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Witchin’ It Up with Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre – Win Tickets

August 29, 2013 By Emme Rogers 18 Comments

Rather shocked that I only just discovered John Van Druten‘s play ‘Bell, Book and Candle‘, thanks to Vancouver’s Metro Theatre.

 

Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver's Metro Theatre
Catch Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre now until September 21, 2013. Photo by Dominique Labrosse.

 

Shocked as this is not a new play, and I am rather fortunate in that I am regular patron of the theatre. Yet this was a new story to me, making it that much more of a treat in discovery.

As I sat down in the theatre with a handsome escort for each arm (New Yorker Peter Parker and loveable tech geek Steve Dotto), the curtain rose to a witchin’ good scene ~ an absolutely stunning set (that I invite set designer, Dwayne Campbell, and set decorator, Tracy-Lynn Chemaske, to re-create at my place after the run of the Show) and a woman cuddled up to her cat, chatting away to him. Yep, this was my kind of play!

Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver's Metro Theatre
Jennifer McLaren as Gillian Holroyd and Jim Bjorkes as Shepherd Henderson in Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre. Photo by Dominique Labrosse.

And that it was! A magical tale of whimsy unfolded before my eyes with the delight of a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters, all of whom I discovered were rather splendid character actors ~ Jennifer McLaren as Gillian Holroyd, Jim Bjorkes as Shepherd Henderson, Alison Main-Tourneur as Queenie Holroyd, Trevor Roberts as Nicky Holroyd, and Kevin Sloan as Sidney Redlitch. The first act had my eyes sparkling with delight and a wicked grin spread across my face, after a fast paced tale of wicked desire and ridiculous circumstance played out before us. Was completely hooked with the martini scene between Gillian, her brother Nicky, and Aunt Queenie, that very much reminded me, with a smile, of a similar scene I once acted out from the Witches of Eastwick.

The Director Tracy Labrosse had made excellent choices of blocking that the set design helped make possible, the cast was delightfully costumed to suit their character (and oh, how I loved Gillian’s green dress in Act 1) by Costume Designer Heike Maulhardt, and the set decor was fascinating to explore, telling a story of all of it’s own.  There was just one niggling thing bothering me about the character of Gillian … maybe this was all part of her character … torn between her witchiness and the desire to fit in with humans, and more specifically a certain human man.

I pondered over that with a beer at intermission, and as I sat down in the wings after intermission, as Steve didn’t want to ask people to get up to let us by.  It hit me even stronger as Act 2 began.  What was it that was bothering me?  Whatever it was, was hitting me even worse, as in this Act Gillian was not dressed in particularly flattering outfits, looking rather out of place in her own skin.  Was this a decision in tone? Her acting was certainly good. It was just the way she looked that didn’t fit.  Finally it hit me … she had a wig on … that did not suit her at all!  Amazing how such finite details in a play can be so jarring.  Hoping as the run continues, that they will switch up Gillian’s wig – she has such beautiful hair of her own after all, and really is it so very important to mimic the look of the women from Mad Men? As an audience member, I think not. I’d rather enjoy the story and the performance without the irritation of a wig (or a costume) that does not flatter. I also discovered in Act 2, that you want to be sure to get centre seats for this Show, as you lose some of the wonderful set in the wings.

Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver's Metro Theatre
Jennifer McLaren as Gillian Holroyd in Bell, Book and Candle at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre. Photo by Dominique Labrosse.

All in all, this was a play that very much appealed to my sense of whimsy and wicked imagination. I have after all been accused of being a witch myself in my alluring ways, leaving the odd fellow feeling as though I’d cast a spell of my own.  Seems I’m not the only member of my family drawn to this particular production either, as as it would turn out, my grandfather played the part of Sidney, years before I was born.

My applause to the cast and crew!  Those that I have not yet mentioned: Production Manager Heather Stewart, Stage Manager Anthony Stonechild, Assistant Stage Manager Lydia Williams, Lighting Designer Les Erskine, and Graphic Designer Barbara La Bounta.

Now to cast a spell of my own!  I’ve conjured up 5 pairs of tickets to the play – the first 2 of which I will give away tomorrow (Friday August 30th) morning at 10 am to one lucky winner, the next two Saturday August 31st at 10 am, then again Monday September 2nd at 10 am, Tuesday September 3rd at 10 am, and the final pair Wednesday September 4th at 10 am.

To Enter to Win:

  • Comment below with any sort of magical incantation of your choosing.
  • For a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th entry: Share this contest on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ (one extra entry for each platform shared on), just be sure to include a link to this post, the hashtag #BellBookCandle & my handle (so I am sure to see it). So, as an example:

For Twitter: ” For a witchin’ good time, win tickets to #BellBookCandle at #Vancouver’s @MetroTheatre from @EmmeRogers ~ http://ht.ly/onWDH “

For Facebook & Google+: ” For a witchin’ good time, win tickets to #BellBookCandle at #Vancouver’s Metro Theatre from Emme Rogers ~ https://emmerogers.com/2013/08/witchin-it-up-with-bell-book-and-candle-at-vancouvers-metro-theatre

  • I will then throw the names of all commenters and Twitter, Facebook and Google+ sharers into a hat, and randomly draw the name of the winner of the tickets, at the aforementioned times.

For those of you that don’t win, you can still cast a spell for a night of whimsy and amusement at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre by purchasing your tickets for the Show at the Box Office. The Show runs now until September 21, 2013, with performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm, and Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm on September 8th and 15th.

Kisses,

Emme  xoxo

Filed Under: All the Gossip, BC, Canada, Contests, Events, Perfect Dates, Theatre, Travel, Vancouver Events Tagged With: theatre, Vancouver, Vancouver theatre

Comments

  1. Jean Pawlucki says

    August 30, 2013 at 12:33 am

    With the roar of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd, I can’t do a stage whisper, so I’ll say it out loud. Make these tickets appear!

    Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      August 30, 2013 at 11:58 pm

      Congratulations Jean! You are the winner of the first pair of tickets!

      I just sent you an email about them.

      Emme

      Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      August 31, 2013 at 12:07 am

      Love the incantation, by the way!

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    August 30, 2013 at 7:17 pm

    Double Double Toil & Trouble…

    Reply
  3. Paula says

    August 30, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Expecto patronum!

    Reply
  4. Rob Michalopoulos says

    August 30, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Hocus pocus…alakazam!

    Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      August 31, 2013 at 11:38 am

      And we have our 2nd winner of a pair of tickets to Bell, Book and Candle! Congratulations Rob! I will email you with details shortly!

      Reply
  5. Yvonne says

    August 30, 2013 at 11:54 pm

    abracadabra zim zala bim! bring that swinging set with madmen-esque wardrobe closer to my optic nerve, puhleez! 😉

    Reply
  6. Leila Nicar says

    September 1, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    Alohamora!

    Reply
  7. Milo de Villiers says

    September 1, 2013 at 7:30 pm

    “First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.”

    Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      September 3, 2013 at 9:10 pm

      Impress chant. Almost as though this is not the first spell you’ve cast.

      … and it seems to have worked, as yours in the fourth name I’ve drawn for the pair of tickets!

      Congratulations Milo! Emailing momentarily.

      Reply
  8. Amy Goheen says

    September 1, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    I’ve got mates in this play and they’ll all very good! <3 keep breaking legs people!-AmyG 😉

    Reply
  9. Emme Rogers says

    September 2, 2013 at 11:15 am

    Looks like Winner #3 was one of our twitter entries. Congratulations Jim! Still two more draws to go … Tuesday & Wednesday!

    Reply
  10. Reginald Pillay says

    September 3, 2013 at 9:51 am

    Rub-a-dub-dub…thanks-for-the-grub…that’s not an incantation…but give me tickets, bub! Poof!

    Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      September 5, 2013 at 11:07 am

      Congratulations Reginald! You are the final winner of a pair of tickets for Bell, Book, and Candle at Metro Theatre. Clearly the “but give me tickets, bub” were powerful magic words! Will email you details momentarily.

      Reply
  11. ron says

    March 29, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    this is a awesome play. everyone must go see it.

    Reply
    • Emme Rogers says

      March 29, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Indeed it is. Was a lot of fun. Very much enjoyed it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Vancouver Theatre Tickets to Win to Agatha Christie’s The Hollow at Metro Theatre says:
    September 29, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    […] that my friends is what I have been reviling in the past few weeks in Vancouver, beginning with Bell, Book and Candle at Metro Theatre to The Foreigner at Pacific Theatre (stay tuned for our write-up on tomorrow), A Midsummer […]

    Reply

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Emme Rogers

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