Gerry's Arts Notes - February 26, 2009

1. The 9th Annual Liza Nemetz Memorial Chutzpah International Festival of Jewish Performing Arts, continues to provide a showcase for some splendid live performance (theatre, music, dance) thanks to Marie Louise Albert, Jodi Smith, and many volunteers. At the Jewish Community Centre and other venues across town.

2. Victoria’s Laura Anne Harris…a guest on the Arts Rational
last week….charmed my friend Alison and me with her one-woman Fringe circuit hit….Pitch Blond…on the life of Judy Holiday… a nice Jewish girl from a broken home who made her name playing the quintessential dumb blond with the distinctive voice in Born Yesterday and countless other film, radio, and stage performances. Ms Holliday…in spite of appearances to the contrary….had a genius level IQ…and Pitch Blond recounts her talent at using her ditzy persona to escape the clutches of the American anti-left witchunt of the early l950s. Pitch Blond, I think like any good play, made me interested in finding out more about Ms. Holiday.

3. We also went last night to see the joint Chutzpah…Firehall and Tarragon Theatre Toronto production of East of Berlin….from up and coming Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch…which continues a very short run at the Firehall only until February 28th.

Several weeks ago, I dished the holocaust film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas for being ridiculous and implausible. But East of Berlin’s story line…..at least on the surface…is weirder and wilder.

Imagine…if you will…..a young schoolboy….living in a german speaking colony in Paraguay….being shocked to learn that his father….who with the rest of the local German community celebrates Adolph Hitlers birthday……is a war criminal. And later……this same fellow…estranged from daddy…..but supported by a war criminals trust fund…..getting on his knees…and proposing marriage to the daughter of a holocaust survivor…in the tourist parking lot at Auchwitz. Oh yes. Shes got a bad case of the touristas.

Strange. Strange. Strange. But you know….somehow East of Berlin really worked….for both of us…..dealing with themes as varied as family conflict, historical awareness, secrecy and betrayal…..and all in 90 minutes.

I think that’s due to a very good script by Miss Moscovitch..an emerging talent in Canadian theatre circles….….very impressive set design……and tremendous performances….notably by Toronto actor Brendan Gall as Rudi….the conflicted….rather neurotic and chain smoking hero of the piece.

If you want to see a good play. From Tarragon Theatre…one of the pre-eminent theatre companies from back east. You might want to check out East of Berlin at the Firehall until Saturday night only.

4. Pacific Cinematheque. They say that when your heart goes pitter patter it is supposed to mean you’re in love. Well… my heart went pitterpatter when I noticed an online announcement that the new Pacific Cinemathque Program is out. On Howe Street, near Davie…the Cinematheque and its 150 plus volunteers labour to bring us the best in art house and serious cinema. From here and away…..from current to way back when.

No one need ever complain to me about a lack of good film in town. Just pay attention to the Cinematheque program. Something for everyone.

And over the next few months….

- Canada Top Ten films from 2008 as selected by a panel of Canadian film critics and notable filmmakers…..a showcase of current Austalian cinema…plus Sir Carol Reed’s l947 clasic Odd Man Out…. with James Mason as an Irish terrorist on the run….Tuesday March l7th only…..and Hong Kongs brilliant Wong Kar Wai and his Director of Photography James Doyle…in a remake of his 1994 historical epic….Ashes of Time….running from April 8th to the 13th.

Also coming to the Cinematheque…..a showing of its perennial sellout Fellini’s La Dolce Vita……buy your tickets online and get their early……and Eisenstiens Ivan the Terrible Parts One and Two…….also in Mid April.

5. Van City Cinema. The home of the Vancovuer International Film Festival. And some of the best seats in Town. Always good programming. And never in competition with the Cinematheque. Thank God for cooperation.

At Van City Cinemas….the Godfather Part 2…considered by many to be the most successful sequel ever made….and considered by many to be better than the original Godfather
And following that….a cinematic look at Canada’s national sport—Hockey….featuring Paul Newman in Slapshot ….Keir Dullea in Paperback Hero…..and Rocket…the Quebecois box office hit about Maurice “The Rocket” Richard”.

And for film festival enthusiasts…..note that the Vancouver International Film Festival this year is a bit later…starring October lst and running to October 16th.

6. At the commercial cinema. Steven Soderberg’s glowing adulation of Che Guevera….a man some Cuban friends refer to as the communist Mickey Mouse……his portrait as ubiquitous in Cuba as Mickeys in Disneyworld…..Yes. Che. all 4 to 6 hours of it….is opening this weekend.

All the major oscar winners and nominees are in town. My own favourite films still showing….Milk…SlumDog Millionaire….Meryl Streep in the screen version of John Patrick Shanleys Tony Award winning play Doubt…..the holocaust thriller Defiance….and last year’s Cannes Festival top prize winner…..The Class…..a particular favourite.

And you might want to check out the very minimalist low budget American film……Wendy and Lucy….the Best Film of the year from Film Comment…the journal of the Film Socieety at Lincoln Centre…and the Toronto Film Critics Society. With Michelle Williams. I was grabbed by the film…her performance…and the sadness of the story. Other friends said Wendy and Lucy was like watching paint dry….though theyd prefer the paint.

7. Some terrific Music and Performance. . Unforgettable. The Music of Nat King Cole. A musical starring Dan Stewart….with Sibel Thrasher…she is phenomenal……playing Ella FitzGerald…..and featuring the Ron Johnston quartet. At the PAL Theatre (Peforrming Arts Lodge) only Thursday, February 26 and Friday, February 27.

8. And Speaking of PAL. The Performing Arts Lodge. Cooperative Housing for the Arts Community. They are developing a wonderful program in their own small theatre.

The incomparable Nicola Cavendish will inaugurate a Solo Series at PAL…..with a reading from one of her best known roles…Shirley Valentine…..followed by Rosey Frier Dryden in Rose…..the story of a sweet little Jewish lady from Miami who survived the best and the worst of the 20th Century….Renne Bucciarelli in the Belle of Amherst….on the life of poet Emily Dickinson……and later…Tanya Dixon Warren in British playwright Alan Bennett’s A Lady of Letters and Her Big Chance.

All of this should remind us that good theatre does not need to have a massive budget or a gigantic cast…it can be intimate..
Compelling…and affordable.

9. And speaking of affordable theatre…check the Arts Club Box Office or go online at the Arts Club and check out some lower price nights…..and their special prices for young people and their older friends. Remember the first Saturday matinee of any production at the Playhouse is a pay what you can bargain….and if Studio 58 and Theatre at UBC provide top of the line professional productions….at student prices. Your tax dollars at work!

10. And while both of these events are almost over…do check out Rendez Vous….an amazing program of Francophone cinema from Quebec….. France and overseas……now in its 15th Year…and surviving almost under the promotional radar. Which is too bad. Rendez Vous will wrap up on March 6th. But it will be back next year. Mark you calendars for early February next year!

11. And Reel to Real….the Youth Film Festival…..wraps up at Van City Cinema and the Roundhouse this weekend. Check that out. And if you have a young Eisenstien….a future Bergmann…or merely a budding Steven Speilberg……this Youth Festival will doubtless be back…same time next year.

12. Presentation House. The only professionally curated Photographic Art Gallery in Canada. On the north Shore.

Their current show features Isabel Pawels Video Installation…B and E…..which looks at the goings on…on the screen and through the front door of Vancouver’s infamous Porn Theatre The Fox. Hey you might recognize someone you know.

13. And if Slumdog Millionaire is….well…..just a little bit too cinematic for you. What about the real thing? Check this out. Aisha and Ben…presented by South Asian Arts and Theatre Jihad….at the Telus Studio Theatre Chan Center for the Performing Arts on March l9th to 2lst. Described as a provocative play about the perils of Success….Aisha and Ben is a romance….a culture clash…and a bit of Bollywood…and it features Port Moody born Anita Majumdar……who is currently studying theatre at the National Arts Centre and is currently based in Toronto.

14. Cockpit. Wen Wei Dance. At the Dance Centre. In spite of its rather graphic title…this dance piece…featuring 4 male and one female dancer…is described as a subtle delving into the nuances of nascent sexuality. Only until Saturday February 28th.
You gotta admit. The Title sort of grabs you!

That's all for this week! Remember to tune in to The Arts Rational on Co-op Radio 102.7 to hear Gerry present his Arts Notes live and enthusiastically every Thursday at 9:00 p.m! Thanks for listening!!

M & G

Song of the Week - February 9, 2009

I had the pleasure of seeing local musician, David Blair, perform live in November and was blown away by his catchy melodies and charming stage presence. We’re excited that David is coming down to the Arts Rational on Thursday, February 19 to chat about his music and perhaps even play a tune or two live in studio! Check out his myspace page here and listen to another example of the terrific talent Vancouver has to offer!

Pay special attention to the song “This is The Soundtrack,” which sounds like a hit just waiting to explode. Enjoy!

Gerry's Arts Notes - February 5, 2009

Gerry's always on the pulse of this city's arts and culture events. Here are his cultural suggestions this week. In no particular order:

LIVE THEATRE:

Alter Boys @ The Arts Club Theatre from January 15 - February 21. Click here to find out more.

In the Realm of Oshima at the Pacific Cinematheque including Mr. Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Empire Of Passion Valentines Weekend. (Kwaidan Japanese ghost story meets Postman Always Rings Twice). Click here for more information.

City Opera Vancouver puts on The Emperor of Atlantis. Three shows remaining on February 7, 9 and 11th at the Norman Rothstein Theatre Jewish Community Centre. Find out how to get tickets here.

Studio 58 is doing a production of Bye Bye Birdie from January 29 to February 22. Go out an support local, college theatre. Get information here.

Presentation House Third Street Series presents "Three Viewings." Come see this story of intertwined stories of love and loss. Find out more here.

United Players presents There Came a Gypsy Riding until February 15. Find out more here.

The hilarious "Holy Mo" with Lucia Frangione runs from February 6 to March 2 at Pacific Theatre. Find out more here.

FILM:

The Class @ Tinsletown. Click here for show times.
Of Time and the City @ Van City. Click here for show times.
Welcome to the Sticks @ Park Theatre. Click here for show times. (This is the VIFF top grossing French film of all time!)

FESTIVALS:

Check out the Chutzpah Festival, which start February 19. You can find out more here.

Please feel free to comment on any of these events, or suggest events of your own that others should check out.

Stay tuned next week for more of Gerry's fantastic Arts Notes!

Cheers,

M & G

Arts Rational Radio- January 15th, 2009

In this episode we have a chat with Nathan Blackburn from PuddleCity Arts and continue our coverage of the PuSH festival.

Download show here. (Right-click > Save As...)

Song of the Week - February 2, 2009

This is the first of what I plan to be a regular entry on this blog. The Song of the Week entry is a chance for us to share one song that we think you should be listening to each week.

In this era of unlimited musical choice, we hear music all the time, but we rarely stop to listen anymore. We fill up our iPods in order to create a soundtrack for our daily lives, skipping from one song to the next and never taking anything in. Music has the ability to affect more than just our hearing, but in order for it to work its magic on our other senses; we have to take the time to let it really soak in.

Rather than listing off twenty great songs that you should add to your iPod, knowing that they’ll just get lost in the shuffle, my goal here is to introduce you to one great song and let you in on why I think it’s special. Don’t just turn it on while you’re folding your laundry. I encourage you to take a few minutes out of your life and let this song in. Allow yourself a musical moment.

For the very first "Song of the Week" I've chosen the Fleet Foxes tune "White Winter Hymnal" off their first full length album, which was released to critical acclaim in the summer of 2008. The music is gorgeous and creative, providing a sea of musical intrigue for any music lover. They’ve drawn comparisons to legends such as Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and the Beach Boys as well as current “it” bands such as Band of Horses. The whole album is tremendous, but I’ve chosen this particular song for the creative journey that it provides in a mere two minutes and 27 seconds. You get a sense of the band’s beautiful harmonies in the sparse opening and the song slowly builds from there, adding layers of sound and then finally falling off to finish with the familiar vocals from the beginning of the song. At the song’s climax it sounds like a full pop orchestra with big, warm drum beats; jangly, swirling percussion and hymn-like vocals that together wrap the listener in a cozy blanket of sound.

Please click here to visit the Fleet Foxes myspace page. I hope you enjoy their music as much as I do.

Happy Listening!

Upcoming on Arts Rational February 5, 2009

Hi Listeners!

Please tune in this Thursday at 9:00 p.m. for more coverage on the Push Festival. Gerry and I have both attended some performances and are planning to attend more! We'll be reviewing what we've already seen and discussing exciting upcoming shows.

We also have someone coming down to chat with us about an event called "Crimson Cabaret." Crimson Cabaret is a huge production that showcases local talented women. All proceeds from this event will go to the North Shore Women's Centre. Please click here to learn more about the North Shore Women's Centre and Crimson Cabaret.

We're looking forward to the show on Thursday!

Ruta Mazonas' YVR Experience - January 29, 2009

Thanks to Jay Hamburger and Theatre in the Raw for the candid interview with actress, Ruta Mazonas. We were fortunate that Ruta generously shared her devastating experience of being mistreated by Immigration at the Vancouver International Airport before eventually being deported out of the country. Thanks to Ruta for this and to her partner, Robert Meister, who came down to the studio to re-cap with us after hearing the recorded interview. We'd be interested to hear your thoughts about this interview and similar cases of abuse by people in positions of authority.

Thanks for listening!