Tacoma Youth Symphony celebrates 50 years

Tacoma’s Youth Symphony Association – one of the country’s biggest – turns 50 this year. Celebrate with them at the final concerts this weekend. Fresh from a Boston tour, the Tacoma Young Artists Orchestra plays Mendelssohn, Delius and Beethoven’s 6^th Symphony, while the Tacoma Youth Symphony will join with PLU’s Choral Union for Beethoven’s massive 9^th Symphony. TYAO: 7 p.m. May 18. $16/$7. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma. TYS: 3 p.m. May 19. $17/$7. Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-627-2792, tysamusic.org

“Love, Lust and Laughter” from Northwest Repertory Singers

For their season finale the Northwest Repertory Singers launch into songs of love (Brahms, Morten Lauridsen), lust (selections from “Carmina Burana” – the naughty ones) and laughter (P.D.Q. Bach) this Sunday. 3 p.m. May 19 (pre-concert talk 2 p.m.). $18 general/$15 students, seniors and military/free for under-17. Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 N. Madison St., Tacoma. 253-265-3042, nwrs.org, brownpapertickets.com

Wagner sing-along and “Ring” tickets at Seattle Opera Read more »

“Spring Awakening” at UPS

A play that shocked its 19^th-century audience and a rock musical that dives right into the same material is what makes up “Spring Awakening” – a 2006 Broadway remake of the coming-of-age story that traverses youth longing, homosexuality, child abuse, rape, suicide and abortion with a passionate rock score by Duncan Sheik. UPS theater students mount a full production this and next weekend, directed by Sara Freeman. 7:30 p.m. March 1-2 and 7-9, 2 p.m. March 10. Mature audiences only. $12.50/$8.50. Norton Clapp Theater, Jones Hall, UPS, 1500 N. Warner St., Tacoma. 253-879-6013, ups.universitytickets.com

Bach …

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Barefoot Dance Collective in “Ides of May”

Join the Barefoot Dance Collective and three local choreographers in an evening of modern dance in a brand new venue: the newly-renovated Studio 3 at the Broadway Center for Performing Arts downtown. Seats, curtains and a black-box atmosphere transform a rehearsal space into a dance theater for tBFC’s annual “Ides of May” show. 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 12, 3 p.m. May 13. $15/$18. Studio 3, 915 Broadway, Tacoma (third floor, enter via silver elevator on street level) 253-591-5894, brownpapertickets.com, barefootcollective.org, broadwaycenter.org

Tacoma Youth Symphony plays gypsy music

The Tacoma Youth Symphony, the highest orchestra of seven in the TYSA, plays its final concert this Sunday at the Rialto, featuring gypsy-themed music by George Enescu, Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Romberg and Brahms. 3 p.m. May 13. $7 main floor/$17 balcony. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma. 253-627-2792, tysamusic.org Read more »

You could almost believe you were in Europe – listening to Haydn and Handel before walking outside into a snowy street. Tonight was a concert in the Classical Tuesdays in Old Town series, free shows in Slavonian Hall on North 30^th Street that range from really new percussion compositions to saxophone quartets and baroque lute songs. Tonight’s concert showcased the young musicians in the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, in particular their wind and string principals as they combined in various permutations to make chamber music.

It wasn’t a professional concert, unlike some fantastic ones the Classical Tuesdays folk …

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This weekend sees an annual classical treat for kids: Prokofiev’s classic tale “Peter and the Wolf,” played by members of the Tacoma Youth Orchestra. The musical story features different instruments as the farm boy Peter, his faithful bird, the villainous wolf and more, and is followed this year by a musical party where each instrument in the symphony takes center stage and introduces itself in a composition by UPS professor and concert pianist Duane Hulbert and his wife Judy. John Williams’ score from  “Star Wars” will finish the afternoon off with a bang. It’s a great chance for kids to …

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