Category Archives: Theatre

Photos from 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner

Gung Haggis Fat Choy is always a wonderful event for photographs. Special thanks to our incredible photographers Patrick Tam, Lydia Nagai and VFK.

If you like their photos, please contact them and purchase them. We have asked them to put “water marks” on their photos, so that we will advertise and promote them.

They help us with our event, because they believe in the community work and social consiousness raising that we do.

DSC_3928_103489 - Mayor Gregor Robertson doing the honours by FlungingPictures.

A wonderful job by everybody last night –
Veteran Gung Haggis performers Joe McDonald and Heather pronounced last
night as “The Best Gung Haggis Dinner yet”

And Dr. Leith Davis
(Director of Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University) said it was the best Burns Supper she had ever attended – and she just
spent 2 weeks in Scotland for Homecoming Scotland!

Congratulations
to everybody. The energy was brilliantly contagious and fun. There
were lots of nice surprises in the program, with the Mayor reading a
Burns poem, a treatise on the details of scotch drinking, Parks
Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon singing A Man's A Man For A' That, and
hip hop artist Ndidi Cascade coming up from the audience to rap a verse
of Burns' Address to A Haggis.

But it was the performances by
Silk Road, Joe McDonald, Adrienne Wong, Jan Walls, Tommy Tao, Rita
Wong, Catherine Barr, Heather Pawsey & DJ Timothy Wisdom, Bob
Wilkins & the Gung Haggis Fat Choy pipe band, supplemented by
Alland & Trish McMordie with Don Scobie from Seattle… and an
immortal address by Dr. Leith Davis – that knocked the audience over!

With wonderfully warm co-hosting from Gloria Macarenko and Catherine Barr….

And strong support from stage manager Charlie Cho, and sound technician Carl Schmidt.

Many
Many thanks…. to helping rise funds for Historic Joy Kogawa House,
Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop/Ricepaper Magazine and Gung Haggis Fat
Choy dragon boat team.

We will have some pictures available for you soon.

Thank yous and Blessings to
everybody!
Toddish

Patrick Tam – Flunging Pictures
www.flunging pictures.com

661 – 20090125 – Robbie Burns’… – Patrick Tam photo set.

Lydia Nagai – Lydia Nagai Photography
www.lydianagai.com

Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2009 – Linda Nagai photo set.

VFK Photography

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24064901@N00/sets/72157613036584552/

GHFC 2009 VF3_4664.JPG by vfk Silk Road Music performing in front of life-size photos of Nellie McClung, Mungo Martin, Emily Carr and Todd Wong – courtesy of Royal BC Museum.- photo VFK

Tips To Help You Start Living Healthy In 2022

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Different Healthy Foods

We’re all encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle, but what does that involve and how do we get there? Health doesn’t just entail eating right or exercising. True health incorporates other areas we might not give much thought to, like positivity and self-care. Here, we share with you seven fantastic ways you can get healthy – and stay healthy – in 2022.

1. Follow a Balanced Diet

The saying “everything in moderation” really goes a long way. A healthy diet full of a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, nuts and healthy fats helps to keep our bodies and minds in proper working order. There are foods you’ll want to limit, though. Processed foods might taste great, but they often carry a hefty amount of salt which can trigger high blood pressure and heart disease.

2. Embrace Positivity

Negative people or situations can trigger disordered eating and low moods. Look at the people in your life and the things that take up your time, and if something or someone brings you a lot of negative feelings, it might be a sign you need to cut ties. At the same time, work to let go of negative self-talk. A positive self-regard leads to a more positive lifestyle. Visit https://www.wtkr.com/brand-spotlight/best-weight-loss-pills.

3. Keep Moving

Exercise has been proven to lower the risk of disease, increase bone density, and even help us live longer. But how much is enough? The general recommendation is to engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day.

4. Know Your Stats

Having an idea of your overall health can help you identify areas you might need to improve. A blood test is a simple way of pinpointing any concerns. Your doctor can recommend particular things you might need to monitor or check, like your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

5. Stay Hydrated

Without enough water, our bodies are unable to function normally, remove waste, and transport nutrients and oxygen. Adults need, on average, three litres of water a day. If you lose more water due to exercise, heavy perspiration or frequent urination, you will need to drink more regularly.

6. Talk About It

With mental illnesses like depression on the rise, more people find themselves feeling isolated and alone. Talking to a trusted friend or health professional about how you’re feeling can offer you the help you need to restore positive mental health.

7. Stop Smoking

Smoking is an addictive behaviour that carries no health benefits. Smokers are at greater risk of serious health issues, including lung disease, heart attack and stroke. Your family and friends can also be affected by inhaling second-hand smoke. It’s never too late to quit, and there are many support options available to help you give up smoking.

CBC TV's Gloria Macarenko to co-host Gung Haggis Fat Choy! Where is Clan Macarenko from?

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What Scottish clan is CBC TV News anchor Gloria Macarenko from?

Celebrity Media co-hosts are confirmed!
Gloria Macarenko, CBC TV News anchor “Vancouver at Six”
Catherine Barr, Metro News / Radio 650 AM

Gloria Macarenko from CBC TV's “Vancouver at Six”
Gloria first got to learn about deep-fried haggis won ton when I
brought some down to her newscast, when CBC was promoting the 2004 Gung
Haggis Fat Choy television performance special.

View Clip

I'm really happy that CBC TV news anchor Gloria Macarenko is coming to co-host the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner with myself and Catherine Barr. It turns out that Gloria and Catherine also know each other and are really looking forward to having some fun at the Gung Haggis dinner.

I looked in a tartan clan wesbite and found MacA'chailles, MacAchounich, MacAdam, MacAdie, MacAindra, MacAldonich, MacAlduie, MacAlex, MacAlister, MacAllen, MacAndeoir, MacAndrew, MacAngus, MacAra, MacAree, MacAskill, MacAslan, MacAuselan, and MacAy… but no MacArenko!

What clan is Catherine Barr from? I found there are clans named Barrie and Barron, and of course there is MacNeil of Barra, or the Barra MacNeils. I know that Catherine's family has a family tartan… In fact, it was
her father Robert Barr that introduced me to the Burns Club of
Vancouver about 5 years ago. Last year Cat managed to get 10 kilted men on stage all singing a “Toast to the Lassies” – what will she lead us into this year?

Special musical performers:

Silk Road Music Ensemble:
Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault have become good friends since I first met them on the set of the 2004 CBC television performance special “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.” I really appreciated what they were doing musically, and they really appreciated what I was doing. They have performed at the Gung Haggis dinner in 2004, 2007. Qiu Xia plays virtuoso pipa (Chinese lute) and Andre can play fiery flamenco music – but they also play scottish and french-canadian reels and jigs too! For their 2009 Gung Haggis performance they are adding a Scottish-Canadian percussionist, Liam MacDonald.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drums
Last year, Bob Wilkins approached me with the idea of creating a Gung Haggis Fat Choy pipe band… with lion dancers and chinese drums. Okay… I was hooked. Our paths have crossed in our mutual appreciation of BC Scottish and Chinese pioneer histories, and Bob has a vision of a multicultural pipe band that could also incorporate BC's Chinese cultural history and traditions. Okay… we have the pipers but are still searching for Chinese lion dancers.

Heather Pawsey opera soprano
Heather sings in Mandarin, Cree, Italian, French, German, Spanish and probably Russian and Scottish too! Heather has graced stages with Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony and many other ensemble and chamber groups throughout BC. She always lights up the stage when she comes to Gung Haggis dinners, such as 2004 and 2007. Heather grew up wearing kilts on the Saskatchewan prairies, and she really loves the Gung Haggis concept. In 2008 she was paired with DJ Timothy Wisdom to create something new and exciting. She called me up and said “Todd – I've got something for you and Gung Haggis!”

Timothy Wisdom DJ
I only met Timothy last week, when he came to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy rehearsal dinner on January 11th. He brought with him a dvd of his performance with Heather Pawsey. What was on it? Opera with hip hop beats… Scottish and Chinese musical notes and references… And hopefully Timothy will spin some tunes after the Gung Haggis dinner, so we can party until midnight for a countdown to Chinese New Year! “Best Party Rockin DJ in Vancouver…a sonic genius” – Vancouver Folk Festival “so much exhilaration in his sets…slaying audiences” – E13 Records

Joe McDonald, our “rapping bagpiper”
I first met Joe McDonald when he performed with a South Asian tabla drummer in 2001. I saw the kind of world music sounds they were creating and three weeks later, his music ensemble Brave Waves was performing at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. Joe has performed at every Gung Haggis dinner since, including the Gung Haggis Fat Choy CBC television performance special too! A few years ago, we starting “rapping” the Robbie Burns immortal poem “Address to a Haggis.” We created an MP3 file with Trevor Chan of the No Luck Club… and it is going to be played on BBC Radio Scotland's Robbie Burns radio special on January 25th for Burns' 250th birthday – Woo-hoo!

Adrienne Wong – Neworld Theatre actor/writer for “Mixie and the Half-Breeds“
Adreinne is a long time friend of Gung Haggis Fat Choy. She co-hosted the 2004 dinner, and in 2003 she paddled on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. Growing up with Chinese and French ancestry, heritage and culture, Adrienne knows what it's like to walk in both worlds, as well as in-between. She's written a new theatrical play called “Mixie and the Half-Breeds.” We think it's perfect for a Gung Haggis Fat Choy world… and she's going to give us a sneak preview before the show opens later this year. I saw Adrienne give a stage reading of “My Name is Rachel Corrie” last fall – fantastic!

Special guests include: The Famous Grouse whisky 37 year old blend
Larry Grant, Musqueam Elder
Rita Wong, 2008 BC Book Poetry Prize winner “Forage”
Dr. Leith Davis, SFU Centre for
Scottish Studies
Jan Walls, former SFU Director of International Communications
Tommy
Tao, poet translator
Chuck Lew QC, keeper for the flame for 49 years of Burns Dinners for the Vancouver Chinatown Lions Club.
+ 1 bottle of 37 year old Famous Grouse scotch – one of only 250 made to be featured at Burns Suppers around the world.

Chinese Canadians that inspired me in 2008

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Canadians, for the most part, seek acupuncture as an alternative medicine, one that can enhance Western medicine practices. However, for more than 3,000 years, Chinese medicine has used acupuncture as a primary means of balancing life energy flow, or qi, to improve overall health and wellness. Acupuncture can provide relief from chronic pain and provide a host of other health benefits as well.

Here at Integrated Medical Solutions of Knoxville, our integrated medical team focuses on whole-body health and takes a holistic approach to our patients’ well-being. People of all ages in Knoxville, Tennessee, and nearby communities benefit from our natural approach to back pain, headaches, arthritis, and other common problems.

Increased energy

Do you feel tired all the time, struggling to meet the demands of everyday life? If you often feel tired, acupuncture may be just what you need to restore your energy balance.

In fact, one study investigated the effects of acupuncture treatment on people suffering from chronic fatigue. The researchers found that the group who received acupuncture treatments reported a significant decrease in fatigue compared to the group who didn’t undergo acupuncture. If you feel chronic fatigue make sure to try out meticore.

You don’t have to suffer from chronic fatigue to enjoy increased energy levels, either. Nearly anyone can benefit from having their energy flow optimized through acupuncture.

Decreased blood pressure

According to a recent study, acupuncture was found to be an effective supplementary treatment for people with high blood pressure. Researchers discovered that acupuncture helped significantly lower blood pressure in a group of people taking antihypertensive medication.

This is good news for the nearly 75 million adults in the United States who suffer from high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. While you have many options to help lower your blood pressure, including changing your diet and taking blood pressure medication, acupuncture can enhance and complement your efforts.

Improved digestion

Do you suffer from chronic acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome? Acupuncture may be able to offer natural relief from these and other common digestive issues.

Experts in Chinese medicine assert that digestive issues are the result of an imbalance or disruption in the flow of energy. Acupuncture can help restore both balance and energy flow to relieve digestive problems.

Decreased stress and anxiety

Stress is a common problem for many Americans. Acupuncture can relieve stress and anxiety by stimulating your nervous system to release biochemicals so you feel a sense of calm and well-being. Stress usually leads to chronic back pain, in order to treat most of it visit https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/erase-my-back-pain-reviews-2021-whats-new/Content?oid=34768096.

Acupuncture is also being investigated as an alternative treatment for depression. Researchers say that the insertion of the needle may help restore the flow of neurotransmitters and hormones to lift your mood.

Last weekend to catch flight with Damon Calderwood in Billy Bishop Goes to War

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Actor Damon Calderwood plays Captain Billy Bishop. He shows Todd Wong his model airplane that he “flies” during his energetic performance – photo T. Wong collection

Damon Calderwood is FANTASTIC in his peformance of “Billy Bishop Goes to War”: at the Deep Cove Shaw Theatre.

Moments of applause burst throughout the performance at all the right places.
There have been standing ovations every night, except once “when we turned the houselights up too early,” producer Jack Smith told me.

This is a show you wished you had seen earlier, so you could tell all your friends about.

Billy Bishop is a remarkable piece of written theatre. And Damon
really makes each of the 18 different characters he plays distinct and
real. Playwright John McLachlan Gray attended the opening night performance and said “it's a very clear production,” pleased that Damon really undoubtedly “becomes” each character… instead of merely playing them.

It is a showcase for:
Canadian WW1 history
Canadian theatre
playwright John McLachlan Gray
Damon’s talent

I only met Damon earlier this year, we we played against each other in the Celtic Fest’s “Battle of the Bards”

see my blog article and pictures:
Toddish McWong’s “Robert Burns” wins Battle of the Bards at Celtic Fest
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/3/13/3579503.html

Here are some of Damon's own words he sent to me in an email:

I just wanted to send out a final reminder about Billy Bishop Goes to War (my long-awaited and finally-realized dream role!).

Gordon
Roberts and I have had a wonderful time doing it, and some sellouts
already, but it must come to an end on Sat Nov 22. I've attached a few
pictures from our invited dress rehearsal.

We have four shows
left, and it will likely sell out towards the end, so do phone for
tickets right away if you can (call Eileen at 604-929-9456). As of this
e-mail, we have tickets left for all four shows, so hopefully everyone
that wants to can get a ticket! $18/$15.

The shows are Wed Nov
19, Thur Nov 20, Fri Nov 21, and Sat Nov 22 at 8pm each night. Deep
Cove's Shaw Theatre in North Van. 4360 Gallant Avenue just a few
minutes from the second narrows bridge.

I am so grateful for all
those people who have already come to see the show…in this case, I
truly believe the audience is as much a part of the show as are the
actors, and the great audiences we've had have made each show an
amazing ride for Gordon and I.

Joyfully yours,

Damon

(in the skies as “Billy” for one more week)

Orchid Ensemble shares Ghost stories from around the world with multi-media

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8pm, October 25-26

THE GHOST PROJECT

The Orchid Ensemble is one of Vancouver's most creative musical
collaborators. Over the past few years I have seen them bring their
sensitive musical stylings to projects involving dance, origami and
Chinese-Canadian history. Ghost stories are very much alive in Chinese
culture. I remember watching the moving “A Chinese Ghost Story” in the
mid-1980's, and reading about Chinese ghosts in Paul Yee's books, such Ghost Train or Dead Man's Gold & Other Stories. To compare ghosts stories and after-life stories from around the world sounds like something out of Joseph Campbell's mythology work. Cool….

Check this out:

Music/interactive media/dance
Inspired by a shared curiosity of the after-life in different cultures
Performance Centre, Roundhouse, Vancouver, BC

watch a video preview at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Dqf0TqRhs

A partnership with the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre
Tickets are $18 regular, $15 students/children/seniors
Tickets: http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/EventListings.action?orgId=27152
toll free number 1-888-222-6608
or at the door from 7pm on the days of the shows

Collaborators:
Aleksandra Dulic -animation/media arts/scenography
Kenneth Newby – media arts/ multi-instruments
Sutrisno Hartana – Javanese dancer/multi-instruments

The JUNO nominated Orchid Ensemble’s 2008 production “Ghost Project”
will transform the Roundhouse into a world where mystical creatures and
spirits from Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Europe and Canada roam across
the stage. Inspired by a shared curiosity of the after-life in
different cultures, the artists search for a common ground through the
practices of music, mask dance, media arts, shadow puppets, and
scenographic installations.

Guest performers:
Madrigal Singers of Vancouver Community College,
directed by Gerald van Wyck and conducted by Jin Zhang;
Kaori Otake – harp

Composers –Sutrisno Hartana, Kenneth Newby, Farshid Samandari, Barry Truax, Lan Tung, Jin Zhang, Ya-wen V. Wang.
Lighting designer – Kim Plough
Producer – Lan Tung

“150 Years in Golden Mountain” – Gala dinner and awards in Victoria on August 8/08

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August 3-10 is Chinese Canadian Heritage Days, in honour of 150 years of Chinese Canadian achievements – throughout many municipalities on Vancouver Island.

http://www.150goldenmountain.ca/EN/main/18.html

Victoria Chinese Commerce Association is hosting two events Friday August 8, and Saturday August 9th to celebrate 150 years of
achievement of Chinese Canadians in Canada. August 8th is a gala dinner and awards event celebrating the achievements of individuals and organizations. August 9th is a theatrical “pageant” celebrating 150 years of historical events.

Victoria, British Columbia,
(which the Chinese call 'Dai Fau' or Big Port) is where the early
Chinese created the first Chinatown. Historically, Chinatowns were the
focal points of the early Chinese communities, each being a “haven” and
a base from which new immigrants could begin their new lives.

My grandmother's granfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan arrived in Victoria in 1896, following his elder brother Rev. Chan Sing Kai, who had come to Canada in 1888 at the invitation of the Methodist Church of Canada, to help found the Chinese Methodist Church of Canada. Many of Canada's pioneer Chinese all came through Victoria, as they traveled to Nanaimo, Vancouver, New Westminster, Barkerville, and throughout Canada to mine the Caribou goldfields, build the railway, or find other work.

The awards nominees represent some of the best, brightest and most creative Chinese Canadians ever. They are:

ANA vets
Pacific Unit #280, Philip Chan, Chinese Canadian Veterans, Denise
Chong, Wayson Choy, CHMB AM 1320, Hon. Ida Chong, Derek Chow, John
Chew, Adrienne Clarkson, Mel Cooper, Won Alexander Cumyow, Fairchild
Group, Chow Dong Hoy, Shouying (Sue) Jiang, Douglas Jung, Lee Mong Kow
Family, Larry Kwong, Hon. Norman Kwong,
Cynthia Lam, Dr. David Lai,
Dr. David Lam, Dorothy
Lam, Howe Lee, Jack Lee, Dr. Hua Lin, Dr. Victor Ling, Ronald Lou-Poy,
Q.C., Frank Low, Alan Lowe, Alexina Louie, H.Y. Louie Company Limited,
Hok Yat Louie, Tong Louie & Brandt Louie, H.Y. Louie Company Ltd
& London Drugs, Willis Louie, Sgt. Roy Quock Quon Mah,
Tak Wah Mak, Gary Mar, Hon. Inky Mark, Fairway Market, Wayne Ngan, Senator Vivienne Poy, Gordon Quan, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, James Sing,
Rev. Chan Yu Tan, Jack Tang, Victoria
Chinese Presbyterian Church, Victoria Chinese Public School, Milton
Wong, Sheung Wong, Dr. Yuen-Fong Woon, Don Yuen, & Jim Yu.

I am attending as a descendant of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who was earlier announced as a Community Achievement winner. My grandmother's brother – Daniel Lee is representing Army/Navy/Airforce veterans Unit #280. My grandmother's cousin Victor Wong is representing Chinese Canadian Veterans of Victoria.

Today I talked with Amanda Mills, co-chair for the event. Amanda said that she is really pleased that everything is unfolding for a grand event that will be very special.

She told me that some of the “celebrity” Chinese Canadians attending on Saturday include: Hon. Norman Kwong, now the Lt. Gov. of Alberta – the famous “China Clipper” Edmonton Eskimos football player who not only won the Grey Cup, but also the Stanley Cup as an owner of the Calgary Flames.

Sen. Vivienne Poy, the patron senator of Asian Heritage Month in Canada is attending, from her home in Ontario.

MLA Ida Chong will be representing the BC Govermnent. Ida was also recently invited to “The Party” at the Royal BC Museum. She is the first Canadian-born BC MLA of Chinese ancestry.

MLA Jenny Kwan is also attending. Jenny was the first Chinese-Canadian MLA and cabinet minister. MLA Carole James, leader of the Opposition, is also attending.

It's going to be a star-studded night in Chinese-Canadian history.

Hmmm…. Should I go as Todd Wong, great-great-grandson of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, or as Toddish McWong and wear my kilt?

Amanda says she is looking forward to finally meeting me, after many phone and e-mail conversations. She is hoping I will wear my kilt.

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre presents Sketch on 2 at Powell St. Festival featuring SFUU MAN CHU and The Yangtzers.

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Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre presents Sketch on 2 at Powell St. Festival featuring SFUU MAN CHU and The Yangtzers.

Here is something new happening at Powell St. Festival:

SFUU MAN CHU and The Yangtzers
SKETCH ON 2!
THE POWELL STREET FESTIVAL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2008 @ 8:30PM
AT THE FIREHALL ARTS CENTRE, 280 E. Cordova Street

**ALL NEW SKETCHES HIGHLIGHTING JAPANESE CANADIAN HERITAGE**

**with dancers from studioone and Host Tom Chin**

Tickets:
$5 for students/seniors, $10 in advance plus service charges
$12 cash at the door, plus $1 Firehall Improvement Fee
Tickets may be purchased online here

Seating is limited for this one-time only SKETCH COMEDY show!

[Visit www.vact.ca for more information]

Odd Couple – Friendship with an Asian style twist on the Neil Simon play

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Oscar Madison and Felix Unger come alive on stage at the Richmond Cultural Centre – but in Asian bodies?

The Odd Couple
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Directed by Raugi Yu
Produced by Joyce Lam

July 17-27, 2008
Richmond cultural Centre, Richmond

August 13-21, 2008
Roundhouse Performance Centre, Vancouver

I swear I could hear the voices and body actions of the famous and acclaimed actors Tony Randall or Jack Lemmon as Felix, or Jack Klugman or Walter Matthau as Oscar in the well-loved play or tv show. But holy cow, they are in Asian bodies on stage!

“The script and the writing is very strong,” says director Raugi Yu, when I asked him if he or the actors had studied the movie or videos of the play or TV show. “The actors are wonderful in it…. at one point I asked them if they wanted to go with accents, and they really got into it. It just flowed.”

Five Asian men and one Caucasian man speak in New York accents, playing a Neil Simon play for a Vancouver audience. Felix is played as a new immigrant to North America and represents more traditional Asian traditions vs Oscar the multi-generational North American born Asian who is more North American and consequently the slob.

It's a bold vision put forward by producer Joyce Lam, who actually
called Neil Simon's lawyers to ask if they could translate the classic
play into Chinese language for sur-titles and change some of the words
to fit the transposed Asian immigrant theme.

“They didn't care that we were translating it, but they wouldn't let us
change the words.” said Lam who is very proud of this production.

They boys meet regularly for their poker game, and it is in this setting that the drama unfolds. Heck, it could be almost be mah jong… but then they would have too many for a foursome. As each character walks on stage, a different type of Asian music announces their arrival. Traditional Chinese for Felix, Japanese pop for Oscar. Bad Asian karaoke for another character. Rock 'n' Roll for the White guy. It's a different twist, but it helps to add character layers and remind the audience that a very different “Odd Couple” is being presented.

The acting is solid by Ron Yamauchi as Oscar, and Jimmy Yi as Felix. These actors have the skills to perform the characters, but Asian actors never get to play such roles because traditionally they are not cast for traditionally “white” characters. But if you live in North America, most of the roles become supporting characters or stereotyped cliches of Asians. Bravo to Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for purposely taking a classica Broadway play and re-visioning it for a potentially large pan-Asian audience in Metro-Vancouver.

Carmine Bernhardt and Lissa Neptuno play the sexy English neighbors upstairs, named Gwendolyn and Cecily Pigeon. These two characters help create tension between Oscar and Felix and highlight the different attitudes not only between traditional and multi-generational values towards dating, but also between marriage and divorce. Bernhardt and Neptuno bring a vital energy to their performances with their flirtations and silly giggles. They act coy and suggestively in a way that no man could resist. You almost wish you could be on stage with them, with the attention they pay to Oscar and Felix.

Bravo to Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre for pushing the racial boundaries of Vancouver theatre once again. With limited resources, VACT is saying “Why can't we do this?” and turning colour blind casting and perceptions on it's head.

I look forward to VACT's future presentation of Rogers & Hammerstein's musical set in San Francisco's Chinatown, “Flower Drum Song”, which broke down racial stereotypes about Asians while reinforcing others.

Check out the latest trailer for The Odd Couple on YouTube, filmed during rehearsals for the upcoming Richmond production.

Gung HAGGIS Fat Choy

Toddish McWong's Misadventures in Multiculturalism: through arts, culture, food, dragon boats, travel + more…

Category Archives: Theatre

Tips To Help You Start Living Healthy In 2022

1. Follow a Balanced Diet

2. Embrace Positivity

3. Keep Moving