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Snowpocolypse!

Happy Snow Day! Here is a rundown of what's on and what's off today and tonight at our participating organizations:Photo by Annabelle Allen via Joey VeltkampFor Wednesday, January 18th (in alphabetical order by organization name):- Tonight's performance of All Through the Night at ArtsWest is postponed - Bellevue Arts Museum is closed- The Burke Museum is closed- Cornish College of the Arts is closed and all events are cancelled- EMP Museum is closed- Henry Art Gallery is closed- Northwest Film Forum is OPEN! Pull on your snowboots and go see a movie! Check their website for showtimes.- On the Boards will be open this weekend (Thursday - Sunday) for Rabih Mroué: Looking for a Missing Employee- Pacific Science Center's IMAX theaters are OPEN!- Pacific Science Center's Laser Dome has no shows today- Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, and the Olympic Sculpture Park are all closed- Tonight's 7:30 performance of Attila at Seattle Opera is ON! We recommend calling ahead to ensure that Teen Tix tickets will be available: 206.389.7676 - SIFF Cinema is closed- Tonight's performance of How to Write a New Book for the Bible at Seattle Repertory Theatre is cancelled- Unexpected Productions will NOT hold TheaterSports at Intiman Theatre this weekend- And finally, in case you were wondering, the Space Needle is closed.Check back tomorrow for another update.

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about teen tix

Teen Tix is Seattle's amazing arts access program for teenagers. Any teenager (13-19 years old) can sign up for a FREE Teen Tix pass. Show that pass at any of our 38 participating arts organizations to get $5.00 day-of-show admission (or $5.00 anytime admission at our museum partners). That's it! There's no catch. Teen Tix exists to help teenagers take advantage of Seattle's rich cultural life. It's for you. You can sign up for your free Teen Tix pass here. Get the details on how to use your Teen Tix pass here.Consult our frequently asked questions page here.

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“The place where unicorn and pegasus combine into one.”

Hey, here's a non-standard suggestion for a little late-week/early-weekend entertainment:A PERFORMANCE BY: Tender Forever & Your Heart BreaksThursday, January 127-9 pmHenry Art Gallery AuditoriumTeen Tix $5 at the door Tender Forever is an “Alien With Extraordinary Abilities” who will entertain you, make you experience feelings about yourself and others, sing to you out loud what you softly think and everlastingly stamp your memory with unforgettable joyful and epic souvenirs. In this new performance, Tender Forever takes us on a musical multimedia journey to explore her own perspectives on the concepts of origin and world citizenship, survival and the abundance of our computerized world through her unique whimsical lens.Clyde Petersen is a local animator and musician. The longest lasting member of Seattle based band Your Heart Breaks, Clyde uses a loop station to create lush songs about travel, adoration, and outer space. In addition, he is a transgender artist and teacher, creating music videos and short animated films for his company, Do it for the Girls Productions. Your Heart Breaks is queercore & hot makeout parties. The place where unicorn and pegasus combine into one. Corndogs [2 for 99 cents]. Pinata parties. Dancing up front at all-ages shows. Sharing the mic. Monkeys, the squirrels of south america. Squirrels, the monkeys of north america. A severe case of ocean waves.More info at henryart.org

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The Song of Purple Winter

Review of Spring Awakening at Balagan Theatre by Jenny S. Photo by Pamela M. Campi Photography From the same Broadway generation that birthed shows like RENT and Next to Normal came Spring Awakening, a black and blue pop opera based in the late 1800s about teenagers without the benefits of roomy back seats, the last rows in movie theaters, the space under the bleachers, or even health class. Kids who are ignorant of the most basic facts about reproduction. Based on the long-banned 1892 play of the same title by Frank Wedekind, the 2007 musical is famous for its embrace of the taboo: bottoms and breasts are bared in the eerie blue light, f-bombs are hurled at authority figures, actors simulate masturbation under spotlights, and the stage is mangled with the stamping of feet. On opening night at Balagan Theater’s new space in Capitol Hill (they recently became the resident company at Seattle Central Community College's Erickson Theater), patrons’ demeanor mirrored that of the characters on stage. The crowd’s age averaged 25, their piercing voices announced that they are ‘Theatre People’ (the European spelling is implied,) and they were buzzed. The space and crowd screamed Seattle Hipsters in a way that would make the Occupiers proud, but the beer bottles clinking morosely from the audience during a silent funeral scene punctured the atmosphere.Brian Earp as Melchior and Diana Huey as Wendla Photo by Andrea Huysing Through song, movement, and sparse dialogue, 13 actors and 8 ensemble members tell a story of love and curiosity between two teenagers as it exemplifies the frustration of late 1800s German society in which sex is secret, children are sheltered, and discipline is paramount. Wendla (Diana Huey) and Melchior (Brian Earp) have been friends since childhood but were separated into their respective single-gendered schools and friend groups when they hit puberty. The teens face academic demands that put today’s SATs and AP exams to shame, and struggle to live in an oppressive and intellectually closed society. Eric Ankrim’s production takes few liberties with the original staging, but his choices are thoughtful and ultimately evocative. Actors trample the minimal set in black oxfords boots, wearing suits and dresses like straightjackets. Huey as Wendla is an enraged, sexed-up porcelain doll, her voice versatile and her commitment to her role constant. Earp, too, is engaged and alluring, one moment rational, the next overwhelmed by hormones. The rest of the ensemble is overall less than noteworthy in solos, but when the cast sings as one, Kimberly Dare’s musical direction comes to a perfect, folk rock fruition. Too often, Spring Awakening is dismissed as angst without art, a musical for the braces and Clean and Clear set who have no greater worry than what kind of car they’ll get for their 16th birthday. In fact, the material of the show is very real: pressure from parents, domestic violence, sexual abuse, peer pressure, suicide, and abortion. These are not issues the world left behind in 1892. Often adults still justify horrific actions with, “Child, the lord won’t mind.” The Victorian era setting and dress juxtaposed with contemporary American music and speaking creates a world to which audience members can relate. The score by Duncan Sheik and Stephen Slater is stirring even if you never endured a Green Day phase. The winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Spring Awakening is exciting, lovely, and uncomfortable in all of the right ways. Spring Awakening Balagan Theatre Through January 15 Recommended for ages 17+ Must be at least 14 years old to purchase tickets

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On Beethoven and the Birth of Pop

Review of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Seattle Symphony by Bethany B. I head to Benaroya Hall on December 26th, which (if you remember back to your Facebook news feed) is around the time everyone is buzzing about the top 100 hot songs of 2011. So while we find our seats and the orchestra tunes up, pop music is stuck eternally in my skull. But with applause, concert mistress, and conductor, the music starts. The first piece is a suite from Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdink (Princess Bride anyone?). The music is light, beautiful, and energetic. The prelude starts with the French horns, and then grows to the winds, and finally strings. Each movement tells the story of sweet Hansel and Gretel, and the piece is everything you want in a performance. The piece that follows is Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, which is really one of the most exhilarating pieces of classical music I have ever heard. Orchestra, conductor, chorale, and four singers all work together to create the music. Christine Goerke, Soprano, Lurette Bybee, Mezzo-soprano, John Mac Master, Tenor, and Greer Grimsley, Bass-baritone, really steal the show with their rich, stunningly beautiful voices. It’s strangely interesting that the same top 100 pop hits we have today originated from pieces like the Beethoven’s symphony. In the same way that mankind develops technology and medicine, art transforms from its origins to a point that’s almost unrecognizable. As for which one is better? I’ll let you decide, but I’ll take a mix of both, with an extra helping of Beethoven. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is closed Next up at Seattle Symphony: Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 January 5 & 7 More info at seattlesymphony.org

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Just Be

Review of Theaster Gates: The Listening Room @ Seattle Art Museum by Samantha V.It is unusual to hear music in an art museum. And yet from the very back of SAM's contemporary gallery, you can now hear warm 70's jazz calling you closer to take a look, inviting you to take a seat. Welcome to The Listening Room. Here you can find something that you normally don't in an art museum, an invitation to explore. Not just with your sense of sight, but with all of your senses, except taste. Artist Theaster Gates, shows the history of our country's culture in a way that makes you stop and think a little. Now if you're like me and just want to talk about and listen to good music, that's fine too. Either way you are doing what The Listening Room was designed to do. To start a conversation.Theaster Gates at the Tea Shack, 2008. Photo by Sarah Pooley.Mr. Gates is big on reclaimed artwork and this work is no exception. The room itself feels a little like a church. The occasional gospel song only adds to that feeling. So does the DJ station that looks like an alter and the benches that resemble the tops of steeples. Of course the thing that ties it all together and the biggest draw for me is the music. And the music would not be here at all if it wasn't for a little record store called Dr. Wax. Having fallen on hard times, Dr. Wax had to close up shop. And before they did, they sold all of their leftover records to Mr. Gates. As a result, the record collection in this exhibit is quite large. I did not have time to go through it all. I did however have the time and the luck to find an Across America record by Prince. Sitting all alone with my headphones on, watching the record spin, its like I wasn't in a museum. That was a well needed pause.Of course this pause can't last forever. Neither can a good song. Whatever your case, The Listening Room is the ideal place to think, explore, talk, or just plain be. We all need a breather once in a while. So for now, go ahead. Let yourself be lost to time.The Listening Room, by Theaster Gates Through July 1Seattle Art Museum

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Sweet Sounds (and a Gorgeous Dress!)

A Review of Handel's Messiah @ Seattle Symphony by Monet C.As I walked into Benaroya Hall, a wave of memories swept over me, making me wonder if this year’s Messiah could compare to last year’s; however, I lost all thoughts within the first few bars of tenor Thomas Glenn’s opening accompagnato. His tones are well rounded, and his enunciation impeccable. From a singer’s standpoint, he has huge lung capacity (which, given the smooth runs up and down the scale in the Messiah, is a must), and a sure, strong voice. The aria played perfectly into Steven Hegedus’ (bass) following piece, which, due to the rich, deep, wonderful notes that comprise it, blew me away. The choir nailed the classic Hallelujah chorus, and stayed completely on pitch throughout the whole thing. Honestly though, I felt rather part of the audience, and not drawn in to the music, as I prefer, until Ms. Nathalie Paulin (soprano) began to sing. Her vocal skills and sweet, clear, bell-like, softly accented voice (not to mention her gorgeous dress!!!) captured my attention, and I sat looking forward to each of her arias. Filling out the quartet of harmony was Ryan Belongie, countertenor. I honestly was not expecting a voice as unique as his, as I was naive to what a countertenor sounds like. For those of you who aren’t into music beyond listening to it, a countertenor is along the same lines as an alto. At the end of the show, I was highly privileged to meet all four soloists, and got to interview Ms. Nathalie. Monet: Where are you from, Ms Nathalie?Nathalie Paulin: A tiny town by New Brunswick, Canada.Mo: What are your favorite parts of the Messiah? NP: The Hallelujah chorus and my last aria. It is such a pure piece.Mo: You have the prettiest dress!NP: Thank you! I got the fabric in Singapore, so it’s a one of a kind dress!Mo: Thank you so much for your time!NP: You are welcome, and thank you for coming to listen!Handel's Messiah CLOSED Next at Seattle SymphonyMozart's Piano Concerto No. 20January 5

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Cure for Boredom

The Catechism Cataclysm @ NW Film ForumWhat happens when you put a disgraced priest and a former metal band guitarist in a canoe? Chaos.When Father Billy is discovered telling inappropriate parables, he's forced to take a sabbatical to clean up his act. He recruits his high school idol, Robbie, and together they take a trip down the river that ends in, well, horror. Innovative storytelling and wacky antics make this mouthful of a film, The Catechism Cataclysm, one of the best satires of the year.Watch the trailer:NOTE: This film contains mature material. Recommended for ages 17+.The Catechism CataclysmDecember 20 - 22Northwest Film Forum

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Pick of the Week

Handel's Messiah @ Seattle SymphonyIt's that time of year! Seattle Symphony is proud to present its annual performances of Handel's Messiah, and we're even happier to give you $5 tickets to this special event! This year there will be a food drive put on by Food Lifeline, Washington’s largest hunger relief organization. Stop by before or after the show and donate non-perishables to families in need this holiday season. Here's a video of the Seattle Symphony Chorale in a flash mob last year:Happy Holidays from Teen Tix!Handel's MessiahDecember 16 - 19Seattle Symphony

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Witty Fast-Forward

Review of Every Christmas Story Ever Told @ ArtsWest by Melissa C.As a theatre kid in West Seattle, I have spent a lot of time at ArtsWest - the local theatre and gallery - and I was not disappointed. The gallery exhibit was impressive and less outrageous/disturbing than usual. It featured 3D paintings, unbelievable colored pencil drawings, and paintings of food that were a treat before the show.From left: Justin Huertas, Brian Lange, and Nick Edwards.“One thing was for sure, Marly was dead” …The show began as seemingly your average Christmas Carol with Brian sitting center stage with a spotlight focused on him, then in crashed his costars, begging him not to do another version of this Dickens classic. The audience was eating it up, roaring with laughter as this play began to feel like improv with organically delivered, funny lines and audience participation. The first act was a series of fast moving skits incorporating the holiday classics and transitions of stand up about Christmas traditions around the world. The fast forward version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas was hilarious and their rendition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was a witty montage. However, there were certain sections that went on far too long. I quickly lost interest in the ‘Santa: real or not? debate’, and their rendition of Rudolf had a level of humor that was more infantile and less enjoyable than the rest of the show.From left: Brian Lange, Justin Huertas, and Nick Edwards.In the second act the three energetic actors got into the swing of things once they finally gave Brian the chance to sum up the Christmas Carol as he had been begging to do all along. He was gleaming with pleasure until Scrooge was visited by his old business partner - Clarence from It’s a Wonderful Life. At first Brian was outraged that Nick was planning to tarnish his beloved Christmas classic however, he eventually gave in and had the audience on the edge of their seats so that they wouldn’t miss one brilliant moment. This mash up was clearly the highlight of the show to the point that it seemed the rest this hilarious play had been written around it to fill up time. Finally ‘Every Christmas Carol Ever Sung’ ended the play on an adorable note.Every Christmas Story Ever ToldThrough Dec 24ArtsWest

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A Superb Visual Spectacle

Review of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol @ Seattle Public Theatre by Monet C.In a damnation of his own making, Jacob Marley finds, much to his chagrin, that the only way to a better non-existence--since he is “not just merely dead, but sincerely, utterly, and totally dead”--is to redeem the one person worse than himself, namely, Scrooge, with a bogle at his shoulder. (To find out what a bogle is, see the show!) At first, he believes that it is impossible, that the old man could never have a complete and willing change of heart; however, as time moves forward, back, and freezes, he finds that the old miser might just have a chink in his shell after all. Conveyed through wonderfully expressive acting, beautiful wording, and impressive lighting, the journey through space, time, and memories is a superb visual spectacle.Featuring Jim Lapan(Of Mice and Men), Patrick Lennon, Pam Nolte (A Wedding Story), and Evan Whitfield (My Wonderful Day, The Violet Hour), I found myself entranced by the 3rd person narratives and the effortless slips into first-person acting. Although there were a few scary moments, they were perfectly placed, and not over the top. If there was anything I would change about this glorious show, it would be to have it in a bigger venue, so more people could enjoy it at once! Jacob Marley's Christmas CarolThrough December 24Seattle Public Theatre

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Pick of the Week

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory @ SIFF CinemaThe classic romp through a life-size game of Candy Land returns to SIFF Cinema after winning a Teeny Award last year! Follow Charlie as he (spoiler alert) finds the golden ticket and travels to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, meets Oompa-Loompas, is witness to the selfishness of the other children, and is tempted to ruin Wonka's secret to the evil Mr. Slugworth. "Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination!"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate FactoryDecember 9 - 11SIFF Cinema

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UPDATE: Ticket Availability for Holiday Pops at Seattle Symphony

This just in:Seattle Symphony's upcoming performance of Holiday Pops with Marvin Hamlisch has limited ticket availability.If you want to attend, Teen Tix are only available for the following two dates:Thursday 12/8 at 7:30pmFriday 12/9 at 8pmRing in the Holidays with Marvin Hamlisch and the Seattle Symphony with classics like "O Holy Night," "My Favorite Things," and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Bring on the holiday cheer and let it snow!You can find more information on the concert here.Holiday Pops with Marvin HamlischDecember 8 & 9Seattle Symphony

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Cure for Boredom

Teen Night Out @ Seattle Art MuseumAttention, Teen Tixers! We just caught wind of a great opportunity for teens at SAM: A FREE Teen Night Out Featuring Hip-Hop and Asian Culture. This event is just for high school students who love art, are looking to love art, or those who just want to have a great night of tours, performance, and music! At this awesome event, you'll get FREE admission to Theaster Gates: The Listening Room and Luminous: The Art of Asia. The doors open at 7PM, when you'll be serenaded by the Seattle Symphony. After that, there's a whole lineup of talented artists, including--get this--the wildly popular hip-hop group, the Blue Scholars! There will be tours offered randomly throughout the night, and art-making activities all night long like silk-screening, button making, and much more. Remember! You must be in high school to attend this event. You can glean more information about this event here.Teen Night OutDecember 9th @ 7PMSeattle Art Museum

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Ominous and Surreal

Review of Zoe|Juniper: A Crack in Everything @ On the Boards by Jackie A.The rippling hedges on the empty stage set a peaceful but ominous atmosphere as I waited for the show to begin. Those hedges predicted the beautiful yet mysteriousZoe|Juniper: A Crack in Everything, presented at On the Boards from December 1st to December 4th. Choreographer Zoe Scofield and visual artist Juniper Shuey fuse dance and visuals together to create a piece that felt on the cutting-edge of modern performance, and one that I was heavily absorbed in throughout. Scofield and Shuey promise an “examination of the gap between cause and effect”. They slow time and stretch each moment into a lifetime. One dancer, as she moves unhurriedly across a glass wall, traces her outline with a red marker to create a history of her movement. A single instant is thereby transformed into a prolonged, painful struggle. During other moments, the frenetic ticking of a clock speeds up time, while also serving as an anchor in reality. The dance, performed impeccably by dancers Christiana Axelsen, Diana Deaver, Raja Kelly, Anna Schon, and Zoe Scofield, consists of jerky and twisting movements. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, and reminded me of the uncoordinated yet determined motions of a newborn animal. The piece has a surreal quality that is baffling at times. During one section, a dancer grips a red string in her mouth that is pulled tight from offstage, and moves slowly backwards, stretching the string with her. This was bizarre, but completely engrossing to watch. A Crack in Everything is strange and somewhat alien, but one part in particular is unmistakably human. One male and one female dancer strip and sit in chairs, naked, facing each other, and then unexpectedly, they begin to bark aggressively at one another. The audience laughed, undoubtedly recognizing the familiar yet embarrassing human tendency to bicker in even the most foreign of creatures. The piece advertised to explore elements of the Greek Tragedy Oresteia, but I hardly got a sense of it, except for the warrior-like costumes. However, if you watch the piece through ‘Greek Tragedy glasses’, you will probably find multiple ‘Greek’ moments. In one scene, I got a clear sense of the classic theme of power: as the four female dancers move forward, the single male dancer repeatedly picks them up and moves them backward, setting back their progress. In the end, he fails to achieve his goal, as the four females successfully make it to safety offstage. Greek interpretation: the omniscient ruler is eventually overpowered by weak but numerous underlings. A stretch, but this abstract and intriguing show begs for multiple interpretations. As much I as wanted to make sense of A Crack in Everything at times, I couldn’t. Maybe this enigmatic quality is why I left craving more. Zoe|Juniper: A Crack in EverythingCLOSEDUp next at On the Boards: 12 Minutes Max

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Escaping Suburbia

Review of Dragonslayer @ Northwest Film Forum by Rosemary T.Director Tristan Patterson’s youth-and-revolt documentary Dragonslayer chronicles the life of a young anarchist skateboarder named “Screech” over the course of eight months in and around Fullerton, Calif. “I see this as a lovers-on-the-run film,” says director Patterson, who dropped by for the opening of his new film showing at the Northwest Film Forum now through Wednesday. “Instead of escaping the law, they’re escaping suburbia.”Screech and his girlfriend live moment-to-moment-–looking for a place to sleep, getting stoned, getting drunk and, of course, skateboarding--in what Patterson describes as a post-apocolyptic existence that coincides with the beginning of the country’s economic crash.The film’s throbbing soundtrack of punk rock and indie-rock bands such as The Smiths, Best Coast and Dungen echoes the counter-culture attitudes of Screech and this So-Cal subculture where sex and drugs and rock-n-roll are only secondary to finding the next abandoned swimming pool for boarding.The cinematography is gorgeous, making ordinary back yards look like Hollywood sets and rendering beach fire pits into epic moments, even though the content of Screech’s thoughts don’t go much beyond pot-hazed and beer-soaked child-like ponderings about his perfect world.You may not get a satisfying sense of character arc or even plot (as Dragonslayer ends, Screech is stoned again, boarding again, with his young son on the side of the pool and you think, “Oh, that’s his son’s future?”). But you will be exposed to the free-spirited landscape of Fullerton’s skateboarding culture.NOTE: Contains mature material, esp. drug and alcohol references. Recommended for ages 17+.DragonslayerDecember 2 - 7Northwest Film Forum

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Fear Not the Amphibians!

Review of A Year with Frog and Toad @ Seattle Children's Theatre by Jennifer K.A Year With Frog & Toad is a wonderfully heartwarming tale about the strength of friendship despite individual differences. Based on the characters of a popular children’s storybook, the musical is highly entertaining and enjoyable for audiences of all ages.From left: Christian Duhamel, Jennifer Sue Johnson, MJ Sieber, Auston James and Vickielee Wohlbach in SCT's production of A Year with Frog and Toad. Photo by Chris Bennion.The sets and costumes are perfect for each setting, and there’s a certain element of fantasy that the kids find innocently mystical. All of the songs that they sing are filled with a certain holiday happiness that the viewer can’t help but smile while watching the entire show. Despite it being based on a children’s book, A Year With Frog and Toad addresses complexities that exist in people of all ages. Toad is often insecure and the two friends endure a mild skirmish which they eventually manage to overcome through opening up to each other and forgiving. MJ Sieber and Auston James in SCT's production of A Year with Frog and Toad. Photo by Chris Bennion. Some words and jokes can be a tad complex for younger children, but at the same time it makes the production more accessible to audiences of all ages. If you’re in your late teens, fear not! There are plenty of older viewers who attend as well. A Year with Frog and ToadThrough January 15Seattle Children's Theatre

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Pick of the Week

Owen Meany's Christmas Pageant @ Book-It Repertory TheatreShort, sweet, and memorable--Owen Meany knows that this is his year to play Baby Jesus in the annual Christmas pageant, and this pint-sized guy is going to get his wish, whatever the cost! Josh Aaseng, center, as Owen Meany. Photo courtesy of Book-It Rep.Book-It made an online version of the program for all to enjoy this Christmas season, and it's packed with holiday horror stories, the usual run down of cast, crew, and author John Irving, and "True Confessions of Christmas Pageant Survivors." You can check it out here.Owen Meany's Christmas PageantNovember 29 - December 23Book-It Rep

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