Best Books
Garth Stein's Racing in the Rain, was a sweet tale told from a Seattle dog's perspective; Paul Bannick's The Owl and the Woodpecker, is a brilliant window into the world of rare and remarkably beautiful birds living in North America. Bannick's photography is stunning. Jack Hamann uncovered a gross error in World War II era Fort Lawton in his book On American Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II. His effort led to the U.S. Army apologizing to soldiers accused of murder.
Best Entertainment
The Wizard of Oz. A stellar cast, great songs, a timeless story and a gorgeous set are all at play in the Seattle Children's Theatre's production of The Wizard of Oz. One of the joys of going to a play is watching how its creators figure out ways to express hard-to-express visuals. In Oz, presenting flying monkeys, a major tornado, munchkins and of course the Wizard, was done with great creativity and a sense of fun.
George Michael. That silky voice, those killer hooks. It was all there in July at the KeyArena. He hadn't been in Seattle for 17 years and seeing him in person after such a long time was an absolute delight.
A Marvelous Party. A party indeed. The Noel Coward Celebration at Act Theatre was a "spectacular" success. Filled with bawdy cabaret songs, fantastic dancing and witty dialog, theatergoers, and our reviewer Nancy Worssam were delighted.
A World Below. Coe Elementary students, parents and faculty put on "The World Below," an opera about the struggles of creatures under the sea. The costumes and music and story were all original. Quite the feat and genuinely entertaining.
I Puritani. Bellini's impossibly difficult opera was pulled off beautifully particularly by Lawrence Brownlee whom reviewer Maggie Larrick described as having a "mellifluous tenor...powerful and nuanced."
Wendy and Lucy. The hard-times story starring Michelle Williams debuted at the Toronto Film Festival where reviewer Richard T. Jameson sang its praises. Williams will likely get an Academy Award nod.
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