EAST VAN PANTO: PANTO COME HOME!

East Van Panto: Panto Come Home!

December 17 – 27, 2020
Livestreamed

Directors: Maiko Yamamoto and James Long
Music and Lyrics: Veda Hille
Written by: Mark Chavez

Featuring:
Mark Chavez
Shawn Macdonald
Dawn Petten
Donna Soares
Amanda Sum

What do you get when you mix the best of all seven East Van Pantos, the York Theatre, and 350 pounds of past Panto costumes? It’s Panto Come Home! Artistic Directors James Long and Maiko Yamamoto sneak into the York to find very sad pyjama clad Veda Hille parked at her piano. Seems she’s moved into the theatre and has been spending her days trying to relive Panto memories of old. In an attempt to cheer her up they call up a bunch of their Panto friends to sing and dance the greatest East Van Panto hits. Things go sideways fast when the Phanto of the Panto swoops in. He’s been watching these things ever since Jack and the Beanstalk opened the York eight years ago and has a few choice ideas of his own. Physically-distanced antics ensue!

The chickens have been busy collecting an all-star cast of East Van Panto favourites including Dawn Petten (Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Wizard of Oz), Donna Soares (Cinderella), Amanda Sum (Pinocchio), Shawn Macdonald (Pinocchio) and Mark Chavez (writer, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White), to dig into the East Van Panto vault with musical superstar Veda Hille! It’s going to get silly as the gang remix the best of the last seven years into a brand new holiday extravaganza. From the ‘Cheese Song’ to the BC Ferry Godmother, Panto Come Home! is guaranteed to knock out the isolation blues and bring home the holidays.

For full performance schedule, tickets and subscriptions visit thecultch.com!

Photos by Emily Cooper