TeenTix Blog

How about... Link! That's what it is officially called. It's what's written on the side of the train. Why can no one figure that out?

I don't have any real suggestion, but I do think it should probably be some kind of three or four letter acronym. For example, in SanFran it's BART. In Portland it's MAX.Let's see..SAX? Seattle Area Express. Like a saxophone.SART? Seattle Area Rapid Transit. Like that French philosopher, Sartre.I don't care much for either of those. We've got to come up with something more original.

Photo by Surrealize on flickr.They said it would never happen. But they were wrong (as they so often are). Light Rail is officially here. At the moment you can only go from Tukwila to Westlake Center, but it's a start. We're excited about anything that makes it easier for people to get into town and see shows. Are you excited about Light Rail? Will you ride it? Don't you think it needs a cooler name than Light Rail? Suggestions for new names in the comments, please.

Check out John Levesque's great piece of about Teen Tix in the online P-I!"Program manager Holly Arsenault calls it 'nurturing a whole community of arts-going teens.'Delaney Merrick, 17, calls it 'amazing.'Merrick will be a senior this fall at Holy Names Academy, and while she has always loved art she never thought she might be interested in a career in the arts. Until her mom discovered Teen Tix.Merrick has become a regular reviewer on the Teen Tix Blog , expanding her horizons with commentary ranging from Pericles at Seattle Shakespeare Company to The Big Friendly Giant at Seattle Children's Theatre.'Teen Tix definitely gives you more opportunities to do things out in the community,' said Merrick. 'It's more cultural than just going to see Batman at the Cineplex.'"Special thanks to Delaney and Ashraf. And thanks to all of you for being a part of Teen Tix. We like you like you.

Great review - we're going to see it this Sunday!

A review of Othello at INTIMAN by Anna B.Othello is, by far, the most harsh of Shakespeare’s works I have seen. The play itself is a horrific slasher, a ghastly tragedy played out in agonizingly slow motion through scene after scene of malignancy, vitriol, and madness.Thus, if you’re looking for a pleasant diversionary evening, stay away. You may leave the theater unable to breathe, choked with hopelessness and filled with despair. Othello, especially as performed by Intiman, is not for the faint of heart. But for those who dare venture into the theater, Othello reveals true portrayals of human nature found in few other plays, offering characters so true to life you yourself want to enter the story, alter the course of events with a few words. Shakespeare presents the power of jealousy, the wretchedness of betrayed trust, and the beauty of sacrifice, all within the few short hours of Othello.To briefly sketch the storyline, Othello, a moor, has married the beautiful Desdemona against her father’s will. Othello’s trusted servant Iago, however, plots to ruin their happiness out of pure malice. He slowly poisons Othello’s mind, making him believe his lieutenant, Michael Cassio, and Desdemona are sneaking around together behind is back. In a climax fraught with symbolism, Iago brings Othello’s and Desdemona’s story to a tragic close through his Machiavellian workings. Iago is the most despicable character ever (and if you see this play, you will agree that statement is not an exaggeration). Like the Joker, he mostly just wants to watch the world burn, taking down Othello merely because Othello is there. Strangely enough, throughout the whole play Iago is constantly referred to as “Honest Iago”, a testament to Othello’s innocent perception of him. He betrays Othello’s trust spectacularly, all without giving away his true nature to the poor man. In the guise of help, he destroys Othello’s world. The power of Othello’s trust in his “honest Iago” is emphasized over and over again. Iago also is constantly reassuring people that he “loves” them. Not to be cliché, but actions speak far louder than words as Iago stabs these people in the back, uses them for no other reason than that he wants their life ruined, and destroys them from the inside out. Again, the very concept of love is brought to question in this emphasis on the word “love.” The play itself, as well as Intiman’s production, has a few interestingly emphasized words/concepts: honest, love, sweet, witchcraft, truth. But the spaces left in the play make their mark as well. The pause before Iago tells of the “lovers,” the breath before Othello moves from principles to pure, outright jealousy, the silence between Desdemona and her maid as the maid brushes her lady’s hair for the last time.Othello may be a poisonous play. But it is a play where true human nature comes to life, where the concepts of honesty and trust are thrown around and mixed up, and where you have an urgent need to jump out of your seat and put to rights this whole mess by giving a character or two a good shaking. It’s Shakespeare, and in the hands of Intiman Theater Othello has a great deal of power. Anna B.July 8th, 2009OthelloINTIMAN TheatreThrough August 9th

Matthew Robson says you think twitter is stupid

So, Morgan Stanley issued a report today by a 15 year-old intern named Matthew Robson that is gettingsomuchplay. Matthew claims that teens don't use twitter because it uses up texting credit and seems pointless because no one is following their tweets. He also says that teens find popup advertising "annoying and pointless". Um...who doesn't? Matthew's take is interesting, and the ensuing discussion even more so, but I'm left wondering three things:1. Since when does one person's subjective opinion count as a study?2. Am I the only one who feels like the tone of some of these articles (especially the Bloomberg one) feels like an episode of Animal Planet? ("Here we see the elusive Teenasaurus emitting a flurry of high-pitched mating texts")3. Do you tweet? Why or Why not? Vote in the poll!

Since everyone is clamoring this week to point out how much they loved local indie-movie goddess Alycia Delmore (see the spine of this week's Stranger) WAY back when (now that she has catapulted to instant stardom with the success of Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton's Sundance hit Humpday) we thought we would draw your attention to this interview that we did with her in October, 2007. Not to toot our own horns or anything, but that was, like, TWO years ago. Anyway, Humpday opens this weekend at the Harvard Exit, and, if they manage to pack the houses this weekend, it could mean a wider distribution deal (so that people in, say, Arkansas, could get to know and love our little Alycia). So, if you are 18 or 19 (sorry youngsters - Humpday is rated R) go check it out. This is not a Teen Tix thing, it's just a support-your-local-film-community thing. GO ALYCIA!

A review of Pressue Cooker by Delaney M.I watched the NFF film Pressure Cooker which was produced in 2008 and takes place in Philadelphia. Pressure Cooker is directed by Mark Becker and Jennifer Grausman and features students from Frankford High School.Pressure Cooker is a documentary that tells the story of three seniors in a poor neighborhood in Northeastern Philadelphia, that struggle to rise against their familial and personal situations to compete for scholarships through their culinary class. Erica is a peppy cheerleader who misses out on a lot of life experiences because she has to take care of her 15 year old sister, who is physically handicapped and blind. Dudley is a football player who lives with a single mom who struggles to keep them in a home. Fatoumata is a recent immigrant from Africa whose dad controls every aspect of her life. All three students are enrolled in a culinary arts class at their high school, which allows them at the end of the year to compete for college scholarships ranging from a few thousand dollars to a full ride, which could be upwards of sixty thousand dollars. The culinary teacher Mrs. Stephenson is a hard teacher to please, she is the terror of every student caught out of line or in the halls when they aren’t supposed to be, but with her culinary students they are her family, she buys them dress shirts, sets them up with dates for prom, and provides encouragement as they battle through the scholarship competition.Pressure Cooker is seamlessly produced and allows you to follow the students from the culinary classroom, to other classes, to football or cheerleading practice, and even back home to see their families and their poverty. The film balances the three different students’ perspectives, as well as that of Mrs. Stephenson, very well. By the end of the film I felt connected to all of the students and the presentation of scholarships was one of the most nervous moments of my life, I was sitting glued to the T.V. hoping that Erica, Dudley, and Fatoumata would get exactly what they wanted. Pressure Cooker is a truly inspiring film that teaches teenagers that nothing is out of your reach no matter how impossible or difficult it may seem. I would recommend this film to anyone 13+. There is nothing in it that would stop little kids from watching it, but really in order to understand its meaning you should at least be in high school, or have gone through it already. - Delaney M.July 5th, 2009Pressure Cooker @ Northwest Film ForumJuly 10th - 16thWatch the trailer:

Czar Kumar: President Obama appoints 32 year-old actor Kal Penn as the nation's new "Arts Czar". Penn, who is best known for his role in the "Harold & Kumar" movie franchise, will serve as the Associate Director of the White House Office of Engagement.

Review of Holst's The Planets and Kernis' Symphony of Meditations at Seattle Symphony by Tavis H.On a muggy Wednesday morning, in a spacious office hovering over 2nd avenue, Gerard Schwarz told me that “the great piece of Holst really is The Planets, and it is a masterpiece…a masterpiece of inventions, of ideas.” Forty-eight hours later, he showed me. Never before had I beheld the privilege of hearing The Planets live, and what a treat it was. The seven movements are based, astrologically, on the Gods of the planets, and are written in a manner so impeccable it would seem that Holst single-handedly crafted the foundation of the modern perception of the Gods of antiquity. It is a truly eclectic composition capable of manifesting, with great clarity, aspects of each God’s persona with brilliant originality. However, where the music is by leaps and bounds the cake of the performance, it is the interpretation, the tantalizing ganache, which makes the experience so unique and delectable. Although the totality of the symphony is a truly magical experience, watching Maestro Schwarz is always an unparalleled delight. His performance and command engages and captures, whisking away the listener on a physical journey of transcendence. By far the most enjoyable facet of Schwarz’s performance is his modesty. His style is never theatrically outrageous, like Karajan or Kleiber; however his is no forgettable performance. His sheer charisma carries the performance alone, and his emotion--always bridled, never unconvincingly frenzied--accents his Prussian control and sway with the tenderness of heart. Together with the meshing of the music and the touch of the artists, a personal grandeur was brought to each movement. Just as many Romans had a unique affinity or a personal meaning for a particular god, Seattle Symphony and Holst, too, conjure a charming individuality for each deity. The power and conviction of the piece comes to a point where one might believe that an acolyte or high priest from each of the Gods’ shrines or temples was assigned to write a piece of music to convince the world that their god was the greatest, and then when done, all the pieces were put into a musical anthology and named The Planets. The other portion of the evening was a premier of Aaron Jay Kernis’s Symphony No. 3, “Symphony of Meditations”, a piece as wondrous and soul-searching as the story behind its creation. In talking to Schwarz I learned of how the piece was originally scheduled to premiere last year. When Kernis was reading the texts that he used for inspiration (a modern translation, by Peter Cole, of an 11th century Sephardic poem by Solomon Ibn Gabirol’s) he realized its potential. “He was very taken by it and it became a larger piece than he originally anticipated” said Schwarz, regarding the fact that the piece was originally supposed to be about twenty minutes with a small chorus. “He’s the creative guy, he’s the genius…what am I going to say if you’re inspired to write something ‘don’t write it?’ So I said ‘sure, go for it’ and he did and he wrote a huge piece.” However Kernis’s symphony is not just a poem with music. It is also a tribute to his parents, who passed several years ago, and an exploration into his Jewish roots--a healing piece. “Symphony of Meditations” eventually transformed into a full choral piece about thirty minutes long that has maintained Kernis’s wonderful modern touches as well as classical influences. Kernis has courted many of the possible tools of the symphony, and, with ingenuity, has given us a spiritual journey spiced with elegant charm and transporting grandeur. And while his composition is distinctively modern and quite fresh with newer conventions, Kernis has also created a piece almost Germanic in magnitude, reminiscent of Mahler’s 8th “Symphony of a Thousand”, but also contemplative in its theologi-grandiose nature, much like Glass’s 5th symphony. Ultimately it is a distinctly unique and complimenting addition to the American repertoire. During the three movements, three soloists narrated the story, Robert Gardner (baritone), Hyunah Yu (soprano), and Paul Karaitis (tenor). Together they and the chorus took the audience through the power of despair, repentance, love, shame, and faith. Although the main body of the work was very engaging, the anti-climactic nature of the final movement was mildly disappointing. There was a grand crescendo halfway through, but then the audience was left in a state of anticipation neither being led to a sweet soft close nor a majestic ending. It seemed just to stop, leaving those I went with, and myself, to be rather confused by its sudden halt. Despite this mild disappointment, Kernis’s 3rd was epic in every sense. When listened to, a true tintinnabulation of melodic enormity bores into the heart and sheds an inquisitive light upon ones soul which, although is enlightening and beautiful, also, dares to challenge the axioms of woe, awe, sadness, joy, beauty, and spirituality. Regardless of ones religious background, the premise of the piece is universal, for what better to unite the minds of many than a gesture of truth and what it means to belong in this world. Tavis H.July 2nd, 2009This performance has already closed. For information on upcoming shows at Seattle Symphony visit seattlesymphony.org

BIG NEWS: Teen Tix is now good for all teenagers ages 13 to 19. Rejoice!!!If you are a current (or formerly former) Teen Tix member and you need a new pass, please DO NOT re-register for Teen Tix. Just go here and fill out the lost pass form. We'll get your new pass in the mail to you right away.Happy day!Love,Teen Tix

Youth Films in Ballard!National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) NFFTY In Your Neighborhood! – Tuesday June 30NFFTY and Aster Coffee Lounge present short film screenings of films from NFFTY 2009! Check out films by the up & coming moviemakers of tomorrow. Wine tasting is also happening 4-8pm, short films will play every hour on the hour from 4-8pm. FREE, all ages. Aster Coffee Lounge5615 24th Ave NWSeattle, WA 98107Here's a video with highlights and interviews from NFFTY 2009:

SUMMER!!!It's beautiful outside and you KNOW that's not going to last forever. Stop sitting in front of your computer and go enjoy some sunshine and art at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Go! P365 Day 14: The Eagle at Olympic Sculpture Park by Don L on flickr

This just in! We scored 15 tickets to the Michael Jackson tribute night at Northwest Film Forum July 7th. YOU MUST RSVP to teentix@seattle.gov to reserve a spot. Hardcore MJ fans HURRY! This show was just scheduled yesterday and it is already almost sold out!Here's the info:Tuesday, Jul 7th at 08:00PM (doors at 7:30)Northwest Film Forum hosts a special celebration of and fitting tribute to the great entertainer and popular music icon Michael Jackson who passed away on June 25th at the age of 50. His greatest music videos from the late-70s and 80s will be shown in the cinema (and cranked up loud). We’ll also show excerpts of a 1968 performance of the Jackson 5, his performance in the 1978 musical ‘The Wiz,’ the unavailable 1983 documentary “The Making Of Michael Jackson’s Thriller” and the 1983 TV performance that introduced the “moonwalk.” Refreshments will be available in the cinema, and all ages are welcome. Join us raising a glass to the one and only King of Pop, seeing Michael’s moves in action, and shaking a behind to the music that moved the world.First 15 people to respond get the tickets! The tickets, as always, will be $5.00 each. Woo hoo!

We loved you Michael.

the break/s: a mixtape for the stage @ ACT Theatre"Hip-hop renaissance man" Marc Bamuthi Joseph is an accomplished dancer, an award-winning poet and a passionate educator. His new play – the break/s: a mixtape for the stage – features Joseph's unique fusion of movement and theater; a powerhouse mixture of dance, sound, story, and visual imagery. With two turntables, a video jockey and Joseph's virtuosity, the break/s is an enthralling piece of performance magic. Drawing on interviews and documentary footage, this collaboration between performer, score and projected image explodes the boundaries of theater, dance and film and explores the conflicts between public identity and private identity in our globalized, multi-everything era. This powerhouse performance has sold out theatres and electrified audiences around the country – come experience it for yourself.From David Schmader's preview in the Stranger:Foremost among these "best parts": the titular breaks, those rhythmic interruptions/breakdowns/repetitions that have juiced hiphop since the beginning, co-opted by Joseph in his play's kaleidoscopic-mixtape structure, and the sense of community inherent in both hiphop and theater. "Hiphop sprung up in ritual community space around portable sound systems, where whoever had the loudest system is the one who rocked the party," says Joseph. "That's where hiphop was born, in peaceful communities around loud sound."And here's a video preview:Now through July 12thMore info and show times here.ACT's Ticket Office: 206-292-7676Did you see it? Leave a comment and tell everybody what you thought!

What is Teen Tix? Teen Tix is a free arts-access pass that allows teenagers to purchase $5 tickets to theatre, dance, music, film and visual art.Who can sign up for Teen Tix? Any teenager age 13-19 can sign up.Do I need to live in Seattle in order to sign up? Nope. Anyone, from anywhere, can sign up and use the pass as long as they are 13-19 years old.How much does it cost to sign up? Nothing! It’s free to sign up.Where can I use my Teen Tix pass? You can use your Teen Tix pass at any of our Participating Organizations.How do I use my Teen Tix pass? Teen Tix is a rush ticket program. You show up any time the box office is open on the day of the show that you want to see, and our participating organizations will sell you a ticket for $5. At our museum partners, just show up any time the museum is open and show your pass for $5 entry.Can I make reservations? No. Teen Tix tickets are sold on a first come, first-served basis starting when the box office opens on the day of the show ONLY. You cannot reserve tickets. However, we do encourage you to call ahead and ask whether or not Teen Tix tickets are expected to be available for the show that you want to see.Can I buy my ticket in advance? No. Teen Tix is a day-of rush ticket program. You can only purchase your ticket on the day of the show that you want to see. However, you can call ahead on the day of the show that you want to see and purchase your ticket over the phone at many of our participating organizations.Can I buy my ticket over the phone? Many of our participating organization box offices will allow you to purchase a Teen Tix ticket over the phone on the day of the show that you want to see. You will still need to show your Teen Tix pass and ID when you pick it up. There are no over-the-phone sales at our museum partner organizations, nor at CD Forum, Cornish College of the Arts, Giant Magnet, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, Pacific Science Center's IMAX & Laser Dome, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Spectrum Dance Theatre, or Seattle Symphony.So, how can I be sure there will be tickets available? We can’t make any guarantees, but we can get pretty close. If you’re concerned that there won’t be tickets available for the show you want to see, the best thing to do is call the box office and ask. They usually have a very good idea about how many Teen Tix tickets will be available on any given night, and they’re more than happy to help. The phone number for each participating organization is listed on our website.Can I buy more than one ticket? Yes! On Sundays (at our participating performing arts organizations) and on Thursdays (at our participating museums) Teen Tix members can purchase a second ticket for just $5! That means you can bring along anyone you like, including an adult or a child too young for Teen Tix, and buy them a $5 ticket, too!How do I find out what’s playing? As a Teen Tix member, you will automatically be subscribed to our weekly email newsletter, which will tell you about all of the great stuff you can go see with your Teen Tix pass. Additionally, the Teen Tix website has event listings that are constantly updated. You can also check our participating organizations' websites to find out what’s going on. We also recommend checking this blog frequently for recommendations, interviews, and reviews by other teens.Will you sell my information? No. Teen Tix will never share your email address, or any of your other information, with any outside group for any reason. However, as a public agency, Seattle Center is subject to and must comply with public disclosure requests.I lost my pass, what do I do? If you lost pass (or never received one in the first place), please click here to fill out the lost pass form. It takes a few days, so don't wait until the day you want to go to the show! We'll email you a temporary pass, and get a new pass out to you within a week.I just found out about Teen Tix, but I want to go see something TONIGHT. Help! Never fear! We've got you covered. Just go here and fill out the online registration form. Within a few minutes, you'll receive a confirmation email. OPEN IT! Respond to the confirmation, and, within a few minutes, you'll receive a second email that contains a temporary pass. Print out that pass and bring it with you to the box office just as you would a regular Teen Tix pass. Hooray!I registered for Teen Tix but never received my pass. What’s up? If it’s been two weeks or less, your pass is probably on the way – there are only a few of us and so many of you, sometimes it takes us a little while, but it’s coming, we swear! If it’s been more than two weeks, it might have gotten lost in the mail. Email us with your name and address and we’ll get a new one out to you.I registered for Teen Tix and received my pass, but I’ve never received the e-newsletters. What’s up? It sounds like we probably got the wrong email address for you when you signed up and your newsletters are bouncing back at us. Send us an email with your name and correct email address, and we’ll get you back on the distribution list. DO NOT re-register for Teen Tix!Don’t you have to dress up to go to these places? No. You can dress up if you want to, and you’ll probably see some people who look pretty fancy when you go, but it’s not a requirement. In fact, one of the nicest things about the arts scene here in Seattle is that it’s pretty casual – it’s about enjoying the art, not being in a fashion show! So wear what you’re comfortable in…just keep your feet off the seats.What’s the point of all this? The point is that art is valuable, and it’s for everyone. An arts-going community is a healthy community, and we think that means that everyone should have access to high quality arts programming, regardless of age.Okay, how do I register? Go here and fill out the online form. In about two weeks, you’ll get your pass in the mail, and then you’ll be good to go.My question still isn’t answered. What should I do? Give us a call or shoot us an email. The number here is 206-233-3959, and the email address is teentix at seattle dot gov.

Hey there Teen Tixer! Did you know that you’re a part of a huge community of arts-going teens? Yeah! There are more than 20,000 of you now. But it’s not enough to just be a Teen Tix member – Teen Tix is about experiencing the arts. Here’s how:1. Sign up for Teen Tix: You can register for Teen Tix anytime by going here and filling out the form. It takes 30 seconds, and it is totally, completely, 100% FREE! Be sure to provide a valid email address, and respond to the email that you'll get asking you to confirm your registration. Done!2. Get your pass: Your little blue Teen Tix pass will come to you in the mail in about a week. This pass is your ticket to $5.00 tickets at all of our participating organizations. Lost your pass? Never got one in the first place? Go here3. Find out what’s playing: The best way to find out about what you do and see each week with your Teen Tix pass is the Teen Tix e-newsletter. The Teen Tix e-newsletter will always tell you every single thing that you can see that week for $5.00 with your pass. It comes out every Wednesday evening right to your inbox. You can also read the newsletter on our our website. If you are registered for Teen Tix but NOT receiving the newsletter, send us an email and let us know. You can also always visit the calendar on our website.4. Go to the show! Teen Tix tickets for performing arts (theatre, dance, music, etc.) are available day-of-show only. That means, anytime on the day that you want to go, you just show up at the box office of the venue you want to attend and buy your ticket. You can also purchase tickets over the phone on the day of the show by calling the box office. Teen Tix museum entries are good all day every day, but there are no over-the-phone sales for museums. When you go to pick up your ticket, make sure you remember to bring your pass, some form of ID (like a school or state ID or drivers license) and your five dollars in cash. If you forget any of these things, you might not be able to buy your ticket.IMPORTANT: Ticket availability is NOT GUARANTEED. Sometimes shows will sell out and there won’t be any day-of-show tickets available. How do you make sure there will be a ticket for you when you go? Call ahead and ask! The people who work in our participating box offices can usually tell you whether or not there will be Teen Tix tickets available on the day that you want to go. Give ‘em a call! They’re happy to help. The phone numbers for the box offices are always listed in the newsletter and on the Teen Tix website.5. Bring a friend! On Sundays (at our performing arts venues) and Thursdays (at our museum venues) Teen Tix tickets are 2 for $10. That means that a Teen Tix member can bring anyone they like – including an adult or a child too young for Teen Tix – for just $5.00 more! Also, stay tuned to the newsletter for annoucements about special Teen Tix events. Still have questions? Visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Teen Tix website: www.seattlecenter.com/teentix/faqs.asp

We are bummed to announce that the Planetary Poetry and Pizza for Teens event that was scheduled for this Wednesday, June 24th has been cancelled. We apologize to any of you who were planning to come. Are you bummed, too? Wish we would do more poetry/literary events? Please leave a comment and let us know!