Azaleah Korn plays the title role in Gateway Theatre’s production of Annie, which runs to Jan. 3. Neko is one of three dogs that plays Sandy. (photo by David Cooper)
If you want a warm and fuzzy holiday treat, see Gateway Theatre’s production of Annie. Set in Depression-era New York City, Orphan Annie and Sandy, a rescued dog, embark on a search for Annie’s real parents only to be caught up in a world full of mystery, lovable waifs, a kind-hearted billionaire bachelor, dastardly villains and a nasty headmistress who hates children. Even President Franklin Roosevelt makes an appearance, getting the FBI and Elliot Ness involved in Annie’s quest. All of this plays out against a backdrop of great songs and fancy footwork.
You could not pick a better actor than dashing Charlie Gallant to play billionaire Daddy Warbucks. He exudes charm and sophistication but with a sense of vulnerability. Sarah Cantuba, as Warbucks’ personal secretary, Grace, and ultimate love interest (surprise, surprise), plays the role with calm confidence.
Jennifer Copping as Miss Hannigan, the orphanage’s flask-swigging, whistle-blowing matron, plays it big and in your face. Josh Graetz does a marvelous job as her brother, Rooster, as he conspires with her and his moll, floozy Lily St. Regis (Manuela Palmieri) to win the rewardoffered for information leading to Annie’s parents. Their “Easy Street” number is a showstopper.
The six supporting orphans span the spectrum from sweetly shy to tough as nails. Special mention goes to Elle Hanson, who plays the youngest, Molly, a mischievous little imp if ever there was one.
Even with a 19-person cast, most of the supporting actors have to take on multiple roles and do so admirably.
And, of course, the dogs. Three different dogs will play Sandy over the course of the run, all cute as heck. Opening night showcased Neko, who had the audience oohing and aahing every time he scampered on stage.
Ryan Cormack’s set starts out in the bleak orphans’ bunk room and transitions seamlessly (thanks to the nimble work of the cast) into the orphanage office, the streets of NYC, the Roxy theatre and the Fifth Avenue mansion of Warbucks. Each transition is accompanied by a lighting change courtesy of designer Sophie Tang, from the dark opening scene to the bright and festive final Christmas scene, a metaphor for the optimism that grounds the production and grows as the story unfolds. Nicol Spinola’s choreography is the icing on the cake.
The six-piece orchestra, under Sean Bayntun’s leadership, provides the upbeat and lively sound that drives this production, although sometimes the volume drowns out the actors’ words. Donnie Tejani’s costumes are bang on for the era: simple dresses, pinafores and pantaloons for the orphans, three-piece suits and fedoras for the gents, fancy frocks for the ladies and Shantytown chic for the hobos.
Although there were a few hiccups on opening night, they should work themselves out. Perhaps the best measure of the show’s success is the response of the audience, who leapt to their feet even before the closing notes of the finale.
Director Josh Epstein (also highlighted in the Dec. 5 JI) is to be congratulated for bringing all the elements together in this heartwarming story of love.
Running until Jan. 3, tickets for Annie can be purchased at gatewaytheatre.com or by calling 604-270-1812.
Tova Kornfeld is a Vancouver freelance writer and lawyer.
Azaleah Korn, who plays the title role in Gateway Theatre’s production of the musical Annie, takes guidance from director Josh Epstein. (photo from Gateway Theatre)
Vancouver Jewish community member Azaleah Korn plays the title character in Gateway Theatre’s production of Annie, which opens Dec. 11 and runs through Jan. 3. The production is directed by another Jewish community member: Josh Epstein.
“When I found out I got the role of Annie, I cried and screamed and cried some more,” Korn told the Independent. “I was shocked, excited, crazy happy and a little nervous all at once! Being able to play the role of Annie is a huge honour and fills me with so much joy, excitement and inspiration.”
For the few readers unfamiliar with the Tony Award-winning musical, which has had several movie adaptations, Annie is set in New York City in the 1930s. It centres around Annie, an orphan who is eternally positive despite her harsh circumstances. Her luck – and that of her companion, the stray dog, Sandy – changes when she is invited to spend the holidays with billionaire Oliver Warbucks.
“I love singing all the songs in this play and I truly love diving deep into this complex human and figuring out how and why she does what she does and thinks what she thinks,” said Korn, who is a Grade 8 student at Eric Hamber Secondary School.
Azaleah Korn stars in Gateway Theatre’s Annie, which runs Dec. 11-Jan. 3. The role of Sandy is played by three dogs; pictured here is Poco. (photo by David Cooper)
“Playing Annie is challenging for me because it’s not a character that I innately identify with,” Korn said. “Her hope and upbeat attitude, even in her awful situation, isn’t my gut reaction. But playing her has inspired me to find the hope or silver lining in otherwise sad situations. The most fun part of being Annie is exploring the world through her eyes.”
At age 13, Korn has the training and experience to play such an iconic role and make it her own.
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t performing; whether it be for my parents, friends, family and/or my stuffed animals!!” she said. “I started training in musical theatre, dance and vocals at the age of 5. Funnily enough, my very first vocal performance, at the age of 5, were songs from Annie: ‘Maybe’ and ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed.’”
Korn played Tomika in School of Rock at Theatre Under the Stars in 2024 and Brigitta in the Sound of Music at Delta Youth Theatre in 2023. She competes vocally and, this past year, won first place in the musical theatre genre at Kiwanis Music Festival. For the last three years, she has been dancing competitively, with the Happening Dance Studio. A couple of years ago, she won a nationwide songwriting contest. She would like to study musical theatre in New York and perform on Broadway.
“I prepare for my roles by learning the backstory of the show and my character. I really try to bring ‘me’ to the character I am playing, so, although I watch the musical or movie, I try not to copy or emulate exactly what I see. It is really important for me to bring my own authentic self to the character, so it feels and looks real,” she explained.
“To memorize my lines, I visualize the scene over and over. This technique helps me feel the beat of the scene and then the lines come more naturally.
“To calm my nerves,” she said, “I think, ‘what would Beyoncé do?’ I channel my inner courage and remember that musical theatre is my biggest passion and love. Reminding myself of my love for being on stage helps ease the nerves.”
Self-care is part of it, too. With Annie, for example, there are shows six days a week, and a matinée and evening performance on Saturdays.
“To have enough energy for the shows, I try to relax – when I’m not at school or rehearsing!” said Korn. “I like to zone out by watching TV or reading a book and keeping my talking to a minimum (which can be hard for me at times!), so I don’t wear my voice out. Luckily, my mum cooks me healthy meals so I have the energy to dance, sing and act my heart out on the stage. I warm up my body and voice. Cheryl Porter’s vocal warm-ups are amongst my favourite and have helped me keep my vocal cords safe throughout my singing years and daily shows.”
It was Korn’s mom who saw that Gateway Theatre was casting for Annie.
“She submitted me for the role of Annie and/or the orphans,” said Korn. “I practised the vocals for the audition with my vocal coach, Frederik Robert. My mum was my reader for the scene I had to practise. I guess she did an OK job! Mentally, I told myself to just go in there with all my confidence and courage and play the role and sing the best I could. And, like my mum always reminds me, ‘have fun!’”
This will be Korn’s first time working with Gateway Theatre. She is grateful to Epstein, choreographer Nicol Spinola, music director Sean Bayntum and the whole Gateway team for the “incredible opportunity.” Her parents have provided “endless support,” she said, also highlighting her vocal coach, Robert, and dance teacher, Kim Stevenson, “for pushing me and believing in me!”
Judaism is a fundamental aspect of Korn’s life.
“My grandfather, David Solomon Korn (he is named after two kings, he likes to remind us), is a Holocaust survivor. He and his brother Yaakov, aged 6 and 7, survived the Nazis as they came through Europe, including Brno, Czechoslovakia, where my grandfather was born. Tragically, his parents died at the hands of the Nazis, leaving my grandfather and his brother orphans. He recently wrote his memoir, in a book called At Great Risk, with the assistance of the Azrieli Foundation. My grandmother, Yona, was born in Afula, Israel. My grandparents met in Montreal and, after marrying, lived in Haifa before immigrating to Canada. It is a story of survival, determination and hope.
“Playing the role of Annie causes me to pause often to reflect upon the injustices inflicted upon my grandfather, who himself was orphaned at a young age, and the resilience of the Jewish people,” Korn continued. “My Jewish identity is strong and it is an important part of who I am today.”
It is easy to see why Epstein told the Independent that everyone who sees Annie will “walk away drawn in to our Annie, rising star Azaleah Korn – she’s got a mix of undeniable star power and acting chops.”
Epstein is a multifaceted talent himself, being an actor, producer, director and writer. The almost-46-year-old is a theatre veteran. For him, directing at Gateway Theatre is special.
“I spent my Hanukkahs doing the seasonal show at the Gateway as a kid – five winters,” he said. “It was a training ground for me, and this is all full circle.”
He directed Gateway’s 2024 production of Oliver! (He was part of Gateway’s 1992 production of the musical, playing young pickpocket Charley Bates.)
“Coming off Oliver! last year was a real awakening for me,” Epstein told the JI. “I didn’t expect how joyful it would be to dust off a classic and rediscover how well these classics hold up when you approach them with imagination and depth. The Gateway encouraged us to dream big and take risks. Barb Tomasic (executive artistic director) is an extraordinary leader, and that attitude trickles through the entire company.
“On opening night, she asked me about returning, I was a quick yes. She had a list, I had a list, and Annie was at the top of both.”
When asked his favourite thing about Annie so far, Epstein said, “We’ve found fresh takes on every character.” As noted, he highlighted Korn. He also said, “I think audiences will see a Warbucks they’ve never seen before. Charlie Gallant brings something impulsive, surprising and emotionally alive. It reinvigorates the role and opens up the whole story.”
He added, “But, who am I kidding, the dog will undoubtedly get the most attention. Everyone loves Sandy.”
Sandy is played by three dogs: Neko, Mylo and Poco. While there is the saying, “never work with kids or animals,” Epstein said, “It’s a myth. We had 70 kids audition. Seventy. Vancouver is full of incredible training programs … so the talent pool was unbelievable and our orphans are exceptional. The challenge is harnessing all that energy and potential inside a big, fast-moving machine.”
It’s been six to 10 months of planning, said Epstein, between “sets, costumes, props, auditions and logistics. Then, three intense weeks of rehearsal into tech. In that window, we have to teach all the music, choreograph huge numbers, stage transitions, build quick changes, run fight direction, intimacy work, dialect coaching, work with three dogs and a dog trainer, squeeze in costume fittings and lift calls, and prep special promo events. When you break it down, the number of actual hours we get for scene work is shockingly small, so my job is to move quickly while still hitting all the moments we want to savour.”
There is nothing like live theatre.
“Look,” said Epstein, “more and more, most of us are at home scrolling, streaming, consuming things alone. Theatre is one of the last places where you sit in a room with hundreds of strangers and feel something together. For this price, with this level of talent and this much energy poured into it, there’s nothing else quite like it.
“At its core, Annie is a story about chosen family, about finding the people who show you that love isn’t just something you give, but something you have to allow yourself to receive – Warbucks learns that, Annie teaches it – and I hope you leave the theatre optimistic about finding that kind of connection with your own chosen family, whoever they may be.”
The cast of Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: West Van Story, left to right: Tom Pickett, Ben Brown, Ivy Charles and Meaghan Chenosky. (photo by Emily Cooper Photography)
If you want a ticket to East Van Panto: West Van Story, you’d better move fast. At press time, the show had just opened and most performances at the York Theatre were already sold out.
Theatre Replacement’s romp for all ages is inspired by Romeo and Juliet this year. The annual event is popular for many reasons, including a consistently stellar creative team and talented actors, its local flavour and political bent.
In East Van Panto: West Van Story, written by Marcus Youssef with Pedro Chamale, a tsunami strands West Van influencer Holly and her curling team in East Van, where she falls for Joes – a member of their sworn rivals. Adding to her troubles is her mega-developer “motherfather,” Boberta Rainy. The question is will Holly “follow her heart – and Joes – into a new world of love, dance battles and civic resistance? Or will Boberta’s towers and renovictions crush everything in their path?”
“It’s really fun to be part of a show that takes being silly so seriously,” technical director Daniel O’Shea told the Independent in a recent interview.
O’Shea has been involved with the Panto for a few years now.
“The creative team will come up with such wacky characters and gags, and then we have to earnestly sit around the table and figure them out,” he said. “My first year with Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto, we had to have the king of the skunks shoot a ‘Stink Canon 9000’ into the audience – who wouldn’t enjoy coming up with that?! Also, because the Panto is a new satire every year, getting to be part of a show that speaks to the current community concerns from a local perspective always feels like a breath of fresh air.”
O’Shea first worked with Theatre Replacement on a show called MINE, which, he said, “was a performance that took place half on stage and half in Minecraft. I was colleagues with a number of the devisors on the show and we needed to build some systems for controlling the projection integrating the video input from multiple gaming computers and building in game cues. As part of that show, we built a tech booth in Minecraft and I had little avatar who would run around and hit in game buttons to teleport people or spawn creatures; it was quite fun. I guess I mention it because the pleasure in working with Theatre Replacement is that I’ll often be solving unorthodox problems or working in novel ways.”
The biggest challenge of working on the Panto, he said, is its size.
“We want East Van Panto to feel like a big show, with clever sets and big costumes and arresting moments, and we often succeed, but all of that has to fit into quite a small container,” he explained. “The York Theatre is a wonderful home and we love being there, but we are often pushing the limit of what we can fit onto the stage. It often requires extremely thoughtful planning and clever technical solutions to achieve this big story book mise en scène in a converted movie theatre. We are grateful to our partners at the Cultch and the tech team there that help to pull it off each year.”
Daniel O’Shea (photo from Theatre Replacement)
O’Shea has a bachelor of fine art from Simon Fraser University, where he majored in theatre performance and film production.
“I’ve always had a love of both film and stage since I was a kid, fostered by my parents taking us out to shows, and a somewhat onerous VHS mail arrangement through which we received dozens of old back catalogue titles. Though they present quite differently now, both film and theatre share so much DNA, going to back to early cinema. That particular artist-alchemy of narrative, imagination, character, emotion, etc., that both seek has always been something I’ve been drawn to create.”
He gave a shout out to his high school, Burnaby North, and to Alison Schamberger and Phil Byrne, who ran the theatre and media arts program. “They were both instrumental to instilling the sense that creating in both fields was possible, valuable and worthy,” he said.
Career-wise, O’Shea has focused on lighting and projection design, filmmaking and technical direction. He has done some performing, but not for about 10 years now. Nonetheless, his acting experience continues to help his work, in that it allows him to have a fuller sense of the world a show creates.
“It’s possible to get overly engrossed in the issues that feel pertinent to one’s role, like the efficiency of technical rehearsal or the familiarity of ‘how things are done’ and miss the chance to allow for creative risk-taking and imagination,” he said. “Having that performance background helps remind me that achieving the desired audienceexperience during a show is the goal rather than whether your plan going into tech looks like what’s on stage opening night.”
O’Shea is also a founding member of A Wake of Vultures, with Nancy Tam and Conor Wylie.
“It’s a vehicle for us to make work that is true to our artistic core,” said O’Shea. “The three of us work as freelance designers/ artists in the broader community and convene together when someone has a juicy idea.
“Working as a freelancer, you are often given creative agency, I mean it’s clearly part of what you are there for, but it’s often within the constraints of the production or the shows’ genre/esthetics. If it’s a play about a character journey, then the design has to serve that. When we work together in A Wake of Vultures, we really get to dream wildly as designers/conceptual thinkers and follow our process…. That freedom to dream and build ways of affecting the audience before serving other elements of the show is deeply enjoyable.”
Currently, A Wake of Vultures is working on a piece called SweatCry, “which will be some sort of structured social experience investigating ecstasy, purgation and dance,” said O’Shea. “I’m also going on tour with Jade Circle, a show on which I did the projection design, made by Jasmine Chen, which is a beautiful show tracing the cascading chain of mother-daughter relationship and stories buried within our own families.”
O’Shea described his own connection to Judaism and Jewish community as “cultural and fostered through the deep networks that I’ve grown up a part of and, yet, it feels most represented by the Groucho Marx line, ‘I wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member’ – a belonging and exclusion at the same time. That, or Moses’ line about being a ‘stranger in a strange land.’ There is a tension in being a tribe of the estranged that has meaning to me, both in the way that it seats one in relationship to the world and in how it asks of you to make kinship with ‘the stranger.’
“I think it is also the reason why I have such a love of ritual,” he concluded. “Whether it’s in a show or a meal of special ceremony, the sense that formal choices, of how to do things, can have deep symbolic and historical ties, and be a thread that links people across time really moves me … both of these facets of my Jewish identity shape my life and work.”
For tickets to East Van Panto: West Van Story, which is directed by Chelsea Haberlin, with music by Veda Hille, go to thecultch.com. There are shows through Jan. 4.
Ronnie Marmo brings his one-man show I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce to the Chutzpah! Festival Nov. 18. (photo from dorensorellphotography.com via Chutzpah!)
In 2017, with the expectation of a six-week run, creator and performer Ronnie Marmo and director Joe Mantegna brought I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce to the stage. Now, celebrating eight years and 468 performances, Marmo told the Independent, “we can not wait to bring it up to Vancouver for 469!”
I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce is part of this year’s Chutzpah! Festival, which runs Nov. 12-23. It’s being presented on Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre.
Bruce, a groundbreaking standup comedian and satirist, was born Leonard Alfred Schneider in Mineola, on Long Island, NY, in 1925. He consistently pushed social and legal boundaries, being arrested more than once for what was considered obscenity in his day, including a conviction in 1964 for a performance he gave at Café Au Go Go in New York City. Bruce died two years later, at age 40, from an accidental overdose. He was bankrupt, basically not having been employable after the conviction. It would be 37 years before he was posthumously pardoned, by then-governor George E. Pataki.
In I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce, Marmo told the Independent, “We bookend the show with the final moments of his life and take you on a journey through his first performance all the way to his demise. We learn about his family, we see his charm and success, his struggle with addiction, his long-standing fight with the judicial system. We don’t hold back. You really get a full theatrical experience of his entire life.”
Bruce is one of Marmo’s heroes.
“What inspires me about Lenny is how ahead of his time he was and how passionate he was about his pursuit of the truth. I have so much respect for someone who is willing to sacrifice everything and put it all on the line just to make sure he didn’t fall into suit with everyone else. I’m proud to be entrusted by the family to be the one to tell his story to the next generation.”
Marmo landed on the title for the show after hearing Bruce say, in an audio clip, “I’m sorry I wasn’t funny tonight … I’m not a comedian, I’m Lenny Bruce.” For Marmo, that comment resonated. “He wasn’t a comedian – he was so much more than that,” said Marmo of Bruce. “He was a satirist, a social commentator and a true advocate for the freedom of expression.”
The show has evolved a lot since its creation.
“As the writer, I am always tinkering with the script,” said Marmo. “For example, I removed the famous ‘N-word’ bit when we came back after the pandemic. I felt as though, even though the bit itself was in support of removing power from words so we don’t give them the chance to harm us, I knew that people might have a hard time hearing what Lenny was actually trying to say. Plus, even though I loved the impact it had on an audience, it kept me up at night thinking about it even before events like what happened to George Floyd. I have a responsibility as an artist to tell the absolute truth but also to not be tone deaf to the world around me. I don’t believe Lenny would have done that bit today.
“I also had long discussions with Kitty [Bruce, Lenny’s daughter] and my director, Joe Mantegna, who both agreed that it was best to remove it. So, I replaced it with ‘The Meaning of Obscenity,’ which, in my opinion, supports the show even more. So, I’m happy to make the switch, knowing it is not only the best fit culturally in this climate but also the strongest choice for the show overall. As a performer, my portrayal of Lenny evolves as I explore my own life and how I tell his story resonates differently depending on where I am in my life. I think it takes passion, dedication and an openness to watch it grow and evolve along with me.”
While I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce premiered in 2017, Marmo said, “I’ve actually been with Lenny since 2005, when I did another show about him, called Lenny’s Back and Boy is He Pissed. On stage, I don’t separate us – it is my job as an actor to find where we meet in the middle. I try to focus on all the similarities that I identify with for Lenny. It is easy to keep it fresh because it is such an emotional ride and massive performance. I don’t feel like I ‘have it’ yet, which is refreshing, because it always feels just slightly out of reach.”
When Marmo did Lenny’s Back, which was brought to him by comedian Charlie Brill, he became “intimately involved with Lenny Bruce and his life.
“In getting to know him, I realized that there was so much of his story we weren’t telling. I wanted to get into the nitty gritty, I wanted to do his bits,” said Marmo. “So, I set out to write my own show.
“We initially started the show anticipating a six-week run,” he said. “This thing has caught fire in the most incredible way. It is a testament to just how relevant Lenny is today – perhaps even more than he was over 60 years ago! It truly has been a perfect storm: free speech, first amendment, cancel culture and not to mention the success of the Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. They really helped catapult Lenny’s name back into pop culture and have sold thousands of tickets for us. We have, in some ways, come very far and, in others, not far at all.”
Marmo described Bruce as “a very proud Jewish man,” who often incorporated Judaism and his Jewish heritage into his material. “He openly incorporated his Yiddish vocabulary into his bits and there is quite a bit of familiar references sprinkled throughout the show,” said Marmo. “His relationship with religion overall was complex but, rather than hiding his heritage, he celebrated it.”
As for what he thought gave Bruce the courage to run up against the country’s obscenity laws, Marmo said, “The truth. He held a mirror up to society and asked questions that everyone wondered about but never found any resolution to. He also fervently believed in our judicial system and always believed that it would prevail and he would be redeemed – something that he, unfortunately, didn’t see in his lifetime, but did come to fruition with his posthumous pardon in 2003 – the first in New York history, in fact. He spoke out loud what everyone whispered to themselves and his popularity was proof of how profound he was.”
Even though Bruce wasn’t alive to receive the pardon, Marmo still believes it was an important action.
“It was a landmark symbolic victory for free speech,” he said. “I think it was redemption. It was validation that Lenny had something to say to this society and that we are free-thinking creatives entitled to our artistic expression.”
For tickets to I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce or any other Chutzpah! show, go to chutzpahfestival.com or call 604-257-5145.
Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo present the North American premiere of their work Common Place on Nov. 20, as part of this year’s Chutzpah! Festival. (photo by Wendell Levi Teodoro)
Intoxicating, moving, compelling, exhilarating – these are just some of the words that have been used to describe Common Place by Australian dancers and choreographers Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo, which premiered in March at Riverside Theatres in Sydney. The work will have its North American premiere on Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre, as part of this year’s Chutzpah! Festival.
Common Place is described as “a physical exploration of belonging and togetherness, delving into shared action, collaboration and transcendent synchronization.” It is the first work that Backley-Astrachan and Castillo have created together.
In an interview with The Scoop arts review website, Backley-Astrachan explained, “We started by not knowing what the work was going to be about. We just danced together and, through that process, found the essence of what it means to find common ground.
“Jana and I could have spent time talking about our histories and our backgrounds,” he said. “Instead, we just created the work with movement at the centre and tried to find moments where we clicked together.”
He pointed out the title of the piece also invokes that which is commonplace, or ordinary.
“We tried to find a sense of exhilaration or a profound experience through very simple, very commonplace beginnings,” he told The Scoop. “So, rather than trying to create something complicated and highly technical, we took on a sensibility, almost inspired by folk, where it is something that anyone could do.”
“What we tried to avoid is creating the story first and then moulding ourselves into a preexisting narrative,” Backley-Astrachan told the Independent. “Instead, we wanted to stay curious and let the story unfold through the meeting between the bodies. It was important to us not to obey structured archetypes, rather to allow our shared physicality to weave the drama and the intimacy.”
“Common Place, for me, is the coming together of two people,” said Castillo. “It’s feeling the ease, frustration and joy of a shared existence. The audience could be witnessing a single day of a relationship, or a lifetime of reflection.”
The dancers met at a colleague’s birthday party, Backley-Astrachan said. “Jana flipped me off from across the room, giving me the finger, which obviously caught my attention – little did I know about Jana’s Tourette’s at the time. Jana immediately explained and apologized, which turned into the funniest and most endearing friendship.”
The two share a philosophy of movement and artistic practice. When Backley-Astrachan saw Castillo perform live with the Australian company Force Majeure, he said he “vowed to work with this incredible dancer, which came true.”
“Jana and I are both the same age and have had similar career journeys, which led us to a similar idea of what we are looking for in dance and dance-making – a sense of maturity, an interest in truth-making through physical storytelling,” he explained. “Working with a like-minded collaborator is non-negotiable. It’s about being able to commit wholly to the process without getting distracted by ambition.”
The creation of Common Place took a few years. The need to get the work stage-ready by its March premiere helped drive its completion.
“But I know that, if we had more time, we would probably continue to change and evolve the work, so it’s good we were limited,” acknowledged Backley-Astrachan. “That said, we made sure the work follows an emotional structure that makes tonal sense and goes through the full life cycle during the duration of the work. That said, choreography is a living thing that starts and ends again and again every time we do it.”
“This piece was quite unique because we had a lot of space in between development phases to allow the qualities of the movement to be digested into the body,” Castillo said. “It became clear very early on – this piece is about a relationship between two people. The premise of the work was to bring our whole selves. So, naturally, our outside experiences influenced what we brought into the space. We weren’t dictated by a creative brief, which can be terrifying as a creator because there are too many options. Just like in a relationship, you figure it out, but it takes time. You learn … when to rein it in and when to trust and let go.”
“I truly believe in the ability of dance and physical language to transcend an ordinary sense of meaning,” said Backley-Astrachan. “I have had the pleasure of being left speechless at the end of works by [Israeli choreographer] Ohad Naharin – his work changed my life in a deep way. I try in my own work to allow a certain state where several, sometimes opposing, forces can be true at the same time. Dance as a medium can give space for interpretation and, within that, there is also clarity and detail.”
In addition to the Nov. 20 performance, Backley-Astrachan and Castillo will lead a masterclass for dancers on Nov. 21, at 10 a.m.
This year’s Chutzpah! Festival runs Nov. 12-23, opening with Modi at the Vogue Theatre, where Chutzpah! is the community partner of MRG Live for the comedian’s Pause for Laughter Tour, and closing with the Golden Thread Septet’s Yiddish Songs of Social Change at the Rothstein Theatre.
Most single tickets for Chutzpah! are offered at a pay-what-you-will price, with the levels at $18, $36, $52 and $70 (+ gst/sc). I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce is $40 (students/seniors), $54 (general) and $72 (VIP) (+gst/sc). ChutzPacks are also available: see four different regular-price shows of your choice for $136. Tickets for Modi can be purchased through admitone.com/events. All tickets can be purchased at chutzpahfestival.com or 604-257-5145.
Gila Münster, left, Yan Simon and Sarah Freia bring 8 Gays of Channukah: The Musical to the Chutzpah! Festival Nov. 13. (photo by Jamie Marshalls)
At this year’s Chutzpah! Festival, which runs Nov. 12-23, Jewish drag queen entertainer Gila Münster presents the Western Canadian debut of 8 Gays of Channukah: The Musical.
Calling Chutzpah! “one of the city’s most beloved celebrations of music, theatre and culture,” Münster wrote in a recent Facebook post: “What began in Toronto as the largest annual queer Jewish event in Canada is now coming West, bringing music, comedy and unapologetic queer Jewish joy to the stage.
“And it couldn’t come at a more important time,” she adds. “As antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ backlash continue to rise across North America, spaces that celebrate and centre our communities are not just entertainment – they are acts of resilience, visibility and solidarity. This show is about more than laughter: it’s about lighting the menorah together in defiance of hate and letting our joy shine brighter than ever.”
8 Gays of Channukah takes place Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre. “Eight stories are brought to life by the show’s creators, Gila Münster, Sarah Freia and Yan Simon, who reimagine holiday traditions with camp, sparkle and pride,” reads the Chutzpah! blurb. Local artist Joylyn Secunda opens the event with an excerpt from their show, The Routine, and there is a holiday shuk (market) during intermission and after the performances. People can pick up some gifts – made by local artisans – for the holidays.
First performed in December 2019, 8 Gays of Channukah started out as a variety show, said Münster. Last year, it evolved into a full-length musical created by Münster, Freia and Simon, and directed by Hershel Blatt.
“Now, 8 Gays of Channukah: The Musical is a 90-minute theatrical extravaganza with original songs, storytelling and dazzling costumes by queer Jewish designer Dan Dwir of House of Dwir,” said Münster. “The premise is that the three of us – Yan, Sarah and I – find ourselves on stage without a plan. We decide to share our experiences as queer Jewish people, but, as tensions rise, our bickering begins to twist the message. Over the course of the show, we learn how to coexist despite our differences and discover how much we truly share.
“The stories we tell touch on everything from coming out, to losing a loved one, to first crushes – and, of course, the joys and challenges of being an intersectional minority.”
It was from one of those challenges that 8 Gays of Channukah came into existence.
“In 2019, I was an undergrad at York University, getting ready to perform a drag show for the school’s 2SLGBTQIA+ affinity club,” Münster said. “Two days before the show, I got a voicemail from the club’s coordinator saying the event was canceled and I was banned from the club. The reason? I had mentioned that I was planning to go on Birthright to Israel that summer, and some members said it made them uncomfortable.
“I wasn’t given a chance to explain why that reaction was antisemitic, or even to defend myself. It was devastating. I felt erased – like there was no room for me to be both queer and Jewish.
“But I didn’t want to give up,” she said. “I reached out to Hillel Ontario and started a campus group called Rainbow Jews, a space where queer Jewish students of all stripes could show up fully as themselves. At our very first meeting, people asked me if I could put together a holiday party for queer Jews. That’s when the idea hit me: 8 Gays of Channukah. It started as a scrappy variety show with eight local queer Jewish performers – and now, seven years later, it’s grown into a tradition I’m so proud of.”
Over the years, singers, instrumentalists, comedians, dancers, burlesque and visual artists have participated. “Some highlights include legendary performers like 78-year-old drag queen Fontaine and Jamaican-Jewish comic Tamara Shevon, alongside rising stars such as dancing diva Josie and punk rock princess Alissa Brink,” said Münster. “In recent years, the show has found a kind of ‘core cast.’ Yan Simon – a Russian-Israeli singer-songwriter now based in Ottawa – first performed with us in 2019 and has been part of every show since 2023. Sarah Freia – an actress, singer and poet splitting her time between Toronto and London [England] – also joined, in 2023, and has been with us ever since. Together, we’ve built on the variety show tradition while adding our own creative chemistry into the mix.”
With Münster in Kingston, Ont., Simon in Ottawa and Freia in Toronto and London, the building of the musical required tenacity – hours in transit for in-person rehearsals and hours more in digital meetings, including with director Blatt, who traveled back and forth from New York.
“Because the show is rooted in personal storytelling, we had to really learn how to listen to each other and trust each other’s artistic instincts,” said Münster. “We were also lucky to have amazing rehearsal assistants, Olivia Daniels and Jesse Levy, who helped us shape the movement on stage.
“When we premiered the musical in December 2024, it was both thrilling and terrifying. We’d spent a year and $25,000 developing an entirely new format with all original material and we knew our loyal audience was counting on us to deliver. Of course, there were a few inevitable hiccups, but the energy in the theatre was electric. One moment I’ll never forget was after the show, when the non-Jewish partner of a Jewish audience member told us that, for the first time, he truly understood how antisemitism feels. That conversation reminded me that every person in the audience will connect to the show in their own way – and that’s the real magic of it.”
Münster’s first drag performance was at an event organized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for Pride. Called Jew-Paul’s Drag Race, it was hosted by drag legend Divine Darlin’, said Münster.
“I had spent weeks putting together my outfit, inspired by the Wicked Witch of the West. On the day of, it took me three hours to do my makeup, and then my friend Diana drove me to the Drink, where the show was happening. She practically had to drag me up the stairs – I was so nervous.
“The first song I ever performed in drag was Carrie Underwood’s ‘Blown Away’ – a nod to The Wizard of Oz – followed by Netta Barzilai’s ‘Toy,’ which had just won Eurovision 2018. The crowd went wild for that second number, and, in that moment, I realized there might be a space for me to bring my queer, Jewish and Israeli identities together on stage,” said Münster, who ended up winning the competition.
“From that night on, I was hooked,” she said.
Some JI readers will know Münster from her having been one of JQT Vancouver’s Hanukkah Hotties in 2022. She’s also on JQT’s Wall of Artists.
“I first connected with JQT’s founder and executive director, Carmel Tanaka, about four years ago,” explained Münster. “She found me online, and we bonded quickly over our intersectional identities.
“Looking back at the Hanukkah Hotties video … always makes me laugh,” she said, “because it takes me right back to the era of ‘Zoom drag.’ That meant getting into full glam, setting up lights and lip syncing in my living room – all to a silent, invisible audience on the other side of the screen. It was bizarre, a little lonely, and yet so wonderfully camp at the same time.”
Drag isn’t just an art form for Münster, but her business.
“It’s helped me pay my way through law school and beyond,” she said. “Having signature events that only I can deliver – especially those built around original music that doesn’t exist anywhere else – sets me apart from entertainers who focus mainly on lip syncing to existing tracks.
“Alongside 8 Gays of Channukah, another one of my signature offerings is Drag Queen Story Time. I’m proud to be the only drag performer officially approved as a vendor for the Toronto District School Board.”
Münster is also adept at cross-stitching, and sells her creations and other artwork on Etsy.
“My mom first taught me to cross-stitch when I was a kid, but I really picked it back up during the pandemic lockdowns,” she said, adding that “stitching became both a way to connect with people when we couldn’t leave our homes and a way to pass time that actually felt productive.”
Münster, Freia and Simon are excited to bring 8 Gays of Channukah: The Musical to Vancouver. “More than anything,” said Münster, “we hope the show helps build bridges between queer, Jewish and allied communities – especially in this moment of deep polarization.”
For the full Chutzpah! lineup and tickets to all the shows, go to chutzpahfestival.com or call 604-257-5145.
From Oct.31 to Nov. 8, the Heart of the City Festival features more than 100 events – music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, film, dance, readings, workshops, discussions, art talks, history walks and more – all rooted in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES). Among the performers is award-winning counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer, founder of Stand Up for Mental Health, which teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting stigma.
Counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer will perform, with other comedians from Stand Up for Mental Health, on Nov. 5, as part of the Dowtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival. (photo from Heart of the City Festival)
On Nov. 5, 4 p.m., at Carnegie Community Centre’s theatre, Granirer, with comedians from Stand Up for Mental Health, will look at the lighter side of taking meds, seeing counselors, getting diagnosed and surviving the mental health system.
The festival kicks off on Oct. 31 at Carnegie’s theatre with a Halloween event. Dress in costume, walk the red carpet, enter the costume contest to win a prize, and gear up for disco-ball dancing with DJ Maxi and crew spinning tunes. Hosted by Lance Lim of the Pigeon Den Art Collective, there will be masquerade magic and community fun for friends and families alike, refreshments provided.
Some other highlights in the upcoming festival are:
• Gerardo Avila’s theatrical performance Spirit Encounters celebrates Día de Muertos and features shadow puppetry, comedy, flamenco and Mexican dancing and music.
• Indigenous Cultural Exhibition with dancing, drumming and community, featuring Two-Spirit grass dancer Larissa Healey and Powwow dancer Pavel Desjarlais.
• Finding My Own Voice, a new folk opera work-in-progress presentation by Beverly Dobrinsky.
• Theatre in the Raw presents staged readings of two award-winning plays from their Biennial One-Act Playwriting Contest.
Lorin Sklamberg, left, Sasha Lurje and Craig Judelman close the 10-day festival of comedy, music, theatre, dance and storytelling on Nov. 23 with Yiddish Songs of Social Change. (photo from Chutzpah! Festival)
The Chutzpah! Festival returns for its 25th anniversary with a mix of festival favourites and new discoveries in a lineup of performances Nov. 12-23, showcasing music, theatre, comedy, dance and storytelling through a multicultural Jewish lens.
“This Chutzpah! Festival is one of collaboration and celebration, combining past artistic managing director Jessica Gutteridge’s vision and my own,” said the festival’s new artistic managing director, Shayna Goldberg. “Chutzpah!’s legacy over the last 25 years has been to share diverse work from a multitude of Jewish perspectives, and the offerings this year are just as thrilling and exciting as any other. For 10 days this November, come and experience the best of what Canadian and international artists have to offer.”
Israeli-American comedian Modi Rosenfeld brings his Pause for Laughter Tour to Vancouver on Nov. 12 to open the festival. (photo from Chutzpah! Festival)
The festival opens Nov. 12, 8 p.m., at the Vogue Theatre with Modi Rosenfeld, presented in partnership with MRG Live. The Israeli-American comedian brings his Pause for Laughter Tour here for the festival.
Erik Angel, also an Israeli-American comedian, brings his project Comedy for Peace to Chutzpah! on Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre. Aimed at uniting communities through humour and mutual understanding, Comedy for Peace brings together stand-up comedians – Jewish, Christian, Muslim – for a show of “no politics. just laughs.” Joining Angel will be Ashley Austin Morris, Natan Badalov and Zara Khan. (See jewishindependent.ca/comedy-can-unite-and-heal.)
Chutzpah presents the West Coast debut of 8 Gays of Channukah: The Musical (Canada) at the Rothstein Theatre Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m. Blending Broadway-style musical numbers with comedy, drag artistry and Jewish joy, eight stories are brought to life by show creators Gila Münster, Sarah Freia and Yan Simon. The show includes an opening act by a local artist and there will be an 8 Gays of Channukah Shuk, featuring the work of local artisans, where you can pick up some gifts for the holidays.
Lea Kalisch’s Shtetl Cabaret (Switzerland/United States/Canada) is a night of collaborations featuring Tobias Moss and local Vancouver artists including Mike Braverman and Jason Overy. This show, which takes place Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., at the Beaumont Studios (19+ venue), presents Jewish music, from forgotten melodies to original songs, and mashups from rap to rumba and folk to feminism.
Yiddish Songs of Social Change (United States/Germany/Latvia), presented by the Golden Thread Septet, explores Yiddish music as a tool for and reflection of social change, and features Lorin Sklamberg and Sasha Lurje, with arrangements by Craig Judelman. Judelman has arranged the Yiddish and English songs in a style that reflects the context of the songs themselves and honours the centuries-old tradition of using all these influences to inform the creation of new Yiddish music. In addition to the performance on Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein, Sklamberg, Lurje and Judelman will lead a free workshop about Yiddish music and dance that same day, at 2 p.m. Come explore both traditional and contemporary versions of Yiddish music and learn how you can dance along.
Back by popular demand, Chutzpah! and Vancouver Opera present Ne. Sans Opera & Dance’s Take This Waltz: Celebrating the Music of Leonard Cohen (Canada/Israel). This operatic and contemporary dance performance inspired by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen was originally presented in 2022 as a Chutzpah! Plus event. Created by local choreographer Idan Cohen and bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch, it features Okulitch alongside dancer/musician Ted Littlemore and a virtuoso live ensemble of strings and accordion. Take This Waltz is at the Rothstein Theatre Nov. 15 and 16, 7:30 p.m. (See jewishindependent.ca/celebrating-leonard-cohen.)
On Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre, Chutzpah! presents the North American premiere of Common Place (Australia/Israel) by power-duo dancer/choreographer Omer Backley-Astrachan and multiple-award-winning dancer Jana Castillo. Common Place is a physical exploration of belonging and togetherness, delving into shared action, collaboration and synchronization.
Deb Williams returns to Chutzpah! with the Flame, an evening of storytelling, on Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein Theatre. The Flame is a grassroots series where real people share their personal, true stories in front of an audience under Williams’s direction. This edition will feature a multicultural group including Karen Segal, Dhana Musil and others. Williams will also host an in-depth weekend workshop prior to the event (Nov. 15 and 16, at the Post at 750) to help storytellers hone their craft.
On Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Rothstein, Chutzpah! presents I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce (United States), a one-man show exploring the life and battles of one of the most groundbreaking comedians of all time, Lenny Bruce. Created and performed by Ronnie Marmo and directed by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna, this show threads Bruce’s original comedic bits with insights from his writings.
Other workshops and talkbacks with festival artists, facilitated by members of the Vancouver arts community, will run throughout the festival. Visit the festival website for updates and registration information.
Most single tickets for Chutzpah!’s live performances are offered at a pay-what-you-will price, with the levels at $18, $36, $52 and $70 (+ gst/sc). I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce is $40 (students/seniors), $54 (general) and $72 (VIP) (+gst/sc). ChutzPacks are also available, for $136: see four different regular-price shows of your choice. Tickets for Modi can be purchased through admitone.com/events. For tickets to any of the performances and more information about any of the events, visit chutzpahfestival.com or call 604-257-5145.
The Vancouver Fringe Festival runs Sept. 4-14. For the full lineup and tickets, visit vancouverfringe.com. (photo from festival listing)
Jem Rolls brings Adventures in Canadian Parking Lots to the Vancouver Fringe Festival Sept. 5-14. “Describing the contents of the show is difficult, as it manages to cover so much ground in so little time,” writes Aiden Robert Bruce in a June post on kingstontheatre.ca. “The series of poems answers a variety of questions like: ‘Why are Canadians so good at smiling?’ ‘What is the most sellable title for a show?’ ‘How do the English view history?’ and perhaps most curiously, ‘When is he going to get to the parking lots?’ Amidst this amalgamation of individual topics, there is beautiful poetic imagery, dark science fiction, Fringe history lessons, and throughout it all there is almost always humour. The constant comedy is not only helpful in keeping the audience engaged, but also is used to create extremely powerful moments where the humour ceases and nothing but a striking verse remains.”
Director Francis G. Matheu, right, with actors Nolan Fidyk and Dan Landry rehearsing Alan Segal’s Shade Apparel. (photo by Sarah Nicole Faucher)
This year’s Victoria Fringe Festival, billed as “12 days of madcap fun this summer,” started on Aug. 20 and runs to Aug. 31. Included in the lineup are pieces by two local Jewish community members, Alan Segal and David Heyman.
Segal describes his play, Shade Apparel, as “comedy, drama and absurdity.” It features Danver, a playwright rooted in daily routine, who tries to find answers to questions he never knew he had. And, Segal told the Independent, “He is not prepared for the answers. Shade Apparel is a play about wanting to know more and not knowing where to find anything.”
In Segal’s words, our society is “heavily psychologized,” in that everything is given a psychological or emotional origin story, he said.“But, if we breathe, we absorb culture, ideas, ideals and assumptions.
“Most of the time, we have a slight awareness of the precise origin of these. Their origin tale, however, is found in the social cauldron of daily life. This, too, is our apparel. We are clothed in more than material fabric,” he said.
From an early age, Segal has had an interest in how people become, well, anything; for example, how are allegiance, assurance, belonging, anger, dissent, happiness, or its opposite, created?
Segal’s first Victoria Fringe experience was not as a playwright but as a supporter of the arts who was captivated by the aura and array of creativity he observed. Last year, he founded Imbroglio Theatre, which will put on Shade Apparel.
“Beyond headlines and supposed fame, people venture into many realms of expression. I loved it from the start, and I expect many will be enlivened by what is approaching in Victoria at the end of August,” he said.
The creative team for the Fringe show comprises Dan Landry, Nolan Fidyk and Kendra Bidwell (cast), Alan Segal (writer), Francis G. Matheu (director), Elaine Montgomery (stage manager), Luke Weston and Andrea Gregg (lighting design), Phil Letourneau (music and sound design), Sarah Nicole Faucher (costume design) and Doug Wills (poster and program).
“Shade Apparel is the second play I have written – a project I never intended to write and had no inkling of, until it leaped into my mind as a single scene,” said Segal.
His first play, Frey’s Anguish, premiered in March 2024 at Paul Phillips Hall in Victoria.
David Heyman’s Ducks co-stars, right to left, Gloria Snider, Lorene Cammiade, Ryan Kniel and Danielle Greschner. (photo from David Heyman)
Heyman’s play, Ducks, takes place in the aftermath of an incident in which 1,600 ducks flew into an oilsands tailings pond in northern Alberta and died – a true event that caused international criticism of the provincial government. Years later, the oil company that owned and operated the pond was fined and the government promised tighter restrictions; however, the damage toAlberta’s reputation was significant.
The fictionalized theatrical story centres on a government communications director who has 20 minutes to retrieve an embarrassing, career-ending invitation erroneously sent out in his name before the media or public find out about it.
“I was communications manager for the premier of Alberta at the time [of the real-life incident] and, although I was not involved in managing the issue …I was able to observe the crisis-management efforts from up close,” Heyman said.
“The characters and events in the play are entirely made up but are informed by my inside knowledge of how communications offices work, and how the media deal with such situations,” he said. “Before joining the Alberta Premier’s Office, I was a political reporter at the Calgary Herald for many years. Many people who work in governments in Alberta and BC have told me that the play feels authentic, which was my goal.”
When Ducks premiered at the Victoria One-Act Play Festival in 2023, it won the prize for outstanding original script. When it was performed at the 2024 Edmonton Fringe Festival, five of eight shows sold out and the play received stellar reviews. The play has also been performed at the Nanaimo Fringe Festival and in Tofino.
Heading into the Victoria Fringe, Heyman said, “We’ve got a top-notch cast, a great director and a great stage manager this year. The rehearsals are going very well and I’m confident it will be a hit.”
Heyman is the show’s producer and, joining him in mounting the Fringe show are Ryan Kniel, Lorene Cammiade, Gloria Snider and Danielle Greschner (cast), Francis G. Matheu (director), Andrea Gregg (stage manager) and Sarah Heyman (associate producer).
David Heyman has written an as-yet-unperformed sequel, Rhymes with Ducks, that he hopes to put on at next year’s festival. “The sequel is designed also to be a second (and final) act, and perhaps one day both will be performed as a single show,” he said.
For the Fringe, Shade Apparel is at Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Wood Hall, while Ducks is at James Bay United Church. Both plays are 45 minutes long. For tickets and more information, visit victoriafringe.com.
Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.
