Bah! Humbug! returns for a fourth year featuring Juno-Award Winning musician Jim Byrnes as Ebenezer Scrooge in a new twist.
Reconceived as a tale where Scrooge owns a pawn shop on Hastings Street, this imaginative all-ages production offers a bittersweet twist on a cherished classic that celebrates the transformative power of human redemption. Now more than 150 years old, Dickens’ timeless story remains relevant today, especially in light of parallels between the economic disparities of Victorian London and Vancouver’s DTES. Bah! Humbug! runs for three evening performances from December 12-14, 2013 at 7:30 pm and one matinee on December 14 at 2:00 pm at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.
“Each year, the adaptation has different creative twists and turns as we continue to highlight vital issues affecting the DTES. Taking inspiration from Dickens, we’re proud to work in partnership with Vancouver Moving Theatre to benefit a dynamic cultural program in our community” says Michael Boucher, Director, Cultural Programs & Partnerships, SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs.
Commissioned and co-produced by SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs in partnership with Vancouver Moving Theatre with support from SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement, Bah! Humbug! is a benefit for the flagship Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, which partners each year with forty-plus Downtown Eastside involved community arts and non-arts organizations.
Directed by Max Reimer, Bah! Humbug! features Juno award-winning musician Jim Byrnes, taking on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the first time, First Nations actor Margo Kane as the narrator, musician and actor Steve Maddock as Jacob Marley, and gospel and blues singer/actor Tom Pickett as Bob Cratchit. These Vancouver favourites are joined by a cast of professional and DTES community actors. Musical performances are diverse and include pop songs, folk, blues, gospel and industrial rock along with traditional seasonal favourites, directed by Neil Weisensel.
“At the darkest hour of a winter’s night, Scrooge confronts spirits of the past, present and future. Emerging from Coast Salish land buried under city sidewalks, they bring the old pawn broker face to face with memories he cannot bear and relationships he cannot heal,” says Savannah Walling, Artistic Director of Vancouver Moving Theatre, “Dickens’ haunting ghost story is filled with social satire, heartbreak and compassion. We hope that our music filled adaptation shines the light of truth on this old tale and today’s Downtown Eastside.”
Bah! Humbug! runs for four performances only on December 12-14 at 7:30 pm and December 14th at 2:00 pm at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings St. Tickets are $25 (general) and $15 (students/seniors) can be purchased online at www.sfuwoodwards.ca or at the door one hour before showtime. There will be a show preview on December 11 for media, with admittance of the public for a $5 suggested donation.
Media inquiries
Leanne Prain, Marketing and Promotions, SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs
T: 778-782-9223 | E: lyp2@sfu.ca www.sfuwoodwards.ca