Olympia Celebrates a Festival of Lights

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS One of the joys of living in a broad, multicultural society is the resulting plethora of holiday celebrations. Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, begins at sundown on Tuesday, December 12 this year and lasts for eight full days. It commemorates the revolt of the Hebrew Maccabees against the …

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OLY ARTS Editorial Change

OLY ARTS announces the departure of long-term managing editor Christian “Carv” Carvajal, who served as the publication’s founding editor. Carvajal leaves a healthy, vibrant and well-regarded publication for a full-time position in communications management. Publisher Ned Hayes stated: “OLY ARTS readership will miss Carv’s insightful editorial skill, and I will miss my right-hand man who executed brilliantly …

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The Illustrious Ms. Hattie Hotpants

Behind the Scenes of Cabaret Derriere

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The creators and performers of Olympia’s Own TUSH! Burlesque are promotional wordsmiths, though some of their enticements are unprintable here. For the troupe’s recurring series at Obsidian, it promises “a titillating romp to celebrate Halloween,” with lots of “sizzle, sass and fabulous fun.” When asked about the name of …

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David Wright, photo by James Fulkerson

David Wright, 1946-2017

Thespian David Wright was born near Christmas in 1946. He died this week in Olympia at age 71. Wright was considered a master of the stage and worked regularly as an actor at many theaters along the West Coast. Wright began working with Harlequin Productions in 1992 in their second season, and performed on the Harlequin …

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Silent Sky

Olympia Little Theatre Presents Powerful 78th Season

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The 2017-2018 season at Olympia Little Theatre, by far the longest-standing troupe in Thurston County, kicks off August 31 with the astronomers of Silent Sky. After that cosmically inspiring drama, the company presents six diverse plays ensuring quality entertainment for every age and taste. All the King’s Women is …

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Amy Shephard of StoryOly

StoryOly Seeks Icebreaking Storytellers

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS StoryOly bills itself as Olympia’s premier storytelling event. On the third Tuesday evening of each month since November 2015, amateur storytellers have braved the stage to regale full houses at Rhythm & Rye with meaningful anecdotes from their own lives. Tales range from movingly confessional to outrageously frank. Each …

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Chef Amadeus

Fungi for the Whole Family

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Perhaps making up for the pervasive aroma of fertilizer wafting from its mushroom farm in Lacey, Ostrom’s is one of the primary sponsors of the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival. This year the event marks its 10th anniversary, and it’s grown — well, like a mushroom. Proceeds benefit Boys & …

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Food, Fun and Fireworks on the Fourth of July

* Current 2018 Fireworks information here *   2017 Article on Tumwater Artesian Festival by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Every Fourth of July the city of Tumwater pulls out all the stops. Start with the obvious: The Thunder Valley Fireworks Show is, according to festival organizers, the biggest in Thurston County. It’s certainly impressive …

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The Olson Bros Band

The Olson Bros Band at Lacey in Tune

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The Olson brothers of Olympia, Isaac and Luke, formed a country act in 2011. They won the 2013 Capital Lakefair Battle of the Bands and a national songwriting contest with “Sunrise,” an original song they performed at the Grand Ole Opry. That song was inspired by the natural beauty …

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Bat Boy: The Musical

A Tabloid Musical at SPSCC

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Some theatrical musicals originate as great novels (Les Misérables), others (The Lion King) as beloved cinema. Some come to us by way of historical biographies (Hamilton) and some, believe it or not, are still written from scratch. But only one popular musical began as a story in the Weekly …

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