Seattle Blog

If the grey skies have got you down this winter, there’s a show in town for you. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty is the ultimate picker-upper; filled with fanciful and intricate sets and costumes, excitement, and breathtaking dance, Sleeping Beauty takes a hold of you and won’t let go until the curtain comes down.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Lucien Postlewaite and Kaori Nakamura in Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo © Angela Sterling.

The first thing that strikes you about Sleeping Beauty is the sets. The pages of a fairy tale seem truly to have come to life on McCaw Hall’s stage. The austere majesty of the castle, with soaring columns and enormous thrones, is enough to arrest your attention in itself. And when Aurora falls into her slumber, ivy and forests take over the castle, crawling magically from all corners. Sleeping Beauty’s scenery is made only the more beautiful by the costumes. The gowns are detailed beyond belief, flowing, and elegant. Inside of the dreamlike world that all of this creates, the dancers bring amazing new life and vivacity to an old story. At first, the dances of the fairies are whimsical, and happy. With carefree dances, the dancers bring you into the idyllic happiness of the story. And the choreography develops characters through dance—each of the fairies with their own temperament, Aurora’s majestic and graceful dances just before being cursed, and the dances of the many fairy tale characters at the end. Unfortunately, at some points along the way the choreography seems passionless, lacking the energy that the music evokes and that the dancers clearly wish to show. Often, you find yourself frustrated, waiting for the zeal and life that never fully comes. But all of this takes a complete back seat to the indisputable high point of the show, the pas de deux between Prince Florimund and Aurora. Their dance is tender and slow at first, but then the two then began a series of acrobatic lifts and twists that will have you literally on the edge of your seat and holding your breath. They defy gravity and description, with lifts and pirouettes. But most amazing about the dance is their sense of controlled power and strength, the very grace that ballet at its core is all about. Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale brought to life, complete with all of the fancy, magic, and splendor it needs. And from start to end, you find yourself completely fallen into another world, far from the grey skies and drizzle outside the door. - Tucker C. February 4th, 2010 The Sleeping Beauty Pacific Northwest Ballet Through February 14th

Intrepid teen reviewer Monet C. gets herself invited to the Arcadia cast party.

Although slightly bawdy at times, Arcadia is a wonderful piece of art. Amusing and fascinating, this performance is an enchanting fusion of the world in 1809 – 1812 and also the world in 1989.

The means that Tom Stoppard, the playwright, pieced the play together is sheer genius!In Arcadia, there is a mystery to be solved! A young girl, figuring out the numbers for nature,a tutor, teaching her how to waltz, a peeping gardener. They all play a part in Arcadia!

Oldentimes. Photo by Michael BuryI was privileged to hang out with some of the cast after the show, and here is a bit about them!JEREMY THOMPSONMe: Jeremy, where were you born?Jeremy: Oregon, actually. It is a rather interesting place.M: What is your advice for any actors?J: Do not get nervous at the auditions! That said, I do confess, I am always extremely nervous at any audition!M: thank you!J: You’re welcome!JAGER WEATHERBYMe: What character did you play, Jager?Jager: Tomasina! She is a wonderful role, because I get to act as a 13 year old, and that is quite a great experience.Me: what is your day-job?J: Actually, I am a bartender!M: That’s kinda cool! Thank you for your time!J: thank you for the interview!

Slightly-less-oldentimes. Photo by Michael Bury

JOSHUA MICHELSMe: How long have you been acting, Josh?J: I do not know, since I was 9, so, three years? Yeah.M: Cool! What was your favorite part of Arcadia<?I>?J: Most likely when I get to call Tomasina ugly in a nice way!M: Why did you like playing Gus?J: The pantomime! Definitely.M: what are you hobbies other than acting?J: Basketball and bass guitar.M: Thank you for your time.J: No prob! Peace!Arcadia can be a bit raunchy, so I would place it in the 15 and up category, although it was fun! This is a play for those who are unafraid to laugh their heads off. This is a wonderful, refreshing show with many endearing qualities. Also, this is a perfectly British show with perfect casting for all the roles.ArcadiaDriftwood PlayersThrough February 21stRecommended for people ages 15 and up

Hey lovebirds! Wondering what to do on Valentine's Day? Want to do something special, unexpected, perhaps...arty? See Speech & Debate at Seattle Rep! Check out this great offer from the Rep:**********************Teen Tix members can purchase tickets to both the 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm performances of Speech & Debate on Sunday, February 14th in advance by calling the box office and mentioning the code word CUPID. Offer is limited to one ticket per Teen Tix pass for the afternoon show and two tickets per pass for the evening show.*********************************Speech & Debate is the story of three high school misfits who form a Speech & Debate club to try to expose a scandal at their school. We sent our Young Critics Workshop students to review it. Here's what they thought:"It bares the basic nature of high school life, which appears to be frantically fluctuating emotions mixed with the basic part of human nature that longs to fit in and be accepted. It’s entertaining and generally tragically true, striking a little too close to home to be forgotten in a hurry." - Charlotte L."Hilarious" - Lamar G."Complete with pop culture references, podcasts, American Apparel merchandise, and dark humor, Speech & Debate shows you that with friendship and going against the norm, the truth can be exposed." - Laura V.“Speech and Debate captures the high school environment extremely well" - Cage M."As a piece of theatre Speech & Debate thrives" - Emma K.Speech & Debate runs Wednesdays - Sundays through February 21st at Seattle Rep. To purchase your advance tickets to either performance on February 14th, call the box office at 206-443-2222 and mention the code word CUPID. For more information about the show, visit seattlerep.org.

Seattle Musical Theatre invites middle and high school students to join us for a *free* upcoming class on the third show in our season, Steven Sondheim's Company. The class will run February 22-25 at our Magnuson Park theater: 4-6 on Monday-Wednesday, and 7-10 on Thursday to allow us to see that night's production.The class and ticket are free and first-come, first-served. Please contact Jeremy Ehrlich at jeremy @ seattlemusicaltheatre . org for more information or to sign up. Information about the theater and a study guide to the production are available on SMT's website, http://www.seattlemusicaltheatre.org/.

Review of Michael Nicolella at Cornish College of the Arts by Delaney M.I went to see Michael Nicolella’s recital at Cornish’s Poncho Performance Hall. Nicolella is a recent addition to the faculty at Cornish and trained at Yale, Berklee College of Music, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. Nicolella is a classical guitar virtuoso; he has even been compared to Andres Segovia!Nicolella’s show was extremely eclectic and diverse. The songs ranged from classical Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti to more Latin pieces by Isaac Albeniz, and finally to Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix. Some of the songs were pretty mind bending especially Bobby J, a song by Laurence Crane who was a huge fan of minimalism, which basically means very few notes and lots of distortion and pitch bending. The true gem of the show however, was Nicolella’s technical skill. He is an amazing performer both on the acoustic guitar and the electric guitar, and his years of training are very obvious.The performance venue, Poncho Hall, was very intimate. With only about forty or so seats every seat in the house has an up close and personal view of the performer. The hall was also very well constructed and creates a lot of good natural reverb for the music being performed. All in all the hall has a very homey feel, with the laid back environment, small number of seats, and the well used chairs and stage props.This show is definitely appropriate for all ages, however I would recommend it to people who love music and perhaps know at least a little about music theory, as Nicolella spends a couple minutes before each piece explaining its history and the way it is supposed to be played. There is no doubt that technically Michael Nicolella is phenomenal, and if you are up for a music experience that will take you to places you have never been before, then his recital is a great choice!The Michael Nicolella concert was one night only. Next up in Cornish's Music Series, pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa presents Cosmophony, a concert inspired by the solar system, Saturday, February 6th at PONCHO Performance Hall at Cornish College of the Arts. For more info, visit the Cornish Music Series webpage.

Review of The Great Divorce at Taproot Theatre by Jonathan H.Truth be told, I wasn’t sure about how the new stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s “The Great Divorce” would play out. Having read the book in the past year, I was intrigued by the idea, but I never thought of the story making an interesting stage production, partially because it lacks a really thorough plotline. I expected a lot to be added to the script in order to appeal to a broader audience, but thankfully this never happened. This production is actually very close to the original novel, with words of dialogue and narration taken straight out of the book. And once again, Taproot Theatre brings out the best in everyone involved to give its audiences another quality production.David Dorrian as C.S. Lewis. Photo by Erik Stuhaug.The book, first published in 1946, challenged thousands who read it to take a look at religion and the afterlife in a different way. The title implies the divorce between Heaven and Hell and the beliefs held about the methods of reaching both. Lewis was a strong believer in the Christian faith, so his religious beliefs influence the narrative entirely. The play is also a theological view on Heaven and Hell, and poses the audiences with questions about life, death, religion, and God.The play begins at a bus stop in a place only described as the Gray City (which sounds a lot like Seattle). A line is forming, and C. S. Lewis (David Dorrian) steps in to wait for this bus ride, unsure of its destination. He meets several characters on the bus, some impatient, tired, nervous, or anxious people, who share briefly with Lewis about their destination. Soon, the bus arrives and the passengers get off in what seems to be a Heavenly realm. Unfortunately, because these passengers are only visitors to this realm, the terrain is rough and dangerous; the grass can feel as hard as diamond to walk on, and a single raindrop could rip a hole right through you. Lewis begins to observe some of the passengers (referred to as “ghosts”) meet up with “spirits” who beg their attention to different details about their lives. Some of these spirits are siblings, begging the ghosts to come back to God. Other ghosts are visited by the spirits of their dead spouses, asking for forgiveness. Lewis eventually meets up with author George MacDonald (Nolan Palmer), who guides him through some of these various events. He eventually comes to see that the people on the bus are ignorant of their faith, and would much rather go back to the Gray City, which he later on finds out is actually Hell.As previously mentioned, the story lacks a really thorough plotline. Not to say that the play lacks plot, it just doesn’t have a typical narrative like most other plays. Instead of a final climax to the show, or any sort of character arc for Lewis, we instead get various meet ups of ghosts and spirits, which doesn’t seem to build any tension or rising action for the story. This is however in the same style as the book, which doesn’t rely on action or comedy to appeal its readers. Because of this, the play can seem somewhat slow at times, particularly because some of the conversations between characters are a bit tedious or may seem somewhat insignificant. However, the actors do an admirable job bringing a lot of these scenes to life given that most of them are required to play multiple parts. Dorrian does an admirable job as Lewis, narrating and being our guide to the story. Palmer also is very good in his scenes with Dorrian in which he shares about the Heavenly realm and the people who are passing through. The rest of the cast does a wonderful job as well, each standing out in their scenes as either troubled ghosts, or helpful spirits. Special attention also should go to Scott Nolte for his masterful direction, Mark Lund for the intense and riveting “soundtrack”, and Sarah Burch Gordon for her inventive and colorful costuming.Walking out of the show, I heard one woman jokingly ask her friend if she actually understood the show. I found that interesting to hear because C. S. Lewis’s ideas of this Heavenly realm and some of the scenes between ghosts and spirits do seem very obscure. However, I think all of that makes a interesting statement about humanity and religion that is beautifully presented through some of the metaphor used in the story. Taproot’s production is smart, inventive, and thought provoking, and while some of it might not all make sense upon first viewing, I definitely recommend it. It’s a show unlike one you’ve probably ever seen.- Jonathan H.January 31st, 2010The Great DivorceTaproot TheatreThrough February 27th

Review of Love Song @ ArtsWest by Yvette JLast week, after reading the summaries and reviews for Love Song, I was expecting your typical romantic comedy. I expected a storyline involving a man falling in love with someone else’s sister or best friend or him saving the future love-of-his-life in a freak accident. Well, what else are you supposed to expect when it says “romantic comedy” in the description? But Love Song follows a storyline that I was definitely not prepared for. Just so you’re not as confused as I was as the story unfolds, Love Song involves a hermit named Beane (played by Christopher Zinovitch), his sometimes overbearing sister, Joan (played by Heather Hawkins), her skeptical husband, Harry (played by Nick DeSantis) and a thief named Molly (played by Cindy Bradder).Cindy Bradder and Christopher Zinovitch in Love Song.Photo by Matt Durham.Beane does not like to deal with people or collect anything—the only decorations hanging on his walls are his keys and he owns less than 10 items. He is your typical hermit/weirdo. The only person he will really talk to is his older sister, who is greatly concerned with her brother’s self-seclusion from society. But one night, everything changes for Beane as he becomes accidentally acquainted with a woman named Molly, who is a thief. Beane ends up falling in love with her, and as problematic as it all sounds, his relationship with Molly doesn’t only change his outlook on life, but it also changes the relationship Beane’s sister, Joan, has with her husband in a surprisingly positive way.The play carries well for only involving four actors. Bradder is a very forceful, aggressive, angry actress as she takes control of every scene she is in. Especially in her first encounter with Beane, Bradder plays a convincingly frustrated and confused thief. Zinovitch’s character is obviously the most entertaining as he plays a very spacey and “verbose” Beane. DeSantis and Hawkins (Joan and Harry) play your typical, humorous, argumentative couple. Each actor takes control of his or her character and brings out their characteristics in extreme ways. Love Song’s storyline is refreshingly different, raw and meaningful. It gives people the idea that change comes in the most unexpected places and to accept it regardless of the shape, form or package it comes in.- Yvette J.January 31st, 2010Love SongArtsWestThrough February 21stRecommended for people ages 15 and up

Go and see this show. I have seen both H2 and H3 and the latter is a definite maturity of Beltrao's choreographic skills. Whereas H2 could rightly be described as painfully artistic, H3 offers much more of a theatrical experience which opens its doors to anyone willing to fork out the ticket fee. After seeing many works by contemporary hip hop dance makers, Beltrao is certainly up there as someone forging a unique movement vocabulary that, as a previous blogger explained, is honest. BBoy powermove central this isn't and if that's what you want out of shows with a hip hop influence then buy yourself a ticket to germany and watch Battle of the Year. In my opinion, this is work of substance that shows street style influenced dance in a truly artistic manner.t

This is the first harsh review I've read that has made me want to go see the show...

I've been thinking about posting something about Grupo de Rua ever since I saw the show on Friday night. Now that I've read Josh's review, I feel compelled to. I can safely say that H3 was one the best things I've ever seen - at OtB or anywhere else. I LOVED it. And I actually wouldn't describe myself as a huge appreciator of contemporary dance. In fact, I was kind of dreading it. But I was absolutely mesmerized from start to finish. I don't want to do a point-by-point rebuttal to Josh's review (this is, after all, your guys' forum, not mine). And he's right: it's not a perfect show. There were moments when the lack of narrative and the absence of music made it hard to find something to hold onto (note, though, that it's not silent throughout - and even in the silences, you're hearing the sounds of these powerful dancers - their sneakers hitting the ground, their bodies meeting each other. It's a soundtrack, for sure.) Still, it was full of skill and honesty, and that's the best thing I can say about any piece of art. The famous theatre director Peter Brook was once asked what he looks for in actors. He answered "Heart, and art." These boys have both, for miles. See it if you can. (And then come back here and tell us who you agree with!)- Holly A.

Review of H3 at On the Boards by Joshua G.If you find yourself at On the Boards seeing a show called H3 be warned, it is REALLY for people who like modern dance.The performance begins with absolute silence and there is a minimum amount of movement. And so the performance goes......The main issue throughout the performance was the Choreographer Bruno Beltrão’s insistence on using an “a sparse electronic soundtrack”.Oftentimes, the performers were “dancing” to absolutely no music. Unless, one considers being forced to consider low street noises and screeching shoes a masterful mix-tape of mood enriching ambiance.Things move very slowly in H3. I consider myself a respectful enjoyer of art in all its forms with dance being one of my favorites; I was looking forward to the show. But, if I am going to be led to believe that (according to the Seattle Times) H3 is “a new kind of a movement vocabulary in the making,” I do not think this new street dance vernacular wants to be taken seriously especially if one considers how valid I sometimes felt the cute nine year old's assessment of the performance really was. As he repeated to his mother, "Mommy, so can we go now?" I am doubtful that this is a new movement in the making.It would be too harsh a word to describe H3 as boring; I just wish the presentation was more elaborate and engaging. Much of the performance was performed to naturalistic or ambient noise with little movement onstage. When things do get moving, I found many of the common movements repetitive. Take for example, the crutch of dancers constantly running backwards; Having the effect of taking something I thought was genuinely interesting and new, then turning it into a constant reminder of how wise it would be to check my watch.That is not to say the performance did not show skill in its execution. There were moments of expert lighting and sections that were truly inventive. Such as using a single column of almost halogen-like lights to dramatically light up exactly half the stage, so dancers flipped and spun in and out of view between giant columns of light. Or the giant glow stick circle, all signs of H3’s fallen potential.H3 is a frustrating experience. I can say with confidence that it truly is unlike anything I have seen on stage. It is much more difficult however, to say I truly had an enjoyable experience.Joshua G.January 30th, 2010H3 by Bruno Beltrão | Grupo de Rua has one more performance, tonight, Sunday January 31st, at 8 PMMore info at ontheboards.org

Last chance to catch the Mapplethorpe Polaroids @ Henry Art Gallery"Is the work shocking? Yes – it’s shockingly small and shockingly beautiful." - Victoria Josslin ArtDish

"For those unfamiliar with Mapplethorpe, it's an entry to the work of an important contemporary artist, one who early on became preoccupied with the magic of Polaroid's instant photography, anticipating the interest today in instantaneous digital depictions." - Nancy Worssam Seattle Times"If you want a Robert Mapplethorpe to love, you need the early Polaroids." - Jen Graves The Stranger

The information you have posted here is really useful, thank you

Michael Nicolella @ Cornish College of the ArtsYou can't blame classical guitar. It has to work so hard to be taken seriously, what with a world full of wannabe guitar heroes flailing about in their garages to contend with. So most classical guitarists draw a thick line and stay firmly on the acoustic side of it, a line that says "we belong over here, with the cellos and harps," and leaves the Slashes to their electronic thrashing. But not Michael Nicolella. A bonafide virtuoso, Nicolella's repertoire includes Bach, Hendrix, and everything in between performed on acoustic and (gasp!) electric guitars. Frets magazine calls his most recent album, Shard, “an exciting textbook on how to honor the classical tradition and kick it in the a** at the same time.” Guitar geeks, meet your new hero. Saturday, January 30th, 8 pm, cornish.edu

Love Song @ ArtsWestLove Song, which has only been open for one day, already has a lot of good buzz going. A post-opening night commenter on the West Seattle blog raved "The performances of the four actors are better than any I have seen...[Love Song] is absolutely amazing!"From a review of the Melbourne production "Love Song is hardly profound, and it manipulates your emotions in much the same way as a good pop song. But there's nothing wrong with that, when it's as well achieved as it is here: it doesn't insult your intelligence, and can even touch the edge of something true."A funny, deftly written play that aims (in the playwright's words) for your "squashy middle" but still manages to make you feel smart? Yes, please.Recommended for people ages 15 and up.Love SongArtsWestThrough February 21st

This is a beautifully-made preview for Seattle Dance Project's Project 3 (opening this weekend at ACT). If you're intererested in how new dances get made, watch this.Project ThreeSeattle Dance Project @ ACT TheatreJanuary 29 - February 6more info

I'm really hoping the script becomes easily available to high schools and students who'd like to put it on with a younger cast. It would be fun to see it at local high schools!

Review of Speech & Debate at Seattle Repertory Theatre by Emma K.Some things are like aged cheese, or Lady GaGa: they get better with time. Speech & Debate, currently running at Seattle Repertory Theatre, is just such a phenomenon. The goal: to relate to teenagers. Method: everything young, i.e. carpe diem + ROFL - adult supervision x “like, whatever”. Playwright Steven Karam relies on the effortless wit, honest reaction, and habitual defensiveness found in real, live adolescents. However, real, live adolescents are really and truly seventeen, not just young at heart (sorry Frank Sinatra). Though not over the hill, director Andrea Allen’s cast is not exactly renting a limo for senior prom. For the first half of the play, they fall into the rut of trying too hard to achieve nuanced teenage-dom. Despite their charm and obvious enthusiasm, they compromise some of the script’s resonance by simply being a tad too old.

Justin Huertas, Trick Danneker, and Erin Stewart teen it up in Speech & Debate. Photo by Kathryn BarnardAs three high school students trying to out an inter-school sex scandal, Trick Danneker, Justin Huertas, and Erin Stewart are unapologetically candid and sweetly sincere. But they’re also all in their twenties. In a show that centers around the authenticity of young-adulthood, it’s difficult to overlook this fact. Their performances attempt to overcompensate their age by being eager and obvious in the play’s opening moments. Howie (Danneker) is Flamboyant; Solomon (Huertas), Driven ; Diwata (Stewart), Moody. Gradually, as the characters ease into their relationship with each other, the actors shift their focus from Teenage Angst to simply finding a rhythm with each other. The ensuing vulnerability is what truly compels.Karam unpretentiously captures the many facets of young adulthood, including the often overlooked funkiness as well as the brooding. (Abraham Lincoln + boy scouts + bodysuits x sequins = best). As a teacher and journalist, respectively, Amy Thone poses a relaxed juxtaposition to the little trio, and it is in her company that they build a rapport. As two young gay men, one more accepting than the other, Danneker and Huertas share some lovely moments of banter and argument. Meanwhile, Stewart goes for broke is her comic bits, but finds subtler strengths in her silences. As a piece of theatre Speech & Debate thrives, but does it meet its potential?Although this production has a young appeal, some of the innate resignation and longing of true adolescents can only be portrayed by those experiencing it. The actors are distanced from this ease because, no matter what your mom tells you, there is a significant difference between eighteen and twenty-five. Moments of Karam’s script are left hollow, or overstated, when they just need to be delivered by a young voice to find purpose. In these cases, a teenage cast would better serve the material. That said, it’s a significant step for a high-ranking theatre to produce work geared towards an under-represented demographic. I for one hope the movement will continue. Like, totes.Emma K.January 21st, 2010Speech & DebateSeattle Repertory TheatreThrough February 21st

On the fifteenth(ish) of every month, we publish a look ahead at the arts events that we're most psyched about for the upcoming month. Know of something coming up at one of our participating organizations that you think should be in the datebook? Let us know!FEBRUARY, 2010

visual art

Il Trovatore @ Seattle OperaWe were already going to recommend Verdi's spectacular Il Trovatore for it's action packed-ness and saturation with hit songs (you'll spend the whole night going "Ohhh. THAT'S where that song comes from.") But then we found this little gift from the internet:And now we love Trovatore even more just for introducing us to this opera-loving wunderkind who recreates his favorite arias in his bedroom with his cats.He says:"I love opera and hope you like it too.I don't think OPERA needs to be brought to people - PEOPLE should be brought to the opera!I enjoy alternative interpretations of opera for contemporary culture and entertainment.I would love to hear your ideas."Our idea is we love you.Il TrovatoreSeattle OperaThrough January 30thNOTE: The Opera tends to sell out. We strongly recommend calling ahead to check on Teen Tix availability. 206.389.7676