Chutzpah! performing arts festival returns to Vancouver this month

The Chutzpah! Festival is returning to Vancouver this month for a week of critically acclaimed comedy, music, theatre, and dance.

For the first time in its 20-year history, the festival will be presented online in addition to live performances.

Running from November 21 to 28, the 2020 Chutzpah! Festival will see artists from around the world, including the UK, Israel, and the US, present their works to the people of Vancouver through a lens of Jewish experiences, stories, and values.

This year’s lineup will include concerts, comedy, new dance works, and previews of theatre works-in-progress, each paired with stimulating conversations and opportunities to interact with creative artists.

Ben Caplan via Chutzpah! Festival

Safety protocols will be in place at all live performances, and attendees can also choose to view performances online through simulcasts.

Jessica Mann Gutteridge, the festival’s Artistic Managing Director, believes that connecting despite the distance between us is critical to our health and well-being.

The festival will be hosted by Iris Bahr, an award-winning writer, actor, director, and producer. Opening night will feature a performance by singer-songwriter Ben Caplan, who combines timeless melodies with a contemporary folk-rock twist.

The El-Salomons via Chutzpah! Festival

The shows that follow will deliver work that is forward-looking, multi-layered, and entertaining, according to the release, and will foster artistic dialogue and collaboration between Jewish and non-Jewish artists and communities.

The festival’s grand finale will be a comedy show by married duo the El-Salomons and will feature local comics.

“As a festival devoted to the excitement of live performing arts, the global pandemic has presented us with new challenges in how we come together to share artistic experiences,” said Mann Gutteridge.

“COVID-19 has upended our usual ways of bringing work to our audiences, but the performing arts remain as vital as ever – perhaps even more so.”

The Chutzpah! Festival

Where: Online, with select shows at the Norman Rothstein Theatre, 950 West 41st Ave, Vancouver
Tickets: $18-$32 for live stream, $54 for in-person shows. Available online or by phone at 604-257-5145
When: November 21 to 28, 2020