Last night saw my very first Theatre Under the Stars (“TUTS”) show at Malkin Bowl, after walking by the venue for most of my life and writing about its history for the last decade. The show was Legally Blonde: The Musical and I admit, Legally Blonde the movie is one of my guilty pleasures to watch (along with the likes of Clueless or The Holiday).

I had no idea what to expect from this production and doubts filled my head at first blush: Would I be able to hear? Would I be able to see? Would the songs be forgettable? Will they have a real puppy in for “Bruiser”? By the time the spotlight beamed across the lawn and the sisters of Delta Nu were singing the incredibly ear-wormy opening number “Omigod You Guys”, I knew I had nothing to worry about.

Legally Blonde at TUTS

Being very familiar with the storyline — sorority girl Elle Woods takes on Harvard Law School while chasing love and learning life lessons along the way — I was curious to see how it would be transformed into a musical. Heather Hach’s story was complimented by music and lyrics written by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and this show was the TUTS directorial debut for Valerie Easton who was joined by music director Danny Balkwill.

Juno-nominated Breanne Arrigo was a perfectly perky yet level-headed Elle with impressive dance moves and pitch. Katie Murphy, playing accused husband-killer Brooke Wyndham, led an impressive number that saw her — and the ensemble — skipping rope double-time and jumping around the stage while keeping tempo during their song “Whipped Into Shape”. All together, through dancing, singing, acting, and even a cheerleading-themed number that included basket tosses, the cast was tight.

I was impressed by the production from the get-go, with clear sound (with a radio engineer for a husband this is important to me), bright costumes (including functional mini skirts with no wardrobe malfunctions), and by a cast that seemed to be entirely comprised of “triple threat” stars.

An honourable mention goes to the two dogs in the show, Milo (playing “Bruiser”) and Béla Nicholas (Paulette’s Rufus) who added just another element of smile-inducing talent to the show.

TUTS Tips

Going to TUTS is unlike any other theatre experience in Vancouver. Mainly, there’s no roof – you’re outside at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. This allows for offerings like a grilled salmon dinner or the option to bring your own picnic. Here are a few tips for enjoying TUTS:

• While the sun is shining and temperatures are high, it does cool off quite a bit at night. You can bring blankets in or light jacket like a hoodie for after the show.
• You can also pick up some seat cushions on site (by donation) for comfort as the seats are just plastic patio furniture.
• You are in the middle of a sloped grassy field in the park so an application of bug spray is recommended.
• Dress is casual, I even saw some sweatpants last night, but I’d say jeans are fine.
• Just past the entrance there is a “TUTS Museum” with programs, posters, and costumers from decades of TUTS at Malkin Bowl. It’s worth browsing around to get a sense of the history of this Vancouver institution.

There are only five shows left this season. Get your tickets now for the August 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, or 17th performance of Legally Blonde at TUTS to enjoy this truly Vancouver theatre experience. After grinning, laughing, and being thoroughly entertained for two hours, the stars will leave the stage as they start to appear in the sky above the park. It’s makes for a beautiful night out in the city.

Follow Theatre Under the Stars (“TUTS”) on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this show and the upcoming Grease Sing-A-Long on August 24th.

A friend of mine, up to the age of 16, used to put her hair in pigtails to appear younger at White Spot just so she could order a Pirate Pak from the kids menu. Lucky for her, and the rest of us that have outgrown kids meals, it’s almost time for Pirate Pak Day at White Spot where the purchase of regular kids Pirate Pak and exclusive Adult Pirate Paks will go to a great cause.

White Spot Pirate Pak Day

On Wednesday, August 14, 2013 White Spot will donate $2 from every Pirate Pak sold to Zajac Ranch for Children — a BC based summer camp that brings joy to children and youth with serious medical conditions.

Pirate Paks will be available for all ages for dine-in and take-out. The special edition ‘Adult Pak’ features a choice of four delicious burger options, including the Legendary Burger, Bacon Cheddar Bigger Burger, Provolone Veggie Burger on a multigrain bun, and the BC Chicken Burger. Starting at $11.49, each meal comes with fresh-cut fries, creamy coleslaw, a soft drink, a scoop of premium ice cream and a “gold” chocolate coin, served in their iconic Pirate Pak boat.

Pirate Pak Facts

• Exactly 785,199 Pirate Paks were sold last year.
• Since 1968, more than 23 million Pirate Paks have been sold.
• With the option to substitute salad, juice, feature sundaes and shakes for the standard favourites, there are more than 675 different Kids Pirate Pak combinations, including vegetarian options!
• The Pirate Pak boat is 100% recyclable. (I swear, when I was little, that it could also be used for a hat).
• The most popular Pirate Pak item is the Pirate Pak Hamburger, made with 100% fresh Canadian beef and famous Triple “O” sauce. Coming in close second is our Pirate Pak with Macaroni & Cheese.

Zajac Ranch‘s mission is to develop and operate an accessible, innovative and full-service facility that welcomes children and young adults facing chronic, life-threatening or debilitating conditions. It provides camp experiences that empower children of all abilities to participate, foster the development of life-long skills and independence and, create lasting opportunities for friendship and fulfillment.

Since 2008, White Spot has raised $202,470 for Zajac Ranch, providing more than 100 children and young adults the opportunity to create summertime memories and empower them to experience traditional camp activities – an opportunity that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. You can donate directly to Zajac Ranch online and visit your local White Spot on August 14th to show your support.

To spread the word about Pirate Pak Day this year, White Spot has offered up a $25 gift card to one lucky Miss604 reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment here naming your favourite White Spot menu item (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 3:00pm on Pirate Pak Day, Wednesday, August 14, 2013. Follow White Spot on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on their latest menu offerings and promotions.

Update The winner is Alisa!

I’m always on the lookout for new and useful apps, with a local twist. Mostly because I love trying them out and seeing the latest technology but in part because I am a frequent guest on Steve Dotto‘s “App Wednesday” radio show on AM650. Dotto invites three guests to bring their best apps to the table and we battle it out for an hour to determine who presented the best one. Recently, I talked about the Swim Guide App and although it didn’t win me the app crown that week, I have found it pretty informative.

Waterkeeper Swim Guide App

This app will let you know the water quality of the beaches in your area by colour coding them with pins. You can get a visual reading of what is safe, clean, and good for swimming. A green pin generally means that the water is sampled frequently and that it has not shown any harmful particle levels.

You can use it on your desktop computer simply by going to The Swim Guide and it will zoom in to your region on a Google Map. On your phone, you can download the app for Android or iOS devices.

Swim Guide began in Toronto after a team of staff and volunteers at Lake Ontario Waterkeeper set out to answer this simple question: Is it safe to swim in Lake Ontario?

It should be easy to find clean water and a nice, accessible swimming hole. Unfortunately, reliable facts and figures about beach water quality were hard to come by. So we started compiling our own. For more than a decade, we have tracked beach water quality trends, adding more beaches to our database every year.

Since 2011, dozens of nonprofit and public organizations have started contributing information to Swim Guide. By the height of swimming season in 2013, Swim Guide will include most official beaches in Canada and the USA. It draws on water quality information from government agencies or from Waterkeepers themselves so that you have access to up-to-date water quality as often as possible. [About]

The app is ever-changing as well, with updates, new beaches, pollution reports and more. Updates are provided and published based on information from local city governments, local affiliates, and more. Everyone is invited to contribute.

The summer season is winding down but we still have many hot, swimmable days left around here where we have an abundance of salt and freshwater recreation sites. The app is free to download and could help you plan your next beach day if water quality is of concern.

The 10th annual Cloverdale Blueberry Festival is coming up on Saturday, August 10th and is the largest event of the year for this business district in Surrey.

Photo credit: Conrad Olson on Flickr

Cloverdale Blueberry Festival

The Cloverdale Business Improvement Association and Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce are hosting this festival which will include everything from a tractor pull and farmers market to pie-eating contests and amusement rides. Here are just some of the highlights:

Vendor Market

What: Food and retail items, especially blueberry sales.
Location: 176 St and 56A Ave & Hawthorne Square
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Kids Zone

What: The Kids Zone and stage will feature BMX and skateboarding demos, a blueberry pie-eating contest, antique truck displays, Cinemazoo, bouncy castle, and more. There will also be face painting and the Cloverdale Lions Club Blueberry Pancake Breakfast from 8:00am to 10:30am.
Location: Cloverdale Entertainment Stage
Time: 9:00am to 4:30pm

Race Car Zone

What: 1/4 Mile Dragsters/Race Cars display with special appearance by Wayne King aka “The Peregrine” with the original 1963 Doss, Clayton and King Top Fuel Dragster. The dragster will start several times throughout the day. Large displays from the Automotive Model Builders (BC’s original model car club, since 1982), a BBQ, and other activities.
Location: Brick Yard Station 175 St (Cloverdale By-pass) and Hwy #10
Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm

5th Annual Surrey Show n Shine

What: Antiques, vintage, muscle, restored, custom, motorcycles, trucks and street rods on display.
Location: Downtown Cloverdale, 176 St and 176A St
Time: 9:00am to 4:00pm

Surrey Museum

What: Pic-Knit at the Surrey Museum
Shop for your stash with local vendors, sign up for a workshop, and enjoy snacks from Indian restaurant “Smile”. From hand-dyed and hand-spun yarns, to luscious silks and fibres for spinning your own custom yarn, there will be a variety of products to inspire and entice visitors. Find out about Children’s Hospital’s “Click for Babies” knitting program and how you can participate. Admission is by donation.
Location: Surrey Museum
Time: 11:00am to 4:00pm

What: 9th Annual Blueberry Art Festival
Artisans will present their all handmade crafts around the plaza which include functional pottery to doggy collar crocheting, from cushy sports logo cushions to upholstery fabric purses, and from shining silver ware jewellery to pantaloons and pudgy creatures. The artisans also have a henna art section and a fun stuff for kids’ kiosk. Visual artists doing watercolour, acrylics and photography compete for a “Best in the Show” award.
Location: Surrey Museum Plaza
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm

Photo credit: gmerzzw on Flickr

The Cloverdale Legion will be hosting a breakfast and BBQ along with a military truck display from 9:00am to 4:00pm at 17567 57th Ave and there will also be a BBQ with the Cloverdale Rotary at 5748 176 St. A free trolley bus service will be running between all event zones throughout the day from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Connect with the Cloverdale Blueberry Festival on Facebook for more information.

The Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest in New Westminster takes place on Saturday, August 10, 2013 with over a dozen of Metro Vancouver’s favourite food trucks serving up their delicious fare.

Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest

Enter the festival area at Columbia between fourth and sixth streets in New Westminster between 3:00pm and 9:00pm. Admission is free, there will be a beer garden, and live entertainment from New Westminster’s own 2 Days & Counting. Participating food trucks include:

Leading up to the event you can enter to win “truck bucks” as $240 are available through the Burnaby News Leader. Follow the Facebook event for updates leading up to the festival. The Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Fest is made possible thanks to the support of The Salient Group (Trapp+Holbrook Living) and the City of New Westminster.