Lineup Set For Chutzpah! Festival

The Chutzpah! Festival returns with an exciting and dynamic lineup of performances this November 2-23, 2023, presenting music, theatre, comedy, dance, multimedia arts, and film, connecting communities and celebrating the vibrancy of our stories. For over two decades the Chutzpah! Festival has been an eagerly anticipated and annual highlight of Greater Vancouver’s arts season. Artists will once again share their work and grace the stages of the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, Wosk Auditorium, and the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, our festival hub at the JCC, as well as a new Chutzpah! venue this year, the ie Creative Artworks on Granville Island. Single tickets and ChutzPacks are available online at www.chutzpahfestival.com or by phone at 604.257.5145.

The 23rdAnnual Chutzpah! Festival will include our opening and closing night special comedy events, concerts from Klezmer to chamber opera, innovative dance works, theatre, storytelling, films, interdisciplinary projects and interactive multimedia works paired with workshops, stimulating conversations and opportunities to interact with creative artists. 2022 was the inaugural year of the Festival’s expansion of programming for young audiences and families, including special school matinees, which will return this year.   With an emphasis on artists from across Canada, the Festival will also present works from Israel, The Netherlands, Japan, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

“This year’s Chutzpah! Festival is filled with artistic experiences from around the world, offering work that is joyful, moving, thrilling, and thought-provoking, says Jessica Mann Gutteridge, Artistic Managing Director. “We will explore multiple facets of our stories and history, including how we show resilience in the face of difficult experiences. With opportunities to join together as a community across generations and cultures, participate in dancing, music, and art-making, and connect with internationally-acclaimed artists, there is so much to experience for everyone.”

Chutzpah! is a poignant reminder of the power the arts have in bringing communities together.

 COMEDY

Opening Night Special Event

November 2 at 7pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

The Debaters – Chutzpah! Edition (Canada)

Join in on the opening night of Chutzpah! for a special presentation of the comedy debate format made famous on CBC Radio Starring Jacob Samuel , Charlie Demers and Guest Moderator Kate Davis.

Creator Richard Side brings his celebrated hit show direct to Chutzpah! with an all-star lineup of Canadian comics , where comedians go toe-to-toe in a battle of facts and funny and where audiences pick the winner.

In this special Chutzpah! edition of The Debaters, guest moderator Katie Davis presides as comics Charlie Demers and Jacob Samuel square-off on a debate topic guaranteed to delight festival audiences. But that’s not all, to get things rolling The Debaters - Chutzpah Edition presents hilarious stand-up comedy performances from all three of these accomplished performers.

A Chutzpah! Presentation, not a CBC affiliated event and won’t be taped for broadcast.

Closing Night Special Event

The Best of Israeli Comedy (Israel)

November 23 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

A lineup of some of Israel’s top stand-up comedians bring the laughs to Vancouver, with a side-splitting show in English. With a range of diverse perspectives from Israeli-born comics to newcomers from the US and Australia, these comics keep it real and keep it hilarious. Featuring Benji Lovitt, Yossi Tarablus, Deborah Kaye, Dana Perry Segal, and local guests. Hosted by Vancouver’s own Kyle Berger.

Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

MULTIMEDIA

FORGE (UK)

November 15-18

Nov. 16 & 17 from 10am to 4pm | Nov. 18 & 19 from 10am to 1pm (timed entry for tickets)

ie Creative Artworks

Canadian Premiere

Part of the Festival’s exploration of how artists address difficult histories, FORGE is a captivating multi-day performance piece examining how places of trauma are memorialized. Jewish, Queer UK artist Rachel Mars builds and rebuilds a replica of the replica gate installed at Dachau after the original was stolen, accompanied by a soundscape drawn from her surroundings and resonant locations from around the world. Audiences are invited to don protective clothing and enter the welding space to witness the work for as long as they like, first encountering an exhibition which puts the action in context.

The work concludes on November 19 with a live musical performance by a local band. The performance work will be presented at ie Creative Artworks on Granville Island and will include a series of public outreach discussions with the artist and local artists, civic leaders, and academics on questions of local, national, and international import.

Presented with the participation of the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and CMHC-Granville Island.

Presented with the support of BC Arts Council.

DANCE

When the Walls Come Down (Canada)

Dance//Novella (Racheal Prince & Brandon Lee Alley)

November 8 & 10 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

When The Walls Come Down is a thrilling new dance and Deaf theatre collaboration. Inspired by actor Caroline Hebert's life story, the performance sheds light on stereotypes and difficulties that many Deaf Canadians may face and tells a story of resilience and love. Performed in ASL with English voiceovers, this work shares an imaginative, thought-provoking journey that connects audience members to each other and possibly a community outside of their own.

Dance Double Bill (Canada)

Meghann Michalsky and Katherine Semchuk – Maybe We Land

Juan Villegas collaboration with Vanessa Goodman – Edictum

November 15 & 16 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

Meghann Michalsky and Katherine Semchuk return to Chutzpah! with Maybe we Land, a vibrant duet inspired by the writings of Esther Perel about solitude and togetherness.

Juan Villegas premieres a new solo he has commissioned from choreographer Vanessa Goodman in which he collaborates with her to explore how the discovery of his family’s hidden Sephardic Jewish roots intersects with his identity as a Queer man from Colombia.

DWELL (Canada)

All Bodies Dance Project

November 19 at 3pm

Wosk Auditorium

World Premiere

This new work by Vancouver’s All Bodies Dance Project was created in a collaborative process to explore the theme of “home” through movement, text, narrative, and imagery. Examining themes of belonging and displacement through a Jewish lens, this piece explores how our private lives overlap and intersect with those of our neighbours in urban living, sharing the many unique stories contained within a community.

In researching and creating this work, experienced professional dancers of diverse abilities joined with members of the JCC Inclusion Program, serving adults with mental health challenges and developmental disabilities to explore the personal movement language of the project contributors through a choreographic process that values community, difference, and care.

DWELL is supported by a grant from the Betty Averbach Foundation.

MUSIC

Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn (USA)

With Special Guest “Socalled” (Canada)

November 4 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

The band—whose name plays on the plural form of the Yiddish “mentsh,” meaning a person of integrity—is the brainchild of Brooklyn clarinet virtuoso Michael Winograd. One of today’s premier klezmer clarinetists, Winograd and band dazzle Klezmer audiences worldwide.  Featuring tunes that glide between the past and present, the Mentshn play with virtuosic fervor, skipping from the 1950s Borsht Belt to 2020s nightclubs and back again.  The band will be joined by Canadian Jewish hip-hop superstar Josh “Socalled” Dolgin, last seen at Chutzpah! In 2021.

Chutzpah! Festival music programming is supported by AmplifyBC’s Live Music Presentation Fund .

Nani Noam Vazana (Netherlands/Israel)

November 11 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

Nani Noam Vazana is one of the world’s only artists composing new songs in the endangered Ladino language. Raised in Israel in a Hebrew-speaking household, she discovered interconnected Arabic and Ladino music when visiting her grandmother’s home in Fez. Nani captures the spirit of this ancient, matriarchal language and culture and propels it into the 21st century with socially pertinent lyrics, fusing the work with raw, flamenco-like vocals and surprising instrumentation including mariachi.

Chutzpah! Festival music programming is supported by AmplifyBC’s Live Music Presentation Fund .

Taraf Syriana (Canada)

November 21 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

This masterful lineup of multicultural artists from around the world features music from Sephardic Jewish, Syrian, and Roma traditions. The group includes legendary Romani accordionist Sergiu Popa , qanun virtuoso Naeem Shanwar and violist Omar Abou Afach, both of whom immigrated to Canada from Syria, and acclaimed Sephardic cellist Noémy Braun. Described as “Expressive and emotional… played with absolute brilliance by a group of amazingly talented musicians” the band is especially relevant “In a world that unfortunately seems to be becoming more and more divisive, this beautiful work of art that celebrates people coming together is definitely a must hear.” For Taraf Syriana’s debut at Chutzpah!, they will be premiering a new program that will also showcase rarely heard Sephardic songs from Syria.  

Co-presented with Caravan World Rhythms .

Sponsored by The Weinberg Residence.

Chutzpah! Festival music programming is supported by AmplifyBC’s Live Music Presentation Fund .

STORYTELLING

The Flame – Home Again at Chutzpah! (Canada)

November 6 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

The Flame curates another moving and hilarious evening of storytelling featuring a multicultural lineup and musical guests. The Flame is a fiery, Vancouver-based grassroots storytelling series where Real People share their personal True Stories in front of a live audience under the direction of Artistic Director and Host Deb Williams . This year’s edition includes storytellers Bukkie Adewuyi , Ying Ling, Spencer Danco, Nic Enright-Morin, Jeff Rotin, Patrick Keating, and more, with special musical guest LittleFox.

CHAMBER OPERA

I Have My Mother’s Eyes: A Holocaust Memoir Across Generations

Chamber Opera Premiere (Canada/Japan/Australia/Netherlands)

November 18 & 19 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

Celebrated Japanese-Canadian composer Rita Ueda premieres a remarkable new chamber opera, directed by Heather Pawsey, telling the compelling story of Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who risked his own life to issue visas to Jewish families during the Holocaust, including Vancouver’s Bluman Family, and brought thousands to safety. Featuring international musicians from Japan, Australia, and the Netherlands this moving true story illuminates intergenerational friendship and bravery.

Presented with the participation of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre .

Tickets include an invitation to join the composer, guest artists, and George Bluman for a facilitated conversation about the creation of the work and the Bluman Family’s story on October 25 at 7pm.

Chutzpah! Festival music programming is supported by AmplifyBC’s Live Music Presentation Fund .

THEATRE

The Narrow Bridge (Canada)

World Premiere

November 20 to 22 – 7pm

Zack Gallery

This new immersive experimental theatre work by collective Pomarantz, led by Vancouver theatre artists Ariel Martz-Oberlander and Veronique West, explores the themes of the classic 1912 Yiddish play The Dybbuk and why it is so indelible in the Jewish theatre repertoire. In collaboration with Chimerik, a digital multimedia collective and shadow puppetry company Mind of a Snail , the work depicts a rich and beautiful world infused with cultural practices and joyful survival. Pomarantz’s approach frames “healing” not as an individual and linear journey, but as a collective political and cultural act, which is messy, strange, circular, ancestral, shattering, transformative and ongoing with a primarily Jewish creative team finding their place in the Canadian Mad arts community as early career artists.

Co-presented with the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery.

Whistle (Israel)

World Premiere

November 21 & 22 – 8pm

Firehall Arts Centre

In this powerful solo theatre work, Tami, the only child of Auschwitz survivors, discovers at the age of 45 that she has not yet ever really lived. This startling revelation comes to her through a stranger, who suddenly enters her life and opens up locked doors to her soul. Whistle is a searing, yet heartfelt and sensitive monodrama by Yaakov Buchan and directed by Hanna Vazana Grunwald featuring a virtuosic performance by Hadar Galron that centres the pain of the second generation of survivors, and reveals the invisible wounds of the Holocaust, through a human story about a woman fighting for her natural right to rejoice, live, and love. In English.

Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

COMMUNITY & FAMILY PROGRAMMING

Community Klezmer Dance Party (Canada/USA)

November 5 at 4pm

Wosk Auditorium

Put on your dancing shoes and join the Chutzpah! family for our first-ever all-level, all ages dance party exploring the joys of Klezmer and Yiddish dance. Led by Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn and Yiddish dance expert and KlezKanada artistic director Avia Moore, this is your chance to jump into the communal joy and individual expressiveness of klezmer and Yiddish dance without fear in an open and joyful environment.

When the Walls Come Down (Canada)

Dance//Novella (Racheal Prince & Brandon Lee Alley)

Special School Matinee for Grade 6 and Up, November 9 at 11am

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

When The Walls Come Down is a thrilling new dance and Deaf theatre collaboration. Inspired by actor Caroline Hebert's life story, the performance sheds light on stereotypes and difficulties that many Deaf Canadians may face and tells a story of resilience and love. Performed in ASL with English voiceovers, and featuring animation created by Vancouver Film School students, this work shares an imaginative, thought-provoking journey that connects students to each other and possibly a community outside of their own.

Where Do Stories Comes From? (fun vanen nemen zikh di mayses) (Canada)

November 12 at 6pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

World Premiere

Chutzpah! joins with leading Canadian Jewish arts organization KlezKanada to create and present a new live interdisciplinary collaboration through music, poetry, visual art, and storytelling.

This world premiere concert presents new musical and visual settings for three Yiddish poems by celebrated Canadian women writers, with accompanying visual artwork in the form of “crankies” - a centuries-old art form in which an illustrated scroll, evocative of the Torah, is wound across spools set in a viewing window. Featuring performances by composer Sarah Larsson, the Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir, and participatory community chorus - the audience will be taught the song so that we can all sing together. Crankies made by artists Cesario Lavery, Ava Berkson, and Benny Ferdman will accompany the music.

During the week prior to the concert, the community is invited to join in art-making workshops for all ages and abilities and an exhibition in the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery in which participants will create and illustrate their own stories through this unique art form. A digital crankie gallery lets participants share their art and stories with the community.

Presented in Partnership with KlezKanada

This project is supported by the JCC Association’s Making Music Happen program.

Chutzpah! Festival music programming is supported by AmplifyBC’s Live Music Presentation Fund .

FILM

Love Gets a Room – Film Screening

November 20 at 8pm

Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre

Inspired by true events during the 1942 Nazi occupation of Poland, Love Gets a Room is the story of a Jewish stage actress who must make the gut-wrenching decision to follow her heart or to escape the Warsaw ghetto. Told in real time like Cortés' acclaimed Buried, the film is a romantic tale of love and survival in the face of harrowing circumstances .

Co-presented with the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival.

Workshops and talkbacks with festival artists, facilitated by members of the Vancouver arts community will run throughout the Festival. Visit the Festival website for updates and registration info . 

Artist Conversation Series Throughout the Festival

Following select shows, Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery

Chutzpah! takes you beyond the talkbacks of old and into a whole new realm of interaction with festival artists, plus a chance to mix and mingle with friends in a creative environment. Following select shows, join us in the Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery for coffee and cookies and hear directly from the artists in a casual conversation, facilitated by Gallery Director Hope Forstenzer, Chutzpah! Artistic Director Jessica Gutteridge, Chutzpah! Artistic Producing Associate Sophie McNeilly, and guest moderators.

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