Matilda celebrates the wonder of childhood innocence and imagination

June 24, 2019 Vince Kanasoot

The cast of Matilda The Musical. Photo credit: David Cooper

Roald Dahl’s classic children’s tale, Matilda, has been brought to life in a dazzling production at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. Presented by the Arts Club Theatre Company, the Tony Award-winning Matilda The Musical tells the story of a brave and hyper-intelligent young girl who dares to stand up for what’s right, including facing off against her villainous school principal. Arts Club’s version is a slick display of masterful storytelling, thanks to tremendous creativity and talent from the show’s artistic team and cast.

Come From Away pays tribute to the humanity that unites us

March 7, 2019 Vince Kanasoot

Broadway Across Canada’s Come From Away has landed in Vancouver, and on opening night this Tony Award-winning musical brought its audience to its feet with its authentically bold and emotional testimony of humanity through the most trying of times. Base on real-life experiences, the show recounts the moments and days following the 9/11 attacks, when 38 planes unexpectedly landed in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Yoga Play has clever concept, but needs more refined storytelling

February 12, 2019 Vince Kanasoot

From left to right: Derek Chan, Christine Quintana, and Lois Anderson in Yoga Play. Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Gateway Theatre’s Canadian premiere of the comedy, Yoga Play, is a fun, satirical look at the yoga apparel industry. While the play has a clever main concept – exploring the disconnect between the spirit of yoga and the competitive retail world – the show takes on a few too many plotlines for it to handle and isn’t able to adequately follow-through with its storytelling.

The Full Light of Day is a delicious visual treat, but the story is bland

January 11, 2019 Vince Kanasoot

Jillian Fargey and Dean Paul Gibson in The Full Light of Day - photo by Don Lee

Electric Company Theatre’ latest work, The Full Light of Day, stretches the possibilities of theatrical storytelling, skillfully incorporating videography. The two-act play uses both live streaming, as well as pre-recorded video footage, to tell its story. Combined with stunning set, lighting, and costume designs, The Full Light of Day is quite a visual treat. With the use of Brian Lind’s movie-like sound design, the show indeed verges on creating a new art form – a theatre/film hybrid. Unfortunately, the show lacks a strong enough story to support its tremendous production values.

A Charlie Brown Holiday Double Bill brings beloved Peanuts characters to life, complete with "ice skating" and a Christmas pageant →

December 4, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Andrew Cownden (Charlie Brown), Arielle Ballance (Violet), and Emilie Leclerc (Lucy). Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Charlie Brown and his Peanuts gang are looking fabulous these days. Carousel Theatre for Young People’s A Charlie Brown Holiday Double Bill has brought Charlie and his crew to the stage of the Waterfront Theatre in a larger-than-life theatrical experience that kids and parents alike will enjoy.

Seven Tyrants Theatre’s Doubt – a psychological drama that keeps you in suspense

November 28, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Sometimes we have instinctual feelings, even though we don’t have solid evidence to prove our suspicions. If we stay true to our instincts, we’re showing strength by sticking to our conviction. The flipside is, that in order to do this we need to ignore doubt. What’s the wiser thing to do? Sticking to your conviction or acknowledging doubt? That’s the premise of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play, Doubt: A Parable, which Seven Tyrants Theatre has skillfully mounted.

The Enemy pits economic prosperity against ethics and environmental concerns →

November 16, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Paul Herbert, Jenn Griffin, Sharon Crandall, and Agnes Tong in The Enemy. — Paul Herbert, Jenn Griffin, Sharon Crandall, and Agnes Tong in *The Enemy.*

Is the majority always right? That’s the question that the The Enemy appears to ask at first. Adapted and directed by artistic producer Donna Spencer, from Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 An Enemy of the People, the play examines tensions between ethics and public interest. The Enemy does a nice job of transplanting Ibsen’s story into a contemporary setting that B.C. audiences can relate to. However, the play could benefit from some refinement, as the dialogue feels a bit unnatural, and there are a few too many extraneous pieces.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical glows with inspirational storytelling

November 14, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical gets to the heart of what I love the most about musical theatre – it takes you on a character’s journey and combines acting, music, dance, and theatrical magic to tell a captivating story. It tells a simple story – but it’s a moving story nonetheless and the show’s star – the incredible Sarah Bockel – is dynamite.

Align Entertainment’s A Christmas Story is a heart-warming treat of musical theatre magic

November 4, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

The holiday season has begun and Align Entertainment is on the ball, with its slick, fun-filled production of A Christmas Story: The Musical. Based on the classic 1983 film, the musical version features an excellent score by Dear Evan Hansen’s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The stage version definitely succeeds in capturing the same quirky humour and sweet family-life sentiment as the film. Align Entertainment has put a lot of hard work into this show – and the quality of this production sparkles like Christmas lights.

Blood flies in site-specific Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street →

October 15, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Colleen Winton as Mrs Lovett and Warren Kimmel as Sweeney Todd.

With Halloween approaching, the Snapshots Collective’s immersive production of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award–winning musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has been unleashed at the perfect time. Bone-chilling and imaginative, this resurrection of Sweeney Todd delivers Sondheim’s masterpiece score and the show’s murderous story line in a way that’s wickedly and enjoyably up close and personal: at an actual pie shop.

The Book of Mormon sparkles with fresh, young talent and fun humour

September 28, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

The ensemble of The Book of Mormon. Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes — The ensemble of *The Book of Mormon*. Photo credit: Julieta Cervantes

Our favourite Mormon boys and their pals are back in the Tony Award-winning musical comedy, The Book of Mormon, presented by Broadway Across Canada. This cheeky musical from the creators of South Park combines fun, adult humour with valid commentary and insightful perspectives on society – the perfect balance of lightheartedness and intelligence. And while this is the third touring production of the show, this version is as fresh as ever, pumped up with exciting, youthful talent.

Ensemble Theatre’s A Few Good Men keeps you on the edge of your seat

July 21, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

As a society, we tend to expect our summertime entertainment to be spectacular. Epic Hollywood adventure movies (I recently watched the new Jurassic World), large scale stage shows (I recently reviewed Les Miserables, Cinderella and 42nd Street, and concerts and music festivals (I might have been to a couple of EDM festivals) are the norm. And all of that is great. But we can’t count out the other end of the spectrum. For example, intimate plays with minimal actors, sets and costumes…that are very well done. And Ensemble Theatre’s production of the acclaimed play, A Few Good Men, is a small-scale show that blows you out of the water.

Theatre Review: 'Motown the Musical' reveals the story behind the music

February 8, 2018 Vince Kanasoot

Looking for some sizzle to warm up from the rainy winter weather?Motown The Musical is a hot blast of fun. Full of crowd-pleasing renditions of classic Motown tunes such as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “My Girl,” and “Baby I Need Your Lovin,” this musical bio on the life of Berry Gordy, the founder of the Motown record label, is burning up the Queen Elizabeth stage until February 11.

Theatre Review: Solo Collective Theatre’s Satellite(s) is lost in space

November 18, 2017 Vince Kanasoot

There’s a lot of confusing elements about Solo Collective Theatre’s latest work, the two-act play Satellite(s) by Aaron Bushkowsky. The script is arguably the worst I’ve ever seen performed in professional theatre; there’s no focus to the storyline, the characters literally ramble, and on top of all everything, there’s a lot of very weird elements. Additionally, the play decides it’s a musical at the end, when the actors abruptly start singing. This hot mess of a show genuinely made me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for everyone involved.

Theatre Review: Jersey Boys is a riveting biography →

November 18, 2017 Vince Kanasoot

Broadway Across Canada's presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys is a riveting and spectacular biographical telling of the rise and aftermath of 1960s’ music icons, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Told from the perspectives of all four members throughout the years, Jersey Boys is a heartfelt account of the exciting, yet emotionally turbulent ride of each of the members, set to sensational performances of the group’s timeless songs.

Kinky Boots celebrates diversity and is one fierce party!

February 10, 2017 Vince Kanasoot

The Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots has fabulously kicked its way into Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Based on the British film of the same name, this sensational stage musical is the winning combination of a fantastic score by Cyndi Lauper, a clever book by Harvey Fierstein, superb cast performances, and brilliant direction and choreography by Broadway legend Jerry Mitchell.