Massey Theatre announces 2023-24 mainstage season

Juno-nominated klezmer band Oktopus, Kid Koala, and multidisciplinary Over the Ridge among the highlights

FROM KLEZMER MUSIC to Dog Man: The Musical to Kid Koala’s latest live production, Massey Theatre has announced its 2023-24 mainstage season.

It all kicks off on October 21 with a performance by Oktopus. Devoted to klezmer, the eight-piece incorporates classical and Québécois music as well as some jazz and Balkan stylings into its own unique sound. The band is known for its high-energy performances laced with stories that veer from joyful to profound.

On October 28 and 29, New York City-based TheaterWorksUSA’s Dog Man: The Musical hits the Massey stage. The production is based on the international bestselling series by Dav Pilkey (of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club fame), Dog Man having sold more than 50 million copies of its books in print in multiple languages to date. Adapted from “A Tale of Two Kitties”, the show brings the lovable hero to life as he fights crime and tries to save the city. The Massey is the only theatre in the Lower Mainland to present the Dog Man on the Canadian leg of its tour.

Kid Koala’s The Storyville Mosquito (A Theatrical Cinema Experience) runs November 25 and 26. Each Chaplin-esque show is unique, being performed, filmed, projected on screen, and scored live on stage each time. The story follows a young mosquito who leaves his small town in the country for the big city to fulfill his dream of playing in one of the greatest bands of all time at Sid Villa's Music Hall. Kid Koala and a string trio provide live music, while a team of 14 brings the tale to life through miniature sets, puppetry, cinematography, and more.

International Guitar Night 24 takes place on January 25, 2024. The touring fest features the most innovative acoustic guitarists from around the globe. The next edition features IGN favourites Luca Stricagnoli (Italy), Thu Le (Vietnam), and Marco Pereira (Brazil), while Australia’s Minnie Marks makes her North American debut.

On February 10, 2024 Ballet Jörgen presents Anne of Green Gables – The Ballet. Based on the Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the production follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an orphan girl sent to live on a farm in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island.

The Massey season winds up on April 13, 2024 with the premiere of Over the Ridge. The evolution of folk-roots band The Fugitives’ Ridge concert, which spawned the Juno-nominated album Trench Songs, the production by Brendan McLeod is being developed in partnership with Ballet BC and Arts Umbrella and Over the Ridge features contemporary ballet choreographed by the band’s founder, Jacob Williams. The work also incorporates live music by The Fugitives with storytelling in its look at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The story unfolds via letters received by families of young soldiers who fought and died in the conflict.

“These performances are truly magical as they meld forms and take the audience on a journey,” Massey Theatre Society executive director Jessica Schneider says in a release. “Each of these artists are extraordinary and they connect deeply with the audience. We’re incredibly proud to be able to present these shows and give the audience an opportunity to travel the world of artistic expression on display.”

Tickets for the 2023-24 season are now on sale, with audiences are being given the chance to save on pricing if they see more shows. More information is at Massey Theatre.

Articles

Vetta Chamber Music’s 2026-27 season blends tradition with a focus on the future

In his first season as the ensemble’s artistic director, violist Hung-Wei Huang is bringing back a few familiar faces and tapping into the creativity of kids from local schools

With Lachrimae, lute virtuoso Lucas Harris explores the uplifting powers of musical melancholy

The eclectic program mixes masterpieces by Renaissance composer John Dowland and Joni MItchell at Early Music Vancouver’s Summer Festival

VIFF Live announces 2026 program of film screenings, immersive concerts, and “reworlding”

The series includes appearances by Canadian and international artists, including throat-singing duo Silla, composer Kelly Moran, and experimental rock act Xiu Xiu

Early Music Vancouver artist in residence Marc Mauillon loves the challenge of 17th-century opera

Tackling the title role in Monteverdi’s Orfeo as part of EMV’s Summer Festival requires a different approach, the French singer says—and a willingness to push beyond beautiful singing

Posh Ball events kick off as Pride Week begins, July 24 to 26

With an awards night and workshops at The Dance Centre, and the grand catwalk show at the Pearl on July 25, Vancouver Kiki Ballroom Alliance celebrations show the art form is alive and well

Austin Powers swings, Andrea Superstein sings at VIFF Centre on July 25

As part of VIFF Live, Juno-nominated artist will perform a set of classic Burt Bacharach material before a screening of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 must-see acts at the Mission Folk Music Festival, July 24 to 26

Brass-band fusion, soul-stirring singer-songwriters, fiery fiddle, and more spread across the fest’s five stages on the scenic shores of the Fraser River

Music review: Main Stage highlights from Day 1 of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Stellar sets from Aysanabee, Hazlett, and Sahra Halgan got the 49th annual fest off to a great start, and the weather certainly didn’t hurt

Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini set to resound over Deer Lake at Opera in the Park, July 19

Conducted by Jacques Lacombe, free outdoor concert goes Italian with a team of strong soloists

Vancouver’s socially conscious Buddie on evolving its sound beyond “grunge pop”

Performing at the Eastside Arts Festival, the indie-rock band says it has no intention of being pegged as strictly a ’90s throwback

New Works’ All Over the Map brings dance to unexpected corners of Vancouver

In a lineup reflecting the strength of the local dance scene, performer Jes Hanzelkova embraces outdoor settings for the multifaceted expression of struggle in her new piece

At the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the eclectic Valerie June promises a little bit of everything

The American singer-songwriter plays rock ’n’ roll, blues, folk, gospel, and country, along with well-chosen cover versions of songs by Nick Cave, Gillian Welch, and Duran Duran

Toronto-based Nastasia Y carries on a family tradition of song and rebellion, at Mission Folk Music Festival

The Ukrainian-born performer distills influences from Slavic folk to jazz and R&B into her music, as heard on her solo debut, Kyiv Soul

The Dance Deck showcases new works in backyard off the Drive, July 18, 19, 25, and 26

Copresented by Belle Spirale and the Eastside Arts Festival, the summer tradition features a Ballet BC dancer, a Bharatanatyam practitioner, members of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and more

Canadian singer-songwriter Aysanabee is proud to be a role model for Indigenous youth

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival performer also tells us about his kick-ass band and the pressure he has put on himself as an award-winning recording artist

Concrete Vehicles’ noise-rockers specialize in music as unique as their band’s name

Intellectual-property disputes behind it, the project formerly known as Computer plays the Burrard Stage at this year’s Khatsahlano Street Party

Modern Biology is a conduit for the music of the forest, at Indian Summer Festival on July 13

For Tarun Nayar’s performance at VanDusen Botanical Garden, the festival invites attendees to settle in picnic-style and get into a meditative headspace

Fast-rising Punjabi singer Rashmeet Kaur is keen on eclectic sonic exploration

The Indian Summer Festival performer, who has collaborated with Major Lazer and contributed to Bollywood soundtracks, has forged some creative links to Canada’s West Coast

The sounds of Star Wars and Beethoven hit the waterfront at Symphony at Sunset, July 11

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra moves its wildly popular, free outdoor concert to David Lam Park this year

Stir Cheat Sheet: Beach concerts to artisan market, 5 happenings to hit at Harrison Festival of the Arts

Hawksley Workman, plus mesmerizing cultural melds from El Balcón, Benin International Musical, and more

Vancouver’s Uncle Strut is doing its part to make guitar solos, and moustaches, cool again

Headlining the Khatsahlano Street Party’s Burrard Stage, the fast-rising band is unafraid to spice up its surf-inspired indie rock with country, funk, and Latin elements

Belle Spirale Dance Projects presents The Dance Deck with the Eastside Arts Festival, July 18, 19, 25, and 26

Multidisciplinary, site-specific outdoor performances highlight the talent of independent creators through a unique, community-minded platform

Celebrate Canada Day through events at these July 1 events around Metro Vancouver

From Cloverdale to West Vancouver and all points in between, festivities span live music, drumming, kids’ activities, and no shortage of national pride