Live Theatre Vancouver – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

The Arts Club – JERSEY BOYS

After more than 15 years as New York’s favorite musical, the Tony, Grammy^® and *Olivier Award-winning JERSEY BOYS played its final performance in New York on May 22, 2022 and continues on tour in London and other parts of UK. However; here in Vancouver…

**Cast of Jersey Boys**, **2024**; set design by Ryan Cormack; costume design by Barbara Clayden; lighting design by Sophie Tang; photo by Moonrider Productions for the **Arts Club Theatre Company.**

We’re lucky to have our very own Broadway-style production of JERSEY BOYS, now playing at the historic Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (an Arts Club Theatre Company Production) – held over until October 27^th due to popular demand.

My friend Margeaux and I had the pleasure of seeing this on Saturday night. Oh; What a Night! – remember that was one of the hits back in the day.

I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed this show. OK; I’ll tell you – we enjoyed it very much. The quality of the singing (which my friend thought was dubbed – it’s not) is outstanding. With an exceptional cast and story, JERSEY BOYS features extraordinary performances by Elliot Lazar as Frankie Valli, alongside Darren Martens as Tommy DeVito, Jason Sakaki as Bob Gaudio, and Jordan Stanley as Nick Massi.

Under the direction of Julie Tomaino, JERSEY BOYS isn’t just about the music; it’s about the story behind the music. This Award–winning musical brings to life the captivating true life story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, a band that rose from the streets of New Jersey to international fame. For the Arts Club, JERSEY BOYS is more than a celebration of a legendary quartet; it’s a testament to the company’s commitment to producing Broadway-calibre productions on the West Coast.

The show brings a high-energy, emotionally charged experience to the Stanley with its sharp narrative, compelling characters, and unforgettable soundtrack.

Jason Sakaki, Elliot Lazar, Darren Martens, and Tanner Zerr in Jersey Boys, 2024; set design by Ryan Cormack; costume design by Barbara Clayden; lighting design by Sophie Tang; photo by Moonrider Productions for the Arts Club Theatre Company

The creative team behind this production is equally impressive, featuring Set Designer Ryan Cormack and Costume Designer Barbara Clayden recreating the vibrant 1960’s atmosphere that defined the era of The Four Seasons. With hits like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” Musical Director Ken Cormier will keep audiences humming after they leave the theatre. The stage design, lighting, and soundscapes have been meticulously crafted to create an atmosphere that echoes the energy and nostalgia of the 1960s—a time when Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons ruled the airwaves.

*The Olivier Awards are recognized internationally as the highest honour in British theatre, equivalent to the BAFTA Awards for film and television, and the BRIT Awards for music.

For Tickets:

https://artsclub.com/shows/2024-2025/jersey-boys

https://artsclub.com/

entertainment

The Comedy of Errors

This was my first time stepping foot inside the more intimate Howard Family Stage at Vancouver’s “Bard on the Beach” Shakespeare Festival for opening night of “Comedy of Errors.” It was my friend Cindy’s first time ever setting foot inside the Bard tents. She was so looking forward to this. We both were.

We loved the setup. We also loved the Artisan Market lineup of local vendors selling hand-crafted goods in the Bard Village leading up to the Howard Family Stage before the performance. Apparently they do this for both matinees and evening performances. What a great idea!

The whole floor and stage setup once inside is gorgeous – like taking a step back in time to being in an ancient Greek or Moroccan village. The actors carried on the local vendor theme in their exotic setting with patrons before the show. Although items here were only for show, not to purchase.

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earlier plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies. But it’s important to know that this play is a makeover of the original. Each year, Bard on the Beach directors lend a slightly different interpretation of each play.

This story revolves around two sets of identical twins, who get separated and grow up in two different cities, Ephesus and Syracuse. It takes place on an ancient Greek port teeming with comedic confusion of mistaken identity, marital infidelity, and some knee-slapping hijinks. The actors are very talented. They have to be; Shakespeare is no easy acheivement to perform.

This fantastical farce invites patrons to join the (toga) party & travel back to Ancient Greece in your best bed sheet and sandals. Your (optional) costume playing will only add to the merriment of the immersive Greek marketplace. Unfortunately, I didn’t get (or read) the memo about this. I wasn’t sure who were the actors and who were the patrons at first. All in good fun!

The Company of The Comedy of Errors, Photo by Tim Matheson

The Comedy of Errors – Adapted by Rebecca Northan with Bruce Horak, directed by Rebecca Northan

JULY 2 – SEPTEMBER 21 • HOWARD FAMILY STAGE. For TICKETS:

https://bardonthebeach.org/tickets

Header photo: Cindy Ross

Art & Culture

Bard on the Beach: HAMLET

I finally got to see HAMLET last night with my friend Rosa at Vancouver’s “Bard on the Beach.”

This one tops the list as being Shakespeare’s most performed, and greatest play of all. Its soliloquies are also the most famous compared to the other tragedies.

So happy that I read the synopsis before the play started, if only to refresh myself with the story outline. I was surprised to find out that the infamous line “to be or not…..blah, blah ~~you know the rest~~ was mentioned in the opening few minutes. Rosa, on the other hand; had a teacher in high school in Mexico, very well versed with Shakespeare and taught her students in-depth details about the plays. So much so, that Rosa remembered almost everything about the play. She should really be the one writing this review. However, this is not so much a review, as an overview of the evening.

Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab as Hamlet, Photo by Tim Matheson.

No play by Shakespeare has more meaningfully captivated us than Hamlet. A young prince returns home to mourn the death of his father only to uncover a dark secret he can’t ignore. His struggle to move forward with purpose awakens deep questions about life, existence, and if it’s better “To be or not to be.” As he attempts to make sense of a world that has shifted beneath him, we are invited to see ourselves in Hamlet and to consider the blurry lines around loyalty, self, and all the things that are in heaven and earth. – (this paragraph taken from the website).

Munish Sharma as Claudius, Jennifer Clement as Gertrude, Christine Quintana as Osric, Photo by Tim Matheson.

Vancouver’s “Bard on the Beach” has a very talented cast and crew. We’re so lucky to have them. What they tend to do is take a classic (such as this one) and put a modern twist on it, so that it’s a lot more relatable to today’s audience. Don’t forget, this was written somewhere between 1599 and 1602; towards the end of Queen Elizabeth’s rule when the English people were nervous about succession. Queen Elizabeth’s long reign represented a time of peace after lengthy turmoil. So this play probably hit home much harder at that time.

Nadeem Umar Phillip Khitab as Hamlet, Kate Besworth as Ophelia, Photo by Tim Matheson.

Hamlet is significant because it embodies the complexities of human psychology. His internal struggles, including grief, anger, and indecision, serve as a study in the human condition. We can learn about the consequences of overthinking and the importance of taking action.

Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab as Hamlet, Jennifer Clement as Gertrude, Photo by Tim Matheson.

We were really impressed by the talented cast and set design. It takes a village (literally) to put something like this together.

Aidan Correia as Rosencrantz, Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab Ivy Charles as Guildenstern, Photo by Tim Matheson.

Below is the story – taken from the Bard booklet. For tickets see bottom of page.

THE STORY

“ADIEU, ADIEU, HAMLET. REMEMBER ME”

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has returned home to Elsinore for his father’s funeral, only to learn that his mother, Gertrude, has married his uncle Claudius—and that Claudius is now King of Denmark. Disturbed by this turn of events, a melancholic Hamlet continues to mourn the loss of his father, much to the concern of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude.

When his friend Horatio brings news of a ghost that resembles the late King Hamlet wandering the grounds of Elsinore, Hamlet starts to realize that things may not be exactly as they seem. Hamlet resolves to try and catch a glimpse of the ghost for himself.

Elsewhere, Laertes, the son of Polonius, speaks with his sister Ophelia while preparing to return to France. He warns Ophelia to steer clear of Hamlet’s affections, and when Polonius overhears this and learns that Hamlet has been courting his daughter, he forbids Ophelia from spending any more time with Hamlet.

That evening, Hamlet, Horatio, and the watchman Marcellus wait outside, where the ghost reveals himself to Hamlet as his father’s spirit. He tells Hamlet that he was not killed in an accident, but rather, murdered by his brother Claudius, and asks Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet vows to seek revenge on Claudius and advises Horatio and Marcellus that he will “put on an antic disposition” and feign madness while he carries out his plan.

“MADNESS IN GREAT ONES MUST NOT UNWATCHED GO”

The next day, Hamlet’s two former school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive at Elsinore. Claudius has sent for them so that they can watch over Hamlet, whose strange behaviour has been noted by both Claudius and Gertrude, as well as by Ophelia and Polonius. Almost immediately, a group of musicians also arrive at Elsinore and Hamlet sees an opportunity to set his plan in motion. Hamlet asks the musicians to perform a song that mimics the events of his father’s murder, so he can watch Claudius’ reaction. When Claudius storms out in the middle of the performance, Hamlet believes that he has all the proof he needs of his uncle’s guilt.

What happens next is a tragic saga of betrayal, murder, political intrigue, and revenge that has captivated audiences for generations.

The play takes place until September 20^th. For tickets:

https://bardonthebeach.org/whats-on/hamlet

Of Interest:

A good friend of mine saw this play (a made up Tom Stoppard extension of Hamlet) at the Stratford Festival in Ontario and gave it rave reviews:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the courtiers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the main setting is Denmark.

Art & Culture

Arts Club: Ring of Fire

Last night I attended the opening night performance of “Ring of Fire” – a compelling storytelling through song about the legendary Johnny Cash, including his family and wife; the amazing June Carter Cash.

Patrick Metzger, Devon Busswood, Frankie Cottrell, Tainui Kuru, and Caitriona Murphy in Ring of Fire, 2024; set design by Patrick Rizzotti; costume design by Jessica Oostergo; lighting design by Robert Sondergaard; photo by Moonrider Productions for the **Arts Club Theatre Company**

Luckily my friend Lynda and I made it to the Arts Club Theatre at Granville Island only minutes before the start, after mistakenly first going to the Stanley Alliance Theatre on South Granville. I wondered why the marquee said “Guys and Dolls.” Anyway; note to self: always double check the ticket info beforehand ~~duh~~.

In a nutshell the show was nothing short of INCREDIBLE. The performers were top-notch with their singing and musical instrument capabilities, that it could’ve easily been a Broadway Musical. I mean; they were truly mind-blowing.

**Frankie** **Cottrell** (as Johnny Cash) in Ring of Fire, 2024; set design by Patrick Rizzotti; costume design by Jessica Oostergo; lighting design by Robert Sondergaard; photo by Moonrider Productions for the Arts Club Theatre Company

I’m personally not a huge country music fan, however I always admired Johnny Cash. His charisma and deep, resonant voice had a distinctive style blending country, rockabilly, blues, and gospel.

He often sang about the struggles of the common man, themes of redemption, faith, and justice. Cash’s music captured the essence of the human experience, reflecting both personal introspection and societal commentary.