Category Archives: Upcoming Shows

Theatre Under the Stars: Summer of ’09

Posted on July 2, 2009 | 1 comment

July is already upon us, which means that it’s only a little over a week before Theatre Under the Stars begins previews of its 2009 season.

TUTS has made some shrewd choices this year with a duo of family-friendly shows; classic crowd-pleaser Annie and the relatively new but very popular Thoroughly Modern Millie.  I’ll be posting further about both shows in the days leading up to the opening nights.

TUTS has been a summer Vancouver tradition at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park since the 1940s with only a few interruptions.  Most recently TUTS took a hiatus in 2006 after running into financial difficulties.  It was widely speculated that the two lesser-known shows staged in 2005, Big: the musical and Can-Can, failed to draw in ticket-buying audiences.

For the last two years, TUTS has safely steered towards popular and time-tested fare; Grease and Oklahoma in 2007, and Jesus Christ Superstar and Annie Get Your Gun in 2008.

Michelle Creber and Max in the TUTS production Annie. Photo by Tim Matheson.

Michelle Creber and Max in the TUTS production Annie. Photo by Tim Matheson.

Michelle Creber plays the redheaded optimistic orphan Annie alongside a slew of Vancouver stage veterans. David Adams stars as Oliver Warbucks, Colleen Winton (2008 Ovation award winner for Musical of Musicals the Musical, Fighting Chances), as Miss Hannigan, and Todd Talbot (It’s A Wonderful Life, Arts Club) as Rooster Hannigan.  Former Vancouver Playhouse artistic director Glynis Leyshon directs.

Thoroughly Modern Millie stars Broadway actress Diana Kaarina (Rent, Les Misérables) as the titular character who, in the modern tradition, moves to the big city with plans to marry not for love but for money.  The role should be somewhat old hat for Kaarina, as she previously played the role in the touring company of Millie.  Directed by Shel Piercy, the cast also includes Meghan Anderssen (Annie Get Your Gun, TUTS), Danny Balkwill (We Will Rock You, Mirvish), and Sarah Rodgers.

Previews July 10-13.  Shows play alternating nights with Annie opening July 14th through August 21st and Thoroughly Modern Millie opening July 15th through August 22nd.  Tickets available online or by calling 604-684-2787.

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Posted in Annie, Musical Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Thoroughly Modern Mille, Upcoming Shows

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CBC’s Triple Sensation: Season Two

Posted on June 21, 2009 | 1 comment

Musical theatre and reality television are not always a winning combination (think NBC shudder-fest Grease: You’re The One That I Want).

triple sensation

I was, however, glued to the 2007 season of CBC’s Triple Sensation.  The reality show has performers, aged 16-26, vying for the title and a $150,000 scholarship towards the theatre school of the winner’s choice.  The finalists are put through their paces in a weeks-long master class that spans everything from musical theatre to Shakespeare to clowning.

The first season boasted two young BC talents among the 12 finalists, Port Coquitlam’s Joel Ballard (Jesus Christ Superstar, TUTS) and Delta’s Kazumi Evans (West Side Story, RCMT).

There has been a lot of mixed reaction to Triple Sensation, much of it circling around the involvement of producer and former Livent impresario Garth Drabinsky (Ragtime, Show Boat).  Drabinsky, who has been under a perpetual cloud of legal troubles since Livent went bankrupt in 1998, was convicted this March of fraud and forgery in Ontario and is currently awaiting a July sentencing.

This second season has already been filmed, so the show will go on, regardless if one of its judges ends up behind bars.

Along with Drabinsky, the judge’s panel includes actor Cynthia Dale (TV’s Street Legal), composer Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys), and director Adrian Noble (Royal Shakespeare Company).

Triple Sensation returns for a second season, Monday, June 22, with the first round of auditions taking place in Toronto.  Make sure to pay special attention to next week’s Vancouver audition episode.

Triple Sensation airs in six parts, Mondays on CBC, through July 27th.

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Posted in Musical Theatre, Television, Triple Sensation, Upcoming Shows

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Catch Me If You Can: Seattle Premiere

Posted on June 19, 2009 | 1 comment

New York and Broadway aren’t exactly within spitting distance of our humble city, and it can take years for some of the newer productions to make their way to Vancouver.  There are a few exceptions.

Somewhat a little closer, our neighbours to the south in Seattle at 5th Avenue Theatre have played host to some memorable pre-Broadway world premieres over the years including Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, and Shrek the Musical.

catchmeifyoucanimg01

Head to Seattle and from July 23 through August 16, you can sneak a peek at the new musical version of Catch Me If You Can. Based on the 2002 film of the same name, it’s the story of youthful conman Frank Abagnale, who stole millions while posing as a doctor, pilot and lawyer. With music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), book by Terrence McNally (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime) and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (The Full Monty, Legally Blonde: The Musical), it could easily soon be a bona fide Broadway hit.

Currently the show is set to star Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal) as Frank, Tom Wopat (Annie Get Your Gun) as Frank Sr., and Kerry Butler (Xanadu) as Brenda.

YouTube has a couple of clips from a preview of the show.  Catch them while they’re still up:

Aaron Tveit as Frank Abagnale Jr.

Aaron Tveit and Tom Wopat as Frank Abagnale Jr. and Sr.

Admittedly, some of these ‘pre-Broadway’ runs don’t ever make it to Broadway, and often lyrics, songs and plots will be rewritten or totally scrapped after you’ve come and gone.  But it can still be a great opportunity to see amazing Broadway talent without catching a plane to NYC.

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PBS: Chess in Concert

Posted on June 17, 2009 | 2 comments

A London concert version of  the pop-musical Chess featuring Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Josh Groban is set to air tonight (June 17) on PBS’s Great Performances (Shaw channel 43 in Vancouver).

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A New Brain: Vancouver Premiere

Posted on June 16, 2009 | 1 comment

A New Brain

A New Brain, presented by Pipe Dream Theatre Project, previews tonight, June 16th, at Performance Works on Granville Island.   The musical by William Finn (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos) and James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Into The Woods) is making its Vancouver debut and runs through June 21st.

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Inaugural Post

Posted on June 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

I haven’t blogged in almost a year and I’m planning on making this launch as easy as possible.  I’d hoped to be able to cover Monday night’s Jessie Awards, but I’m still a little behind schedule.  This coming week, however, there are three shows that I’m planning to see and review.

  • Tuesday is the Western Canadian premiere of  A New Brain playing at Performance Works on Granville Island.
  • Wednesday has the Broadway Chorus unleashing The Supermusical on an unsuspecting public at the Waterfront Theatre also on Granville Island.
  • And Thursday is the opening preview of the Art’s Club Altar Boyz at the Granville Island Stage.

You can look forward to more posts and notes about these shows as the week progresses.

I have high hopes for what this week of summer Vancouver musical theatre has to offer.

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Posted in A New Brain, Altar Boyz, Arts Club, Broadway Chorus, Musical Theatre, Pipedream, The Supermusical, Upcoming Shows

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