The Details

District 13 presents Catching Fire: The Musical by Mark Vandenberg. In this hilarious pop culture parody sequel to last year’s smash hit Hunger Games: The Musical, Katniss Everdeen continues to defy the Capitol, play with Peeta’s heart and belt out songs in the style of Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande.

Along with skewering the plot, character and themes from the original story, the musical is packed with upbeat mainstream pop songs with new creative lyrics. We have assembled almost the entire cast back for another go around.

Produced, Written & Directed by Mark Vandenberg.

Co-Produced by Frank Nickel.

Musical Direction by Rick Colhoun and Oker Chen.

Choreography by Rebecca Piplica and Andrea Loewen.

Production Design by Zac Shymka.

Stage Management by Julia Lank.

Featuring: Jennifer Pielak, Riley Qualtieri, Richard Meen, Morgan Churla, Matthew Simmons, Rebecca Piplica, Ryan Scramstad, Cecilia Rahoerason, Lisa Penz, Amy Dauer, Munish Sharma and Oker Chen.

Catching Fire: The Musical is now on at Studio 1398 (1398 Cartwright Street, Granville Island) until October 1st. Tickets are available through BrownPaperTickets.com.

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
For Young People

The post “Catching Fire: The Musical” at Studio 1398 appeared first on Biz Books.

Here’s a recap of some of our best Biz moments in 2015.

MOVIES

Among the films we supported this year were The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Project Almanac, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Miss Julie, The Riot Club, Mr. Holmes, Terminator: Genisys, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Daddy’s Home, and The Big Short.

Thank you to our loyal customers for dutifully entering contests and attending advance screenings.

INTERVIEWS

2015 brought us more interviews than we’ve ever had before!

We spoke to Nimisha Mukerji, Brendan Taylor, Jonny Weston, Tom Kenny, Crazy8s 2015 filmmakers Caitlyn Byrnes, Jem Garrard, and Mo Soliman, S. Siobhan McCarthy, Evan Frayne, Christina Wells Campbell, Pamela Wise, Jay Brazeau, Rachel Peake, Jeff Seymour, Lochlyn Munro, Michelle Muldoon, Lori Triolo, Peter Skagen, Lisa London, Rebecca Coleman, Peter New, Esther Cohen, Tyler Labine, Julie Casselman, Brandon Bate and Joel R. Butler of Eurydice, Morgan Churla, Riley Qualtieri and Mark Vandenberg of Hunger Games: The Musical, Emilio Salituro, Shauna Johannesen, Katherine Monk, Angie Burns, Kim Larson and Matthew Simmons of Smoke on the Mountain, Christopher Chacon, Rebecca Lee, Sara Bynoe, Martha Ross, Tiarra Sulyk, Jessica McLeod and Athena Russell of Bitchpop Productions, Chris Lam, Anita Adams, Sam Mitchell, Byron Abando, and Jamieson McCormack of Love Musically, Robyn Wiener, David C. Jones, and Christine Quintana.

EVENTS

We were also out and about supporting industry events such as the Crazy8s 2015 Gala, our own May Play Sale and Pop-Up Store and Where There’s Smoke: An Encounter with William B. Davis, the launch of Crazy8s 2016, and theatre productions like Laburnum Grove, Glengarry Glen Ross, The North Plan, and Heathers: The Musical.

All in all, we had a blast sharing all of this with you and we can’t wait to see what 2016 brings!

Happy New Year from all of us at BizBooks.net!

The post The Biz Books 2015 Year in Review appeared first on Biz Books.

Opening on December 4th, this production is directed by Sarah Rodgers and features a cast that includes Peter Church, Matthew Simmons, Chris Lam, Diana Squires, Paul Griggs, and Kirsty Provan. We spoke with Chris Lam about his involvement in this production and what went into this incarnation of the Charles Dickens classic.

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What is your involvement with A Christmas Carol: On the Air and how did that get started?

This year I’m doing voices for multiple characters and musically directing all the musical sections of the piece. I was involved last year with Pacific Theatre’s It’s a Wonderful Life radio play primarily playing many voices and dancing in a sombrero. I was invited back to read for this version of A Christmas Carol as I’ve already established a working relationship with director, Sarah Rodgers and adapter, Peter Church and they were excited to see if I can fill the shoes of musical director and operating most of the Foley sounds.

What drew you to be a part of this production?

Initially, there was talk of remounting It’s a Wonderful Life, because it had been very successful and the idea was to remount with the original cast. The radio play conceit is one that doesn’t get done often in Vancouver, however, Pacific Theatre ended up going with an adaptation with Christmas Carol which is in some sense the original version of Wonderful Life. But it will be great to work with Sarah Rodgers and Peter Church again and working at PT, which is just a like second creative home for me.

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
For Young People

Can you share some of your creative process in preparing for the role – from the initial planning all the way to opening night? 

Because the show is primarily a radio play, the focus is really generating distinct character voices, and usually the presentation is pretty static. We want to listen to the voice and the text, but Sarah wanted to make it visually more interesting by staging it with more movement like a staged reading, so there is a fun layer of watching the process of radio play actors creating voices and playing with the expectation of how one is actually seen when doing radio. “A face for radio” ring a bell? Our rehearsal process is short because essentially we don’t have to memorize our lines, but having the familiarity of the text and versatility in manipulating voices make it an intense and urgent production.

What should audiences expect from this show?

The “studio” cast returns to do a reading of A Christmas Carol.

What are the three most important ingredients for a successful stage production?

Generosity, playfulness, and discovery.

Are there any books or authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

I love reading pulpy novelists such as Stephen King and I try reading one play a day. Playwrights like Sam Shepard, Judith Thompson, Edward Albee, Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov… pretty standard diet.

What is the most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Keep re-inventing yourself.

What other projects do you have coming up and where can people find out more about you online?

I’m currently directing a production of Paul Zindel’s The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds and working on writing  a new play with Frank Theatre. I will hopefully be directing a revival of Dogfight in Vancouver for March.

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Our thanks to Chris Lam for speaking with us! For more information about A Christmas Carol: On the Air, please visit PacificTheatre.org

The post The Biz Interview: Chris Lam appeared first on Biz Books.

This is the story behind Smoke on the Mountain, the first production of Pacific Theatre’s 2015-2016 Season. We caught up with Kim Larson and Matthew Simmons, two of the stars of Smoke on the Mountain, to find out a little bit more about the production and their respective careers.

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What is your involvement with Smoke on the Mountain and how did that get started?

Kim Larson: I’m playing Denise Sanders in Smoke on the Mountain.  I got involved through my Apprenticeship at Pacific Theatre.

Matthew Simmons: I play Dennis Sanders, he’s one of the twins. He’s the boy. I also play upright bass during some of the songs. I had worked with Sarah Rogers last December in It’s A Wonderful Life Radio Play at Pacific Theatre, so she put my name in for consideration when they were holding auditions.

What drew you to be a part of this production?

Kim Larson: I love this style of music.  I grew up with it and love singing it.  So this production is really exciting for me to get to sing a swack of old time music.

Matthew Simmons: As soon as the concept of the family band was explained to me I was drawn in. I love a lot of music including folk, Gospel, and country, and this has touches of all of them throughout. When I was cast I had not been in a scripted musical yet, I’d only ever improvised musicals with Off Key Improv, so I knew it would be a challenge that would really push me.

Can you share some of your creative process in preparing for the role – from the initial planning all the way to opening night?

Kim Larson: I always start by reading the play a few times and then hunkering into some text work, looking at what my character says about herself, what other characters say about her.  I see what my first hit is on things – what makes me laugh out loud the first time, if I tear up at anything.  Those first bits can be really useful clues about her journey.  Then I sourced all the songs (read: YouTube) and tried to get familiar with them.  Once we meet as a group, it’s always exciting for me to see what the Director’s vision is for the show and what other actors bring to their characters.  That changes how I see my character and the offers I bring to rehearsal.  Then it’s just hard work and lots of playing around – learning the songs, building character, and exploring how everything grows and develops.

Matthew Simmons: The biggest part for me is getting used to talking like the character. I’ve been looking for the sound of his voice, his accent, and cadence. There are some things that you can pull from the text, especially in his monologue, and some of it comes from the way he sings, and the rest is just what feels right for his place within the family and how the all talk to one another.

Recommended Reading The Perfect Stage Crew
2nd Edition Click a cover for more details Empire of the Son Ignite: Illuminating Theatre
For Young People

What should audiences expect from this show?

Kim Larson: A lot of laughter and great music.  I think the show is both sweet and ridiculous.  The antics this family gets up to are hilarious and they are so genuine that you can’t help but laugh.

Matthew Simmons: It has a lot of levity but right down at the core there is a lot of honesty about how people act, whether it be alone or with each other. It also says a lot about how we see ourselves and judge ourselves. There truth, and there’s also a lot of great music. You’ll be leaving with more than a few melodies in your head.

What are the three most important ingredients for a successful stage production?

Kim Larson: I’m a pretty big fan of simplicity:  A good story, good storytellers, and an audience who wants to go on that journey with you.

Matthew Simmons: Having source material that really speaks to you, respect for your fellow performers, crew, and audience, and knowing how to take care of yourself.

Are there any books or authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

Kim Larson: I love Kate DiCamillo.  She writes children’s novels and she weaves the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read.  I adore reading them to children, but I may (on occasion) read them aloud to myself alone in my room.

Matthew Simmons: I cut my teeth on a lot of fantasy and science fiction, and I especially like those who combine sharp analytical minds with a sense of humour. Douglas Adams, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Terry Pratchett come to mind. I’d also add Bill Bryson for his similar approach to non-fiction work.

What is the most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Kim Larson: Don’t get too attached to anything.  Learning how to give my whole heart to a moment and then not be hurt if it gets cut.

Matthew Simmons: If you can do what you love and love what you do then all of the thousand little frustrations each day won’t matter. You’ll be able to look at it and be happy with yourself and with the people around you.

What other projects do you have coming up and where can people find out more about you online?

Kim Larson: I’m producing a show this Fall with the other ladies I’m apprenticing with.  We’re very excited about it, but can’t release details yet!

Matthew Simmons: I’ll be returning for another staged radio play at Pacific Theatre this December in A Christmas Carol on the Air. And I’ll be continuing to perform with Off Key Improv around Vancouver. Sorry, there’s not really a place to search for me online. I’m a digital ghost!

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Our thanks to Kim Larson and Matthew Simmons for speaking with us! Check out Smoke on the Mountain at Pacific Theatre until November 1st!

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The post The Biz Interview: Smoke on the Mountain Cast Spotlight appeared first on Biz Books.