THEATRE
The Magnolia Theater School of Drama is putting on Honk, Jr., a contemporary retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, "The Ugly Duckling." There are two casts. Cast One performs at 4 p.m., April 22 and 7 p.m., April 23, 24. Cast Two performs at 4 p.m., May 6 and at 7 p.m., May 7, 8. Tickts are $10 and available at the box office April 20 (for Cast One) and May 4 (Cast Two), or at the door 30 minutes before curtain. Cash or check only. The theater is at the United Church of Christ, 3555 W. McGraw St. 206-356-1342. Visit www.themagnoliatheater.com for more information.
Seattle Shakespeare Company's "Henry V" opens with a twist at 7:30 p.m., Friday, April 16 and plays through May 9 at the Center House Theatre in Seattle Center. Ain't war grand? It's 1962, and with the arms race and space race at full throttle, pressure is mounting for the new ruler Henry and his cabinet cronies to do something. Well, anything, really. After the monarch of France insults him, power hungry Henry leaps into war (with some prodding from his "advisors"). Outnumbered and facing sure disaster, Henry's political instinct kicks in to gamble on one last epic fight. Henry V satirically exposes the behind the scenes maneuverings of a government's war machine. Visit www.seattleshakespeare.org for ticket information.
ACT's Central Heating Lab continues to heat up the stage with The Film School, April 19, and KT Niehoff/Lingo Dance April 22-May 15. The Film School, which is free, is a chance for audiences to get in on the ground floor of the film making process and shape a new work. The Film School is FREE and presents a series of staged screenplay readings from outstanding alumni-written scripts, directed and read by Seattle's top professional directors and actors, followed by a Q&A session with the screenwriter, director, actors, and cast. Readings are an important step that not only showcase the extraordinary work of alumni, but also help in developing, refining, and improving their screenplays, all with the audience's input. Seattle Magazine's 2007 Dance Artist of the Year, KT Niehoff continues her search for potent environments that challenge audience/artist proximity - practically, metaphorically, emotionally, and psychologically. Single tickets start at $18. Call 206-292-7676 or visit www.acttheatre.org.
Stone Soup Theatre' 2009-2010 Season is in full swing. The Vagina Monologues 10th Anniversary Edition, by Eve Ensler, through April 24; Original One-Act Play Festival, May 13-23, 2010. For tickets and more information visit www.stonesouptheatre.org
Jet City Improv and Wing-It Productions present Seattle's Best Comedy, a night of hijinks and improvisational fun with audience participation. At the Historic University Theatre, 5510 University Way N.E. 206-352-8291. Visit www.jetcityimprov.com for more show times and information.
Now playing at the Seattle Children's Theatre, Getting Near to Baby, by Y York and based on the novel by Audrey Couloumbis. In the North Carolina summer of 1967, tragedy strikes their family, so Willa Jo and Little Sister are sent to stay with their Aunt Patty and Uncle Hob while their mother tries to come to terms with their family's loss. Now, Aunt Patty has more of a way with her garden gnomes than little girls, always concerned with the order and the rightness of a thing. For those 8-years old and up. The show runs through April 18 at the Eve Alvord Theatre at 201 Thomas St. Adults $20-34 and Children $15-28, depending on performance day/time. For more information and tickets, visit www.sct.org.
The Central Heating Lab at ACT features the return of Pinter Fortnightly, free public readings of plays by late Nobel laureate Harold Pinter. The readings are through April 26, In Buster's Special Event Room at ACT Theatre, 700 Union St. Reservations are recommended. Call 206-292-7676 or visit www.acttheatre.org.
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!
Seattle Children's Theatre closes its 2009-2010 Mainstage Season with its 103rd world premiere, a musical adaptation of the Grimm Brothers' classic The Brementown Musicians, opening April 9 and running through
May 16. The Brementown Musicians, presented in SCT's Charlotte Martin Theatre, is directed by Artistic Director Linda Hartzell, currently in her 25th season leading SCT. The Brementown Musicians will be presented in SCT's Charlotte Martin Theatre. Seattle Children's Theatre is located at 201 Thomas St., under the Space Needle at Seattle Center. Tickets for The Brementown Musicians range in price from $15 to $34 and may be purchased by calling the SCT Ticket Office at (206) 441-3322 or by visiting www.sct.org. The Brementown Musicians is recommended for ages 5 and older and Grade K and up.
Intiman Theatre opens its 2010 Season, the first under the leadership of artistic director Kate Whoriskey, with Paradise Lost, written by Clifford Odets and directed by Dámaso Rodriguez, featuring an ensemble of 14 actors from Seattle and Los Angeles. Performances are at Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St. at Seattle Center through April 25. Tickets are available from www.intiman.org. or 206-269-1900. Single ticket prices range from $25 to $61 for Wednesday-Sunday performances. All adult tickets on Tuesday nights are $25. Discounts are available for groups and members of the military, and patrons age 25 and under can purchase tickets to any performance for $10.
CONCERTS
The Seattle Flute Society Flute Festival is afoot. It features commercial exhibits, recitals from young members and a special guest flutist. The Flute Choir Festival takes place 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sunday April 11 at the
Performing Arts Center
at Shorecrest High School in Shoreline at 15343 25th Ave. N.E. in Shoreline.
Get right with Bach at Town Hall April 10. The Eastertide concert and season closer celebrates the father of music with some of his greatest secular and sacred works. Including the G minor oboe concerto, the A minor violin concerto, Brandenburg VI, Cantata 82 (Ich habe genug) and the aria "Es ist vollbracht," this program shows Bach both contemplative and virtuosic, pious and fiery. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and there's a pre-concert lecture by John Lenti at 7 p.m. Town Hall is at the corner of Eighth and Seneca streets. Visit www.seattlebaroque.org.
CINEMA
Second Saturday at Seven Movie Series continues with a free showing of Dirt! The Movie directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow and narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis. "Dirt" shows at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 10, at the Queen Anne United Methodist Church, 1606 Fifth Ave. W., the pink building next door to the Queen Anne Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Entrance is on W Garfield St. Additional information about this documentary, the Queen Anne Movie Guild, and the sponsors who are helping make this free community service possible can be found at www.queenannemovieguild.org.
Now playing: The Hot Tub Time Machine, Metro etc.; How to Train Your Dragon, Neptune; The Art of the Steal, Seven Gables; Greenberg, Guild 45th; Chloe, Metro; Sweetgrass, Varsity; The Last Song, Metro; Vincere, Harvard Exit; Clash of the Titans, Metro; The Exploding Girl, Varsity; April 9: Dancing Across borders, Varsity, The Greatest, (location not set); City Island, Seven Gables; Date Night, (location not set); April 16: The Joneses, (location not set); The Warlords, Varsity; The Eclipse, (location not set); Kick Ass, (location not set); April 22: Oceans, Metro, etc.; April 23: The Square, Varsity; Exit Through the Gift Shop, (location not set); Ajami, (location not set); Terribly Happy, Harvard Exit; Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; The Back-Up Plan, (location not set); The Losers, (location not set); April 30: Mid-August Lunch, (location not set); No One Knows About Persian Cats, Varsity; May 7: The Secret in Their Eyes, (location not set); The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Varsity; Iron Man 2, not set; Babies, (location not set); May 14: Princess Kaiulani, (location not set); Robin Hood, (location not set); Letters to Juliet, (location not set); The Secret of Kells, (location not set); May 21: MacGruber, not set; May 28: Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, Sex & the City 2, (location not set); Looking for Eric, (location not set); June 4: Mother and Child, (location not set); June 18: Toy Story 3 (3-D), (location not set); Please Give, (location not set); June 25: Micmacs, (location not set).
VISUAL ARTS
The Wing Luke presents the wild politically charged collections and paintings of Roger Shimomura. Shimomura has been devoted to issues of ethnic identity as a third-generation Japanese American. His paintings tackle socio-political issues of Asian America. Through April 18. Visit www.wingluke.org.
Fountainhead Gallery in Queen Anne presents two new showings, Tom Hoffmann's watercolors and Laura Beso's "Reverence." Hoffmann's watercolors and his ability to distill a complex world down to an essential few washes and strokes leaves the viewer pleasure in interpreting the wide diversity of subject matter in this exhibit of 30 new paintings. Beso, a native of Southern California, moved to the Northwest 15 years ago. The vistas here have inspired her paintings ever since. It was during a period of adversity that Beso looked to nature to find healing and developed a special kinship with flowers. An artist reception for Hoffmann and Beso will be from 5-7 p.m., Saturday, April 17 at the Fountainhead Gallery at 625 W. McGraw St. Hoffmann and Beso's work will be on display through May 2. For more information visit www.fountainheadgallery.com.
EXPOSED: Critical Mass 2009. This year 593 artists entered Photolucida's Critical Mass (www.photolucida.org), a program designed to expose the world's best emerging and mid-career photography to the professionals (curators, editors, gallerists, etc.) who actually use it. After an initial pre-screening stage, the work of 175 Finalists went on to be viewed, and voted on, by over 200 jurors. The Critical Mass Top 50 is the result of this democratic process. The exhibit runs through May 18 at Photo Center NW, 900 Twelfth Ave. Tickets: $6, $4 PCNW members.
READINGS
Lisa Shannon, founder of "Run for Congo Women"-the Inspiration Behind a Global Effort to Support the Women of the Democratic Republic of Congo-will discuss her new book, "A Thousand Sisters," at 7 p.m., Monday, April 12 at the Intiman Theatre, an event co-presented by Intiman, the World Affairs Council and Elliott Bay Books. Intiman kicked off its International Cycle with this new partnership and a one-day sale for Lynn Nottage's "Ruined" on Saturday, March 27-World Theatre Day. The theatre is located at 201 Mercer St. For more information, visit www.intiman.org.
Open mic at El Diablo coffee house. Poetry readers are encouraged to join the fun the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month The event is co-hosted by Margaret Roncone and Lainne Dexter. This series is getting a trial run every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Show up to listen or bring poetry to read at this all open mic venue that can continue if enough people want to make it happen. ... tell others about it.... always good to have more places to read and help indie business survive in these hard times.... 8 p.m., at El Diablo coffee house 1811 Queen Anne Ave. N.
The mixer group at Queen Anne Books meets every other month, usually the last Saturday at 8 p.m. The book choices tend to be a little edgier than the traditional book
club fare, and discussions are focused yet fun. After about an hour talking about the book, most head to a bar or restaurant to socialize. Attendees spend book club time talking openly and in-depth about the book. Everyone is welcome to take part in the discussion, and all are encouraged to join in on social time after. Queen Anne Avenue Books 1811 Queen Anne Ave. N. www.queenannebooks.com
Novelist Howard Frank Mosher will be presenting a slide show/talk, "Transforming History into Fiction: the Story of a Born Liar," at 3 p.m., Sunday April 11, at Queen Anne Books (1811 Queen Anne Ave. N.), In the talk, Mosher discusses how he wrote and researched his just-released Civil War novel, Walking to Gatlinburg, in which a 17-year-old Vermonter walks from northern New England to the Great Smokies in search of his older brother, gone missing at Gettysburg. The presentation covers subjects as diverse as the writing and revision process - Mosher revised Walking to Gatlinburg more than 50 times. The event is free and open to the public. Call Queen Anne Books at 206-283-5624 with any questions or visit www.QueenAnneBooks.com.
OTHER STUFF
The Seattle Veterans Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Also open on military holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th and Veterans Day) and by appointment for groups. The museum is also looking for volunteers and board members. The museum is located at Second Avenue between Union and University streets behind the Remembrance Garden. Visit www.seattleveteransmuseum.org or call 425-821-0489 for more information.
The Tinkertoy exhibit is now on display at the Children's Museum. Build Your Imagination is a new traveling exhibit at The Children's Museum, that runs through May 23. Giant Tinkertoy building pieces create a fantastic framework that helps children ages 3 - 10 understand how imaginative thinking, sharing and teamwork can create solutions to real-world problems. It's a rich education experience for children and adults to enjoy!
Brand new this spring, Taproot Theatre's Acting Studio offers Drama With Your Mama, a fun and enriching class for caregivers and their little ones. It's never too early to cultivate a child's creativity and imagination, and Drama With Your Mama will do just that. This class will encourage social and self-awareness while building confidence in 1-3 year olds. Spring quarter also includes scene study sessions for both kids and adults, classes that teach the building blocks of singing for musical theatre, plus spring break camps that correspond with both the Seattle and Shoreline school districts' schedules. Spring quarter runs through May 22, with spring break camps running April 19-23 (Shoreline). Registration is open now. Classes are held at Taproot Theatre (204 N. 85th St.), Ballard Church (1460 NW 73rd St.) and Grace Fellowship Church (410 NW 62nd St.) in Seattle. Registration forms and class descriptions are available online at www.taproottheatre.org or contact Taproot's Acting Studio at 206-529-3668 or studio@taproottheatre.org.
Pacific Northwest Ballet pays tribute to the greatest choreographer of the 20th century and its own artistic heritage with All Balanchine, an homage to the man who revolutionized an art form in ways that have changed it forever. The three works on this season's All Balanchine program-Serenade, Square Dance, and The Four Temperaments. Performances begin April 15 and run through April 25. Tickets are $15 and $25. Call 206-441-2424 or visit www.pnb.org for more information. PNB is at 301 Mercer St.
Photographer and biologist Paul Nicklen presents Polar Obsession as part of the 2010 National Geographic Live speaker series, April 19 and 20 at Benaroya Hall. Raised in a small Inuit village, Nicklen combines his personal story and journey from biologist to conservationist with his underwater discoveries. Tickets start at $18. $12 for students. Visit www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroya for more information.[[In-content Ad]]
