BILL TIMNICK: A SALUTE TO VAUDEVILLE TONIGHT >>>

Variety style entertainment is part of Kevin Joyce's daily life. He is the creator and host of the television show aired on the City of Seattle's cable channel 21, the Seattle Channel. The show is titled Big Night Out, a monthly variety showcase that is taped before a live audience.

"I began thinking about the Pantages as a venue when it was functioning as a venue during the heyday of vaudeville. And it's still operating," Joyce says. "Its structure and its form remain intact, and it's really unique in that regard."

The result? The premiere of A Salute to Vaudeville: Voice of the City staged at the Pantages Theater tonight.

Seattle’s Moore Theater and the Pantages are the “oldest extant vaudeville houses in the area, Joyce explains. “And the Pantages in particular, because of its heritage and the way it has been maintained, make it a perfect, incredible venue. It's like going back in time.

"We compiled regionally what we thought were the most stellar representations of the current expression of vaudeville and what we thought would be a great show." The result is a mix of acts and personalities running the gamut from the "beautiful and serene," to the "little bit strange," to the "funny and hilarious," to the slightly risqué, according to the show’s producer/host.

[Pantages Theater, Saturday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m., $25-$65, 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.591.5894]

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar
LINK: Plan a dinner before the show