This week in Vancouver - Film, Music, Festival and Hidden Gem - Burrard Bulletin

Welcome to our email newsletter sent Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Here are a few gems that are happening in and around Vancouver.

Mean Girls Musical at the QE Theatre

Tina Fey’s iconic teen comedy, “Mean Girls,” is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a live touring production of the hit Broadway musical.

The show opens a week-long run at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Jan. 23, while a movie adaptation of the musical has just opened in local cinemas. Fey wrote the book for the production with her husband, composer Jeff Richmond, writing the music. The couple, who met at Second City in Chicago, have worked together on many projects over the years.

Lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”) and director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw (“The Book of Mormon”) are also part of the core group that created the musical version of “Mean Girls.” Fey knew some of the jokes in the original film wouldn’t age well and updated them for a new generation, but the wickedly fun spirit empowering “Mean Girls” remains the same.

The Guardian columnist Adrian Horton says the pop culture classic has remained relevant because of its relatability. There’s even a new book out about the pop phenomenon, “So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We’re Still So Obsessed With It,” by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong. For more information on the live musical production and where to buy tickets for the Vancouver run, go to vancouver.broadway.com/shows/mean-girls.

Savor the Flavors at Dine Out Vancouver

Canada’s largest food and drink festival, Dine Out Vancouver Festival 2024, continues this week with hundreds of chefs and more than 300 restaurants participating in the 19-day event running through Feb. 4.

Festival sponsors Destination Vancouver estimates that over 125 different food traditions contribute to the city’s unique flavor profiles. Much of this cultural cornucopia will be on display in the annual feast. Some of the events run daily throughout the festival, while others are exclusive to specific dates. Highlights this week include:

There’s even a festival-within-a-festival as Street Food City food carts are now ensconced in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square through Jan. 28. For more information and to reserve your place at specific events, go to dineoutvancouver.com/events.

A Wok Around Chinatown

Chinese New Year celebrations will be an essential part of Vancouver’s cultural life for the next couple of weeks, and Dine Out Vancouver has several ongoing events that tie into the Year of the Dragon.

Participants in A Wok Around Chinatown are advised to only eat a light breakfast before taking part in the special gastronomic cultural tour. Starting at 11 a.m. and limited to 14 people per day, the tour begins at the Red Gate Entrance to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden and proceeds to take guests on a magical culinary trip through the area, culminating in a dim sum lunch.

East Van Square Dance

Monthly Square Dances in East Van kick off again at the Wise Hall on Thursday, Jan. 25. The evenings start off with an old-time jam at 6 p.m., followed by the main event at 7 p.m. – a traditional square dance called by Paul Silveria.

Live music will be provided by Nashville fiddle and guitar duo Golden Shoals. No square dancing experience is necessary as you will learn everything you need to know. The Wise Hall serves alcohol and requires ID for admission to the 19+ event. Tickets are $20. More dances in the series are scheduled for Feb. 15, March 14, and April 11.

Film: Showing Up at Kay Meek Arts Centre

Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, “Showing Up,” starring Michelle Williams, is being presented in the Grosvenor Theatre at the Kay Meek Arts Centre on Monday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. Williams, starring in her fourth Reichardt production, plays a Portland, Oregon art teacher/sculptor preparing for a show of her work. The story is a fictional comedy about making art but has a documentary-like intensity. “Showing Up” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or. Tickets are $15/$12.

Hidden Gem Dining: Le Petit Café

Le Petit Café, run by owners Lana Diaz and Nancy Villeneuve in North Vancouver’s Delbrook Plaza, is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Operating under the banner “homemade with elegance,” the boutique bakeshop is consistently first-class in everything it does. Situated next to the Mosquito Creek Park forest trails, the Delbrook hidden gem has a menu that features a signature breakfast and handcrafted sandwiches for lunch. The large menu includes a selection of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, comfort food (including salads, soups, and samosas), fresh-baked muffins, and homemade scones. Local partners that collaborate on dishes include Moja Coffee, Soup Meister, Lift Bakery, and Bob’s Fruit Stand.