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Out & About Covering the Arts Across North America

July 10, 2011 By 1 Comment

You may have noticed that despite this site bearing my name, our list of writers writing here is growing, this is partially as I have so many talented friends, like Brie and Rob Jones, who enjoy writing here; partly due to Ahimsa Media’s goal of fostering young storytellers, like Alyzee, Summer and Kelly; and as we are getting set to launch Roamancing, which will involve a number of storytellers, but has been temporarily delayed by the ups & downs that life throws at you.

With this, we have found our writers have spread out across North America for the summer, which means opportunities for us to cover the Arts beyond Vancouver.  While our core team will still be in and around Vancouver this summer, I (Emme) will be based in Southern Ontario, Hamilton to be specific, and Brie will be in LA.

 

Stacey Robinsmith and I at the Canadian Premiere of Nixon in China at the Vancouver Opera.

 

So if you have an arts event (theatre, music, fashion, food & beverage …) that you’d like one of our writers to attend and weave a tale around, fire me a note at emme@emmerogers.com and I will see if someone is eager and available.

As for me, you know I absolutely adore theatre, music, the opera … and would love to check out this scene in Ontario, along with looking forward to checking out the Gimli Film Festival for the first time in Manitoba in a little over a week’s time.

Brie loves theatre and music too, but she also adores dance and fashion, and with Young Master Mason and Little Miss Mason in the wings, I know would enjoy taking in some events that are suited to families with 9 – 12 year olds too.

Vancouver – you are already, of course, familiar with the types of storytelling that our Vancouver Cats, like Rob Jones and Alyzee Lakhani, are capable of for music and theatre.

 

Hanging with Ron Sexsmith & Rob Jones - two of my music legends.

Looking forwarding to sampling a few new flavours this summer.

Kisses,

Emme   xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, BC, Buds, Canada, Events, For Kicks, Manitoba, Music Scene, Ontario, Opera, Theatre, Travel, US, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Walking-Distance To Vancouver

July 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Serendipity brought my friend and I to Main Street on Sunday, June 19th just in time for Vancouver’s Car-Free Day.

As usual, the story has a rather random start: a few months ago, this friend and I took a magic class and got to know this amazing magician who, oddly enough, doesn’t have too big of an ego to make friends. Unlike the mystical, distant, and perhaps narcissistic magician stereotype, he is more like an artist and a romantic. Like most artists and romantics, he is a happy-go-lucky doer of random things. For example, this month he decided to do a Send-Wonder Campaign and hand out 13 free magic bottles every Sunday of June. He posts his location as he walks down the street, waiting for people to find him and claim the bottles. I think it’s one of the most poetic things done by someone I personally know.

Although I have already bought a bottle myself, my friend remains bottleless. The first two Sundays, my friend had to work and I was busy with school. But this last Sunday, we set out to hunt him down.

Hidden in my secret treasury, this Anything-Is-Possible Bottle is made by Vancouver Magician Jamie D. Grant. - Photo by myself

As we drove down the busy Sunday streets, his bottles were disappearing at an unbelievable speed – 8 bottles were claimed within 2 blocks! As we slowly approached Main Street, something unexpected caught our eyes: a sign saying no cars allowed on Main Street! And not a single parking spot within two-block-radius of it. Something was definitely going on. Tens of thousands of people were walking and chatting on the road; stores had all set up stands outside; and I could hear music playing. As we finally found a place to park, we knew two things right away: 1) we had missed our magic bottle; and 2) we were more than glad that we came.

Thousands of people walking down Main Street. - Photo by myself

Apparently this Car-Free Festival started back in 2005, initially hosted by Commercial Drive; but it soon snowballed in popularity and is now happening within 4 different communities in the city. Many local artists and designers came to show their works, and I even saw my old friend Gorilla Food, as a member of the Veg Fest Vancouver. Car Free day was the first street party I’ve ever been to. Of course, it didn’t feel too much like a party party because people weren’t drinking or dancing, but it was wonderful nevertheless. I can’t wait for next year (when, being wiser, I’ll actually leave my car behind!).

Scratch the "no dancing" part above. This is why I love Vancouver! - Photo by myself

Filed Under: All the Gossip, BC, Buds, Canada, Events, Summer, Travel, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For the Love of Community Theatre, 42nd Street at the Metro Theatre

April 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One of the things that I love about my work is the tremendous amount of music, art and theatre that I am exposed to.  In many ways it makes me feel as though I am honouring my grandfather, who brought us kids up in the theatre from a very young age and who was a huge supporter of the theatre, specifically local theatre.  Last weekend had me in two of Vancouver’s older theatres, the ones where stories scream from the walls, the Rio Theatre at Commercial and Broadway and the Metro Theatre in Marpole.  And what a treat it was!  Ron Sexsmith, a Canadian Music Legend, in the intimate setting of the Rio, and 42nd Street at the Metro Theatre.  For the music fans in the crowd, you’ll understand what I mean when I say that I felt like I was taken back in time both nights, and in a good way.  Ron Sexsmith is a real class act, reminiscent of musicians from days gone by and 42nd Street is a heartwarming musical that is perfectly set in a theatre with a bit of history of it’s own.  Really takes you back.

The Cast of 42nd Street at the Metro Theatre (Photographer: Brian Campbell)

A friend recently told me that he was glad he was finally on the list of reviewers invited to the BIG Acts in town.  Some people might have felt jealous of him.  I didn’t.  I much prefer writing about the artists and musicians that are a little more indie and much more this countries heart and sole.  And I love writing about the smaller theatres, the community theatres, and up and coming theatre companies that are really the heart and sole of every community across Canada.  It is these theatres that I grew up in, feel at home in and feel a sense of community, connectivity and protectiveness for – UVic’s Phoenix Theatre, the Belfry, Theatre Aquarius, Oakville Centre, Kaleidescope, McPherson Playhouse … I love the stories in these spaces and the hopes and dreams of their performers.  Magic!

And magic is what was had last weekend at the Metro Theatre from the get go.  I took a friend that neighbours the theatre, allowing us to enjoy a home cooked meal, some wine and walk over to the show.  How great is that!  It was her first time in the theatre and I must say that we were both impressed with the scene that was set before us.  Loved how it spiraled us back in time and on to the streets of New York.  Being Opening Night, the dance and the music were not always perfect, but that almost added to the ambiance and the storyline (42nd Street is about the struggles of a theatre company as they attempt to pull off a hit Broadway Show).

Celia Reid (as Peggy Sawyer), Darryl Hol (as Pat Denning) and Susan Skemp (as Dorothy Parker) in 42nd Street at the Metro Theatre (Photographer: Brian Campbell)

Very much enjoyed the story, dance and music of the Metro Theatre’s production of 42nd Street.  My toe was a-tapping in my seat and it hit us how incredibly hard the performers were working in what seemed like an effortless fashion on stage.  And what a treat it was to see one of our favourite Vancouver funny gals, Cathy Wilmot playing Maggie Jones.  Love how Cathy transforms with her various roles and had no idea she could dance as she did.

To top the whole evening off, it was a delight to chat with one of the Metro Theatre’s Board Member, on the balcony, purveying the theatre, about his love for the theatre and his days as a director.  Very much reminded me of my grandfather, albeit a younger version.

Thanks Metro Theatre!

It’s not too late for tickets to 42nd Street.  The Musical is playing at the Metro Theatre now until April 30th, 2011 on Thursday – Saturday Nights at 8 pm, along with a 2 pm matinée on Sunday April 24th, 2011. Would make a great Date Night!

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Events, Music Scene, Perfect Dates, Theatre, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eat St. ~ A Food Network Canada Plot Against My Waistline or Gift to Make Me More Voluptuous?

April 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Not sure what I did to the folks at Paperny Films, but clearly someone there has a beef to pick with me (or maybe a pulled pork sandwich) or why else would they go and expose me to their new Eat St. Series on a movie screen?  HELLO cravings!

Not sure whether to blame them or Invoke and the SIM Centre for helping them to get North America’s street food carts on an iphone app.  Hmm … maybe they all have it in for me?  Is my girlish figure really that threatening?  Are they really that determined to see my waistline expand?

I may consider forgiving them, if someone would just get Erica off the phone. She’s trying to convince the City of Vancouver to park the new Grilled Cheese Cart out front of our office. Even with my exercise routine that cannot mean good things.  At least make me walk to and from the Grilled Cheese Cart.

Just so I’m not alone in my soon-to-be more voluptuous body, you can catch the premiere of Eat St. tonight on the Food Network Canada at 9:30 pm EST and 10:30 pm PST.

Kisses,

Emme xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, Events, For Kicks, Television / Film Festivals, The Tube, Vancouver Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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