55 things to do in Metro Vancouver on Thursday, May 4

Looking for something to do on Thursday? The Straight’s got you covered. Here are 55 events happening in or around Vancouver on Thursday, May 4.

 

CONCERTS

 

Voices for Africa benefit at Temple Sholom features songs from John Gray's musicals, with proceeds to the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

Take part in a barbecue and celebrate with celebrity athletes and local supporters at the Vancouver Art Gallery, with proceeds to the B.C. Children's Hospital.

 

FORUMS

Interactive panel discussion at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden where moderator Hayne Wai invites the audience to share their thoughts on the relationship of heritage conservation, community connection, and urban wellbeing.

Nine doctoral students from the Public Scholars Initiative have five minutes each at Sunny Hill Health Centre to talk about their research on promoting a healthier and more inclusive society.

Diane Rogers discusses the changing ideas and attitudes about housewives and modern home appliances of the 1900s onwards at Coquitlam Public Library's Poirier Branch.

 

COMEDY

American comedian and actor Bryan Callen performs the first of three nights of standup at the Comedy Mix.

Canadian comedian and actor Jeff McEnery performs the first of three nights of standup at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club.

Standup comedy show hosted by Ross Dauk at Little Mountain Gallery.

 

ARTS ETCETERA

Interdisciplinary artists Eric Moschopedis and Mia Rushton share the different ways in which they create community through performance at Richmond City Hall.

Paul Anthony's Talent Time presents a variety show from Jabba the Hutt's palace at the Rio Theatre's Star Wars Show.

 

DANCE

Open rehearsal at Scotiabank Dance Centre for artist-in-residence Wen Wei Wang's new work Dialogue, which investigates communication and the fundamental urge to connect.

La Tarara flamenco dance show at Norman Rothstein Theatre features Spanish dancers Ivan Vargas and Emilio Ochando, Vancouver virtuoso Kasandra “La China”, and an international musical cast directed by Gaspar Rodriguez.

 

LITERARY

Evening of storytelling at Vancouver Public Library explores the themes of multi-ethnic heritage and hybrid identity, featuring poets Fred Wah and Amal Rana, musicians Henry Young and Tarun Nayar, Hapa-palooza Festival co-founder Zarah Martz, and actor and filmmaker Melissa West Morrison.

CBC's Lisa Christiansen talks with comedian, actor, and author Mary Walsh about her debut novel Crying for the Moon at UBC's Frederic Wood Theatre.

Kevin Kokoska reads from his upcoming play Nobody's Boy at Cottage Bistro.

Ruby Swanson reads from her book A Family Outing, which discusses her becoming a public advocate for equality, at Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium.

 

MUSIC

The Vancouver Recital Society presents the Spanish classical pianist Javier Perianes in a program of works by Schubert, Ravel, and De Falla at the Vancouver Playhouse.

The Vancouver Opera Festival presents a performance by the German actor and vocalist Ute Lemper at the Orpheum Theatre.

 

THEATRE

Mom's the Word Collective presents Mom's the Word 3: Next 1/2 Empty at the Granville Island Stage.

Canadian clown duo Mump and Smoot is confronted by a myriad of nightmarish obstacles at the York Theatre. Recommended for ages 14+.

Performance at Performance Works of Robin Hood: Prince of Tease, an original burlesque-style musical-theatre production inspired by the classic folk-tale figure of Robin Hood.

Performance at the Firehall Arts Centre of Circle Game: Reimagining the Music of Joni Mitchell, conceived and directed by Vancouver's Andrew Cohen and Anna Kuman.

Catch the second night of Patrick Barlow's The 39 Steps, which is based on the book by John Buchan. Held at the Kay Meek Centre.

Metro Theatre presents Straight and Narrow, a comedy that explores what happens when a cozy relationship is threatened by personal crisis.

Performance at Roundhouse Community Centre of the original Canadian production Home, which shares a vision of hope from local diverse youth in the search for a healthy home--both within oneself and one’s community.

Théâtre la Seizième presents Napoleon Voyage, the story of a man who relives his many journeys around the world, at Studio 16. In French (with English surtitles on Thursday and Saturday).

Performance at Havana Theatre of Four Dogs and A Bone, director Kirsten Jeannine Gauthier's play about four people who set traps in a desperate attempt to gain control of the film they are all a part of.

First Impressions Theatre presents opening night of On a First Name Basis, Norm Foster's play about a successful but cantankerous novelist who discovers he knows nothing about his maid of 28 years.

 

GALLERIES

Pacific Crossings at the Vancouver Art Gallery features works from well-known Hong Kong artists created after their relocation to Vancouver throughout the 1960-90s.

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl at the Vancouver Art Gallery surveys Point’s entire career through more than a hundred artworks that take the spindle whorl as their starting point.

Retainers of Anarchy at the Vancouver Art Gallery features new work from Howie Tsui that considers wuxia as a narrative tool for dissidence and resistance.

 

MUSEUMS

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature at at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC features Amazonian basketry, textiles, carvings, feather works, and ceramics both of everyday and of ceremonial use, representing indigenous, Maroon, and white settler communities.

Cindy Mochizuki's  multimedia installation Rock, Paper, Scissors at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre invites audiences to experience an immersive trilogy of short stories.

The Lost Fleet at the Vancouver Maritime Museum investigates the unjust 1941 seizure of 1,200 Japanese-Canadian fishing vessels following the bombing of Pearl Harbour through a collection of historic photographs, models of Japanese-Canadian-built fishing boats, fishermen’s tools, and replica documents.

 

ATTRACTIONS

At the Bloedel Conservatory you can take in more than 200 free-flying exotic birds and 500 exotic plants and flowers.

Lighthouse Park features 10 kilometres of hiking trails, picnic areas, guided walks provided by the Lighthouse Park Preservation Society, and the historical 1912 Point Atkinson Lighthouse.

The 22-hectare VanDusen Botanical Garden features over 255,000 plants from around the world, a restaurant, a garden shop, and a horticulture library. 

Edgewater Casino offers 24-hour gaming, over 60 table games, a poker room, a high-limit section, 500 slot machines, restaurants and lounges, and live entertainment, including concerts and televised UFC events.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge features seven suspended footbridges offering views 110 feet above the forest floor.

The Vancouver Aquarium features almost 800 animal species in galleries ranging from Canada's Arctic to the Amazon rainforest.

Grouse Mountain resort features a Skyride to the peak with views of Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean, as well as skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, and mountain ziplines.

Soar from coast-to-coast across the Canadian landscape with a 25-minute ride featuring effects such as wind and scents at FlyOver Canada.

 

MOVIES

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival opens its 2017 edition with a screening at the Vogue Theatre of Marie Clements's documentary musical The Road Forward, a celebration of First Nations history and a portrait of a people who have retained their identity and power through art, activism, and community.

Thunderbird Entertainment presents a screening at the Park Theatre of the documentary I Am Heath Ledger, which takes an intimate look at the life and career of the late actor.

Screening at the Cinematheque of A Scream from Silence, Anne Claire Poirier’s frank, forceful drama about the personal experience and wider political meaning of rape.

Screening at Vancity Theatre of Afterimage, the last feature of the late, great director Andrzej Wajda. In Polish with English subtitles.

The DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs until May 14 at various Vancouver venues, featuring a curated selection of public screenings, panel discussions, public forums, and educational programs.

 

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