THE CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL To Return This March
Artists will once again share their work and grace the stages of the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
The Chutzpah! Festival returns with a special spring edition of its signature festival, offering a vibrant lineup of performances this March 19-23 , presenting music, theatre, comedy, dance, and family entertainment showcasing exciting International Artists through a multicultural Jewish lens.
For twenty-five years the Chutzpah! Festival has been an eagerly anticipated and annual highlight of Greater Vancouver's arts season, and with this new format, audiences are invited to enjoy festival programming throughout the year. Artists will once again share their work and grace the stages of the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, our festival hub at the JCC, as well as the Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets are available online on February 4, 2025 at www.chutzpahfestival.com or by phone at 604.257.5145.
The Chutzpah! Plus Spring Edition will include concerts ranging from middle eastern world music to family entertainment, innovative dance work, theatre, and hilarious comedy. In addition, there will be workshops, stimulating conversations, and opportunities to interact with creative artists.
Chutzpah! Plus will present artists from Canada, Israel, Spain, and the United States.
“The Chutzpah! Festival is delighted to launch our new format,” says Jessica Mann Gutteridge, Artistic Managing Director. “It has been a goal of the festival to bring our mix of diverse, global professional programming to the community throughout the year, and the new Spring Edition is sure to offer something for everyone.”
Announced today, the Chutzpah! Festival is pleased to present the following lineup:
THEATRE
Iris Bahr (USA/Israel)
Stories From the Brink: My Festive Near-Death Adventures
March 19 at 7pm
Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
One woman's true tales of near death, unfiltered and in snackable form. Including, but not limited to: war zones, elder caregiving, a white water disaster, incompetent Scottish physicians, and a childhood in the Bronx that involved a Yeshiva by day and bacon and the Guggenheim by night.
From award-winning performer and Chutzpah! Festival favourite Iris Bahr ( Curb your Enthusiasm, Hacks, Friends, DAI (enough)) comes Stories From the Brink, a wild, touching and hilariously poignant journey through Ms. Bahr's near death
adventures, from her fragmented childhood in the Bronx to her time in Israel, Asia, South America and back to Tel Aviv,
now taking care of her mother with dementia and where on October 7th things come full circle. It is a true tale of
adventure, escape, thrills and terrors and evolution through perpetual movement.
As always, Bahr masterfully combines humour, pathos and storytelling to take the audience on a journey that is funny, heartbreaking and life-affirming all at once.
COMEDY
Talia Reese (USA)
March 20 at 7pm
Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Talia Reese is an accomplished stand-up comedian who regularly performs at New York City's most famous comedy clubs and events throughout the U.S. and Canada. Voted the funniest in her high school class in Great Neck, New York, Talia took a break to become a bankruptcy lawyer so everyone would shut up already. Then one day, at a country club of all places, she watched a comedian perform and saw her future. Since then, she has been bringing her unique point of view on Jewish life as the wife of a “really frum guy”, the state of education, being a Long Island mom, and many other topics. Talia's comedy has been celebrated by a range of audiences from late-night singles to Hasidic women in Monsey, NY.
Last seen on the Chutzpah! stage in 2022 as a special guest with Joel Chasnoff, Talia returns by popular demand to headline this festive lineup.
DANCE
Universus
Dance Double-Bill by Belle Spirale Dance Projects & Fernando Hernando Magadan (Canada/Spain)
March 21 & 22 at 8pm
Vancouver Playhouse
New Constellations of Creation
Chutzpah! is proud to be the Creation and Presenting Partner for the World Premiere of two new dance works from resident artists Belle Spirale Dance Projects.
Worlds are born and worlds collide in this double-bill of new work. Internationally celebrated choreographer Fernando Hernando Magadan and Belle Spirale Directors Alexis Fletcher & Sylvain Senez reach for questions of cosmic significance: is connection to earth achievable on a chaotically changing planet? Will human resilience be enough for our uncertain future? Brought to life by a company of eight powerful dancers, choreography, spoken word, and technical design interweave on an adventurous, interdisciplinary journey into purpose, creation, and our place among the stars.
Universus is presented in partnership with VIDF (Vancouver International Dance Festival) and New Works Dance .
MUSIC
Yamma Ensemble (Israel)
March 21 at 10am (Intergenerational matinee for students and seniors)
March 22 at 7pm
Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
“Yamma” means “toward the sea” in Hebrew. In Arabic it means “mother.” Since 2010, the five members of the Yamma Ensemble have made their mark sharing Hebrew and Jewish music with international audiences. With influences including ancient traditions, tribal singing, sacred and secular Jewish chants, the ensemble brings virtuosic Middle Eastern and world instrumentation on unique instruments such as the dudek, ney, shofar, bansuri, didgeridoo, fujara, kopuz, and oud.
Yamma Ensemble will also present an intergenerational matinee performance on March 21st at 10am geared to school and senior's groups. A workshop exploring Middle Eastern instruments and rhythms will be available following the performance.
Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Ronald S Roadburg Foundation.
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
City Birds (USA/Israel)
March 23 at 11am
Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
What happens when two rocking women, each with 20 years of music writing and touring under their belt get together to create a children's duo?
City Birds is a new project in the tradition of Americana by Tamar Eisenman and Sagit Shir, two prominent musicians each in their own right, coming together to create a collection of songs which bring families together and celebrates childhood through songs that reflect inclusivity and love. The duo weaves a musical tapestry that captivates the imagination of the youngest ones while also resonating with the hearts of parents and siblings. Their work is a celebration of families and about telling stories where children find comfort, joy and inclusion.
Tamar Eisenman is an Emmy-nominated musician, known for her energetic guitar riffs and versatile "Hip-Rock" style that blends rock, folk, vulnerability, and ruggedness. Currently based in NYC, she is touring with City Birds, SEI, a multi-guitar performance show created with Kaki King, and has released her latest album, Rain & Dirt, which showcases a multicultural musical experience. Tamar lives with her partner Natalie and their daughter Lev.
Sagit Shir is the co-founder of the indie rock duo Hank & Cupcakes, gaining recognition from major outlets like MTV, New York Post, Vogue and Rolling Stone. Signed to BMG, she toured extensively while welcoming her two daughters and now dedicates her talents to teaching music and songwriting, specializing in early childhood music education. Sagit lives with her partner Ariel and their daughters Sasha & Maya.
For more information on the Chutzpah! Plus Spring Edition, please visit the following platforms:
About Chutzpah! Festival:
The Chutzpah! Festival - The Lisa Nemetz Festival of International Jewish Performing Arts is the Lower Mainland's music, dance, comedy, theatre, and film festival presenting international, national, and local artists. The Chutzpah! Festival delivers audiences work that is forward-looking, multi-layered, and entertaining. The Chutzpah! Plus Spring Edition running from March 19-23, welcomes performers from across the globe, including Canada, Israel, Spain, and the United States. www.chutzpahfestival.com
Single tickets for most of Chutzpah!'s live performances are $34 (students/seniors) & $40 (adults) (+ gst/sc). Youth tickets for family events are $18. Group rates are available for all regular programming as well as school group rates for family programming. All tickets can be purchased online on February 4, 2025 at chutzpahfestival.com or by phone at 604-257-5145.
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