The Broadway hit WICKED is coming to Vancouver this summer and judging by the reaction on Twitter whenever I mention the show, it will be one hot ticket.
So Much Happened Before Dorothy Dropped In…
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for the most complete – and completely satisfying – new musical in a long time (USA Today).
On Broadway and around the world, WICKED has worked its magic on critics and audiences alike. Winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, WICKED is Broadway’s biggest blockbuster and the defining musical of the decade (The New York Times).
Broadway Across Canada is presenting WICKED in several cities, stopping in Vancouver June 1st until the 26th, 2011 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. One of my favourite forms of entertainment in Vancouver is heading out on the town for dinner and a night at the theatre – and what could be better than a production that puts a spin on a classic story (that everyone is raving about to boot).
Click here for the pre-sale link and enter the unique passcode: CITY. The pre-sale will only be open from 10:00am February 28th until 10:00pm this Friday, March 4th, 2011.
Should you have any troubles using this code, please let me know in the comments.
Update May 2011 While the pre-sale has ended it has just been announced that on the day of performances there will be a lottery for $25 cash-only orchestra seats for Wicked. To enter, simply show up at the box office 2 hours before a performance June 1 to 26 and your name will be entered into a draw, taking place 30 minutes later. If your name comes up, you can see the show for $25. A limited number of names will be drawn each night.
Update May 28, 2011 I have been given a special discount code to share with readers. Here is the deal: “Buy any Orchestra, Dress Circle or Mezzanine seat at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for $49* and you could save up to $40.
Special offer applies to the following performances June 1st @ 8pm, June 2nd at 2pm and June 2nd at 8pm.
Purchase your tickets today at Ticketmaster.ca or call 855.985.5000 and quote the passcode BROADWAY or you’ll be green with envy.”
You can use this exclusive Miss604 offer code link to purchase tickets for the dates listed above where the discount is valid.
Update June 2011 The other night Keira-Anne and I attended Wicked in Vancouver. We didn’t know much about the production except these few key facts: It was based on a novel, it was the story of the “early years” of the witches in the famous Oz tale, it was called the musical of the decade. From the time the curtain, featuring a glowing map of the Emerald City, was lifted there was an enchanting atmosphere. A tale with familiar characters was about to unfold but we didn’t know what it was – it was captivating. Colourful costumes, playful characters, and dazzling special effects. Before the first act finished, the two main characters – Glinda and Elphaba launch into the signature “Defying Gravity” tune — that itself has over 3 million hits on YouTube and will be stuck in your head well after you arrive home.
The most impressive part of Wicked for me was the vocals. I’ve seen many musicals and theatrical productions in Vancouver but I had not experienced the power and passion that the two female leads belted out on stage. Kudos (and standing ovations) are in order for Natalie Daradich (Galinda/Glinda) and Anne Brummel (Elphaba).
Young and old will enjoy the storyline, the twists, turns, and the magic of friendship. You can catch Wicked on stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre until June 26, 2011.
As the snow falls on Metro Vancouver many are gathering out in the sub-zero temperatures to toboggan, skate, watch concerts and eat mini-donuts. Surrey’s Winterfest has returned as the social media sponsor for the festival. John and I have been out all morning (and we’ll return this evening) to capture some of the sights of this year’s free, all-day, family event.
Update This morning the Surrey Eagles, Vancouver Girls, Scouts Canada, Abbotsford Heat, and the City of Surrey mascots all took part in a skate while the crowd bought baked goods, hot chocolates, visited the many displays on-site.
Activities at the Kids Zone inside SFU Surrey (where it was nice and warm) with balloons, martial arts, a second stage for concerts, and crafts.
Winterfest is located at Central City in Surrey right in front of the mall and SFU campus. 102nd Avenue is closed for road hockey and festivities but you can either park at the mall or take the SkyTrain directly to the Central City SkyTrain station.
Tobogganing and skating are free (skates are provided if you don’t bring your own) and the headliners tonight are The Peak’s ‘Performance Project’ winner Kyprios and Hot Hot Heat.
There is still plenty of time to make your way down as the event will run until about 11:00pm today. We’ll return later to post more photos from the evening concerts and the Olympic anniversary celebration coming up at 6:00pm.
View photos from the evening concerts over on Jaxsaid and the rest of John’s photos are available on his Flickr.
Update Once again, the City of Surrey was able to provide a full day of entertainment, sport and art, free for the community. While the temperatures stayed on the freezing side and flakes fell from the sky like confetti, families, youth, and adults alike participated in Winterfest activities throughout the day and well into the evening.
The following photo essay was experienced and contributed by John Biehler exclusively for Miss604.com
Once we finished our Zodiac tour of the Broken Group Islands, we headed to dinner at Norwoods on our last night in Ucluelet.
We started things off with the ‘local seafood trio’ which included crab chowder, tempura prawns and grilled octopus (which was my favourite):
Local Salt Spring Island Mussels and Clams Piquant Tomato Sauce
Grilled Fillet of Beef Peppercorn Sauce, Gratin Potatoes, Roasted Shallots, Seasonal Vegetables
Classic Braised Lamb Shank Bourguignonne Rosemary & Garlic Knödel, Spinach
Richard Norwood, Chef/ Proprietor and Philippe Mallette, Chef d ‘Cuisine in the open kitchen
I couldn’t resist the Pumpkin & Cinnamon Crème Brûlée for desert. I then finished my night off with a Goodnight:
Grand Marnier, Baileys, Frangelico, Steamed Milk, Nutmeg, Orange Twist
Indeed it was a good night at Norwoods. Everyone in my tour group agreed that Norwoods was the unexpected and stellar food highlight of the trip to Vancouver Island.
Related posts from the rest of the tour of Vancouver Island include caving in the Horne Lake Caves and surfing in Ucluelet.
John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos in this post were taken by John.
Disclosure: Activities, services and dining experiences during the trip were compliments of Tourism Vancouver Island or the operators and businesses mentioned.
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC has launched a ‘Countdown ‘til Kickoff’ campaign leading up to their first season in the MLS against Toronto FC, March 19th, 2011.
Over the next few weeks, the Whitecaps will host daily events, stunts, and promotional campaigns around the city with celebrities, icons, and landmarks. Here are just a sample of what’s the come:
Fratelli’s Bakery on Commercial Drive February 26
The bakery’s first 100 customers tomorrow morning will receive a Whitecaps cupcake complete with chocolate logo. A spectacular Whitecaps cake will be featured in the bakery window.
Body-Painted Jersey March 4
Look for this stunt featuring the Whitecaps kit in a large format print positioned at the parkade on the south-east corner of Cordova & Granville.
Downtown Building Projection March 11
The Whitecaps will broadcast a 3D building projection experience (including sound) on the south side of the Sears building in downtown Vancouver (Robson & Howe). The projection will run from sundown on March 11th to 6:00am March 12th.
Find out more about daily events from the @WhitecapsFC Twitter account. You can also check out a video interview I did with Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi last summer.
As we make our way through Vancouver’s 125th anniversary year, many have been looking back to see how our city has grown. Thanks to the efforts of Vancouver’s first Archivist, Major Matthews, and photographers who took to documenting the ‘early years’ we can view glimpses of what Vancouver was like in its formative years. One of such photographers is Leonard Frank.
1900s – C.P.R. Station & Deadman’s Island in distance. VPL Accession Number: 9384
Yesterday was the anniversary of Frank’s passing, as I learned from Chuck Davis’ VancouverHistory.ca: “Leonard Frank, the photographer, died February 23, 1944, aged about 74. He came here from Germany in 1892, age 22, looking for gold, but that didn’t work out. Then he won a lottery in which first prize was a camera. Frank’s father was a professional photographer, and taught the craft to young Leonard. So he began to take pictures. For 50 years he took pictures. His nearly 50,000 images captured a now-vanished British Columbia with astonishing clarity and beauty. I swear you can see the stubble on the lumberjacks’ cheeks. Enjoy this extraordinary body of work in Cyril Leonoff’s multi-award-winning 1990 book Leonard Frank: An Enterprising Life.”
1914 – Group portrait of miners. VPL Accession Number: 14843
The Vancouver Public Library has an impressive collection of Frank’s works which feature Vancouver, the logging and mining industries, and various communities on Vancouver Island such as Port Alberni and Qualicum.
1914 – View looking North from the 100 Block of West Pender. VPL Accession Number: 4704
1920s – Men, Women, Children Standing Beside a Pacific Stages Bus. VPL Accession Number: 10428
1920s – St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church (Burrard & Nelson). VPL Accession Number: 8179W
1930s – Parade near the court house (where Robson Square is today). VPL Accession Number: 7852
1930s – Military parade on Georgia at Burrard. VPL Accession Number: 7852
You can view more from the collection at the Vancouver Public Library and even order prints online. The Vancouver Archives also has a collection of photos from Leonard Frank.
Related posts can be found in my Vancouver 125 or History categories.
