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Haunted at the Metro Theatre: A Van Sexy Date Pick

May 8, 2011 By 2 Comments

I am not at all sure what this says about me, but I have discovered this past year, thanks to Fighting Chance Productions‘ Sweeney Todd and The Lieutenant of Inishmore and most recently the Metro Theatre‘s Haunted, that I have a real affinity to dark, sinister and morbid comedies.  And to make things even worse, these are amoung my top Van Sexy Date Picks for the past year. So that I don’t spend too much time over analyzing what this says about me, let us just assume that this is my infinite wisdom in testing out a man – a) he has to have a sense of humour, b) he should want to protect me, and c) I should want to cuddle up next to him whether I’m scared or not.

So this brings me back to my latest Van Sexy Date Pick: Haunted by Eric Chappell, that opened at the Metro Theatre last night.  Thoroughly enjoyed this!  Director Catherine Morrison made some exceptionally strong choices in her rendition of Haunted from some strong casting, to a superb set (that I wouldn’t mind moving into), to some wickedly good choices of music, movement and lighting to set the tone and the mood.  They had me and my date captivated from the get go.

Now I don’t want to go to much into the plot, but there were certainly elements of it that I could relate to, as it is about a writer, who having had a bad review is suffering from writer’s block and a potential nervous breakdown.  What unfolds from there, may be all a figment of a wildly active imagination or may be one of those things in life that we just can’t explain.  Either way, our writer is met with a bit of inspiration, in the form of an artifact from his idol, Lord Byron.  Now I don’t know how much you know of Lord Byron, but he was rumoured to be a bit of a Ladies’ Man, so amoungst other revelations our writer had, things definitely got a little more titillating.  I should warn you though, despite the ideas that this may put in yours and your date’s heads, Lord Byron also believed that men and women shouldn’t live together. Obviously a fatal flaw in his character.

Lisa Gach and Samuel B Barnes, as photographed by Brian Campbell, in Haunted.

Now I’d be remiss by not mentioning the great cast here – Samuel B Barnes as Nigel Burke (the writer), Emma Drury as Mary Burke, Kevin Sloan as Potter, Lisa Gach as Julia Phillips, Eric Freilich as Lord Byron and Robert Sterling as Turner Gould.  Samuel was an especially wonderful surprise as I saw him not too long ago in Here on the Flight Path when he played a very different character.  He played these two characters so different, that to me as a patron of the theatre, he was totally unrecognizable.  Bravo!

You can catch Eric Chappell’s Haunted at the Metro Theatre until June 4th. Performances are on Thursday to Saturday nights at 8 pm, with two Sunday matinées at 2 pm on May 15th and 29th.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Events, Perfect Dates, relationships, The Tube, Theatre, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Van Sexy Date Pick: The Lieutenant of Inishmore

February 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Seeing as I know there are several of you just dying to ask me on a date, but feeling a little intimidated as to where, I thought I’d help you out.  You can take me to The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Thanks to Fighting Chance Productions, it is playing at the Culture Lab at 1895 Venables off the Drive, until Saturday February 26th, 2011.

Really gentlemen this has everything you could ask for for a perfect date:

  • a witty plot on historic events, to test out her intellect and to showcase yours to her;
  • just the right amount of violence and gore to have her jumping in your arms;
  • a healthy dose of funny to combat any blood spatter (and if she or he doesn’t laugh, wake up call, ditch ‘em);
  • and you don’t have to dress up, as Tom Stevens will provide all the eye candy she needs.

Just don’t laugh at any dead cats, if you know what’s good for you.

Now, I’ve seen it once, but I’d happily go again, it was that good.  There is just something about how Fighting Chance Productions does dark comedy.  Terrifyingly funny!  Especially when your date says minutes before the curtain goes up, having no idea of what your in store, “At least there will be no dismemberment.” Your adorable Rob!

Bravo to the cast – Tom Stevens (as Padriac), John David Papp (as Davey), Emma Rae Cawood (as Mairead) and Hamish Cameron (as Donny). A fine production! Especially love how jovial Padraic is as he tortures his victims.  What more could a gal ask for!?!

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Buds, Events, Perfect Dates, relationships, Rob Jones, Theatre, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sweeney Todd – A Van Sexy Review

October 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A week ago, I didn’t know the Tale of Sweeney Todd, and as far as what expect from the show, I only really had this poster to go from:

So naturally, being pantie week and all, I assumed that I’d be scared out of my pant(ie)s.  What I got instead was very unexpected, for I found myself wrapped up in a love story that had me laughing so hard that I peed my panties …. and at cannibalism of all things.  Yes, I laughed myself silly over creepy bad lust, murder and cannibalism!  Wondering if that’s something I (or the medical system, hell society as whole) should be concerned over?

I was enraptured the second Cathy Wilmot (as Ms. Lovett) opened her mouth in song.  I think I have a new role model.  Wonder what my Mom would think to know that she’s been replaced by a pie maker, temptress and butcher, and not necessarily in that order?

So whilst the story of Sweeney Todd is a clever one with catchy music (who knew I’d find songs of serial murders so incredibly infectious), the true gift in enjoying this story was in the beauty in which Fighting Chance Productions told the tale – from the set dec, to the music, to the choreography and finally a cast of the most believably disgusting characters.  WOW!  And an especially huge WOW in reflecting on just how far this production house has come in the last year.  Initially, a production house I enjoyed for it’s infectious youthful exurberance, it has really grown up into something gruesomly wonderful.  Each show I go to, I am just more and more impressed, and I’m not the only one – they had a standing oviation Opening Night and before even the main cast had stepped on stage.

This is definitely your ticket to a Bloody Good Time this month and a date night thats bound to leave a lasting impression (luckily it didn’t seem to scare mine off).  Catch Sweeney Todd at Jericho Arts Centre between now and October 30th, 2010.

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Pant(ie)less Thursday

October 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Keeping with my incredibly high browed theme for the week, I am declaring this Pant(ie)less Thursday!  “And let it be so!” she decreed, as her followers erupted in cheers.

Why Pant(ie)less Thursday you ask?  Well it’s in honour of the Opening Night of Fighting Chance Productions rendition of Sweeney Todd (playing Oct 13 – 30th at Jericho Arts Centre).

Now I know some of you might at this point be pondering as to whether I took too many drugs in my youth, because how do Sweeney Todd and Pant(ie)less possibly correlate.  Well, my dear friends, it’s really very simple.  Sweeney Todd will likely scare my date, Brie Mason, pant(ie)less (yes, gentlemen you’d be wise to grab whatever remaining tickets they have for tonight now).  As for me, I am bound to be scared crapless and our dear hummingbird604 to pee his pants, so logic would have it that by the end of the night, we all three, should be pant(ie)less.

But the real truth in the matter is after kissing Sean Parsons (Berger) in his tightie whities mid performance of Fighting Chance Productions’ last show, Hair, and seeing the entire cast pant(ie)less, I naturally think of an absence of briefs whenever the name Fighting Chance Productions comes up.

And in their honour, I give you this:

With special thanks from @timethief for a pant(ie)less subway ride.

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Brie Mason, Buds, Events, For Kicks, The Tube, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

HAIR: A Van Sexy Review (and Third Date Sure Thing)

July 25, 2010 By 7 Comments

So I was talking yesterday about turning up the heat this weekend.  Truth be told, things got a little sizzling on Friday night on a date with my gal pal, Brie Mason, to Fighting Chances latest Production, HAIR, at Granville Island’s Waterfront Theatre.

In true Fighting Chance tradition, the cast of HAIR were fashionably unique. As a now fashionista, I was particularly fond of all the men with bare chests.

WOW!!!! What a well spent few hours of my life!  HAIR was incredible! It made me laugh, it made me cry, got me dancing and it TURNED ME ON.  Didn’t hurt either that one of the stars of the show, Burger (played by Sean Parsons) kissed me in his underwear.  Fighting Chance Productions seriously cranked things up a notch (or three) with their rendition of HAIR, which was beautifully directed (by Ryan Mooney), choreographed, sung and played (under the guidance of Vashti Fairburn) and acted by the players (including Michael Brock as Claude, Cesar Erba as Woof, Amy Jean Mcelwain as Crissy, Ranae Miller as Jeanie, Jenny Moase as Sheila, Sean Parsons as Berger, Hal Rogers as Hud, and Ariella Tuliao as Dionne). Well done!!!

Clad solely in his tightie whities, the man in the middle kissed me in the first Act!

So seriously, this is THE MAGICAL THIRD DATE to take someone on to seal the deal.  Hell, if Brie weren’t married, you may have caught me kissing her, it was so HOT!  It wasn’t 10 seconds into the first act before I whispered to Brie that the cast must be seriously chaised if they weren’t having some oh, so terribly HOT, HOT sex throughout the rehearsing and run of the show. Just be warned that this is not the show for the kids, and if you happen to be adverse to nudity, then its not the show for you, as I am happy to report that there is lots of it.  Which incidentally, brings me to a bit of constructive criticism.  Ryan – Brie and I think you need to linger LONGER on the nude scene at the end of the first act, we were still busy soaking in all the beauty, when you so rudely cut us off.  Speaking of which, Brie and I want to know what happens at intermission, after the entire cast goes backstage naked. Do you have robes waiting for every which one? That would be a lot of robes.

Have to admit, I can't look at this lot without my mind instantly turning to sex. I'd like to think I'm not alone in that though ... Brie?

If you aren’t aware of the story of HAIR, it is a beautiful one of belief, ideals, horrific decisions and growing up in the 60s. Couldn’t help but reflect on the youth of a very dear friend of mine from the 60s and how the horrors that he saw transformed the rest of his life.

So if you do nothing else between now and August 1st, be sure to go and see HAIR at the Waterfront Theatre.  Trust me, you and your date will be thanking me for it.

Here’s a little preview:

and they have more teasers here.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

PS Now Ryan – if any cast get sick this week, Brie and I would be happy to fill in.

PPS To the Two Gentlemen at the Cat’s Meow after the Show: It doesn’t matter how titillated HAIR may make a gal, comparing her hair to that of a horses and then commenting on her fine set of chompers, as though she was a horse at an auction, is not at all likely to get you any action.

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Brie Mason, Buds, Events, Fashion Fab, Perfect Dates, relationships, The Tube, Theatre, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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