Patrick Street Productions is excited to present Herringbone, unique one-man cabaret musical by Canadian playwright Tom Cone at New Westminster’s Anvil Centre.

Herringbone at the Anvil Centre

Where: Anvil Centre Theatre (777 Columbia St, New Westminster)
When: September 26 to October 6, 2019 (previews September 24-25)
Tickets: From $27 available online now or call (604) 521-5050

An Off Broadway hit, Herringbone is a musical cabaret that is a fun-house ride of farce and fear. It is a one-person show in which the actor plays 12 characters. Taking a unique approach, Peter Jorgensen and Luisa Jojic will perform this tour de force role on alternating nights, each bringing their own perspective and interpretation to the play and all the characters. 

Set in Alabama in 1929 during the start of the Great Depression, it is the story of a young boy, eight-year-old George, along with his parents, Arthur and Louise, who are struggling to keep the family afloat. They are hoping their financial worries will be resolved with a windfall either from the death of a rich relative or from young Georgie’s efforts in a speech contest.  Once they learn that no money has been left to them, the focus is on George, who wins the speech contest. George captures the attention of a former vaudeville performer who was half of a duo called “The Chicken and the Frog.”  Mr. Moseley, as he is now known, offers to give George acting lessons.  Seeing dollar signs and wanting his son to look the part, Arthur buys George a custom herringbone suit, his ideal of elegance and style.

But before you know it, George can’t stop dancing.  He has been possessed by the vengeful spirit of Mr. Moseley’s malevolent former partner Lou, the Frog, a dancing dwarf who was murdered by Moseley, the Chicken.  Lou is hell-bent on revenge and the chance to enjoy the success denied him by his untimely death. Little George becomes a successful vaudevillian, barnstorming the country until he reaches the bright lights of Hollywood. 

The herringbone suit gives little George his new moniker … but who will win the battle for George’s soul?

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away for opening night on September 26th, here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

Follow Patrick Street Productions on Facebook and Twitter for more info. I’ll draw one winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

I had tears in my eyes. Imagine being able to see something in nature before it went extinct? That’s what it felt like to soar above diminishing lakes, receding rivers, expansive moraines, and the cracks and crags of ancient blankets of ice in the Yukon’s Kluane National Park and Reserve.

Landing on a Glacier in the Yukon

“Many of these mountains do not have names, many of them have never been climbed before,” our pilot’s words burst into my headset with an amplified whir of the plane engine. We were gaining altitude, climbing thousands of feet above Kluane NPR, which is the largest internationally protected area in the world and home to 17 of Canada’s 20 tallest mountains—including Mount Logan, the country’s highest peak.

Our destination was the world’s largest non-polar icefield, where we would land on a glacier, get out, and take a little walk around. They say non-polar since Antartica, the North Pole, and Greenland have larger icefields, and this one sits in the sub-arctic.

Lower Lonsdale’s Shipyards Festival is bringing family fun and live music to its stunning waterfront venue with 4 stages featuring 40 performers, a Family Zone, axe throwing, beer garden and local food vendors.

Shipyard Festival

Where: The Shipyards District, Lower Lonsdale & Lonsdale Quay
When: Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 12:00am to 10:00pm
Admission: Free!

The lineup so far includes: Harpoonist & The Axe Murder, The Boom Booms, Mike Edel, John Welsh & Los Valientes, Kutapira, Sleepy Gonzales, North Shore Celtic Ensemble, HOFFEY, Adam Woodall, Uno Mas, Sky Parallel, Havyn, Redwoods, MNGWA, Cherrie Laurel, Sister Says, Pat Chessell and Portiia.

Kids will be well entertained in the Seaspan Family Zone with Rockin’ Robin and the Magical Tree, Ginalina and Mike Battie along with face-painting, balloon arts and crafts. This year’s event features an expanded beer garden, artisans and vendors in the newly minted Shipyard Commons, as well as DJ’s, buskers, food trucks, acoustic entertainers and more.

For more information follow Lower Lonsdale on Facebook and Twitter.

The Shipyards District Lower Lonsdale, one of North Vancouver’s oldest and fastest growing urban neighbourhoods, is rich with shipbuilding history and bursting with life. It’s a quick 12-minute SeaBus ride from Downtown Vancouver, home to two hotels and the beloved Lonsdale Quay. The district has transformed into a modern hub of independent shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs, specialty food stores, boutiques, salons and spas run by North Shore creatives.

Who would have thought that my first time on a hoverboard would be at an ice rink in New Orleans? I was getting a sneak peak of Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party which brings skating skills to new heights with your favourite characters from Disney-Pixar’s Coco, Frozen, Moana, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid.

Behind the Scenes at Disney on Ice

Getting a behind the scenes tour of a fantastic show I just witnessed, with jaw-dropping stunts and adorable sing-alongs with the crowd, was quite the thrill (check out my Instagram story highlight for video).

The hoverboards are used by the Toy Story army men in the show, on the ice. It’s just one of many stunts that I didn’t expect, but I was thoroughly impressed.

One of my favourite moments was when performers Brendan and Jessica Hatfield (Eric and Ariel) were lifted above the skating surface during Kiss the Girl.

“These dots mark where we need to skate before we get lifted,” Brendan said as they took position. There are 67 marks all over the ice that aren’t noticeable to the audience but are crucial for the performers.

The Sway Poles come out during the Coco number, and while they’ve been used in the circus before, this is the first instance of them being used in an on-ice show.

“My favourite part of the show is the army men – the precision, the choreography – and Coco, boy is that colourful, it’s a beautiful number,” Alex Allen, the live host from the show introduced himself. “I’m a skater too but today I’ll be the setter for the Spanish Web,” his colleague Ara Kocharyan climbed the 25-foot rope to demonstrate the apparatus, which is a two-person operation operation.

The show has 48 performers, ranging from 17 to 45 years old, with acrobats that learned to skate, and skaters that have learned acrobatics. It’s an artistic and athletic showcase – set to some of Disney’s most memorable tunes!

If you want to check it out in person, tickets are on sale now (starting at $18) for Mickey’s Search Party in Vancouver, November 28 to December 1, 2019 at the Pacific Coliseum.

Follow Disney on Ice on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for more #DisneyOnIce #MickeysSearchParty info and stay tuned for an exciting giveaway opportunity coming up next month!

After the harvest comes the STOMP! Registration is now open for the Grape Stomp at Township 7 Vineyards & Winery in Langley. This event usually sells out, so act fast!

Grape Stomp at Township 7

Where: Township 7 Vineyards & Winery (21152 16th Avenue, Langley)
When: Saturday. October 26 & Sunday, October 27, 2019 12:00pm to 4:30pm
Register: Entry fee is $33 (per teammate). Tickets include a tasting and a glass of wine. Send an email here with the following info:

Gather your 6 member team and enjoy a friendly competition with prizes for fastest stomp, best costumes and more. Enjoy live music and award winning wine at the scenic south Langley winery.

All “stompers” must be 19 years of age and up, a minimum of 6 team members and maximum of 8, rain or shine.

Township 7 Vineyards & Winery Proudly Supports Ronald McDonald House British Columbia & Yukon. Partial proceeds raised at the Grape Stomp event will be donated to the organization.

Township 7’s vineyards are located in the south Langley countryside, the picturesque Naramata Bench and throughout the southern Okanagan Valley. They make award winning wines from renowned vineyards of the Black Sage Road area, vineyards that are ideal for growing grapes for the more full-bodied Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons, Syrahs and Chardonnays. Their wineshops in Langley and on the Naramata Bench are open daily in season.

Follow Township 7 on Twitter and Facebook for more information about special events like this and their latest wine releases.

The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, are set to soar over British Columbia as part of their biggest-ever tour to North America.  There is a lineup of free public engagement events next week including a full day event at Jack Poole Plaza.

RAF Red Arrows Over Vancouver

It is the first time the Red Arrows have ever visited Vancouver and it comes as part of the team’s most ambitious tour of Canada and the United States. In total, the team will visit more than 20 cities, including 4 in Canada, over 11 weeks. 

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at Science World
Join an exclusive screening of the UK documentary Red Arrows: Kings of the Skies followed by a Q&A with members of the team. Register here »

Thursday, September 26, 2019 at Jack Poole Plaza
Aviation Day with the Red Arrows 10:00am to 6:00pm
Discover the world of aviation and learn more about the UK during a full-day of celebrations for the Red Arrows visit. From past to present, visitors can also get an up-close look at an iconic Sopwith Camel kindly provided by the Canadian Museum of Flight and then don a VR headset to take a ride in the cockpit during a Red Arrows flypast.  Science World and the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre will also be on-location to explain the science behind flight with interactive demonstrations including a friendly rocket launcher competition. 

This full-day event will culminate in back-to-back non-aerobatic flypasts by the Red Arrows over Victoria and Vancouver. The Red Arrows will first take to the skies of Victoria, passing over the provincial capital’s historic inner harbour and the British Columbia Parliament Buildings at approximately 4:40pm. Then at 5:00pm, they’ll do a flypast along the iconic Vancouver waterfront, trailed by their signature red, white, and blue smoke.

Red, White and Blue
To celebrate the Red Arrows visit, iconic Vancouver landmarks will be illuminated in red, white, and blue. These include Science World (September 24 & September 26), BC Place (September26), the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza and the Vancouver Convention Centre (September 26) and the five sails at Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver (September 24-25). 

As part of their visit, the Red Arrows will make a special visit to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice for a chance to connect with the young children receiving care.

They will also meet with local students to promote careers in aviation, science, and technology. Taking place over four different sessions, the Red Arrows will showcase the importance of STEM in their work with students from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Templeton Secondary, Britannia Secondary and an organization aimed at inspiring female leaders from shop floor to top floor in high-tech STEM fields, Achieve Anything Foundation.

Follow the RAF Red Arrows on Facebook and Twitter for more info about these #RedArrowsTour events.