holy mo! a christmas show! | closing night

Tonight we say farewell to the cast and crew of HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! A big thank you to everyone who worked on this production and to all our PT friends who came out to support this new play. Now, grab a glass of eggnog, turn up Laura Branigan's Gloria, and boogie into the New Year!

holy mo! a christmas show! | 3 shows left

You're not too late to join Guff, Boffoona and Follie in their final three performances of HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! We have a show tonight, Friday, December 30th at 8:00 pm and Saturday, December 31st at 2 & 8 pm. Call our box office at 604.731.5518 or go online to pacifictheatre.org to reserve tickets for you and a friend.

holiday subscription packages | december 31st

Great news! We still have a few Holiday Subscription packages left! For $99, you get to see 3 fabulous shows and Pacific Theatre gets a matching donation of $99, until December 31st. You not only receive the gift of theatre, but you also get to give a gift to the theatre! Click here for more information and to order your Holiday Subscription package.   

cascadia | diversity & design conference

Cascade Worship & Arts presents the Diversity & Design Conference February 24-25, 2017 in Seattle, WA. You're invited to join artists, theologians, pastors, and conversation partners as they discuss and export diversity and design. Featuring Makoto Fujimura, Sandra Van Opstal, Zac Hicks, Stephen Newby, and others. Click here to learn more about this amazing opportunity and how you can attend the conference.

holy mo! a christmas show! | more photos

We are in our final week of the world premiere of HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!, by Lucia Frangione. Keep scrolling to see more of our favourite moments from the show!

holy mo! a christmas show! | student & senior tickets

Pssst! Calling all students and seniors. Tonight is the last night to snag a ticket for only $20.00 to HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!. We have a few seats left, so call our box office at 604.731.5518 or go online to pacifictheatre.org to book your tickets.

dec. 26- jan. 7 | an inspector calls | julie lynn mortenson

COMMON GRACE actor Julie Lynn Mortenson will be featured in an upcoming production of AN INSPECTOR CALLS. 

Smoking Gun Collective presents

AN INSPECTOR CALLS 

By: J.B. Priestley

The unsuspecting Birling family is visited by the mysterious Inspector Goole after the apparent suicide of a young girl named Eva Smith.  He arrives just as they are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft, as "perfect a family as the Titanic was an ocean liner." 

Directed by William B. Davis

Featuring John Prowse, Keith Martin Gordey, Sarah Arnold, Julie Lynn Mortenson, Chris Walters, Jordon Navratil and Lesli Brownlee

When: Dec. 26- Jan. 7 at 8:00 PM (no performance Jan. 2); Matinees Dec. 31, Jan. 1 & 7

Where: Jericho Arts Centre

$22-24 tickets available here.

For more information check the Facebook page here.

holy mo! a christmas show! | roundhouse radio interview with ron reed

Artistic Director, Ron Reed sat down with the folks from Roundhouse Radio to discuss about HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!, and what's coming up for Pacific Theatre in the New Year! Grab a hot cup of coffee, cozy up and have a listen to our fabulous friend and fearless leader, Ron Reed as he talks about our beloved theatre! 

Click here to listen!

holy mo! a christmas show! | the faces of buffoona

We're back! We're going to launch the final week of HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! with a collection of all the characters played in the show by Buffoona (aka, Jess Amy Shead). Check out the faces of Follie and Guff. (And don't forget that the box office opens at 4pm for tonight's show!)

merry christmas!

Merry Christmas from the staff and artists of Pacific Theatre! The box office will be CLOSED on Dec 24 and 25, and we will be back at 4pm on Dec 26th. Enjoy your holidays!

holy mo! a christmas show! | added performances

It's almost time for us all to tuck away for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - but we will be back! We have a solid week of performances of HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! following Christmas, from Dec 26-31. It's the perfect time to take the family to a show!

holy mo! a christmas show! | the faces of guff

Continuing our series showcasing the many characters portrayed by our fine actors in HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!, here are the many faces of Guff (aka, Anita Wittenberg).

holy mo! a christmas show! | student and senior night

HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! returns tonight at 8:00 pm. Students and seniors enjoy $20.00 tickets to our Wednesday evening shows. Call our box office at 604.31.5518 to book your tickets. See you tonight!

christmas presence | featured artists | allen desnoyers and rachel button

It's our final night of CHRISTMAS PRESENCE tonight! To celebrate, here are our final two featured artists of the series: Allen Desnoyers and Rachel Button.

Allen Desnoyers

Allen is a co-founder of Pacific Theatre (that's right!) as well as our sister company Rosebud Theatre in Alberta. He now works as a musician/composer/actor/playwright/director/producer for his company Canadiana Musical Theatre Co.

Rachel Button

Rachel is a British singer, Songwriter, fiddle player and vocal coach. She is at the forefront of the British folk music scene and has been privileged to perform at The Royal Albert Hall, The Roundhouse, Kensington Palace and The Great British Folk Festival. Rachel’s music swept her across the atlantic to North America where she now resides in Vancouver and Nashville, T.N.

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holy mo! a christmas show! | the faces of follie

In HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! the three main characters, Follie, Buffoona, and Guff, play a multitude of roles to help tell the Nativity story. Here are some of the faces of Follie (aka, Lucia Frangione) as she plays Follie, Mary, a Row Man, and Herod.

christmas presence | featured artists | carolyn arends

Today's featured CHRISTMAS PRESENCE artist are Carolyn Arends and Spencer Capier. Frequent collaborators and long-time CP performers, we have had the joy of Carolyn's voice and Spencer's strings on our stage for years. Both will be joining us tomorrow (December 20th)!

www.carolyarends.com
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

http://www.spencercapier.com
Facebook | Twitter

christmas presence in the valley | tomorrow!

Tomorrow is our annual trip out to Abbotsford to perform CHRISTMAS PRESENCE IN THE VALLEY in partnership with our friends at Gallery 7 Theatre. Can't wait to see all our Valley subscribers and friends out there!

Christmas Presence in the Valley
Saturday, Dec 17 at 8pm
Tickets available online here or at House of James

Featuring: The Twerks, Jon Ochsendorf, Allen Desnoyers, Brett Ziegler, Rick Colhoun, Ron Reed, and Ken Hildebrandt

holy mo! a christmas show! | interview with playwright lucia frangione

We have a long and wonderful relationship with playwright and actress Lucia Frangione here at PT, and we are so excited to produce another world premiere of her work, HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!. Below is an interview with her about the play.

Where did the idea for Holy Mo first come from? (The original, as well as doing a Christmas version.)

Marie Russell (composer and the original Buffoona) Rene Joshi (designer and original Guff) and I (playwright original Follie) decided to do a Fringe show as our first professional theatre venture, having all attended Rosebud School of the Arts. We thought it would be great fun to do something as epic as Cecil B Demiill's The Ten Commandments on a shoestring budget with three women and no camels or cast of thousands. Turns out, audiences thought it would be great fun too.

As for the new Christmas show, I missed these three fools. I wanted to see what they had to say twenty five years later. I wanted to play Follie again and see what music Marie would come out with now that we have both lived through a lot more life. The childlike innocence of Follie, Buffoona and Guff are a great way in for me to look at the dark underbelly of the nativity story we don't tend to focus on and ask some hard questions about what the proposed saviour does and does not save us from.

What do you love most about the Holy Mo series?

Holy Mo is unabashedly silly and at the same time, it is the most direct examination of my faith. We put God on stage. The writing demands vigorous prayer from me to keep peeling back the layers of what I know and think I know to find the things I never considered before. This was particularly challenging with the nativity: a story I think I know. What's the new angle to consider? Where is the fresh and relevant revelation? Who is Emmanuel today? To get into the headspace of Follie I have to address my own jaded heart and chip it clean of cynicism.

What are you most excited about with writing and/or performing in this show again after many years away from it?

I am very excited about bringing Marie's music to life, it's really gorgeous and profound. I can hardly wait to perform with Anita again: she played Guff in 1996-7. I am also excited to see what Jess brings to Buffoona. She's young and fiercely funny. Kerry van der Griend did a great job of directing my plays Chickens and Cariboo Magi in the past and I know there are some moments that the audience will laugh their guts out. Yes. I am really looking forward to giving people a hearty laugh. Especially those who experience a lot of grief around the holidays. This show is for you.

In one sentence, how would you describe the play?

This play is a mash up of the nativity, Santa Claus and a handful of our modern day narcissists like Putin, Trump and Gwyneth Paltrow. Anyone who believes in Santa Claus will find this play upsetting. Three fools tell the guts and glory side of the nativity story with a flying reindeer and a few ho ho hosannas. I dunno. The play is madness wrapped up under the tree alongside some political ranting and a sprinkle of beauty. I hate trying to explain my play. Seriously. It is laugh until you pee madness. I think. I hope. This is everything I hate and love about Christmas smashed together. Buffoona loves Santa, Guff hates Christmas and Follie is after the guts and glory of the real nativity story. Yeah that's it.

holy mo! a christmas show! | student and senior night

Calling all Students and Seniors! Tonight you get $20.00 tickets for HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!. Grab a friend, or two or three, and warm up with us this evening at 8:00 pm. See you at the theatre!

holy mo! a christmas show! | review photos

HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! returns this evening at 8:00 pm. Check out the review photos below!

christmas presence | featured artist | jon voth

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE returns tonight, December 13th with a show at 8:00 pm. Come join Artist Ron Reed, and many well know artists as they get into the Christmas spirit with poems, stories, and holiday music that will leave you wanting more- don't worry! We have CD's for sale in the lobby so you can take your favourite artists home with you over the holiday season. Today's featured artist is John Voth. John was last seen on the PT stage in RAINMAKER and will be joining us for SIDESHOW in March. 

John grew up in Germany and Australia and has been calling Vancouver home for 12 years. He’s a graduate of TWU, plays the violin and loves Al Pacino movies, especially the old ones.

John has played on the stages at Bard on the Beach, The Arts Club and Pacific Theatre, where he also received the Jessie Richardson Award for best lead actor in his role as Charlie in THE FOREIGNER.

In addition to teaching improv, Shakespeare, acting and leadership communication, John continues to work in Film and TV, and regularly directs his own projects and comedy in his free time.

Follow John on Instagram and Twitter or check out his Facebook page to keep up to date with John.

holy mo! a christmas show! | interview with kerry

Director Kerry van der Griend is no stranger to PT. He has worked on shows such as: THE SPITFIRE GRILL, GRACE, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, as well as CHICKENS and CARIBOO MAGI, written by Lucia Frangione. Read on to hear what Kerry had to say about HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!.

What is your favourite thing about the Holy Mo series of plays?

Holy Mo was the first Lucia play I ever saw, many years ago; and I was smitten. The humour; the slapstick; the irreverence; the silliness; the wit; the frenetic pace.
The language is rich & juicy: poetry, imagery, relationship, philosophy, spirituality, wit. All of this packed into a crazy clown comedy with characters still profoundly grounded in their humanity.

Very honoured to have directed the world premiere of the sequel.

What does Lucia/this play bring to the Christmas story that’s new?

The devel(opment) is in the details. These three clowns give us a bit of back story to the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, but play loose/interpret the Biblical characters for us in creative ways. They truly make the story their own, taking us along for the ride. You will never see a Christmas story like this anywhere else!!

The cultural cross-pollination tweaks our brains into action, and while the eventual destination of the journey is the same—the birth of Jesus—we are opened to the story in a new way.

Lucia’s treatment of the tale reminds us that not all endings are happy, that there is pain and sadness in our world, and that when we get caught up in anything for too long, we need to remember to pay attention to what is really important.


What are you most looking forward to with this production?

Working with these lovely actors and their respective lovely characters.
Each of these actors brings her unique & beautiful gifts to this story-telling adventure. Each character is drawn so differently, with different quirks, wants, needs, hang-ups. Their choices, mishaps, and foibles in the re-telling of the story will drive us to a climax, and then straight back to their humanity.

Throughout the rehearsal process, what was the most challenging aspect to the show?

Weaving so many multi-faceted details tightly enough together in 2-1/2 weeks to achieve frenzy!

holy mo! a christmas show! | frequently asked question

We've had one "frequently asked question" about HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW!, and that is whether this is a remount of the old HOLY MO productions we've put on in the past. The answer? Not at all! HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW! is a brand new play that takes the Nativity story and tells it through the lens of the three travelling performers who stole our hearts in the first HOLY MO ( which told the stories of Moses and King David).

holy mo! a christmas show! | responses

"Lucia Frangione has got to be some kind of genius. ... This Pacific Theatre production is filled with rich, sometimes wondrous, even startling moments." | Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Plays

"Fed up with Christmas commercialism? Don’t like religious reverence either? Then step right up for Holy Mo! A Christmas Show and watch this ragged band of troubadours turn the Nativity story on its head. ... Magic is what the season—and the theatre—is all about, right?" | Kathleen Oliver, The Georgia Straight

"Holy Mo! A Christmas Show! is timeless. It’s a performance of many loosely woven garlands flowing hither and thither that magically arrive together at precisely the right spot. ... This is a performance you’ll want to see – probably twice! The dialogue is clever; the musical score – catchy and entertaining; and high spirited energy makes it all fun." | Marian Wagner, My Vancity

"Loved the show - Planning to see it again soon!" | Jim M., Audience Response

"In playwright Lucia Frangione’s new play, the birth of Jesus is told through the eyes of a traveling theatre troupe. Its trio – Follie, Buffoona and Guff – tell the nativity story with a grab bag of performance styles, some moments of topicality, and a whole lot of fun. ... King Herod as if played by Matthew McConaughey, a swashbuckling and suitably whiskered Magnificat, and even the appearance of Sam and Dean from the television show Supernatural, are only a small number of the anachronisms inside Frangione’s retelling. Add Laura Branigan’s “Gloria”, a nod to Justin Bieber, plus an entire scene built around the Matrix films, and you get the idea that just about anything is possible. So wildly inventive are these anachronisms, there is an almost giddy anticipation that builds from start to finish." | Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents

"A funny and touching story told by three very talented ladies." | Jennifer V., audience response

"The show’s theatricality ranges from madcap to thought-provoking... Holy Mo! A Christmas Show! is deliciously camp." | John Jane, Review Vancouver

"I found myself fully engaged, laughing from deep inside of me. And then, suddenly, there I was at the end, tears streaming down my face. Thank you for a crazy, joyous, poignant telling of an old story." | Denise U., audience response

christmas presence | featured artists | zaac pick and jon ochsendorf

Join us for CHRISTMAS PRESENCE Monday, December 12th at 8pm. Sit back, relax and enjoy this holiday tradition with some of our favourite artists. Monday night will include: The Tourist Company, Zaac Pick, Garth Bowen, Corey Janz, John Voth, Spencer Capier, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun. Our featured artists for today are Zaac Pick and Jon Ochsendorf. Read on to find out more about these two amazing artists.

Zaac Pick

With a reputation for captivating lyrics and haunting melodies, Zaac Pick has been quickly gaining acclaim across the country and beyond. While sharing stages with the likes of Bahamas and The Civil Wars, his songs have been featured on numerous primetime TV dramas. The cinematic folk songs on the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter’s latest release Constellations examine the interconnected people in our lives — as Pick’s unique voice and intimate story-telling sets the stage for a show not to be missed.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | ITUNES | BANDCAMP 

Jon Ochsendorf

Born in the sunny confines of Indonesia, brought to Canada at the tender age of 2, and tossed into the frozen tundra of northern Alberta, I grew more and more enamoured with the guitar and songwriting with every passing day as a way to pass time. First band I played in was with some school friends, doing covers of the Monkees and Beatles, but I always gravitated to singing my own songs. As the seventies rolled around, I was heavily influenced by groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Pure Prairie League, Flying Burrito Brothers as well as the full gamut of the British Invasion. Bruce Cockburn, Bob Dylan, and Mark Knopfler are more recent influences. Eventually, formed a group with some fine musicians, and we were known as Jonny and the Stickmen.

By the early '90's we had recorded 3 albums, two independent and one studio album with Azimuth Records. The Stickmen were: myself, Steve Gibbs (bass, vocals), Tony Chamberlist ( drums, engineer, organizer), Chuck Kenyon (drums, percussion), Jim Bugg (sax, keyboards, vocals), Dixon Zalit ( guitar (first album)), Rick Adams (bass), Glenda Rae (vocals). There were other musicians who played on the albums, but the gigging band was comprised of the aforementioned. The "People of Air" album was recorded on the Azimuth record label, engineered by Paul Kay, produced by Eugene Martynec, and Stephen Hopkins was the executive producer. Things changed as they are wont to do and I set out on my own.

A good friend, Spencer Capier, convinced me to do one more album, and we started the process together eventually teaming up with Rick Colhoun who helped massively to get the project done. The result is the album, " I Can Be Found" and hopefully not my last. I'm married, living in Surrey BC, Canada and if you see someone whiz by you on a black Triumph Bonneville with a Union Jack on the tank and a big grin, it's probably me.

Complete CHRISTMAS PRESENCE artist line up.