Good Timber

It's been a while since we visited the Firehall Arts Centre, and last night's performance of Good Timber made us happy to be back. We've come to expect multi-talented ensemble casts at Firehall shows, and Good Timber fits that mold to a tree. The show features six actor/singer/musicians from The Other Guys Theatre Company performing Robert E. Swanson's logger poetry mostly set to music.

There isn't really a sustained narrative, but each song and poem tells its own story, all against a backdrop of wonderfully curated archival photos and video. Sometimes it was difficult to decide whether to watch the cast or the screen, especially when said screen featured images of handsome, strapping young lads from days gone by.

You might think this production has a fairly limited target audience, and certainly those with any kind of connection to forestry will find it especially gratifying. That being said, anyone with a penchant for rousing folk harmonies will enjoy the show. A caveat for the logging lay people: read the glossary before the show starts, lest all of the jargon sail over your head like a falling widow-maker.

The one where I get Sweet Revenge on my diet

Last night, M and I checked out the opening of JG Mair's Thought Control exhibit at Little Mountain Gallery. The space lives up to its diminiutive moniker, and after a few minutes, we'd already enjoyed all of the very intriguing text based sculptures. We realized we would need a supplemental activity to make our jaunt to Riley Park worthwhile. Enter Sweet Revenge, a tiny patisserie to match the petite gallery across the street.

As someone with a formidable sweet tooth, I'm surprised I'd never heard of this desserts/evenings only spot, which has been around for over a decade. Better late than never, though, and in we went. The randomly Victorian decor is beguiling in the extreme, and I didn't even mind (too much) that we had to sit side by side on a narrow banquet crammed against the front entryway. The old-timey music playing softly in the background adds to the considerable charm.

We overheard the server explaining that there was one remaining "CSI: Vancouver" chocolate sampler for two, so we decided to go all out. The CSI  is normally only available Monday-Wednesday, and this being a Thursday, ours had clearly been waiting in the fridge for at least a day. The cakes were a little too cold and hard, and much to my dismay, the chocolate shavings and raspberry drizzle garnish were, by this point, solidly attached to the plate. That being said, we could taste the homemade goodness through the oldness, and I'd like to go back to soak up the atmosphere and try something a little more fresh.

Breaking Good

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

Last night a small group of us went to see IZM at the Cultch's beautiful Historic Theatre. We left with the distinct (and true) impression that the dancers in this troupe are all way cooler than us. I wasn't sure how they would create an entire show around b-boying/girling, but the resulting production is really wonderful.

The choreography is equal parts clever and joyful sprinkled with a healthy dash of narrative. Many of the moves don't even make physical sense, and the athleticism is literally breathtaking at times. M was almost constantly resisting the urge to Shazam all the amazing music.

On top of all that, the eye candy is plentiful no matter your gender or orientation. You'll probably be inspired, (at least for the rest of the evening), to start going to the gym.

The show runs four more evenings, and tickets start at just $16!

Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project)

Last night we enjoyed the opening night performance of Ubuntu (The Capetown Project) at our favourite little theatre, the Firehall Arts Centre. Somewhat uncharacteristically, I didn't do much research before the show, so all I knew going in was how much I liked to yell the word "Ubuntu!" As it turned out, I liked the play itself just as much, if not more.

The stage boasts three walls made from very cleverly deployed old trunks, which had M and I marveling at the set designer's ingenuity throughout the play. The excellent choreography similarly managed to get the point across and keep the action moving (across the Atlantic and back!) without resorting to elaborate props or extended scenes.

I am not one to (try to) figure out the story before it's finished being told, so I enjoyed the plot's twists and eventual tying up of loose ends. The talented cast mostly refrains from overacting, which must be difficult when dealing with such big themes and emotions.

Produced in partnership with Kamloops' Western Canada Theatre and Toronto's Theatrefront, Ubuntu runs evenings with some matinees until April 21, and tickets are still available!

Goodness

Last night M and I headed to the Firehall Arts Centre to check out the premiere of Goodness, which runs until March 11. It's not exactly the feel-good production of the year, but nonetheless, we both enjoyed it thoroughly.

Weaving together themes of genocide in an unnamed country, the Holocaust, and good old fashioned divorce-induced heartbreak, Goodness certainly packs an emotional punch. At times, the set up of the theatre brings the action a little too close for comfort, but this is by design. Goodness is a play written to make you question what you would do in similarly intense circumstances.

The acting is uniformly focused and crisp, which kept the audience glued to the proceedings. I purposely maintained a bit of distance because the subject matter was so horrific, and I feared making a scene of my own. I especially enjoyed the hauntingly beautiful songs sung by the cast throughout the play.

Goodness has been brought from Toronto as part of the Chutzpah! Festival, which showcases and celebrates Jewish performing arts of all kinds. There are only five performances left, and very reasonably priced tickets are still available!

Chelsea Hotel

Librarians citywide must be noticing an uptick in requests for Leonard Cohen CDs. After seeing Chelsea Hotel at the Firehall Arts Centre on Friday night, I've certainly placed more than a few holds myself! My Cohen knowledge used to be (rather pathetically) limited to the much covered "Hallelujah," and "I Can't Forget" (the latter only because of a Pixies rendition). I'm excited to explore the rest of his oeuvre.

I'm guessing this will sound obvious to many people, but I just didn't realize how deeply sad, sexy and romantic Cohen's songs are. They're all the better when used brilliantly here to form an emotional and stunning-in-every-sense-of-the-word performance piece. The cast is amazingly multi-talented, and the set, costumes and props are gorgeously evocative of the words and music. 

It goes without saying that Chelsea Hotel is not to be missed by Cohen fans, but I'd bet any music lover would enjoy it immensely as we did. The play runs nightly until March 3, with Wednesday and weekend matinees. There are even three more talkback performances where you can share your questions and feedback with the cast. Tickets are reasonably priced, and the Firehall Arts Centre has no bad seats!

Founders' Lounge @ The Cultch

The other night E and I had the great pleasure of seeing the Christmas Carol Project at The Cultch. The show, billed as "Western Canada's hippest holiday tradition," features a talented cast of Albertans making music in the voices of Dickens' classic characters. In buying our tickets, we noticed that on show nights, the Cultch's Cafe and Wine Bar is now a small restaurant called the Founders' Lounge run by the folks from Two Chefs and a Table and Big Lou's Butcher Shop. I'm a total sucker for a three course $30 fixed menu, so we booked a reservation before the show.

We enjoyed a past dinner at Two Chefs, so we had relatively high hopes for the Founders' Lounge. I'm not sure what the kitchen set up is, because our mains (coq au vin) were not quite hot enough. That was our only quibble with the food, which was delicious and well prepared, (wherever it happened). Our server was obviously new and trying to do things by the book. He was rather endearing, and the kinks will work themselves out with a bit of time. E and I both agreed that we'd like to eat at the Founders' Lounge before every performance we see at the Cultch!

Hume Atelier

A little more than two months ago, A's boyfriend J approached me with his plans to propose. After quickly bringing E in on the exciting news, we set about helping him find the right jewelry designer. Yes, E and I flanking him on the laptop as we searched through Vancouver jewelry designers online was just as much fun as it sounds.

We happened upon the very attractive website of Hume Atelier, a husband and wife team of custom jewelry makers in Gastown. The combination of local craftsmanship and ethically sourced materials was obviously appealing, so J made an appointment for the three of us to meet Kevin and Genevieve for a consultation. This, of course, was also an extremely good time!

Of course, this wasn't exactly my show, but J gave me the okay to give Hume Atelier the glowing review they deserve. They struck a perfect balance between offering their expert opinions and allowing J to make decisions in the scope of his budget. The ring is as pretty as can be, and A was justifiably thrilled to receive it.

As it happened, A saw an email she wasn't meant to very soon after the wheels were set in motion. I'll spare you the convoluted details but E and I were forced to play double agents for two months until the ring was ready and J was able to pop the question on her birthday. I'm definitely relieved that my life no longer resembles a rom-com farce ("She doesn't know that he knows that she knows!") So begins the planning of a beautiful East Van wedding to take place next July!

Halloween at the Waldorf

After a recent spate of somewhat epic nights out, I find myself enjoying a quiet evening at home. One of these nights took place at the Waldorf Hotel last weekend, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to finally weigh on this 'cultural oasis in the middle of nowhere.'

In three words: I love it. That doesn't make much of a blog posting, however, so I'll delve a little deeper. I have (happily) eaten at the Waldorf's Nuba location too many times to count over the past year, and I have spent several evenings soaking up the atmosphere in the famed tiki bar. Despite an earlier promise to appear, however,  I had yet to attend one of their already legendary parties.

To remedy this sad state of affairs, I joined a small crew of friends for the Friday portion of their four night Halloween extravaganza. It was certainly extravagant: haunted hotel rooms (one of which sent me literally diving out into the hallway in fright), a classic (and rather naughty) carnival midway, and an incredible flash performance by the House of La Douche dance crew, to name just a few of the party's perks.

Our group's only complaint was the fact that we had to pay extra for certain aspects like the drop of doom ride, and the holographic burlesque show. The other issue was that E and I had bought early bird four day passes under the mistaken assumption that they included the Dinner for the Dead, so we ended up shelling out quite a lot for what turned out to be one evening's festivities. In light of that clarification, all four day pass buyers were offered a refund, but without a guarantee of available Friday-only tickets, we decided to swallow the extra costs.

These details aside, it was certainly one hell of a party. It wasn't necessarily as dramatic as the house party I attended in Victoria the next night, where a drunken Fiona smashed a glass goblet on an equally intoxicated Shrek's head, but you can only curate so much, right?

The people running the Waldorf and its many artistic machinations are insanely creative, and I think it definitely lives up to the hype. Though they won't be spinning 'Monster Mash' the next time, I'll definitely be back to the tiki bar on an upcoming Friday night to dance again to that awesome mix of 50s/60s rock 'n' roll!

Specials on a Sunny Saturday

This past weekend I volunteered again for the Vancouver Special (House) Tour. We were blessed with what was surely one of the last really nice days for a while. I hate to be pessimistic, but…

The tour houses were all in East Van, and though I didn’t have time to visit the rest, I definitely enjoyed having a look inside my appointed house at 608 Union. It's actually one of the Joe Wai Specials that were designed particularly for Strathcona in the aftermath of the (mercifully) failed freeway proposal. 

I recognized one of the other volunteers’ names, but it was only when we were stationed together at the front door that I pried a bit and found out why. For about an hour, I was happily ensconced in conversation with Michael Kluckner, longtime Vancouverite (aside from sojourns in Langley and Australia), author, artist, and local historian. What a treat for both the librarian and Vancouver lover in me! We chatted about our mutual love of East Van, and he mentioned that Grandview now is what Kits was back in the day. Very interesting stuff.

I was eventually (and reluctantly) reassigned to a post in the master bedroom, where my greatest entertainment was when people asked if this was my house, and I got to sigh “alas, no.”  But anyway, the tour is fascinating, both for those with a genuine interest in vernacular architecture, and those whose tastes run to simply looking through other people’s houses! Check out the Vancouver Heritage Foundation for all kinds of information and tours.

Teenage Dream

Aside from the brief and heady days when I was on the guest list of corporate parties at the Calgary Stampede, it’s been many years since I actually attended a summer fair. When my boyfriend suggested we check out the Fair at the PNE last night, I admit I was skeptical, and more than a little outraged at the price of admission. You could practically go to Disneyland for these prices! To cut costs, we opted out of the rides, since we rightly figured there was otherwise plenty to do, see, and eat.

After work, we booked it to the grounds to make it to the Super Dogs show where he sat patiently while I grinned, clapped and cheered like an idiot. Then it was on to the food! We can heartily recommend the perogies, crepes, funnel cakes, and of course, the mini donuts. Try the deep fried Mars bar if you haven’t already, but trust me, you don’t each need your own. Steer clear of Jimmy’s burgers, which are clearly a Costco burger patty fancied up with fried onions to the tune of almost $8.

Definitely check out the Evolution of Extreme motorsports show. I expected this to be a tit-for-tat deal in exchange for watching the Super Dogs, but I enjoyed it as much, if not more than my honey. The show gave me chills, and I thanked my lucky stars that my motorcycle man has no desire to perform these kind of tricks.

Also worth a gander are Canstruction, the container houses, and Container Art. The highlight of the night though, was certainly the carnival games. While I wasted some dollars trying in vain to break beer bottles, he sidled up to the crossbow game, and, no big deal, shot the arrow through the target on his first try. This is how I ended up with a giant wooly mammoth in my living room, and fulfilled a long held dream of proudly carrying around a huge stuffie won by my impressive boyfriend. My fifteen year old self was beaming, and even as a grown woman, I was admittedly more than a little chuffed.

Summertime, and the living is busy

You may have noticed that I have turned into one of those slacker bloggers I vowed I would never become. I want to put you all on notice that posts will be few and far between in the ensuing months, but I am not hanging up my keyboard permanently!

Between time with friends and my boyfriend (no longer just my mysterious "dining companion"), my dog, riding my still hypothetical new bike, weekend getaways, out of town visitors, work, commuting, dodgeball, three softball teams, choir, and book club, there simply aren't enough hours in the week to blog right now!

Enjoy the warmer weather (if it ever comes), and I'll do my level best to create some new content here and there.

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

I am what a paramedic friend of mine once called a black cloud. That is, I often find myself witnessing situations which legitimately require a 911 call. Ever since I learned about the murder of Kitty Genovese in Psych 104, I promised myself I would always be the one who makes that call, since, statistically speaking, most people assume someone else will do it and don't bother. I counted, and in 2010, I called 911 something like 12 times.

Despite living on what must be ground zero for emergency responders in Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise, I have only called 911 twice in the past 20 months for happenings in my own neighbourhood. Both were possible gunshots, and happily, I wasn't the only one to call.

Last night my dinner party was interrupted by one of the near weekly street operas that play out just below my balcony. This time it was a spectacularly loud relationship bust up, in which the woman swore she was "always f*cking faithful to [him]!"

Later on, when I was moving the open-windowed skunkmobile inside in case of rain, I was privy to a strictly verbal girl fight that was carried out with one woman walking down the middle of the street yelling at the other walking on the sidewalk. "Mary," one assured the other, "you do not want to get on my f*cking bad side!" With neighbours like these, who needs to go to the movies?

It must be the WASP in me who wonders why these people can't play out their dramas behind closed doors. That being said, I wouldn't trade my sometimes gritty, sometimes peaceful, but always interesting address for what I had in the 'burbs where people didn't seem to leave their houses, except to get into their cars.

A stinky situation indeed

Hello blog readers, (if there are any of you left). I had the best of intentions of posting last weekend at the latest, but I couldn't seem to make it happen. Chief among my excuses for this is the fact that everything I've done in the last week or so seems to have taken place either on the West Side (a day at Granville Island, the Smorgasbord show at St. Andrew's Wesley Church, and the Sun Run) or at old standbys about which I've already lovingly blogged (like The Diamond).

My other major excuse is that I've been spending a bit of time in Kits these days. If you know me in real life, you probably know why. I have to say, one thing I do not miss about Kits is the skunks. I don't recall ever coming across one in East Van, though of course they're here too. Unfortunately on Sunday evening, Murph and I ended our 5 year string of skunk-free luck in spectacular fashion. I have spent the last three days trying in vain to de-skunk the house in Kits into which he immediately dashed, my car into which we foolishly put him while we researched what to do, and even my own hair which received an indirect hit of the indescribably vile musk. So there you have it; I haven't been ignoring you...well, I suppose I have, but I hope you find my excuses legit!

Paparazzi

I am a rather ardent fan of Groupon and all its many, many copycat enterprises. In the year and a half that I’ve been wise to these deals, I’ve saved a bundle on everything from windsurfing to wine making, and dog sitting to dinners out. Sometime last year, I bought a Groupon offered by Blue Olive Photography, an outfit whose work I had much admired in a previous lifetime when I was in the market for a wedding photographer. The deal was $75 for a 30 minute photo shoot, with 3 prints of your favourite image.

A&E, though loyal fans of America’s Next Top Model, and far superior “smisers” than I, were wary of being included in the photo shoot. As is my custom, I insisted, and Reilly made sure we had a fun time. Murphy the dog was less accommodating, but I think he did his best. It was definitely awkward walking around Gastown and fake laughing while being trailed by a photographer, but the end results were worth it.

Of course, they’re counting on you to purchase products beyond that, and purchase we did. The image here is my favourite, and it’s the one I chose for our free prints. If Blue Olive ever offers another of these deals or if you can swing their regular fees, by all means, take advantage of their talent and friendliness. You’re guaranteed to have a great time and you will love your photographs!

Big Brother is Watching You

Last night I had the great pleasure (and terror!) of attending a performance of Andy Thompson's new stage version of George Orwell's 1984 at the Cultch. It's billed as a multimedia adaptation, and it's a joint production of The Virtual Stage and Langara College's highly regarded Studio 58 program. E and I were blown away by the script, acting, and production values alike. I'm no theatre expert, but in my humble opinion, this performance was head and shoulders above the star-studded production I saw on Broadway a couple weeks ago. Seriously. You should go. (A few) tickets are still available here. And now I have to go read the book, because I'm ashamed to admit I have yet to do so!

Back in Lotusland

Well, we arrived home bright and early on Monday morning. I've had a couple days to recover and now feel up to posting about my trip, bootcamp this morning notwithstanding!

It was a jam packed week, but we managed to spend some time relaxing in our gigantic hotel suite. Thanks for the mysterious upgrade, Salisbury Hotel!

I didn't avoid shopping entirely, but A&E held me back from doing any serious damage at Century 21. I did spend a glorious sunny morning checking out Park Slope in Brooklyn, picking up some sweet vintage deals (hello $35 Frye boots!) at Beacon's Closet, and a handknit scarf at Flirt.

Of course, we ate a wonderfully diverse array of cuisines, including Venetian at Osteria Laguna, wine and cheese at the Drunken Horse, and Persian at Persepolis. Modern American cuisine was well represented by The Red Cat, Stonehome, and 508, and those onion rings at the Heights Cafe can't be beat.

We added a few things (like MoMA) to our original itinerary, but most notable was riding our rental bikes through Central Park and Harlem, which was one of the highlights of my life. I still haven't made it to the Tenement Museum, but perhaps the third time will be the charm!

Our raison d'being there was for E to compete in her fifth straight American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. She made us very proud by placing 34th overall (out of 680!!!), and sweeping the foreign division handily.

All in all, a truly memorable vacation with two of my very favourite people in the entire world.

Taking a bite

Tonight I'm heading to New York City for a girls' week with my two besties, A&E. We'll be doing lots of eating and sightseeing, of course, and if I learned anything from last month's trip to Orlando, the most you should probably expect is a name-dropping post upon my return.

We've got big plans, including the Museum of Sex, the Museum of Natural History, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, and That Championship Season, for starters. Then there's what may well be the pièce de résistance of our visit: the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and the partying that is sure to ensue.

With the support of my non-shopping friends, I will try to resist the lure of Century 21. The plan is to spend all the money I would have spent shopping at eateries like Eataly and The Red Rooster, and, in my case anyway, copious numbers of black and whites. I'll let you know how it goes!

Dinner and a movie with a twist

Tonight promises to be one of those perfect East Van evenings…dinner at El Pulgarcito and Hey Rosetta! at the Rio Theatre. E and I are big fans of El Pulgarcito, after having eaten there many a time. It’s not much to look at, but the food is delicious and plentiful. I usually get the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde, while E prefers the same dish with less spicy mole sauce. Try the pupusas; you won’t regret it! I’m also madly in love with their horchata, which is available in either the Mexican and Salvadoran styles, both equally creamy and excellent as hangover cures. It’s a two person show, but the service is always cheerful and prompt. I spent some time "studying" in Mexico during university, and this is the type of place that comes as close to an authentic experience as you can get this far north. The prices ($7 or $8 for a main with all the fixings) are also reminiscent of Mexico, which is much appreciated.

I’ve never been to a concert in a movie theatre before, and I am definitely excited to see how it’s done. I’ve read that Hey Rosetta! is one of Canada’s most underrated indie bands, particularly in terms of pure musicianship, but we must be on top of things here, because both their Vancouver shows are sold out!

East End Blues & All That Jazz

February is Black History Month, which I think is a much more worthwhile cause for celebration than Valentine's Day. But I digress...

If you're looking for a way to mark this special month, I can't think of anything better than a performance of East End Blues & All That Jazz. This "musical tribute to Vancouver's historic East End black community" is running three shows this weekend at the Firehall Arts Centre. Tickets are very reasonably priced ($15 students/seniors, $20 everyone else). If I weren't headed to sunnier climes on Saturday morning, I would definitely check this out. Thanks to my awesome neighbour/new friend Travis for the tip!