The Performing Arts

Three major theaters in Vancouver regularly host touring performances. The Orpheum Theatre, 801 Granville St. (tel. 604/665-3050; www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/theatres), is a 1927 theater that originally hosted the Chicago-based Orpheum vaudeville circuit. The theater now hosts the Vancouver Symphony and pop, rock, and variety shows. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the Vancouver Playhouse comprise the Queen Elizabeth Complex, 600 Hamilton St., between Georgia and Dunsmuir streets (tel. 604/665-3050; www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/theatres), home to the Vancouver Opera and Ballet British Columbia. The 670-seat Vancouver Playhouse presents chamber-music performances and recitals. Located in a converted turn-of-the-20th-century church, the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (the "Cultch" to locals), 1895 Venables St. (tel. 604/251-1363; www.vecc.bc.ca), coordinates an impressive program that includes avant-garde theater productions, performances by international musical groups, and children's programs.

On the UBC campus, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, 6265 Crescent Rd. (tel. 604/822-2697; www.chancentre.com), showcases the work of the UBC music and acting students and hosts a winter concert series. Designed by local architectural luminary, Bing Thom, the Chan Centre's crystal-clear acoustics are the best in town.

Theater

An annual summertime Shakespeare series, Bard on the Beach, is presented in Vanier Park (tel. 604/737-0625; www.bardonthebeach.org). You can also bring a picnic dinner to Stanley Park and watch Theatre Under the Stars , which features popular musicals and light comedies.

Art on the Edge -- For more original performance fare, don't miss The Fringe -- Vancouver's Theatre Festival (tel. 604/257-0350; www.vancouverfringe.com). Centered on Granville Island, the Fringe Festival features more than 500 innovative and original shows each September, all costing under C$20 (US$17/£9).

Dance

The new Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St., provides a focal point for the Vancouver dance community. Renovated by Arthur Erickson, the former bank building now offers studio and rehearsal space to more than 30 dance companies, and is open to the general public for events, workshops, and classes. For more information, call tel. 604/606-6400, or check www.thedancecentre.ca.

For fans of modern dance, the time to be here is early July, when the Dancing on the Edge Festival (tel. 604/689-0691; www.dancingontheedge.org) presents 60 to 80 original pieces over a 10-day period. For more information about other festivals and dance companies around the city, contact the Dance Centre at tel. 604/606-6400 or www.thedancecentre.ca.