SATURDAY, JAN. 19 2013 >>>
1. Charlyne Yi (who you may know from movies like Knocked Up and her own quasi-documentary Paper Heart) will perform drop by the Olympia all-ages venue Northern at 9 p.m. Yi, a resident of the out-of-control great Los Angeles indie comedy scene, is a true original. Bizarre, hilarious, and utterly unique, Charlyne Yi's music finds itself somewhere between performance art, anti-folk and sketch comedy.
2. The Museum of Glass opens "Northwest Artists Collect" exhibition today from a run through October 2013. Organized by Museum of Glass in conjunction with interns (interns rule!) from University of Washington, Tacoma, the collection offers a glimpse into the world of Pacific Northwest glass artists Martin Blank, Joseph Gregory Rossano, Richard Royal, Ginny Ruffner, Preston Singletary, Cappy Thompson and Dick Weiss through their personal collections and the role that collecting plays in inspiring and influencing artists and their work. Check it out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. They're coming at you - all the bird in Tacoma are about to home in on your head and then tear your eyes out. Yes, it's that scary. The Broadway Center presents the 1963 Hitchcock classic The Birds at 3 p.m. inside the Theatre on the Square. The film focuses on the residents of Bodega Bay as they are confronted with a malicious, full-scale attack by birds of all shapes and sizes. Interesting film fact: Having failed to make Vera Miles (The Wrong Man, Psycho) the next Grace Kelly, Alfred Hitchcock turned to Tippi Hedren, whom he discovered in a diet drink commercial. Hedren starred in The Birds and then alongside Sean Connery in Marnie, but the real career went to her daughter, Melanie Griffith.
4. Alec Clayton, author of The Backside of Nowhere and art critic for the Weekly Volcano, recently published Return to Freedom, which begins where Backside left off - the day of the hurricane that wiped out the little bayou village of Freedom, Miss. Clayton and local actors Pug Bujeaud, Michael Christopher, Heather Christopher, Jennie Jenks and Christine Goode will read scenes from Clayton's new book at 3 p.m. inside Orca Books. Discussion and book signing will follow.
5. In Olympia, the King's birthday has become synonymous with one man: Robert Washington - one of the world's top Elvis impersonators (see the film Almost Elvis) ... and a guy who just happens to be black. To some this is controversial. To Washington, it's simply his calling. "I don't really think about it. I'm not going to let my color prevent me from being the best," Washington told the Weekly Volcano in 2004. At 7:30 p.m. Washington will be back in Oly for the Elvis Birthday Bash. In addition to Washington's performance, there will a screening of the documentary, Almost Elvis, which follows contenders, including Washington, on their quest to be crowned "King" at the World Championships.
PLUS: Willy Wonka, Stunt Dog Experience and Caspar Babypants in our Weekend Hustle
LINK: Saturday, Jan. 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
