Promised Land

Week 31: Vancouver, B.C.

O Canada! We stand on guard for thee. After 22 one week engagements, we arrived weary and grateful at Canadian customs, ready for the month long stay in Vancouver. And what a wonderful place to spend a few weeks! The weather on arrival was mild and perfect, the air fresh, and the sun shining. Vancouver is a beautiful city, a blend of urban streets and glass high rises, tree lined neighborhoods, a true melting pot of cultures, all surrounded by extraordinary beauty--ocean, mountains, trees, beaches... it's breathtaking. The city has a youthful energy and a funky style--the streets are a constantly changing catwalk of contrasting styles. Everyone seems to be parading their own special identity here. And everyone coexists, as in other major cities like New York and London. The second day here was Canada Day, their answer to our Independence Day, and it was a citywide party--outdoor bands, balloons and a generally jubilant energy.




My first couple days were spent walking the streets and neighborhoods of downtown, including a lovely afternoon with my friend Bree in Gastown, which is the historic district and site of the original city that became Vancouver. This area has two characters, which I liken to NYC neighborhoods: the first is a sort of East Village grit--punky shops, crazy junk shops, head shops and cafes where one can smoke-- but not purchase--marijuana; the second is a sort of Soho chic--upscale restaurants, designer clothing boutiques and modern furniture emporiums. The mix is great fun. I indulged in retail therapy in Gastown, adding a designer trench to my growing wardrobe. I have a feeling Vancouver is going to be very, very bad for my wallet.


We are performing at the Centre for the Performing Arts, a modern, glass enclosed complex with an intimate 1800 seats. The interior of the theatre is white with violet velvet seats. We were told that ticket sales are light here in Vancouver but I get the impression that this is a word of mouth town. If our opening night audience is any indicator, Vancouver audiences are a blast! Spontaneous, raucous and very much into the show. We even had a few Python fans in homemade medieval helmets in the front row on our first night. I think we will have a very nice run here.

I love Vancouver! It is the first place on my tour that has felt enough of a world class city, akin to New York, that it feels like a place I could live in happily. As of this posting I have not seen a lot of it but the hustle and bustle of it, the scale of the architecture, the mild weather, and the style of the place all have me energized. Because it is such a cool city, many members of the company have friends and loved ones coming to visit while we are here, and I am no exception. I have someone special here all weekend, and so this first Vancouver posting will have to be a brief one. But never fear--we have three more weeks in this great town and there will be more adventures to come. Meantime, to all my American friends, Happy Fourth!!