Guys and Dolls

Guys And Dolls
The Gateway Theatre
Saturday 13th December 2008

I had the BEST time tonight!
This was the fourth time (aside from being IN it,) that I have seen this show, and it just keeps getting better!
It is just about the perfect musical and it has everything you could want. Great music, great lyrics and a great lib. And so funny too!
The cast was great especially 'Sarah', and her version of 'It I Were A Bell' was the best that I have ever heard it done!
I have to confess that I found myself saying all the lines along with the actors in my head. At least I hope it was just in my head!
Then to top off a perfect evening, it snowed on the way home! :-)

Christmas Concert

Christmas At The Chan Center
The Chan Center For The Performing Arts
Sunday November 30th 2008

This concert was gorgeous!
It consisted of 8 different choirs, making a total of about 200 singers, plus accompaniment by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
It began with the conductor coming on-stage, turning to face the audience and conducting facing that direction. It was only then, that I realized that the people who I had assumed were ushers, (they had been showing people to their seats, to be fair!) were actually one of the choirs! There were about 15 of them (I think!) scattered around the auditorium, and they sounded FAB! The Chan Center was designed and built specifically to be the perfect acoustic venue. And you could tell!
I kept getting goose bumps and tearing up!!!
My favorite songs were all ones that I had never heard before. 'Ukrainian Carol Of The Bells', 'This Baby Boy', 'Jesus Child', and 'When He Comes Again'. Beautiful!
Another nice touch was that almost every song in Act 2, was signed to some extent. Sometimes by every singer - which looked cool!
As in most carol concerts, there was a chance for the audience to join in with a couple of the songs. So there you go! I sang with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra!!!
I also had the best seat in the house! Front row of the balcony, dead center and at eye level with the main bulk of the choirs!
Thanks Rachel! Very impressed!

The Drowsy Chaperone

The Drowsy Chaperone
The Playhouse Theatre
Saturday November 22nd 2008

This show was very sweet.
I can understand better now, why it didn't do nearly so well during its West End run, as it did while it was playing on Broadway. It is so kitch and cutesy and I think that the British mentality reacts differently to that than the North American one.
Case in point, the Canadians that I was with LOVED it ( as did the rest of the audience judging by their imediate reactions and the comments they made on the way out ), whereas I was left rather luke-warm.
The voices of the majourity of the cast were not especially strong ( with the exception of The Chaperone ), but it was still an enjoyable evening.
I have to say though that 'I Don't Want To Show Off' was done much better by the girl in the Bournemouth Music Festival!
Having said that, the Man In Chair was FABULOUS! Perfect comic timing and he kept the whole thing flowing beautifully.

Hairspray

Hairspray
The Centre In Vancouver For Performing Arts
Saturday November 22nd 2008

This show was soooo much better than I was expecting! Isn't it great when that happens?!
It opened with Tracy in a vertical bed, which was pretty cool, and just got better from there! Even though I was sitting right at the back of the balcony ( I am poor, remember! ) the view was fine, and I could almost imagine that it was the movie cast on stage!
In Act 1, the biggest cheer came on the line, 'Honey, you're beautiful, but I'm afraid that boys just ain't that bright!' , and in Act 2, the actors playing Edna and Wilbur corpsed on stage during their song and the show stopped for a few minutes to accommodate the giggles coming from both the auditorium and the stage!
At the beginning of Act 2, the conductor turned to the audience and got us all clapping along to the overture, which was cute as well.
All in all, it was a great show and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I especially enjoyed 'Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now' ( for obvious reasons! ) and I wish we had done it the correct way, with 3 girls and 3 mothers.
Ah well, you live and learn!