Las Cafeteras: Eclectic Big Band Tastes Like L.A.

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 …

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Harlequin Productions Turns a Corner, Creates a Brighter Future

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 …

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Olympia Symphony Orchestra Concert: Coming Full Circle

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 …

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Masterworks Choral Ensemble Celebrates Female Composers

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 …

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Say Yes to Pink Martini

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 …

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Saint Martin’s Presents Urinetown, the Musical

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 …

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Center Salon To Welcome Jess Walter

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 …

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Stephen Petronio Post-Modern Dance Master at the Washington Center

by Yvonne Joyce for OLY ARTS Stephen Petronio is a name — and dance company — well known to audiences in New York City, but less well known on the West Coast, except among dance aficionados. The post-modern New York-based choreographer and his company will make their Olympia debut next week. Described by dance critics variously …

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Harlequin Productions Apologizes for Past Missteps

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 for OLY ARTS In October, 2017, The New York Times published a report detailing decades of sexual harassment …

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Comes to Olympia Family Theater

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS The story of a china doll, a rabbit, is the next offering of the ever-entertaining Olympia Family Theater. Edward Tulane is a toy rabbit made from china who was tossed away and is picked up by different people during a 20-year life journey through which he learns to love, …

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