Lyle Lovett Returns to the Washington Center with John Hiatt

By Lucy Volker Legendary musicians Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt will be performing together at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts this February. “Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt are both outstanding singer-songwriters in their own right. Their lyrics and musicality is authentic and entertaining. To hear them performing together in a venue as intimate …

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SPSCC Presents Angels in America

By Tom Simpson Last June, the Broadway revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America won Tony awards in multiple categories, including best actor for Andrew Garfield and best revival of a play. Director Lauren Love is now bringing this 25-year-old, groundbreaking drama to South Puget Sound Community College’s stage. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia …

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The Velveteen Rabbit at Lakewood Playhouse

By Lucy Volker Children’s classic The Velveteen Rabbit is a spotlight of the season at Lakewood Playhouse. Offering themes of love and imagination, this production is a partnership with Lakewood Playhouse Youth Theater Group and features a combination of adult and young actors. “The Lakewood Institute of Theatre spotlight show,” says managing artistic director John …

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Corduroy at Olympia Family Theater

By Lucy Volker Family-friendly comedy Corduroy opens this month at Olympia Family Theater. The original book, written and illustrated by Don Freeman in 1968, was recently adapted for the stage by Barry Kornhauser. After seeing the play’s world premiere this spring in Minneapolis at the Children’s Theater Company, artistic director Jen Ryle knew it would …

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Cloudy With a Chance of Potato Balls

By Jonah Barrett For a vegan, dining out can be a minefield. Options are usually limited to Asian food, bland burritos and the old fallback, green salads. Downtown Olympia has an alternative for that with the recent opening of The Wayside Cafe & Deli. Jamie Vulva and Kevin Rainsberry opened their Capitol Way restaurant on …

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Rodents of Unusual Size Swarm the Capitol Theater

By Karen Lunde and Billy Thomas Imagine a 20-pound rodent that looks like a weird cross between a beaver and a rat. It has enormous orange teeth and a skinny tail. It lives in swampy, tidal areas and dines mostly on aquatic plants. It procreates prolifically. You’ve got yourself a nutria, and it’s the subject …

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East African Cuisine in Downtown Olympia

Note to readers — the restaurant named Shirro’s appears to have closed as of September 16, 2018. Our best wishes to the restauranteurs and our apologies to readers. By Jennifer Crain As a child in Kenya, Mercy Kariuki-McGee fed wood into a traditional fireplace while her older siblings cooked. As a helper, she got to taste the …

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Olympia Film Collective

By Jonah Barrett Camera speed. Sound speed. Action! The Olympia Film Collective is set to expand with a torrent of upcoming productions. OFC has been around since 2012 but only recently snagged its official status as a nonprofit. Operating out of Sky Bear Media off Legion Way, OFC holds general meetings once a month, operating …

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New Gallery Opens in Downtown Olympia

By Jonah Barrett A new gallery opened its doors to downtown Olympia at August’s end. Pacific Northwest philosopher and photographer Rodrigo Etcheto’s Everything Is Full of Gods exclusively features black-and-white landscape work by the artist himself, with a constant rotation of images. “I’ve been photographing for years and finally decided to take the plunge and …

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Washington Center Features Shoshana Bean in 2018-19 Season

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 …

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