The marvelous cast of the Arts Club production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" - photo courtesy of Arts Club

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Arts Club Vancouver
extended until August 25th.

I first became interested in spelling bees after my 2nd cousin Tracey won the inaugural Canspell regional spelling bee in the Vancouver region.  At the young age of 14, she then went off to the Scripps National Bee in Washington DC, and the Canspell National in Ottawa where she placed in the top 5.  I diligently followed the emails that her mother sent the family. Next I watched the movie Akeelah and the Bee, about a young child becoming involved in a spelling Bee, and being trained by Laurence Fishburne's character of Dr. Larabee.  Richard Gere also starred in the movie Bee Season.

This play captures all the silly ideas of the importance of spelling bees as well as the serious undercurrents of perfectionism and high expectations placed on the young competitors of these contests.  This is afterall a musical.  And musicals are meant to be fun and light.  And this musical delivers on all accounts... except I don't know if I can hum any of the tunes... but I was humming something when I walked out of the theatre.

The Arts Club has put a real effort into this production.  I remember earlier in May, when Arts Club manager Howard Jang told me that this was going to be very enjoyable.  He's right.  You step into the theatre, and the set design accurately represents a high school gymnasium, right down to the lockers outside in the hall.  You are indeed transported into a world of nostalgia as the musical begins with event host Rona Lisa Peretti entering the gym to set up.  There is a flashback to when she is a little girl and she won the third annual spelling bee by correctly spelling syzygy.  It brings a certain emotional induction to the theatre play, as I recalled watching the CBC documentary Generation: The Chan Legacy, that showed tv film footage of my young cousin Tracey spelling her word at the Canspell contest.

There are five contestants that are supplemented by four "contestants" chosen from the audience.  This adds to a wonderful spontaneity for the play, as each night will be different with the audience members chosen. 

This play is also a wonderful fit for multicultural Vancouver.  Two of the characters are Asian.  Chip Tolentino is a boy scout having issues with puberty.  This returning champion of last year's contest is played by Vincent Tong.  Marcy Park is an over-achieving recent transplant that sings "I Speak Six Languages" and played by Rosie Simon.

This is a fun play and perfect for a summer evening of fun.  25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has been extended until August 25th.

More soon.....

Happy Canada Day!

I am listening to the cd music of 15 year old half-Chinese/half-Scottish 100% Canadian fiddle player Jocelyn Pettit.  Perfect for the recognition of Pioneer Chinese and Scots who helped to build British Columbia.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jocelyn and her mother Siew, at the BC Highland Games last Saturday. 

I had written:


Her father replied:

 

VACT's Etch-YOUR-Sketch-OFF presents new teams for new Asian-Canadian sketch comedies!

special to www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

by Michael Brophy

Thursday night I attended an event put on by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theater which is organized by Joyce Lam. She is the original creator and producer of the Etch-YOUR-SketchOFF comedy show who has recently been honored with the BC Community Achievement Award for her work in shaping our provinces theatrical community.

Host of the show, Tom Chin, related his witty observations on the lifestyles of the stereotypical aspiring Asian lawyer, dentist, or doctor and disclosed "what happens to Asians that don't make it to med school". With a piercing "Aiyya!" Tom introduced the first group SFUU MAN CHU which promised the most value for ones dollar during these hard economic times by presenting "one sketch for every dollar spent".

Banana Drama, winner of this years People Choys Awards, began with a sketch bringing light to our North American dependence on all things made in China by stripping a young man of all his Chinese made clothing until left wearing only a skimpy man-kini -- more male nudity ensued as a comedic theme of the night.

New teams to the sketch-off scene include Beef Noodle Soup, a two man group that presented bi-curious characters wanking to an image of Gordon Campbell, had the audience cringing with muffled laughter. Asians Bleed Red, also a new addition to the theater, did a well choreographed dance to the tune of "Domo Arrigato, Mr. Robato".

One of my personal favorite groups this year and a 2008 recipient of the Rice Bowl Prize had Simon Yang of The Yangtzers performing a contemporary dance with a hoover vacuum revealing the eroticism between one man and his servile machine. Other gut-busting notables Angry Asian Men and Laughing Make Mind Damage helped make it clear that Asian North Americans have come a long way in comedy from the likes of William Hungs short lived career as an entertainer. 

My night with the V.A.C.T. crew was capped with an after-party that took place at Earls in Yaletown which had members of the audience and actors in the sketch-off socializing well past midnight. I would highly recommend attending if you haven't in the past years. This annual event is always brimming with a culturally diverse humor that resonates the funny bone with gratuitous displays of raunchy buffoonery.

Ali & Ali 7 Return to the stage for another outrageous skewering of Canadian Multiculturalism

WORLD PREMIERE of Ali & Ali
Created and performed by Camyar Chai, Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef
Co-starring Laara Sadiq and Raugi Yu
Directed by Guillermo Verdecchia

at the Cultch’s Historic Theatre
Apr 14–24
Tickets for Cultch Performances available at 604-251-1363 or https://tickets.thecultch.com/

at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts’ Studio Theatre
April 28 - May 1
Tickets for Shadbolt performances at 604-205-3000 or boxoffice@burnaby.ca

Ali & Ali are to Canadian multiculturalism what Wayne & Shuster are to Canadian culture.  They poke fun at ourselves, to help us laugh at the absurdity of our history and culture.

But in today's world, Wayne & Shuster, comedy kings of the 1960's and 1970's, have given way to Kids from the Hall, and Russell Peters.  Canadian culture is no longer white and red, our cultural diversity includes black and yellow and pink and especially brown.  Canadians also come from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Azerbaijian.  Wayne & Shuster used to make fun of foreign accents.  Camyar Chai and Marcus Youssef as brown immigrant refugees from the fictional country of Agraba, take ethnic jokes to a whole different level - but with some very serious political commentary.

This was my first time at Ali & Ali. I really enjoyed reading the published play Ali & Ali and the Axes of Evil.  I couldn't stop laughing at some of the bits about Asian Heritage Month, and the Scottish stage manager.  For the 2010 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, I had invited Marcus Youssef to read/perform an excerpt with comedian Charles Demers.  So I wasn't going to miss them.

The show opens with a montage of  current world leaders from Libya, USA, and Canada.  It's a tribute rap to Moammar Gadhafi.  Wow... we are definitely in a different cultural perspective here.  The play is interactive with the audience, asking questions, getting responses.  Surprise!  They are spoofing and utilizing experimental theatre audience participation as well as Bertolt Brecht's agitprop theatre.

Ali & Ali are presenting a show to the audience.  They introduce their assistant as Yogi Ru, in actuality Vancouver actor Raugi Yu.  Raugi is the straight man to this zany duo, even dressing up as Obama's Portuguese Water Dog. 

Along the way, an ethnic South Asian RCMP officer (Laara Sadiq) appears, to charge Ali & Ali with illegal immigration to Canada.  A kangaroo court (or would it be a "moose court" in Canada?) ensues and Ali & Ali must defend and explain themselves. This is where the character of Raugi steps up as an interpreter to explain the actions of Ali & Ali to the RCMP officer.  But true to Ali & Ali interpretation and misinterpretion, as Canadian sacred institutions such as the RCMP are poked with scenarios including tasers and cultural sensitivity training. Broad outrageous humour got loud laffs from the audience - especially the puppet show!

Ali & Ali poke some fun at Barak Obama's New World Order. The puppet show took on a weird outrageous vibe, as talking heads of Afro-American movement cultural icons, criticize Obama policies in the White House.  It would have been nice if they had been able to identify who their "Jiminy Cricket" conscience guides were, as many audience members are probably not versed in Afro-American revolutionaries such as Malcolm X and Angela Davis.  

Some serious topics are addressed such as prison detention & torture, illegal immigration and deportation.  This show uses the slap stick humour to set up and explain the underlying social commentary.  How does a normal human being cope with being detained in prison on unspecific charges?  The balance between the serious and absurdist swings back and forth, eliciting emotional reactions from the audience.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  There are many in-jokes, dependent upon the audience's knowledge of many things.  It is like a television channel-flipping barrage of issues.  But the play succeeds in informing the audience about our country's detention of prisoners, and it creating new cultural perspectives of multiculturalism.  Sometimes, how you see the world really does depend on what colour your eyes are.

Definitely not for everybody - but neither was Monty Python or Wayne & Shuster.


Check out the Neworld website:
http://www.neworldtheatre.com/productions-ali-and-ali-7.html

The Japanese Canadian National Museum
Koto Concert - Chikako Kanehisa, a benefit concert for the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre
Sunday, July 26, 2009, 3pm

Review by Devon Cooke
- for www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

Theatre Under the Stars at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park

July 15 to Aug. 22

Tickets $32 to $39,

www.tuts.ca

Falling in love is one of the most wonderful things in life.  There's lots of "falling in love" in the Thoroughly Modern Millie production by Theatre Under the Stars.  This makes it a wonderful choice to see with a date.

Diana Kaarina is wonderful as the title character Millie Dumount, who hops off a bus from Kansas and makes her way in New York City.  Set in 1922, Millie decides to find a rich husband, by seducing her boss.  Trouble is, first she has to get a job, and a place to live.. 

Millie settles in at the Hotel Priscilla, a place for young women.  It's on the wrong side of 42nd St., and run by the very strange Mrs. Meers - who may be Chinese or not.  Millie has a series of adventures that include getting a job as a stenographer, going to a speakeasy during prohibition, getting arrested, and going to a fabulous party in the penthouse suite of socialite Muzzy van Hossmere.

Everything about this musical is campy, and over the top.  The music is a pastiche of well-known melodies from other productions.  The plot contains misplaced identities, misunderstood intentions, star-crossed lovers, and a kidnapping.  But the wonderful dancing and singing numbers make you forget that everything seems cliched.  Indeed, Thoroughly Modern Millie is designed to pay homage to old musicals, with tongue-in-cheek fun.

Diana Kaarina brings a lot of experience to this production.  She created the role of Miss Dorothy Brown (Millie's BFF) for the First National tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003).  Kaarina brings lots of Broadway experience, having been the closing Eponine in Les Miserables (2003) and also playing roles in Rent and The Phantom of the Opera.

Kaarina brings a touching humaness to the character of Millie.  She isn't just the talk-talking gold digger who wants to marry her boss, but she also cares for her friends and is willing to make sacrifices.

All the lead roles are played well.  Meaghan Anderssen plays the ditzy Miss Dorothy Brown with great comic aplomb, which she did so very well in last year's TUTS production of Annie Get Your Gun.

Danny Balkwill plays Jimmy Smith, the poor but dashing young son of a gardener.  Audience members might recognize him as one of the competitors in Canadian Idol. 

Seth Drabinsky plays Trevor Graydon, the boss that Millie wants to marry.  Drabinsky excells in elocution, as he sings "The Speed Test" which is a Gilbert & Sullivan parody, complete with Busby Berkeley styled dancing.  Wow!

I didn't expect to see Asian-Canadian actors or Asian characters in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  But it was there in subtle ways... and not so subtle ways.  The program points out that lead actor Diana Kaarina is Half -Finnish and Half-Chinese. Either way, she is still a beauty, similar to Smallville actor Kristin Kreuk who ancestry is Half-Dutch/Half-Chinese.

The subplot involves the character of Mrs. Meers who runs the Hotel Priscilla, and also employs two Chinese henchmen for a side business of kidnapping.  Sarah Rodgers is over the top, as Mrs. Meers - so highly unbelievable character, that she can only exist in a musical.  Aaron Lau and Daeyoung Danny Kim play the characters of Ching Ho and Bun Foo.  They strive to make the characters realistic, speaking in only Chinese, and also performing some martial arts moves on stage.

While I found it refreshing to see Asian actors playing authentic Chinese characters speaking good Chinese, without being traditionally stereotyped. The stereotypes still persisted in other ways.

Racial stereotypes of Chinese in Thoroughly Modern Millie

I was shocked that this musical contained lots of out-dated Chinese stereotypes including: a Chinese laundry, kidnapping for white slavery, bad Chinese accents, and a female actor in "white face" playing a white woman masquerading as a Chinese woman. Much less culturally sensitive than Robert Downey Jr playing a black man in Tropic Thunder

Part of the sub-plot is that white girls are sold into white slavery and shipped off to China, by the character of Mrs. Meers, a white woman dressed up as a Chinese woman - who doesn't even have a proper Chinese accent - She keeps mis-prounouncing her "L's" as "R's"

She keeps saying things like "Ssssso saaaad, to be arrrr arrrrone in dis worrrrld"

I realize that this is supposed to be a fun frothy romp, and every character is stereotyped to extreme measures...

Actual Asian ethnic actors play the Asian roles and do NOT speak in bad Chinese accents - but actually in good Cantonese.  The play makes fun of the stereotypes...

But I still felt uncomfortable watching the perpetuation of racist stereotypes in this way.  There are many people in today's audience who don't realize the origins of such stereotypes, nor the harm that was caused over decades of racism.

Check out what the Asian American theatre review had to say about the two Chinese henchmen, singing "Mammy" in Chinese - originally sung by Al Jolson, wearing a "black face" when he played a black man on stage.
http://www.aatrevue.com/Old/Millie.html

The original movie was made in 1967 starring Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore. Japanese-American actor comics Jack Soo and Pat Morita played the Chinese henchmen. The Broadway musical debuted in 2002, with the roles of the Chinese henchmen expanded. They only speak in proper Chinese. It's the white actress playing a white woman who disguises ... Read Moreherself as a pastiche of Asian stereotypes and accents. The purpose was to "cleverly" make fun of racial stereotypes. Almost every character is stereotyped to extremes in this post-modern Broadway musical.

It's arguable that the perpetuation of stereotypes in any form is still de-humanizing and destructive OR have we come far enough that we should be able to recognize such stereotypes for what they are, and be able to laugh at the stupidity and ridiculousness of the people who perpetuate them?

The best use of "Clever" parodying of racial stereotypes was in Marty Chan's "Mom, Dad, I'm Living With A White Girl." The stereotypes take place in the main character's dream about him mother and father becoming a dragon lady and her loyal henchman. In this case, the context is about racial and cultural stereotypes, and easily understood by the ... Read Moreaudience.

But in Millie, while the 2 Chinese characters are played very straight and respectful, speaking in good cantonese, and humourously holding up sheets of laundry for a clever display of "subtitles" - The fact remains that they are still Chinese laundry workers, part of a "white slavery" kidnapping operation.

The character of Mrs. Henessey is still a white woman pretending to be Asian, by wearing a "painted face", speaking mixed up Asian accent, and perpetuating stereotypes.  Check out youtube portrayals of Mrs. Meers.
http://www.youtube.com/results?feature=moby&search_query=thoroughly+modern+millie+they+don%27t+know&search_type=&aq=0&oq=thoroughly+modern+millie+they+d

Otherwise - the cast is GREAT!
And the lead who plays the title character Millie Dumont is Broadway veteran, Vancouver born Diana Kaarina, half-Chinese and half-Finnish.

Other reviews

Vancouver Sun review: Millie shines in a show burdened by too much business

Georgia Straight: Thoroughly Modern Millie full of relentless enthusiasm

Gay Vancouver Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie is throughouly enjoyable | Theatre

What is the C-Word that is the meaning of life?

The C-Word cast (Foreground, from left): Preet Cheema (Akesh Gill), Grace Chin (Kelly Cho), Sheryl Thompson (Ashley Hennessey). (Background, from left): Fane Tse (Steve Chung), Raahul Singh (Pal Prasad). Photo by Terry Wong, courtesy of The C-word.

The C-Word  April 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 2009
written by Grace Chin
at the Playwrights Theatre Centre on Granville Island, Vancouver

The C-Word is an engaging play... even before you sit down in the seats.  What is the C-Word?  Is it for  Chinese?  Or the derogatory Chink word?  Does it mean Coloured?  Is it a four letter word that belongs below the belt?  One for male appendage, or for female anatomy?

Is the C-Word something more abstract, profound and perhaps "Complicated"?

Or is it "Compassion" or "Cheating"?

In the opening scene, "The Love Guru" is giving a seminar on how to get some action for his male clients.  Pal Prasad (played by Raahul Singh), gives a short talk about goals, and what it takes to follow through.  It's about intention and going after what you want.  It could be any personal development seminar, but this is about the C-word.

Next we meet girlfriends Kelly Cho and Akesh Gill played by Grace Chin and Preet Cheema.  They are on a shopping trip and talking about Kelly's upcoming wedding plans.  Soon we learn that Kelly has a live-in boyfriend named Steve Chung (Fane Tse) who is a yellow guy, while Akesh is single, but she doesn't like brown guys.

Things become complicated when Steve goes to see his old friend Pal to ask for some advice, and compare his relationship and impending marriage with Kelly to Pal's long term "open relationship" to a blonde woman named Ashley (Sheryl Thompsson).  What follows becomes an intercultural Vancouver-style dramedy of errors, innuendo, suppositions on the study of relationships. 

Excuse me... the proper words are cheating, commitment, compassion, change, comic and consolation - after all this is "The C-Word."

"The C-Word" is the third play by Grace Chin.  Twisting Fortunes was co-written with her TF Productions partner Charlie Cho, and was a delightful comedic romp, set to Vancouver's caffeine drive.  "The Quickie", Chin's first solo playwright experience, explored multicultural speed dating.  "The C-Word" goes to the next level, exploring a search for meaning in relationships.  This is Chin's most frank and sexual play to date, and hints at the darker sides of relationships and human nature, not to mention weddings.

In all three productions, Vancouver's multicultural society is the setting, but it is the intercultural nature of the characters where the culture clashes occur.  It's not just a Chinese-Canadian 2nd generation immigrant experience that is explored, but also South Asian this time around too.  And somehow this is juxtoposed with what might be mainstream Canadian or possibly alternative sexual lifestyles.

From the beginning, the characters are all interesting and engaging.  The topics are easily relateable to the audience... unless you don't have any friends of a different ethnicity, or have never dated.  The pacing is good, and the diaglogue never flags.

The casting all works.  Raahul Singh has fun being the egotistical "Love Guru" and his character makes reference to the Mike Myers movie.  More cultural references abound as character development exploration occurs when Kelly and Ashley try to figure each other out, and what their men may see in each other.  Here the extremely self-critical Kelly tries to get a handle on the brazen Ashely, she labels a "Samantha" compared to her "Miranda" - or is she really a Carrie Bradshaw?  Grace Chin actually displays a bit of each of the Sex in the City characters in her role of Kelly.

Much of the action revolves around Kelly and Pal, but while Steve's character seems stalled and doesn't give Fane Tse a big range to play with, Preet Cheema gets to push her character Akesh in the 2nd Act.  Supporting actors Lili Lau Cook and Vincent Cheng provide wonderfully surprising turns as Kelly's parents.  Mel Tuck directs this ensemble cast.

Previous productions

a take-out love story	an accidentally Asian romantic dramedy

Web: www.scriptingaloud.ca/cword

See previews in Review Vancouver and Vancouverplays.com.

BLOGGERS RULE at the Vancouver Opera... Live Blogging for Rigoletto!

Local Bloggers sat in the lobby during intermission, live blogging opening night at Rigoletto. (l-r) Monique Trottier "So Misguided", Rebecca Bollwit "Miss 604", Tanya "Netchick", Kimli "Delicious Juice" - photo Todd Wong

Opera is one of the most intercultural art forms.  It forces its audience to listen to foreign languages, as it tells stories from different cultures.  Okay, it also presents a lot of stereotypes and racial chariactures too!  But today's productions will balance historic stereotypes with 21st Century sensitivity for cultural diversity.

Vancouver Opera has been one of the most innovative arts organizations to find new ways to market themselves, whether creating Manga comics for promotion, marketing to the Asian population base in Vancouver with the Voices of the Pacific Rim recital, or beginning live blogging with Carmen and now Rigoletto operas.

Opening Saturday Night at Vancouver Opera, there are lots of people dressed up in the finery.  The lineups are deep and long for the cappucinos or wine.  Over at the East side of the lobby, 6 bloggers sit madly typing into their laptop computers during intermission.  It's Live Blogging Night at the Opera.  It started with a few bloggers being invited to blog Carmen in January.  And now a few more have been invited to blog Rigoletto. 

Some of the audience members are curious.  Some are demanding.  Some are complaining about the sound in the balcony.  One audience member insists that they are not having a true opera experience unless they are drinking wine.  One of the bloggers writes that she is having sooo much fun people watching, she finds it hard to touch type at the same time.

I bring out my camera and ask the bloggers for a picture.  Actually I yell out, "Bloggers... smile for the camera!"

They all look up and smile.  I will post the picture laters...

I recognize Miss 604 Blogger, Rebbecca Bollwitt.  She recognizes me and writes on her blog that "We were just visited by Karen Hamilton of TinyBites.ca who is here to enjoy the show as well as Gung Haggis Fat Choy.

Rebbecca Bollwit "Miss 604", Todd Wong "Gung Haggis Fat Choy", Tanya "Netchick" - photo A. Youngberg/T. Wong

Back on January 18th, she was live blogging the Canucks hockey game.  I comment that she probably wishes she was at the Canucks vs San Jose game.  She says "yeah." 

It turns out that blogger NetChick is a rower, now interested in dragon boat paddling.  I tell her that my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team has been featured on television documentaries for German and French public television, as well as the CBC.  It would be pretty cool, if she joined our dragon boat team... we have lots of opportunities for blogging.  Oops, I forgot to tell her we will have a parade entry in the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

At the opera, it's always interesting to see who is there in the audience.  I spy an older couple, a male caucasian with an Asian woman.  They are always at major arts events.  I think he used to work at the CBC.

I chat with Doug Tuck, VOA Marketing and Selina Rajani, Communications/Media.  I introduce them to my date for the evening, Alexandra Youngberg, my CUPE 391 Vancouver Library workers president.  Alex loves this production of Rigoletto.  She loves music and sings in a choir.  Alex has even sung O Solo Mio, while I played my accordion.

The 2nd and 3rd Acts are wonderful ( I will write my formal review tomorrow).  Some members of the audience give a standing ovation to Eglise Gutierrez who plays Gilda, Rigoletto's daughter.  We all stand up up for Donnie Ray Albert who plays Rigoletto.  It's quite the multicultural cast.  Donnie Ray is African-American, born in Louisiana.  Eglise is born in Cuba.  Sam Chung, Chinese-Canadian born in Winnipeg, steps out of the Vancouver Opera chorus to play his first supporting role with Vancouver Opera in the role of Matteo Borsa. I congratulate Sam at the reception following.

During the reception, I also chat with Michael Mori, who is hapa Japanese-Canadian.  Kinza Tyrell, chorus master tells me how exciting this production is, and asks me how I know Sam and Michael.  "Well... through events at Joy Kogawa House, because we really supported, and raved about the Naomi's Road opera. 

James Wright, VOA General Director congratulates the cast at the opening night reception - photo T. Wong

My old friend Walter Quan is here!  We first met back in 1986, while we were volunteers for the Salt Water City exhibit celebrating 100 years of Vancouver Chinatown history.  We recently had lunch in Victoria 2 weeks ago, when I had to return the life-size photos to the Royal BC Museum.

Opera Manager James Wright spots me, and waves at me.  So does orchestra concertmaster Mark Ferris, who along with his wife Gloria, have been friends for years. Mark performed at the 2004 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. Meanwhile, the bloggers are noshing at the food tables, taking pictures of the event, and chatting amongst themselves.

I think it's great that Vancouver Opera is connecting with bloggers.  Back in December 2004, I blogged my own review of the VOA production of Madama Butterfly: Madama Butterfly Review: Vancouver Opera Nov 27 to Dec 11.

Since then, I have also reviewed:


Check out the opera night blogs:

• 
  Miss 604
  Rigoletto and Blogger Night at the Opera
• 
  
• So Misguided

  It’s Not Over Until ... Rigoletto Cries Out

  
  
• NetChick

  Live blogging Rigoletto

  
  
• 
  delicious juice

  rigoletto!

  
  
• A View from the Isle

  And we begin, Blogger Night at the Opera: Rigoletto commences
• 
  

Dance Review: Cock-Pit
Why men should watch men dance
special contribution by Devon Cooke

Wen-Wei Dance
Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street, Vancouver)
Feb. 24-28, 2009

I spent a fine Friday evening last week watching Cock-Pit, a suitably suggestive and ambiguous title for Wen Wei Wang's equally suggestive dance piece. It featured a woman and four scantily clad men, one of whom was pointed out to me as "Scottie-too-Hottie" (my female companion agreed). The show was highly enjoyable, funny at times, and poignant at others. It was also highly sexual - a fact attested by the palpable female enjoyment in the audience. As a man, I certainly enjoyed listening to that audience, but I also enjoyed the performance.

Now, when a man admits to enjoying watching dance, and especially when that dance involves highly muscled men strutting around in little more than tight-fitting boxer shorts, there's one very natural question that arises: Is he gay? Perhaps it's not so much a question as an assumption, but, as a straight male, I'm here to tell you that while that assumption may often hold true, straight men don't know what they're missing when it comes to dance.

I must admit to being a little apprehensive going into the show about how I would handle the "eww" factor (as in "eww, naked men!"), but my worries were unfounded. The show was engaging, enlightening, and I didn't feel like my sexuality was compromised. Why? Because I felt myself empathizing with the men on stage rather than objectifying them. Cock-pit is (among other things) an exploration of gender and, especially, being male. As gender exploration goes, it's pretty straightforward: The men are manly, the woman is womanly, and there's barely the slightest hint that there might be any other way of arranging things. While this might be a less than complete sketch of gender, it does speak to the fairly rigid gender roles that most people fall into, and it made me look at men (and myself) in a new light.

Watching Cock-pit was like watching a hockey game or playing poker while consuming cold pizza and beer. It reminded me what it means to be a man, but, unlike hockey or poker, it also gave me a sense of how ridiculous we look to the other 51% of the population. I'm sure the women in the audience had a different perspective.

I've never thought of feathers as being particularly male, but when they're six feet long and stuck down the front of your pants, they're a fairly obvious symbol. Cock-pit used this symbol to good effect, and much of the comedy in the show came from painting a portrait of man's endless obsession with his penis. With the help of the feathers, the men in the show sword fight and show off, bargain and compete, and, most of all, fight with each other for the attention of the lone female dancer in the cast.

This oasis of femininity provided a sharp point of contrast to the testosterone-laced energy in the rest of the dancers. Her presence helped remind the audience that maleness exists in opposition to the female - and provided a welcome place to rest my male-weary eyes. With my heightened awareness of my masculinity, I found my eyes drawn strongly to her whenever she was on stage, and her dancing made me equally aware of the difference between our two genders.

There is much more to Cock-pit than simple gender differences. Many sections were suggestive of birds (cocks of course) or insects, and one particularly memorable scene had the four men negotiating a sale of some sort using creative body language and a distinctly Mandarin-sounding gibberish.  But, even these neutral scenes were cast in the context of masculinity thanks to their relationship with the rest of the choreography.

At times Wen Wei's Chinese heritage showed through, and it was interesting watching his five non-Chinese dancers absorb this and transform it in a very Vancouver way.  The most obvious example was the Mandarin gibberish I've already mentioned, but the use of feathers throughout the piece had a very Chinese theatricality to it.  The feathers served as swords, wings, antennae, and helped emphasize and exaggerate the movement of whatever body part they happened to be attached to.

Cock-pit was a wonderfully creative and entertaining show, and, while I've picked it apart for analysis here, its strengths lie in the talent and energy of its dancers and choreographer, not the significance of its theme. The dance is an exploration, not a theory, and it's worth seeing for the feelings it evokes. For me, it evoked the thoughts about maleness that you have just read, but my version is hardly the definitive one. For that, you'll have to go see it for yourself...

Cock-pit played at the Scotiabank Dance Centre from February 24th to 28th. It featured David Raymond, Josh Martin, Scott Augustine, and Edmond Kilpatrick, as well as lone female Alison Denham, and was Choreographed by Wen Wei Wang.

Todd Wong and Joe McDonald went down to Seattle on February 15th, to take their manic Gung Haggis Rap south of the Canadian border for an exciting Seattle program of Chinese lion dances, Scottish bagpipes, Chinese dancers, Highland dancers, and the Asian Youth Orchesta. It was 5pm at Ocean City Restaurant in Seattle's International District, the day after Valentine's Day. Where were you? Todd Wong, Joe McDonald and Deb Martin, were still driving to Seattle after a 2 hour delay at the US Border. They arrived about 6pm, as the Kenmore & District Pipe Band has just followed David Leong's Bellwon Martial Arts Lion dancers.   more »

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

The Heart of the City Festival celebrates Chinese food and Chinese buildings - with stories of pioneers and their descendants

CHINESE CANADIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY WRITERS
Sunday November 2, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver, 108 E. Pender 3rd floor

Readings from the book "Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian & Aboriginal Potluck" were featured at the at the Chinese Benevolent Association on Sunday.  The book was published by the Chinese Canadian Historical Society last year and quickly sold out its first printing.  I was part of the writing workshops that helped to create this anthology of stories about food, culture and history.

Scheduled to read were moderator George Jung, Dan Seto, Larry Wong and Bob Sung. Also scheduled was Shirley Chan, but she asked me to fill in for her late Saturday.... so I was a surprise reader.

The reading started off with a welcome and an historical explanation of the Chinatown heritage buildings such as the Chinese Benevolent Association, and how the many clan associations served to help the pioneer Chinese in Vancouver and Canada.

Dan Seto was the first reader.  He read his short story "Fong Luen Tong New Year Banquet" about the society set up for people with the names "Seto" or "Sit."

Bob Sung read second.  He read the story "A Lesson in Communication" about trying to impress a White Girl on a date in a Chinese restaurant, and how he kept mispronouncing the Chinese words so much that the waiter was laughing at him.

Larry Wong read third.  He read the story "Evening With Pop (1949)" about how his father would always bring food home late at night to share with him and his sister.

I read fourth.  I explained that my contributions were a blend of pictures and their descriptions.  The first picture I showed was me with my grandmother and girlfriend at Mother's Day 2007.

The second picture was me when I was 16 years old, holding two freshly caught salmon.  I explained how my mother's favorite way to cook fish was steamed with hot oil.

The third picture was the first picture ever taken of me wearing a kilt, back in 1993.  I was a tour guide at Simon Fraser University, and volunteers were needed to help with the university's traditional Robbie Burns ceremony.  This was when I first coined the phrase "Gung Haggis Fat Choy."

The final picture was taken at the 2005 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner with me holding a large haggis on a plate, while then Mayor Larry Campbell stabbed it with a knife.  I explained the origins of the dinner, and how it grew into a famous mix of cultural fusion of Chinese and Scottish food and culture.

George Jung was the final reader.  George read his story "Applesauce" which described how 102 year old Mrs. Der had climbed two steep flights of stairs to demand "Where is the money, the frefund for the head tax that my husband paid?"  He describes how Mrs. Der met Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and how the redress ex-gratia payment arrived too late after she dies.

 I counted 18 current and past Gung Haggis paddlers + Hillary's mom - in the audience - enough for a dragon boat team in competition! and 1/3 of the audience ..  Former paddler Elwin Xie had earlier in the day conducted his Chinese Laundry Boy tour of Chinatown for the Heart of the City Festival.

I acknowledged Savanah Walling in the audience - she is the co-founder of the Heart of the City Festival.  I met her in April when we both received the BC Community Achievement Award.

Sunday Night, CCHS writer Shirley Chan gave a reading of some of her writings from the Eating Stories book, following the presentation of the documentary Mary Lee Chan Takes on City Hall.  The film is about how Shirley's mother helped to stop the demolition of Strathcona neighborhood for freeway development.  Shirley's daughter Emma paddled on the Gung Haggis dragon boat team last summer.

See more pictures at:

Chinese and African dancing accompanied Silk Road Music's always entertaining world music concert at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden's final Enchanted Evenings concert series.


Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault of Silk Road Music Ensemble with their friends African dancer Jacky Essombe and percussionist Pepe Danza - photo Michael Brophy

It was a great concert to close out the Enchanted Evening series, Friday Sep 4th, at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens, by Silk Road Music, made more exciting by the presence of Cameroon dancer Jacky Essombe and the Chinese creative dance team of Jessica Jone and Cheng xin Wei, also known as Moving Dragon Dance Company.

Picture from Program.

The program opened with a traditional reel - not out of place in french-canadian or celtic circles.  Qiu Xia demonstrated esquisite picking skills on her pipa (Chinese lute), as Andre Thibault strummed furiously, and Pepe Danza played his drums.  Andre shared that they have played all over the world with Pepe, and they also perform together in the group Jou Tou where Andre is band leader (Qiu Xia leads Silk Road Music).

Qiu Xia invited dancers Cheng Xin and Jessica Jone out to join them, explaining that they would perform traditional Xingjian music from China, not often performed in Vancouver or Canada.  Next she invited African dancer Jacky Essombe, sharing that Jacky had been part of the Cultural Olympiad show that Qiu Xia had organized for Chinese New Year's earlier this year.

Clouds was a celtic inspired instrumental compsed and performed by Qiu Xia on her pipa, while Jessica performed a Chinese fan dance.  It was an unlikely but beautifully harmonious fusion of cultures, dance and song. Hmmm.... definitely something to consider for the next Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

Andre and Pepe followed with a rollicking flamenco song, which Qiu Xia joined in on.  Andre loves playing flamenco, and it is amazing how Qiu Xia picks the melody on her pipa with her vituostic skill.

Jessica spoke to the audience about Moving Dragon's upcoming show at the Scotiabank Dance Centre for Sep 12/13, titled LuminUS.

Full of surprises, the rest of the program blended more chinese and african dancing with the Silk Road Music repetoire.  For the final song, Jacky invited audience members to the centre stage area to join her in African dancing.  She encouraged people to yell and make noise, as the room filled up with vibrant energy.  Canadian Africanized dancers young and old joined in the dancing.

Check out this links.

www.movingdragon.ca

Every year, the Royal BC Museum has an interactive display that visiting tourists can have their picture taken with.  Last year it was for their Titanic display.  This is a great place for tourists.  It sits kitty corner to Victoria's Inner Harbour, and is on south side of The Empress Hotel, and the East side of the BC Legislature buildings.

This year, you can stand next to some of BC's most interesting people.  All of these figures are featured in the exhibit "The Party."  In this picture above are some of my cultural heroes including Rick Hansen, Chief Dan George, Emily Carr and my friend Joy Kogawa.  My girlfrend Deb Martin is standing right behind Joy (in red).  We first learned about "The Party" exhibit last summer, when Joy needed a full length picture of her to give to the Royal BC Museum.  We took this picture for Joy, and were glad she was happy.

It's part of the "Free Spirit" exhibition to celebrate the 150th birthday of British Columbia, founded as a colony in 1858, and joined Canada in 1871 for the promise of a coast to coast railway. 

Joy Kogawa in "The Party" - photo by Todd Wong

Deb and I first visited the exhibit on April 23rd, earlier this year. It was with great excitement that we went to the Royal BC Museum, and up the escalator, searching for the picture of our friend Joy Kogawa.  We visited with writer friend Gary Geddes and David Kogawa, Joy's good friend and ex-husband.  Read our account of our visit here: Todd's adventure in Victoria: Traveling to "The Party" at BC Royal Museum
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2008/4/25/3659001.html

But this time we had a different reason to visit.  This time, there was a life-size picture of me, Todd Wong aka "Toddish McWong."

At the exhibit, they had also asked visitors for nominations to fill the remaining spots.  I was voted in to "The Party" along with Trevor Linden, Dal Richards, Red Robinson, Ida Chong and Jennie Butchart.

Deb and I arrived in Victoria after a late start on the 2pm ferry sailing from Tsawwassen.  We checked into The Empress Hotel, because we were also attending an evening event there to celebrate "150 Years in Golden Mountain", an awards and dinner gala to celebrate 150 years of Chinese Canadian history and achievement in Canada, BC and Victoria.  See my account of the evening here: Victoria celebrates 150 years of Chinese Canadian History with a grand dinner and awards.

We walked over to the Royal BC Museum, enjoying the lovely sea breeze and the sunshine.  The Empress Hotel, now known as the "Fairmont Empress" was designed 100 years ago by BC architect Frances Rattenbury, who also designed the BC Legislature buildings.


- photo Deb Martin

This is the video display of the "Todd Wong bio." The original photograph was taken by my friend Richard Montagna.  Richard specializes in fine art, commercial,  portrait, action, and landscape photography.

It reads: 

Voted in by the visiting public, this person is seen as an important figure in BC history!

Todd Wong (1980- )
Passionate about intercultural adventures, "Toddish McWong" founded Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a Robert Burns / Chinese New Year event that has been celebrating with an annual dinner since 1997.

Corrections:
No - Todd wasn't born in 1980.  That would have made him only 13 years old when he first invited the phrase "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" while wearing his first kilt for a Robbie Burns celebration at Simon Fraser University.  Sometimes museums make typo mistakes too.

My girlfriend's favorite character in the display (besides me) is the Vancouver Island Marmot - photo Deb Martin