I have been to 2 shows here, "The Rain Maker" and "It's a Wonderful Life Radio Show" both were…read morefantastic shows! I just saw the second one tonight and it was heart warming and charming. I loved how they made the classic in to a radio show, it was the perfect choice, I really enjoyed being taken back to an era gone by. The other one was great too, truthful and well preformed. The space is certainly different, but the sets were both so unique, I was amazed to see them work that kind of magic in that space. Sometimes going to the theater feels like taking a risk, I feel confident that next time I come see a show here it will be good one again.

Pacific Theatre is a distinctly different Vancouver venue, offering an intimacy of experience that…read morefew other theatre spaces in the city can match. The theatre space sees the audiences seperated into two sides (about 50 seats on each), with the play's action take placing a a comparatively small aisle space in between. The result of this set-up is a heightened awareness of the work's theatricality (one is looking at other audience members, after all), but also a greater sense of involvement, as there is no proscenium or great divide separating audience from actor. The plays presented each season are very well-chosen. The programming always possesses insightful societal relevance or a fascinating explorations of human experience, and almost always manages to do so without sacrificing the humour and delight so crucial to good theatre.

Gayle, Erin, Jim, and I recently took in an evening performance of "Ring of Fire", It's a Johnny…read moreCash tribute musical that I found entertaining enough, although historically suspect, and perhaps a little light weight. I liked the Theater itself, with nice sight lines, good acoustics, and comfortable seats. The set was well done, enjoyed watching the actors, and appreciated that the play clocked in at 10 minutes less than 2 hours (with intermission). From the viewpoint of a visitor to Vancouver with an appreciation for "Summer Theater", I'd gladly look at their season schedule when I return.

Cambodian Rock Band. I could talk about the writing, that veers all over the place. Or the fact…read morethat this play was not written by a Cambodian playwright. Or that the music by the excellent band Dengue Fever was just played so wrongly, and so terribly, like heavy metal (it isn't). What really bothers me... is that this painful story that involves the Khmer Rouge, and crimes against humanity, and so painful in Cambodian history, is played like a comedy by the Arts Club Vancouver. Shame on the Arts Club and their director for not honouring the real story, the culture, the art, the music, OR the history. It was all just so uncomfortable.

What a finale to this year's opera season!!…read more We attended Vancouver Opera's production of Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on 08 May. In one word, it was 'fantastic'!! And such a great finale to this year's season! The performances by all concerned were strong, and well-rewarded by the audience ... which was so "hushed" when they should be - you would likely hear a pin drop in the theatre during the many solos and duos!! - and so loud with their applause and cheers of appreciation after each. And that includes the orchestra's handling of Verdi's wonderful score. It was a large one in the pit for this production, and they did Verdi proud!! We were treated well, and still really have not "come down" from the total experience!! Our kudos to Vancouver Opera for another fine production.

The building is centrally located. Parking can be tough if you don't have the pass to park under…read morethe theater. Surprisingly there is not much to eat around here. The building is starting to show its age in some areas as the exterior and lobby area is in need of an overhaul. The theater itself has great acoustics and is a beautiful performance space. The surtitles can be harder to read if you are in the front rows. One can pre-order the drinks for the intermissions which is a great time saver. Other than if you are into performance arts I would highly recommend watching a performance here.

Enjoyed watching Stile's and Drewe's the Three Little Pigs! Pleasantly surprised to see an Stiles…read moreand Drewe's production showing at Granville Island. Bought a ticket online to catch the last show dates of Stiles and Drewe's the Three Little Pigs. Felt like good entertainment for both adults and kids. Actors sang well and articulated their lines well. Recommend bringing kids that can sit still for 45 minutes to enjoy the musical. Kid audience seemed to be captivated by music and were happily interacting with the big bad wolf! Kid activities are a success when it makes a kid happy... after all, happy kid means happy parents :) Their tiered aisles seating plan makes every aisle or seat a good seat where you won't be blocked. Just simply choose based on your liking on how close to the stage you prefer. Buy tickets online and present e-tickets at entrance. Tickets breakdown: Adults $35 , Youth/kids $18 and Senior $29 Sadly, there are no snacks or drinks sold inside so plan your meal before or after the show. Small theatre with great entertainment value plus courteous staff makes for a fun activity!

Waterfront Theatre is located in Granville Island and they have plays for all ages. My husband,…read moredaughter and I watched "Go Dogs Go!" during the day about a musical based on the Dr. Seuss book. The theatre is small, but cozy. The seats are comfortable and everyone was able to see the stage without any trouble. There's no food or drinks allowed in the theatre so make sure you finish all your snacks before going in. Parking can be a pain since it's Granville Island and you may have a walk quite far, but make it a day there. Have lunch and enjoy the rest of Granville Island as well.

Was here watching my niece in the nutcracker. I would never would have imagined a theatre tucked…read moreaway in this building. Very nice facility that seats probably a couple hundred. Viewing lines are good and sound travels nicely in this theatre. It's a quaint theatre that probably hosts smaller productions but for its purpose, it's great. Much better than I expected. 4 stars.

On the Georgia Street side of the Vancouver Art Gallery, in the public square now named šxnq…read moreXwtl'e7énk Square, there's an amazing annual event held every early- to mid-September entitled "Façade Fest". In the two years I've lived here, I've been to this event twice. Last year I went 3 or 4 times, and this year, twice. It's free to go and, wow, I can't recommend it enough. Encompassing 7-8 nights, this event showcases two artists a night, and the last night or two of the festival, they show ALL the featured artists' works, one after the other. What type of art are we talking about here? It's known as 'projection mapping' whereby artists' visions are projected onto the museum's façade. It's a colorful, animated, large-scale work of art - often with accompanying music, - and depending on the featured artist, it might be contemporary, abstract, literal or realistic, paintings come to life, photographs, video clips, prismatic color works, cartoons or mixed media digital images - the possibilities of art forms are truly endless. Last year (my first year here in Van), there was a featured artist whose light display works featured video clips of the Stanley Cup riots, and I learned so much from that installation (I had not known about that history before), along with some stunning, colorful light works by other artists. Last night there was a featured work by an artist about the Birtle Indian Residential School and the forced assimilation of Aboriginal children in this country - another subject I'm not that familiar about, but after seeing the feature, I came home to research this topic. I guess what I'm saying here is, for me personally, this type of immersive, public art installation is not only aesthetically enjoyable and beautiful in parts, but also educational, inspiring, at times disturbing and unpleasant, and often thought-provoking. In short, for me, it's everything a successful art installation SHOULD be. I strongly encourage you to click on the link to the festival's webpage to see photos of some of the artwork projected on the museum building. You can get an idea how stunning it is. But to truly appreciate its impact, one really must see it in person, with the images morphing and moving, and the music and sounds accompanying the images. This downtown square has chairs and seating features, but most people sit on the ground. There are also some vendors present, if you want to purchase a soda or snack.

Free food,drinks,sweets,ice cream n what not? All at one place. I dont want to give names of food…read moreitems available there as the review will be too long n u wont like that. (my sweet readers) Long story short there is so much food at the full parade all day that u dont need to cook any meal home that day. ( maybe dinner if u dont wanna pack from the parade) There are tons of other stalls like religious thoughts , dance groups,events companies,cloth stores or some toy shops with purchases available but the idea of the parade is community service n all people are just giving back in the form of free food to people. Community kitchen Part 1. A day ahead of the parade is the begining of festivities. There are full on paid(cheap) rides at the dashmesh darbar gurudwara sahib parking lot and free food like pizza. Part 2. Next day most of the people decked up in the traditional pretty dresses flock 123-128 streets since morning. By afternoon time , its super crowded with almost thousands of people around that area. To be Noted: 1)There are disposable washrooms n garbage bags everywhere 2)There is so much food n drinks to take home so bring a bag with you(lol) 3) Avenue 84-76 in surrey is blocked . Parking hard to find so better pool cars. 4)Its fun for some and not for all. If u cant handle crowded places then avoid going to 128 street.

This is one of those festive events happening in Vancouver. So this year is my first time here with…read morea bunch of friends. Its quite cool to attend the event. Food is free here but its not the matter of free. There is a reason behind why this even came about. Its is believe to have something to do with Karma. They believe in order to get they must give. Like the idea giving and getting something great in return. Return doesn't have to be monetarily. It can be good health, happiness etc. This is a Sikh event. There are parades and it is like a square running from Main and 49th to Fraser St and 57. There are road blocks here and there. Parking can be hard to find. I saw a few cars being toad around the area.

So, the area?! Well it might be well beyond the border of the scuzzy fringe that sends tourists…read moreretreating into Gastown, but armed with a friend, my phone and boots that would kick your ass--I was headed for the season launch of the Eastside Cultural Crawl. My first time to Firehall Arts Centre I was impressed by how authentically cool it looks from the outside, inside, and backside... and hold on, is that a bar I see? Yes!!! Like any good theatre, liquor is included on the bill! The theatre itself is sizeable, yet still small enough to have that cozy feel to it. There was a rock-ish band playing at the time, but I think to give a true review on the auditorium, I'll have to attend a show! The real win though has to be the couryard! A closed in garden sanctuary, you would never know it exists from the outside! With a couple of levels of terraced patios and a yard below, this was the perfect space for listening to acoustic sounds, some quiet chatter and breathing in a crisp autumn evening... It has the makings of a mid-summer night's moonlit escapades written all over it!

I was kind of surprised at how authentic this place turned out to be. Rickety old theatre with a…read moremassive floor-level stage and wooden seats, old wooden bar, newly built deck out back. Unpretentious. Perfect place to host community theatre. I totally loved it. I saw the Johnny Tomorrow Chronicles here - it involved projection, sound, lights, and an actor on a stage. It worked out real nice. I'll visit the Firehall again.