The Arts Club’s 60th Season: Elf The Musical, Little Shop of Horrors and More
byThe Arts Club Theatre Company’s Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran and Executive Director Peter Cathie White recently announced the 2023–2024 season programming for Western Canada’s leading non-profit theatre organization, celebrating the company’s 60th season with an exciting lineup of shows.
The Arts Club’s 60th Season
The 2023–2024 season will kick off in September at the Arts Club’s flagship venue, the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, with the devouring horror musical Little Shop of Horrors, a co-production with the Citadel Theatre. Four other shows are also programmed for the Stanley: Elf: The Musical, a gleeful holiday present based on the beloved film; Choir Boy, a co-production with Canadian Stage of the Tony Award–nominated coming-of-age story; Red Velvet, the true story of Ira Aldridge, the first Black actor to play Othello in London; and the romantic musical comedy Guys & Dolls, a cool summer treat to beat the heat.
The Arts Club’s longtime waterfront home, the Granville Island Stage, will see the return of the popular Mom’s the Word: Talkin’ Turkey over the holidays. Three other shows will follow: the hilarious Father Tartuffe: A First Nation Misadventure, co-produced with Touchstone Theatre; Sexy Laundry, a touching romantic comedy about rediscovering love, by Vancouver playwright Michele Riml; and Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash’s life story told through his music.
In addition, three shows are programmed for the Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre. The world premiere of Someone Like You, a millennial take on Cyrano de Bergerac by Vancouver-based playwright Christine Quintana, will open the season at the company’s Olympic Village venue. Two other shows that were delayed due to the pandemic will follow: Every Brilliant Thing, an immersive exploration into the small joys of being human; and the Canadian premiere of Cambodian Rock Band, the captivating play about the power of music and the resiliency of family.
To honour the six decades since Arts Club’s inception, the company also announced it will commission six Silver Commissions, an unprecedented groundswell of new play activity. Titles will be announced at a later date. The Arts Club will also be reviving its Lower Mainland and provincial tours. The 2023–2024 tour will be the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage | |
|---|---|
| Little Shop of Horrors | September 7–October 8, 2023 |
| Elf: The Musical | November 2–December 31, 2023 |
| Choir Boy | January 25–February 25, 2024 |
| Red Velvet | January 25–February 25, 2024 |
| Guys & Dolls | January 25–February 25, 2024 |
| Granville Island Stage | |
|---|---|
| Mom’s the Word: Talkin’ Turkey | December 5–31, 2023 |
| Father Tartuffe: A First Nation Misadventure | February 22–March 24, 2024 |
| Sexy Laundry | April 11–May 12, 2024 |
| Ring of Fire | June 20–August 11, 2024 |
| Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Someone Like You | October 5–29, 2023 |
| Every Brilliant Thing | February 8–March 3, 2024 |
| Cambodian Rock Band | April 25–May 19, 2024 |
| Touring Productions | |
|---|---|
| The Birds and the Bees | October 4–November 27, 2023 |
| Beaneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story | January 5–February 4, 2024 |
| Made in Italy | February 21–April 7, 2024 |
The Arts Club’s 60th season kicks off in September with programming at all three venues: the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, the Granville Island Stage, and the Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre. Subscription packages are available online now or by calling (604) 687-1644. The 5-show Stanley Series, the most popular subscription, starts at just $132. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public in June.
