51/52: Christmas at the Bathhouse Theater

I arrived in Seattle last Friday night, ready to start my Christmas vacation.

First on the schedule Saturday night was our annual Christmas performance.  Unfortunately this year, our local ArtsWest Theater did not do (what I would call) a traditional Christmas performance. The play had something to do with Peter Pan and did not appear to be all that "holiday festive".  Brian and I were both disappointed.  We love to support our local community, but our hearts were set on a festive holiday performance and so it was plan B.

Brian found a performance at the Greenlake Bathhouse part of the Seattle Public Theater Group called Christmastown: A Holiday Noir 2016.  

It was a film noir inspired holiday thrilled by local playwright, Wayne Rawley.  The setting is Christmastown and a hard-boiled detective Nick Holiday is off to investigate some un-holiday like shenanigans.  Add in a glamorous elf, a used Christmas tree salesman, a quick-thinking cab driver and a muck-racking reporter and you've got what the Seattle Times called the "best new holiday romp of the year!"

Brian and I both really enjoyed the performance!  

Before the show, we had an amazing dinner at the Greenlake Alehouse.  The braised short ribs were amazing.

We've kicked off my vacation and officially, Christmas week.

Enjoy!
Stacy

2/52: Broadway Across Portland - Dirty Dancing

I am fairly certain that Chick and I saw Dirty Dancing in the movie theater more than once.  After it was released on DVD, it became a go-to "chick flick" for many years.  When Patrick Swayze died, it was heartbreaking...what a wonderful dancer (who knew he could sing too)....another star lost to cancer.

Chick and I have seen several of the Broadway Across America shows, including Wicked, Mamma Mia and Flashdance.

Last Thursday night, we went to see Dirty Dancing at the Keller Auditorium and it was fabulous!



Just in case you don't know the story......

It's the summer of 1963, and 17 year-old Frances "baby" Houseman is about the learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing.  On vacation in New York's Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities after she discovers an all-night dance party in the staff quarters.  Baby can't wait to be part of their scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle, the resort dance instructor.

The musical is directed by James Powell with choreography by Michele Lynch.  Dirty Dancing featured a slew of unforgettable songs like "Do You Love Me?", "Hungry Eyes" and "(I've Had) The Time of my Life."

We had drinks and appetizers at Morton's Steakhouse before the show and had a fabulous evening!

Enjoy!
Stacy

51.5/52: Judy's Scary Little Christmas at Arts West Theater

No Christmas break would be complete without a trip to our little community theater to see their holiday performance.

Last Sunday, Brian and I attended Judy's Scary Little Christmas at the Arts West Theater in West Seattle, WA.

The musical is an original written by James Webber and David Church and is a holiday "spoof" on television variety shows of the 1950's, satirizing celebrities both public images and private lives.  It's a fictional story which employs a metaphysical plot twist (as with the old TV series Twilight Zone) and a spiritual redemption (similar to Dicken's Christmas Carol).

The plot centers around Judy Garland hosting a live television special on Christmas Eve, with guest stars Bing Crosby, Liberace, Ethel Merman and Joan Crawford.  Judy's guests smile great and entertain when they're "on-camera" but reveal their egos and rivalries during the off camera breaks.

As always, the talent of acting and the set design for the little West Seattle production was wonderful.

Brian, typically doesn't like the negative, campy humor associated with some of these holiday productions, but we both thought that the show was entertaining and funny (it's received great reviews during its December run), despite the second act being a bit "dark".

After the show, we headed over to The Matador for Happy Hour bites and cocktails (and of course with one eye glued to the Seahawks game).

As always, I would encourage everyone to check out local theater, especially around the holidays.

Enjoy!
Stacy

My Birthday @ Flashdance, the Musical!

Last Wednesday night, Chick and I celebrated my birthday at Flashdance, The Musical!

First, drinks and appetizers at Morton's Steakhouse Portland.

It's across the street from the theater and Chick works in the building so it's a great location to grab a pre-theater cocktail and appetizers.

They have a great Happy Hour Menu!  The Birthday Girl enjoyed some beautiful oysters on the half shell!

Then, it was just a short walk to the show!

In spite of some minor changes from the original movie that most Flashdance obsessed fans will notice, it retains the major bones of the movie's engaging fantasy.  Fiesty young Alex still works in the steel mill as a welder and dances in a friendly neighborhood dance club (not a strip joint) at night.  She still dreams of studying classical dance and she's still dating the boss (although he's much much younger than Michael Nouri).

The supporting characters are a bit under-developed in the musical.  Story lines are slightly changed, but the music and the dancing shine!  The first half runs about 1 hour 20 minutes, which is a bit long for first act musicals, but it never lagged.  The new music has a very 80's sound and was written by composer, Robbie Roth.  It fits the era, but all of the songs (at least in the second act), all sounded the same.

I still can't get She's a Maniac out of my head.....going on 30 years now!



It was a great birthday!

Enjoy!
Stacy

ArtsWest Performance of "The Winter Wonderettes"

Last Sunday night, Brian and I caught the matinee performance of West Seattle's ArtsWest holiday musical, The Winter Wonderettes.

This is the fourth year in a row that Brian and I have attended an ArtsWest Performance.  We love supporting our community and all of the performances to date have been very entertaining.

The story is set in 1968, centered around an all-girls group performing at a local hardware store Christmas party. The sequel to the Marvelous Wonderettes, the Winter Wonderettes picks up a few months after the Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Suzy and Missy reprised their 1958 prom appearance with a 1968 return concert. 

As the Marvelous Wonderettes, they had charmed everyone a decade earlier, but post-graduation they went down some divergent paths. Despite a few moments of friction, they remained BFFs (best friends forever).

As always, the ArtsWest set is simple and basic, but creative.  The fantasy hardware store set has lots of holiday details — illuminated candy canes, plastic candles, tinsel, a fake fireplace and a  Christmas tree.  But the singing is the real entertainment of the afternoon!

In the second act Brian (aka Bill, Husband of Missy) made his Arts West Stage debut!  He was a good sport and played along.  It was hillarious!

A wonderful holiday tradition!

Enjoy!
Stacy 

The Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Chick and I took advantage of another Broadway in Portland musical last Thursday night and saw the Broadway smash Jersey Boys.

The musical opened on Broadway in 2005, and has since had a North American National Tour, along with productions in London's West End, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney and Philadelphia. Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony Awards including Best Musical.




The story dramatizes the forming, rise and eventual break-up of the original four members of The Four Seasons. The musical is separated into four "seasons", each narrated by a different member of the band. Act 1 comprises Spring (Tommy DeVito); Summer (Bob Gaudio); Act 2 comprises Fall (Nick Massi); Winter (Frankie Valli); each member has a different perspective on the band and his contribution to it.

Fabulous stage presentation and music that you can't stop singing along too.

Pre-show cocktails and appetizers at Morton's of Chicago.  A fabulous evening!

Enjoy!
Stacy

WICKED!

For Chick's birthday (January 5th) I bought us tickets to go see the hit Broadway Musical, Wicked.

First stop....Happy Hour at  Morton's Steakhouse.  They are located across the street from Keller Auditorium and have a wonderful happy hour menu.  We enjoyed a glass of wine and the following:

Iceberg Wedge Bites $6:  Bite-Sized Wedge Salads served with Tomato, Egg, Bacon Bits and Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue Cheese Steak Fries $6:  Melted Blue Cheese, Red Pepper Flakes and Chives


Petite Filet Mignon Sandwiches $7: Served with Mustard Mayonnaise

 Then, it was just a short walk for the curtain at 7:30 PM













Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz: Elphaba, the misunderstood girl with emerald-green skin, and Galinda, later Glinda, the beautiful, ambitious and popular blonde. Wicked tells the story in which these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North, while struggling through opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace.

The plot begins before and continues after Dorothy's arrival from Kansas and includes references to locations, events, characters and situations from both the 1939 film and Baum's novel.


The costumes, music, and stage settings were remarkable.

Enjoy!
Stacy

ArtsWest Christmas 2011: Every Christmas Story Ever Told

Front row seats again this year for our little West Seattle communities rendition of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told".

Three actors launched themselves (and audience members too) into a full on re-examination of all the holiday shows, songs, and holiday traditions you can think of.

The result is a whirlwind of word play and sight gags, infused with a few solemn moments. From Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to "It's a Wonderful Life" and every carol ever sung...this holiday show was entertaining and delightful.

After the show, we walked down California Avenue to Bang Bar Restaurant and Lounge a Thai place that opened last summer that we have not tried before. They have Happy Hour EVERYDAY from 4PM-6PM with specials on food and drink. A cute bar and a wonderfully warm dining room. A very modern twist on Thai food with a "think out of the box" menu.

We ordered appetizers of money bags (wonderful chicken and veggie parcels) and some tender marinated short ribs.

Entrees included a wonderful seafood sizzle and vegetarian noodles with Thai broccoli.

Bring your wallet, dinner for two (not including cocktails) will run you close to $60.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Plaid Tidings

Brian and I took Brian's Mom, Ann to West Seattle's Arts West performance of Plaid Tidings on Sunday.

This musical is a hilarious and heavenly swingin’ "new" holiday tradition in West Seattle. Once upon a time (in 1956), there were four wholesome and heartfelt guys who loved to sing. And so these men (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie) proudly became "Forever Plaid," singing their tight harmonic renditions of the mellow tunes of the time at places such as airport lounges and mall openings.
Then, on February 9th, 1964, while on their way to pick up their custom-made plaid tuxedos, their car was struck by a school bus filled with Catholic teens on their way to see the Beatles make their U.S. television debut on the Ed Sullivan show. Those on the school bus were unharmed, but "The Plaids" were killed instantly. Now, The Plaids are transported from the ethereal cosmos to croon their tight harmonic renditions of musical hits from the ’50s and ’60s.


This show is really about the music, and it's the music and what supports it that's really the star of this show.

Great acting, singing and dancing....it was a charming Christmas show we will always remember.

Enjoy!
Stacy

A Christmas Carol

Thanks so much to dear friends Rob and Kelly who treated us to a fantastic holiday tradition last Saturday night.

Rob and Kelly opening up a little Christmas cheer

For the past few years we have been trying to get tickets to see the Seattle ACT Theater's performance of a Christmas Carol. Rob and Kelly scored us tickets in September and I've been counting down the days since then.

This is the Act's 34th annual production of Dickens' classic tale. It's done in a "theater in the round" setting so very intimate (I felt like I was in Dicken's London in the 1860's). The set, costumes and acting was SUPERB!!!!!

Kell's new scarf!

Since the plays debut at ACT in 1976, more than 600,000 people have joined Scrooge on his journey. It was a delightful performance and one we hope will be a holiday tradition!

Stacy's Dinner - Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and a Bacon, Tomato and Red Onion "Chopped" Salad

After the play we had an amazing dinner at The Daily Grill, right in the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle (very close to the theater).

It was a wonderful evening with friends.


Enjoy!
Stacy

Les Miserables

"To love another person is to see the face of God." - Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, 1862

When: Thursday, July 10th 2008

Where: Broadway Rose Theater - Tigard, OR

Who: Brian, Stacy and Sandra

Les Misérables (translated from French as The Miserable Ones) is a novel by French author Victor Hugo. It follows the lives and interactions of several French characters over a twenty year period in the early 19th century that includes the Napoleonic wars and subsequent decades. Principally focusing on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean, who seeks to redeem himself, the novel also examines the impact of Valjean's actions for the sake of social commentary. Hugo was inspired by the real-life criminal/policeman Francois Eugene Vidoq, and split his personalities into the two main characters in his novel as well as a couple of events in his own life.

Here is a local review from The Oregonian. This was the second time I've seen "Les Miz" (the first time was in London in 1994). Brian's read the book and Sandra is a season ticket holder of the Broadway Rose Theater - so we were all really excited about the show.

We loved it! Sang the songs in the car on the way home. It was a long performance (over 3 hours), but it was well worth the short sleep.

Enjoy!

Stacy