Broadway Barbara: The Return at the Rio Theatre

Name: Broadway Barbara: The Return at the Rio Theatre
Start: 2025-10-19T20:00:00-07:00
Location: The Rio Theatre

Schedule

Sun, 19 Oct, 2025 at 08:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

The Rio Theatre | Vancouver, BC

Stage legend.
Social media sensation (@BroadwayBarbaraOfficial).
Subtly understated international entertainment titan.
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Broadway Barbara makes her triumphant return to the Rio Theatre following a string of raucous, sold-out performances in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Provincetown!
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For this special performance, revel in the glorious excess of the spooky season as Barbara unleashes a jumbo-sized trash bag’s worth of tricks and treats: unique interpretations of Broadway tunes, ribald show biz tales, her legendary Fosse dance moves, and a tasteful assortment of tooth-chattering Halloween surprises.
Do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bask in the eerie glow of Barbara’s unique talents, when she levitates the roof of one of Vancouver’s premiere destinations for live theatre, comedy, and music!
Broadway Barbara at the Rio – skip this show, and you better wear soft shoes... because you’ll be kicking yourself for the rest of your days!
"A dash of Liza with a Z, a splash of Patti LuPone, and a drive that comes from knowing that there’s no one who compares, Broadway Barbara is bitingly funny, cutting to the heart of the quirks of Broadway and musical theatre." (Glam Adelaide)
"The show gifted us moments where Judy-Garland-esque gravitas could rub against wackiness worthy of Lucille Ball." (Australian Arts Review)
"Barbara, is original and laugh-out-loud funny. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard." (Theatre Pizzazz NYC)
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Sunday, October 19
Doors 7:30 pm | Event 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets on sale soon at www.riotheatretickets.ca
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Barbara Dixon is no mere entertainer; she is the living, breathing, dancing, screaming embodiment of entertainment itself. An inveterate performer with decades of experience, Ms. Dixon is a singer and dancer whose career has touched every medium and genre – from (off-) Broadway to (near-) Hollywood, and everywhere in between. Barbara Dixon is a tireless artist, having logged more audition time without booking a lead role than any other performer in Broadway history.
Fans, critics, passersby, and professional rivals all agree: Barbara Dixon is a creative force -- passionate, headstrong, and occasionally frightening. She possesses a bucket of unforgettable tunes, a large rolling suitcase full of unbelievable stories, and the unquenchable thirst to perform.
Connect on Instagram @BroadwayBarbaraOfficial
Connect on Twitter @BroadwayBarbaraOfficial
Connect on TikTok @BroadwayBarbaraOfficial
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About the Show:
Created by Leah Sprecher while she was a member of the famed Groundlings' Theater Sunday Company, Barbara Dixon is informed by Leah's genuine affection for classic Broadway performers -- and her own attempts to forge a creative career, through years of auditions, rejection, and the helpful advice that "it might take you a while."
To make this indomitable character the center of her own show, Leah devised a comedic cabaret that charts the history of modern Broadway -- and forms a backdrop for the absurd, ribald, surprisingly touching, and ultimately inspiring career of Barbara Dixon. Crafting a script and stage show with her then-boyfriend (and now husband) writer/director Brad Stevens, Leah first brought Barbara to the
stage in Los Angeles in 2018.
During the pandemic, the couple used the time away from the stage to craft social media videos that would hone Barbara's voice and back story... and cause the character to go viral. Bringing "Broadway Barbara" back to the stage in 2021, Leah has since performed in New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, London, and her home base of Los Angeles. By mid-2022, Barbara was selling out venues across the country and had amassed nearly half a million followers on social media.
Broadway Barbara Live! is conceived and performed by Leah Sprecher and is written and directed by Leah Sprecher and Brad Stevens.
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*Minors OK (mild content warning / 14+). Must be 19+ w/ID for entry and bar service.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this event.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre's Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available for purchase at our box office prior to showtime. Our box office will be open 60 minutes before showtime.
*We encourage patrons to arrive at least 30-45 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats - and time for treats at concession.
*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds, no exchanges.