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I first went to the Grand Illusion Cinema two years ago to see a 1937 screwball comedy called The Awful Truth. I was just getting into film, and Grand Illusion was simply perfect: a volunteer-run arthouse theater that harbored a strong community while displaying unique films year-round. Since then, I have attended their events frequently, seeing everything from Fugazi documentaries to their annual showing of It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). The Grand Illusion is moving at the end of January, but I was lucky enough to catch the last of their annual Saturday Secret Matinees at the organization’s current location.

The Saturday Secret Matinees are a long-running program presented by the Sprocket Society, a film appreciation group that curates and screens various eccentric programs, all on 16mm film, a historically popular and accessible form of analog film. The Sprocket Society frequently makes historical callbacks in their programs. For instance, in the first half of the 20th century, the moviegoing experience was inseparable from serial films. These serials were continuous narratives split into short chapters, played at a theater weekly until completion. A typical Saturday matinee at the time would include a serial episode, often shown among other short items, along with a feature-length film. The Sprocket Society recreates this experience yearly, showing an entire serial on film over a few months, along with mystery classic movies to accompany them. I was fortunate enough to speak with Spencer Sundell, the lead projectionist at Grand Illusion, founder of the Sprocket Society, and creator of the Saturday Secret Matinees.

In a humble exhibit spanning only three rooms, the Wing Luke Museum brought to light the storied work of 20th century Japanese-American Seattle artists Kamekichi Tokita, Kenjiro Nomura, and Tukuichi Fujii. Although highly regarded in their time, their work has since fallen into relative obscurity. Their burgeoning careers were cut short and their lives shattered by the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, from which only Nomura recovered and rebuilt his artistic life. Although their work has reemerged in recent years, their stories remain ones of tragedy that will forever be incomplete. One cannot help but feel frustration at the injustice they faced, and the toll it took on their art. But, along with this lost potential, there is undoubtable beauty and historical significance that we must be grateful for. In a better world, each artist would have soared to greater heights, but in this one all we can do is appreciate what we are left with. 

After coming to the US during a major period of Japanese immigration, these three painters settled in Nihonmachi –or Japantown– during the peak of its artistic ethos. In this cultural microcosm, over 900 businesses operated, five Japanese newspapers were in print, and a vast world of theater, poetry, dance, and music flourished. Nomura and Tokita opened a sign-painting shop on the steep hillside of 6th Avenue, which grew from a small business to a studio and meeting place for local artists. Fujii also started a small business nearby, becoming a fish merchant with his family. The men would often meet one another on weekend sketching trips outside of Nihonmachi.

Eyes are always present in Hayv Kahraman’s work. The viewer is confronted as the walls of the Frye Art Gallery stare back at them: contorted figures with empty scleras and plants sprouting eyes as if they were fruits all gaze attentively at attendants of Kahraman’s exhibit Look Me in the Eyes. Kahraman’s work is heavily autobiographical, drawing from her experiences as an Iraqi refugee in Sweden and incorporating the isolation, dehumanization, and perpetual surveillance she endured as an immigrant. Look Me in the Eyes makes the viewer feel as Kahraman felt; watched, scrutinized, and standing opposite a wall of unfeeling onlookers. While one might assume this makes for an uncomfortable gallery experience, Kahraman’s undeniable artistry, sincere emotional honesty, and control over her themes formed an enrapturing exhibit.

Look Me in the Eyes sprawls across three rooms of the Frye’s gallery, walls lined with Kahraman’s portraits of distorted, blank-eyed women. These figures huddle together and grasp for branches pullulating with eyes and mouths, an attempt to reassemble themselves by claiming the irises and bright lips they lack. Her paintings are countered by large sculptures utilizing industrial materials like brick and metal beams. 

Death has never been more lighthearted or absurd than in Noël Coward’s comedy Blithe Spirit. Directed by Allison Narver, Seattle Rep’s production stays true to the “spirit” of the classic play, transforming darkness into light through humor. Despite being written in 1941, Blithe Spirit possesses a timeless appeal, transporting modern audiences into an old-fashioned, mystical, and outrageous world where their worries can be temporarily forgotten.

Blithe Spirit revolves around a supernatural love triangle. Novelist Charles Condomine (Arlando Smith) and his wife Ruth (Gin Hammond) invite the medium Madame Arcati (Anne Allgood) and their friends Dr. and Mrs. Bradman (Nate Tenenbaum and Sara Waisanen) to dinner. Seeking inspiration for his newest novel, Charles asks Madame Arcati to perform a séance. However, he gets more than he bargained for when Madame Arcati accidentally manifests the ghost of his late wife Elvira (Kirsten Potter). Charles must then contend with the complicated reality of having both Ruth and Elvira in the house. Meanwhile, Elvira, who is visible only to Charles, has her own plans for making him hers once more…Lead photo: Gin Hammond, Kirsten Potter, and Arlando Smith in Blithe Spirit (2024). Photo by Nate Watters.

A magnificent mess of great multitudes, The Dina Martina Christmas Show at ACT Theatre is a performance that perfectly encompasses the holiday season. Full of personality and unapologetic flair, ecstatic raconteur Dina Martina, accompanied by her talented pianist Chris Jeffries, puts on a colorful show full of impeccable humor that will knock your socks off. Her boisterous first segment is filled to the brim with personalized Christmas caroling and hilarious anecdotes, and her second echoes her appreciation for her local audience by honoring the history of Seattle and looking back on the beginnings of her career. From the very moment she bursts onto the stage, Dina Martina is sure to keep audiences captivated with her distinct and unforgettable charm for a night of holiday shenanigans.

Throughout the show, Dina Martina establishes her classic, sporadic persona that is especially relatable when facing the pandemonium of the Christmas agenda. Her loud songs paired with flashy costumes transformed her image, characterizing her as the belle of the ball and immediately grabbing the attention of the audience. The manner in which she hastily fiddles with ornaments, jingle bells, and other classic Christmas decorations while dancing freely on the stage enhances her frenzied energy that zaps the audiences with giddiness and joy as if they were on the dance floor themselves. While satisfying the spontaneity and volume of her character, I enjoyed how Dina Martina presented a myriad of layered plotlines without pressuring the audience to follow a mentally exhaustive story. Each of the components that compile the obscure yet engrossing details of her stories are not necessarily connected like the chapters of a book; rather, they sprout like individual nuggets of information that the audience can digest at an upbeat yet comfortable pace. Especially after a long week of 9 to 5 work days, Dina Martina’s lighthearted and humorous stories are refreshing and easy to listen to. In her scattered recollections of holiday seasons past, she also provokes a reemergence of contagious holiday cheer. With comedy, she energizes her listeners like a bolt of lightning and powers the triumphant sound of hearty laughs that ring constant throughout the night. The evening I attended, the December 13 show, was particularly powerful; I’ve attended many Dina Martina performances before but cannot recall the last instance I witnessed and interacted with such a passionate and united crowd. The liveliness of the show, however, must also be accredited to the set and lighting design. I felt like a welcomed guest when faced with the coziness of an intricately crafted living room filled with garlands, wreaths, and illuminated family photos. The Christmas tree was a bold presence in the room, and it protected the perfectly-placed presents that symbolized the gifts of entertainment, memories, and love that would reveal themselves as the night progressed. Each and every one of these elements electrified the venue with elevated spirits and mirrored the vibrancy of Dina Martina’s performance. The lighting design extended the divine visual ambience and aesthetics of the set; fast-moving golden spotlights followed Martina as she performed her musical pieces, projected sprinkling snowflakes framed her as she recalled memories from her winters, and a periwinkle spotlight set the sentimental tone for the second act. These technical elements matched the vitality of Dina Martina’s character without overwhelming her stage presence, perfecting a balance that is often difficult to obtain with dynamic stand-up performances.Dina Martina in The Dina Martina Christmas Show. Photo by Giao Nguyen.

Having grown up Catholic, the Nativity story always surrounded me. Whether it be through slowly reading the Gospel verses in our advent calendar, picture books with sheep smiling joyfully at a cartoon baby Jesus, or simply seeing the Nativity decorations around my house, the story became a routine part of my holiday season. Over time, it slowly lost its magic for me. It simply seemed ordinary; that is, until I saw Intiman Theatre’s reimagined production of  Black Nativity. This song-play by Langston Hughes combines touching poetry, enthralling dance, and powerful gospel renditions of familiar Christmas carols to bring the Christmas story to life and imbue each audience member with true Christmas spirit.  The cast of Black Nativity. Photo by Joe Moore.

When my parents and I first got to Broadway Performance Hall, located in the Fine Arts Building of Seattle Central College, I was meant by a wave of warmth. “Funky Little Drummer Boy” by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings played as the ticket sales-woman wished my family and I happy holidays and pointed us towards the cozy waiting room. From there, we entered the intimate theater, where even from the back row, I could clearly see the intricate panels lining the back of the stage. The panels gave the illusion of glowing frames of stained glass, a vibrant mosaic coming together to create a nativity scene. Soon, the house lights began to dim. While I was prepared for beautiful singing and poetry, what first struck me was the dancing included throughout the show. At the start of the show, a group of dancers appeared on stage in a theater of near silence. As they began a series of mesmerizing movements, sounds of their steps echoed into the audience, creating an intimate and energized atmosphere. Similarly, the towering shadows of the dancers were cast onto the walls by the soft lighting, surrounding the audience in the movement and drawing everyone closer. 

Like snow adorning balconies, or the familiar smell of cinnamon cookies wafting through your house, the Christmas spirit is afoot wherever you may be. This little spirit has also waltzed into Benaroya Hall, where the Seattle Symphony plays alongside a showing of the classic Christmas film Home Alone. 

My night began in the plush seating, where I gazed up at the stage, glowing in shades of green and red. People walked in with reindeer headbands, Santa hats,  and sweaters christened with quotes and characters from beloved movies. As the symphony took their seats and the conductor, Sunny Xia, took the stage, a slight hush fell over the room, with excited murmurs filling the gaps in the silence. “This is not like your usual symphony,” we were warned, a statement that existed throughout the show. Xia explained that we were free to cheer, and unlike other movie screenings, we were more than welcome to stay through the end credits since the symphony shone “all the way through.”

The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of the childhood classic Mary Poppins is “Practically Perfect” in every way. Running from November 21 to December 25, The 5th Avenue Theatre in the heart of Seattle has put forth their take on the beloved musical adaptation of the P. Travers books and 1964 film. Showcasing detailed set pieces and special effects, dramatic lighting and costumes, and fantastic actors, the work is able to fully immerse the audience into the world of magic while simultaneously pushing those watching to reflect on both personal and political issues. 

Set in England in 1910, Mary Poppins depicts the story of the Banks family, consisting of parents George and Winifred Banks, and their two young children, Jane and Michael. Jane and Michael consistently drive off any nanny that comes to their household, leaving their parents at a loss for what to do with them. In a twist of luck, or perhaps fate, the magical Mary Poppins winds up at the Banks household, offering to take on the role of their nanny. Will her whimsical ways be enough to bring this family back together?Mallory Cooney King and Danny Gardner in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins. Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka. Courtesy of The 5th Avenue Theatre.

Before November 23rd, I had never been to a professional improv show. So when I walked into the Market Theater on Post Alley, (tucked in across from the iconic Pike Place Market Gum Wall) for an Agatha-Christie-inspired murder mystery improv show, I was not sure what to expect. My inner introvert was telling me to sit in the middle, where I wouldn’t be a target of unexpected calls for audience participation. However, as soon as I arrived, I instantly felt a sense of community in the theater. I had a feeling that Unexpected Productions’ performance of Murder in the Market: An Improvised Agatha Christie was going to be worth my time.  And it was. Murder in the Market is a fun, suspenseful show that incorporates Christie's traditional style with the actors’ improvised humor and wit to create a delightfully murderous show that appeals to fans and nonfans alike. 

As a fan myself, I was excited to see how the Queen of Crime’s style would be adapted into an improv show. Agatha Christie, a British mystery novelist and author of many famous who-dun-its including Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None, and Death on the Nile, is beloved for her unique style, brilliant plotlines, iconic characters, and instantly recognizable story elements, which the team at Unexpected Production recreated in new ways each show. Photo by Bill Grinnell, courtesy of Unexpected Productions.

The holidays are here! Snowed In (Again), by ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery, is a festive new way to kick off the season. In a hilarious musical about putting on a musical, four real-life Seattle theater stars–portraying themselves–are snowed in, racing to write a spectacular Christmas show to top last year’s production. With an abundance of amusing new Christmas songs, a spectacular set, and unforgettable characters to root for, this won’t be a holiday season to forget. A sequel to last year’s Snowed In, ArtsWest’s Snowed In (Again) delivered a cozy, cheery 80 minutes of festive fun that kept us glued to our seats watching this heartwarming story unfold.  

Amongst everything that made this show worth seeing, there was an element of this show that set it apart from the holiday-show crowd. The actors in the show, Lauren Drake, Ays Garcia, Alexander Kilian, and Brandon Riel, were playing exaggerated versions of themselves, scrambling against the clock to write the very show for ArtsWest that we were watching unfold. This self-referential, fourth-wall-breaking approach added a unique layer of humor and complexity to the performance. There were many Seattle references woven into the script which was entertaining for those in the know, such as Snoqualmie pass, Capitol Hill, and even Jet City Improv. At the very end, the characters became self-aware and acknowledged their own fictional reality, humorously breaking the fourth wall by realizing that the show they’ve been preparing for is the very one that they’re performing in. 

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Duke Ellington's life, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra took on one of his most storied records: Far East Suite, a sprawling concept album born from Ellington's grueling tour of the Middle East. Ellington described the 11-week, state-sponsored journey that inspired this record as “one of the most unusual and adventurous trips [his orchestra] had ever undertaken”. It was high praise, considering his orchestra had been touring relentlessly on and off for three decades. So, after thirteen vaccinations, he, alongside longtime compositional partner Billy Strayhorn and their orchestra, embarked on a musical odyssey that would take them through 22 cities in ten countries. They faced shortages in food, frantic traveling, intestinal flu, and even an attempted coup. Still, through this pain and hardship, they brought home a timeless musical artifact born from cultural collision: the Far East Suite.  

Borrowing from foreign cultures has always been a trope in music, but Far East Suite uses this musical mimicry in a different sense. It doesn’t only borrow or emulate foreign conventions; it places you in Ellington's shoes as he went through that 11-week tour. Far East Suite is a collection of vignettes that vividly guide the listener through a myriad of exotic new places, half-remembered and made mystical by the culture shock Ellington himself experienced.  

A.K. Burns’ transfeminist art and interdisciplinary work come to the forefront in their new exhibit at the Henry Art Gallery, What is Perverse is Liquid. The exhibit depicts environmental damage in a manner that is moody and ominous, but Burns’ straightforward message and knack for keeping their distinct work interesting throughout creates a mesmerizing gallery experience, even if the exhibit as a whole struggles to gel.

Of the many striking pieces of What is Perverse is Liquid, the first is a duology, untitled (grain) and before the wake, both detailing careless environmental destruction in different ways. untitled (grain) sees Burns shooting the Utah desert on expired film, creating the eerie image of an alien planet and proving that expired film is not really “expired” until we say it is. before the wake, its companion across the hall, continues the theme of damage by staining, warping, and ripping 1950s magazine photos of the Glen Canyon in Utah. Burns presents a straightforward thesis here: if we do not make it better, the environment will become just as damaged as these papers. It will turn into the frightening alien world of untitled (grain). It’s grating, engrossing, and real—but most of all, it’s easy to wrap your mind around. The best of Burns’ art isn’t the complex, or the mystifying. It’s the clearly focused projects that stand out from the rest.An installation in What Is Perverse Is Liquid. Photo by Jonathan Vanderweit.

The Pomegranate Tree, created and directed by Suz Pontillo and Ayla Wren Wallace, is nothing short of a fun time. The experience is part play, part party, and part choose-your-own-adventure game. The best part is that you can choose exactly what you want it to be at any given time. 

The experience invites you, mortals, to be a guest at the wedding of Hades and Persephone along with gods and heroes of Greek myth. Audience members were given a coin upon entering the waiting area. For those unfamiliar with Greek mythology, in ancient Greece, people were buried with coins under their tongues to serve as payment for their passage to the afterlife. Details in the show are consistently accurate to the original myths. We were then led into the main room and introduced to the story by Kharon, the ferryman, and Hecate, the goddess of magic. The area consisted of a small stage at the front with two thrones, a grove with a pomegranate tree, a bar in the back, and several tables towards the sides of the room. The design was relatively simple yet well-crafted and thought out. It served the purposes of the show well.

In theory, Tazewell Thompson’s performance of “Jubilee” at the Seattle Opera works. As the music swells, and the 13 opera singers dressed in 19th century outfits swarm the set, the audience prepares itself for a performance that honors these singers. It works—until it doesn’t.

The singers, of course, represent the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University. Founded to educate newly freed slaves, the university initially struggled to stay financially afloat as many of its attendees weren’t able to pay tuition. Enter the Fisk Jubilee singers. Originally a singing group of nine African American members (although Thompson’s version has 13), they traveled the world performing for figures like Queen Victoria and President Grant on their fundraising tours. Today, the Jubilees are not only credited with saving Fisk University from financial ruin, but also with the early popularization of African spirituals amongst white and northern audiences.

Why should you go to a piano concert? 

Aren’t those for old people? Wouldn't it be boring, to just sit there and stare? Those are all common misconceptions that I never once questioned, until I experienced Yullianna Aveeda’s captivating performance at Benaroya Hall. 

The brilliant Japanese Shibuya-kei, city pop, and jazz band Lamp came to Seattle for the first time on October 3rd at Showbox SoDo. Lamp’s music is often regarded as its own genre, combining elements of bossa nova, jazz, pop, and electronic music. They use various instruments to corroborate these genres: the guitar being electronic, the melodies being pop, the vocals being jazz, and the saxophones being bossa nova.  It was their first time touring across America on the FUTURE BEHIND ME tour since their debut in 2003. 

They elated the audience with melodic, soothing, and smooth performances, playing various hit songs. You may have heard their music on media platforms such as TikTok since their rise to popularity in 2021. Though they’ve been a group for twenty years, their recent virality enticed them to tour across America. They are now known and praised by larger Western audiences and are loved for their spectacular discography. It felt novel to be one of the first audiences in America to view the greatness of Lamp. 

Do you remember how you saw the world as a kid? For me and my overactive imagination, the world was so big and full of possibility—yet things were so much simpler. As soon as I walked into Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT) with my family, TheaterWorksUSA’s musical adaptation of Cat Kid Comic Club took me back to that vibrant simplicity.

When I was around six years old, my favorite book series was Captain Underpants. Upon first discovery, the memorable characters, irreverent humor, and innovative page-flipping fight scenes had me captivated, and after begging my parents to buy it for me, I read the book cover-to-cover… and then I immediately reread it two more times.

Whether you know it or not, you’ve certainly seen Keith Haring’s art. From being plastered on the subways of New York in the ‘80s to the classic motifs of his featured on brands like Converse and Uniqlo today, it’s no doubt that Haring is a household name, despite the tragic brevity of his career; Haring unfortunately passed away at 30 from complications due to AIDS, only 10 years into his career. The Museum of Pop Culture recently presented a special exhibition called Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy, with over 240 pieces of his artwork on display, as well as selections from Haring’s personal art collection and work from his close friend and inspiration Angel Ortiz. The exhibit is a thorough, comprehensive overview of the artist’s life, if sometimes improperly structured. 

The first room acts as a landing depot, transporting you straight into the ‘80s.  Cyndi Lauper plays as you walk around the first room and read about Haring in his childhood, early career and life as an art student. Haring’s work is famously recognized for its iconic lexicons, so it’s no surprise that the exhibits start with the early forms of his classic figures, such as his Smiling Face, an iconic early piece which appears in many iterations throughout the gallery. The first room provides context needed to appreciate the rest of his featured work, and elaborates on his signature styles through the three sections of the gallery. Keith Haring: A Radiant Legacy. Photo courtesy of MoPOP.

As the daughter of a murder mystery fanatic, I’ve grown up learning how to guess the killer. Inevitably, some piece of dialogue or strategically placed object gives the culprit away. After all, the author always knows who their villain is, even as they try to hide it from us. Suppose, though, that there is a mystery story in which the author does not know the killer. Neither does the director or lights crew or cast. Not even the killer knows who they are until the story has begun.

Such is the case with Emerald City Slasher. This Jet City Improv production in the intimate West of Lenin theater transports audiences to the very familiar, coffee-addicted, and perpetually rainy Emerald City. The improvised murder mystery follows eight friends who are struck by tragedy once one of them falls victim to a gruesome murder. As friends are picked off one by one, they race to find the culprit before they themselves are slashed. In the first scene of the show, actors pick up cards. These cards describe characters created by audience members just moments before. The card also tells them whether they are a survivor, a victim, or… the Emerald City Slasher! No one in the cast nor crew knows anyone’s true identities until the final scene where the slasher is uncovered. My cast included characters such as Danielle, a timid zoo keeper with a fascination for mysticism; Bobby, a failed beer brewer who loves a good laugh; and John, a gruff man opposed to change, working as a window wiper at the Amazon Spheres.  The improv nature of the show gives a unique authenticity to the mystery, but unfortunately makes for an unsteady first act.The cast of Emerald City Slasher at Jet City Improv. Photo by Stephen Anunson.

On Saturday, October 5, the first “Inspired By…” play festival was performed at Seattle’s Cornish Raisbeck Auditorium. Produced by Mirror Stage, the event featured six different plays by six different playwrights, each one inspired by real, influential change-makers. Although each only ran for 10 minutes, they stood out as complete stories on their own, deeply reflecting many societal topics such as mental health, race, abortion, and more.

Despite this being the first ever Inspired By… festival, the audience was nothing short of exuberant. Upon entering, families milled about in the lobby and around the food tables, chatting happily with each other and the staff. Clearly, many were returning audience members, and they remained upbeat throughout the show.