ACT Theater presents the Northwest premiere of Vanities: A New Musical, featuring powerhouse performances from Cayman Ilika, Jennifer Sue Johnson, and Billie Wildrick. Produced by ACT and The 5th Avenue Theatre, this new musical will take you on a journey through the turbulent ’60s to the me centered ’80s and beyond, as three friends face life’s defining moments: growing up, getting older and getting over it! The play runs Feb. 4 through May 1. For ticket information, visit www.acttheatre.org.
Celebrate springtime with The Moisture Festival, Seattle’s Mainspring Event
Rejoicing in its Eighth Year. Enjoy a selection of comedy/varietè/burlesque performances
featuring colorful uncompromising local, national and international artists. This mix of adult and general entertainment runs from March 17 - April 10, at the following locations: Hale’s Palladium – Fremont;
ACT- A Contemporary Theatre – Downtown; Open Space for Art and Community - Vashon Island; The Georgetown Ballroom - Georgetown ; SIFF Cinema – Seattle Center. Tickets are between $10 and $20 per show. For more information, go to www.brownpapertickets.com <http://www.brownpapertickets.com>
Seattle Public Theater (SPT) presents the Northwest premiere of Julie Marie Myatt’s wry and affecting drama, The Happy Ones, running March 18th-April 10th, at the historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake. What does it mean to be truly “happy”? When tragedy strikes the perfect life of Walter Wells in sunny 1975 California, the only person who can help him reclaim his life, is the Vietnamese refugee who inadvertently destroyed it. The Happy Ones is an uplifting, and surprisingly funny, play by Ms. Myatt, a rising star in American theater. Tickets are on sale now for The Happy Ones as well as the final show of the season, George Bernard Shaw’s charming classic, Arms and the Man. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (206) 524-1300 or online at www.seattlepublictheater.org <http://www.seattlepublictheater.org/> .
Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions bring the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Billy Elliot the Musical to Seattle from March 22 through April 3, 2011 at The Paramount Theatre. Tickets for Billy Elliot the Musical are available on-line at stgpresents.org and tickets.com, by calling 877-STG-4TIX (784-4849) or in person at The Paramount Theatre Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm). Based on the international smash-hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot the Musical has earned critical acclaim on Broadway including 10 Tony Awards
Taproot Theatre is presenting The Beams are Creaking, running from March 25 through April 23, with previews on March 23 and 24, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on March 30. Seniors will be on the edge of their seats as a tale of intrigue, conspiracy and high treason unfolds during the senior matinee of The Beams are Creaking at Taproot Theatre on April 6 at 2 p.m. The Beams are Creaking takes place in Germany, 1933. The Nazi party has taken power. In the face of the greatest evil of the 20th century, Dietrich Bonhoeffer battles questions of morality, political allegiance and religious conviction.
Tickets for the senior matinee performance on April 6 are $20, or less for groups of eight or more. For single tickets, contact Taproot Theatre’s box office at 206-781-9707. For groups of eight or more, contact Group Sales at 206-781-9708 or groups@taproottheatre.org. Taproot Theatre also offers $3 off regular priced tickets for senior citizens for all other performance dates during its regular season, excluding previews. Wheelchair and walker accessible seating is available.
The Annex Theatre; I was a Fat Kid…I Was a Really Fat Kid, The Strange Misadventures of Patty, Patty’s Dad, Patty’s Friend Jen and a Bunch of Other People, July 29-Aug. 27; Penguins, Ep. 5, Aug. 6-26; c. 1993 (you never step in the same river twice) Oct. 21-Nov. 19; Classy Nonsense, Oct. 26-Nov. 18. For more details visit www.annextheatre.org.
Intiman Theatre presents its 2011 season: Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” March 25-April 17; Tanya Barfield’s “The Call,” May 20-June 12; J.M. Synge’s “The Playboy of the Western World,” July 22-Aug. 14; Julia Cho’s “The Piano Teacher,” Sept. 16-Oct. 9; Colman Domingo’s “A Boy and His Soul,” Oct. 28-Nov. 20. For tickets and more information visit www.intiman.org.
GO, DOG GO ART HERE
Go, Dog. Go! the classic children’s book comes to life at Seattle Children’s Theatre through March 13. Adapted by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz and based on the popular P.D. Eastman book, Go, Dog. Go! is for ages 4 and up and plays at SCT’s Eve Alvord Theatre, 201 Thomas St. Tickets are $22-$37. Visit www.sct.org for more information.
Join Seattle Repertory Theatre the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Seattle Rep PONCHO Forum at 155 Mercer Street to discover groundbreaking new works. Each reading is followed by a chatback with the playwright. This reading series is co-sponsored by the Rep’s New Play Program and the Northwest Playwrights Alliance. Admission is free (donations gladly accepted). No RSVP necessary—just show up!
Music
Portland Baroque Orchestra <http://www.pbo.org/> returns to the International Series <http://www.earlymusicguild.org/?page_id=59> with vocal soloists from Montreal’s Les Voix Baroques <http://www.lesvoixbaroques.ca/> and choral support from Cappella Romana <http://www.cappellaromana.org/> to present Seattle’s first period performance of J.S. Bach’s beloved oratorio, St. John Passion. PBO Music Director Monica Huggett <http://www.pbo.org/index_new.php?page=about#h0> will direct an all-star line-up of vocal soloists including Charles Daniels <http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-daniels-q19713> as the Evangelist, Shannon Mercer <http://www.shannonmercer.com/> , Matthew White <http://www.lesvoixbaroques.ca/bio/vocal-soloists/matthew-white> , Jacques Olivier Chartier <http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Chartier-Jacques-Olivier.htm> , Joshua Hopkins <http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=621&c=2> , and Tyler Duncan <http://www.lesvoixbaroques.ca/bio/vocal-soloists/tyler-duncan> .
Early Music Guild performs Handel’s Grand Concertos at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 27, at Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave. $40 General, $35 Senior 65+, $25 Side Sections, $15 Under 25. Tickets: 206-325-7066 or visit www.earlymusicguild.org.
Broadway and film star Kathy Najimy joins Seattle Women’s Chorus at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 20 at Olympia’s Washington Center for the Performing Arts, then Feb. 25-26 at The Paramount Theater in Seattle. Tickets: $20-$55. Call 206-388-1400 or visit www.seattlewomenschorus.org.
Gavino Shows His Mural Work at FCS Art Gallery: Weng Gavino knew that he was an artiste a priori even before he started doodling in kindergarten. He knew in his soul that he was meant to do art. It took him four decades to manifest his art and another two before he chose to fully pursue his obsession for the magnificent. Well known for his massive 5’ tall and 37.5’ long mural art installation entitled “Perlas ng Silanganan Fiestas” at the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), Gavino begins the “autumn” of his journey in his I-M-Art exhibit under the banner of “Beyond Perlas” at the FCS Art Gallery. The FCS Art Gallery is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Filipino Community of Seattle Kultura Arts Program’s mission is to instill pride, identity and community through art, culture, heritage and history. It is chaired by Maria Batayola with Jessica Rubenacker as KA Arts Gallery Curator and Delia Vita as Communications Coordinator. For more information, friend Kultura Arts at Facebook , email KulturaArts@fcseattle and/or visit us at FCSeattle.org.
Now playing: March 11: Battle: Los Angeles, location not set; Red Riding Hood, location not set; March 18: A Somewhat Gentle Man, Varsity; Jane Eyre, location not set; March 25: Of Gods and Men, location not set.
Come here author URSULA LE GUIN and photographer ROGER DORBAND discuss “Out Here’ at the Seattle Public Library on March 23. Acclaimed poet and author Ursula Le Guin will read poems and photographer Roger Dorband will show photographs from their new book, “Out Here: Poems and Images from Steens Mountain Country,” from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23 at The Seattle Public Library, Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Microsoft Auditorium, Level 1. The program is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Limited parking is available in the Central Library garage for $5 after 5 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Cheap Wine and Poetry, featuring poets Rebecca Hoogs, Sierra Nelson and Graham Isaac and poet-turned-comedian Emmett Montgomery. The event is Thursday, March 10, 7 p.m. at Richard Hugo House. Charla Grenz hosts, and, as always, wine is $1 per cup. The series is curated by Brian McGuigan, writer and Hugo House marketing
and events director. Admission is FREE, though donations are encouraged to help keep the wine cheap and the poetry free. Open mic sign-up is at the door. Books from
authors and “Cheap Wine and Poetry” merchandise are for sale.
Magnolia Book Club Meets monthly at 6:15 p.m. at the Magnolia Community Center, 2550 34th Ave. W. For dates or more information e-mail Kacey at kaceyk21@hotmail.com or visit readinginmagnolia.wordpress.com.
Tickets for the 2011 National Geographic Live speaker series are now on sale. Events include: Extreme Cave Diving: Exploring the Blue Holes of the Bahamas with environmental anthropoligist Kenny Broad, 2 p.m., Sunday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. March 14-15; Becoming Human: Our Evolutionary Journey with paleoanthropoligist Donald Johanson, 2 p.m., Sunday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, April 11-12; African Ceremonies: Documenting a Vanishing World with photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, 7:30 p.m., Monday May 16-17; For tickets and more information call 206-215-4747 or toll-free at (866) 833-4747, or visit www.benaroyahall.org
On your marks! Pacific Northwest Ballet has opened its box office for the 2010-2011 season ticket sales. To learn more, visit www.pnb.org.