1. Drunken Telegraph (taking its name from a Rudyard Kipling quote about Tacoma) is a local storytelling live show. Each show has a central theme featuring various Tacomans telling different stories on that theme, with the final act being a storytelling slam from members of the audience. This installment - hosted by the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts as part of their "Free For All" series - is entitled "Clash of the Titans," and will focus on the battles faced by the evening's storytellers. The tales begin at 7:30 p.m. inside Broadway Center Studio III.
2. Talented artists command the Madera Architectural Elements Showroom semi-monthly, illuminating their work and creativity with the visually aided enhancement implied by the name of the series, TRIPOD Slide Shows. Created by Tacoma artist Lynn Di Nino, the night of digital slides features three artists and one creative theme. The next TRIPOD Slide Show slides into Madera tonight from 7-8:30 p.m. featuring 15-minute slide shows by Becky Frehse, Burk Ketcham and Sam and Sarah Tower following the theme "Americans Who Work Abroad."
3. Working Class Theater NW presents pop-up theater showcases readings from its upcoming season - thanks to the generosity of Spaceworks Tacoma. At 7:30 p.m., enjoy a staged reading of David Mamet's Life in the Theater, the first show WCT will be producing next year, on the 3rd floor of the Downtown Tacoma Post Office.
4. Regardless of your stance on Jane Austen's writing style, Lakewood Playhouse's production of Pride and Prejudice is a funny, well-acted play that will leave you loving the delightful characters, hating the rude and being impressed with the acting and technical skill of everyone involved. Catch it at 8 p.m. Read Joann Varnell's full review of Pride and Prejudice in the Music and Culture section.
Giving thanks to Odin the All-Father, this is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.
The rumor mill this week is abuzz with putatively inside scoops about the upcoming Star Wars sequels. Screenwriter Michael Arndt moved on to other projects, leaving room for Lawrence Kasdan - the veteran scribe who penned The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. So yeah, total nostalgia boner. Also, with auteur J. J. Abrams busy in a galaxy far, far away, Paramount's on the hunt for a Star Trek 3 director - and the lead candidate might be Joe Cornish, the guy who made the incredibly awesome Attack the Block. Haven't seen that? Look it up. And you're welcome.
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
This is the first of two overstuffed autumn weekends for area theater enthusiasts; the second starts after Thanksgiving. Thursday marks the opening of American Roulette, a Theater Artists Olympia/Animal Fire coproduction that uses emotional monologues to tell the story of a school shooting. Friday brings Driving Miss Daisy from Dukesbay Productions, starring Syra Beth Puett as the titular passenger and Malcolm West as the implied driver. Then there's Lakewood Productions' impassioned take on Pride and Prejudice; I'm hearing good things. And don't forget The Weir, a round of spooky Irish ghost stories at Tacoma Little Theatre. Not for nothin', folks, but have you thought about staggering these out?
FRIDAY, NOV. 8
In the trailer for Thor: The Dark World, Anthony Hopkins's Odin warns of a malevolent darkness. He's referring to the Dark Elves, an army of angry nihilists in the service of somebody called Malekith the Accursed. If that intro strikes you as, well, loopy, Thor and his family of Norwegian demigods may not be your cup of comic-book tea. The plot gets even weirder from there. But after its U.K. release Oct. 30, the sequel managed a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating in the mid-80s, so folks are apparently still rolling with the Shirtless Wonder. Also, it'll be nice to give my wife some pectoral eye candy of her own this week after subjecting her to three "sexpositional" seasons of Game of Thrones. That Chris Hemsworth fellow must live in the gym - and hey, better him than me.
Speaking of pectorals, our stage-struttin' sisters will be in Seattle this weekend for BurlyCon, a four-day celebration by and for burlesque dancers. The event features more than a hundred classes, with topics from costuming to makeup to something called "Google-Fu." You're damn right there are a prom, and a pajama-clad movie screening to boot. So yeah, if you're a member of any of our dazzling local troupes, it's a safe bet your wig and tassels are already packed and ready to roll.
BURLYCON 2013, Nov. 7-10, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, 18740 International Blvd., Seattle, $275-$375, 206.246.8600
Or, if you'd rather just think about inconsequential matters like the birth and death of the cosmos, consider checking out a one-hour presentation at the Pierce College Science Dome. It's our very own plane'arium, people! That show culminates in a high-tech documentary about black holes, narrated by none other than Liam "Qui-Gon" Neeson (not in person, I'm sorry to report). Take a handful of stellar masses, squish 'em into a couple of cubic yards, and buddy, you have yourself a good old-fashioned collapsar. Now feel free to make a cheeseball live-action movie about it, with trash-can-shaped robots that talk like Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickman. Hey, y'know what? I'm dating myself. Moving on.
BLACK HOLES: THE OTHER SIDE OF INFINITY, 7 p.m., Pierce College Science Dome, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood, $3, 253.246.8600
Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may your fellow astrophysicists look like Kat Dennings and Natalie Portman.
Good luck with that.
AMERICAN ROULETTE, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, through Nov. 24, Capital Playhouse, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, $12, 360.296.5714
DRIVING MISS DAISY, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 23, Dukesbay Theater, 508 Sixth Ave. #10, Tacoma, $15, 253.267.0869
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 1, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, $19-$25, 253.588.0042
THE WEIR, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 17, Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 N. I St., Tacoma, $12, 253.272.2281
1. It's no surprise that Rufus Wainwright should find himself years later to be a consummate showman. The son of folkies Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright grew up in a house of music, joining his mother's band at the age of 13. Even his sister, Martha, has a respectable music career in her own right. Wainwright was destined for the stage, though he veered off early on from the folk music legacy of his family. Wainwright takes the Washington Center stage at 7:30 p.m. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Rufus Wainwright in the Music and Culture section.
2. Red Obsession is David Roach and Warwick Ross' directorial debut. This engaging documentary from the "Land Down Under" takes audiences on a journey into the fascinating world of winemaking by going right to the source. No, not California, (apologies to Paul Masson fans), but rather to France and China, the two largest vintners in the modern world. The film screens at 2 and 6:45 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.
3. James Clarkson spent a career as an Olympia police sergeant interviewing crime victims, collecting evidence from crime scenes, auto wrecks and autopsies - and then met respected, no-nonsense June Crain who could prove she worked in secret laboratories at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and who told him about UFO crashes, alien bodies, and how the cover-up works. Clarkson penned Tell My Story - June Crain, the Air Force & UFOs. Upon retiring, he joined the Mutual UFO Network in 1986 and is now the Washington state director. Clarkson will discuss his research at 7 p.m. in the Lakewood Library.
4. Comedians Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner send up all seven Harry Potter novels and stage a live match of Quidditch in only 70 hysterical minutes in Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry experience in the Rialto Theater. We're talking 300 characters, many female, with a variety of accents from Beauxbatons in France to the highlands of Scotland. Oh, and what the hell, let's throw in a fire-breathing dragon - live on stage. The show opens at 7:30 p.m. for a week's run.
5. The 1230 Room probably has you at "free taco bar," but you also may be interested in the downtown Olympia club's new Tuesday deep, tech and progressive house night "The Deep End." It launches at 9 p.m. with drink specials, no cover and resident DJs Alex Bosi, Evan Mould and Chris Paro.
“The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years - if it ever did end - began, so far as I know or can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newspaper floating down a gutter swollen with rain.”
1. This Halloween, Pimp 'n' Ho parties just aren't cuttin' it anymore, are they? Neither are the toga parties, the erotic costume contests or the naughty nurse costumes. So much bare flesh, so much cold weather. If Halloween is really to turn into The Day of Getting As Close to Naked As Possible, it should be moved to July. This is not the point. The Weekly Volcano apologizes. The point is, for you, today no longer holds the magic it once did. You seek alternative par-tays. May we suggest Bonfires, Beaver Pelts and Bogeymen from 7-9 p.m. at Point Defiance Park? Celebrate Halloween in the style of past centuries with ghost stories told around a roaring bonfire set to fiddle music.
2. At 7 p.m. the Tacoma Soccer Center will host the second annual Northwest Soccer Legends Night. Two teams of past professionals will compete in a grand indoor night match including local and international legends Alan Hinton and Jimmy Gabriel serve as captains and coaches of the match. Read Kim Thompson's full story here.
3. You have one chance to see The Acting Company's production of Hamlet so err not. The national touring company presents the tale of a young man who finds his father has been murdered and must avenge the horrid deed. Power politics, a haunting, a love story, murder, revenge and great fight scenes converge in one production. The show runs three consecutive nights at the Theatre on the Square beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m.
4. Tacoma Opera's season opener is the Gilbert & Sullivan comedy Pirates of Penzance, at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. This will mark the first Gilbert & Sullivan show produced by Tacoma Opera. Bernard Kwiram, musical director and conductor of the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society, will conduct a cast that includes several Pacific Northwest Natives or residents. Read Joann Varnell's full story here.
5. Lakewood Playhouse presents a live, radio-style revival of Orson Welles's War of the Worlds at 8 p.m. Not only will we be performing the 1938 radio drama live before your ears to commemorate its - and the Playhouse's - 75th anniversary, but you'll also get sound effects created to order. That's not even the best part! No, they'll also be paying tribute to a certain expat Kryptonian Boy Scout for his silver birthday, plus a horror short called "The Giggler." It will be a fun night out, but beware: you only have tonight and Saturday to catch it. And stay away from that crater in Grovers Mill! There's something not at all right about that place. Read Joann Varnell's full preview of the production here.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is John Munn, speaking to you from the observatory at the Lakewood Playhouse. I am standing in a large semi-circular room ...
People are gullible. Maybe not all people and maybe not in all situations but given the right set of circumstances, people will believe almost anything. Sunday, Oct. 30, 1938, Martians invaded the earth. Millions of earthlings panicked as they heard the details of the attack unfold on the radio. Even though the report was simply Orson Welles' adaptation of War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, many listeners were convinced of the authenticity of the radio broadcast.
The genius of the performance was Welles' adaptation came across as a real news broadcast with interviews, weather reports, orchestras, announcers and newscasters. Anyone who listened from the beginning of the hour-long broadcast understood it as a radio play but those joining afterward would not have any indication the invasion was not real.
Lakewood Playhouse is producing War of the Worlds for its annual Halloween Radio Show Oct 25 and 26. Lakewood Playhouse is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. The show will open with an episode from the radio show "Lights Out" before commemorating the 75th anniversary, almost to the day, of The War of the Worlds broadcast.
Due to the popularity of the shows, both nights are already over halfway sold out. If last season's shows are any indication, War of the Worlds will be a success. Fellow Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal is among the cast reenacting the live radio programs. True to the original production, all of the special effects will be done live in the classic '30s radio style. The show kicks off Lakewood Playhouse's Annual Friends Fund Campaign.
Tickets are $25 per person, or if you have a date, $40 per couple. Couples tickets are only available by calling the box office at 253.588.0042. Single tickets can be purchased visiting its website, or by calling the box office.
THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, $20-$25, 253.588.0042
1. FLAVOR, a night of dining at immigrant-owned and immigrant-supporting restaurants will be held tonight with participating restaurants kicking back 25 percent of food sales to Tacoma Community House. Participating restaurants include El Toro downtown, Indochine, Lele, Gateway to India, El Guadalajara, Adriatic Grill, Il Lucano, La Crème Brulee, La Fondita and others. To add excitement to the night, TCH will offer several prize packages, including a seven-day Mexico trip, Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System, restaurant gift cards and cookbooks. Read Kristin Kendle's full story, including participating restaurants, here.
2. The annual Beautiful Tables Showcase, in Lakewold Garden's Wagner House, evokes the gracious spirit of entertaining while offering the visitors ideas to continue the tradition at home. The event showcases more than 30 table decorators from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
3. Two highly distinctive, contemporary artists, Jeanne van Heeswijk and Randy Bolton, will be featured in free public events this fall as part of University of Puget Sound's Living Art visiting artist series. The events include presentations, conversations, a reception and art exhibit. At 5:30 p.m. in the University's Kittredge Art Gallery, van Heeswijk will discuss how art can promote urban renewal and participation, as well as the strategies that she employs in creating her socially engaged art.
4. Today, low-income people and the middle class are now in the same boat - living near poverty, or an illness, lost job, or disaster away from poverty. Eight low-income and middle class families living in and around Portland, Ore., each of whom called 211info, a nonprofit referral organization, in search of help with paying bills, finding housing, or getting advice on how to weather the current financial downturn, are profiled in the documentary, American Winter, directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz (Taxicab Confessions, The Defenders). Shot over the winter of 2011-12, this powerful film reveals the human impact of budget cuts to social services, rising poverty and economic inequality and the fracturing of the American Dream. Catch it at 6:45 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.
1. The central joke in the '40s comedy Arsenic and Old Lace concerns spinster sisters Abby and Martha Brewster, who are pillars of the local church, much loved in their community, and always happy to provide soup for the sick and hospitality to the lonely. They live with their nephew, Teddy, an amiable loon who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt. But the sisters have a secret: Using arsenic-laced elderberry wine, they kill lonely old men - but only with the best of motives: to bring the old gentlemen peace. Several recipients of their benevolence are buried in the basement, and when the play opens at 2 p.m. in the Lakewood Playhouse for the last time, a twelfth is in the window seat, awaiting disposal. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Arsenic and Old Lace in the Music and Culture section.
2. The Swiss has stepped up their Sunday Seahawks parties this year. Yeah, yeah, they have 12 TVs. Who doesn't. Do those 12 TVs come with a 9:30 a.m. opening, four breakfast specials before noon, pool tables, shuffleboard and happy hour all day in a historic building? Our favorite combo is the meat breakfast burrito paired with a Manmosa (shot of raspberry vodka) and a Jermaine Kearse diving catch touchdown.
3. That big collective groan you may have heard or felt reverberating throughout Tacoma was for the loss of preeminent music promoter Ted Brown who passed away Sept. 25. He was 61. Ted's inextinguishable enthusiasm and zest for music made him instantly familiar with everyone he met. A memorial will be held at 2 p.m. in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church. A Blues Vespers show will be held in conjunction, which is how Ted would have wanted it.
4. A Late Quartet tells the story of a beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet who receives a life changing diagnosis, the group's future suddenly hangs in the balance: suppressed emotions, competing egos, and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert, quite possibly their last, only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy. Inspired by and structured around Beethoven's Opus 131 String Quartet in C-sharp minor, the film pays homage to chamber music and the cultural world of New York. The films screens at 3 p.m. in the Theatre on the Square. Tickets are $49 as it includes admission to the world-famous Brentano String Quartet concert Nov. 8 at The Rialto.
5. Portland-based saxophonist Patrick Lamb returns to Jazz LIVE at Marine View for an encore performance at 5 p.m. Lamb is one of those extraordinary performers who combine raw talent and energy with a singular ability to captivate an audience with his charm, sincerity and pure magnetism.
1. The Dockyard Derby Dames is gearing up for its 8th season of jams, slams and thank-you ma'ams, with a double-header opening-night bout at 6 p.m. in Pierce College's Health Ed Building. Bridgette Walker, team captain of the Marauding Mollys and head of sponsorship and development, says this year brings switch-ups within the league, with players transferring teams and balancing strengths, a strategic move by organizers, and an interesting twist for spectators. Tonight, The Hellbound Homewreckers will face off against the Marauding Mollys while The Trampires will challenge Vancouver B.C.'s Terminal City Rollergirls Riot Cats. "People should expect an exciting bout," Walker said. "I think the Trampires will be easily matched with Terminal City, and Homewreckers are stepping up their game, so I expect that to be a pretty tough battle."
2. Maris Farms will serve up six of the finest REAL quack-aletes in Pierce County and the ducks cover a grand total of 200 feet at 1 and 3 p.m. during its Iron Duck World Championships. The ducks will start at one end of an old cow feeder by swimming 100 feet one way, then climbing a ramp and "running/fluttering" back to where they started. First one back is the winner. In all, there will be 16 races from Oct. 5-27. The duck with the most victories over that period will be crowned "Iron-Duck" World Champion. The month-long event will help raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project by allowing people to place bets on who they believe will win each race.
3. New Jersey's leonine rock stalwarts Bon Jovi ride their steel horses to the Tacoma Dome at 7:30 p.m. Jon Bon Jovi fired Richie Sambora from Bon Jovi. Yes. This is nearly as bad as Jon Bon Jovi firing Jon Bon Jovi from Bon Jovi. Maybe worse. There go all the feelings of camaraderie from those anthemic choruses. And there goes any joy reminiscing about their "talking box" guitar solos.
4. Big Star, and Alex Chilton in particular, was a band driven to madness by a nation turning a blind eye to some of the purest pop music around. In typical fashion, Big Star were ignored in their time, but later discovered by several generations of power pop acts that valued haunting harmonies and indelible hooks over chunky guitars and arena anthems. Blue Skies for Black Hearts is such a band. Formed 13 years ago, this Portland group began as a solo project for recording studio engineer Pat Kearns. Catch Blue skies for Black hearts with A Leaf, Brite Lines and The Stravinsky Riots at 8 p.m. in Bob's Java Jive. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Blue Skies for Black Hearts in the Music and Culture section.
5. It's day two of the Olympia Fall Arts Walk, and Le Voyeur has a hot hip-hop show at 9 p.m. Award-winning hip-hop duo Never Sleep host performs with Everybody Weekend's female-led electro hip-hop sound, the lyricism and microphone bravado of Ang P of The Real Life Click, and 25360 representative Heretic The Heathen (founder/promoter/emcee of For MCs By MCs).
1. First Night Tacoma is hosting a pop-up picnic from 6-8 p.m. at Wright Park, asking diners to wear as much white as possible. The picnic, title Le Diner en Blanc, grabs inspiration from the Parisians, which began in Paris in 1988, when a man named Francois Pasquier arranged to picnic with family and friends in a public park. To easily find one another in the crowd, all participants wore white, and a chic phenomenon was born. Pasquier's picnic has since become an international phenomenon, and, in September, Tacoma. First Night Tacoma hosts the picnic to share its New Year's Eve plans, as well as raise funds for the downtown Tacoma Dec. 31 celebration. Organizers will provide tables, linens and performance snippets of scheduled First Night acts, including L. Lisa Lawrence fire dancing, Adam Martin with his Luminares and Benjamin Doerr and Lydia Ramsey of St. Paul de Vence. You need to bring picnic goodies, a white tablecloth and yourself - dress head to toe in white. Oh, and $10 as it's a fundraiser. Visit firstnighttacoma.org to purchase tickets.
The Tacoma Academy of Fine Art will host a male model in Medieval costume for its open studio session. From 6-9 p.m., and for $15, you have a chance to sketch a man who just defeated the Orcs and has a few minutes before he eats his giant turkey leg without silverware and chases ill-clad wenches.
A selection of original art from the inaugural deck of Tacoma Playing Cards is on view at Tacoma's STAR Center until Oct. 26. Created in 2012, the Tacoma Playing Cards Blue Deck features 54 Tacoma locations and stories created by some of Tacoma's best visual artists. You may have appreciated these incredible images while playing your favorite card game, but you'll have a chance to see Tacoma Playing Cards on a much larger scale and have a chance to meet the creative force behind the works. An artist reception with wine, small bites and poster giveaways will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at STAR Center.
4. Lakewood Playhouse celebrates its 75th anniversary with a stage production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Without giving too much away, let's say it features a pair of charming old aunties, the Brewster sisters, who welcome potential boarders with something more than a casual drink. Tonight, at 8 p.m., is a special pay-what-you-can actors's benefit show. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Arsenic and old Lace in the Music and Culture section.
5. Besdies being all fancy, the Hotel Murano is dang smart. It knows a good thing when it hears it. The Kareem Kandi Band is back to fill the lobby with jazz from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.
1. Drunken Telegraph brings people together to share stories that build community - or at least make for a damn fine evening. Similar to Tacoma's famous Distinguished Writers night, there will be feature storytellers followed by an open mic for those who sign up to tell their 5-minute story on the night's theme. The Drunken Telegraph #5 goes down at 7 p.m. in Masa centered around the theme "Neighbors." Come hear stories, or share you own, about those who didn't live near Mr. Rogers.
2. The Moon Festival is a popular Asian celebration of abundance and togetherness dating back more than 3,000 years to China’s Zhou Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival ("Zhongqiu Jie" in Mandarin Chinese), is a traditional holiday widely celebrated in Aisa, that marks the end of summer and autumn’s equinox, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest - thus the nickname “moon festival. "From noon to 8 p.m. this family-friendly celebration will bring together businesses, residents, community groups and visitors from all areas of Pierce County and beyond for a safe, fun, cultural experience along Tacoma's Ruston Way.
3. Revered by fans and artists alike for it's fantastic stage, professional lighting and wonderful sound, Louie G's Pizzeria in Fife is loved in numbers. Today and tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m., marks the venue's 2nd annual Dreamfest. Though the event is only in it's second year, it is shaping up to become the establishment's trademark festival. For complete schedule, click here.
4. As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the Lakewood Playhouse stages Arsenic and Old Lace at 8 p.m. Joseph Kesselring's script is likewise approaching its diamond jubilee. A few of its then-pop-cultural references whiff, but that's to be expected. What surprises after all these decades is how gleefully amoral the play is. Without giving too much away, let's say it features a pair of charming old aunties, the Brewster sisters, who welcome potential boarders with something more than a casual drink. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Arsenic and old Lace in the Music and Culture section.
5. OK, yes, there will be punk music. And yes, some of that music will be done by local favorites such as Girl Trouble, Red Hex, Trees and Timber and The Jilly Rizzo. And yes, this is a function that will be held 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. But look, the real draw here is the film. And not just the film, but also the accompanying interpretive dance. That's right, Isaac Olsen's German expressionist film, Ich Hunger, will be screened with an accompanying performance by the BareFoot Collective. Olsen's tale of a creature-boy roaming the German wilderness and devouring the village's hapless tourists will be an odd and entrancing pairing with the BareFoot Collective's elegant performance.
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