Silent Movie: Vintage Valentines

This Valentine’s weekend, fall in love with the magic of silent cinema and live organ music. Featuring Harold Lloyds Girl Shy and Laurel & Hardy’s Double Whoopee. We welcome film fans of all ages to step back in time to revel in the authentically recreated sounds and nostalgia from times gone by. In Girl Shy, …

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The British Invasion - Live on Stage

The British Are Coming, the British Are Coming

Coming soon to The Washington Center for the Performing Arts is a touring tribute show, The British Invasion — Live on Stage, which includes Shannon McEldowney on keyboards and vocals alongside six other onstage performers.

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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God Is a Scottish Drag Queen

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Not today, Satan! God is coming to Olympia, and she is looking fabulous. In early March, the Washington Center will host Mike Delamont’s award-winning, one-queen show, God Is a Scottish Drag Queen. “I’m very excited for the show to play in Olympia,” said Delamont. “Sometimes the title scares folks …

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Get Your Pitch On: Harmony Sweepstakes at the Washington Center

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS   Prepare yourself for Pitch Perfect, West Coast Style. The Harmony Sweepstakes acapella competition is coming back to the Washington Center this March, hosted by the Masterworks Choral Ensemble. “Acapella is pure, it’s just voices in a microphone,” said Masterworks leader and show director Gary Witley. “You don’t have …

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A Really Big Shoe 12: Folk Music of America Benefits Homeless Kids

by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Each year for the past 11, members of the Olympia musical group Entertainment Explosion have put on a show to benefit homeless children in Thurston and Mason counties. This year, the show features a guest artist, The Brothers Four. The group’s musical career spans 50 years and includes sing-along …

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Olympia Symphony Orchestra: Closing Remarks

by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS When an orchestra covers a beloved composer, it must take care to play his music with precision. “No piece of music is easy,” said Huw Edwards, Music Director and Conductor of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, “but Mozart is famous for being so exposed — any blemish on [the performance’s] …

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Ladysmith Black Mambazo

by Adam McKinney for OLY  ARTS There aren’t many popular musical institutions more respected or longer lasting than Ladysmith Black Mambazo. They’d already been around for over 20 years before they found an international audience through their contributions to Paul Simon’s genre-mixing masterpiece Graceland, and they’ve continued to amass gold and platinum albums since. Their …

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Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen: An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories at the Washington Center

by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Two accomplished musicians, their acoustic guitars, and some front-porch tales—that’s what audiences can expect during An Evening with Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen on The Washington Center Main Stage, Saturday, Jan. 27. Lovett and Keen, both singer-songwriters with impressive discographies spanning decades, will provide an evening of down-home songs …

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A Change in the Air for SOGO

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia is starting its 2017–2018 season with exciting, notable changes. Some, like the addition of alumni soloists to SOGO’s fall concert, hint at the organization’s evolving role in Olympia’s arts community. Others, like the announcement that this season will be conductor and music director John …

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