Theatre
A regal tale

NeWorld Theatre has made a name for itself over the last few years creating original, fantastical works that feature everything from acrobats to kids and the pet pooch. Their innovative and unique approach to theatre hasn’t gone unnoticed. The company has won six Jessie Richardson Awards for their shows Devil Box Cabaret and The Leaky Heaven Circus in Typhoon!

They’re back to their reliable tricks with Opiate Karim (And the Asylum of the Universe), a re-interpreted version of a true story about a king who is brought to power by a "great minister" who is intent on freeing his people from foreign powers. The tale is seen through the eyes of an opium-addicted court jester.

Directed by Camyar Chai, the cabaret-set show features actors (James Fagan Tait, Laara Sadiq, Karin Konoval) and musicians who will also be joined by the spinning of a DJ.

The show runs June 12-15 at Heritage Hall on Main Street then moves to Uforia, a restaurant on Burrard Street June 16 and 17. Call 602-0007 for tickets and more information.

Movies

Serious stuff

It’s not exactly light summertime fare, but Bruce Spangler’s Protection drew critical acclaim when it premiered at the Vancouver film festival last year, particularly for searing performances from local actors Jillian Fargey and Nancy Sivak.

Protection is the story of a social worker on the verge of burning out and a heroin-addicted mother (Fargey) of two children. Sivak plays Jane, the social worker, and she’s concerned that Betty’s boyfriend is abusing her kids.

As she investigates Betty (Fargey), she discovers a loving mother who’s lost control of her life. Does she remove the kids from the home or leave them in what could be a dangerous situation?

Writer/director Spangler based the film on his own experiences, having worked for five years as a social worker and seen the harsh realities of child abuse investigation.

It won’t have the pyrotechnics of Pearl Harbor or the fantasy of Moulin Rouge, but Protection is sure to ignite debate about child protection and the tough job social workers face.

It opens Friday at Fifth Avenue Cinemas.

Music

Hot sauce

Once known simply as the rhythm section of veteran alt-country act Giant Sand, Joey Burns and John Convertino have since struck out on their own as Calexico. More than just another dusty, atmospheric roots act, though, the group—expanded to a six-piece that includes a trumpet player or two for a spicy mariachi flavour—plays the Starfish Room June 7 in support of a new CD collection of odds ’n’ ends. Visit Scratch or Zulu records for tickets.

Creatures of the night

Zinester, scenester and all-around renaissance man Ralph Alfonso demonstrates his vocal and songwriting talents as part of This is For the Night People. The June 7 event, at the Railway Club, also includes performances from reinvented lounge singer Lee Aaron and songwriter Dave Rave, as well as a screening of local director Chris Hooper’s film Vie de Nuit. Tickets at the door.

All over the map

Vancouver’s Universal Gospel Choir performs sacred music from around the world June 9 at Christ Church Cathedral. The choir’s adventurous repertoire roams from African-American gospel to Maori chants, from Buddhist mantras to Jewish prayers and medieval European madrigals. And how can you go wrong when their publicity picture reveals what just might be the happiest choir in town? Visit Black Swan or Highlife Records for tickets, or call 737-1545 for more information.

Viva Cinerama

How long has it been since David Gedge last played Vancouver? Well, at the time he was with his band the Wedding Present, and it played the Town Pump. So his show at the Starfish Room June 6 is something of an event for fans of Gedge, even if he is touring with his new band Cinerama. Always a pop romantic at heart, Cinerama trades in the shambling guitar sound and fast tempos of the Wedding Present for keyboards, strings, horns and female backup vocals on discs like Disco Volante. But Gedge promises a few old Wedding Present songs thrown in for good measure. Visit Scratch or Zulu Records for tickets.

Plastic magic

The man who calls himself Fantastic Plastic Machine, a.k.a. Tomoyuki Tanaka, spins at Sonar June 7. A former fashion writer, Tanaka takes the best of ’70s disco and soul and blends it with contemporary club beats for a stylish and exuberant mix of dance-happy sounds on his latest disc, Beautiful. Tickets at the door.

Chats d’amour

An album of sensitive renditions of old AC/DC songs? They said it couldn’t be done but Mark Kozelek has proven them wrong on two solo CDs. Kozelek, who plays the Starfish with his band the Red House Painters June 8, may work some of those tunes into the set but odds are the San Francisco-based group will concentrate on material from the just-released Painters disc Old Ramon. Finished in 1998 but shelved due to a record company merger, the disc features Kozelek’s gorgeously maudlin melodies overtop meticulous guitar textures and one of the best love songs ever written to a cat. Visit Scratch or Zulu Records for tickets.

Cashing in