TeenTix Blog

In a scene dominated by rap’s broken rhythms and pop’s electric drone, classical pieces feel full. However, George Gershwin’s depth extends beyond that inherent to his genre. Maybe it’s his breadth of style (he incorporates both jazz and classical technique). Perhaps it’s that his music is so distinctly American (his initial title for Rhapsody in Blue was American Rhapsody).

I didn’t care about the reason as the first chords rang at Seattle Symphony’s Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Friday evening—I was too far gone. Gershwin’s music wraps you up like a fluffy blanket. Even at its darkest moments, it’s warm and slightly familiar.

​“Gonna make me feel any worse?”

​It was not only the question on the character Malcolm King’s lips, but the one running through my mind during the entirety of Seattle Public Theater’s current production, Broke-ology. For those not yet versed here is a definition: ​ ​Broke-ology: 1. the study of being broke 2. a play by Nathan Louis Jackson detailing the lives of a poor, African American family: two brothers, their sick, aging father and his visions of their deceased mother And since I am a tenured “list-ologist,” here are the top three reasons to see this play: 1. Stubby, the “incog-negro” garden gnome. 2. The smile-inducing relationship between Ennis King (Corey Spruill) and Malcolm King (Tyler Trerise), the brothers who haul Stubby into the living room. 3. The refreshing cast of four and well-dressed set, amplified by the singular intimacy of Seattle Public's Bathhouse theatre. That being said, side effects of this play may include: 1. General melancholy. 2. Guilt, possibly echoing regret for splurging on that nice, new pair of shoes. 3. Garden gnome-induced heebie jeebies. The mood in the room at the end of Broke-ology is much akin to the Seattle weather outside. Though that isn’t to say the play isn’t funny; it is. It’s punctuated by snippets of dark and biting humor, the kind that makes you laugh really hard until your brain catches up with the speed of the dialogue to remember, “Oh no, that was a joke about lynching.” Still, somewhere in that goofy, gloomy game of survival, is an examination of illness, optimism, responsibility, dreams and sacrifice. And all of it is somehow squeezed into two hours spent in the King family’s living room. In those meager minutes, Jackson begins a discussion: How do we care for our parents as they begin to deteriorate? How do we care for our children when we are too frail to help them? What are you willing to sacrifice for those you love? On opening night, during the very last scene, when those questions breathed down the spectators’ necks, the audience’s eyes were fixated… though it varied between fighting back tears and staring vacantly at the box of Quaker Oats in the corner. ​ If you’re looking for the answers to those immense inquiries, you won’t find them here. What you will find is a newfound appreciation for settling scores with dominoes, and another surge of musings about life, love and family as the cast returns for their bows.

Pacific Northwest Ballet has a crush on Twyla Tharp. The iconic American choreographer has spent the last year as Artist-in-Residence in PNB, and while we can’t be sure how many gushy entries PNB may have written about Twyla in their diary, their new all-Tharp production, Air Twyla, shows that Twyla is a pretty swell person to have a crush on.

Tharp’s versatility as a choreographer makes Brief Fling an impressive start to the show. Military drum rolls, classical pieces, and a fleeting moment of disco groove come in quick succession as Tharp uses the dancers to explore a hundred different moods and styles. As the piece switches wildly over and over again, it begins to feel a little like Whack-a-Mole. Then you get it: this is Twyla Tharp saying casually, “Hello. I’m Twyla Tharp, and I can do anything.” And it’s true: her choreography rings true every time. Though Kaori Nakamura and Sascha Radetsky came off a touch behind the beat, Tharp’s big finish leaves you excited for the next two acts.

A couple weeks back, we held a little ol' party for our organizations called The Teeny Awards. Ahhh, we remember it well. The lights, the music, the outrageously awesome outfits. Anywho, just recently, Seattle Symphony contacted us so they could throw a party of their own for the TeenTix members they love so much! Here's what they had to say:

Thank you Teen Tix members for awarding us not one, but TWO 2013 Teeny Awards! We are thrilled. Moved. Astounded. Excited. Amazed. INSPIRED! The SSO loves Teen Tix as much as Beethoven loved his pianos, as much as Mozart loved his powdered wig. (Seriously. That is a lot of love.) You are the boldest listeners in Benaroya Hall and the future of our art form. To show our appreciation for this honor, we invite you to join us for a special concert and event. MOZART’S SYMPHONY NO. 29 Saturday, October 19, at 8pm Stilian Kirov, conductor Susan Gulkis Assadi, viola Jordan Anderson, double bass Maria Mannisto, soprano Seattle Symphony MOZART: Divertimento for Strings in D major, K. 136/125a DITTERSDORF: Sinfonia concertante for Viola and Double Bass MOZART: Exultate, jubilate, K. 165 MOZART: Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201/186a Meet us before the concert at the Teen Tix check-in table at the entrance to the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby to pick up your ticket and a surprise gift. After the concert, join us for an EXCLUSIVE reception in our backstage Green Room featuring a Q&A with Seattle Symphony Associate Conductor Stillian Kirov! Tickets are just $5 for TeenTix members (duh) and $5 for your guests (of any age!) too! Want to come? Great! You need to RSVP to info@teentix.org by 5 PM on Wednesday, October 16th. Please include your full name, phone number, and the number of people you are RSVPing for (max. 1 ticket + 1 guest ticket per TeenTix member). And, FYI for those guests: the post-show reception is TEENS ONLY. Parents can come with you to the show, but only teens are invited to the reception. Sorry, folks. Thems the rules.

Cosplayers, video games, and an 8-bit gaming soundtrack were all part of the Seattle Symphony last Thursday when they performed The Legend of Zelda, Symphony of the Goddesses to an auditorium of faithful fans, old and new.

The Legend of Zelda is a fantasy video game that was first released in 1986 and over the last 20 years has gathered a huge fan base of its roleplaying fantasy series. One of the unique things about this fun game is its beautiful soundtrack. Every Legend of Zelda fan will tell you that the orchestrations are part of what they love about the game.

We sent Monet Curnutt, a self-declared Les Mis über-fan and DeLancey Lane, who had "never seen Les Mis in any way," to review Balagan Theatre's production of Les Miserables. Here's what they each thought: Monet Curnutt, the über-fan:

Hey, Teen Tixers!

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) is looking to build and cater to their teen audiences by adding YOU to their advisory board--and they'll pay you! Check out the FAQ for this program to see if you'd like to join the creative museum forces of Seattle:

You came, you laughed (thanks, Lindy West!), you danced (thanks, DJ J-Justice!), you ate, like, a million cupcakes (thanks, Cupcake Royale!) you looked like A MILLION BUCKS. And, you gave out a bunch of awards to a bunch of very happy arts organizations. The Teeny Awards 2013: we can all agree that was totally epic, right?

Soon there will be more posts with many photos (your amazing fashion: attention must be paid!) But, for now, here are the results of the 2013 Teeny Awards!

You came, you laughed (thanks, Lindy West!), you danced (thanks, DJ J-Justice!), you ate, like, a million cupcakes (thanks, Cupcake Royale!) you looked like A MILLION BUCKS. And, you gave out a bunch of awards to a bunch of very happy arts organizations. The Teeny Awards 2013: we can all agree that was totally epic, right?

Soon there will be more posts with many photos (your amazing fashion: attention must be paid!) But, for now, here are the results of the 2013 Teeny Awards!

Middletown, written by Will Eno and directed by John Langs, is a contemporary retelling of the American classic Our Town. Middletown is startlingly true and poignant. In keeping with the theme of the original play, Middletown has a stark set only including two outlines of houses, a sidewalk, a bench, and a rock. The lack of set is a true metaphor for the play, a wonderfully quiet work about socially awkward people. Middletown is not afraid of silence and some of the best moments on stage are without dialogue. The performances by Alex Tavares and Eric Riedmann are reserved in just the right ways.

Alexandra Tavares portrays Mary Swanson with a true and moving humor. Her character is a woman who just moved into Middletown and is waiting for her husband to arrive. She quickly develops a friendship with her neighbor, John Dodge, played by Eric Riedmann. Their relationship is masterfully developed by Eno and the performances by Tavares and Riedmann are some of the best performances I have seen all year.

Hi, my name is Betsey Brock. I am a TeenTix parent and a member of the TeenTix Advisory Board.

TeenTix makes Seattle a better place. TeenTix makes the arts accessible for teenagers. TeenTix talks to teens about art, film, dance, music, literature, and theater on their own terms. TeenTix energizes them to talk with each other about the shows they see. TeenTix is helping create the next generation of artists, art consumers, and philanthropists.

Hi.

This is Holly, the director of TeenTix. Hello.This is an invitation. I wish I had to time to make a beautiful card and mail it to every single TeenTix member and thank you for participating in this community. But I don't, because I'm too busy planning an amazing party for you, and I really hope you will come to it. Seriously. You. Even though this is the 5th year that we've given out Teeny Awards for the best in Seattle arts as decided by you, this is the first year we've ever given them away in a big ceremony. THE FIRST YEAR. This is a really big deal and we really really want you to be there. So, here are some of the enticing things we have planned for you: Red Carpet! Cupcakes!Custom button-making! A carnival game with prizes!A raffle where you can basically win an entire year's worth of tickets to things! A dance party on the stage at ACT Theatre with DJ J-Justice!LINDY. FREAKING. WEST. (Wait, you don't know who Lindy West is? She's only Seattle's hottest young celebrity! What's that you say? Mackelmore WHO?)

If you’re not familiar with Twelfth Night, here is what you need to know: cross-dressing, hijinks, love polygons, and mistaken identities were just as funny in Shakespeare’s time as they are today. Twelfth Night is timeless. Now: imagine it as a musical with clever, wisecracking wordplay, a fantastic set of songs, and an all-star cast.

Now you have Illyria.

Hello teenage art lovers of the (Seattle-area) world! The time has come to once again flex your mighty muscles and vote for your favorite art things and organizations in THE TEENY AWARDS!What are the Teeny Awards?

The Teeny Awards are like a Teen Choice Awards for local arts. They are given out each year by the TeenTix Steering Committee based on YOUR votes. You! TeenTix member! Reading this! YOUUUUUU!!!!

In September, after three decades of wowing Seattle audiences with amazing opera productions, award-winning Seattle Opera legend Speight Jenkins will step down as the General Director. I got a chance to sit down with him and gain some insight into his role as General Director, what he does, how he got there, his best advice for teens looking into arts careers, and some great advice for first-time opera goers.

Katelyn H. You are the General Director of the Opera. What does that mean?

The results of seeing ACT Theatre's Rapture, Blister, Burn by Gina Gionfriddo:

1. My abs hurt for three days from laughing too hard.

The newest inductees to the TeenTix Press Corps saw Intiman's Trouble in Mind last week. Here are a few bits of their thoughts about the show.

Leon V:

BREAKING NEWS: INTERN-A-PALOOZA 2013 has begun! This summer, TeenTix is thrilled to bring Kate L. and Quynh T. into the office to be a part of our work behind the scenes. That's right--there is now a full-fledged TEAM bringing you arts access for teens, and they are bringing the heat! (Also, they're crowding our teeny office. But we have to admit, we love it.) Leah, our Communications Associate, sat down with each of them for a closer look into the madness of Intern-A-Palooza:

Name: Kate L. Age: 17 years old From: Ballard, WA Name an artist that inspires you, and why: I really like Amanda Palmer. She's cool because she represents feminism--she doesn't care about others' expectations about her. Like, she doesn't shave her legs. She shaves off her eyebrows. She's totally original. Also, I like that she connects with her fans online through Twitter and Facebook. I think her intentions are really heartfelt and I respect that. What is your job at TeenTix and what do you like about it so far? My job is to create labels and mail passes every week for new users and teens who lost their passes, and I organize the blog and keep the calendar updated. I like working at TeenTix because they help give teens access to art, and helps them connect with new material. I also like looking at my work and saying, "Man, look at that. What an awesome calendar!" I love that TeenTix constantly works to keep things current for its users, and always adds new info while it works to reach as many teens as possible. What are some of your hobbies? Drama/Improv, swimming is a favorite activity of mine, and I love dogs. What kind of dogs do you have? I have two Corgis. They like sausages. What's a random fact about you? I once had a cat who lived to be 18 years old. His name was Henry.

Hey, TeenTixers!

Own a video camera or webcam? We want you to express your opinions on the world wide web!

With music ranging from classical Mozart to alternative, electronic, screamo duo F*ck Buttons, this year’s NEXT STEP performance at Pacific Northwest Ballet will invigorate McCaw hall with young dancers performing fresh, original works. I met with three performers in this upcoming show: the exceptional flutist, Benton Gordon (17), playing in the pit with the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO – lovingly pronounced “Sigh-So”), and vibrant PNB professional division dancers Alex Hyman (19), and Jacqui Schiller (19).

NEXT STEP dancers watch musicians rehearse