance’s SOUNDspace, a riff on traditional tap dance—think sliding socks, stage-slapping bare feet, and thundering heels. The pandemic threw a wrench in a previous Dorrance Dance performance that was scheduled for Vancouver in May 2020, and now the company is finally circling back. Need to Know: Led by founding artistic director Michelle Dorrance, the New York City-based company is made up of eight tap dancers and one musician.
The Tallis Scholars: Darkness to Light
April 21, 3 pm, at Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Founding director Peter Phillips conducts British vocal ensemble The Tallis Scholars in an Early Music Vancouver Easter concert, with a program grounded in the concept of an earthquake during the crucifixion of Jesus. Need to Know: Last year, The Tallis Scholars marked a milestone 50th anniversary of operations performing sacred Renaissance music.
Dance//Novella
April 25, 12 pm, at Scotiabank Dance Centre
From Dance//Novella, the brainchild of Racheal Prince and Brandon Lee Alley, comes the world premiere of survival dream-inspired Night of the Mother as part of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! series. Need to Know: Prince and Alley are both Ballet BC alums that have worked with the likes of William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, and Crystal Pite.
Cheyenne Rouleau in Fat Joke. Photo by Sewari Campillo
Fat Joke
April 25 to May 5 at The Cultch
Fatphobia gets a much-needed call-out in Cheyenne Rouleau’s Femme Festival solo performance at The Cultch with Neworld Theatre that melds stand-up comedy, storytelling, and fact-blasting. Need to Know: Don’t miss a moderated talk-back after the 90-minute show—Rouleau invites audiences to get comfy with uncomfortable topics.
Schubertiade with Angela Cheng
April 26 to 29 at various venues
Pianists Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow take to the stage with Vetta Chamber Music’s violinist Joan Blackman, violist Jacob van der Sloot, cellist Zoltan Rozsnyai, and bassist Meaghan Williams in the organization’s final concert of the season, featuring works by Schubert and Mozart. Need to Know: The term “Schubertiade” hearkens back to the early 19th century, when Schubert himself would host lively musical parties to share tunes with friends and fans.
Carmen
April 27 to May 5 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Vancouver Opera closes its 2023-24 programming with Bizet’s perennial audience favourite that sees rebellious gypsy Carmen and military man Don José engage in a tumultuous romance characterized by infatuation and jealousy. Need to Know: You’ll see different performers depending on which day you attend. American mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy and Montreal-based mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule split the role of Carmen, while Indian-American tenor Alok Kumar and American tenor Matthew White share time as Don José.
I Know Your Secret. Photo by Gaëtan Nerincx
MAY
I Know Your Secret
May 1 to 4 at Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
The dangers of social media become crystal-clear in this Some Assembly Theatre Company psychological thriller that follows seven teens who meet a new friend online named Andy and visit his home for the first time. Need to Know: Company executive director Valerie Methot wears the many hats of playwright, director, set, and sound designer for this show. It’s not a one-off, either—she’s created over 30 plays for the non-profit youth theatre organization.
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
May 2 to 12 at various venues
Presented by Vancouver non-profit The Documentary Media Society, DOXA’s 23rd annual edition kicks off this May, offering audiences a wide sampling of non-fiction films that inspire curiosity. Keep an eye out for a lineup announcement in the coming weeks. Need to Know: You can help fly an independent international filmmaker to Vancouver to show their work at the festival by donating Aeroplan points until April 1.
Homecoming
May 2 to 12 at The Cultch
Hazel Venzon directs Kamila Sediego’s Urban Ink production at The Cultch’s Femme Festival that explores the concept of home for those who are displaced, stuck, or without one, told through the perspectives of three Filipina women. Need to Know: Playwright Sadiego is a first-generation Filipinx immigrant in Canada known for weaving humour with tragedy.
EUNOIA. Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh
EUNOIA
May 8 to 11, 7:30 pm, at Firehall Arts Centre
Drawing inspiration from poet Christian Bök’s bestselling anthology of the same name, Denise Fujiwara’s piece with Fujiwara Dance is a multi-sensory experience with constraints applied to the movement, forcing the emergence of new innovation. Need to Know: The idea of constraints comes directly from Bök’s EUNOIA, which contains just one vowel per chapter, testing the far limits of creativity. For example, in the “O” chapter: “Books form cocoons of comfort – tombs to hold book-worms.”
Ballet BC’s FOR EVER
May 9 to 11, 8 pm, at Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Ballet BC’s artistic director Medhi Walerski is at the centre of this season-closer with three premieres: the Canadian introduction to his visually rich Chamber, a North American debut of the Emily Dickinson “Hope” poem-inspired piece SWAY, and the world premiere of a brand-new piece for the company. Need to Know: In Chamber, Walerski draws on Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring for creative guidance, with a score by Joby Talbot balancing order and chaos.
Earth & Aether: the archaeology of soul and sky
May 10, 7:30 pm, and May 11, 4 pm, at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
Harpist Vivian Chen and saxophonist Julia Nolan join Chor Leoni as it introduces world premieres by Melissa Dunphy and Kile Smith to audiences with support from the Diane Loomer Commissioning Fund. Need to Know: Smith is a Grammy Award-nominated artist, most recently for Best Choral Performance of his work The Dawn’s Early Light.
Guys & Dolls
May 16 to June 30 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
It’s the 1950s, and evangelist Sergeant Sarah Brown has her sights set on saving “genuine sinners”—enter stage left a gaggle of Manhattan gangsters, gamblers, and showgirls. Arts Club Theatre Company presents the timeless musical based on Damon Runyon’s concept with book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Need to Know: It’s a show full of head-bopping finger-snapping tunes, from the titular “Guys & Dolls” to “Luck Be a Lady” to “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat”.
Martin Harley.
Martin Harley
May 17, 7:30 pm, at Kay Meek Arts Centre
British roots-and-blues musician Martin Harley delivers his signature slide guitar sound in a tour performance, fresh off the release of laid-back collaborative album Harley Kimbro Lewis with Daniel Kimbro and Sam Lewis. Need to Know: In 2005, Harley set the Guinness World Record for playing the highest gig in the world, some 21,000 feet above ground level on Kala Patthar in the Himalayas.
World of Music
May 18, 7:30 pm, at Vancouver Playhouse
The Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs wraps up this season with a Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra collaboration that spotlights contemporary world music. Need to Know: Conductor Leslie Dala is an established presence in the city; he’s been at the Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs for 14 years, is associate conductor and chorus director of Vancouver Opera, and is the music director emeritus of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.
Bruce Liu
May 19, 3 pm, at the Orpheum
Young keyboard aficionado Bruce Liu debuted in Vancouver to sold-out concerts with the Vancouver Chopin Society in 2022, right after winning the 18th annual International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland; two years later, he returns for another go. Need to Know: The matinee program promises Haydn, Chopin, Kapustin, Rameau, and Prokofiev.
rEvolver Festival
May 22 to June 2 at The Cultch
Melding brand-new theatre works and reinterpretations of classics by Canadian artists, Upintheair Theatre’s annual festival lineup delivers everything from Czech folktales to a hot dog-eating contest to apocalyptic short plays. Need to Know: For those who missed it at the Vancouver Fringe Festival last fall, this is your chance to catch Jarred Stephen Meek’s heart-wrenching play A Life Sentence, a true story about his mother’s childhood.
Danny Nielsen
May 23 to 25, 8 pm, at Scotiabank Dance Centre
Canadian tap-dance virtuoso Danny Nielsen pairs up with American musician Dan Reynolds in The New Standards, presented as part of The Dance Centre’s Global Dance Connections Series. Need to Know: Nielsen quite literally creates his own new standard in the genre here, using contrafacts to overlay new melodies on familiar harmonies.
The Godfather
May 24, 7:30 pm, at St. Philip’s Anglican Church
No, not The Godfather as in Coppola’s 1972 crime epic; the Vancouver Chamber Choir tours audiences through the 15th and 16th centuries, introducing listeners to the elder peers that came before famous composers. Need to Know: The lineup spans Josquin des Prez’s Nymphes des bois (La déploration de la mort de Johannes Ockeghem) and Johannes Ockeghem’s Mort, tu as navré de ton dart – Fors seulement.
Cheri Maracle as Pauline Johnson in Paddle Song.
Paddle Song
May 24 to June 2 at Firehall Arts Centre
Trailblazing Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson’s wondrous legacy is documented in this remount of the one-woman show by Dinah Christie and Tom Hill. Born in 1861, Johnson was of both Mohawk and European descent—her father was a Six Nations Mohawk Chief, and her mother was English. Need to Know: Johnson’s Mohawk name, Tekahionwake (“double wampum”), reflects her mixed heritage.
VAM Symphony Orchestra: New World Symphony & Rhapsody in Blue
May 26, 2 pm, at the Orpheum
The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra closes out its 2023-24 season with Dvorak’s timeless Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”. Need to Know: Maestro Ian Parker doubles down on piano alongside trumpet player Jens Lindemann.
Vancouver International Children’s Festival
May 27 to June 2 on Granville Island
There are 14 performances in the lineup at this year’s Granville Island kids’-centred festival, which lands right as sunny days return to Vancouver. From local rap-R&B staple Missy D’s funky French flows to Nimihitowin!’s Métis jigging and hoop dancing, there’s plenty to discover. Need to Know: For the littlest members of the family ages 0 to 2, check out Boca del Lupo’s Tree, a gentle live theatre show that features a mama bird and her beautifully glowing eggs.
Vicky Chow plays Philip Glass Piano Etudes Book 2
May 28, 7:30 pm, at Christ Church Cathedral
Vicky Chow sold out her last Music on Main performance during which she played Philip Glass’s first book of piano etudes; now, she’s back for part two with his captivating second book. Need to Know: Glass himself, who’s now 87 years old, praised Chow’s playing of his works as “a highly dynamic and expressive performance, uniquely hers.”
Joey Lespérance in Michel(le).
Michel(le)
May 29 to June 8, 7:30 pm, at Studio 16
In Joey Lespérance’s autobiographical French solo show, two brothers who grew up in working-class ’60s Quebec take different paths: Joey pursues acting in Vancouver while Michel dives into the drag scene in Montreal, eventually embracing her identity as a transgender woman, Michelle. Originally scheduled earlier in the season but postponed due to illness, the work now closes out Théâtre la Seizième’s 2023-24 programming. Need to Know: Meet Lespérance and the crew after the show on May 31 in French, and June 7 in French and English.
Vancouver Short Film Festival
May 31 to June 9 at VIFF Centre
Stay tuned for a program announcement in May as the Vancouver Short Film Festival gears up to launch its 14th edition full of Canada’s best short films. Need to Know: Last year the festival offered a hybrid program of 57 films shown in person and online, and this year’s format is expected to look similar.
When We Were Singing
May 31 to June 24 at Jericho Arts Club
United Players of Vancouver and Touchstone Theatre copresent this saga written by Dorothy Dittrich that chronicles the ups and downs of life, love, and friendship. It’s also director Roy Surette’s last show of the season, kicking off his retirement with a fitting reflection on personal journeys. Need to Know: Vancouver playwright Dittrich won a Governor General’s Literary Award in 2022 for her most recent work, The Piano Man, and When We Were Singing has been produced at theatres across Canada.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra maestro Otto Tausk.
JUNE
Tausk Conducts Mozart & Chang
June 7 and 8, 8 pm, at the Orpheum
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s music director Otto Tausk wraps up a fruitful season at the company with a program that features Mozart’s Overture to the Magic Flute, Dorothy Chang’s Gateways, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. Need to Know: American composer Chang’s Gateways is a concerto for piano and erhu, and as such, pianist Corey Hamm and erhu player Andy Lin are on deck.
Stories of the Land
June 8, 7:30 pm, at Museum of Anthropology at UBC
The Vancouver Chamber Choir unveils the world premiere of a brand-new commission by Métis composers Jean Teillet and T. Patrick Carrabré, putting the joyous spotlight on Canadian Indigenous choral music. Need to Know: There is another world premiere in store from the choir’s 2023-24 composer-in-residence, Cree composer-conductor Andrew Balfour.
Bard on the Beach
June 11 to September 21 in Sen̓ákw/Vanier Park
It’s the 35th season of Vancouver’s three-month-long Shakespeare festival, and on the BMO Mainstage is Twelfth Night, a shipwreck romance directed by Diana Donnelly; Hamlet, a well-known tale of vengeance, love, and loss adapted and directed by Stephen Drover. Plus, over on the smaller Howard Family Stage, Rebecca Northan directs The Comedy of Errors and Jivesh Parasram adapts and directs Measure for Measure. Need to Know: Donnelly’s rendition of Twelfth Night is set to an all-original score by Vancouver singer-songwriter Veda Hille.
Barbu. Photo by Frederic Barrette
Barbu
June 12 to 23 at The Cultch
The birth of circus is in the spotlight in this eccentric spectacle from Quebec’s Cirque Alfonse that calls back to early-20th-century Montreal. Need to Know: An electro-trad band supplies a brilliantly hectic original musical backdrop composed by André Gagné and David Simard.
Dancing on the Edge Festival
June 13 to 22 at various venues
Over 30 innovative works by Canadian artists are in store for audiences at the 36th annual Dancing on the Edge Festival, which has shifted from July to June this year. Need to Know: Keep your eyes peeled for a program announcement soon, but preliminary highlights include Company 605, OURO Collective, Tiger Princess Dance, Fila 13, and more. 
Related Articles
