On a balmy Sunday night at Vancouver’s venerable Commodore Ballroom, Varietopia unfolded as an unorthodox carnival of comedy, music, and magic under the genial stewardship of Paul F. Tompkins. From the very first notes of the opening fanfare to the final echo of applause, the evening wove together disparate acts into a remarkably cohesive celebration of wit and wonder.
The show opened with Jordan Katz striding onstage in a shiny tracksuit and ushering in a rollicking horn-driven ensemble. Katz’s troupe moved effortlessly between sultry jazz interludes and raucous funk breakdowns, laying down a lush musical tapestry that threaded throughout the night.
Next came Medusa the Gangsta Goddess, whose confident swagger and powerhouse vocals transformed the stage into a concert of mythic proportions. At the midpoint, magician Artoun Nazareth made the world-famous venue feel like a cozy parlor with his jaw‑dropping sleight‑of‑hand. Card tricks became intimate mind‑reading feats.
Tompkins, meanwhile, drifted in and out of the spotlight with his signature blend of erudition and absurdity. He dispatched a series of stand‑up riffs – first, on the surreal theater of American politics; then on the humble drama of butter trays in families made up of people who keep butter in the fridge vs on the counter. He also turned his comedic scalpel toward the recent papal conclave.
What made these routines sing was Tompkins’s impeccable timing. A pause here gave weight to a political barb; a sideways glance there underscored a bleary punchline about cold butter.
By the time the house lights rose, the audience was reluctant to leave. Varietopia proved that when you stitch together comedy, music, poetry, and illusion under a single creative vision, the result can feel both riotously fun and unexpectedly profound. If this eclectic revue makes its way back to Vancouver, clearing your calendar wouldn’t be a suggestion – it’d be an imperative.
