BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for February 19-25

Granville Island’s Winterruption showcases dozens of performances at Granville Island

What to do in BC this week

See Death of a Salesman – February 12 – March 5

Back in the day, people proudly embraced the notion of the American Dream, with folks the world over flocking to the United States to get in on the action. Arthur Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (and ex-Mr. Marilyn Monroe), wasn’t buying it. He set out to show that the big dream is often more illusion than reality for Average Joes in his 1949 drama Death of a Salesman, which follows Willy Loman, a 63-year-old so-so salesman still waiting for his big break. See it from February 12 to March 5 at the Vancouver Playhouse (Hamilton & Dunsmuir), starting at 8 p.m. Tickets can be reserved online or by calling 604-873-3311.


Catch Comedian Chelsea Handler
 – February 19
No topic is too sacred for Chelsea Handler, stand-up comedy’s latest equal-opportunity offender. And while Angelina Jolie is reportedly no fan — we’ll chalk it up to Handler’s recent, highly publicized put-downs of the trout-pouted star — Angie’s apparently in the minority. After all, the brazen blonde comedian has earned a spot on Forbes’ “Celebrity 100” list, albeit at No. 98. If you’re used to seeing Handler on late-night television as host of E!’s Chelsea Lately, you can catch her in person on February 19 at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are priced from $100 per person and available from ticketmaster.ca.

Get in Line for Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood – February 19

Whose Line Is It Anyway? may be off the airwaves, but stars Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood haven’t exactly been resting on their laurels. The funnyguys, who recently returned from two successful solo tours, have teamed up to give you more bang for your buck in a live show on February 19 at River Rock Casino Resort (8811 River Road, Richmond). But be forewarned: this quick-witted tag team plans to create some laughs at your expense by calling random audience members up to the stage to join them in on-the-spot skits. No pressure! Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $49.50 for orchestra seating and $10 more for Golden Circle seats, and are available at Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 604-280-4444.

See Dance Dynamo Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg
 – February 20
“Dance meets theatre, they end up necking in the basement.” That’s a teaser about what you can expect from Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, a contemporary dancer known for her highly physical, character-driven solos that blend movement, text, dance and theatre with a generous dose of comic-tragedy. Always a crowd-pleaser, she promises a one-hour show full of high-stepping adventure on February 20 at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver), starting at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Ticket price for the 2 p.m. matinee is pay-what-you-can, and $10 in advance or $15 at the door for the 4 p.m. performance. For more details, visit newworks.ca or call 604-893-8807.

Get Wellness Tips – February 23

Artificial is out! If you’re keen to go green when it comes to your health, you can pick up a cartload of tips along with your groceries at Choices Market at the Crest (8683 10th Avenue, Burnaby) on February 23. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., wellness expert 
Dr. Brad Dunstan will be on hand for a Q&A session with shoppers about ways to enhance your health naturally. It’s free, too, but you need to pre-register by calling 604-522-0936 or by checking in at Choices’ health-care department. Upcoming events will be taking place at the Burnaby, Yaletown, South Surrey and Kelowna stores.

Y Not
 Attend the YYoga Book Club – February 24
If the age-old reputation of jocks is any indication, people obsessed with exercising the body aren’t necessarily as keen on exercising the brain. Toss out that tired stereotype and check out the South Granville YYoga Book Club, which unites bookworms and body benders alike to literary pow-wows on the third Thursday of every month. This month’s session, set for February 24 at 8:30 p.m., features the non-fiction book How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally. Haven’t read it? No sweat. You can still sit in for the session at YYoga studio’s tea lounge (#201-1627 West Broadway, Vancouver). For more details, call 604-736-6009 or email yyogabookworm@gmail.com.


Catch Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham – February 25
From three Comedy Central specials to a best-selling autobiography to a 60-city comedy tour, ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is at the top of his game. He’s also at the top of the pay scale, ranking as “the top-grossing stand-up act in North America.” Catch him on February 25 at Red Robinson Show Theatre (2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam), where he’s set to make two back-to-back appearances — alongside his posse of “politically incorrect, gratuitously insulting and ill-tempered” puppets. Tickets for the shows, starting at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., are $89.50 and $109.50 at Ticketmaster outlets, or charge-by-phone at 604-280-4444.

Check out Federico’s Comedy Friday – February 25

The dead of winter is no laughing matter, but it seems the folks at Federico’s Supper Club (1728 Commercial Drive, Vancouver) didn’t get the memo. That’s because the Italian eatery is hosting a new Comedy Friday package that entitles guests to a three-course dinner and stand-up comedy show for an all-inclusive price of $50 per person. On February 25, guests will enjoy live music with their meal courtesy of guitarist Sandro Camerin, followed by the collective comedic talents of MC Carter Hortie, opening act Ivan Decker and headliner Damonde Tschritter, starting at 9:30 p.m. Can’t make it? Save a spot on your calendar for the April 1 edition, with more details 
at 604-251-3473.


Relive the ’70s with Tower of Power – February 25

It’s not always so bad to find yourself in a funk. Especially when you’re talking about Tower of Power, the Bay Area funk band known for such ’70s-era hits as “You’re Still a Young Man,” “So Very Hard to Go,” and “This Time It’s Real,” among others. Headed by tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo and his sax sidekick Stephen “Doc” Kupka, the group hasn’t lost a lick of its mojo, which explains why they’re still performing to sold-out crowds across North America after all these years. Catch them on February 25 at the River Rock Casino Resort (8811 River Road, Richmond), starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $44.50 and $54.50, plus service charges, at Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 604-280-4444.

Take a Break at Winterruption – February 25-27

No one welcomes an interruption. But a Winterruption? That’s a whole different ball game. If you’re done with these drab days of winter, the sixth annual Winterruption Festival can help put a bit of “spring” in your step from February 25 to 27 at various venues around Vancouver’s Granville Island, including Performance Works, Kids Zone and Under the Bridge. What’s in store? Dozens of free performances in everything from music to theatre, plus art exhibits, troupes of roving performers, food vendors, face painters and artisan walking tours. For details, call 604-666-5784.


Sip Vodka at Sub-zero – anytime
Talk about cool! Bearfoot Bistro (4121 Village Green, Whistler) boasts Canada’s first-ever sub-zero vodka venue, the Belvedere Ice Room. With the temperature set at a hypothermia-inducing -18 degrees C, guests can chill out (quite literally) in this hip hotspot serving 50 exotic vodkas from around the world, each perfectly paired with caviar, pickled salmon and oysters. If you’re not cool with the cold, don’t worry; you can always keep warm by snuggling up in cozy Canada Goose parkas. To reserve a table, call 1-604-932-3433.

Stay at TripAdvisor’s Top Luxury Pick – now
B.C. has no shortage of first-class hotels, but just one scored the top spot in TripAdvisor’s 2011 Travelers’ Choice Awards. Any guesses? It’s none other than Sonora Resort, which savvy globetrotters voted the No. 1 luxury hotel in Canada. Chalking up a perfect 100 per cent rating, this Relais & Chateaux resort, located in the Discovery Islands at the mouth of Bute Inlet, isn’t new to the news, either: Its praises have been sung everywhere from the pages of National Geographic Traveler to the Korea Herald to The Huffington Post. To book a stay, call 1-888-576-6672.

Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.