Krystle Dos Santos and Dawn Pemberton’s ode to Hogan’s Alley hits VIFF Live, April 4
Powerhouse vocalists preview songs from stage show Meet Me at Vie’s alongside a screening of local documentary Union Street
Dawn Pemberton (photo by Robyn Ardagh) and Krystle Dos Santos
VIFF Live presents Krystle Dos Santos + Dawn Pemberton at the VIFF Centre on April 4 at 7:30 pm
HOGAN’S ALLEY WAS once a thriving Black community in Vancouver’s Strathcona area—that is, until it largely met the wrecking ball to make way for the Georgia Viaduct in 1972.
Now Vancouver’s Krystle Dos Santos, the talent behind hit stage shows like Hey Viola!, has written and created a new musical that pays tribute to the lost area—and to one of its most legendary establishments.
On April 4, she and fellow powerhouse vocalist Dawn Pemberton will give audiences a sneak preview of Meet Me at Vie’s, performing stories and and songs made famous by the more well-known visitors to Vie’s Chicken and Steak House, like Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., and Ella Fitzgerald.
The performance will be followed by a screening of Union Street, Jamila Pomeroy’s compelling 2022 documentary about the rich history of the same neighbourhood. It’s a fascinating lesson not only about the vibrant area, but also about the racial injustice that led to its demise. The colourfully shot film also celebrates the legacy that Pemberton and Dos Santos tap into, interviewing a new generation of Black Vancouverites about reclaiming their space in the city.
The full production of Meet Me at Vie’s is set to run at the Arts Club's BMO Theatre Centre from April 23 to May 2, produced by Musical TheatreWorks and directed by Tracey Power. 
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