What’s happening in Vancouver theatre this July

Cast members from TUTS’ productions of Mamma Mia! and Disney’s Newsies. Lindsay Elliott photo.

If you’re a fan of classic comedies, you’ll probably want to check out Ensemble Theatre’s production of Born Yesterday. Originally written for Broadway by Garson Kanin, the hit play became a hit 1950 movie starring Judy Holliday and William Holden and directed by George Cukor.

Other offerings this summer include the ABBA musical Mamma Mia!, presented outdoors as part of Theatre Under the Stars’ summer program, and plenty of Shakespeare.

Ongoing

Hello and Goodbye (until July 6 at Studio 1398, 1398 Cartwright St. Granville Island)—A Room Somewhere presents South African playwright Athol Fugard’s play about an unsettling reunion between a brother and sister who have been separated for 12 years. The terrible family truths emerge in this drama about the plight of South Africa. The members of A Room Somewhere are both of South African descent. (Tickets: $15 General: $25 Student/Senior: $22 at brownpapertickets.com)

Riaan Smit and Deborah Vieyra in Hello and Goodbye. Debora Cohen photo.

Matilda the Musical (until July 14, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage)—Based on the Roald Dahl story, this co-production from Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is a musical for the whole family.(Tickets from $39 at artsclub.com)

All’s Well That Ends Well (until Aug. 11, Howard Family Stage in the Douglas Campbell Theatre)—Bard on the Beach transposes the Shakespeare play to India during the waning days of British occupation.

Shakespeare in Love (until Sept 18, BMO Mainstage)—Originally conceived at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Shakespeare in Love is based on the script for the 1998 movie, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. It’s in contemporary English, with occasional text excerpts from Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

The Taming of the Shrew (until Sept. 21, BMO Mainstage)—The 2007 ‘spaghetti western’ version of The Taming of the Shrew is the inspiration behind Wild-West love story. This Bard on the Beach production stars Andrew McNee as Petruchio and Jennifer Lines as Kate.

New

Mamma Mia! and Disney’s Newsies (July 5-Aug 17, alternating evenings at Malkin Bowl, 610 Pipeline Road, Stanley Park)—Theatre Under the Stars presents the ABBA musical and the Disney production for this summer’s program. According to TUTS Board President Naveen Kapahi, “This summer is all about inspiration, with two musicals that will lift hearts in entirely unique ways. Mamma Mia! may very well be the most joyful musical ever created, bringing love and light to everyone who experiences it. Disney’s Newsies is a fiery true tale of conviction, where a scrappy group of underdogs sets spirits aflame by standing up and fighting for what is right.” (Tickets from $30-55 at tuts.ca or 604-631-2877)

7th Annual Summer Repertory Festival/Ensemble Theatre Company (July 10 – Aug 16, Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery St.)—Plays include Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts, Garson Kanin’s Broadway comedy Born Yesterday, and Michael Healey’s Canadian classic The Drawer Boy. (Tickets: from $25 at ensembletheatrecompany.ca)

Cast members from Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of Born Yesterday. Emily Cooper photo.

SHIFT Festival 12 (July 11-13 at ANNEX, 823 Seymour St.)—The three-day festival presents three shows along with a reading and workshop. The shows include Marie’s Letters, in which Tai Amy Grauman embodies five generations of Métis women addressing their unborn daughters; Kelsey Kanatan Wavey’s iskonikowisiw, about the complicated friendship between the last woman on Earth and the last drop of water; and Sound Off. The latter investigates how the transformation of sounds, live and looped, can be constructed and deconstructed into song. (Tickets: $19 at shifttheatre.ca/tickets)

Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, iskonikowisiw .

The Winter’s Tale – A Teen Shakespeare Play (July 26-Aug 10, Performance Works Outdoor Stage, Ron Basford Park on Granville Island, 1218 Cartwright St.)—Carousel Theatre for Young People’s Teen Shakespeare Program stages their take on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale outdoors. Actor, director and theatre educator Mike Stack leads a cast of 16 teen actors, ages 13-18, in this all-ages production. Admission is FREE but seating is limited, with premium seating available in advance for $6 per seat (at carouseltheatre.ca or 604-685-6217)

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