The Chutzpah! Festival returns for its 26th edition with a lineup of performances Nov. 3-15 that showcases music, theatre, comedy, dance and storytelling presentations by local, national and international artists through a multicultural Jewish lens. In addition to performances, there will be workshops, conversations and opportunities to interact with creatives and artists.
“We cannot wait to welcome audiences back to the Chutzpah! Festival this November,” said Shayna Goldberg, artistic managing director. “With over 25 years of sharing performing arts that have thrilled and engaged audiences, this year will be just as enticing. Over 13 days, we’ll be showcasing some of the best performances from the global Jewish community, here at our home in Vancouver.”
The festival opens Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., at the Rio Theatre with comedian Jacob Samuel emceeing an evening of homegrown talent, featuring flamenco with Liat Har Lev, a drag comedy piece by Uriel Yekutiel, a Yiddish-inspired theatre performance by Angelic Goldsky, music by Haley K Turner, and more.
Theatre offerings include the West Coast premiere of award-winning playwright and storyteller Ronit Rubinstein’s Things My Dad Kept on Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre. Presented with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, Rubinstein’s show asks: What would you do if, 12 years after losing someone you love, you discovered that they’d documented every moment of your life? And does it count as hoarding if the thing hoarded is memories?
Things My Dad Kept had a sold-out run at the Toronto Fringe. The Vancouver show will be presented as a relaxed performance, meaning that some house lights will be on throughout the show, there will be slightly lowered sound levels, and the audience can leave and re-enter as needed.
For those who want to learn more about storytelling, Rubinstein will be hosting a storytelling workshop on Nov. 6, at 9:30 a.m.
On Nov. 9 & 10, 7:30 p.m., at ANNEX Theatre, Chutzpah! welcomes Ari’el Stachel for two evenings of his original show that draws from the themes and stories that have defined his critically acclaimed theatrical work. Through humour, vulnerability and character work, the American Tony Award-winner explores Jewish identity, mental health and belonging as an Arab-Jewish artist navigating multiple worlds.
There are also two dance presentations as part of this year’s festival.
On Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre, Chutzpah! presents the North American premiere of Kristin by Israeli choreographer May Zarhy, featuring dancer Amit Zaretsky. Kristin is a choreographic sketch made of a series of physical positions, through which the dancer moves. This performance – sponsored by the Weinberg Residence – is presented in a unique format: solo, conversation and solo presented for a second time. By experiencing a piece twice with a discussion in the middle, fresh insights are found.
On Nov. 10 and 11, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre, the festival presents the world premiere of Exile by choreographer and dance artist Meghann Michalsky. Developed in partnership with Project InTandem and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, this piece explores Michalsky’s personal journey, where wind and water have been sources of salvation. Featuring five dancers, this piece pushes the boundaries of Michalsky’s signature primal and rigorous movement to their limit.
In the music realm, Chutzpah!, in partnership with Temple Sholom, presents American musician Kosha Dillz on Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m., at the synagogue.
Kosha Dillz has toured the world with rappers from Matisyahu to Rza of the Wu Tang Clan, plays festivals like SXSW and Vans Warped Tour, and is routinely featured on Wild ’n Out. At Chutzpah!, he will tell comical stories of his protests, reflect on his sobriety and past of robberies and crime, and talk about his hopes for finding a future with marriage and children.
On Nov. 12, 8 p.m., at Fox Cabaret (19+), Duo Andalus will perform. Featuring Moroccan vocalist Lala Tamar and flamenco guitarist and oud virtuoso Ofer Ronen, Duo Andalus will take audiences through an intimate encounter of voice and strings, sounds and cultures.
This year’s comedy offering on Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., at Rothstein Theatre, will feature American comedian Matthew Broussard. Known for his sharp wit and self-effacing humour, Broussard’s comedy is a mix of academic intelligence and punchy stand-up, with jokes about being a failed financial analyst, his love of physics and grammar, and the hardships of looking like a movie villain.
Opening for Broussard will be his wife, Laura Sogar, a former competitive swimmer who failed to make the Olympics, but thrives as an improv and stand-up comedy artist. She has been featured in the New York Times and Time Out Magazine, and, yes, she has met Michael Phelps. The night will be hosted by Kyle Berger.
Closing out Chutzpah! this year is a North American premiere from festival favourite Tamara Micner. In Micner’s Yankl and the Beanstalk, it’s the 1890s in East London and Yankl, who works at a pickle factory, is just days away from his bar mitzvah when his cousin Milly decides to go on strike. With the help of some magic beans, a pickle fairy and some popular songs translated into Yiddish, Yankl and Milly do everything they can to stop the greedy Lady Mayfair and Giant to save the day. This comedic pantomime was first introduced to Chutzpah! audiences at the 2022 festival as a work-in-progress. This year it plays Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. (16+), & Nov. 15, 3 p.m. (all ages), at the Rothstein Theatre.
Workshops and talkbacks with festival artists, facilitated by members of the Vancouver arts community, will run throughout the festival and, following select shows, audiences will be able to enjoy refreshments and hear directly from the artists in casual conversations facilitated by Goldberg and guest moderators in the Zack Gallery.
With the support of the Arnold & Anita Silber Family Foundation as the Pay-What-You-Will Ticket Presenting Sponsor, most single tickets for Chutzpah!’s live performances are offered at levels of $18, $36, $52 and $72 (+gst/sc). Tickets for the 3 p.m. performance of Yankl and the Beanstalk are all $10. A limited number of ChutzPacks are also available for $136: see four different shows of your choice. Workshop prices vary. All tickets can be purchased online at chutzpahfestival.com or by phone at 604-257-5145.
– Courtesy Chutzpah! Festival
