TeenTix Blog

Review of Robin Hood @ Seattle Children's Theatre by Bethany B. As a toddler my parents took me to Seattle Children’s Theatre at least twice a year. It was a big, exciting excursion, and in the plays we saw magic come alive, and adults become the children they portrayed. SCT has and probably always will be one of my favorite play houses in Seattle for just those reasons. It’s arts just for kids. It’s magical and everyone is always entertained, whatever the age. Robin Hood was different. To start, the things I enjoyed about the production. For one, the actors did a simply stunning job of their roles. There were only four actors for over fifteen roles, and all the characters made clear distinctions in an amazing way. The only issue was Maid Marian, who occasionally dressed up as a boy, the actress who played her also had a role as one of Robin’s Merry Men. Believe me; it’s even more confusing in real life. The stunts were incredibly impressive, what with sword play, tricks, and climbing and sliding all over the set. It made the whole play more explosive and exciting, and gave even more credit to those talented actors. Speaking of the set, the play gets major cool points for that too. In the beginning, it seems like a basic stage, but as the play unfolds, the stage becomes more complex. The secrets of the set were slowly told as each part was climbed over, spun, and crawled under. In truth, casting, set, lights, and costumes were all incredibly well done, with precise expertise.

Carmen @ Seattle OperaThis opera is one of the most sensual, dangerous, and thrilling of them all. Plus we've all heard this song! Carmen is Bizet's tale of the ultimate femme fatale. See this temptress's fatal love story at Seattle Opera before it's gone. CarmenThrough October 9Seattle Opera

Review of A Midsummer Night's Dream @ Seattle Shakespeare Company by Jennifer K.It’s yet another production of the world-renowned Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it’s absolutely amazing how each director seems to interpret the play differently from one another. In this rendition by Sheila Daniels, the play is slightly skewed by the replacement of the character Lysander. Hermia’s lover is now Lysandra, a woman. No prior knowledge of this revision could confuse some viewers, but the similarity in name makes the connection instantaneous. Amy Thone as Titania and Todd Jefferson Moore as Bottom. Photo courtesy of Seattle Shakespeare CompanyThe casting of a woman for Lysander makes this version of Midsummer Night’s Dream much more contemporary. With the recent legalizations of gay marriages in several states, this could act as a tribute to homosexual relationships. Before attending, be sure to read a synopsis of the story, or even just read the entire play! It’ll save you from a hefty amount of confusion, since it’s often difficult to make out the plot when it’s told in inverted Shakespearean language. Chris Ensweiler as Puck and Reginald Andre Jackson as Oberon. Photo courtesy of Seattle Shakespeare CompanyEach of the actors and actresses in the cast seem incredibly fitting for their roles. Theseus demands a certain amount of respect with his large stature and booming voice, while Helena and Bottom are hilarious in their own right. The background music and setting truly create an eerie ambience to represent the magical woods. Overall, this is an excellent and humorous rendition of a classic which is sure to elicit many laughs from any audience. The play is recommended for an audience 12 years old and up, mainly due to several implicit and explicit sexual references.A Midsummer Night's DreamThrough November 13Seattle Shakespeare Company

Review of Sci-Fi at the Pops @ Seattle Symphony by Emma M.Most everyone knows music science fiction. Even if you don’t like Star Wars, I bet you can recognize the theme. The sweeping melodies and dramatic crescendos are as integral to sci-fi as shiny spacesuits. Doing an evening of sci-fi music at the symphony sounds like a great idea. And it is! It needed a little help in the actualization to make it truly an “evening amongst the stars”.When you first sit down in the grandiose Benaroya Hall and flip to the section in your program that is devoted to Sci-Fi at the Pops, you’re in for a bit of a surprise. There seems to have been a mistake at the printer, for along with sci-fi staples like E.T., Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars, you find Ghostbusters (say what?). And unless we now believe that Michael Jackson was either an alien, or abducted by aliens, I really don’t see what a mash-up of “Thriller” and “Beat It” has got to do with anything. Conductor Victor VanacoreAs the lights dim and the show begins, we start off with “The Star Spangled Banner”— which isn’t random at all! But the show doesn’t really get started until Jonathan Frakes walks out onstage. Because you know half the audience has come to see Commander Riker. He’s old, balding, wears glasses, and has the same dopey jokes in his script as every other emcee, but we all love him. He has a beautiful voice which rumbles out into the hall, and manages to take the jokes with a grain of salt, making them much more bearable to the audience. The other main attraction, visiting conductor Victor Vanacore, is another matter. It was a bit like watching a human metronome. After waving his arms around like that for a couple hours, I bet he was quite sore! It’s unclear how affective it was either. In the sweeping phrases in between the familiar melodies, it lacked gusto. The strings were very soothing, almost inviting you to take a nap. Jonathon Frakes back in the good ol' daysAs a conductor he didn’t really get into the swing of things until he started playing his arrangement/mash-up of “Thriller” and “Beat It”. All my fears and bad memories of pop songs gone symphonic vanished as the song took off. It also didn’t hurt that we had the distraction of a couple dozen dancers dressed up as zombies dancing on the edge of the stage. Perhaps there wasn’t enough space on the edge of the stage to do justice to their dance. Or perhaps the iconic “Thriller” dance should just not be tackled, because let’s face it; no one will do it better than Michael. Whatever the reason, it was not enjoyable. Awkwardly shuffling zombies isn’t exactly the kind of high art that you expect to go along with your forty dollar ticket. Fortunately things get much better in the second half. The orchestra and Vanacore seem to have come to some understanding and things become much more engaging. That is until we get to “Name that Sci-Fi Theme”, and Vanacore plays themes from shows like I Dream of Jeanie, and Bewitched. This is the point at which you realize that this show was really not about sci-fi. But what was it about? Even now I’m trying to figure that out. If you are going to call a show “Sci-Fi at the Pops", it should be about sci-fi. Needless to say it really needed some cohesive direction.Despite all of the crazy selections and the uncertainty of what you might hear next (Vanacore kept mentioning Bonanza, was he going to play that theme song next? Where is this going? Cowboys and Aliens?! At least that’s sci-fi), the show was quite enjoyable. How can you not help feeling great and a little like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker when listening to the swelling melody of John William’s Star Wars? It also didn’t hurt that Frakes instructed us to all “live long and prosper” on our way out, and all trekkies in the disguise of symphony goers went wild. It was fun. It was silly. It wasn’t high art, it wasn’t even that great of a line up what with the Bewitched theme song and a slightly rock ‘n roll version of 2001: A Space Odyssey theme (somewhere a kettle drum player is weeping), but the audience liked it. We brought them back for an encore. And we all left the hall with “Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark hopelessly stuck in our heads and a smile on our face.Sci-Fi at the PopsCLOSEDNext at the Seattle Symphony:Halloween Hooray

A Midsummer Night's Dream @ Seattle Shakespeare CompanyThe Quarrel of Oberon and Titania by Sir Joseph Noel PatonFear not this Shakespearean comedy! This hilarious romp through the forests of Athens is one of the most clear and accessible of the Bard's plays and it will leave you laughing for more. When two pairs of young lovers attempt to escape their families' tyrannical rule, they instead fall prey to a love potion set in motion by the mischievous inhabitants of the woodland netherworld. Simultaneously, a less-than-perfect theatre troupe is sabotaged by the same inhabitants. Watch the hilarity unfold in the shadows of the trees at the Seattle Shakespeare Company. A Midsummer Night's DreamOctober 20 - November 13Seattle Shakespeare Company

Review of Khaled Hosseini @ Seattle Arts and Lectures by Safaa D.Picture a girl of a little over average height (due to the aid of heels) racing down the hall of Benaroya Hall and skidding to a halt in front of the box office. I had a panicky feeling that they would not let me in but to the best of luck they did.I was about ten minutes late but Seattle Arts & Lectures (SAL) still allowed me in to slide down the ramp to my seat where I could sit and listen to Khaled Hosseini speak.Hosseini is a world renowned, best selling author. His first book, The Kite Runner, has sold over seven million copies -not counting boot legged - and has inspired a film and charity.Hosseini originally had no intention of becoming a writer. Born in Kabul to a father who worked at the foreign ministry and a mother who was a principal at a school he grew up watching cinema from all around the world and enjoyed lots of eastern and western reading. When his family relocated to California he enrolled in Santa Clara University, where he earned a degree in biology and would later go to school for a medical degree. In this lecture he communicated the fact that his writing, in the beginning, was a good way for him to de-stress from his day job as an internist at a hospital. Getting up at 5:00 AM to write until 8:00 AM may or may not sound pleasant to you but it helped him eventually become a full time writer, which he would do after completing The Kite Runner, going on to write Land of 10,000 Suns and more recently produce a graphic novel for The Kite Runner.This lecture is definitely not the best I've ever been to and probably the first SAL event I've not been 100% satisfied with. The interviewer, along with some of the audience members, seemed more interested in learning how to write a best seller rather than questioning about culture and perspective on politics.I was very much looking forward to a talk centered more on culture and activism but alas, it was not meant to be. I still do enjoy Hosseini’s work and SAL events are still not to be missed. SAL brings people from around the world and from all walks of life to Seattle. This can leave lasting impressions and give incentives to get out in your community. So go to a Seattle Arts & Lectures event. Even if they’re hit and miss, you can’t take a chance at missing the good ones.Khaled HosseiniCLOSEDNext up at Seattle Arts and Lectures: Stacy Schiff

Hosseini was really boring. I found it insulting that he "spoke" in front of so many people without planning anything interesting to say. His performance really brings down the quality of SAL.

Luminous: The Art of Asia @ Seattle Art MuseumA few highlights of the exhibit's tour in JapanFor almost 80 years many of the treasures from this exhibit have belonged to the Seattle Art Museum, and now in an epic creation of history are coming together to become Luminous. There was a recent tour of these historically rich items in Japan where they were eagerly received--just as well as their homecoming will be. The best part of Luminous, though, is the video installation by Do Ho Suh, including a commentary on the richness and value of the artifacts themselves and how they relate to our current world. This display is an enlightening celebration of genius cultural works, and will mark the first time in SAM history to have a major exhibition of Asian art in the downtown gallery space.Luminous: The Art of AsiaOctober 13 - January 8Seattle Art Museum

The 16th Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival @ Three Dollar Bill CinemaIt's here! It's queer! It's the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at 3DB, and this year's lineup ranges from the bizarre to the heartwarming.A few titles we're loving right now:-Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads profiles a semi-famous drag queen from New Orleans in this mockumentary as she attempts to create an educational program for children.-Married in Spandex is a documentary about two women who travel to Iowa from Philadelphia to tie the knot (in spandex lamé, of course) while trying to gain acceptance from their families and the world.-Saturgay Morning Cartoons is a series of short animations and classics we all know and love. 3DB encourages you to wear your PJs to enjoy the FREE cereal they'll be serving up with your 'toons.There are TONS of other films (some more appropriate than others). We suggest going to 3DB's website and browsing the titles and descriptions to see which films will be best for you and whoever you bring with you. No matter what you choose, you're sure to have a fabulous time!The 16th Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film FestivalOctober 14 - 23Three Dollar Bill CinemaPLEASE NOTE:Films contain mature themes and language. Appropriate for ages 18 and up.Many of the films take place at different theatres, and you can find a full list of them here.

Review of Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead presented by Balagan Theatre @ ACT by Rachel T. “Good grief!” Admit it, doesn’t this two word phrase instantly trigger a flashback to your childhood and the many hours spent watching holiday specials chronicling the story of a little bald kid named Charlie Brown with a striped shirt, an endless list of doubts, and a loyal pack of companions? Then we left that world behind and became teenagers. But what would it be like if the Peanuts gang grew up with us? This is the question that Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead boldly sets out to answer by taking Charles Schulz’s classic creations and launching them into a future riddled with hormones and teen issues like bullying and homophobia.

Article "Wide-Eye Vigor" by Galen is a extremely mature musical statement I have ever read.NTCM Oscar C.

Survey Winner: Congratulations, Ariana S.!Ariana was the winner of our Fall Survey contest to win a $50 gift card! Thank you to everyone who participated, your results will help us improve our program and make the arts more accessible to YOU. "Since I joined Teen Tix about a year and a half ago, my whole view on the arts has taken a complete turn-around. Before, I had assumed that going to operas, plays, and ballets, for example, were only for pompous middle-aged people who have been active participants in the arts their entire lives, the opposite of myself. However, I quickly found out that that's not the case. I finally went to an opera at McCaw Hall over a year ago, and I absolutely loved it; everything about the experience amazed me. Shortly after that, I went to another opera, and another. I had finally experienced the sort of art form that many people never get to enjoy even once in their life. Now, I pride myself in discovering Teen Tix because it has exposed me to the truth about the arts, even though I've only been to operas and ballets. In all reality, the arts are not only for those who have had a rich background in music or theater or painting - anyone can appreciate and experience them firsthand without criticism and have the best time of their lives! I am so grateful to have discovered the Teen Tix program, and I will be absolutely devastated the day I become too old to use its great advantages. Thank you so much, Teen Tix!"-Ariana S.

Review of The Beast @ Spectrum Dance Theatre by Olivia M.Looking through the multitude of notes I took at this performance, one stuck out as a summary for the whole experience: “Short, and anything but sweet.” This piece, only 55 minutes long, is a blunt, dramatic look at domestic violence and it is one of the few times I left an artistic performance feeling as if I had undergone an emotional trial, but in a good way! I would 100% recommend this to everyone.This piece was first commissioned in 1996 by the UW’s World Series and Dance Umbrella in Austin, choreographed by Donald Byrd, and was used to promote domestic violence awareness (which it still does, with domestic violence awareness and resource pamphlets arranged in the front entrance of SDT.) This is a mixture of: what, due to my dancing ignorance, I would call contemporary dance; live music by a pianist, accordion and percussionist, violinist and woodwind player and acting done mostly by the main actors in both facial expressions and body movements. Photo by Ernie SapiroByrd re-imagined his original piece for its second debut here at SDT, keeping the same steps but this time making it much more “theatrically interesting”, and making use of the characteristics of a theatre style called epic theatre. This included adding literal announcements by a dancer with a megaphone, adding a talking disembodied head which screams at the abusive groom, representing his inner urges, and having a bare stage save for a few chairs and a table used in different scenes. This combining of dance and theatre brings out the best of both mediums with blatant yet subtle presentation of the troubling subject matter. This is evident in scenes such as “The dance about the joke of the perfect wife” where the leads have the most individual version of the misogyny themed choreography, where Monthy crawls like a dog with Jones’ beer can balanced on her head, which is a very clear, narrative ridden chain of events, but with three other pairs of dancers doing similar choreography, but with less individually bold movements, like back-up dancers for a play. Photo by Ernie SapiroDue to how much I liked most parts of this performance, I find it hard to narrow it down for this review, but here are three main points:1) Leading dance artists (that’s really the only way to describe them properly) Donald Jones Jr. and Kate Monthy do an amazing job in their roles of abusive groom and abused bride, and I can see in the future attending shows just to see either of them. Jones’ best scene was announced as “The Beast Breeds”, wherein a powerful solo dance honestly gave me shivers, outshining his bride as she gives birth while screaming with almost comical loudness. Noteworthy scenes of Monthy’s include her in “She Has A Fantasy” where she mutilates various pieces of fruit that correspond to Jones’ body (yes, she does chop a banana with the most crazed look on her face, and yes, that banana does correspond to his penis,) as well as a very sad scene where she watches other pairs of dancers act out violent scenes, which seemed to be to be representative of her past experiences in her own relationship in the piece. 2) I can pretty much guarantee you will enjoy this performance, and be genuinely glad you made the trek down to Madison Park. The entire cast is emotionally invested in the piece, making their performance all the more intense. Monthy admitted to having cried on the way home from rehearsals on occasion due to the emotional stress of the subject. Where was I able to hear this sensitive information? Well, during the time available after each show to ask questions of Byrd, Monthy, Jones, and a third dancer, Ty Alexander Cheng, of course! I felt so lucky to take advantage of that time to pick the brains of the people who masterminded and performed what I had seen only minutes prior. 3) Last, but certainly not least, it’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is probably the best way to acknowledge and learn about a common occurrence in our society that I would guess a significant portion of us rarely think about. NOTE: The Beast contains mature subject matter and is recommended for ages 16+.The BeastThrough October 16Spectrum Dance Theatre

Angélica Liddell: Te haré invencible con mi derrota @ On The BoardsStarting tonight! Don't miss Angélica Liddell's North American debut of her piece dedicated to cellist Jacqueline du Pré. This piece includes body art, a blowtorch, and a paintball gun in a deliciously successful commentary on pain, death, lust and the creative spirit. Learn more about this incredible performer on the OTB website here and here in an exclusive interview. Angélica Liddell: Te haré invencible con mi derrotaOctober 6 - 9On The BoardsNOTE: This show contains smoking on stage.

Khaled Hosseini @ Seattle Arts and LecturesKhaled Hosseini is the author of the infamous novel Kite Runner, known as an international bestseller (seriously, it's been published in over 40 countries!) Native to Kabul, Afghanistan, Hosseini is one of the most influential and inspirational writers of our time. He is currently at work with a humanitarian group in Afghanistan which you can read more about here, and will be interviewed by Nassim Assefi, a local academic, humanitarian aid worker, and underground salsa dance teacher. Khaled Hosseini October 11 @ 7:30Seattle Arts and Lectures

Review of The Cryptogram @ Seattle Public Theatre by Jessica B.Reading David Mamet can be a profoundly frustrating experience. Anyone who has experience with Mamet’s work can spot his style from a mile away: sparse and mundane language, full of repetition and characters with a propensity to misunderstand each other. Such is the case with The Cryptogram. The play centers on the taut, frayed communications at the center of one family. Ten-year-old John (Rowan Calvert) is eagerly awaiting his father’s arrival; tomorrow, he and his father will take a camping trip out into the woods. But even as the hours tick on and John’s father has not arrived home, John waits, drifting between fitful rest and chaotic wakefulness. Yet John senses that his mother, Donny (Emily Grogan) and family friend Del (Richard Nguyen Sloniker) know something that he doesn’t. The things Donny and Del say to each other don’t seem to make sense and John struggles to discover what they are keeping from him—and each other. The stops and starts in The Cryptogram’s dialogue, the crowding of the language, and inability of the characters to aptly communicate can fall incredibly flat without a talented cast. With a talented cast, however, each facial expression, stray gesture, and chopped syllable becomes a clue of the utmost import. 11-year-old Rowan Calvert as John in The Cryptogram. Photo by Paul Bestock.Seattle Public Theater (also known as the Bathhouse Theater) at Green Lake has provided such a cast. The cast fills in the sparse “Mamet-speak” and parses together the fragmented consciousness at the center of their respective character. Without such skill, under the careful guidance of an excellent director (such as this production’s Kelly Kitchens) the play would simply unravel and disintegrate into a mind-numbing and laughable lack of communication. But with this wonderfully talented cast, one need not fear such an end. Grogan and Del demand much from the audience with the careful presentation of their characters; every action, inflection, and twitch is full of thought and can be attributed to their great talent. The young newcomer, Calvert, likewise handles the challenging script with great skill, delicately balancing the innocence of childhood with the devastating realities of adulthood. The Seattle Public Theater’s production of David Mamet’s The Cryptogram is dissonant, aggravating, frustrating, terrifying, but most definitively intriguing—drawing in the audience with the powerful and subtle skill of Grogan, Sloniker, and Calvert. I was held captivated by the puzzle of this family and the theater’s artful use of suspense had its desired result: I found myself holding my breath at the end, enveloped in the story. And that, my dear readers, is what good theater should do. The Cryptogram Through October 23Seattle Public Theatre

Review of Morlot Conducts The Rite of Spring @ Seattle Symphony by Galen C. Ever since the notably young Ludovic Morlot took over as the new music director of the Seattle Symphony, Benaroya Hall seems to have been infused with a new energy. From the fuchsia lights in the main lobby to the fresh sound of the orchestra, there is a vibrant sense of novelty and excitement that was not present before. There was certainly no exception to this at Thursday’s performance of The Rite of Spring.

Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film @ EMP/SFM"Don't open the door!" We've all been there: sitting in the movie theatre, clutching our popcorn for dear life and sitting on the edge of our seats awaiting the hero of the film to get absolutely destroyed by whatever's behind that door. The question is... why do we like that so much?Glove worn by Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, 1989. Courtesy of Wesley CannonEMP/SFM's new exhibit, Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film attempts to answer this question. Featuring an interactive scream booth, footage from horror films old and new, artifacts from famous films, and more, this exhibit will be sure to make your spine tingle. Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror FilmOpening October 2EMP/SFMNOTE: Due to the sometimes graphic nature of the exhibit, it has been given a PG-13 Rating

Wonderfully written review!:D

The Beast @ Spectrum Dance TheatreKate Monthy and Donald Jones Jr. in The Beast. Photo by Ernie Sapiro.ROAR! Featuring moves by the infamous Donald Byrd and a raw, original score by theatre and dance composer Andy Teirstein, The Beast at Spectrum Dance Theatre is sure to be one of the most choreographically brilliant shows you will see all year. SDT's website calls it an "unflinching look at love at its most knotty; violent and broken, savage and inhumane."The BeastSeptember 30 - October 16Spectrum Dance TheatreNOTE: Contains mature subject matter, recommended for ages 16+. Quoth the Marketing and Communications Manager at Spectrum, "This show is intense."