Cabaret Yitesh

The Chutzpah Festival is a performing arts festival hosted by the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver at the Norman Rothstein Theatre each year.

Last year’s festival took place from November 12th to the 23rd. Organizers are to confirm the 2026 festival dates.

Click Vancouver Chutzpah Festival for the event’s official website.

This article contains the following information about the Chutzpah Festival:

The Chutzpah! Festival in Vancouver

Pronounced with a silent “C” and featuring theatre, music and dance, the Chutzpah Festival normally takes place in the fall. In the spring of 2025, there was a bonus Chutzpah Plus Festival that happened over a few days in March. The main festival, however, still takes place in the fall. In 2025 it ran from November 12th to 23rd.

Chutzpah Festival Location

Chutzpah Festival performances take place primarily at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver’s 318-seat Norman Rothstein Theatre.

The Norman Rothstein Theatre is at 950 West 41st Avenue in Vancouver.

See the Vancouver Chutzpah Festival website for full details.

Vancouver Jewish Community Centre — Norman Rothstein Theatre

About the Main Chutzpah Festival in the Fall

The Chutzpah Festival draws talented musicians, comedians, dancers and actors from around the world including from Israel, Australia and the United States.

Comedy, dance, music, theatre and multi-disciplinary performances that happened during the 2025 fall season are listed below. Ticket prices vary depending on the show. In addition to the staged events, there are also various workshops for families to enjoy.

Comedy Performances

Chutzpah Festival comedy shows in 2025 included the following:

Modi – voted as a top 10 comedian in New York City, Modi Rosenfeld brought his Pause for Laughter Tour to Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre on November 12th.
Comedy for Peace – a night of comedy that featured Erik Angel, Ashley Austin Morris, Natan Badalov and Zara Khan. The show took place at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 22nd.

Dance Performances

Dance performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2025 included the following:

Common Place – Australians Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo performed a physical exploration of collaboration at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 20th.

Musical Performances

Concerts and musical performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2025 included the following:

Yiddish Songs of Social Change – seven American and European musicians combined for a memorable concert at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre. The show ran on November 23rd and featured everything from old folk ballads to newer theatre-style songs.

See the Vancouver Chutzpah Festival website for full details.

Theatre and Multi-Disciplinary

Theatre and multi-disciplinary performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2025 included the following:

8 Gays of Channukah – the west coast debut of this musical included eight different stories all about identity and community. It was a queer celebration at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 13th.
Take This Waltz: Celebrating the Music of Leonard Cohen – presented with the Vancouver Opera, this show featured live music, dance and other visuals in tribute to Leonard Cohen. The show ran on both November 15th and 16th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
The Flame – a night of storytelling with Deb Williams, Karen Segal and Dhana Musil. It took place on November 17th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
I’m Not a Comedian… I’m Lenny Bruce – a one-man theatrical performance that portrayed Lenny Bruce. The event happened at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 18th.
Shtetl Cabaret – a night of Jewish entertainment that starred Lea Kalisch and her band. It was a concert covering a variety of genres with some elements of theatre. The show took place at The Beaumont Studios on November 19th.

Workshops

The following workshops took place during the 2025 Chutzpah Festival:

The Flame Workshop – a storytelling workshop with Deb Williams on November 15th and 16th at The Post at 750.
Dance Masterclass – Omer Backley-Astrachan and Jana Castillo were to lead a three-hour dance session for experienced dancers. It was due to take place on November 21st at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, but was cancelled.
Yiddish Song & Dance Workshop – a free workshop in which participants learned about Yiddish music and dance. It happened in the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver on November 23rd.