10 sensational performing arts shows in Vancouver this April

Mar 28 2018, 4:07 am

From Stephen King adaptations to post-apocalyptic Simpsons tales, April has everything you need to get off the couch. As the weather turns (for the better?!) grab a friend or two and head down to these performing arts shows.

Don’t delay your artistic education — get cultured at these 10 sensational shows coming to Vancouver this month.

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RENT – Renegade Arts Co

Image: Marina Luro

“Rent. Most of us pay it. Most of us can’t afford it. In our city of Vancouver, which strives to be an artistic incubator, rents have gone through the roof.” It’s the main reason why Renegade Arts Co has brought back this classic musical — about impoverished young artists struggling to make rent in New York’s rougher neighbourhoods.

  • When: March 29 to April 14
  • Where: The Shop Theatre – 3030 E Broadway, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; $20-$29

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play – Little Mountain Lion Productions

Image: Duy Nguyen

What is life after iPhones, diet coke, and… Simpsons episodes? Mr. Burns takes a look at a world without “pop culture,” after a global nuclear holocaust. After the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors piece together the plot of The Simpsons and try to hold onto remnants of the past.

  • When: April 3 to 21
  • Where: Studio 1398 – 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Ticketwire; $23-$28

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival

Image: Vancouver International Burlesque Festival

Canada’s longest-running burlesque festival is back, with performers from around the globe, for a weekend of workshops, awards nights, and two big showcases. Expect to see dazzling costumes, comical interludes, and thought-provoking acts in this homage to Vancouver’s booming burlesque scene.

  • When: April 4 to 7
  • Where: The Playhouse – 600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Ticketfly; Varies

Misery – The Arts Club

Image: David Cooper

Arts Club is bringing it, with the stage version of Misery, and it’s guaranteed to give audiences a good scare. A famed novelist’s number one fan brings him home and won’t be letting him leave anytime soon, in this classic Stephen King thriller.

  • When: April 5 to May 5
  • Where: The Arts Club, Granville Island – 1601 Johnston St, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Arts Club; $29-$49+

Take 6 – VanMan Male Choral Summit

Image: Take 6

Before Pentatonix and Glee, there were these six soul brothers that came together to form Take 6. Now celebrating their 25th anniversary in the biz, Chor Leoni’s VanMan Male Choral Summit (4 years and running!) is bringing the “golden standard” of vocal harmony magic to Vancouver’s doorstep.

  • When: April 6
  • Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre – 650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Tickets Tonight; $10-$70

Nine Dragons – Gateway Theatre

Image: Tim Nguyen

Nine Dragons pays tribute to Film Noir conventions (a savage crime, a mysterious nightclub, and a tough-talking detective) and imbues the story with its unique setting: Hong Kong. Written by Gateway’s Artistic Director, Jovanni Sy, the play uses the genre to parallel contemporary issues of cultural oppression, race, and prejudice.

  • When: April 12 to 21
  • Where: Gateway Theatre – 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond
  • Tickets: At Gateway; $29-$55

World Without Us – The Cultch

Image: Sarah Eechaut

“In the span of a heart beat all of humanity is extinguished. No more talk about the old days, about what’s possible. No more words. The spaces we used to fill are now empty.” Belgian company Ontroerend Goed has a strong track record of experimenting with the form and function of theatre, and their newest touring production will prove no different.

  • When: April 17 to 29
  • Where: The Cultch – 1985 Venables Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Cultch; $22-$39

Blindside – Stephanie Morin-Robert

Image: Elliana Gilbert

One-eyed comedic performer Stephanie Morin-Robert has turned her glass eye into a superpower, recounting her early life with a disability. A daring and honest one-woman show that has had sold-out performances across Canada and Europe, Blindside takes a closer look at how this interdisciplinary artist overcame her obstacles.

  • When: April 26 to 28
  • Where: Studio 1398 – 1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Theatrewire; $25

THIS – Kindred Entertainment

Image: Kindred Entertainment

Firstly, you probably didn’t know that House of Cards showrunner Melissa James Gibson is from Vancouver. Secondly, that Gibson penned her own smart and sexy play, THIS, and will by playing to hometown crowds this month. An “un-romantic comedy,” the script focuses on some familiar-sounding themes: midlife, loneliness, and adultery.

  • When: April 28 to May 5
  • When: Studio 16 – 1555 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; $33

The Overcoat – Vancouver Opera Festival

Image: Dahlia Katz

The rags-to-riches tale of a lowly office worker and a beloved garment, The Overcoat and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin are the big acts of this year’s Vancouver Opera Festival. Originally a movement theatre piece, The Overcoat is darkly-funny storytelling with an operatic twist, and is sung completely in English.

  • When: April 29 to May 12
  • Where: The Playhouse – 600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: At Vancouver Opera; $27-$102
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