Seattle Blog by TeenTix Newsroom

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.

Take 1: By Anna Melomed

How to get away with a murder? Hit Man feels like an exploration into that twisted yet universal fantasy. The film gives the audience plenty to think about as they enter the main character’s, Gary Johnston’s, world of philosophy, psychology, and justice. 

This review contains spoilers.

In every human life, there is a mother. It’s a foundational experience for most, but that doesn’t mean it’s one free of complexity or hardship. In the final concert of their 8th season, Mother, Emerald City Music combines film and music into a flawed but impactful meditation on the relationships we have with our mothers.

Mother’s program was made up of five short films and five relevant musical selections, each told through interviews with a diverse group of subjects, varying in age, race, class, and background. It began with a simple and familiar lullaby, “Wiegenlied,” by the mid-romantic icon Johannes Brahms. This gentle piece segued into the first film, “Mother is…” which explored that very question by simply asking the interviewees. Answers varied greatly, ranging from “a monster” to “an adventurer.”

Pianist Adam Neiman is a painter of sound. No note is too brief for him to color, and no piece is too simple to spin vivid images of. At the Seattle Chamber Music Society, Neiman’s program of Ravel and Rachmaninoff miniatures wasn’t monumental, but he brought out their charm. Sensitive and meticulous, he treated the audience to a jewel box of a performance—intimate, quaint, and restorative.

If McCaw or Benaroya Hall is like the Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Chamber Music Society is like The Vera Project. It’s smaller and focuses more on educating audiences. The audience members, who are mostly elderly, know each other on a name basis, and I got a nametag at the entrance.

It’s been a pleasure curating the events for the newsroom this year. One thing we zoomed in on was finding events from underrepresented venues and artists to push our writers into the deep zone of art critique. Although you’re guaranteed a good time at big venues such as 5th Ave., or MoPOP, branching out to explore smaller events deepens our knowledge of the arts and their impacts. Especially for teens, gaining familiarity with the corners of the arts scene in Seattle can take a rabbit hole of research and bravery. Good art is important in a community, but learning to unravel details transforms its impact. We hope you find time this summer to explore the niches of the Seattle arts scene.

Earshot Jazz has an enormous calendar of daily jazz events around Seattle. From cafes to fancy hotels, they’ve got a wide variety of performers that won’t disappoint. If you’re looking to deepen your jazz taste or try something new this is your jackpot.

For this year’s Seattle Black Film Festival, arts organization, and festival host LANGSTON Seattle paid homage to the complexity of Black experiences. The festival offered a variety of films featuring local and international Black actors, directors, and producers. The genres and styles varied from unconventional mediums, like music and dance videos, to short yet devastating films showcasing the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. I focused on short films from the series “‘Waiting to Exhale: Films from the Feminine Perspective” and was struck by how each filmmaker chose to utilize or subvert expectations placed on Black women.

The first film I watched, entitled “Dressed” (2023), challenges the idea that marriage is the pinnacle of achievement. It follows the main character through her series of misadventures trying to sell her lightly-used wedding dress. While the context behind her urgency to sell the dress remains unclear to the viewer, writer, and director Bethiael Alemayoh pushes us almost uncomfortably close to the main character, so close it feels like the viewer is an accomplice to her unsuccessful attempts to get her life together. Ann-Kathryne Mills in Dressed (2023), written and directed by Bethiael Alemayoh