FRIDAY, JUNE 20 2014 >>>
1. The Grand Cinema and Tacoma Symphony Orchestra celebrate the union of film and music by teaming up to present An Evening of Cinematic Music. Narrated by Northwest Public Radio's Steve Reeder, the event features TSO's string nonet (a fancy way of saying "nine musicians") and "some of Tacoma's most popular singer-songwriters" performing selections from various iconic songs from throughout film history, such as "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, a medley of James Bond theme songs, Breakfast at Tiffany's "Moon River" and "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from Lady In Red. All proceeds will benefit The Grand and TSO. The music kicks off at 7:30 p.m. in the Urban Grace. We can only hope they'll cover "Lethal Weapon" by Honeymoon Suite.
2. The selfie craze has hit The Gallery at the Kenneth J Minnaert Center for the Arts. Well, kinda. "Faces from the Crowd"will be on exhibit today only from 2-6 p.m. Inspired by the longstanding tradition of portraiture and the much more recent social media "selfie" craze, but with a filter focusing on positive self-image and personal empowerment. The show highlights the faces that converge on campus, and participate by creating a selfie of their own or by posting a positive comment next to someone else's picture. Think social media in person.
3. Hotel Murano kicks off summer with a golf themed party from 4-7 p.m. Locals are invited to "Swing Into Summer" with a miniature golf course in the hotel plus test new summer drinks. Expect raffle prizes.
4. The last-minute firings, hirings, and general histrionics behind Gone With the Wind are legendary among film buffs. It's this last angle that's the primary concern of Tacoma Little Theatre's Moonlight and Magnolias, a comedic romp about the monumental difficulties of making Margaret Mitchell's humongous best-seller into a decent film. Read Christian Carvajal's review of Moonlight and Magnolias in the Music & Culture section, then catch the show at 7:30 p.m.
5. Luke Short, the mind behind Egg Plant, is too laid back of a person to really make much of a thing about his Tacoma homecoming. It's been four years since I've written about Egg Plant, as the band had made its home in Portland shortly before then. While Short had made Tacoma his home, he went south to complete his music project. Also, in 2010, I interviewed The Thermals. Both bands are performing in Tacoma this weekend, four years since last we contacted, but Egg Plant's show carries with it a connection that The Thermals does not, regardless of their merit as a band. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Egg Plant in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Boy and Bean, People Under the Sun and Tyson Griffin at 9 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge.
LINK: Friday, June 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area
