posts about events at the Washington Center
By Adam McKinney Legend has it – and legends have everything – that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a Mississippi crossroad at midnight. In exchange for his soul, the devil granted him the ability of a master guitarist. Regardless of whether this event actually took place, what we know from the …
By Karen Lunde The Masterworks Choral Ensemble is poised for its 38th season under the leadership of artistic director and conductor Gary Witley, who’s helmed the choir since its inception in 1981. This season begins with a concert at The Washington Center on October 13. The concert celebrates the four sacred elements: air, earth, fire …
By Tom Simpson The Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ 2018-2019 season is already a success. The first show of the new season of national touring acts – Stephen Stills & Judy Collins – sold out in August in two weeks flat. Next up are a variety of recognized names in entertainment, from Shoshana Bean …
By JONAH BARRETT for OLY ARTS Get dressed up and get fancy for the third-annual Center Stage Awards and Gala at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts this July. “This year’s gala will have a Midsummer Night’s Dream feel,” said executive director Jill Barnes. “Think fairies, fireflies and outdoor gardens.” The gala is …
By MOLLY GILMORE Melissa Etheridge is known almost as much for activism as for such hits as “I’m the Only One,” but when she plays July 17 in Olympia, the singer-songwriter plans not to educate or advocate but simply to rock. “We’re calling it ‘The Rock Show,’ because it’s rocking,” she said in a phone …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS One would be hard-pressed to find a band more intimately ingrained in the Los Angeles scene than Las Cafeteras. Their sound is an eclectic mixture of styles, combining elements of folk, hip-hop, cumbia, punk and Americana, reflecting the vibrant multicultural makeup of L.A. They formed at local community center Eastside …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS In June of 1947, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) performed its first ever work — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Overture to Don Giovanni.” Now, at the culmination of its 65th season, the OSO will once again open with Mozart’s famous overture — in essence, coming full circle. The concert …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS When one thinks of Mendelssohn, one likely thinks of Felix. But Felix Mendelssohn’s older sister Fanny was a virtuoso pianist and a prolific, gifted composer. Her talents were obscured by the societal constraints of her time, which kept women from pursuing musical professions. For its April concert, Masterworks Choral …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Portland-based Pink Martini is a danceable jazz combo with international flair. “More and more,” said founder Thomas Lauderdale, “as time goes on and we see the growth of so much bitter divisiveness in America and across the globe, our ambition is to find commonalities and bring people together with …
by Bryan Willis for OLY ARTS Two of the Northwest’s most well-known novelists will be featured in events April 12 and 13 in Olympia. Jess Walter, the National Book Award nominee and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, will join Olympia’s own Jim Lynch as featured literary artists at the Washington Center Salon. They’ll …