Archive for the ‘Fun things to do’ Category
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Apr
08
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
- The Seattle PI closed it’s doors and the Seattle Times along with other local papers and publications have cut their Arts budgets…so a week before opening Tuesdays With Morrie, Taproot Theatre received notice that there wouldn’t be a theatre critic attending their show.
My husband and I love Taproot Theatre. We have season tickets…this is our 5th or 6th season to enjoy their productions. We pay the going rate for our tickets and we think they are well worth their price.
Their current production Tuesdays With Morrie written by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom, directed by Karen Lund, starring Aaron Lamb and Nolan Palmer is one of their best! It is a touching story based on the best selling book with the same name written by Mitch Albom.
The Play is about a young man, Mitch, and his mentor…his favorite professor, Morrie, from his University days. The 2 re-connect as Morrie is very sick and dying. It is tender and tearful to watch as Morrie and Mitch rekindle and become very close friends. Morrie loves Mitch as a son…He believes in him and has an uncanny ability to touch Mitch and help him to re think the direction of his life…until the very end. We all long for someone like that in our lives…this play may even remind us of someone near and dear.
In the end the audience was full of sniffles and tears. The play was very well acted and directed and was a pleasure to experience.
Tuesdays With Morrie will be playing at Taproot Theatre until April 25th..
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Feb
02
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
The acting is superb…the story profound and ripe for the time…the directing simple, yet brilliant. It was 90 minutes, with no break or intermission, and I never once grew weary of the action.
There are 5 characters played by 4 actors: Samantha Rund, Faith Russell, Tracy Michelle Hughes and Geoffery Simmons. They’re a great acting and singing ensemble…all fine actors and singers capable of making us laugh out loud and bring tears to our eyes. There are many scenes interspersed with spirituals all sung acappella by the 4 actors mostly on a dark stage while changing the simple scenes. The voices are incredible…I wanted more.
Gee’s Bend will play at Taproot Theatre, Wednesday though Saturday, until February 28th. The play is fiction but is based on the playwright’s conversations with current residents of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The play is broken down into 3 sections based on 3 significant periods of time: the 1930’s; 1965 when Martin Luther King Jr came to speak at Gee’s Bend, and the year 2000.
Gee’s Bend, Alabama was founded by the Gee family in the early 1800’s. It was sold to a relative of the family, Mark Pettway to settle a $29,000 debt in 1845. The Pettway’s moved from North Carolina to Gee’s Bend Alabama about a year later. With them they brought about 100 slaves. After the slaves were freed they continued to help the Pettway family as planters and sharecroppers. The Pettway family sold their plantation in the early 1900’s and the former slaves continued to sharecrop the land for the owners. In the 1930’s through public and federal assistance the former slaves were able to buy their land.
The women of Gee’s Bend have always been quilters. Their quilts are works of art that reflect their courage, strength, self reliance and Christian faith. They began to sell their quilts in the 1940’s. The ability to sell their quilts added a great new dimension to their freedom, and self reliance. They continue to quilt, and today their folk art quilts go for thousands of dollars. Their quilts are currently on an international tour. They will be on display at Greg Kucera Gallery in Seattle from February 19th until March 28th.
On February 18th the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama will be at Taproot Theatre for a post play discussion.
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Jan
29
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
This time you’ll have to drive to Seattle.
At noon on January 30th 2009, the 40th Anniversary of the Beatles last gig…”the rooftop concert”, there is a tribute to the Beatles in Seattle…on the rooftop balcony at the Copacabana Café at 1520½, in Pike Place Market.
The Seattle Band Crème Tangerine will be doing the concert. Crème Tangerine focuses on performing the music of the Beatles. They do the Beatles most recognized hits as well as the different eras of their music. For Friday’s concert they will be performing every song from the original rooftop concert.
Ken Mansfield the Beatles Producer and US manager of Apple records will be there to discuss his work with the Beatles and will be available for Q&A afterwards.
Ken Mansfield in a very sought after speaker and author of several books including: The Beatles the Bible and Bodega Bay and The White book.
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Jan
27
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
Ken Mansfield the Beatles producer and U.S. Apple Records Manager is in town. He will be speaking at Calvary Fellowship in Mountlake Terrace Wednesday January 28th at 7:00 PM.
January 30, is the 40th Anniversary of the Let It Be Rooftop Concert on top of Apple Records in England. In the pictures and videos Ken Mansfield is the man in the white coat.
Calvary Fellowship is at 23302 56th Ave W in Mountlake Terrace. It’s Free and open to the public. They seat about 1,000. It’s starts at 7:00 PM…I’d get there early to be sure to have a seat.
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Jan
13
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
We attended Unexpected Production’s 8:30 PM Imrov show on Saturday evening. Unexpected Productions is best known in Seattle for Theatre Sports. They perform at the historic Pike Place Market Theatre at 1428 Post Alley in Seattle…which is best known for the gum wall in the Alley.
Currently their 8:30 show is an improv long form that they call Loop. They began the show by asking the audience for 3 suggestions:
- An occupation…we said a Game Tester
- A place that isn’t a geographic location…we said a coffee shop
- A possession of endearment…we said a Tazer.
Loop is a series of connecting scenes that tell a coherent story. It begins with a scene…ours was a young boy building a sand castle on the beach. There are no props except black cubes to use at the actors discretion for tables, chairs, beds, espresso counters and beach chairs etc. The story builds from there. There is actual character development and story that is created before our very eyes. Our story became about the young boy’s parents, Mom and Dad, who was a Game tester, with some scenes at their home, at the office, at the hospital…having babies, at the beach and at the coffee shop between the office and home. We met the Mom’s Mom and sister and the sister’s girlfriend and the Mom’s Mom’s boyfriend. We also met a few friends of Dad’s at the office. The Show ended at the beach, the same place that it began…thus the name Loop. The show lasted for about an hour. They did weave a tazer into the story but it was sort of in passing.
This long form of improv can be disastrous but these Actors did a great job with what we gave them. They were touching and heart warming and they made us laugh out loud. As an audience member I believed their story and characters…it was a very enjoyable evening. The cost: $12. each at the door.
For those who love to laugh at love…they have a Valentines Day show at 7:00 PM on Saturday February 14th. It’s $15 per person at the door. For more information go to their website at: www.unexpectedproductions.org
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Dec
30
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
Just before Christmas I took a 5 day trip to Phoenix and made 2 stops at In-n-Out Burgers. They have the best fast burgers you will ever find.
My choice is the double double protein burger animal style and a single cheese protein burger animal style. Both of these are on the secret menu: Protein style replaces the bun with crisp fresh lettuce and animal style adds all of the extras I love.
You only find In-n-Out in California, Las Vegas and Phoenix. If you are driving back home on I-5 the last stop in Cali should be at the In-n-Out in Redding (thank for the tip Hill’s).
If you have not stopped yet at In-n-Out, plan to do so soon, and if you want to have a franchise in Seattle wait in line behind me. Enjoy.
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Dec
23
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
We made it to Taproot Theatre’s production of “The Foundling” on Saturday evening. We risked our lives driving from our house to the Edmonds bowl to pick up Gordy’s Mom and then to 85th and Greenwood to the Theatre.
It was a delightful heart warming play…portrayed by an exquisite acting ensemble headed by King TV’s Grant Goodeve. If you have tickets…don’t let the snow stop you from getting there. If you don’t have tickets…I’m sorry, they are sold out. So I’ll stop writing about how good the show was.
I would like to talk a little about that evening’s theatre experience. Taproot is a very intimate theatre. There are about 125 226 seats (thanks for the correction of 226 seats, it sure does not feel like it). Even though the play was sold out for the evening, because of the snow, it was about ¾ full. All of us there, including the actors, felt as though we had risked our lives getting there. And of course, we all felt good about that.
The audience members were not dressed in normal theatre attire…donning snow boots, heavy winter coats that hadn’t been out of the closet for a few years, and of course winter hats and earmuffs…on top of our heavy sweaters and pants that wouldn’t be ruined in a snow drift. We were a motley crew! That in itself made the entire experience seem all the more intimate.
Scott Nolte, the Producing Artistic Director of Taproot Theatre opened the show…thanking us all for coming and then gave us permission to move closer to the center and/or front if we wished. He also offered free coffee and tea at intermission.
Scott Nolte again, closed the show thanking us for coming and than announced that 85th street, the most direct route to I-5, was closed. He then told us of the 2nd most direct route by North Gate Mall…that he had just driven during the 2nd act to see if it was open and safe.
We all then got into our cars and drove home in a beautiful winter wonderland! It was absolutely gorgeous…nothing like I have experienced in the 25 years of living in the Seattle area.
All in all it was a very heart warming experience…and so Christmas like!
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Dec
17
Posted by Lynnwood Undressed
Another activity that has become a Christmas tradition to our family is The Lights of Christmas, at Warm Beach Conference Center in Stanwood. They boast of using 1.2 million lights…and it is impressive…I’m sure it’s even more impressive in the snow! It is a beautiful celebration of the Love and Joy and Hope of the Christmas Season, and is suitable for all ages. 45,000-50,000 people attend each year. Gordy and I go together just the 2 of us or we take a niece or 2 along with us.
They begin stringing lights in September I know that for a fact because I attend a conference at Warm Beach every September just before Labor Day…and the workers are well into light stringing at that time.
It is open in December: 4-7, 11-14, 17-23, 26-28. From 5PM-10PM. (closed December 17th due to snow) Check out their website!
General admission is $12. for adults and $7 for kids 4-12 (free under 3). There is plenty to do that is included in the general admission :
- The lights all over the 5 acre grounds…and they are truly amazing
- Bruce the Spruce talking Christmas Tree
- Life size nativity
- Victorian Carolers
- Horse rides
- Draft Horse and wagon rides
- Petting farm
- Santa Clause
- Polar express train ride
- Warming fires
Also inside at The Joylane concert hall a variety of acts including:
- Jazz bands
- High School Choruses
- Blue Grass bands
- Brass ensembles
- Jangles, Hick Jazz band
- Women’s Barbershop quartet
- Swing bands
- And more
You can purchase a variety of foods from Ribs to hotdogs…including freshly made mini doughnuts and hot cocoa.
For indoor entertainment you may purchase tickets to their dinner theatre which includes a gourmet 6 course meal…reservations are required. Or at Stage 2 Too, a family friendly shorter show…a musical performed by kids and adults. Tickets for stage 2 Too are available at the gate or in advance. Both are well done with a heart warming Christmas message.
