Melissa Poll, Kevin MacDonald and David Mackay in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of Cyrano De Bergerac.

DECEMBER 2008

CONCERTS 

4 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The American-born singer Sibel Thrasher brings the Christmas spirit in a night of gospel and jazz. She has recorded with The Platters, Long John Baldry, Rocket Norton and Donna Summer. Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Silk Purse Arts Centre, 1570 Argyle Ave., West Vancouver. 604-925-7292. silkpurse.ca

5 CHEECH AND CHONG

The Cheech and Chong Light Up Canada tour featuring comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, who burst into prominence in 1970 after they discovered they played well off each other while performing at a Vancouver nightclub owned by Chong’s brother. Dec. 5 at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hamilton at Dunsmuir. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

5, 7 THE ANGEL SANG

The Vancouver Chamber Choir conducted by Jon Washburn at one of Ryerson’s annual Christmas concerts of seasonal music, both familiar and new. Dec. 5 at 8 p.m.; Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. Ryerson United Church, 2195 W. 45th Ave. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

6 THE FRINGE GROUP

Vancouver’s premiere percussion quartet, presented by Vancouver Pro Musica. featuring the talents of award-winning percussionists Jonathan Bernard, Martin Fisk, Brian Nesselroad, and Daniel Tones and new works by B.C. composers including Sea Change by Craig Day, Enginuity by Colin MacDonald, Darwin’s Walkin’ Fish Quartet by Jocelyn Morlock, Heartache by Ed Paik, and The Magic Act by Teresa Richert. Written for a multiplicity of percussion instruments, these pieces take influence from a wide range of intercultural sources embracing Latin rhythms, Asian pentatonic scales, and Eastern melodies, alongside the traditions of Western Art Music. The evening will also feature works by Japanese composer Minoru Miki and Italian composer Giovanni Sollima. Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. Vancouver Community College Auditorium, 1155 E. Broadway. vancouverpromusica.ca

7 CHRISTMAS WITH THE BACH CHOIR

 This family celebration includes the Vancouver Bach Choir and the 10 choirs of the Vancouver Bach Children’s Chorus and Youth Choir singing separately and together. Hear over 400 voices in a program of traditional Christmas music accompanied by organ and brass, culminating in a massed choir performance of O holy Night, arranged by conductor Bruce Pullan. Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, Smithe at Seymour. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

8–10 ROBIN WILLIAMS

Robin Williams’ 35-city comedy tour, Weapons of Self-Destruction, has exploded onto the comedy scene, earning the brilliant comedian spectacular reviews and announcing more shows for 2009. It’s his first tour in six years. After multiple U.S. and Canadian dates, including Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, and London (UK) performances benefiting The Prince’s Trust, Williams will unleash his Weapons on Vancouver, San Diego, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta and Orlando, among other cities through March. Dec. 8–10 at 8 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hamilton at Dunsmuir. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

9 MUSIC FOR THE SOUL

An intimate concert with Marcus Mosely, a member of the gospel group The Sojourners. Like many jazz and blues singers in North America, Marcus’ roots began in the church with gospel music. With pianist Gail Suderman. Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Silk Purse Arts Centre, 1570 Argyle Ave., West Vancouver. 604-925-7292. silkpurse.ca

9 TAKÁCS QUARTET

Each visit of this superb quartet brings new insight into the music they play. Such are the Takác’s sensibilities that the listener feels they are being led to the heart of every composer they play. They have received awards from Gramophone magazine for their Bartók and Beethoven recordings and in 2005 won both the Disc of the Year and Chamber Music Awards from BBC Music Magazine for their late Beethoven quartets recording. Presented by the Friends of Chamber Music. Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, Hamilton at Dunsmuir. 604-437-5747. friendsofchambermusic.ca

12–13 HANDEL’S MESSIAH

The Vancouver Chamber Choir presents a perennial Christmas favourite with the Vancouver Cantata Singers, the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra, soprano Shannon Mercer, countertenor Robin Blaze, tenor Frédéric Antoun, and Joshua Hopkins, bass. The choirs, guest soloists and orchestra are led this year by guest conductor Bernard Labadie of Quebec’s Les Violons du Roy. The Saturday performance will be shared with the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver in celebration of their 100th anniversary. Dec. 12–13 at 8 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, Smithe at Seymour. 604-280-3311. vancouverchamberchoir.com

14 SING-ALONG MESSIAH

For the 28th year, the Bach Choir, the audience and the VSO will join in the choruses of Handel’s beloved oratorio. Bruce Pullan invites all serious singers of Messiah and all those who only sing in the shower but who love the music, and especially, those who have never heard Messiah but would like to, to join in an afternoon of glorious music-making. Arias will be sung by this year’s of 15 auditioned soloists. Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, Smithe at Seymour. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

14, 16, 19 MUSICA INTIMA: ANGELS BRIGHT

Like a crackling fire on a cold night, the warmth of Angels Bright will envelope you with Christmas spirit. Join members of musica intima for an annual tradition for the whole family in a program of familiar carols and new favourites including Hugo Distler’s Christmas Cantata, Weihnachtgeschichte, based on the well-known carol Lo, how a rose is blooming, and songs from their new Christmas CD release o nata lux. Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.: West Vancouver United Church, 2062 Esquimalt Ave.; Dec. 16 at 8 p.m.: Ryerson United Church, 2195 W. 45th Ave.; Dec. 19 at 8 p.m.: Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St. 604-731-6618. musicaintima.org

19 RITA MACNEIL’S CHRISTMAS

As one of Canada’s best-loved singers, Rita’s joy for Christmas can be felt in every note and in every story shared. Over the years her seasonal CDs have sold in excess of a half a million copies – further evidence of the popularity of this annual tradition. Her first children’s collection, Pocket Full of Dreams, a CD that includes songs for preschoolers, new parents and grandparents alike makes its debut on this tour. Also available at the shows, for the first time, will be a live concert DVD recorded last month that includes some of her most requested songs as well as performances with The Men of the Deeps. Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts, 777 Homer St. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

23FESTIVE BACH CANTATAS FOR CHRISTMAS

Early Music Vancouver’s Christmas tradition continues with another special festive concert at the Chan Centre, the fifth of its successful Bach Cantata Projects. This year, Bach is back with a program that features Early Music Vancouver's Bach Cantata Project Players directed by Marc Destrubé in larger-scale cantatas with an orchestra that includes three trumpets and timpani, in addition to strings, oboes, bassoon and continuo. Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. Chan Shun Concert Hall, Chan Centre of the Performing Arts at UBC, 6265 Crescent Rd. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

30–31MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD

Celebrate New Years Eve with Michael Franti, who has been mixing politics and music since his days with the ’80s punk industrial band the Beatnigs and in hip-hop industrial act the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. But the poet-filmmaker-musician is best known for his band Spearhead. An even more eclectic act than his previous groups, Spearhead – or Michael Franti & Spearhead, as it's now known – draws on influences as disparate as hip-hop, funk, reggae, jazz, funk, folk, soul, and rock to showcase Franti's ever-questioning lyrics. Ignored by mainstream media, the band has earned a passionate worldwide audience through extensive touring and appearances in alternative media outlets like Mother Jones magazine and Democracy Now. Yell Fire!, Michael Franti & Spearhead’s latest album, was inspired by Franti’s trip to Baghdad, Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The disc deals with the human cost of war and was called his best album yet by Amazon.com. “Hey Now Now,” a song from the record, appeared on the soundtrack Snakes on a Plane. Other recent Franti projects include a collection of portraits and lyrics, Food for the Masses, and a documentary, I Know I'm Not Alone. Dec. 30–31 at 9 p.m.Vogue Theatre, 918 Granville St. 604-280-4444. ticketmaster.ca

31 DAL RICHARDS AND HIS ORCHESTRA

Dinner and show with Dal Richards, who will be performing with his orchestra in a separate room for dancing, with all dining rooms complete with TV screens and audio. Dinner at 7 p.m.; Entertainment at 8 p.m. River Rock Conference Centre, River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd. Richmond. 604-280-4444. ticketmaster.ca

31 AIR SUPPLY

Vocalist Russell Hitchcock and guitarist-vocalist Graham Russell have sold more than 30 million records, dominating the charts with such hits as “Lost In Love,” “All Out of Love,” “Even The Nights Are Better,” “The One That You Love” and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All.” Dinner and show at 7:30 p.m. Show only at 10 p.m. River Rock Show Theatre, River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd. Richmond. 604-280-4444. ticketmaster.ca

JAZZ CLUBS & LOUNGES

Atrium Pendulum Gallery HSBC Building 885 W. Georgia St. (604-250-9682) — Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Stu Loseby trio, a.k.a. The Friends of Mr. G, with Loseby on tenor sax, Chris Sigerson, piano, and Russ Botten, bass, play near the Café Ami. Feel free to bring your own lunch. pendulumgallery.bc.ca

Biltmore Cabaret 395 Kingsway (604-676-0541) — Sundays, 5 to 8 p.m.: Jam sessions hosted by drummer Morgan Childs with weekend special guests. After an opening set by the host band, an open jam for two sets. biltmorecabaret.com

Capones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club 1141 Hamilton St. (604-684-7900) — Local jazz and blues. All bands start at nightly at 7:30 p.m. caponesrestaurant.net

Cascades Lounge Pan Pacific Vancouver, 300 – 999 Canada Place (604-895-2480) — Fridays, 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Saturdays, 9:45 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Jazz and pop standards by local musicians on the lobby level, spacious and casual, with premium cocktails, snacks and a panoramic view of Stanley Park. vancouver.panpacific.com

The Cellar Restaurant & Jazz Club 3611 W. Broadway (604-738-1959) — Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8:30 and 10:15 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 and 9:15 p.m. Local and visiting performers with an emphasis on listening. cellarjazz.com

Fairview Pub 898 W. Broadway (604-872-1262) — Thursdays, 6 to 9 p.m.: Drummer John Nolan’s trio, with pianist Ron Johnston and bassist Dave Guiney and, after the first set, various guests – mostly singers – who fall by to sit in. fairviewpub.ca

Gallery Lounge Hyatt Regency Vancouver 655 Burrard St. (604-683-1234) —Wednesdays through Fridays, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Solo piano. Fridays and Saturdays, 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Just off the main lobby, comfy chairs in a stylish and congenial atmosphere, where drummer John Nolan and various pianists back featured vocalists. vancouver.hyatt.com

Libra Room 1608 Commercial Dr. (604-255-3787) — Live local jazz and folk, nightly. libraroom.com

900 West Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 W. Georgia St. (604-662-1929) — Mondays through Wednesdays, 5 to 10 p.m., and Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Various local vocalists with accompaniment. Dec. 7, 2 to 4:30 p.m.: Traditional Afternoon Tea with Dal Richards. fairmont.com/hotelvancouver.com

Nu Restaurant and Lounge 1661 Granville St. (604-646-4668) — Sundays, noon to 3 p.m.: Jazz brunch with vocalist Melody Diachun and Doug Stephenson, guitar. Stylish and casual fine dining on the waterfront in a room of virtually 300 degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass. whatisnu.com

O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar 1300 Robson St. (604-661-1400) — Nightly, 9 to midnight. Local jazz. Pacific Coast and Fraser Valley fare in a New York-style bistro with a baby grand and vaulted ceiling. odoulsrestaurant.com

Republic 958 Granville St. (604-669-3266) — Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m.: Classic funk and soul with the 10-piece house band Soulstream. donnellynightclubs.ca

Rossini’s 1525 Yew St. (604-737-8080) — Nightly at 7 p.m. Sundays: Cecil Perinbam. Mondays and Thursdays: Francis Fernandez. Tuesdays: Peter Trill & friends. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays: Bob York trio. Various Vancouver vocalists on Fridays and Saturdays. rossinisjazz.com

The Sutton Place Hotel 845 Burrard St. (604-682-5511) — Mondays through Saturdays, 6 to 11 p.m.: Resident pianist Ramiro Quezada. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Jazz brunch with Quezada and guitarist Henry Young. vancouver.suttonplace.com

The Yale 1300 Granville St. (604-681-9253) — Blues nightly. Saturdays, 3 to 7 p.m.: Blues Jams with Incognito. Sundays, 3 to 7 p.m.: Blues Jams with Tony Robertson’s Vaqueros. theyale.ca

THEATRE

 THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Open on a drab apartment on a dull day. A middle-aged man pulls out his favourite cast album from the 1928 musical The Drowsy Chaperone. He drops the needle into the groove, and suddenly his apartment is magically transformed into the show itself in all its roaring glory. This toe-tapping tribute to the Jazz Age and the golden era of musicals won five Tonys on Broadway. Starring Jay Brazeau and Gabrielle Jones. Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, and directed by Max Reimer. Musical direction by Lloyd Nicholson. Through Dec. 27. Vancouver Playhouse Theatre, Hamilton at Dunsmuir. 604-873-3311. vancouverplayhouse.com

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” George Bailey (Todd Talbot) performs countless good deeds for friends and townsfolk in Bedford Falls, yet all that seems to count for naught when he faces financial adversity. At George’s most woeful moment, his guardian angel, Clarence Oddbody (Bernard Cuffling), swoops in to remind him that faith, hope, and family make life truly wonderful. Starring: Todd Talbot, Jennifer Lines, Bernard Cuffling, Kevin McNulty, with Peter Anderson, Jianna Ballard, Valsy Bergeron, Leigh Bourque, Sasa Brown, Domenico DeMichina, Erla Faye Forsyth, Julien Galipeau, Kyle Jespersen, Eric Keenleyside, Brian Linds, Beatrice Zeilinger. Director: Dean Paul Gibson. By Philip Grecian, based on the classic film by Frank Capra. Through Jan. 3. Granville Island Stage, 1585 Johnston St., next to the Public Market. 604-687-1644. artsclub.com

EXHIBITIONS

ALAN WOOD: DREAMS AND MEMORIES

How do you respond to the death of a loved one? For B.C. artist Alan Wood, the answer is to withdraw from the world to reflect on the pain. After a five-year hiatus while caring for his ailing wife, Flora McLeod, and mourning her eventual passing, Wood is now ready to return to the world of art with a pivotal new series. These collages and wood-reliefs are Wood’s response to the years of isolation he felt caring for his beloved wife and his longing to escape with her again to the places where they experience great love and pleasure. Wood re-emerges to the Canadian art scene, as only a senior artist could do, mixing elements of risk and insightful tenderness equally in his new work. This series is a therapeutic reply to the isolation both Wood and his wife experienced during her lengthy struggle with multiple sclerosis. The artist’s answer to their physical, emotional and spiritual deprivation is a beautiful reconstruction of some of their happiest adventures spent exploring the wilds of B.C.  For 40 years, Wood has constructed complex abstractions of our natural environment. Dreams and Memories builds on this great legacy, offering new degrees of sophistication and surprising elements.  In this series, Wood introduces a figure, which he sees as Flora. Though the artist identifies the figure as his wife, it has a compelling, universal quality. It is through its simplicity and stylization that the figure comes to represent all of us, and the ubiquitous experiences of illness, loss and loneliness. Wood further expands the symbolism of these works by literally divorcing the figure from the large textural fields of colour and form that represent the coastal shores, waterfalls, rivers, mountains and forests. This isolated figure, while revealing Flora’s dissolution from a vigorous life, may also be regarded as our own distancing from the natural environment. Wood’s works are found in the Vancouver Art Gallery, the National Museum of Wales and the Tate in London, England. Wood, who was born in 1935 in the town of Widnes, in Lancashire, England, moved to Canada in 1971, settling in B.C. in 1974. During the late ’50s, Wood was a member of the influential St. Ives Artists Colony in Cornwall, which in turn led to a successful six-year teaching career at the prestigious Cardiff College of Art in Wales. His interest in the dynamics of light and colour of the ocean, beach, forest and sky has dominated his landscape work throughout his career. In 1983 Alan Wood gained international recognition for taking his painting directly into the landscape with his Ranch creation. This 320-acre painted construction built in the foothills of the Alberta Rockies was a monumental exploration of colour and form. Alan Wood is a prolific artist and since 1962, has participated in many group and solo exhibitions in Great Britain, Europe, Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Through Dec. 7. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Winsor Gallery, 3025 Granville St. 604-681-4870. winsorgallery.com

CHRIS DAHL

New works by the artist, designer, musician and educator will include selections from his Rock ’n’ Roll series plus recent landscapes of Italy and Vancouver. Dahl’s artwork can be found in the collections of The National Gallery, The Canada Council Art Bank, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the City of Vancouver and Harrison Galleries. Through Dec. 22. Kay Meek Centre, 1700 Mathers Ave., West Vancouver. 604-913-3634. kaymeekcentre.com

BILL REID: MASTER OF HAIDA ART

The opening exhibition of Vancouver’s newest public art gallery and home for Aboriginal arts, culture, and learning, also features The Raven’s Trove: gold masterworks by Bill Reid and rotating exhibitions of Aboriginal art. Through Jan. 11. Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby St. 604-682-3455. billreidgallery.ca

WACK! ART AND THE FEMINIST REVOLUTION

This exhibition takes over two floors of the Vancouver Art Gallery with work that emerged from the convergence of art and feminist thought in the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the first comprehensive, international museum survey illuminating the impact of feminism on art. More than 120 artists from 22 countries, including the addition of Canadian works selected by VAG chief curator/associate director Daina Augaitis. Curated by Connie Butler, the Robert Lehman Foundation chief curator of drawings at The Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), and organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Through Jan. 11. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. 604-662-4719. vanartgallery.bc.ca

JEFF WALL: VANCOUVER ART GALLERY COLLECTION

The institution’s first solo exhibition of work by internationally renowned Vancouver artist Jeff Wall in nearly two decades will feature the Gallery’s entire holdings of the artist’s large-scale photographic work. Now the largest public collection of Wall’s photo-based art in the world, the Gallery’s collection has grown quickly over the last year with two major acquisitions in February, two additional acquisitions in June and a further acquisition in September. The Gallery’s collection now stands at 11 with the addition of the most recently acquired works, Basin in Rome 2, 2003, Children, 1988, and River Road, 1997, all of which are gifts from B.C. philanthropists and key Gallery supporters Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa. Associated with the recognition of photography as one of the most important contemporary art forms of the 20th century, Wall’s significant work has recently appeared in major solo exhibitions including Tate Modern, London (2005), Museum of Modern Art, New York (2007), Art Institute of Chicago (2007), San Francisco Museum of Art (2007), Guggenheim, Berlin (2007) and Tamayo Museum, Mexico City (2008). The exhibition is accompanied by the hardcover catalogue Jeff Wall Vancouver Art Gallery Collection, which includes full-page reproductions of all Jeff Wall works in the Vancouver Art Gallery collection, exhibition histories of each work, and an illustrated text by Vancouver artist Ian Wallace. Through Jan. 29. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. 604-662-4719. vanartgallery.bc.ca

BEYOND

ART MARKET & CABARET

A fundraiser for Performing Arts Lodge, featuring PAL singers and guests, paintings, photography, jewelry, stationery, exotic rugs, lampshades, and more. PAL Vancouver is a B.C. not-for-profit charitable society, created to provide quality affordable housing and support for seniors in the performing arts and allied professions. Dec. 5–6, 6 to 10 p.m. PAL Theatre, 581 Cardero St. 778-329-1803. palvancouver.org

CAPILANO LIGHTS AT CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE

The signature maple tree, draped in shimmering snowfall lights, invites guests to enjoy the magic of 200,000 lights – from the sparkling suspension bridge and star-reflecting rainforest pond to the brightly lit park and Treetops Adventure. Glass blower Malcolm MacFadyen is back by popular demand adding extra twinkle, teaching guests how to blow glass icicle ornaments. Decorate your own gingerbread man and sing along with the festive carolers. Proceeds from admission will be donated to the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund, with a goal of raising $20,000 to support Burn Awareness Week in B.C. elementary schools. Dec. 6–Jan. 3 from 5 to 9 p.m. (Closed at 5 p.m. Dec. 24 and 31 and all day Dec. 25). Capilano Suspension Bridge, 3735 Capilano Rd., North Vancouver. 604-985-7474. capbridge.com

JAZZ VESPERS

Jazz services, presided by the Rev. Gary Paterson, Sundays at 4 p.m. Various musicians. St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, Burrard and Nelson. 604-683-4575. standrewswesleychurch.bc.ca