THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Harlequin Productions’ latest offering is Three Days of Rain, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama by Richard Greenberg, author of Take Me Out. Without a clear picture of who’s who, this play can be confusing. Here’s a brief overview of the plot: In act one, 1995, Walker Janeway (Fox …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS The work of two visual artists will collide in a single show at Arts Walk this weekend. Local multimedia virtuosos Katherine Smith and Jess Tanguay create works of art that function as polar opposites in subject matter, but harmonious in style. This dual show will be presented by the Olympia …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Harlequin Productions’ “Three Days of Rain,” opening May 3, is a subtle mystery — not a whodunit, but rather a “what happened and why.” Richard Greenberg’s Pulitzer-nominated 1998 drama begins with a sister (Alyssa Kay) and brother (Fox Rain Matthews) and one of their childhood friends gathering to …
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 …
New updates to the Harlequin story include a public statement from Harlequin Productions Board of Directors, the appointment of new leadership, and the announcement of a new artistic season for 2018-2019. by KAREN LUNDE and NED HAYES In the winter of 2018, Olympia’s own theatrical powerhouse, Harlequin Productions, weathered a significant storm. The theater’s Board …
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 Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS Urinetown – the ribald and uproarious musical with the bizarre name – is coming back to Olympia. Produced by the theater department of Saint Martin’s University, Urinetown will be on stage in April for two weekends at the State Theatre, Harlequin Production’s home venue. “We look forward to sharing …
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 …