Fighting Chance Productions » Uncategorized

FCP in the Georgia Straight

fightingchanceproductionsca — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:24:11 +0000

It’s no secret that we, like much of the local theatre and arts communities, have fallen on tough times. Artistically, we couldn’t be prouder, but financially, we are struggling. The Georgia Straight spoke with Artistic Director Ryan Mooney about FCP’s financial situation and ongoing fundraising efforts in the current issue. You can read it here:

“Fighting Chance Productions Fights for Survival“

We remain optimistic and with the help of our supporters, donors and subscribers, we are confident that there is a strong future for Fighting Chance in the Vancouver theatre community.

It isn’t too late to donate. Visit the IndoGoGo campaign, buy tickets to “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” or send us an email (fightingchanceproductions@gmail.com) to find out how you can help.

Fighting Chance Productions – Website Under Construction

fightingchanceproductionsca — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:24 +0000

Hi there,

We’re in the process of building a new and improved website for Fighting Chance Productions – so you’ll have to pardon the mess around here… in the meantime…

If you’re looking for info on THE TEMPERAMENTALS – the show runs November 22nd-December 3rd at the PAL Studio Theatre (581 Cardero Street) – tickets are available here.

If you’re looking for Groupon information e-mail us at groupon@fightingchanceproductions.ca

Groupon FAQ’s and Redemption!

fightingchanceproductionsca — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:24:56 +0000

First of all, thank you so much for buying a Groupon and supporting Fighting Chance Productions. Whether you’re a first timer to Fighting Chance, or an old-pro, we welcome you to our theatrical family and look forward to sharing our company with you!

Booking your Groupon’s for our shows could not be easier! Simply e-mail us at groupon@fightingchanceproductions.ca with your Groupon #, date and time of performance and how many tickets you’re looking for. We will confirm (usually within 48 hours) and your tickets will be available for you at the door. If you need to change your dates, simply e-mail us and we will do so for you (we need a minimum of 12 hours notice for date changes.) We do have some nights with limited seating, but will do our best to accommodate your request. Below are the dates, times & locations for upcoming performances, when you’re ready to book simply e-mail us at groupon@fightingchanceproductions.ca

A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum – Jericho Arts Centre

October 4th, 8pm (Preview)
October 5th, 8pm (Preview)
October 6th, 8pm (Opening)
October 7th, 8pm
October 8th, 2pm & 8pm
October 9th, 3pm
October 11th, 8pm
October 12th, 8pm
October 13th, 8pm
October 14th, 8pm
October 15th, 2pm & 8pm
October 16th, 3pm
October 18th, 8pm
October 19th, 8pm
October 20th, 8pm
October 21st, 8pm
October 22nd, 2pm & 8pm

The Temperamentals – PAL Theatre

November 23, 8pm
November 24, 8pm
November 25, 8pm
November 26, 2pm & 8pm
November 27, 2pm & 7pm
November 29, 8pm
November 30, 8pm
December 1, 8pm
December 2, 8pm
December 3, 2pm & 8pm

The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Metro Theatre

February 16, 8pm
February 17, 8pm
February 18, 8pm
February 19, 3pm
February 23, 8pm
February 24, 8pm
February 25, 8pm
February 26, 3pm
March 3, 8pm

Grey Gardens – Jericho Arts Centre

May 1, 8pm
May 2, 8pm
May 3, 8pm
May 4, 8pm
May 5, 2pm & 8pm
May 6, 3pm
May 8, 8pm
May 9, 8pm
May 10, 8pm
May 11, 8pm
May 12, 2pm & 8pm
May 13, 3pm
May 15, 8pm,
May 16, 8pm
May 17, 8pm
May 18, 8pm
May 19, 2pm & 8pm

- Rent – Waterfront Theatre

Dates and Times TBD

**Shows, Dates & Times are subject to change. As much notice as possible will be given to ticket holders and the general public

The Awesome 80's Prom – March 11 & 12

fightingchanceproductionsca — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:07:46 +0000

Come back in time with us at the Awesome 80′s Prom – this weekend! For more information check out the Vancouver Alpen Club’s website!

Meet the Cast of THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE – Part 1

fightingchanceproductionsca — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:37:41 +0000

TOM STEVENS (PADRAIC): Tom Stevens gives his appreciation to the people of the audience. Both for taking the time, and risk, to experience the darkly funny mind of Martin McDonaugh. Tom’s soul purpose is to entertain, and hopes he can fulfill.

JOHN DAVID PAPP (DAVEY): Originally from Dawson Creek, BC (nothing to do with the television show!), David moved to Vancouver at the age of 19 to pursue a career in acting. He is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School Acting for Film and Television Program. Recent performances include Young Man at the Bank/Tom Huish/Graffiti Artist in The Power of Yes for United Players of Vancouver, Anthony Marston in And Then There Were None at the Metro Theatre and James Digweed/Henry Crawford in Theatrics at Mansfield Park for Vital Spark Theatre Company at the Jericho Arts Centre. David wishes to thank his family, friends, and all the talented teachers and coaches who have assisted him over the last few years.

EMMA RAE CAWOOD (MAIREAD): Emma is beyond excited to be a part of this, her first FCP production. A recent graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Emma has spent the last three years in Los Angeles, where she worked on many sets including Greek, Glee and The Social Network. Justin Timberlake high fived… the person next to her. Recent theatre credits include Ruth in Moonchildren (LA), Mary in The Red Coat from Shanley’s Welcome to the Moon and Other Plays (LA), and Maid Marion in Robin Hood: The Musical (Shine Children’s Theatre).

JEREMY LEROUX (CHRISTY): Jeremy Leroux is excited to be making his debut with Fighting Chance Productions in Lieutenant of Inishmore. No stranger to the stage, he last played Curt in Twenty Something Theatres production of Blue Surge. Other past credits include : Father Brendan Flynn in Doubt, (North Van Community Players), Herman in Sweet Charity (Pipe Dream) , Pat, Padric, Perry in Some Men (Raving Theatre) and Darius in
Jeffrey (Raving Theatre) Jeremy is also an accomplished singer and writer.

Meet the Cast of THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE – Part 2

fightingchanceproductionsca — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:10:47 +0000

DEVIN PIHLAINEN (JOEY): Devin is originally from Ottawa, Ontario, and has an Honours BA in Drama from the University of Guelph. Theatre credits include Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (U of Guelph), Jude in Snowman (U of Guelph), Orlando in The Shakespeare Experiment (Buddies in Bad Times) and Hamlet 1 in Escaping Goat Productions’ I Feel Ya, Ophelia! at the Surrey Arts Centre. Most recently, he had a supporting role in the pilot of the TV comedy series The Actress Diaries. Devin is excited to make his acting debut with Fighting Chance Productions, and would like to genuinely thank everyone who made this possible.

MARK FERNS (JAMES): This is Mark’s fourth production with Fighting Chance after previously appearing in Autobahn, The Distance from Here and The Awesome 80′s Prom. He is an actor. He also enjoys eating, breathing, and wearing bathrobes.

DEVON EDMONSON (BRENDAN): Devon is extremely excited to be acting in the Lieutenant of Inishmore! He is honoured to be working with such a great cast and such a talented director! Previous credits include: Dracula, The King and I, Eight Men Speak, and Changes. He would like to thank Fighting Chance Productions for taking a chance on this amazing play, and he hopes that everyone enjoys the show!

HAMISH CAMERON (DONNY): Hamish is delighted to be making his debut with Fighting Chance Productions in this marvelous play and with such an outstanding cast and director. Some recent credits include Macbeth, also at the Cultch Lab, All My Sons in Deep Cove, Volpone and Aristocrats at the Jericho Arts Centre and award winning performances in Tribute and Arthur Miller’s The Price at Hendry Hall and Presentation House.

The Year At a Glance – 2010 – Part Two

fightingchanceproductionsca — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:43:31 +0000

The second in our four part series of our Year at a Glance covers April, May & June in Fighting Chance’s 2010!

April/May 2010

Photo Courtesy of EmmeRogers.com

April and May was jam-packed with rehearsals for the biggest cast Fighting Chance had ever hosted in our BC Premiere of The Wedding Singer, a musical based on the hit Adam Sandler movie. The show opened at the end of April at the Jericho Arts Centre with a cast of 27 and a five piece band. All in all the show was a massive undertaking for our small company – but the energetic cast won over the hearts of our audiences – many of whom were newcomers to Fighting Chance Productions themselves. The Wedding Singer was a test of our strength as a theatre company – with a four week run (the longest run since Rent), a mistake in scheduling and a massive operating budget the show was stressful on many involved, but we were thrilled at the result.

June, 2010

June was spent preparing and rehearsing for our summer production of Hair. A cast of 22 was the first for an FCP experiment. Normally we rehearsed 2 or 3 times a week for 2 1/2 months leading up to our production. With Hair we tried a month long rehearsal process from Sunday-Thursday. It was an enormous success with great feedback from our cast members.

We also brought on a dedicated production manager for the first time in our history. FCP Alumni Cathy Wilmot took the reigns as producer for Hair and did a fantastic job bringing new thoughts and ideas to the table to help make Hair a success.

June was also the CTC announcement evening. The CTC’s are awards handed out by a group called the Community Theatre Coalition — a group of small community theatre groups in the Lower Mainland who support each others work year round. FCP is proud to be a part of this group, and we were extremely proud to receive 20 nominations across a wide range of categories. The awards night was held in September, 2010 and we’ll cover that in our next Year at a Glance update!

Do you have a favourite moment in FCP’s 2010 year? Let us know in the comments section and you could win free tickets to The Lieutenant of Inishmore!

The Year At a Glance – 2010 – Part One

fightingchanceproductionsca — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:51:35 +0000

Well, with less than 25 days until the end of another year we thought it would be fun to look back at all that Fighting Chance has accomplished over the past year, share some of our highlights and revel in what we have been able to create.

January, 2010

We jumped right into 2010 with our hit production of Forbidden Broadway, a 5 person musical spoof at the PAL Theatre in downtown Vancouver. The show spoofed favourite musicals from Les Miserables to Rent to Wicked and provided gut-busting impressions of Carol Channing, Liza Minelli, Mandy Patinkin and Barbra Streisand. We were thrilled to welcome newcomers to FCP, David Nicks, Natalee Fera and Aaron Lau along with two FCP alumni, Cathy Wilmot and Andrea Bailey. GayVancouver.net declared, “if this production, our first for the year, by Fighting Chance Productions is any indication, we’re in for a great year of theatre in Vancouver!” While Kathleen Oliver at the Georgia Straight raved, “the evening flies by and the laughs come easily.” The show did very well at the box office as crowds packed themselves into the intimate PAL Theatre at cabaret-style tables and chairs. By all accounts Forbidden Broadway was a great way to start off the 2010 year for FCP.

: FCP Alumni Cesar Erba, High School Musical 2′s Shannon Adams, Ovation Winner for tick… tick… BOOM! Brandyn Eddy and Altar Boyz’ Vince Tong

Next in January were the APPLAUSE! Musicals in Concert sponsored Ovation Awards!We were thrilled to be nominated for 11 awards and by the end of the evening walked away with six including Best Community Production for Rent. It was a very exciting evening for all of us, and we were thrilled to be recognized by our peers in the musical theatre community.

February, 2010

After a busy January we decided to let the hard work be done by the 2010 Olympic Planning Committee. Fighting Chance had a front row seat for all the excitement when we were recruited by VANOC to perform live for people heading to games in and around the Lower Mainland. Our flash mob style entertainment was well received by many who were waiting outside of venues.

March, 2010

Following the slow month of February we entered our busiest month of the year. March saw us organizing three different Fighting Chance Productions events. The first was our season announcement party at Little Mountain Studios. The well-attended evening was an opportunity for our audience to see excerpts from upcoming shows as well as hear about what our 2010/11 season had in store. It was also an opportunity for us to hear artists perform selections and scenes from the upcoming season. Colleen Winton and Steven Greenfield shared songs from Sweeney Todd, Artisitic Director Ryan Mooney and FCP Director Matt Clarke performed from The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Sean Parsons, Jenn Suratos and Lexy Campbell sang from The Wiz and alumni Jacqueline Breakwell and Anna Hassard performed from Uncommon Women (And Others). The night closed with Shannon Adams and Michael Brock performing songs from bare: a pop opera.

Immediately following the season announcement party our third show of the 2009/10 season opened at the Havana Theatre. Matt & Ben, directed by new-to-FCP director Laura McLean starred newcomers Becca Strom and Katherine Gauthier as the dynamic Hollywood duo who brought Good Will Hunting to the masses and struck Oscar gold. The piece was well-received by our audiences, and sold out several performances in its run. ReviewVancouver.org’s Susan Peake was enamored with the show and said, “Don’t miss the opportunity to see this thoroughly entertaing production. You will not be disappointed.” The show was one of the most successful plays that Fighting Chance has ever mounted. It was exciting to have six new women (including Madeline Copp our stage manager, Zoe Green our set and costume designer and Emily Hartig our assistant stage manager,) involved in Fighting Chance Productions.

Our final production of March was our fundraiser The Awesome 80′s Prom which took place at the Vancouver Alpen Club. The fundraiser invited audiences to attend Wannaget High’s 1989 Prom. The event was extremely well-attended and well-received, and will make a reappearance in February, 2011.

What was your favourite part of Fighting Chance’s 2010? Share your comment below for the opportunity to win tickets to our upcoming production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore!

Introducing the Casts of THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE & THE WIZ

fightingchanceproductionsca — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:35:18 +0000

After a few months of casting we have finalized our casts for our next two shows – The Lieutenant of Inishmore (February 16 – 26, 2011 at the VECC Culture Lab) and The Wiz (April 20-30, 2011 at Performance Works.) Tickets for both shows will be on sale December 15th, 2010.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

February 16 – 26, 2011

Vancouver East Cultural Centre – Culture Lab

directed by Matt Clarke

written by Martin McDonagh

starring Tom Stevens as Padraic, Emma Cawood as Mairead, Hamish Cameron as Donny, David Papp as Davey, Jeremy Leroux as Christy, Devin Pihlainen as Joey, Devin Edmonson as Brendan and Mark Ferns as James

The Wiz

April 20 – 30, 2011

Performance Works

directed by Ryan Mooney

music direction by Christopher King

choreography by Dawn Ewen

written by Charlie Smalls & William F. Brown

starring Arielle Tuliao as Dorothy, Lucas Blaney as the Scarecrow, Nick Fontaine as the Tin Man, Sean Parsons as the Lion with Jennifer Suratos as Aunt Em, Brittany Scott as Addaperle, Jacqueline Breakwell as Evilline, Emily Canavan as Glinda and featuring Ashley Ander, Michael Brock, Ilse George, Jennifer Kuhl, Marianne Mandrusiak, Louisa Phung and Hal Rogers

Sweeney Todd – Round-Up

fightingchanceproductionsca — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 04:48:01 +0000

Well, Sweeney Todd is now over, and suffice to say that it has been our most critically successful show to date! Sweeney Todd was a fantastic show to work on both artistically and personally, and we would like to thank everyone who came to see the show and supported our endeavours!

In the end we had 13 sold out performances and 9 amazing reviews. None of this would’ve been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, our incredible cast, talented orchestra and imaginative production team.

Here are a few photos taken from our marathon of performances, a record 4 shows in 26 hours!