GO Arts » Tacoma Musical Playhouse

TMP’s Chris Serface takes over as director of Tacoma Little Theatre

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:28:49 +0000

Chris Serface, former educational director at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, will leave his position April 30 to take over as managing artistic director at Tacoma Little Theatre. That position has been open since former director Scott Campbell left a year ago, with TLT’s production manager Brie Yost acting in an interim capacity.

“I felt that it was time to take on a new challenge and help keep the arts flourishing in our community,” said Serface in an email.

For the last five years Serface has managed the large educational program at TMP, including camps, after-school programs and performances. A …

Tacoma Musical Playhouse launches capital campaign to support orchestra pit, bigger stage and acoustic enhancement; $1 million already raised

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 21:19:12 +0000

The Tacoma Musical Playhouse has just announced the launch of the public phase of a $1.27 million capital campaign to renovate the theater. The 19-year-old community theater has already raised $1 million in grants and private donations.

Among the renovations planned are enlargement of the stage and backstage areas, the creation of an orchestra pit (currently musicians play under an overhang to the side), acoustic enhancements to the auditorium walls and moving the sound booth to audience level.

“These changes will allow us to grow our productions and programs, and greatly enhance the TMP patron’s theatergoing experience,” says Jon …

Critic’s Picks: Dickens at Stadium, Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Musical Playhouse and Lakewood Playhouse

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:25:37 +0000

Stadium District Dickens Fest

This Saturday you can revel in everything Victorian as the Dickens Fest returns to Tacoma’s Stadium District. Expect horse-and-carriage rides, a costume contest (that includes yourself!), a beard contest and performances on two stages that include magic and puppet shows, singers, storytellers, youth actors in “A Christmas Carol,” instrumentalists and spoken word artists.

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 8; Ball 6-9:30 p.m. Free. King’s Stage, 218 St. Helens Ave; Queen’s Stage, Titus Will showroom, 633 Division Ave, Tacoma. dickensfestival.net

Tacoma Little Theatre’s “Miracle” on North I Street

Tacoma Little Theatre’s holiday offering is “Miracle on 34^th …

Critic’s Picks: “The Sound of Music,” Tacoma’s Gritty City Gift Fair, B2 Gallery and Lelavision at MoG

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 13:01:21 +0000

Sing along with (or just watch) “The Sound of Music”

Sometimes it’s just not enough to watch that family favorite film, “The Sound of Music.” If you love singing along with Julie Andrews to all those fab songs (“Doe a Deer,” “Edelweiss”) then you’ll want to get your costume on and go to the sing-along screenings at either the Pantages or the Washington Center. If you want to see the Von Trapp family come to life, head to a live theater performance at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

Sing-alongs: 2 p.m. Nov. 24 at Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma. $24. 253-591-5894, …

Critic’s Picks: Gig Harbor Art Festival, Click Flick at the Grand, Tacoma Musical Playhouse and Choir of the West at PLU

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:05:41 +0000

Gig Harbor arts fest

Gig Harbor arts it up this weekend with the 28^th annual Summer Art Festival. More than 130 artists and artisans will show their wares along Judson Street in the historic waterfront district, plus live music, food and chalk art on Saturday. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. July 21-22. Free. Judson Street, Gig Harbor. Free shuttle service from Gig Harbor Medical Center, 6401 Kimball Drive. peninsulaartleague.com/artFest.html

Click Flick: “Nanny McPhee”

This months’ free Click Family Flick at the Grand Cinema in downtown Tacoma is “Nanny McPhee,” the 2005 comedy starring Emma Thompson as a quirky, …

Critic’s Picks: Surreal portraits at Fulcrum Gallery, pastels at American Art Co, “Fiddler on the Roof” at Kitsap Forest Theater and “Happy Days” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:09:04 +0000

Surreal portraits at Fulcrum Gallery

The Hilltop’s Fulcrum Gallery presents “Surrealistic Portraits,” a group show blurring human and beast in portraits by Larkin Cypher, Kelsi Finney, Jeremy Gregory and Keith Carter. Noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday through July 14. Free. Fulcrum Gallery, 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma. 253-520-0520, fulcrumtacoma.com

American Art Co hosts International Pastels Exhibition

The Northwest Pastel Society’s International Exhibition is back at American Art Co in downtown Tacoma, featuring work by local and national pastel artists in a variety of genres. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Free. 1126 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-272-4327, …

Tacoma Musical Playhouse announces 2012/13 season

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:38:01 +0000

Tacoma Musical Playhouse has just announced its new season, which spans musical theater from classics like “The Sound of Music” to the movie-based “Legally Blonde.”

Opening the season in September is “Chicago,” the award-winning, 15-year-running Kander and Ebb Broadway musical about a murdering chorus girl in Prohibition-era Chicago. After a holiday run of the ever-popular “The Sound of Music,” about the singing Von Trapp family, the season continues with “The Musical of Musicals,” five musicals in one with each having the same plot but different musical style. “Legally Blonde,” about a sorority star who goes to law school, is …

Critic’s Picks: CinemaGig, “Cats” at Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Sendak art at the Puyallup Library and Harold Balazs at Museum of Northwest Art

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:02:31 +0000

CinemaGig in Gig Harbor

Watch movies for free under the stars in Gig Harbor with Cinema Gig on Fridays at Donkey Creek Park and Saturday nights at Skansie Park through summer. This Friday it’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” with “Despicable Me” on Saturday. Begins at dusk. Free. Donkey Creek Park, 8714 N. Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor/Skansie Brothers Park, 3207 HarborviewDr., Gig Harbor. 253-857-4842, www.gigharborguide.co

“Cats” comes to Tacoma Musical Playhouse

Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer and all the other Jellicle cats come out to play on the stage at Tacoma Musical Playhouse in a production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic musical “Cats,” based …

Follies parody Tacoma in one-night stand

Craig Sailor — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:21:48 +0000

By C. R. Roberts
The News Tribune

They earned a rousing standing ovation at a recent anniversary bash hosted by City Club, and now they’re back for a one-night stand at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.

The “Grit City Fab Follies” will hit the West Tacoma stage at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 6.

The satirical revue reprises the songs sung at the City Club event – with the addition of another handful of tunes likewise written by Tacoma native Doug Mackey and sung by a sextet comprising high school students from throughout Pierce County.

The songs …

Critic’s Picks: Lelavision at MoG, artists “On the Verge” at Iron, TLT’s “A Christmas Story” and TMP’s “Guys and Dolls”

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:50:34 +0000

Museum of Glass brings Lelavision’s visual music

If your kids (or you) haven’t seen Lelavision, you’re in for a treat: The wacky performance duo plays enormous homemade instruments big enough to dance on, like rotating cones and giant teeter-totters. 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 27. Admission $12/$10/$5 age 6-12/free for under-6. Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma. 866-4-MUSEUM, www.museumofglass.org

Artists “On the Verge” at Iron Gallery

At UWT’s Iron Gallery, 14 local artists show as graduates of the Artist Trust EDGE granting program for upcoming work. Tacomans include photographers Victoria Bjorklund and Dayton K. Knipher. 10 a.m.-2 …