Jinkx Monsoon looks so LOVELY tonight! She has such a great voice, and it's so fun to see a "different" kind of theater.
17 sold out shows in New York but Jinkx says she doesn't plan on moving to the east coast. "There's something special happening in the Northwest and Seattle's the epicenter of it."
Jinkx epitomizes the best of drag. Belting "Survivor," her incredible performance is in no way dependent on her being in drag. She's got the voice and charisma to be a great performer regardless of what she's wearing.
-Kally
The Balagan's funny and light previews didn't leave me at all prepared for Louis Hobson's heart-renching ballad. Singing "Bring Him Home"!from Les Miserables, Hobson's voice was nothing to laugh at. The previously chattery audience went absolutely silent after the first few notes.
-Kally
This theater's definitely interesting. They're partaking in a New Works Program where new shows are being developed constantly.
"Pump Up the Volume" is a rock theater show adapted from the movie with the same title. Great singing and covers a sensitive topic relatable for youth everywhere.
JERRY JERRY JERRY JERRY
We've all probably seen the TV series in one way or another. The distinctive chant is too memorable and the people's stories are so strange that we have to keep watching. The Balagan Theater's fourth show is Jerry Springer the Opera.
Jerry Springer and opera at first seemed a bit contradictory. I couldn't quite imagine heckling and fist fights to the sound of an orchestra. When Jerry Speinger emerged sporting a bow tie and sorrounded by a chorus, the show still wasn't screaming beer and riotous crowds. The lyrics are what reveal the show's genius satire. The tune may sound like a traditional broadway hit, but the content is anything but classical. Jerry Springer is Rent (in-your-face rock music) and The Book of Mormon's (satire) very lovable, if slightly disfunctional child. I can't wait to see it all grown up later this season.
-Kally P.
When I got here, the line went beyond the corner of the street. Moore Theater is packed today! The theater's absolutely beautiful and I'm so excited for the event to start.
Balagan Theatre, TeenTix partner and all-around awesome organization, is throwing a Preview Party for their 2013-14 season-- and they invited 5 members of our TeenTix Press Corps to attend! It's gonna feature a ton of performances by insanely talented folks like Jinkx Monsoon, winner of Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Alice Ripley, star of Next to Normal on B'way and Tony Award Winning Actress, as well as two other Broadway beauties, Kendra Kassebaum and Louis Hobson!
Sounds super great, right? Oh, wait, we forgot to mention: we are handing over the reins of our entire social media presence to those TeenTix Press Corps members. Yeah, you read that right. That means that starting at 7:30 tonight, June 10th, every post on our Facebook, Twitter, and Blog will be from teens, just like YOU.
Review of Director's Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet
PNB is closing out another season and by the looks of Director’s Choice they are quite intent on going out with a bang—a big, Balanchine-y, world-premiere-y bang. If you haven’t made it down to McCaw Hall to see Director’s Choice in years past, this is a good year to do it. The annual show of assorted pieces selected by PNB’s Artistic Director, Peter Boal, can range from feeling like Ballet Trail Mix—light, snacky, and a mix of flavors—to feeling like Very Serious Ballet With Capital Letters, Please Sit Up Straight. This year, though, PNB hits the nail on the head and has put together a show where you can feast your eyes and marvel at the crazy, beautiful things that a dancer can do.
The evening starts with Agon, a 1957 piece by American ballet great George Balanchine. As one might hope at a ballet show, it’s the dancing that’s impressive in Agon. The dancers move in strict Balanchine symmetry all over the stage—except when they don’t. The graceful, rigid ballet you’re used to suddenly becomes deliberately awkward. Limbs swing around like open doors, and the graceful music you were expecting becomes jarring and grating. As a non-old person, I can certify that the awkwardness here is the same awkwardness you felt/will feel in sophomore year of high school or at most of prom. What’s cool, though, is that the unexpected awkwardness forces you to actually focus on what the dancers are doing; when you appreciate the strength and the power there, that’s when the ballet becomes really impressive.
Review of Greenwich Village: The Music That Defined a Generation at Grand Illusion Cinema
The blossoming musical era of Greenwich Village in the 1960s and '70s is a time long gone, before music was consumed largely by auto-tune and haphazardly recycled lyrics. Told through a series of interviews, photos, music clips, archival footage, and strung together by the narration of Susan Sarandon, in the documentary Greenwich Village: The Music That Defined a Generation, Greenwich Village’s past coalesces into a story of a time where youth and those who deviated from the mainstream could unite because they truly believed that they could change the world through a passion for music.
The film is presented like a series of vignettes interspersed with a mishmash of photos, videos, and music. It captures the feeling of the era and also allows the audience to experience the individual stories as told by musicians such as Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, and Oscar Brand. The grainy music videos are themselves a testament to the musical energy of the 20th century—the songs are performed with vivacity, the strings attacked with such ferocity that they produce a soul-shaking cacophony of sounds, yet are beautiful at the same time. In a way, the film romanticizes the decade, not often referring to important political issues or cultural changes the young musicians of Greenwich Village may have influenced, but focusing more on the nostalgic undertones.
Review of 7 Boxes at Seattle International Film Festival by Joelle K.
Would you risk your life and freedom for a $100 bill? Probably not, but that is exactly what Victor, a 17-year old wheelbarrow porter in a busy Paraguayan market, does in the film 7 Cajas, or 7 Boxes. An entertaining comedy-thriller, 7 Boxes is well worth a watch. This South American film is a refreshing change of scenery and pace from typical thrillers.
The suspenseful mystery of the boxes’ contents consistently captures the audience’s attention while not slipping into an overly serious narrative. Instead, the film is a witty mix of miscommunications and dramatic irony that certainly provide an artistic escape from cookie-cutter Hollywood action films with predictable plotlines.
Review of Ali at Seattle International Film Festival by Will L.
Ali is a grocery bagger who lives with her mother. She sells stolen booze to fat kids. Her best friend claims to have a gorgeous spouse from India. She is afraid of driving cars and falling in love with boys.
In other words, she is the average teenage girl. For those who watch Arrested Development, Ali is a lot like Maeby Bluth: often in rebellion simply for the sake of revolt. When fellow bagger and love interest Julio comes on the scene, she has to deal with all the classic dilemmas of young romance. The story is simple, but the script is witty enough to make the ride worthwhile.
Review of Blackbird at SIFF by Anika M.
Blackbird tells the story of a bullied, teenage, Goth outcast who is wrongly accused of planning a school shooting in a small, Canadian town. I enjoyed this film and the concept overall, but there are pieces that felt a little tired and unnecessary. For one, the film presents polarized cliques and stereotyped teenagers that are often seen in classic teen movies, but are, to me, completely inaccurate. Rarely will you find the letterman jacket jock group facing off against the extreme Goth kid in high school, nor will you see teens throwing food from across the room at their enemies. At points it feels like the story line clunks along in a very monotonous way, but the end result is slightly more satisfying.
The film presents hyper-sensitivity within our society and our tendency to blame the victim and ostracize the “other”. The main character is forced to conform, change his personality, and denounce his interests. He is pushed into a corner, and is forced to admit to a crime that he didn’t commit.
Review of The Moon Man at SIFF 2013 by Kally P.
At some point, you’ve been introduced to the man in the moon. Perhaps a parent pointed out his face on a late-night drive, or a friend described his massive grin during a lull in a sleepover. Perhaps you discovered him yourself, making out his cheery face while lying in your backyard.
As it turns out, it’s lonely being the only man on the moon. The Moon Man of Stephen Shesch’s animated film certainly is. Though the children of the world bellow rely on the Moon Man for comfort and reassurance, he grows increasingly agitated in his rocky home. So when a meteor passes by one day on its way to Earth, the Moon Man doesn’t hesitate to climb aboard.
Jin at SIFF is a ferocious survival story
Many American teenagers these days have it easy. Apart from the grueling hours spent sleepwalking around our high schools, we lead cushy lives with video games, junk food, and (if it’s your thing) friends. We take for granted our families, the work that goes in to buying our food, and even how the food is prepared. Our biggest worry in life is not when we are going to next be fed.
If only Jin’s problems were this mundane.
The African Cypher at SIFF is all about the dance
What is dance really? Not Dance Moms or what you do at prom, but the real physicality of it. African Cypher completely answers this question; not through a highbrow analysis of each component, but with just plain movement. The documentary is about isiPantsula and sBhujwaI, two young dancers from South Africa. But even though the focus is on these two and their journey, there’s so much more. The story explores South African Street dance, and the explosion of culture that comes with it. There’s a sense of respect and honor in the dance that is called a complex, convoluted underworld. The movement is all about ritual, celebration, counsel, and storytelling, and the group that is created over dance is a true community. The extraordinary duo of isiPantsula and sBhujwaI leads the viewer throughout the documentary. But on the way we meet different dancers, people, and styles, a mass of diversity in a somewhat small group. Director Bryan Little builds up to the final performance by the duo, but integrates this taste of differences and styles in an amazing way.
One of my favorite aspects of the dancing was the freshness and creativity involved. They use each other as props and foundations, rocks as balances, and anything else they can get their hands on. The movement never gets old or bland because each time the duo manages to make it new and exciting. You don’t have to appreciate a deep concept or subplot to enjoy this documentary, because the dance in itself is thrilling. You get to watch performances of strength and creativity but also get the story of the dancers and their culture. They dance to move and in the words of Mada Sthembiso, “I dance as if I have a gun to my head.” This documentary really should not be missed. It’s the ultimate cinematic experience and depicts at least one side of dance, portraying the real physicality involved in movement.
You raised over $5800 to keep art accessible and affordable for teenagers!
AMAZING!!!
Yesterday, in one day, TeenTix raised over $5800 from 121 generous donors. That's quite a day!
I fell in love, at the tender age of 14, with TeenTix.
It was exciting, and new, and unpredictable, and visceral, and thrilling. It fed my curiosity and desire to embrace the unknown, step out of proverbial ‘boxes’ and ‘zones’, at a vital time my life (and ALL LIVES, for that matter); it stimulated my enthusiasm to explore and embrace experiences that I otherwise would not have been exposed to.
Hey you! Yes YOU.
Do you care about keeping art affordable and accessible to teenagers? If so, we need your help this Wednesday, May 15th.
On Wednesday, May 15th, TeenTix will participate in GiveBIG, a 24-hour online charitable giving event, for the very first time.
We are thrilled to be a part of the Seattle Foundation's gigantic giving party. Any money that you give to TeenTix on that day -- whether it's $5, $10, $20, or $2000 -- will be stretched by the Seattle Foundation into an even bigger gift! PLUS, your gift could win one of the hourly Golden Tickets, which means that TeenTix will get an additional $1000 to help keep art affordable and accessible for everyone. Hooray!
