The PuSh Festival started this week and I’ll be covering the festival for Miss604. This particular festival happens at the exact right time of year; there is nothing like watching inventive performance art from around the world to distract you from the bleak cold January weather of Vancouver. And though I’m drawn to attend the pieces performed by artists whose homeland conjure up warmer thoughts and feelings (Mexico, Spain, etc), there is one local show I’m very excited to see.
Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata, by composer Veda Hille and CBC’s Bill Richardson, opens tonight at the Arts Club Revue Stage. I grew up listening to Bill Richardson on the radio and always considered him a renegade so it’s no surprise that he’s involved with PuSh this year.
Bill Richardson & Veda Hille. Photo by Bill Pechet.
In fact, he’s been involved with PuSh before. Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata actually originates from and is an expansion on a 20-minutes show he and Hille put on at the PuSh festival in 2009.
Inspired by the huge volume of ads on Craiglist, Richardson and Hille decided to create a musical based on the site as they thought the ads suggest a bigger story.
After two workshops conducted by the Arts Club in Vancouver, as well as performances at the Spark Festival in Victoria, Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata has finally coming back to the PuSh festival in its newly-evolved 80-minutes state.
“The workshops were really useful,” says Richardson. “They helped us fine-tune the work and cover things we were missing.”
He said they got a lot of great feedback from people from various demographics.
“At one of the workshops, a young woman in university suggested we do something on roommates. So now we have a part on that and it’s great. There is also a section of misconnections.”
Richardson says what surprises him the most about the show is the visceral reaction audience members have toward it.
“Although it’s light and comic, there is a lot tenderness and it’s unexpectedly emotional for people. There is a lot about longing, tenderness and hunger.”
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival runs until February 4, 2012.
The Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) will be rung in on Monday, January 23, 2012. Vancouver has a very strong and very proud Chinese heritage so it comes as no surprise that there is a wide variety of festive celebrations happening around the region.
I was about to put together my own list but found that Dianne Chow of Fabulously in Frugal Vancouver already published a great event post. Here are my picks from her list along with a few of my own recommendations:
Richmond
Location: International Buddhist Temple, Richmond (9160 Steveston Hwy)
Date: Wednesday, January 18 to Monday, January 23, 2012
Event: Visitors can enjoy flower arrangements, foods, gift items, and more. On Chinese New Year’s Eve (January 22), the Temple will be open for its late night festivities until 1:00am. At midnight there will be a large group ceremony to bless all sentient beings. A vegetarian luncheon will take place on January 23 to celebrate the arrival of the new lunar year. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Event Website
Location: Aberdeen Centre, Richmond (4151 Hazelbridge Way)
Date: Sunday, January 22 to Monday, January 23, 2012
Hours: Mall Hours (fair runs until 12:30am on January 22nd)
Event: On New Year’s Eve there will be a countdown spectacular by Fairchild Radio with a live television special on Fairchild TV. The following day there will be a golden dragon and lion dance at 11:00am in the courtyard.
Event Website
Location: Aberdeen Centre, Richmond (4151 Hazelbridge Way)
Date: Saturday, January 28 to Sunday, January 29, 2012
Hours: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Event: Chinese New Year Flower & Gift Fair with presentations from the BC Chinese Music Association, Vancouver Academy of Dance, BC Zhong Yang Music Association, Colors of Dance Academy
Event Website
Location: Landsowne Centre (5300 No.3 Road)
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Hours: 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Event: Celebrations with a lion dance, martial arts, Chinese opera, karaoke, and more.
Event Website
Burnaby
Location: Lougheed Town Centre (Austin Ave & North Road)
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Hours: From 10:30am
Event: Lion dance and variety of other festivities
Event Website Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
This time of year is supposedly the most depressing but with the Cupcake Throwdown, Hot Chocolate Festival, Dine Out Vancouver and the Bite of White Rock, all the goodness going into our bellies is sure to cheer us up. An even better way to get rid of the winer blues is to attend a fabulous event like Liberty Wine Merchants’ Taste BC that supports the BC Children’s Hospital Oak Tree Clinic.
When Tuesday, January 24, 2012 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm
Where Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, Park Ballroom
Tickets Available for $49.99 from all Liberty Wine Merchants locations
Sip and sample some of the province’s best wine and beer, along with canapés prepared by the city’s best restaurants. The event includes live music, door prizes, a silent auction and more.
Help Taste BC make a difference in the lives of BC Children. To date, they have raised $186,336 for the cause: The Oak Tree Clinic provides specialized HIV care for infected women, pregnant women, partners, children and youth, and support services for affected families.
If you would like to attend Taste BC, I have 2 pairs of tickets available to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw 2 winners on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 8:00pm. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe ride home.
Update The winner is Bonnie!
The 2012 CONCACAF (“Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football”) Olympic women’s qualifying tournament gets underway at BC Place tomorrow and will run until January 29, 2012.
All eight CONCACAF teams will be vying for one of two spots available at the London 2012 Olympics. Group A features Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba and Haiti while Group B features USA, Mexico, Guatemala and Dominican Republic [source: Canada Soccer].
Cheer on Team Canada starting tomorrow as they take on Haiti at 7:30pm Pacific Time. After that they play Cuba on Saturday, Costa Rica on Monday, and the semi-finals will be on Friday with the finals on Sunday, January 29th. All games will be broadcast on Sportsnet, check local listings to be sure.
Photo credit:
Canada Soccer / Mexsport Javier Garcia. PanAmerican Games.
Tickets are available for purchase if you would like to attend any of the matches. They start at just $10 and you can get packages starting at $69. Find out more from Canada Soccer including information about family rates and group ticket purchases. I know the Southsiders will be there to support our national team as well, in section 249.
Follow @CanadaSoccerEN on Twitter and track the tag #CANWNT (Canada Women’s National Team, I assume) for hometown tweets about the tournament.
The Vancouver Motorcycle Show starts tomorrow and will run for 4 full days with over 180 exhibitors including a manufacturer showcase, custom alley, and a stunt show.
Date
January 19 to January 22, 2012
Hours
Thursday 3:00pm to 9:00pm
Friday & Saturday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Sunday 10:00am to 5:00pm
Where
TRADEX Abbotsford
Tickets
Adults $13, 4-day wrist bands are $30. Youth $8 with an adult and are free after 5:00pm.
Thursday night is vintage night, Friday and Saturday are Rock & Roll race nights, and Saturday night is also She Rides night for the ladies with special events and prizes.
I have 2 pairs of tickets to give away if you would like to attend. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Since it starts tomorrow I’ll draw 2 winners tonight at 6:00pm. Follow the Vancouver Motorcycle Show on Twitter or Facebook for more information.
Update The winners are Brandy S and @bcbrit!
