Just as theatre company Mirvish Productions was announcing its upcoming schedule, so too was another of the city’s performing arts institutions, the National Ballet of Canada, presenting its own highly anticipated 2012/13 programming—a selection that promises to thrill and inspire with its diverse mix of celebrated classics and groundbreaking new works. The fall season opens [...]

“Fun, Fat & Full of Facts.” That’s how author Chuck Davis described The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver (Harbour Publishing, $49.95), which the beloved journalist and broadcaster spent more than two decades writing, right up until his death in 2010. Other writers, historians and friends then came together to finish the mammoth, almost-600-page volume, [...]

By Caitlin Dawson Cure those winter blues with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. The 19-day fest mounts more than 100 groundbreaking performances in theatre, dance, music and the visual arts showcasing local and international talent to more than 2,000 theatre-goers. There is something on the billing to suit most tastes, whether you’re interested in [...]

Tennis Canada takes on France in the Davis Cup, at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (Feb. 10 to 12). Soccer Goooaaalll! That’s what the eight teams are shooting for in CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Soccer, at BC Place Stadium (Jan. 19 to 29). Basketball An evening watching the Harlem Globetrotters perform? It’s a slam dunk, [...]

Revel in the energy and excitement at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, where there’s more to do than gamble (although there’s plenty of that, too!). In February, take in one of the shows that are on the bill (ABBA Memories, Dance into the Light, or The British Invasion: Beatles Story). Enjoy dinner at the gourmet Le [...]

Could duct tape fix a plane that has been mauled by a bear? If a car is dangling precariously over a cliff’s edge, could the force of a pigeon landing on its roof send it plunging down the cliff? These are the types of questions that Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage have tackled in nine [...]

Sub-zero spectacles, chic food and fashion, and architecturally wondrous spaces—the city’s winter festivals promise something cool for everyone. By Leanne Stone Winter in Edmonton… It can be an unforgiving season, easily evoking images of holing up indoors, safely tucked away from short frostbitten days, long dark nights, relentless snowfall, and freezing wind chills that can [...]

Now celebrating its fifth anniversary, the Next Stage Theatre Festival rounds up the best that the North American fringe circuit has to offer—all at one venue, the venerable Factory Theatre. New this year is the Ante-Chamber Stage, a forum for debuting short works and showcasing old favourites. Take in the finest edgy, indie productions, and [...]

Vancouverites know the cure for a New Year’s Eve hangover is an icy dip in English Bay on New Year’s Day. A handful of hardy locals first took the plunge in 1920, and that number keeps growing, now topping 2,200 despite ocean temperatures as low as 3°C (38°F). Most of the swimmers show up in [...]

Rap Royalty With over 65 million albums sold worldwide and 27 Grammy Awards between them, there’s no doubt hip-hop heavyweights Jay-Z and Kanye West are successful solo artists. So you can imagine that when these two rappers collaborated for their album Watch The Throne, it was a sure bet. The duo’s smart rhymes, unconventional samples [...]