Full program information
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LISA NEMET
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EVENT DETA ILS: CHUTZPA
TICKETS AND
Welcome to the 2024 Chutzpah! Festival The Lisa Nemetz International Jewish Performing Arts Festival The past year has been a difficult one for our community. We have seen that in difficult times, coming together to witness and participate in art helps us to find solace, to make sense of a complex world, and to understand the perspectives of others. It is more important than ever that we can celebrate Jewish culture and artistic expression, and that we can share our culture in all its vibrance and diversity with the world. We are so grateful for the generosity of our community for stepping up to make this year’s Chutzpah! Festival a reality. The Chutzpah! Festival looks a little different this year. For ten days in November, the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre and several other Vancouver venues will be filled with thrilling music, theatre, comedy, dance, film, and multimedia arts showcasing exciting local, national, and international artists. But the festivities don’t end there – Chutzpah! will return throughout the year, with more opportunities to enjoy top talent from across Canada and around the world. Our program is packed with concerts ranging from Klezmer to cabaret to roots music, innovative dance work, theatre, community-engaged storytelling, and hilarious comedy, paired with workshops, stimulating conversations and opportunities to interact with creative artists.
We are delighted to partner once again with our friends at Caravan World Rhythms, The Dance Centre, and the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival. There is something for everyone, and we hope you will invite family and friends to join us. We look forward to seeing you at Chutzpah! and to welcome you in
person. Warmly,
Jessica Mann Gutteridge Artistic Managing Director
Remembering Lisa Nemetz (March 31, 1955 – May 17, 1997)
Lisa Nemetz was a dancer, a lawyer, a lover of the arts, and a tireless advocate for the treatment of women with breast cancer. She was also active in promoting the arts as a member of the Community Arts Council. Lisa was a devoted wife to her husband David Levi, mother to children Yoni and Miri, and shared her love with her sister Laurie, extended family, and many close friends. We are honoured to have the festival named in her memory, and to dedicate our 2024 dance programming to Lisa, through the generosity of the Phyliss & Irving Snider Foundation.
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OPENING WEEKEND EVENT
Kommuna Lux (Ukraine) November 2 | 7pm The Pearl
Presented in Partnership with Caravan World Rhythms This festive evening of world music brings Ukrainian klezmer sensations Kommuna Lux to Chutzpah! to kick off our opening weekend with a rousing, danceable concert event. This award-winning music collective performs in their own unique style, which they call “Odesa Urban Folk”, thrilling klezmer music and common gangster folk songs from their hometown. This multicultural port city of Odesa is world-famous for its significant Jewish culture and for being the birthplace of the Urban Chanson genre with streets that are rich with nostalgia and a bohemian Black Sea coastal vibe. These musical influences are set to a timeless new level by the vibrant performances of lead singer Bagrat Tsurkan and his band of virtuoso musicians. Kommuna Lux plays joyful songs and melodies from Odesa and all Eastern Europe in spiced up arrangements that will keep you dancing all night long. Sponsored by Community Partner RBC.
$34 General Admission $29 Students with ID
19+ venue with limited seating Contact the Box Office for accessibility needs
Photo by Maria Dmytrenko. COVER: Jeremy Goldstein in Truth to Power Café. Photo by Ken Leanfore.
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Yamma Ensemble (Israel) November 5 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
“Yamma” means “toward the sea” in Hebrew. In Arabic it means “mother.” Since 2010, the five members of the Yamma Ensemble have made their mark sharing Hebrew and Jewish music with international audiences. With influences including ancient traditions, tribal singing, sacred and secular Jewish chants, the ensemble brings virtuosic Middle Eastern and world instrumentation on unique instruments such as the dudek, ney, shofar, bansuri, didgeridoo, fujara, kopuz, and oud. Yamma Ensemble will also present an intergenerational matinee performance on November 4 geared to school and senior’s groups. An optional workshop exploring Middle Eastern instruments and rhythms will be available following the performance. For group tickets and booking information, contact the box office at 604.257.5145 or nrt@jccgv.bc.ca. Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Ronald S Roadburg Foundation. This artist is also supported by the JCC Association’s Mit-Habrim program.
The intergenerational matinee is sponsored by The Weinberg Residence.
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Jew of Oklahoma (USA) Mark Rubin November 6 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Oklahoma-born, Texas-reared, and now living in New Orleans, multi- instrumentalist Mark Rubin is an unabashed Southern Jew, known equally for his muscular musicianship and larger-than-life persona, evoking Woody Guthrie and Will Rodgers. Over an accomplished 40+ year career, he has accompanied or produced a virtual who’s-who of American traditional music, while straddling numerous musical genres including country, Western swing, bluegrass, Cajun, Tex-Mex, polka, klezmer, Roma, and more. In his solo show, Jew of Oklahoma, story and song take centre stage, offering Southern Americana from a Jewish, socially conscious point of view.
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Jacob Samuel: Big Talk (Canada) November 1 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Jacob Samuel , Vancouver’s very own Juno award-winning comedian, returns to Chutzpah! to headline a side-splitting lineup of hometown comedy, hosted by Kyle Berger, featuring Sophia Johnson and Myles Anderson . Known for his clever and insightful comedy, Jacob Samuel is an award- winning Canadian stand-up comic, cartoonist, and writer. He has made appearances on national television networks, including CBC, The Comedy Network, Crave, and CBC Gem. On radio, Jacob can be heard on Sirius XM and CBC’s “The Debaters.” He has been featured multiple times at Montreal’s Just for Laughs and Winnipeg Comedy Festivals. In 2021, Jacob won the Juno Award for “Comedy Album of the Year” for his debut album Horse Power . A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Tikva Housing Society.
Note: For our friends who observe Shabbat, Jacob will be performing two special shows for filming on November 9 at China Cloud Studio (524 Main St at 7:00pm and 9:30pm). We encourage you to attend that performance and Cabaret Yitish on November 10. https://bit.ly/SamuelBigTalk
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The Last Night at the Cabaret Yitesh (Canada/Germany/Austria/USA) November 9 & 10 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
Chutzpah! is proud to present The Last Night at the Cabaret Yitesh (di letste nakht baym yitesh) , an uproariously edgy show from the New York Times best-selling author and celebrated Canadian Yiddishist Michael Wex . Set in spring of 1938, the censor’s office has just advised the performers in Warsaw’s Yiddish-language “Cabaret Yitesh” that tonight’s show will be their last. With visas to leave the country and nothing left to lose, the performers decide to present material that the censors had already forbidden, along with the cabaret’s greatest hits and most famous skits. Join Chutzpah! and our all-star international cast, including Shane Baker , Daniel Kahn , Regina Hopfgartner , Patrick Farrell , and Sasha Lurje , for an evening of cabaret songs from the ’30s, original comedy sketches, and Yiddish adaptations of international hits and vaudeville and drag classics. In Yiddish with English supertitles.
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DANCE DOUBLE BILL Fortress (Canada) Rebecca Margolick and Livona Ellis About Time (Israel/Canada) Ne.Sans Opera & Dance, Idan Cohen November 8 & 9 | 7pm Scotiabank Dance Centre
Chutzpah! presents two dance World Premieres, with the support of its community partner, The Dance Centre. In Fortress , the debut collaborative piece by Chutzpah! resident artists and festival favourites Rebecca Margolick and Livona Ellis , the artists explore their connection to their ever-evolving relationship to femininity, and the balance between their strength and vulnerability. Seeking both discomfort and safety, they draw inspiration from the matriarchs in their lives, building toward a deeper understanding of themselves. Ellis is well known for her work with Ballet BC and Kidd Pivot, and is a respected choreographer, performer, and dance educator in Vancouver. BC-born and -raised Margolick lived in NYC for 15 years, but has recently returned to Vancouver. In addition to dancing with companies such as Sidra Bell Dance NY and Andrea Peña & Artists, Rebecca’s choreographic works and solos have been presented in Canada, the U.S., and internationally.
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About Time continues Idan Cohen ’s journey through Philip Glass’ solo piano etudes, performed live by award-winning pianist Leslie Dala , featuring dancers Will Jessup and Benjamin DeFaria . Glass’ music captures an abstraction sense of time, telling a story without words through his minimalistic, crystalline rhythms— timeless yet strikingly relevant. About Time poses poignant questions: How do we confront time? Can we stop it? Rush ahead? Or is it ever possible to reverse it? Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Ronald S Roadburg Foundation. The dance program is dedicated to Lisa Nemetz through the generosity of the Snider Foundation and this show is sponsored by Emet Davis. Note: For our friends who observe Shabbat, we recommend attending the November 9 performance of About Time & Fortress and the November 10 performance of Cabaret Yitish .
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TICKETS TICKETS:
Chutzpahfestival.com 604.257.5145
Regular Chutzpah! Events $40 Adults $34
Students/Seniors (with ID)
$18 $18
Film Screening
Truth to Power Café digital streaming option $12.50 Special Matinee Group Ticket (minimum 10 tickets) Kommuna Lux at The Pearl $34 General Admission $29 Students with ID ChutzPacks $136 ChutzPack (4 regular-price shows) $118 ChutzPack (student/senior with ID) GST and Service Charges Apply
Please note that tickets are non-refundable but may be transferred to another guest. Exchanges are based on availability. Group rates are available. Contact the box office at 604.257.5145 or nrt@jccgv.bc.ca to inquire. All attendees require a ticket. However, babies in arms up to age 1 may attend without a ticket if they will sit on a caregiver’s lap. The Chutzpah! Festival is committed to keeping ticket prices accessible despite rising costs. If cost is a barrier to attendance, contact the box office at 604-257-5145 or nrt@ jccgv.bc.ca to access our limited quantity of sponsored low-cost and free tickets.
See 4 DIFFERENT SHOWS of your choice for ONLY $136
ORDER NOW Chutzpahfestival.com | 604.257.5145 Student/Senior ChutzPack $118
CHUTZ PACK
Venues at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver are located at 950 West 41st Avenue (between Oak and Willow). Onsite pay parking is available, and the venue is located two blocks west of the Oakridge Skytrain station and steps from Oak Street and 41st Avenue bus lines
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Schedule At-a-Glance Date Time Venue Event
Page
Friday November 1 Saturday November 2 Sunday November 3 Monday November 4
7pm NRT
Jacob Samuel: Big Talk
6 3
7pm The Pearl
Kommuna Lux
7pm NRT/STREAM Truth to Power Café
12/13
10am NRT
Yamma Ensemble Intergenerational Matinee & Workshop Gimpel the Fool Returns to Poland (Nephesh Theatre/Howard Rypp)
4
Monday November 4
7pm NRT
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Tuesday November 5 Wednesday November 6
7pm NRT 7pm NRT 7pm SDC
Yamma Ensemble
4 5
Mark Rubin: Jew of Oklahoma
Friday November 8
Dance Double Bill About Time (Ne.Sans Opera & Dance) Fortress (Rebecca Margolick and Livona Ellis) Dance Double Bill About Time (Ne.Sans Opera & Dance) Fortress (Rebecca Margolick and Livona Ellis)
8/9
Saturday November 9
7pm SDC
8/ 9
Saturday November 9 Sunday November 10
7pm NRT 7pm NRT
The Last Night at the Cabaret Yitesh The Last Night at the Cabaret Yitesh
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NRT Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre | JCC First Floor Zack Gallery Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery | JCC First Floor SDC Scotiabank Dance Centre | 677 Davie Street, Vancouver The Pearl 881 Granville Street, Vancouver
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. chutzpahfestival.com/workshops-2024
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 Festival artistic staff and guest moderators.
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Truth to Power Café (UK/Australia) Jeremy Goldstein in collaboration with community members November 3 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre
From Adelaide to Zagreb and now in Vancouver for its Canadian premiere, Jeremy Goldstein ’s Truth to Power Café is a profound theatrical reflection on loss, hope, and resistance. This internationally acclaimed award-winning performance event is told through memoir, image, film, poetry, music, and true and authentic stories from the people of Vancouver in response to the question: ‘who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?’ Personal, professional, political – speaking truth to power is a non- violent means of conflict resolution, the origins of which lie in the anti-war movement. Is it to your parents, a sibling, politician, landlord, neighbour, banker, boss, or simply your best friend? It’s time to tell them the truth before it’s too late. Truth to Power Café is inspired by the political and philosophical beliefs of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter and his inner Jewish circle “The Hackney Gang”, who included Jeremy Goldstein’s late father, Mick Goldstein , and poet and actor Henry Woolf . Digital Stream available
Michael Winograd
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Share Your Story! Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth to Power Café is currently seeking eight participants across BC’s Lower Mainland to participate in the show on November 3, 2024. We welcome participants of all ages, experiences and backgrounds with true and authentic stories to tell in response to the question ‘who has power over you and what do you want to say to them?’ Selected submissions will be developed into short monologues of up to 500 words and presented by the participants in their own voice. Participants can elect to memorize their monologue or read it from the page or their phone as part of the performance event. The submission deadline is October 3, 2024 at 11:59pm (Pacific Daylight Time). For details and to enter visit chutzpahfestival.com/participate
Nani Noam Vazana
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Gimpel the Fool Returns to Poland (Canada/Israel) Nephesh Theatre/Howard Rypp November 4 | 7pm Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre Co-Presented with the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival A treasure from the Yiddish literature, Nobel prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer ’s frankness and courage to grapple with good and evil make his very specific world of pre-Holocaust Europe to be both accessible and universal. Israel’s award-winning theatre company, Nephesh Theatre , has been performing their stage adaptation of Singer’s “Gimpel the Fool” with a rich soundtrack of voices and klezmer music in a surrealistic theatrical presentation around the world for 18 years. The film, by Nephesh Artistic Director Howard Rypp , co-presented by Chutzpah! with the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival, follows the show’s journey throughout different towns of Poland, while tracing Singer’s escape from the Holocaust, finally finding refuge in the USA. Following the screening, Howard Rypp and his co-writer Howard Wiseman will discuss the film and take questions from the audience. Chutzpah! Festival programming of Israeli artists is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and the Ronald S Roadburg Foundation. $18
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At the heart of every community, you’ll find organizations fueled by committed people who are passionate about building a better future for us all. We are inspired by our friends at Chutzpah! Festival and their continuous efforts to embrace and celebrate the vibrant cultural heritage of the community! The best way to support a community is to be a part of it.
rbc.com/community
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Proud media partner of The Chutzpah! Festival
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February 22-27, 2025
February 11-16 2023
jccgv.com/jewish-book-festival
February 8–13 2020
February 20–25 2021
February 8–13 2020
February 8–13 2020
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NORTH BY NORTHWEST MARGARET GALLAGHER WITH WEEKENDS 6 AM
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A PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL
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FUNDERS & SPONSORS
The Chutzpah! Festival would not be possible without the generosity of our community, including individual donors, sponsors, and government and private funders. Our heartfelt gratitude to all who have supported us, enabling us not just to survive but to thrive. To learn more about these remarkable individuals, families, organizations, and sponsors, and how you can join them with your support, visit chutzpahfestival.com/support
Phyliss And Irving Snider Foundation
Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
Premiere Digital Partner
Premiere Broadcast Partner
Premiere Print Partner
COMMUNITY PARTNERS The Dance Centre Caravan World Rhythms Vancouver Jewish Film Festival Sidney & Gertrude Zack Gallery
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CHUTZPAH! TEAM
CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL STAFF 2024 Jessica Mann Gutteridge Artistic Managing Director Holly Karpuik Production Manager Jodi Smith (JLS Entertainment) Marketing & Public Relations Flick Harrison Video Director Kitra Jeanne Festival Producing Associate Emily Trepanier Festival Technical Director John Endo Greenaway (Big Wave Design) Graphic Designer Jesse Tanaka Digital Marketing Manager Sophie McNeilly Volunteer and Event Coordinator Eva Staub Festival Administrative Assistant
A very special thank you to the wonderful Chutzpah! Festival volunteers who donate generously of their time to support festival events and activities.
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Jacob Samuel
Truth to Power Café
Mark Rubin
Gimpel the Fool Returns to Poland
Ne.Sans Opera & Dance
Livona Ellis & Rebecca Margolick
Kommuna Lux
Last Night at the Cabaret Yitesh Yamma Ensemble
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