Well, I was busy this weekend. Apart from an illuminating concert from the Northwest Sinfonietta (to find out just what difference a conductor makes, go here for the review) I also went along to the Barefoot Collective‘s latest evening show at the Merlino Arts Center. The review’s here, but I just have to say that seeing what Barefoot and Tacoma City Ballet are doing in that building to create a multi-discipline, collaborative arts center is inspiring. The two very different dance companies share rehearsal space, collaborate on projects, join each other in class and …

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Last night I went to see ghost and homeless people in Old City Hall. No, it’s not what you think – it’s an evening of two new plays by Tacoma playwright Nick Stokes. My review’s here, and I definitely think you should see it before the run ends on Nov. 22.

But what’s really interesting about this show (apart from the plays, of course) is that Stokes got a great venue for cheap. Tacoma’s Old City Hall is far from the glory days of 2006-07, when developer The Stratford were angling for luxury-condo clients like Dale Chihuly for …

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“Mozart Meets Beethoven” at the Sinfonietta

The Northwest Sinfonietta kicks off a two-concert festival of the two iconic composers, with conductor Christophe Chagnard sharing the baton with Tacoma Symphony’s Harvey Felder. 7:30p.m. Nov. 14. $19-$49. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma. 253-383-5344, www.nwsinfonietta.com

King’s Books Poetry Marathon

Like poetry? You’d better, since there’ll be 13 poets of renown reading their work throughout Saturday at King’s Books, interspersed with three open mic sessions for the rest of us. It’s all courtesy of the Puget Sound Poetry Connection. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 14. Free. King’s Books, 218 St. Helens Ave., …

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It’s back to the future Friday night at the Blue Mouse Theatre when the movie house celebrates its 86th birthday with the same silent film that opened the theater in 1923.

That film, “The Green Goddess” starring George Arliss, follows three Brits who crash their plane in a kingdom near India, where they are held prisoner by the Rajah. His subjects believe that their Green Goddess has delivered the lives of the three fliers in return for the lives of Rajah’s brothers, who soon will be executed in India. Plot twists and intrigue abound.

Dennis James, a Tacoma resident who is considered one of the top silent movie organists and historical revivalists in the world, will accompany the film on a recently refurbished 1940s organ. He wrote the score for the “The Green Goddess” in 1988 as a commission by the film print’s owner, David Packard of the Packard Humanities Institute.
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A couple of weeks ago I had the great fortune of spending 11 days in New York attending classical music events and journalism lectures with some of the best in the country. I was one of 20 fellows in the annual Arts Journalism Institute co-sponsored by the National  Endowment for the Arts and Columbia University, and it was a terrific experience both musically and journalistically.

Not that every concert was a highlight. Two shows – Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” at the Met Opera and Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” newly revived at the Palace Theater, exemplified both the high and low …

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Didn’t get a chance to see the juried art show at the Proctor Arts Fest this summer? Want to see it again? The art is on show through this Sunday in the Proctor District Art Walk, a free, once-a-year event where the work of the winners of the show are featured in the 22 local stores.  Most merchants are open daily from 10 a.m. -6 p.m. Maps may be picked up at participating merchants or at the Proctor Art Gallery , 3811 N. 26th St., Tacoma.  

Says gallery owner Carolyn Burt: “The Art Walk is our kick off to (Proctor …

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Tacoma, do you realize how lucky you are? You not only have several reputable ballet companies but two creative contemporary dance companies working to break the bounds of dance, while collaborating with ballet companies to mix things up even more. For a mid-sized town, that’s pretty good going.

One of those dance companies, MLKBallet, is producing an event next week, part of the MOVE! series it’s getting quite a following for. (More on that next week.) The other company is the Barefoot Collective, which is staging an evening this weekend of completely new work from two Tacoma choreographers and Barefoot members: …

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Tacoma Opera gets silly with Donizetti

Boy meets girl, they sing a lot of high notes and everyone leaves happy. Donizetti’s “Daughter of the Regiment” isn’t big on plot but it sure sounds good, and this weekend Tacoma Opera opens their season with two performances. 8 p.m. Nov. 6, 2 p.m. Nov. 8. $25-$62. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma. 253-627-7789, www.tacomaopera.com
“Junie B. Jones” comes to TMP

If you’ve ever had a messy kindergartener, a well-meaning first grader or a sassy second grader, you’ll know about Junie B. Jones. Tacoma Musical Playhouse brings the kids’ book character …

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