PNB scores big with Midsummer Night's Dream

PNB scores big with Midsummer Night's Dream

by Milton W. Hamlin - SGN A&E Writer PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S br /> A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM br /> MCCAW HALL br /> THROUGH APRIL 13 The Emerald City is lucky to have first-class performance groups in all of the major arts areas - symphony, opera, theatre, dance, museums, art galleries. Pacific Northwest Ballet, the region's premiere dance company, is nationally well respected for its work in classical ballet and is gaining importance in modern dance. The current revival of Balanchine's beloved A Midsummer Night's Dream showcases the company in every aspect. PNB is a "no star" company with principals and all levels of dancers. Traditionally, classic ballet uses revolving repertory casting. Often three or four dancers will appear in the same role during PNB's two-week run of each program. (One friend makes it a point to see all major casts, attending as many as four times in two weeks. A friend of his attends every night, every performance to see the subtle changes from one dancer to another.) The accomplished Midsummer staging simply couldn't be better. The glorious mix of music (Mendelssohn's beloved score), glorious orchestral playing (BRAVO! to Stewart Kershaw and the PNB Orchestra), and the polished PNB dancers bringing Balanchine's inventive choreography wonderfully to enchanted life all combine in a seemingly seamless manner to make this Midsummer a glorious dance outing. In a word: "Go!" With tickets starting at just $20 and various discounts available for students/senior/rush attendees, this is one Night to remember. Times, prices, policies at (206) 441-2424. Check it out. And ask for a free flyer about the upcoming Laugh Out Loud! Festival running April 17-20. And ask about the upcoming All (Jerome) Robbins mixed rep program, May 29-June 8. PNB is like The Little Engine That Could - the action just never stops.

An enjoyable journey with Rick Steves

by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer SEATTLE MEN'S CHORUS: A FOREIGN AFFAIRE WITH RICK STEVES MARCH 30 MCCAW HALL "A Foreign Affaire with Rick Steves" was the title of the latest Seattle Men's Chorus performance at McCaw Hall. It certainly covered the world, even with little graphics of trains and cars and buses moving across a map! There were songs from France, Ireland, Germany, the Basque area, and Italy. Rick Steves, the famous travel writer, kept a running commentary throughout the two-plus hour concert, which was witty and educational. He did not shy away from tough subjects, including terrorism. A faux question-and-answer session included a question about worrying about terrorism when you travel. His answer was that 12 million people travel each year from the U.S. and a tiny few (less than 100?) are affected by any kind of terrorist activity. He suggested that it's safer to travel than to stay home! There were numerous spoofs throughout, using music from musicals such as Anything Goes and Titanic: The Musical. Original songs were composed for the occasion by Scott Warrender and Eric Lane Barnes, such as "Europe Through the Back Door" (Steves' series of books on travel, and a glancing reference to a human behind&) and "Carmina Ricotta." "Carmina Ricotta" is an ingenious piece suggesting that cheese is the "ambassador for peace" and making a convincing argument through songs from Brie, Mozzarella, and American cheese. Another wacky skit was having Steves visit with Sister Wendy and some of the most famous naked sculptures in Europe. The performance ended with a moving audience participation sing-a-long of "Dona Nobis Pacem" and prayers for peace. It was definitely a throat-choking moment as the entire audience harmonized. Next up will be a summer concert Comedy Tonight, starring comedian/actor Leslie Jordan, the 4'11" guest star on numerous David Kelley television shows, including a stint as a murderer on Boston Legal. For more information, go to www.flyinghouse.org or call 206-388-1400.