Stanley Park Aglow with Sensational Summer Fun
There is truly no better place during Vancouver’s glorious summer months than
the great outdoors. Whether soaking up the sun on a sandy beach, enjoying the
city’s breathtaking views on a sun drenched patio, biking on Vancouver’s endlessly
beautiful seawall, or enjoying the best in live entertainment in Stanley Park - locals
and tourists alike are treated to an over-abundance of summer delights on offer. Tourism Vancouver’s Tickets Tonight, one of the city’s most trusted ticketing companies, and Vancouver’s only same-day, half-price ticketing outlet, is particularly thrilled to be part of the summer excitement unfolding at the city’s crown jewel – Stanley Park. If you’re an enthusiast of toe-tapping, laugh-inducing musical theatre relished under the stars or a fan of rocking out to classic hits performed by music legend Jon Bon Jovi himself, Tourism Vancouver and Tickets Tonight have you covered. As one of our city’s most beloved and longstanding traditions, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) celebrates 75 years of song-and-dance filled summer nights with two smash hits - Oliver! and Hairspray – on stage until August 22 at Stanley Park’s picturesque Malkin Bowl. On alternating evenings, audiences are taken to brisk, fogstrewn 1840s London or jaunty, sweltering 1960s Baltimore, as the jubilant casts dirty their clothes and tease their beehives for the ultimate in feel-good, open-air theatre. Recently hailed as ‘a joy to watch’ with ‘topnotch performances’ by Vancouver critics,
Oliver! - directed by Shel Piercy - is based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel and follows everyone’s favourite orphan on a dramatic adventure through the underbelly of Victorian London. Lionel Bart’s thoughtful book and witty score includes such favourites as Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, I’d Do Anything, and As Long As He Needs Me. Adding even ‘ more’ connectivity to the theatrical performance, when audiences arrive at Oliver! they immediately enter into an 1840s Village Country Fair complete with boisterous sing-alongs, food stalls, foot races, a market, and more. Using a system of specialized ‘shillings’ for payment, the Fair is a fun, immersive experience transporting audiences to a bygone era. Touted as ‘Vancouver’s hit of the summer’, the giddy, gutsy, great-big Broadway sensation Hairspray takes audiences back to 1962 Baltimore where loveable, largerthan-life heroine Tracy Turnblad has one plucky dream: to dance on the local TV program, The Corny Collins Show. Directed by Sarah Rodgers, the triumphant musical with huge heart promises to have the entire family humming the unforgettable tunes long after the summer sensation closes for another season. But if musical theatre isn’t for you and big summer fun means an evening of rock and roll performed by a global superstar – then get set to experience a concert like no other! Representing the inaugural Urban Forest
concert series – a concept based on the vision of presenting the world’s greatest artists in the world’s grandest outdoor venues - Tourism Vancouver is beyond excited that music legend Jon Bon Jovi,
with the Kings of Suburbia, will take to
the stage performing never-ending hits
like ‘ Livin’ On A Prayer’ and ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, at Stanley Park’s Brockton PointField on August 22. Presented by Paper Rain Performances, a Vancouver-based concert producer, the company is dedicated to bringing a new level of entertainment excellence to their concert series while minimizing the environmental impact on Stanley Park. Beyond its commitment to sustainability, Paper Rain Performances will donate up to $100K of profit generated from ticket sales to the charitable organization imagine1day. Imagine1day is a non-profit group - created by Lululemon founders Chip Wilson and Shannon Wilson in 2007 - whose mandate is to ensure all people in Ethiopia have access to quality education free of foreign aid by 2030. The Urban Forest concert series will see audiences, the great outdoors, and the best in entertainment converge to create an encompassing, unforgettable experience in the splendor of Stanley Park.