Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci" opens at Marion McGraw Hall on Saturday, the 12th of January, at 7:30 p.m. This opera has not been seen in Seattle since 1993, at which time my late husband and I attended and enjoyed it on a double bill with "Cavalleria rusticana." But it's the 1974 production that is still fresh in my mind. The tenor was the Metropolitan Opera star Richard Tucker, renowned for his rendition of the famous aria, "Vesti la giubba" (or "On with the Motley," or "Put on Your Costume"), sung with a sob in his voice, as the poor clown Carnio who has to entertain an unfeeling audience while his heart is breaking.
The National Football Foundation held its 42nd Annual Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony at Qwest Field on Sunday, Dec. 16, with Coach Tyrone Willingham from the University of Washington Huskies as keynote speaker. Three Magnolia boys were nominated for their academic and football success. Shown from left to right are: Sam Barnes, from Lakeside High School; Elliott Bowman, from King's High School; and John Hostek, representing Ballard High School. All three boys have strong grade-point averages and scored highly on their SAT exams. As Coach Willingham said, "These young men are the leaders of tomorrow.
During winter quarter Magnolia Community Center will play host to The Cinema Club, presenting a weekly film history course featuring 10 films divided between recognized classics and lesser-known titles worth discovering.
Seattle Parks and Recreation will host the third meeting on the Thomas C. Wales Park (formerly Dexter Pit Park) development project on Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Queen Anne Community Center. At this meeting the public is invited to review design development drawings for the park project.
At its 2008 kickoff meeting in mid-January, the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce will get to hear about the future of the Greater Queen Anne business community from economist and consultant Matthew Gardner of Gardner Johnson. The meeting will be held Thursday, Jan. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ponti Seafood Grill, located at 3014 Third Ave. N., off Nickerson near the Fremont Bridge. Lunch is $25 per person for members, $30 nonmembers. Members and the public who wish to attend the Jan. 17 meeting at Ponti Seafood Grill should contact the Chamber at www.qachamber.org or call 283-6876.
On Oct. 22, 2007, Swedish became the first hospital in Western Washington to activate a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week link between emergency room physicians at Swedish Ballard and Swedish Issaquah with the nationally recognized Stroke Team experts at the Swedish Cherry Hill Campus. In our world of technological advancements, this is referred to as telemedicine. The program was instituted to improve early diagnosis and treatment of possible stroke victims. The TeleStroke program is modeled after the first program initiated through Massachussetts General Hospital in Boston. Swedish Medical Center wants the general public to be aware of this groundbreaking program. </p
During the month of January, Seattle Shakespeare Company will run "CHAMBER JULIUS CAESAR" and "SWANSONG" in rotating repertory at the Center House Theatre, Seattle Center. "Chamber Julius Caesar," a fresh, condensed look at Shakespeare's play, is on Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 3-27. "Swansong," a play about the friendship and rivalry of Will Shakespeare and Ben Jonson having its West Coast première, runs Sunday-Wednesday, Jan. 7-23. Tickets: 733-8222.
Music has provided a tool for healing in many cultures. In hunter gatherer societies, the shaman played a central role as the village healer, and the shaman's drum was the primary instrument used in healing rituals. What role does music play in healing minds, bodies and spirits in modern, industrialized societies? Would you get the same effect from an iPod as you would from a live drumming ritual?
A few new appetizer recipes will take you a long way in the month of January. Whether it's for a gathering of big-screen viewing of college bowl games, an after-ski gathering or just hunkering down lazily on the weekend to watch movies, both of these heavier-style appetizers are excellent for this cold weather month. Throw in a green salad, and I just might call it a meal.
Navy Seaman recruit Todd Pengelly, son of Dave Pengelly of Madison Park and Tammy Pengelly of Albany, Ore., recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.
PERMIT APPLICATION: 1435 34th Ave. (3007213) for a Land Use Application to construct one three-story structure with four live/work units and one three-story structure with two live/work units and one residential unit. One residential parking space will be located at grade. Existing structures to be demolished. The following approvals are required: SEPA environmental determination; Design Review. Building permit may be needed but was not included in this application. Written comments accepted through Wednesday, Jan. 2.
Most of the time, I relish being single: the freedom, the autonomy, the lack of fights over how to fold towels. Most of the time, I revel in the fullness of my life. But then comes that moment, a few minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve, when I feel that twinge of "I don't want to be alone!"-itis. Yeah, red-rose, lace-bedecked sales pitches around Valentine's Day will twist my nerve ends into creative pretzel shapes. However, New Year's Eve angst is what initially shredded my nerves into frayed fringe.
Northgate's Elyse McManus , 15, placed first in the Group Health Credit Union's (GHCU) holiday-card coloring contest for her age group. Her winning design (ADDITIONAL PICTURE ) was featured on the cover of holiday cards that GHCU sold to benefit the charity she selected: Pennies for Peace, which builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. McManus, a sophomore at Holy Names Academy, also received a $100 award.
B.F. Day ❚ DONATION: Getty Images, 601 N. 34th St., has donated new books to the after-school tutoring program at B.F. Day Elementary School, 3921 Linden Ave. N. Roosevelt ❚ STAGED READINGS: Students from Roosevelt High School, 1410 N.E. 66th St., will present an evening of staged readings on Jan. 18 of four 10-minute plays they wrote.
This unnamed, tuxedo-clad New Year's reveler got a frigid and wet fresh start to 2008 with a dip in Lake Washington off Matthews Beach, 9300 51st Ave. N.E., during the Polar Bear Swim on Tuesday, Jan. 1. Seattle Parks and Recreation has sponsored this event for the last six years, each year bringing more cold-hardy participants. A lifeguard at the event estimated that 1,000 took part in this year's swim.