Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Talent Time Delivers Christmas Joy

Every December I do three things: I watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, I go to my parents’ house to help decorate their tree, and I avoid new Christmas songs as if they were cranium-boring holiday earwigs. I may have to add a fourth.

Every December I do three things: I watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, I go to my parents’ house to help decorate their tree, and I avoid new Christmas songs as if they were cranium-boring holiday earwigs. I may have to add a fourth. The Paul Anthony’s Talent Time Christmas Special was everything you don’t expect, a cavalcade of unique talent with a spoonful of heart and the zest of Vancouver’s special brand of laid-back joy.

 Carmin Edwards for Lindsaysdiet.com Carmin Edwards for Lindsaysdiet.com

The show starts at 8:00 pm, but it really starts at 7:20 pm. As the doors of the Rio Theatre open, Talent Time’s loyal fans enter. Dressed in Christmas sweaters and Santa hats, they laugh and mingle, meeting friends and hugging their neighbours. Before the show has even begun, there is a sense of community. Christmas music plays over the sound system, old Christmas photos are shown on the screen, and Santa Claus himself sits on-stage, inviting one and all to come take selfies with him.

As the lights dim, co-host Ryan Beil walks to his sidekick podium. “What time is it?” he asks. “Talent Time!” shouts the crowd. The show’s energetic video intro plays and Paul Anthony walks on stage. Anthony and Beil share a strong comedy partnership: Anthony as the fun, lovingly frazzled host and Beil as his witty goofball sidekick.

 Carmin Edwards for Lindsaysdiet.com Carmin Edwards for Lindsaysdiet.com

The first act is a medley of Christmas songs from the girls of the Notre Dame Regional Secondary Youth Choir. With a fake snow machine in the background and the soft sounds of “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” the group is lovely, with the charm of a 1950s revue performance. Next is a selection of Christmas carols from steel drummer Abbla Banji, playing “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman.” After these two songs, Anthony comes out to talk to him and presumably usher him off, but Banji is having none of it. He beckons to the sound booth, “Give me some music, DJ,” and launches into “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as his final song.

After this, storyteller Emelia Symington-Fedy talks about her time during a past Christmas with a formerly cannibalistic tribe in Vanuatu. Much like Talent Time itself, the story is raw and very funny, ignoring the conventions of your typical stand-up anecdote. It has comfortable pauses, nesting its jokes in real emotion. The last act of the first half is MJ Ancheta, a 12-year old singer. With her booming Mariah Carey-like voice, she belts out an impressive rendition of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

rsz_talent-time-20151203-56_copy

The full extent of the Notre Dame Regional Secondary Youth Choir returns to stage to perform “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” Anthony then begins to thank the crowd and the volunteers. It becomes apparent how many people care and support the show. The last act of the night is Kevin Davey of the Beatles tribute band, The Fab Fourever. Appearing as John Lennon, he channels Lennon’s peace movement and speaks about the tragedies in Paris, Syria, and California. Advocating the power of the human spirit to prevent violence, he sings “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” The Notre Dame Regional Secondary Youth Choir soon walks down the aisles of the theatre holding candles and Anthony, Beil, and the house band join them all on stage in a musical finale.

The Paul Anthony’s Talent Time Christmas Special is a display of all the different experiences people celebrate around Christmas: children partaking in tradition, steel drums, Mariah Carey, run-ins with cannibals, dumb games with family, and peace. With popcorn instead of turkey, Talent Time became our big family Christmas.

You can experience Paul Anthony’s Talent Time the first Thursday of every month at the Rio Theatre. Next instalment, Talent Time Improves Your Life happens January 7th. Thirty minute, edited episodes can be seen on Shaw TV, Novus TV, and on the Talent Time YouTube channel.