Alyson Eng

Last week, SEXY LAUNDRY, a play about love and marriage opened at the Granville Island Stage in Vancouver. Presented by the Arts Club and written by local playwright Michele Riml, this contemporary Canadian comedy brought out all of the emotions in the audience ranging from laughter to tears.

This month, I had the pleasure of attending Amber’s concert tour stop in Vancouver, BC and chatting with Amber on behalf of BroadwayWorld. Reflecting on both her recent “No More Sad Songs” tour as well as her career past and present, it was clear that her journey as an artist was about more than just her music.

This week, the touring production of HAIRSPRAY presented by Broadway Across Canada made its stop in Vancouver. Playing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from April 2nd the 7th, the musical made an indelible mark in Vancouver theatre as a truly memorable and energetic show. 

On February 27th, South Korean girl group, H1-KEY debuted their new single, “Deeper.” The song, “Deeper” is a slow rock song with a very modern feeling. The lyrics describe a self-healing journey after a breakup. The song reinforces the theme of never giving up during difficult times and emits a very uplifting sound upon first listen.

Hailing from Japan’s pop music scene, Vicke Blanka is a singer, songwriter, and composer that has captured the hearts of a worldwide fanbase with his music transcending both genre and cultural boundaries and infectious personality that embraces his true self without any limitations.

CHOIR BOY is the latest musical to grace the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage in Vancouver, BC. Presented as a co-production between the Arts Club and the Canadian Stage, this drama/musical will play from January 25th to February 25th.

From February 21st to March 10th, SUNRISE BETTIES, a play inspired by Vancouver’s 1970s street gang crisis will take the stage at Vancouver’s Russian Hall. Putting the spotlight on a part of the city’s history that has been widely forgotten/ unknown is a bold move made by ITSAZOO’s Playwright-in-Residence, Cheyenne Rouleau.

To celebrate the success of the music from the Netflix film, 'A Beautiful Life,' musician CHRISTOPHER embarked on a world tour to bring its music to his fans across the world. The “A Beautiful Live” world tour began last September and will continue its North American leg this year starting in San Diego, CA.

MEAN GIRLS couldn’t have come to Vancouver at a better time. Donning the same iconic story and famous one-liners used in the 2004 cultural touchstone movie, MEAN GIRLS is everything you would expect and more, all wrapped up in a Broadway musical form.

In August, EVERGLOW returned to the K-Pop scene after a 2 year hiatus with a song that maintained their music identity adding to the energy of their predominantly upbeat lead singles. The electronic hip-hop/pop song, “SLAY,” was released on August 18 as the title track of their 4th single album, “ALL MY GIRLS.”

Last week, audiences that attended DISNEY ON ICE: FROZEN & ENCANTO had the opportunity to experience all of that and more. The ice-skating spectacle played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver last week and was a transformative show that captured the hearts of all that attended. 

Beginning in April of this year, Shania Twain began her 5th headlining concert tour. Named the “Queen of Me” tour after her most recent 6th studio album of the same name, this was Shania’s return to the stage after nearly five years.

Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL played its opening night performance on November 14th at The Centre in Vancouver. The musical will be in town until Saturday November 18th playing a total of 5 performances.

This holiday season, ELF: THE MUSICAL has taken centre stage. Presented by the Arts Club from November 2nd to December 31st, the quirky and energetic musical based on the hit 2003 American Christmas comedy movie, Elf, starring Will Ferrell, is guaranteed to amp up the holiday spirit in audiences night after night.

HADESTOWN, the multiple Tony Award winning Broadway musical finally made its way to Vancouver this week. Asserting its dominance amongst the rest of the theatre scene in the city, HADESTOWN presented a tragic, thought-provoking love story that sparked the attention of audiences near and far. 

Disney On Ice’s FROZEN & ENCANTO will grace the ice at PNE’s Pacific Coliseum from November 22nd to 26th. Featuring the stories, characters, and music from both movies, the show is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! 

Amongst the sea of talent in the South Korean entertainment industry nowadays, an artist that has always stood out from the rest is singer, dancer, and actress, Kim Sejeong. Effortlessly winning the hearts of audiences both domestically and internationally, Kim Sejeong has left an indelible mark in every sector she’s been involved in.

This summer definitely belonged to the K-Pop girl group, cignature. On August 29th, 2023, the group released their 4th EP, “Us in the Summer.” With their carefree visuals combined with the catchy, upbeat, and lively melody of their newest title track, “Smooth Sailing,” cignature embraced their youth to the fullest with this comeback.

After their debut in August, the latest subunit from the girl group, tripleS, have created their signature sound, released their debut mini-album, and embarked on their 1st US concert tour. This is an impressive feat as very few newly debuted K-Pop groups are able to accomplish that in such a short amount of time.

A flower shop, a love story, and an anthropomorphic, carnivorous plant … this peculiar, yet intriguing combination from the Arts Club’s latest musical was the perfect recipe for one of the best shows to grace the Vancouver stage this year.