A big thanks to all those people who have asked about the Vancouver Fringe Festival and my upcoming performances. A fringe festival is a theatre festival for small shows, many of them solo shows that don't fit into "big" theatre. It is a little bit like "off off Broadway". Most of the shows at the Vancouver Fringe Festival are located at theatres actually on Granville Island but there are also a couple of theatres not right on the island . Nine shows including mine will be appearing at the little theatre called Studio 16 which is part of the Maison de la Francophonie at 1555 - 1551 W 7th Avenue, Vancouver. It's very close by, just a 5 -minute walk.
The schedule for me is:
Thursday, Sept 8th - 6:20pm - Opening night!!
Saturday, Sept 10th - 4:35pm
Monday, Sept 12th - 3:30pm
Tuesday, Sept 13th - 10:20pm
Thursday, Sept 15th - 8:05pm
Saturday, Sept 17th - 6:20pm
Tickets can be bought online or right at the door.
https://www.vancouverfringe.com/festival/the-songbird-of-vienna/
The Songbird of Vienna is a wonderful story. It is 50 minutes long, heart-warming and family friendly. It begins like this:
It's the late 1800's in Vienna, the glittering capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Famed as a musical powerhouse, the city has been home to such spectacular talents past and present as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Strauss. Hopeful young composers flock there but not all of them find success. One of the unlucky is Franz. Having given up, his dreams crushed, Franz is waiting for a coach to take him back to his hometown when he discovers a baby bird in distress. He rescues this tiny spark of life. One thing leads to another and through this small act of kindness his fortunes change. Luck, hard work and inspiration, love, friendship and confidence all play their roles on the way to a happy ending. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt the joy of rescuing an animal and seeing it thrive - and it's a story for anyone who has ever dreamed a dream and tried to make that dream come true.
Yesterday was the big rehearsal at the theatre. The 7th is the opening night party for the festival and the next day is my opening night. Wish me luck - and if you know anybody in Vancouver who enjoys theatre, please spread the word.
Michelle Merlindt