Theatre Under the Stars

Recipe for a Perfect Day:
Mix together equally but sequentially —
* 1 morning at a special Unilocal event at Vancouver’s Food Cart Festival
* 1 sunny afternoon at Stanley Park’s Third Beach and
* 1 evening in Malkin Bowl, watching a stage production of Hairspray
Bike between each place, ending with a late night ride down Denman, as you furiously try to research the hundreds of restaurants and bars you’re whizzing by.
My perfect day might not look like yours but I guarantee you can’t err by giving over your evening to Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS).
Each summer, TUTS produces two family friendly musicals, airing them al fresco in Stanley Park’s tree surrounded Malkin Bowl on alternating nights. Sip wine while the sun sets around you as you smile and laugh (in the case of Hairspray) at the on stage production, knowing that it originally ran on Broadway and you’re catching it at pennies on the dollar. I purchased the best seats they sell and was set back a whopping (sarcasm intended) $ 39 (American) per ticket.
TUTS is currently running Hairspray and Oliver on alternating nights. Seating is in plastic lawn chairs for which pads are available for a donation of your choice (or none if you so choose). Ditto on the programs. And if it starts to rain, ponchos are made available free of charge.
On my night at TUTS there was no hint of rain, just a gorgeous night that descended onto and around me as I basked in the joy of seeing something so great in one of the world’s most gorgeous parks. I found the production to be 100% great, 0% amateur.
Pre-​show, food and drink are for sale for consumption in a small picnic area. Having sampled the Salmon Plate ($ 12.50 Canadian) I’d recommend you bring your own picnic and stick to purchasing only snacks and/​or booze. Alternatively, bring in your own picnic food and drinks. I could be caught decanting wine into my cup during the performance; wine makes the show and surroundings all the better.
There was something magical about biking to and from the theatre but if you choose to, be certain to have your post show ride mapped out. Post intermission the sky grows black and the park becomes very dark. I was able to find my way back onto city streets in minutes, but do plan ahead.
If you want to picnic pre-​show I’d recommend doing it right outside the entrance to Malkin Bowl. There’s a gorgeous lawn area surrounded by flowers in bloom.
I so enjoyed my TUTS experience and their Hairspray production that I briefly considered returning for their showing of Oliver. Overruled; there were other experiences waiting to be had in VC. That’s true, but you really couldn’t go wrong by making one of your adventures an evening at TUTS.

Brought my teenage girls and a visiting friend to TUTS production of Hairspray. We were not disappointed. What a great performance. The singing was amazing. We went on a Monday and saved $ 10 per ticket.

This is one of my favorite productions in Vancouver. Every year the put on 2 different shows located in Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park.
The plastic lawn chairs are not all that comfortable, but you can rent cushions if you want.

My mind is literally doing BACK FLIPS just thinking about the wonderful things I’ve seen here!
Summer 2012: We saw The Music Man. It was SPECTACULAR! Absolutely wonderful atmosphere for stage shows and a marvelous camp for children! I enjoyed every moment of this performance.
The food stalls, mind you, can be quite expensive. But the people are friendly, and it almost makes the cost worthwhile. However, they do allow outside food. We brought our sandwiches, showed up 2 hours earlier and ate our dinner on the lawn — equipped with plastic tables and chairs! Then, my husband and I discovered the amazing, colorful, chewy, mouth-​full-​of-​heaven candy, that is: Salt Water Taffy. And that, kids, was how we became utterly and helplessly addicted.
The ticket prices are very much in the high end of any scale, so if you’re a student, take advantage of the student pricing! The only down side to that is the availability of tickets and seats. You see, you can only purchase student tickets AT THE GATE, ON THE DAY OF the performance. ***Bring your student ID! That also explains why we showed up 2 hours early! There were 2 beautiful seats right in the middle, on the very last row of the front section. We thanked our lucky *stars*! Otherwise –without the student advantage — I’d still fork out the money anyway.
Tip: Each year, the company produces 2 shows. The ticket to each show will get you a discount for the other show. So, keep your tickets if you’re interested in catching both productions!
TUTS really knows how to show you a good time. I can’t wait to see another TUTS production next summer!

Annual tradition, this years performance of TITANIC was epic! Loved it! Best so far out the three years I’ve attended performances. If you’re a local or visitor make this a must. Tip — bring a blanket or warm clothes, once the sun goes down it can get a bit chilly — depending on the day’s weather. Mosquito repellent may be required depending on the weather.

It’s a unique summer event that’s not to be missed. Featuring popular musical theatre shows, an outdoor stage is set up and seating is completely outdoors.
Tickets are sold by rows, and they’re assigned seats. You also have the option of bringing a picnic blanket and watching it from the hillside. There are snacks and drinks available for purchase.
I’ve been to three of these performances: Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie, and most recently, Anything Goes.
I’ve always had a good time, live music, singing, dancing… it all works together resulting in a wonderful performance.
It’s a good idea to bring blankets and dress warmly, as it does get chilly later on at night. Also bring insect repellent.
Check it out!

I doubt it will come as a surprise to any of you that not only do I enjoy musical theatre, but that I’ve done my fair share as well. So, when our lovely CM Robin asked if I was interested in going to Theatre Under The Stars, well… it’s probably best for her ear drums that we communicated over Unilocal.
Stanley Park might be in the top five of «Things That Make Downtown Vancouver Totes Amaze»; I’ve moved around a lot in my day and never have I lived in a city with such a lush park literally on my doorstep. The Malkin Bowl is an amazing venue and the set up for TUTS is a testament to how much theatre is respected in Vancouver. While they have a concession stand, café and bar available, I’m telling you to get there early so you can grab a drink at Stanley’s Park Bar & Grill next door. I didn’t get a chance to do this but when I go back to TUTS, I will because like most things in life, it’s better with a buzz.
Oh yeah, you read that — I’m going back.
Being new to Vancouver, I wasn’t exactly familiar with TUTS or how they operate but I was happy to note that they have more than one show running during the summer. I happened to see «Anything Goes» on a Sunday evening, but they’re also performing «Bye Bye Birdie» which, if you’re a fan of Mad Men, you know that it’s impossible to get the title song out of your head.
All that being said, would I recommend a Theatre Under The Stars experience? Yes, most definitely, and I think it’s an experience everyone can enjoy even if they aren’t into musical theatre. There’s something to be said for being outside on a summer night in Stanley Park, watching an over the top spectacle like a musical performed in front of you that makes you really appreciate the city we live in. Also, musicals are meant to be enjoyed, so even if you think people breaking out into song is silly, the show itself is usually funny (and self-​aware).
Basically, I’m saying that girls can have nice date with their bro-​friends and they’ll be surprised how much they enjoy it.
Pro-​tip: bring a jacket or blanket just in case the temperature is less than cooperative, and definitely buy a drink to relax with. Oh, and if the weather gets all up in your face, TUTS has ponchos so you can tough it out in the rain; umbrellas aren’t allowed because they can block someone’s view, yo.

What a wonderful setting for community theatre! I took in the Joseph and Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat show and was impressed with the location, set-​up, and staff.
The show offered a solid performance by the young cast and even used an audience member throughout the show. Yes, they brought up an unsuspecting child from the audience and made them the star of the entire show — a nice touch!
Chairs are well-​labeled and arranged, making it a comfortable experience as well. You may want to consider a blanket or coat as it gets cool in the evenings. In retrospect, I could have used a slightly thicker jacket.
And, don’t forget some spare change as a concession worker walks around with a box of tempting treats … I finally broke down and bought the Cracker-​Jack. Surprisingly, they don’t strongarm you on the concession goods — it was only a couple bucks for a big bag of Cracker-​Jack.
Staff was friendly and helpful both before and after the performance.

It’s a great event for a summer evening in the park. I enjoyed every bit of it from the racoon sneaking a peak with its binoculars in the poster to the outdoor production in a beautiful park.
We went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was fun and entertaining. Just remember it IS a community theatre production staffed with teenagers so it helps not to be too critical. Seeing it with my partner who was a theatre major in college didn’t help …
If you are running late from work, you can get your dinner there too and have an impromptu picnic in the park — burgers, hot dogs, wraps and even sushi.

Came to a showing of ‘Singing In The Rain’ last night and had a wonderful time! Malkin Bowl is an excellent setting and with the new assigned seating, everyone is able to easily find their seat. There were quite a few people who chose to sit on the grassy hillside where you can bring a blanket or your own lawn chairs. Snacks and a café are available and you’re able to bring in your own treats.
Not being familiar with the storyline, I was very pleased to find the show full of tap dancing, singing, and fabulous costumes. Big dance numbers apparently matched those in the movie and overall the show was very well done! There were a couple of blips with the sound where the characters weren’t properly mic’d but this was quickly fixed and so not very many lines were missed.
It definitely gets chilly here at night and it’s highly suggested that you bring blankets and warm sweaters with you, even if it’s a super warm day. They do sell sweatshirts and blankets if you forget yours and want to watch the show in comfort.
For tickets, check the website as the first few performances of each show are at a reduced price and they offer quite a few deals for students and families.
This season, Jacob and the Amazing Technicoloured Dreamcoat is playing on alternate nights of Singing in the Rain. The 2010 season runs from July 11– Aug 21.

Every July and August, Theatre Under the Stars presents two musical theatre pieces in the Malkin Bowl Theatre in Stanley Park. Typically, they’ll produce one comedy and one darker piece; this year they had «Annie Get Your Gun» and «Jesus Christ Superstar». I saw «Annie Get Your Gun» and it was excellent. The cast was witty, and the singing and dancing were, for the most part, superb. This is all the more remarkable considering that all of the cast members are volunteers — now that deserves a standing ovation! There is a lively and pleasantly fun ambience at Theatre Under the Stars, but do come prepared to be chilly; the shows are long, and as the sun finishes setting, you’ll need a sweater or two. If you’re lucky, you might get to see some critters join the show; on the night I went, a family of raccoons ran on stage, and, needless to say, they stole the show… almost!