Stage
Given my lifelong adoration of facts and figures, it's a wonder I've never read The Phantom Tollbooth. Written by Norman Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer, this 1961 kid-lit classic is oft referred to as an American Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It tells the story of Milo, a boy given
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Do you enjoy comedy? Do you like bliss? Then you'll want to catch the musical Newsday called "blissfully funny," Mel Brooks's adaptation of Young Frankenstein at the Washington Center. It was developed in Seattle in 2007 and hit Broadway two years later. A mostly faithful translation of the
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The musical Hair is much like a jam band concert: it's multi-sensual, it elicits an emotional ride, and it's probably about 15 minutes too long. That said, director Heidi Fredericks shakes every last nugget from Hair's theatrical dime bag at Capital Playhouse. If directors are reading, please take note of a
Stage
The musical Hair is much like a jam band concert: it's multi-sensual, it elicits an emotional ride, and it's probably about 15 minutes too long. That said, director Heidi Fredericks shakes every last nugget from Hair's theatrical dime bag at Capital Playhouse. If directors are reading, please take note of a
We Recommend
We often speak of a movie or play as a "rollercoaster ride," but it's easy to forget that even the best rides begin with a slow, clanky climb up a hill. In the latter Harry Potter novels, Jo Rowling seemed to relish torturing readers with hundreds of
Stage
We often speak of a movie or play as a "rollercoaster ride," but it's easy to forget that even the best rides begin with a slow, clanky climb up a hill. In the latter Harry Potter novels, Jo Rowling seemed to relish torturing readers with hundreds of actionless pages, the
We Recommend
For years, the Greta Jane Quartet played every Monday at the Royal Lounge. "Quartet of what?" you ask, as yet unhip to Ms. Greta Jane Pederson's jazz combo featuring Cary Black, Vince Brown, and Andrew Dorsett. In your world, jazz is the Pandora station your boss makes
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I've never felt such contradictory reactions to a play as I did to Almost, Maine at Olympia Little Theatre. It's an anthology set in a fictional settlement on a cold winter's night, and I both loved and despised it. Depending on where you sit, it might be the best date
Stage
I've never felt such contradictory reactions to a play as I did to Almost, Maine at Olympia Little Theatre. It's an anthology set in a fictional settlement on a cold winter's night, and I both loved and despised it. Depending on where you sit, it might be the best date
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As a popular poet once noted, "Makin' your way / in the world today / takes everything you've got." Yes, it's back to the coal mines, tired already from late partying at the BroHo. You need something to soak up that beer, and an artist with mad
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You know what I like? Movies. You know what I like even more? Classic movies, preferably from the '80s (my formative years, aka a prehistoric era which ended years before our average reader was conceived). You know what I like even more than that? Classic movies and
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I improvised for 20 minutes on stage once, but that was because a prop got lost and our show was in freefall. Believe me, it's a lot more fun when actors plan to not plan. Of course, quality improv comedy is never entirely made up on the
Nightlife It List
Remember that sudden swing dancing craze about 10 years ago? I was living in Hollywood at the time, and my roommates were regulars at the Brown Derby, so I enjoyed a crash course in the lush life. That craze left town before I did, but its timeless, elegant
Arts Feature
MONDAY For years, the Greta Jane Quartet played every Monday at the Royal Lounge. "Quartet of what?" you ask, as yet unhip to Ms. Greta Jane Pederson's jazz combo featuring Cary Black, Vince Brown, and Andrew Dorsett. In your world, jazz is the Pandora station your boss makes you listen to
Stage
Ho, ho, ho, and welcome to the second annual Carvy Awards! Presented below are my picks for the best in Oly-grown theater in 2011, selected from more than 30 reviews. This was an outstanding year for supporting actors and technicians. Lead actors and directors hog the glory, but a show can
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Scrooge: the Musical, like all incarnations of A Christmas Carol, is a transformation story. Rarely has that been so clearly represented as in this year's impeccable production at Capital Playhouse. Start with Ebenezer himself, played by veteran Tacoma actor Michael Self. It struck me in Act I
Stage
Scrooge: the Musical, like all incarnations of A Christmas Carol, is a transformation story. Rarely has that been so clearly represented as in this year's impeccable production at Capital Playhouse. Start with Ebenezer himself, played by veteran Tacoma actor Michael Self. It struck me in Act I that Scrooge is usually
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Stardust Serenade is the 17th in Harlequin's series of annual World War II-era musical revues, and by all accounts, it's intended to be the last. This reprise of the 2002 version uses the departure of a flyboy (Ryan Holmberg, charming as ever) as an excuse to perform
Stage
Stardust Serenade is the 17th in Harlequin's series of annual World War II-era musical revues, and by all accounts, it's intended to be the last. This reprise of the 2002 version uses the departure of a flyboy (Ryan Holmberg, charming as ever) as an excuse to perform 22 numbers from
We Recommend
I know it's gauche to rely on national stereotypes, but golly, those Canadians sure are nice. Nice is all over Welfarewell, currently making its Northwest premiere at Olympia Little Theatre. Not only is the play harder to resist than a Snuggie full of kittens, but its author, Cat Delaney, wrote
