I love musicals, I love tragic love stories – its kindda my thing.
So when my friend Alice told me about this musical, I jumped at the chance to go see it! The VACT is presenting Red Letters, a Canadian musical of love, sacrifice and honour.
Based on the book by Kathy Leung, Red Letters is set in 1920’s Vancouver. It’s the story of Shen, an immigrant from China, who leaves behind his wife and family to come to Canada in order to make a better life for them. Shen’s dreams of bringing his family over are shattered with the enactment of the $500 head tax and the Exclusion Act in 1923. He works tireless to raise enough money to bring his wife to Canada, but in the end, both are separated forever.
Getting misty-eyed yet? the worst part of it, it’s that its true, The government made over $23 million dollars from the head tax – which was almost impossible to raise. A lot of families were left to fend for themselves back at home, and life was intolerably lonely for the immigrants here.
Red Letters will be playing November 26 – December 4 with Preview November 25 (10 Performances), at The Roundhouse Performance Centre, Vancouver
Directions to Roundhouse Performance Centre
December 30 – January 8, 2011 with Preview December 29 (10 Performances), Gateway Theatre Studio, Richmond
Directions to Gateway Theatre
January 13 – January 16 with Preview January 12 (8 Performances), Metro Studio Theatre, Victoria
Directions to Metro Theatre
8pm nightly with select matinée performances
You can Purchase tickets online: www.vact.ca For more information on group rates: 778.885.1973
Or…
The fine people of VACT have given me 2 tickets for the Saturday, November 27 8pm show! Simply leave a comment on my blog and I will pick a winner on Wednesday 24 at 6pm! for your tweeps out there, simply copy and paste this to your feed:
“I entered to win tickets to Red Letters| a musical from @maryinvancity RT to enter” http://wp.me/p17nmD-6f
Do both for extra chances. Good luck!
UPDATE: Congrats Bonnie Yee (@greenurlifenow) you’ve won tickets to Red Letters! Please email me your contact info!
Mary in Vancity 
Leave a comment