Skip to content

Where different views on Israel and Judaism are welcome.

  • Home
  • Subscribe / donate
  • Events calendar
  • News
    • Local
    • National
    • Israel
    • World
    • עניין בחדשות
      A roundup of news in Canada and further afield, in Hebrew.
  • Opinion
    • From the JI
    • Op-Ed
  • Arts & Culture
    • Performing Arts
    • Music
    • Books
    • Visual Arts
    • TV & Film
  • Life
    • Celebrating the Holidays
    • Travel
    • The Daily Snooze
      Cartoons by Jacob Samuel
    • Mystery Photo
      Help the JI and JMABC fill in the gaps in our archives.
  • Community Links
    • Organizations, Etc.
    • Other News Sources & Blogs
    • Business Directory
  • FAQ
  • JI Chai Celebration
  • [email protected]! video

Search

Archives

"The Basketball Game" is a graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning National Film Board of Canada animated short of the same name – intended for audiences aged 12 years and up. It's a poignant tale of the power of community as a means to rise above hatred and bigotry. In the end, as is recognized by the kids playing the basketball game, we're all in this together.

Recent Posts

  • New housing partnership
  • Complexities of Berlin
  • Obligation to criticize
  • Negev Dinner returns
  • Women deserve to be seen
  • Peace is breaking out
  • Summit covers tough issues
  • Jews in trench coats
  • Lives shaped by war
  • The Moaning Yoni returns
  • Caring in times of need
  • Students are learning to cook
  • Many first-time experiences
  • Community milestones … Gordon, Segal, Roadburg foundations & West
  • מקטאר לוונקובר
  • Reading expands experience
  • Controversy welcome
  • Democracy in danger
  • Resilience amid disruptions
  • Local heads CAPE crusaders
  • Engaging in guided autobiography
  • Recollecting Auschwitz
  • Local Houdini connection
  • National library opens soon
  • Regards from Israel …
  • Reluctant kids loved camp
  • An open letter to Camp BB
  • Strong connection to Israel
  • Why we need summer camp
  • Campers share their thoughts
  • Community tree of life
  • Building bridges to inclusion
  • A first step to solutions?
  • Sacre premières here
  • Opening gates of kabbalah
  • Ukraine’s complex past

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @JewishIndie

Tag: Metro

A royal panto at Metro

A royal panto at Metro

Katherine Matlashewski plays Mopsy in Metro Theatre’s musical panto King Arthur’s Court. (photo by Tracy-Lynn Chernaske)

While Katherine Matlashewski has numerous acting, singing and choreographing credits on her resumé, the musical panto King Arthur’s Court, which opens tonight (Dec. 14) at Metro Theatre, will be her first pantomime.

“Unlike a traditional play, there is a lot of improv and audience participation,” she explained about a panto. “This can be a challenge because, as an actor, you never know what is going to happen.”

But it’s also part of the fun. “In any show,” she said, “everyone brings something unique to the table. In this wonderful cast [of 28], there is such a wide range in age and skill level.”

In contrast, King Arthur’s Court marks fellow Jewish community member Heather Webster’s third panto. Webster has been stage-managing at Metro for about five years now, but her connection to Metro – and pantos – goes further back.

“My first theatre experience came from my grandmother, Shirley Rose,” Webster told the Independent. “She took me to the Metro Theatre when I was 12 for my first panto. From there, I got into working backstage and learning stage craft in high school at Kitsilano from Julie Bond. In Grade 11, I began volunteering at the Metro Theatre, and have been ever since.”

Webster, who used to work as an on-call tech for the Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, does stage-managing in her off-time. Her full-time job is with Purolator.

Matlashewski teaches at Arts Umbrella. “I love having the opportunity to share my love of visual and performing arts,” she said. “I believe it is so important for kids to have a creative outlet as part of their education.”

In addition, Matlashewski owns a small business, Sweetheart’s Baking, which can be found on Instagram and Facebook. “Like theatre,” she said, “my passion for baking started at a young age. This keeps me extremely busy when I am not in a show.”

At age 2, her mother enrolled her in her first dance class at Arts Umbrella. “In the years to follow,” Matlashewski said, “I continued my training in dance while also exploring theatre and visual arts. My love of musical theatre began at a very young age. Since then, I have not looked back. I feel extremely blessed to have had multiple opportunities to train with so many professionals in the industry. I am grateful to have taken part in programs such as the Arts Club’s Musical Theatre Intensive and the Pre-Professional Musical Theatre Troupe at Arts Umbrella.”

Among Matlashewski’s teachers and colleagues in the Jewish community have been Erika Babins, Perry Ehrlich and Wendy Bross Stuart, to name only a few.

“As a result,” said Matlashewski, who comes from a small family, “I have had many wonderful opportunities to connect with others in the community, create a positive support network, and learn more about my culture. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a warm and welcoming community.”

Matlashewski has also worked with the director of King Arthur’s Court before.

“Last year,” she said, “I worked with Chris Adams (our director) on RCMT’s [Royal City Musical Theatre’s] concert production of Into the Woods. He encouraged me to take part in this production.”

Adams was most recently featured in the Independentfor directing and co-producing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of FleetStreet (jewishindependent.ca/experience-sweeneys-revenge). While this isMatlashewski’s first show with Metro, this will be Adams’ seventh show andthird panto with the theatre.

“I remember sitting in the audience, as a little kid, booing the demon and cheering the good fairy and then rushing to the stage after the show, just to get autographs from the cast,” he recalls on Metro’s website. “From that childhood time,” he says, “panto has kept a warm place in my heart.”

King Arthur’s Court will feature a demon and a fairy, too, along with a dragon and, of course, Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Chivalry and chicanery will run aplenty, and the audience will be encouraged to cheer and jeer.

Matlashewski plays Mopsy, the court jester. “My role requires me to do lots of singing, dancing and goofing around onstage,” she said. “I also talk directly to the audience at certain times.”

And, behind the scenes, Webster will be managing the chaos. For her, she said, “The best part is when I get to hear the kids talk to the actors during the meet-and-greets, and hearing their favourite parts of the show.”

For more information about and tickets to KingArthur’s Court, visit metrotheatre.com/currentshow. It runs until Jan. 5.

Format ImagePosted on December 14, 2018December 12, 2018Author Cynthia RamsayCategories Performing ArtsTags Metro, musical theatre, panto
Proudly powered by WordPress