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It's a Wonderful Life with the Arts Club

Comments 8 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Jennifer Lines and Todd Talbot
Photo by David Cooper

I’m really beginning to cherish my nights out on the town, catching the best in live local theatre and last night was no exception. John and I headed to Granville Island to see It’s a Wonderful Life at the Arts Club and we both really enjoyed the show.

Artistic Director Bill Millerd came out first to welcome the audience and we were touched that he gave Ballet BC a shout out and encouraged us all to support them in seeing The Nutcracker (Ballet BC having announced earlier this week that they 17 performers and most of their staff [CBC]).

I’m always impressed with the unique sets and audio/visual effects at Arts Club productions and using clips from the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, helped to add context while not take away from the dialog or flow of the play – it only enhanced it.

One thing that caught my eye during this production was the costume design as well as the great retro hairstyles. In the last scene I would totally want Mary’s dress and hairdo for my next Christmas Eve party.

Miss604’s guide to the ultimate holiday evening in Vancouver:

  • Catch an aquabus from downtown to Granville Island
  • Meander through the market (consider buying some wild board sausage from Oyama Sausage), check out the works of local artisans, perhaps pick up a few Christmas gifts.
  • Head to the Backstage Lounge (right underneath the Arts Club) and have a tasty dinner. There’s quite the selection of entrees, burgers and sandwiches and their appies come in very large portions (ie. we had a small mountain of zucchini sticks last night – perfect for sharing).
  • I also just discovered today that if you have a ticket to a performance that day, you can get 15% off your bill (food only) at the Backstage Lounge.
  • Since you’ll already be in the building, you can stay for a drink before showtime or head in to the Upstage Lounge for a glass of wine or a quick beer before taking your seats. You can also pre-order your intermission drinks, which is recommended.
  • Sit back, enjoy the show, and get in the holiday spirit.

    • After last night’s enjoyable performance, I would also suggest you head back to the box office and purchase tickets for Beauty and the Beast at The Stanley and repeat all of these instructions but replace “Granville Island” with South Granville.

    It’s a Wonderful Life is showing from now until January 3, 2009. The Arts Club is also a sponsor of the Best of 604 so the winner of the “Best Events Site” category will be receiving a nice prize from them as well. (Note: Best Events Site can be a site, a directory, or a blog that lists events, reviews, coverage, or recaps.)

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    8 Comments  —  Comments Are Closed

    1. melThursday, November 27th, 2008 — 5:47pm PST

      I want to see that… and Seussical… and Beauty and the Beast… and The Nutcracker… so many great shows this season!

    2. DarrenThursday, November 27th, 2008 — 7:01pm PST

      I went to theatre school with Jennifer Lines–she’s a terrific and versatile actor.

    3. RobThursday, November 27th, 2008 — 8:49pm PST

      I saw this listed in a local paper and was intrigued. Thanks for the recommendation!

      It’s a Wonderful Life is one of my favourite movies. The telephone scene breaks me up every time, reducing me to a teary mess. I know it’s thought of as a Christmas movie, but good performances are great at any time of year.

    4. RajFriday, November 28th, 2008 — 1:18am PST

      It’s an awesome time for local theatre, and Beauty and the Beast is stellar.

    5. DavidSunday, November 30th, 2008 — 9:50pm PST

      I’m hoping I can get to see Seussical. I went to school with the composer of the show, Stephen Flaherty. We were in a lot of classes together and we even attended a few composition lessons together. He was writing great music theatre songs, even back then (too long ago for me to want to admit it).

    6. Arts Club Presents Beauty and the Beast » Vancouver Blog Miss 604 by Rebecca BollwittThursday, December 11th, 2008 — 7:40am PST

      […] this season. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast runs until January 4th, 2009 and it’s one of two holiday offerings from the Arts […]

    7. Altar Boyz on Tour » Vancouver Blog Miss 604 by Rebecca BollwittFriday, January 30th, 2009 — 12:31am PST

      […] now and each one continues to shine in its own way by being thought-provoking, whimsical, or simply classic. However, it wasn’t until tonight that two things happened that I thought simply […]

    8. It’s a Wonderful Life, Vancouver » Vancouver Blog Miss 604 by Rebecca BollwittFriday, November 27th, 2009 — 9:20am PST

      […] holiday tradition. I’m looking forward to seeing it again with John but you can also read my review from last year which includes Miss604’s guide to the ultimate holiday evening in Vancouver. I have once again […]

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