Seattle Public Theater (SPT) travels to romantic Paris for the last play of the season in the West Coast premiere of Mat Smart's The 13th of Paris playing May 21-June 13 at the historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake. Vincent is struggling to answer the age-old question: What is love? So, he stands up his girlfriend at a café and travels to an apartment in Paris, carrying only a suitcase filled with the surprising love letters of his late grandparents. When Vincent begins receiving romantic advice from a dapper ghost in a pinstripe suit, he begins his real journey towards listening to his heart. Is the love we imagine possible in this crazy, modern world? For more information or to purchase tickets to The 13th of Paris call 206-524-1300, Wednesday through Saturday from 12-5 p.m., or visit www.seattlepublictheater.org
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 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 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.
Seniors can get a discount to see Charley's Aunt at the Taproot Theatre on May 26. Debuting in London in 1892, Brandon Thomas' Victorian-era farce has seen numerous stage and film adaptations-including the 1941 film with Jack Benny-and is still delighting audiences over a century later. Seniors ages 62 and older can enjoy this production, directed by Karen Lund, in a convenient daytime performance just for them at Taproot's intimate theatre. Charley's Aunt runs from May 14 through June 12, with low-price previews on May 12 and 13, plus a pay-what-you-can performance on the evening of May 19. Tickets for the senior matinee performance on May 26 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. Visit www.taproottheatre.org for more information.
The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote plays at the ACT Theatre In 1953 Houston, the elderly Carrie Watts dreams endlessly of visiting her childhood home one last time before it is too late. But first, before she embarks on a sentimental journey home, she must find a way to escape the suffocating confinement of an over-bearing daughter-in-law and under-serving son. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, this haunting American classic is an unforgettable meditation on the idea of home and its power to sustain us. Featuring Ian Bell, Mary Kae Irvin, Charles Leggett, Jessica Martin, Marianne Owen, Wesley Rice, and Paul Morgan Stetler. May 7- June 16. Single tickets start at $37.50 (adults) $10/$15 (students/people 25 & under) or included for ACT Basic Monthly and Charter Members. Call 206-292-7676 or visit www.acttheatre.org.
ACT's Central Heating Lab continues with KT Niehoff/Lingo Dance through 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's 2009-2010 Season is in full swing with the 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.
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, 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.
Coming to the KeyArena: Carole King & James Taylor, May 9; Eagles, May 13; Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum, May 21; Maxwell & Jill Scott, June 2; American Idols Live, Aug. 20. For more information and tickets visit www.livenation.com
PNB concludes its 2009-2010 Season, and realizes a long-time dream of Artistic Director Peter Boal, with a beautiful new production of George Balanchine's classic comic ballet, Coppélia. Based on Balanchine's memories of the Russian Imperial Ballet production, and staged in close collaboration with the great dancer Alexandra Danilova, Coppélia has been called one of the happiest ballets in existence. For its new production, which is being co-produced with San Francisco Ballet, PNB has commissioned Italian scenic and costume designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno, whose enchanting conceptions were last admired by audiences of PNB's The Merry Widow. Based on the book by Charles Nuitter, Coppélia is considered a triumphant masterpiece of characterization and comic timing. Enlightened by the wit and wisdom of George Balanchine, Coppélia offers absolute delight to ballet newcomers and families, as well as PNB's most seasoned patrons. Coppélia runs for nine performances only, from June 3 to 13 at Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, online at pnb.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer St. For tickets call 206-441-2424 or visit www.pnb.org
Now playing: City Island, Seven Gables; Date Night, Metro, etc.; The Joneses, Pacific Place, etc.; The Warlords, Varsity; The Eclipse, Harvard Exit; Kick Ass, Metro, etc.; Oceans, Metro, etc.; The Square, Varsity; Exit Through the Gift Shop, Harvard Exit; Ajami, Seven Gables; Terribly Happy, Harvard Exit; Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; The Back-Up Plan, Metro, etc.; The Losers, Metro, etc; Mid-August Lunch, Varsity; No One Knows About Persian Cats, Varsity; May 7: The Secret in Their Eyes, Harvard Exit; The Good, The Bad, The Weird, Varsity; Iron Man 2, not set; Babies, Seven Gables; 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); Knight and Day, (location not set); Holy Rollers, (location not set); Winter's Bone, (location not set); June 30: Twilight Saga: Eclipse, (location not set); July 2: Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, (location not set); The Last Airbender (location not set); I Am Love, (location not set); July 16: Inception, (location not set).
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.
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
Author Elinor Lipman will read from her book, The Family Man, at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 8 at Queen Anne Books at 1811 Queen Anne Ave. N. Elinor Lipman is known for her humorous and heartfelt fiction. The Family Man, her 10th and most recent novel, is a delightful satire-- available now in paperback. Autographed copies of Lipman's books will be available. Join Queen Anne Books for an afternoon with Lipman-- reading, answering questions, signing books, and partaking of delightful refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. No tickets required. For more information call 206-283-5624 or visit www.queenannebooks.com.
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. 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.
Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs Selected by Graham Nash, continues at the EMP through May 23. The event features some of the most notable photos taken of music's biggest legends, from David Bowie to Notorious B.I.G. (pictured). For more information, visit www.empsfm.org.
Celebrities, Gardening Tips and Flowers Galore will be at the Second Annual Pike Place Market Flower Festival May 8-9. Ciscoe Morris, gardening guru of TV, radio and newspaper, will answer questions at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, followed by a cooking demo by PCC's Lynne Vea. The event is the flower farmers' biggest weekend of the year, with more than 30 tents on the cobblestones of Pike Place. Customers can watch inside or outside as local farmers create bouquet after bouquet of colorful floral works of art. The event runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 8-9.
Northwest Film Forum, Northwest Screenwriters Guild, Seattle Film Institute, Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle Office of Film + Music, and Women in Film/Seattle are hosting Pulling Focus, a series of panels about the business of film. The colorful and charismatic Warren Etheredge from The Warren Report will moderate the panels. Sponsored by the Sorrento Hotel the next two panels in the series will be held at the Top of the Town Room Tuesday, May 11. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.brownpapertickts.com/event/109837.
Global Attractions Playing Locally (formerly Seattle International Children's Festival) is quickly approaching and with spring well under way the time has never been more perfect to come to Seattle Center from May 11-15 and Tacoma on May 17 for authentic international performances at Giant Magnet. The festival entertains and inspires children and adults of all ages and backgrounds allowing individuals to discover new forms of art and expression they might never have otherwise experienced. Performances include puppetry, theatre, dance, music, and circus arts from across the globe. In addition to the fantastic shows, kids can enjoy free activities on weekdays and on Family Day, Saturday May 15. For more information visit www.giantmagnet.org.[[In-content Ad]]
