Photo of James Long & Maiko Bae Yamamoto by Itai Erdal

Love can break your heart. Can the cold pull it back together again? It’s forty below and almost everyone has left for warmer climates. Trapped in the middle of a cold snap, two broken souls huddle around opposite ends of a heating vent searching for a little warmth. The persistent sound of karaoke (the word’s English translation is "empty orchestra") eventually draws them together - but will it ultimately tear them apart?

The Empty Orchestra was Theatre Replacement’s inaugural production, and is collectively created by artistic directors James Long and Maiko Bae Yamamoto, with director Darren O’Donnell and Stage Manager/Costume Designer Adrienne Wong, and performed by Long and Yamamoto. The production also featured the supreme talents of Veda Hille (musical direction and arrangement), Itai Erdal (lighting design), and Meesoo Lee (Video).

The Empty Orchestra was a satellite performance of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and ran at the Scotiabank Dance Centre in February 2005.

“James Long and Maiko Bae Yamamoto are two of the most talented young theatre artists in the city ... in the forefront of Vancouver's theatrical renaissance of the past few years. The Empty Orchestra is a sweet little show.”
-Vancouver Plays