by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS After 24 years filled with performances of all kinds — from original plays to a concert by Modest Mouse — The Midnight Sun is slated to close at the end of this month. Theater Artists Olympia, the troupe that has operated the black-box theater for the past three years, …
THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat at Olympia Family Theater is a fun play that breezes nonstop through almost-constant motion in less than 40 minutes. As everyone who remembers the book knows — and who doesn’t remember the book? — there aren’t a lot of words. …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS This Sunday, Olympia Improv Collective launches a new show — and a new form of improvisational theater. In its fall series of shows, called “The Midnight Zone,” the nine-member collective of seasoned improvisers take inspiration from the audience, but not by asking for suggestions. Rather, the group invites those …
by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS A touch of French cabaret comes to Olympia in the form of Piaf! The Show at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Produced by Directo Productions in Nice, France, Piaf! has entertained the world with more than 300 performances in 30-plus countries. It was conceived and directed by …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS This season, Masterworks Choral Ensemble will travel to the frontier, celebrate the sometimes-overlooked talents of female composers and visit some of Broadway’s most colorful characters. And the ensemble’s taking a creative approach to concert themes: The Broadway concert focuses on heroes and villains, while the concert composed by women …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS This fall, Masterworks Choral Ensemble takes a break from traditional tunes to head for the Old West. The group’s next concert, Way Out West: Beloved American Ballads, surveys that “Home on the Range” — and yes, that tune is included — with music from the westward expansion or inspired …
by Rosemary Ponnekanti for OLY ARTS One doesn’t have to be an Elvis Presley fan to like All the King’s Women — Director Toni Holm is proof of that. More of a “Beatles person,” as she puts it, Holm is a convert to Luigi Jannuzzi’s 17-actor, seven-scene play that looks at the King through a …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS The Washington Center for the Performing Arts has been closed for the summer while the City of Olympia made updates to the HVAC system. Rest assured, come October 5 the center will open its 32nd season with an energetic performance by Gaelic Storm. While every act slated to grace …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In October, Olympia Symphony Orchestra embarks on an ambitious celebration of its 65th year. The program Opening Statements launches the season with “Awakening,” a contemplative, three-movement piece by Joseph Curiale, an American composer who’s created works for the screen and concert stage for more than three decades. Maestro Huw …
by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few bands can boast having over 3,000 live performances under their belt. Gaelic Storm, on the other hand, can do exactly that, and the multinational Celtic-rock band is adding to those numbers every day as it tours the U.S. this fall. The self-described “blue-collar band” will bring its unique …