Chutzpah Festival

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

In 2024 the festival takes place between October 30th and November 23rd.

For the event’s official website, click Vancouver Chutzpah Festival.

This article contains the following information about the Chutzpah Festival:

The Chutzpah! Festival

Pronounced with a silent “C” and featuring theatre, music and dance, the Chutzpah Festival used to take place between mid-February and mid-March. As of 2019, however, its dates have shifted from its usual spring season to the fall.

In 2023 the festival ran for three weeks from Thursday, November 2nd, until Thursday, November 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 located at 950 West 41st Avenue in Vancouver.

Vancouver Jewish Community Centre — Norman Rothstein Theatre

About the Chutzpah Festival

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

Last year, ticket prices ranged from $20 to around $75 depending on the show.

The Main Festival

Comedy, dance, music, theatre and multi-disciplinary performances from last year’s season are listed below. In addition to the following events, there were also various workshops and special community programming for families to enjoy.

Details about the 2024 festival are to be confirmed.

Comedy Performances in 2023

The list of Chutzpah Festival comedy shows in 2023 was as follows:

The Debaters – a stand-up comedy debate starring Jacob Samuel, Charlie Demers and Kate Davis took place at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 2nd.
The Best of Israeli Comedy – this closing night event showcased some of the best stand-up comedians from Israel including Benji Lovitt, Yossi Tarablus, Deborah Kaye and Dana Perry Segal. It was held at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 23rd.

Avia Moore-Krakow (Photo by Michał Ramus)

Dance Performances in 2023

Dance performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2023 included the following:

Klezmer Dance Party – an event that featured Michael Winograd & The Honorable Mentshn (from the United States) as well as dance leader Avia Moore (from Canada) on November 5th.
Dance//Novella: When the Walls Come Down – a new dance and deaf theatre collaboration inspired by Caroline Hebert that took place at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 8th and 10th.
Dance Double Bill – a double show that featured Maybe We Land by Meghann Michalsky and Katherine Semchuk, plus Edictum by Juan Villegas and Vanessa Goodman. Both took the stage back-to-back on November 15th and 16th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
DWELL – a new piece by All Bodies Dance Project about “home” through a Jewish lens showed at the Wosk Auditorium on November 19th.

Edictum - Juan Villegas — Edictum – Juan Villegas (photo by Camara Lucida)

Musical Performances in 2023

Concerts and musical performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2023 included the following:

The Honorable Mentshn with Socalled – Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn performed with special guest Josh “Socalled” Dolgin. The show ran on November 4th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
Nani Noam Vazana – the Israeli singer and songwriter performed songs in the endangered Ladino language on November 11th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
I Have My Mother’s Eyes – a new chamber opera about Chiune Sugihara by composer Rita Ueda premiered at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 18th and 19th.
Taraf Syriana – Sergiu Popa, Naeem Shanwar, Omar Abou Afach and Noémy Braun are the master musicians who performed at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre on November 21st.

For tickets and the event’s official website, click Vancouver Chutzpah Festival.

Theatre and Multi-Disciplinary in 2023

Theatre and multi-disciplinary performances at the Chutzpah Festival in 2023 included the following:

The Flame – Home Again at Chutzpah! – part of The Flame storytelling series, this event featured Bukkie Adewuyi, Ying Ling, Spencer Danco and more on November 6th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
Where Do Stories Come From? – a live interdisciplinary collaboration that featured poetry, visual art, music and storytelling on November 12th.
FORGE – a multi-day performance piece by Rachel Mars at ie Creative Artworks. Rachel built a new replica of the gate at Dachau in front of guests from November 16th to 19th.
Love Gets a Room – a film screening inspired by true events during 1942 took place on November 20th at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre.
The Narrow Bridge – a world premiere of an immersive theatre piece by the Pomarantz collective showed at the Zack Gallery from November 20th to 22nd.
Whistle – a monodrama theatre piece by Yaakov Buchan, Hanna Vazana Grunwald and Hadar Galron that premiered at the Firehall Arts Centre on November 14th and 15th.