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Welcome to GungHaggisFatChoy.com
Home to my passions for my inter-cultural adventures, Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner event. Save Kogawa House campaign, Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team, Find what you are looking for by 1) scroll the topics links, 2) use the search function ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team for lots of summer fun, fitness and friendship. We are a social team full of cultural vigor, that likes to eat. We have been featured on television, local, national and international. We have a unique and internationally famous fundraiser dinner event. We practice Sunday 1:30 pm -3:30 pm Tuesday 6pm-7:45pm Wednesday 6pm - 7:45 pm We meet at Dragon Zone clubhouse - just south of Science World in Creekside Park above the Aquabus and dragon boat docks. Our coach Todd Wong has 15+ years of experience including novice, recreational and competitive levels, and both community and corporate teams. Our 2005 Season brought us the David Lam Award for being the team that best represented the multicultural spirit of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and Bronze medals at the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race. In 2007, we won Gold in B Division at Vernon Races. For more information: Click on Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team information phone: 604-987-7124- e-mail: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2009 TICKETS Available in October 2008 WHAT: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - 12th Annual Dinner, celebrating 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth + Chinese New Year's Eve. WHEN: 6PM January 25 2009, SUNDAY doors open 5pm WHERE: Floata Chinese Restaurant, #400-180 Keefer St. CULTURE: Our Performers create something special for us every year with traditional and contemporary performances featuring everything in-between and beyond! FOOD: A quirky fusion/mix/buffet of Scottish Canadian and Chinese Canadian culture 10 course Chinese banguet dinner 2004 - The debut of Gung Haggis Won-Ton 2005 - Haggis lettuce wrap! 2007 - Haggis dim sum appetizer buffet 2008 - Scotch tastings! Watch for more surprises in 2008! Description of 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner featuring performers: Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, Sean Gunn, author Joy Kogawa, with co-host Prem Gill . Media Inquiries Call Gung Haggis Productions 604-987-7124 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsors
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Saturday, December 17
Brigadoon lifts up the kilts and spirits at Gateway Theatre in Richmond
by
Todd
on Sat 17 Dec 2005 06:46 PM PST
What happens when two Vancouverites go on a backpacking holiday to Scotland and stumble upon a mystical magical town named Brigadoon, which only appears once every one hundred years?
Many Vancouverites and Canadians can claim to have some Scottish blood in their ancestry, and many more Vancouverites make attending Robbie Burns Dinners an annual not-too-miss event. more »
Thursday, December 1
Dialogues of the Carmelites: Not your ordinary opera - but extraordinary
by
Todd
on Thu 01 Dec 2005 02:27 PM PST
Dialogues of the Carmelites: Not your ordinary opera - but extraordinary
By Francis Poulenc Vancouver Opera November 26, 29, December 1 & 3, 2005 All performances 7:30 pm Queen Elizabeth Theatre Conductor Jonathan Darlington Director Tazewell Thompson Blanche de la Force Kathleen Brett Prioress Judith Forst Madame Lidoine Measha Brueggergosman Marie Mere Claire Primrose Constance Nathalie Paulin I walked out of Vancouver Opera’s 2005 serving of Dialogues of the Carmelites simply amazed. It was a production you either loved or hated. It pushed buttons. It wasn’t traditional. It was inspiring. It was beautiful. It made you think. There was no love story between a man and a woman. There were no familiar songs that would ever appear on Opera’s greatest hits. But it provided extraordinary showcase performances for Judith Forst, Kathleen Brett, Measha Bruggergosman and Claire Primrose. How strange it is to see an opera where all the main characters are women, and where men play only secondary and supporting roles. But while there are no sexy tunes between men and women, there are many arias that deal with the relationship of spirit and to God. It is 1789, the dawn of the French Revolution. After an incident in which her carriage is surrounded by The by mobs fin the street, a young agitated aristocratic woman named Blanch de la Force decides to join the Carmelite Order seeking refuge from both her family and the social turmoil happening in France. Blanche discovers an inner journey that is challenged once again by inside forces when she befriends a fellow initiate named Constance who shares with Blanche that they will die together. Blanche is again challenged when she is present at the death of the Pioress, who wails that Death is ugly, unforgiving and unspiritual. Soon after, outside forces come to play when the New French Republic orders that all Religious Orders become outlawed, and the nuns are forced to leave their home. It is at this point that Blanche flees the convent to find refuge as a servant in an aristocratic house. Judith Forst sings a knock-out performance as the Prioress, while sitting in her death bed. Kathleen Brett readily captured the agitated psychological state of Blanche de la Force, although her voice was weak at points - perhaps due to playing Blanche's weak state of mind, because in Act 2 & 3, as Blanche matures psychologically in her convictions, her voice becomes stronger. Nathalie Paulin provided a clear and calm foil as Constance, to Brett’s Blanche. And when finally Measha Bruggergosman came on stage in the 2nd Act, her voice and movement had so much presence it was hard not to be enthralled. This is not a "pretty opera" despite its beatific moments where the nuns pledge themselves to martyrdom. It is indeed a psychological drama that questions our own relationship to spirit, heroism, totalitarianism, religious order and self-sacrifice. While watching I could not help but compare the exiling of the nuns from their convent to the internment of the Japanese-Canadians in 1942, which was nicely explored in Vancouver Opera's production of Naomi's Road. Nor could I not draw comparison to the Vancouver Opera's past production of Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, also set during the French Revolution. The final climatic scene is difficult to tear one's eyes away from. Here is a spoiler - but good to know as the real story was first published by Marie Mere as a memoir. Despite first suggesting martyrdom to her fellow nuns, it is she alone who somehow survives the imprisionment of the nuns, and their final walk to the guillotine. Musically it is very powerful, as the cast sings Salve Regina, each one walks up, across and finally off-stage, one by one, until you hear the metalic sound of a guilotine. The choir of voices becomes smaller one by one until only Constance remains. It is then that Blanche appears to hold hands with her friend Constance and to fulfil Constance's vision that they would die together. Here was a modern opera written by Francis Poulenc, sung in French, set during the French revolution, about Carmelite nuns – and directed by African-American theatre and opera director Tazewell Thompson. As a 9-year old boy, Thompson was sent by his grandparents to live in the convent of the Sisters of St. Dominic, in Blauvelt, N.Y. where he spent six years. He says he learned Gregorian chants before he ever knew pop, jazz, folk or opera music. What an extraordinary experience to learn and develop a relationship with a spiritual diety, as well as evolving one’s own spiritual development! It makes sense that Thompson was asked to help create this particular production first with Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera. Poulenc's music is indeed both beautiful and spiritual. I was moved by its thoughtful passages, and found myself humming Stravinsky's Infernal Dance of King Katschei from the Firebird Suite. As well, I found myself thinking of Gershwin's American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess. It was not a surprise then to read in the progam notes that Poulenc named Stravinsky as one of his greatest influences, as well as Gershwin. Donald Eastman’s set design is beautiful in its simplicity. A simple wall, stands halfway back on the stage, creating the interior of the Church. Muted light enters through a high window. At scence changes the pillars come forward to become walls, and to create individual rooms. Later they recede, and the lighting changes to create and exterior scene. The lighting changes again, and it is another scene in the Church, this time the harsh early light of morning. The walls move again, and the nuns are in a prison cell. Classical music has always been kind to colour-blind casting, as opposed to theatre or film. Casting New Brunswick born Afro-Canadian Measha Bruggergosman has absolutely no negative impact. In fact, I think it speaks loudly about the multicultural ease that opera moves with. The opera audience listens to French, German, Italian easily, and there has even been an opera now in Cree. The settings are from around the world such as China in Vancouver Opera’s production of Turandot. I look forward to the January 2007 production of Mozart’s Magic Flute reconstructed with a First Nations theme blending western and First Nations traditions together and designed with a team of First Nations artists. In the end, it is the inspiration of the performances that moves us. check out these reviews and links Dialogues of the Carmelites Georgia Straight review by Jessica Werb Divine inspiration behind Vancouver Opera's latest Vancouver Courier Review by Louise Phillips All Praise to the singing nuns Globe & Mail review by Elissa Poole Religious Reflections Georgia Straight interview with director Tazewell Thompson by Colin Thomas Vancouver Opera Insight Articles Facing the World Inside the Walls Notes on the production of Dialogues of the Carmelites by Stage Director Tazewell Thompson Measha! by Doug Tuck Francis Poulenc, Graceful Composer by Doug Tuck Hearing the voice of Grace, Poulenc's Musical Style by David Shefsiak |
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