TeenTix Blog

Great Speeches from a Dying World @ The Northwest Film ForumCAPITOL HILL

Finding that homeless people seem to be invisible to the rest of society, director Linas Phillips (Walking To Werner) set out to familiarize himself with 12 people who were living on the streets of Seattle. As he developed friendships and discovered each person's particular struggles, he asked the subjects to read a famous speech from history that they felt related to their lives. Phillips encounters human empathy and hope alongside the low points of extreme poverty in this intimate exploration of homelessness.

A review of Black Nativityat INTIMAN TheatreBy Molly L.Langston Hughes said it best when he described his work of art as “A Gospel Song Play.” That is exactly what it is! Black Nativity is “a,” it is one of a kind, there isn’t anything else quite like it. It is a gospel, spreading the news of Jesus’ birth. The show is a Song, there is so much singing preformed by very talented musicians with amazing soloists. Finally, the show is a play; it is a theatrical interpretation of a story told through words and movement.I’ve seen this play three times before and every time I realize all over again how amazing and unique this show really is. This show is truly a journey; not only are the actors onstage performing a musical, dramatic journey, but you are living one too. When you go to this show at the Intiman, you’ll lose yourself. From the very first note you are captivated, drawn into the story, into the music. The story sucks you in, without knowing it you forget to blink, your eyes are transfixed by the action onstage. Your soul is hooked too. You gulp in the songs about love, about peace, hungry for more. Your heart beats faster with the powerful poetry about change and equality by Langston Hughes.Songs, one after another, each bring you somewhere new. The joy on the choir members’ faces is infectious. So much powerful, joyful dancing interprets the story that the narrators are reading. All the characters are so beautiful, so unique, presenting their well-known stories. There is an indescribable mood and emotion filling everyone there, “I can feel it in the atmosphere-the presence of the Lord is here,” the choir sings. You can tell that they truly believe it. No matter who you are, what your background is or what religion you belong to, you know that there is some other presence too. The show ends and you return to yourself, but there are some notable changes, you aren’t the person you came to the show as: you’re revived and invigorated, and inspired!Black Nativity plays now through Decmeber 27th at INTIMAN Theatre, located in Seattle Center201 Mercer Street, Seattle WA 98109for tickets and info, call 206.269.1900 or visit www.intiman.org

Review of You Can't Take It With Youat Seattle Repertory TheatreBy Emma K.With the holiday season upon us, and every family having to tighten their purse strings, it’s nice to see a show that reminds us of what’s really important. You Can’t Take It With You, currently playing at Seattle Rep, is just such a delightful treat.Written in 1936 by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, the play follows the Sycamore family and their circle of eccentric friends. Alice Sycamore, the “normal” one, becomes engaged to Tony Kirby, the son of a wealthy Wall Street businessman. When the two families come together, there are fireworks – literally.The cast of eighteen has excellent rapport with each other and captures the essence of a real family with panache. The ensemble contains a host of Seattle’s most seasoned actors – Anne Allgood, R. Hamilton Wright, and Mark Chamberlin to name a few. Everyone has spot-on comic timing, and finds obvious joy in the script’s abundant humor. As the young lovers, Elise Karolina Hunt and the Jimmy Stewart-esque Ben Hollandsworth are the picture of youthful 1936 innocence and elegance, while Annette Toughtonghi is especially delightful as the comic, would-be dancer Essie. Special note must be taken of Michael Winters as the Grandfather, the voice of reason and wisdom in the household. He has a knowing way about him, and an ease that make it impossible not to believe his character’s sentiments. Also included in the cast are Ian Bell, Frank Corrado, David Drummond, Curtis Eastwood, Brandford Farwell, Allen Galle, Cecil Luellen, and Khatt Taylor.The set design by Michael Ganio is realistically cluttered with eccentric knickknacks, feeling inviting and lived in. Beautiful costumes by Frances Kenny are reminiscent of old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films, while the renowned Warner Shook’s direction crafts an overall sense of fun and contentment.The real genius in this show is the writing. The script is quick and witty, clichéd only to the point of sweetness. It does have its dated moments, however, especially regarding the two African-American characters. This being 2008, it would have been gratifying if the Rep had edited out these offenses as they were, for the most part, gratuitous to the story.Besides this misstep, the production is lively, colorful, and entertaining, while reminding us that money is really not what matters.You Can't Take It With You plays now through January 3rdat Seattle Repertory Theatre, located in Seattle Center155 Mercer Street, Seattle WA 98109for tickets and info, visit http://www.seattlerep.org/ or call 206.443.2222

A Review of The Christmas FoundlingAt Taproot TheatreBy Emma M.The Christmas Foundling, Taproot Theatre’s holiday offering, brings to the season a story of family and love and many fabulous performances.It’s a story of a group of slightly bumbling miners who try their hand at raising a child and then dealing with his long lost family when they arrive on their doorstep ten years later. The play is inspired by stories by Bret Harte who was considered during his time, the American Charles Dickens and was more popular than Mark Twain.Under the direction of Karen Lund, the ensemble gave a good “telling” (as the characters would say) of this powerful but simple story. Although most of the actors gave solid, professional performances, the character of Moscow, played by David Anthony Lewis, was especially appealing as a romantic Russian.The production did a good job of presenting the difficulties and triumphs of the characters as they grappled with some tough choices. However, the ending of the play could have been stronger in the reasons for resolution.The Christmas Foundling gives audiences the opportunity of thinking about what it means to be a family and that is a great gift during the holiday season. The Christmas Foundling plays now through December 27that Taproot Theatre in Greenwoodfor tickets and informationvisit www.taproottheatre.org or call 206.781.9707

A review of Fiddler on the Roof, performed by The Driftwood Playersby Rachel N.Almost everyone has seen or at least heard of the classic movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” but it’s not every day you get to see it performed live. Through December 21st, however, anyone can have the pleasure of seeing this amazing musical performed by the Driftwood Players at Wade James Theatre (voted #2 Best Theatre Group in Western Washington of 2008) in Edmonds – and it certainly was a pleasure! It’s hard to compete with the 1971 film adaptation, but Driftwood’s endearing cast and lively choreography does pretty darn well.“Fiddler on the Roof” is a story of the small, tradition-based Jewish village of Anatevcka in Russia, 1905. We follow the peasant Tevye as his lifestyle of tradition is threatened by his daughters’ wishes to marry men not chosen by a matchmaker, ethnic violence against the Jews, and foreshadowing of a political revolution in Russia. The original production won 9 Tony’s and 3 Academy Awards, and holds a very dear place in every musical-loving heart.Wade James Theatre may seem a little small, but it has a friendly atmosphere, with Christmas décor in the lobby and donation-basis cookies and coffee at intermission. Considering the Driftwood Players are a nonprofit, self-supported group, I wasn’t expecting too much in the way of sets and costumes. But boy, was I wrong! The costumes were very historically accurate, as well as detailed: Tevye had a patch on his vest and scuffed-looking boots; the scene changes were quick, but didn’t take away from the lovely sets; and even the use of lights and effects added to the story. One particular scene is set in a graveyard, and I was very pleased with the set crew’s use of a fog machine!It was easy to hear all the soloists from the front row, but at times it may have been a bit of a strain for those in the back of the audience. There were a few minor technical glitches in the first scene, but nothing else went wrong for the rest of the show. Everyone behind the curtain definitely seemed to know what they were doing, making sure nothing went wrong for the actors onstage. Furthermore, it was evident that the props managers did their homework on Jewish culture: each doorway had a mezuzah (an encased sacred parchment hung on the doorpost of Jewish homes) and the newspaper in one scene even had Hebrew writing. In my opinion, however, the best detail was the live music, especially the presence of a “real” fiddler, not just someone miming to a prerecording.Overall, the actors were quite impressive. There were one or two singers I felt weren’t quite at the same level as the rest of the cast, but it was an overlookable flaw. John Klise, who played Tevye, did a great job considering the magnitude of his role, and his three daughters, Tzeitel (Traci Biegenwald), Hodel (Lindsay Powers), and Chava (Karin Redden), were no less delightful. It was obvious every actor onstage had worked long and hard on multiple songs with impressive choreography, as well as individual lines and blocking.When the house lights came up at the end of act one, the whole audience was buzzing about who their favorite was, what they liked, and how much they were enjoying themselves. I was no less enthusiastic. Although it’s not exactly a “happy ending” kind of show, I had a smile on my face when I walked out the door at the end of the evening. Tickets are $20-$23, a very reasonable price considering the superb quality of both the costumes and its actors. However, seating is not assigned, so make sure you get there in plenty of time to grab a good seat. But regardless where you sit, you’re sure to leave the theatre humming the tunes and tapping your feet . This is one piece of “Tradition” you won’t want to miss!Fiddler On The Roof plays now through December 21st, 2008at Driftwood Theatre in Edmonds950 Main Street, Edmonds WAfor tickets and information:visit www.driftwoodplayers.orgor call 425.774.9600

A review of The Nutcrackerat Pacific Northwest Balletby Jonathan H.I will admit, I am not a huge fan of ballet or dance performances, but The Nutcracker has always been an exception. Having seen this several times in my life, I came in sort of knowing what to expect. I knew I would see dazzling costumes and sets, lots of snow, beautiful dancing, and wonderful music. And to be frank, this is exactly what I got. But there was something different about this visit to McCaw Hall for a performance of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s The Nutcracker. For the first time I realized this was no ordinary ballet, but rather an event. Coming in, I saw employees in costume singing Christmas carols and doing magic tricks for children, and the lobby of the theatre was decorated with all kinds of holiday decor. I also saw various models of nutcrackers placed all around, giving plenty of photo opportunities for families. This in a way adds to the magic of The Nutcracker, because for many children it truly is something big. And I guarantee that this is probably the biggest and one of the best you will see anywhere. Of course, when most tickets run at $60 a pop, that is what you would expect.One of the most unique things about this Nutcracker is that you don’t get the traditional experience you may get other places. Yes, you do get the story we all know and love, and the characters are the same for the most part. The thing I realized as I watched this ballet is that it can be very open to interpretation. The only thing holding it together at the start is the orchestrations by Tchaikovsky, and a simple plot line. After that, several things can be decided for themselves. And PNB is not afraid of changing the traditional experience. Instead of a dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, you get a dance of the flowers, and instead of the second act taking place in a fantasy land, you get a Southeast Asian setting. And all of these things make the show so much more than a normal show.PNB is also very proud to have their show artistically designed by famous author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak (known for his work illustrating the books “Little Bear” and “Where the Wild Things Are”). His work is very obvious and recognizable, making many of his designs bulky and large. His sets are very elaborate and beautiful, with most everything being two dimensional, although creating the effect of being in three dimensions. He also designed the costumes. Although not as obvious as his artwork, they are still as colorful and elaborate as his sets. There are some dazzling special effects included in the show. Like I mentioned before, it snows on stage. And this is not the fake looking kind you would see on other stages. This looks very realistic and is very beautiful in the Snowflakes dance. It was also great to see a giant 25-foot mouse king come out on the stage, as well as seeing a lit-up Christmas tree triple in size as Clara shrinks to mouse size. These effects add to the magic already added by the performers.The cast of this show is incredibly large, at about fifty dancers not including the 200 children alternating the roles throughout the show’s run. But each one of these fine dancers is almost flawless in their performances, while telling the story and keeping perfect style in their dances. Even the children are impressive, despite the fact that they don’t have the experience that the adults have. Elizabeth Malanga, who plays Clara, is very good having a lot to do at a young age. Other stand-outs include Older Clara (Carrie Imler) and the Nutcracker Prince (Batkhurel Bold), who are beautiful and precise together in their performances. I also liked Uko Gorter as Herr Drosselmeier who, although he has little dancing, does a great job with his character. And I want to give special recognition to the orchestra, doing a flawless job of playing each one of the recognizable suites beautifully. They are so good you almost forget they are even there. Getting tickets to this show shouldn’t be much of a problem, considering that there are over 40 performances of this show scheduled, and the fact that the theatre is exceptionally large means that sold-out houses aren’t likely to happen every night. But do not doubt that it will be crowded, because this is an extremely popular show. The only unfortunate thing with this is that you can’t get the $5 tickets you would get normally with your pass. Sunday, November 30th at 1 pm is the only exception, but there is limited seating for us Teen-Tixers. Otherwise, you will need to pay the normal ticket price. But don’t let that get you down, because this is a seasonal event not to miss. I guarantee it will be worth the price of admission.The Nutcracker, presented by Pacific Northwest Ballet, performs at McCaw Hall at Seattle Centernow through December 30th, 2008.Contact pnb.org or 206.441.3574 for tickets and informationPlease note: This production is NOT Teen Tix eligible. Full ticket prices apply.

Pacific Northwest ballet is about to roll out its annual production of Nutcracker.Its so darn good and popular, that PNB doesn't offer Teen Tix for this show :-(HOWEVER. . . . on one day only, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 30th at 5:30pm, PNB has graciously put aside 100 tickets just for you, our Teen Tix members!!! Only 1 ticket per Teen Tix pass holder (no 2 for $10 this day), and it is first come first serve, so if you wanna see this super cool dance performance, write the date in your calendar now and hustle over to McCaw Hall early on Sunday the 30th to claim your ticket!

A review of Bluenose at Seattle Children’s TheatreBy Abbie BWhat started out as a promising story of an endearing crew of red-nosed pirates and their encounter with a blue-nosed girl quickly became a rather mediocre performance. The biggest problems were the lack of a structured plot and clever humor. Although the majority of the audience members were still learning their ABC’s, even they got tired of the repeated physical humor. While the kids giggled at some bathroom jokes about underwear and poop, any other laughs were sparse, and the audience, even the adults, wasn’t entertained enough to sit still and keep quiet for more than 3 minutes at a time. This happened most often during the unbalanced serious portions of the plot, which dragged on without any comic relief for much too long.Also, Bluenose tried very hard to add a moral to the story, but even the simple message about prejudice against people who are different than you was underdeveloped. As we were walking out of the theatre, it took my mother and me a few minutes to understand the message, after the confusing twist of Bluenose’s own prejudice in the final scene. We were both disappointed in this show, as our prior Seattle Children’s Theatre visits resulted in laughs and line-quoting. This visit to Bluenose ended with a confused discussion. When I asked her opinion on a certain portion of the show she chuckled, “Oh, I took a little nap during that part! I was just so bored!”On a positive note, the children all seemed to be happy by the end and wanted to stay for the ever-popular question session, which is always a good sign. Also, the 4 actors were great, with lively performances and well rehearsed dancing, juggling, and even trampoline jumping. Furthermore, the set, costumes, and props were all fantastic and the sound effects coincided perfectly with all the actions, meaning the show was obviously well-rehearsed. Although Bluenose was lacking in many areas, the professionalism and actor’s performances were noteworthy.Bluenose plays at Seattle Children's Theatre through December 14thfor tickets and information, visit http://www.sct.org/or call the box office at 206.441.3322

A review of The Wizard of Ozat Seattle Children's Theatreby Jonathan H. Age 15I have to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this show. I have very much enjoyed many shows at the Seattle Children’s Theatre before, but to have a show as well known as “The Wizard of Oz” play itself out on their stage only makes me want to compare it to the well known movie. I know from past experiences that SCT has been known to adapt stories for their own benefit. Would they try to change it to make it new and original? Would it be completely like the movie, and if it were, would it fail in comparison? I thought of such things before the lights came up on the stage in a sold-out house, and my questions were soon answered. In fact, the play is very much like the original movie, with only slight changes to the scenes. For the most part, it stays close to the movie’s roots, and thankfully, it makes itself out to be independently a great show.For those of you who may not know the plot, (if you haven’t seen the original movie, I would definitely recommend you check it out) it begins with Dorothy Gale, a young girl growing on a small farm in Kansas with her aunt, uncle, friendly farmhands, and her little dog Toto. She often dreams of a magical land somewhere over the rainbow, and once her farm is struck by a large twister, she eventually makes it to this magical place called Oz. There she meets a town of munchkins and a kind witch who points her to the Wizard of Oz so she can find her way home. She is assisted by some new friends she meets along the way, namely Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. But of course, there is an evil witch who will stop at nothing to get the magical ruby slippers which Dorothy wields.The acting in this show, while not incredible, is in fact very good and enjoyable. Each actor gives their character a little something that separates them from the original character, while still staying relatively the same. And this can be tough, especially when you have a cast of 18, in which most of the ensemble members play three or four different parts. Even some of the leads have double parts, which is intentional to the story. But of course, the one who holds it together is Kasey Nusbrick as Dorothy (whom you may know as Gabriella from “High School Musical” at SCT last season). She does a wonderful job at keeping that child-like wonder Judy Garland brought in the film. She may not be Judy, but she does an admirable job of being unique and not trying to imitate her. While her singing in “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is good, she doesn’t make it as memorable above the rest in the show. I think this is actually good though, because she could have overdone it and made it seem annoying.As for her trio of friends, the Scarecrow (Auston James), the Tin Man (Matt Wolfe), and the Lion (Todd Jefferson Moore), all play their parts well enough. In may opinion, and I think this could be the fault of the script, but I almost felt like there wasn’t much character to each of these parts, besides the facts that they each have their own wants, movements and actions. But these actors do a fine job in keeping the characters endearing enough to keep us interested in them. They also do well in the opening and closing scenes as farmhands, in which they hint at the character they each resemble in Oz. I do think Moore does a noticeably funnier job as the Lion, although he is given more to work with than the others.Some other stand-outs in the cast include Peter Crook as the Fortune Teller at the beginning and as the Wizard of Oz later in the story. He is effective in both of his small scenes, especially when he is revealed as a human, and not a giant talking head. John Patrick Lowrie as Uncle Henry and the Oz Doorkeeper is very good as well. And for delivering some of the biggest laughs of the night, I want to point out Don Darryl Rivera as the Mayor of Munchkinland. He was such a delight to watch, and he certainly enhanced the fun of that scene, which made it one of my favorites from the show, although it isn’t my favorite from the movie.There were some problems in the cast however. Sharva Maynard plays both Auntie Em and Glinda the Good Witch, and while I think she was completely believable as Auntie Em, she didn’t have much of a sweetness in her voice as Glinda. Her singing is good, but not as sweet and clear as expected. I would also like to point out Julie Briskman, who is noted to have played the White Witch in SCT’s “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” several years ago. This would lead me to assume that she would be perfect for the part as the Wicked Witch. Unfortunately, she doesn’t bring enough scariness to her part, although if she did play it like the Witch from the movie she would probably terrify some poor little children in the audience. Of course, the problem I could have had with her was that she wasn’t really green which ruins the effect of the character.Now I don’t think I realized this before, but this show is very heavy on special effects. After all there is a twister, a melting witch, a big talking head, a crystal ball in which we see faces appear, and many other things too numerous to mention. This show accomplishes all of these great feats. Most notable are the effects used in the twister scene, in which Dorothy is seen in her room while things like cows and witches and a man in a rowboat fly by. This was spectacular in the way it was presented, and it generated some big applause afterwards. The use of a screen in front and back helped with most of these effects. The way that they got the giant wizard face to react to the characters was spectacular as well. I also like the way that the actors made Dorothy’s dog Toto (as a puppet) come to life on stage. While it may not look real, it is very cute in the way that it is presented. Seeing all of these special effects live is one of the main reasons to want to see this.I found this show to be very fun and entertaining. The musical numbers are fun, such as the song by the Munchkins and the one in the Emerald City. The sets are very good and reminded me a lot of the movie, such as the way the Witch’s castle is designed to be creepy and gloomy like the film. The costumes are also very good, although not the best I could’ve seen for the Tin Man and Lion.My suggestion is if you liked the movie as I did, go see this show with your family. If you’re on the fence about it, go see it anyway. I’m sure this production will help you find an appreciation for the show. It runs through January 17, although I would recommend you see it soon, as it is a very magical show and great to see for the holiday season. The Wizard of Oz plays now through January 17, 2009 atSeattle Children's Theatrelocated at Seattle Centerwww.sct.org206.441.3322

Teen Tix Seeks New Members for its Teen Steering CommitteeAre you a regular use Teen Tix member? Do you have strong thoughts and opinions? Looking for a new volunteer opportunity? Want to rule the world?If so, then we want YOU!Teen Tix is recruiting new members for its Teen Steering Committee. The committee meets once a month to discuss all issues Teen Tix. Help us shape the future of the program, find ways to improve things, recruit new members, and generally keep it real.Special perks are involved, and your presence valued. Come join us!If interested, email teentix@seattle.gov for more information.Teen Tix Seeks Freelance Reviewers!The Teen Reviewer Program exists to give young writers the chance to experience the world of art criticism and share their opinions with the larger arts community. The volunteer Teen Reviewer program is open to all current Teen Tix members.When there is an opportunity to review a show at a participating Teen Tix venue, Teen Tix will send out a volunteer notice to the pre-selected pool of teen reviewers.If you are selected to review a show, you will receive two free tickets to the designated performance.Then simply write your review, and we will post it on our blog and possibly our newsletter.If you are interested in becoming part of our pool of writers, email teentix@seattle.gov for more information!

KTUB, Kirkland Teen Union Building, is sponsoring an Artist-In-Residence Program. The internship is a six month program that provides aspiring artists (ages 13 - 20) the opportunity to build a body of work, develop as individual artists, and make connections with artists in the community. Any youth who think they would benefit from this awesome opportunity are encoiuraged to apply! They can contact Mercedes at arts@ktub.org for more detailed information and applications.Deadline to apply is December 6, 2008Check out ktub.org for more information on this opportunity.

A review of New Worksat Pacific Northwest BalletBy Kaitlin S.The sweat flew at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s New Works, which featured two world premier pieces, a Pacific Northwest Ballet premier, and a reproduction.M-Pulse, one of New Works’ world premiers, featured a tribal, percussion-heavy score by Christina Spinei and choreography by Kiyon Gaines. Gaines received his ballet education at the School of American Ballet. At the school, Gaines met Peter Boal, PNB’s Artistic Director. “It’s interesting that some people see movement when they hear music. I see colors,” said Gaines in an interview with Ballet Dance Magazine in 2006. The colors shined in the piece’s costumes and set, which resembled peacocks and leopards. So perhaps Gaines saw green, blue, and spots while choreographing.New York City Ballet dancer/choreographer Benjamin Millepied contributed the choreography for the world premier, 3 Movements. According to New York Guides, Millepied has gotten a great deal of inspiration from the work of choreographer Jerome Robbins. 3 Movements’ choreography resembles Robbins’ minimalist, modern style, but is still full of its own surprises.PNB premier, A Garden, was choreographed by Seattle native Mark Morris. Morris has proved to be a prolific choreographer and entrepreneur. In 1980, he formed The Mark Morris Dance Group, and has choreographed over 120 pieces. A Garden had a plain blue background, plain costumes, and was, on the whole, a rather predictable, cleanly done production.In One Flat Thing, fourteen dancers crawl, swing from, sit on, and gymnasticize around twenty metal tables. The tuneless music to which the piece is choreographed resembles the sounds one would hear at a construction site. William Foiursythe pushed the limits of what is typically considered ballet with One Flat Thing.Pacific Northwest Ballet has done 44 new works since 2005. “All of what we love about ballet is born of the opportunity to create and experiment.” said Peter Boal in the New Works’ director’s note.Only time will tell whether or not this “creation” and “experimentation” produces true classics. New Works plays at Pacific Northwest Ballet now thru Sunday November 16that McCaw Hall, Seattle Centervisit http://www.pnb.org/ for more infoBox Office: 206.441.3574

Review of Becky's New Carat ACT TheatreBy Michelle K.As soon as one enters ACT, the vibrancy of the venue and the whispering of the play-goers’ excited voices sends chills up the spine. Once sat into my seat by a friendly usher, I couldn’t help but notice some similarities between the stage set up and ancient amphitheatres. The circular construction of the stage, and the ever-rising seats served as a perfect auditorium for the actors. Speech was likely to be heard crystal clear, which it was the whole time sans clunky microphones. However beautiful and rousing the venue was, the true center of attention was “Becky”, or the talented actress Kimberly King. Assisted by loving husband, Joe (Charles Leggett), this team made a funny script hilarious with their unbearable realness and almost too nuanced affections of husband and wife. However, when Becky meets a wealthy new man (Walter- Michael Winters), her loving relationship falls into a bed of lies.The play consisted of not only dialogue, but pauses for the audience because the lines were laugh-out-loud funny. Steven Dietz, playwright of Becky’s New Car, infuses a sarcastic humor and faith in an amazing cast to bring to life an experience that seems not only Becky’s, but the audience’s watching. To further this experience, the play is conducted in a viewer-interactive manner: many of the actors talk to audience members sitting in front rows. Charles Leggett (Joe), in a particularly intense scene even screeched with utter amusement, “C’mon Becky, it’s not like all these people aren’t right here in front of us!” The fact that the cast acknowledged our existence made this play unique in a very one-on-one sense: we were a part of the play, our existence made it or broke it, and they knew it.The play was a wild ride throughout: love triangles, fiancés, and luxurious SUVs, “Becky’s” had it all. However humorous the script, the play involved a sense of seriousness with dabs of philosophy and “wisdom through experience” moments. In the play, Becky spoke to the audience of her recently deceased friend, “She would always say when a woman asked for a new car, she really wanted a new life.” And boy, did Becky drive away full speed ahead in that “car”. But, did she ever make a U-Turn? That’s for the audience to know, and you to find out!Becky's New Car plays now through November 16, 2008ACT Theatre700 Union Street, Seattle WA 98101206.292.7660http://www.acttheatre.org/

Hey Teens. . . .Do you have a special arts event coming up at your school, community group, or elsewhere?Want to let other teens know about it?If so, consider posting to the Teen Tix blog!You can enter information on your upcoming event, and have it seen by hundreds of avid readers and arts patrons.Announce your school play.Talk up your band's latest gig.Highlight a local art exhibition.Publish your latest short story.The list is endless. . . . .Contribute to the Teen Tix blog today!simply email: teentix@seattle.gov to get login and password information, then go to http://www.teentix.blogspot.com/ to add your post.Done and done!Hope to see your events up here soon!!!!!!!!!!

Don't miss out!Only 2 weeks left!The Three MusketeersSeattle Repertory TheatreNOW through Nov. 9thwww.seattlerep.orgPictured: Montana von Fliss as Sabine and Ryan Shams as AramisI’m sitting in my dressing room at the Seattle Rep after a student matinee performance that had, in my opinion, our best audience ever! Let me back up and tell you that I’m Montana von Fliss and I work for Teen Tix, but I’m also a professional actor and I’m thrilled to have a part in The Three Musketeers, which is playing right now at Seattle Repertory Theatre. I play Sabine, D’Artagnan’s feisty sword fighting 17 year old sister, who tags along for the adventure. She’s not in the original novel but has been added as a sort of 5th Musketeer. (D’Artagnan is generally considered the 4th Musketeer so Sabine is, as I prefer to call her, the 5th Beatle – or "Totally Awesome," as I also like to call her.)The show has tons of sword fighting and swashbuckling and spectacle. It’s sort of an Indiana Jones in olden times. Pure fun. And today we found our perfect audience: people between the ages 13-18. This morning teenagers from all over this fine state packed the Rep’s huge 850-seat auditorium for our student matinee and laughed and hollered and cheered for the good guys and hissed at the bad guys. It was live theatre with a live wire audience and it was brilliant!So if you’re 13-18 years old, please don’t miss this show. Please come and laugh loudly and boo and hiss and ooh and aah, just like the audiences in the good old bawdy days at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Use your Teen Tix pass and get a $5 ticket to The Three Musketeers before it closes on November 9th – don’t wait!

All for one,MontanaTeen Tix Duchess

JasminWe will be getting a group for Saturday morning runs from RRS if you are still interested.I'll get your e-mail from Dana if I don't get a response from this. Hope Acrobatics (Circus classes!) is off to a good start.Also, think about Wed. interval workouts at Nathan Hale. They will keep you in shape!-Richard Freemanraidercc@comcast.net

Hey! I book free monthly shows at The Vera Project called Veracity. They are on the second Wednesday of every month! If you know a band that will play for free, just emerging, or just want to have a fun small show, please have them email veracity@theveraproject.org!Please come to the next show!!! :]

Do I read the Teen Tix Blog?Why yes.I do in fact.Enjoy all the posts. I like hearing more extensive reviews of the shows going on... not just the little blurb that a company will write about themselves.

Some of the comments are quite lengthy, and as a college student, I can't keep up with all the reading on top of my school stuff! Maybe a paragraph tops on a review, then if there's like an interview, then that can be longer... Make sense to anyone else? Keep bloggin!!!

Sound Off! 2009Battle of the Underage BandsCall For EntriesFor the eighth year EMP/SFM is hosting Sound Off!, the Northwest's largest underage battle of the bands competition. A launching pad for musical careers, Sound Off! has enjoyed hosting many young up-and-coming bands over the years including Schoolyard Heroes, Idiot Pilot, Mon Frere, The Lonely H, Dyme Def, Capitol Basement, The LonelyForest, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and New Faces. If you’re age 21 or under and play rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop, or any other kind ofmusic, this is your chance to join the ranks of these luminary groups and perform at EMP/SFM.The live concerts for the next Sound Off! will take place Saturday nights February 14, 21, 28 and March 7, 2009. The competition culminates in a Sky Church show that will pit the winners from each semifinal night in a duel for a number of great prizes including a performance at Bumbershoot 2009.Applications are due by Monday November 10, 2008. To enter SoundOff!, download and print out the application available at empsfm.org/soundoff. Complete the application and send it, along with a non-returnable CD of original music, to:EMP/SFMAttn: Sound Off! 330 6th Ave N #200 Seattle, WA 98109More information at: www.empsfm.org/soundoffIMPORTANT NOTE: All participants must be 21 years of age or under.