ARTS COVERAGE TO END ALL ARTS COVERAGE >>>
At this point it goes without saying. If you're looking for coverage of local arts in Tacoma, Olympia, and all points in between, the Weekly Volcano is THE place to find it. Our goal is to consistently provide the best local arts coverage possible to our fantastic readers -- always be on the lookout for ways to shine a light on all the awesome creativity we see around us.
Here's a look at the Volcano arts coverage waiting for you this week in print and online.
VISUAL EDGE: FLOW GALLERY PRESENTS REMIX +
Bill Colby's "Autumn Sun" is a warm and mystical abstract landscape in a style reminiscent of Adolph Gottlieb, but softer and more delicate. The sun, concentric circles of yellow and reddish orange shrouded in a gray sky and streaked with silvery icicles, hovers over a floating oval within which is a tangle of tree limbs seen at sunset. This little print brings warmth to dreary days. ... -- Alec Clayton
Stardust Serenade is the 17th in Harlequin's series of annual World War II-era musical revues, and by all accounts, it's intended to be the last. This reprise of the 2002 version uses the departure of a flyboy (Ryan Holmberg, charming as ever) as an excuse to perform 22 numbers from the period. The going-away party inspires a numbing parade of impersonations, so we're treated to Alicia Mendez warbling "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in blue-checked gingham and Alison Monda in paleface purring "Stormy Weather" as Lena Horne. ... -- Christian Carvajal
Oliver! is a big show. It doesn't require epic production values or huge dance numbers - just bigness. Big cast, big sound. Take, for example, the iconic opening number, "Food, Glorious Food." No matter how professional your production, or skilled your talent, it's difficult to find two-dozen children who can tromp around grumpily and sing beautiful harmonies at the same time. So instead, the song's design lends itself to a controlled cacophony. These are semi-starved, unhappy orphans, grumpy over gruel, making a great, enthusiastic noise. ... -- Joe Izenman
These days, I can't help but enjoy a good Western movie that idealizes a period in American history while showing off this country's natural beauty.
When it comes to gorgeous vistas, the Pacific Northwest has plenty, just not the arid, evergreen-starved variety we've seen in countless films from this genre. Or does it?
Tonya Yorke of Tacoma seems to think so. Yorke is currently producing a short Western called The Shootout, shot entirely here in Washington state. Craig Muller's script takes a page from history and looks back at legendary outlaw Jesse James. Though rooted in the past, The Shootout transmits themes relevant to today.
"It's a story about faith and choices, and the paths that those choices lead us down," says Yorke. ... -- Christopher Wood
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