TeenTix Blog

"Awesome"'s West @ On the BoardsLISTEN: Brother DoubtNobody can really explain what West is. It's theatre, but it's not a play. It's music, but it's not a concert. They say things like "song cycle" and "spectacle" and "performance...art?" Whatever. Our guess is that, five minutes in, you'll be so visually and aurally stimulated that you'll stop caring what it is and just go with it."If you've never seen "Awesome", these are some crazy talented musicians who aren't making your standard music-theatre fare" - Jeremy Barker, The SunbreakLISTEN: Man_fest Dest_"What I like so much about this concept is that when you are starting out, whether you're a pioneer or a college student, you're coming out to the West with this idea of what it's going to be like when you get there. And that's what has taken over as a general concept of 'West,' this ideal form of what you're going to. And then when you get there it's never exactly like that." - John Osebold of "Awesome"

Photo by Victoria Lahti"Awesome" is the kind of band that makes you glad to be alive. They make music with their voices and banjos and trumpets and guitars and theramins and accordions and drums that transcends the sum of its parts. They take you places. This time, they'd like to take you west, toward the horizon, toward, as Brendan Kiley put it in this week's Stranger Suggests "an ideal destination that does not exist." It's a show about being restless, about wanting to break free and strike out on your own, and what you might find when you get to wherever you're going - if you ever do. In short, it's a show about being a teenager. (See how I did that? That's why they pay me the big bucks.)LISTEN: Columbia"Their impressionistic spectacles...have pushed against the boundaries of musical theater and are practically their own genre." - David Schmader, the Stranger

Photo by Charlie Schuck

WestONE WEEKEND ONLY! Thursday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 25thOn the BoardsNOTE: Most of this weekend's performances are expected to sell out HOWEVER, Teen Tix members are encouraged to show up anyway and get your names on the wait list. Folks on the wait list usually get in.On the Boards box office: 206-217-9888

"Awesome"Part 4 of 6: Princessesby Anna BBASIL If Basil would steal a trait from anyone, he would borrow Rob’s “uncanny ability” to play nearly any instrument. Seriously, Rob can play any instrument you throw at him, and he’s pretty much indispensable.Photo by Amelia GydéJOHN John would steal the other John’s songwriting skill, to just let the music flow—that true artistry. But he’s pretty envious of Rob’s musical career (Rob makes his living as a musician, the rest of "Awesome" doesn’t), and of course, Rob’s ability to play 20 different instruments. John’s favorite Disney princess is Arielle.Photo by hot avocados photographyDAVID David’s favorite Disney princess is Belle, because she’s independent and educated, but also her yearning to be free of her small town. He can also sing the beginning song of Beauty and the Beast quite well.Photo by Amelia GydéROB Rob once played accordion on Tom Sawyer Island in the middle of Disneyland Tokyo. He wishes he was a tenor instead of a bass, but otherwise thinks he’s perfect.Photo by hot avocados photographyEVAN Evan wishes he could steal Rob’s ability to play a million different instruments and sound design and everything. His favorite Disney princess is Pocahontas, because of West.Photo by Victoria LahtiKIRK If Kirk would steal anything, he would steal David’s brain (yes, we discussed the zombie aspect), because David is a crazy smart professor, and he’s always a bottomless well of creativity. Kirk’s favorite Disney princess is Snow White.Photo by Antoinette Hippe"Awesome"'s new show WEST runs this weekend, April 22 - 25 at On the Boards.

Okay, let's get one thing straight: we did not actually send six teenagers to speed date the members of "Awesome". We just borrowed the idea of speed dating - each interviewer got 5 minutes to interview each member of the band (minus number seven, the raven-haired John O, who was terribly missed.) This flash of brilliance, by the way, was the idea of Teen Steering Committee member Mykaila O. Thanks, Mykaila!Anyway, these boys are the bees' knees, and it was super fun. Here's a little taste of what happened:If you want more "Awesome" (and really, who wouldn't?) check out their facebook page, and then go see their big bad new show, WEST, this weekend ONLY at On the Boards. It runs Thursday - Sunday at 8:00 pm. Tickets to On the Boards' shows often sell out in advance, but Teen Tix members are welcome to put their names on the standby list, and standbys usually get in. Believe us, this show is gonna be worth waiting around for.

"Awesome"Part 3 of 6: On Surviving High SchoolBy Arista BQuestion: What is your best piece of advice for surviving high school?BASIL Basil offers an extended view of high school as a stepping stone rather than a life changing experience. He says, “Trust that it’s not the ultimate time of your life. It’s a jungle now but later you’ll look back with nothing but rosy memories.” He says that, “It’s simply a step to bigger and better things.” In other words, don’t stress the small stuff because in the end, high school does not define you.JOHN From John, a very practical perspective is offered. He says that the best way to survive high school is to not procrastinate, but try to form valuable habits early on. When asked how to make friends, his advice is, “Try to expose yourself as much as possible to a variety of new activities.”

Arista notes Kirk's wise advice: "Don't ever apologize for who you are."DAVID David’s advice is loaded with optimism and he says that what he notices among adults as well as high school students is that, “Fear is the most paralyzing thing, especially fear of failure.” That being said, he urges people to embrace every new experience as an opportunity. For him, it means appreciating the positive things in all situations. When he turned 36, he thought, “I’m so glad I’m not 35 anymore.”ROB Rob disproves the popular stereotypes of high school students by saying, “You don’t need to drink or do drugs to survive high school.” His solution? He kept busy by getting involved with an underground newspaper called The Kneely News and Rolfe.EVAN Joking about how he was always picked last for dodge ball, Evan admits he was short in high school. He came from a small town and says, “I wished I had grown up in a place with more opportunities.” However, he made surviving high school possible by staying busy in his school’s numerous arts programs.KIRK In high school, Kirk was bullied frequently. However from this experience, he is able to offer valuable advice to current students. Comparing his past with bullies to conditioned submissiveness, he says, “Don’t ever apologize for who you are.” Kirk stresses the importance of not falling victim to trends, but rather developing individuality as a way to staying true to your own goals."Awesome"'s new show WEST runs THIS WEEKEND, April 22 - 25 at On the Boards.Read all SIX "Awesome" Crush-of-the-Month interviews here.

Review of RoboPop! at Washington Ensemble Theatre by Tavis H.The theater is a fickle broad; she’s either flooring and fantastic, or mediocre and disappointing. However, Washington Ensemble Theater once again has managed to produce a show so sexy, so fresh, and so Robo-dacious, that you'll want to rip off your clothes with the performers and do the robot; a dance once thought dead, now gloriously revived by WET.RoboPop! Is an epic piece of performance art yet, simultaneously, it is extremely difficult to label what exactly RoboPop! is. It’s not a ballet, not a neo-opera, but it’s more an extraordinarily hip narrative of modern theater that falls more on the side of hardcore Japanese theater. Yes my friends, we are dealing with tech-Noh.

If you don't go see this there is clearly something wrong with you.The premise of the piece is a baffling extravaganza including inter-technological romance, a clashing society, partial nudity, and plot-triggers involving teddy bears. Despite its seemed ridiculousness, it is truly a fantastic work of art that will make you want to bust it out on the dance floor as well as restore your faith in the future of modern theater.It is very difficult to reveal more of the plot because, if one were to do so, it would ruin the surprise of the technical phantasmagoria concocted by Heidi Ganser, Ben Zamora, and WET. Despite this journalistic flaw, all one can say is that RoboPop! is a great piece of art, theater, and entertainment that will never cease to enthrall and surprise you with tender depth and gut-busting laughter.RoboPop! most certainly is one of the hottest tickets in town, and it would show great shortcomings in one’s personality if they didn’t at least make an attempt to attend a showing; you won’t be disappointed.- Tavis H.April 16th, 2010RoboPop!Washington Ensemble TheatreThrough May 10th

"Awesome"Part 2 of 6: (Not So) Boring Storiesby Eliana S.The band "Awesome"'s lively characters were a delight to chat with. When asked to tell a boring story, each band member put their own twist on their answer, and revealed a little bit about their distinctive personalities. Basil (specifically pronounced Bah-sil) skipped the boring part of the question and told me that he was the funniest member of all the mates. He claimed that Rob is the easiest one to pick on, and he mentioned his warped social life since the birth of his daughter, who is now two. John specifically outlined his day, from the burning of his CD, his walk to the Ballard Library, his Tom White CD that was on hold, and the gardening that had to be done. He also mentioned his visit to SNACKS, a shop with tasty treats, which was unfortunately closed, and shared that his favorite snack is Barbara's Jalapeno Cheetos.Eliana interviews the indispensable Rob WitmerDavid, the banjo player, described his adventure in the bathroom, where he stuck his hand down the bathtub's drain, and pulled out a large hairball and then disposed of it. He also told me about his favorite musical artists, the Talking Heads, and the Anchors. Rob depicted his search on craigslist for a car. He also mentioned that he is a Mercer Island High School Alumni, and in fact, knows comedian Joel McHale! Evan, who works at the University of Washington, explained how he had to switch the plane tickets of some student earlier that day. He also noted that he is not a native Seattleite, but actually hails from Iowa. Kirk told me of the poor heating conditions in the rehearsal space/art studio that the band uses. As we began to talk about other things, he declared that Gross Pointe Blank is his favorite movie."Awesome"'s new show WEST runs April 22 - 25 at On the BoardsCheck back tomorrow for part 3!

RoboPop! @ Washington Ensemble Theatre"a must see event for anyone who loves innovative and original live theater." - Seattle Gay Scene

The Ensemble Presents: RoboPop! TEASER # 2 from Washington Ensemble Theatre on Vimeo."Seeing RoboPop! at WET was an eye-popping experience. It's sort of a music video come to life...Robot dancing, fight choreography and a pulsing electronic sound track keep things moving towards a climactic finish featuring... well, you just need to see it!" - Rob Witmer of "Awesome""an 80-minute music video onstage that threatens to be too esoteric (there’s no dialogue), but manages to appeal to everyone with its sweet—not saccharine—storyline and outstanding tech elements...the sound-and-video team...keeps the play moving like a well-timed Lady Gaga concert." - Seattle Metropolitan

"Awesome"Part one of six: The Crushiest of Them Allby Joshua G.One question asked of the 6 (of 7!) members of "Awesome" is to identify which bandmember deserves the true and rightful honor of the prestigious title of Teen Tix Crush of the Month! The general consensus of the band being that, Evan (trumpet/vocals) is THE total stud of the band. (With his "rocking of the beard" says Rob and "indy rock attitude" according to Basil.) In response, Evan blames his unmarried status and "in-between hair" (compared to the SUPER long John O's) Evan, “like all theater geeks secretly do...” dreamt of being a rock star.

The "Awesome" boys and the Teen Tix reviewers having a blast at prom.The band's latest performance is set to "take the [band] into new places ... really unexpected," John A. (mandolin/keyboard) says with modest hype and anticipation. According to him the band seems to have two modes: "clubs and theater," the upcoming On The Boards show tending to follow the latter.Creatively the band is trying something very different from last year's shows at ACT. John says there latest outing is “more structured,” but David (banjo) says that the two years allowed them to “dick around.” David goes on to connect “Awesome”'s whimsical tone on the band's history as an improv comedy team."Awesome"'s bass guitar player Basil says "Awesome" is influenced heavily by They Might Be Giants. “There is a feeling they could do anything,” Basil said with a childlike glint in his eye. Growing up as a "Drama geek," Basil was struck primarily by They Might Be Giants' "aesthetic," a feeling, he says, that comes across in their music.The impact of They Might Be Giants is also seen in conversation with Rob (accordion/saxophone). “I met the band through a They Might Be Giants Tribute.” But when asked of the band's rather pretentious name, he just laughs. When asked, "Whats a good band name?" “Awesome” was the name that emerged. “Yeah, it kinda stuck...It's in quotes.”The band members seem like the best of friends. Want proof? Basil and Kirk(fashionably balding drummer) grew up going to high school together.- Josh G"Awesome"'s new show, WEST, runs April 22 - 25 at On the Boards.Check back here tomorrow for part 2!

If you hate money, stop reading.Okay, the rest of you: the Teen Tix Passport to the Arts contest is on right now. It works like a coffee card for art: everytime you use your Teen Tix pass in the next 5 months, get your card stamped. When it's full, send it in. If we pull your card, you win. You win money. First prize is $200 (yes, two hundred dollars).What's the catch, you say? We applaud your wise skepticism, but there is none. Seriously. We just thought Teen Tix wasn't quite awesome enough already. Last time we did this, three actual live teenagers won actual dollars.Okay, we do have an ulterior motive: to get you to see more art at different places. The more different places you go and different kinds of art you see, the more money you can win. Passport to the Arts. Get it?Okay, go download your passport from our website and start collecting stamps. You have until July 9th, 2010 to fill up your card. Go go go!

Our April Crush-of-the-Month comes out on Thursday, but we wanted to give you a little taste, for the building of the excitement. Yay!

I know what your taling about totally, i play music, and playing and singing on front of people is, im sure, just as nerve racking

Review of Morgan Thorson/Low: Heaven at On the Boards by Kaya P.My brother elbowed me in the arm “seriously” he mouthed directing his gaze towards the man onstage in a flowing white skirt. I may have told him we were going to see a live band....with some dancing, but how else was I to coerce my 20 year old brother into accompanying me to a modern dance show? The dancers moved around an almost bare stage. Everything from the floors to the costumes was in shades of white. Two of the dancers who are from the band low; would break away periodically to play the instruments on stage. Even while playing they remained part of the dance. The group came together for choral arrangements that were indeed heavenly! Usually the singing would come forth slowly from silence.Overall I thought the piece was beautiful and fun to watch. The dancers seemed to bring the notes to life. While watching I thought the tantrums the dancers would break into destroyed the harmony of the piece; until afterwards I was milling about the lobby and, my brother said “there were some parts that were really nice to watch” “really?” I asked “yea” he replied. “I don’t think the point is to LIKE or be COMFORTABLE with all of it” I was surprised to hear this coming from him. He’s right though. There are parts which make you squirm, but who is totally comfortable with the idea of heaven? The concept leaves so many questions unanswered. I guess I can see why the thought of it would make you want to scream. I say this is a must see! Bring someone you normally wouldn’t think to; you might be pleasantly surprised by the perspectives they have to share.- Kaya P.April 2nd, 2010Morgan Thorson/Low: Heaven runs through Sunday at On the Boards. The show has been selling out, but if you want to see it, don't give up! There will be a wait list every night and people on the wait list usually get in. Go! More info at ontheboards.org

Post # 3: We’ll Give Ourselves New Names(Wait! What is this? Skip to the bottom for an explanation.)It’s hard to put my experience into palatable prose… I don’t know where to start and I don’t know where to end. I mostly ended up with a bunch of questions. I’m going to use one of the notes that Bianca gave me at the beginning to structure my response.

Photo by Anne LawrenceAs I approached the site for my solo, I was pulled intensely toward the experience but I also felt like running away. I couldn’t leave, though, as much as I wanted.When I arrived, Bianca gave me letters. Letters are a huge part of my life, and reading them soothed me. She gave me an iPod, and asked if I was ready. HA! Ready as I could ever be. We sat down back to back, heads touching, and listened to the sounds of the skate park, which I love. I was nervous, but I don’t know why—I felt like it was my first day in a new place.

Photo by Anne Lawrence

Bianca knew that I love singing along to my favorite songs. Despite my love of singing along, I'm very self-conscious about it… which is why when Bianca said she was going to sing her song to me, and I could choose any song from the playlist (a list of my favorite songs) on the iPod to sing to her, I realized exactly how far off in the distance my comfort zone was. We faced each other and we sang, displaying ourselves unabashedly for each other. I was surprised by how effortlessly I could let go of my fear and my discomfort. It was uncomfortable and perfect.The next song I chose was for her to dance her dance. She danced another introduction, encouraging me to feel where I was and what I was doing much more strongly. Our roles became clear: Without one of us, this wouldn’t be happening.Watch the video of Bianca's dance for MykailaThen she danced me. She showed something stunning to me—it was something I had never seen before but that I somehow knew. She ran away, and I stood up. I had intended to follow her, but curbed that impulse as soon as it came to me. I stood there, not sure what to do, until I realized that I didn’t have to hold back—I could follow my whim: it would be honest. Dodging and turning, we circled the skate park. Nobody knew what was going on—maybe not even us.Bianca certainly (though I’m not TOTALLY sure how) figured out my inhibitions and confronted them with me. After she presented my dance she said, "You go behind that tree, and I’ll stay behind this tree, and we will both dance. Dance party style." I couldn't say no, no matter how freaked and self-conscious I felt. HEY EVERYBODY COME SEE ME CONFRONT MY FEARS!I am so grateful for Bianca and her role in this project. I’m not sure how to appropriately thank her for the openness, kindness, love, and honesty with which she treated me and approached the solo… but I’m working on it.

Photo by Anne Lawrence

If you hate money, stop reading.Okay, the rest of you: the Teen Tix Passport to the Arts contest is on right now. It works like a coffee card for art: everytime you use your Teen Tix pass in the next 5 months, get your card stamped. When it's full, send it in. If we pull your card, you win. You win money. First prize is $200 (yes, two hundred dollars).What's the catch, you say? We applaud your wise skepticism, but there is none. Seriously. We just thought Teen Tix wasn't quite awesome enough already. Last time we did this, three actual live teenagers won actual dollars.Okay, we do have an ulterior motive: to get you to see more art at different places. The more different places you go and different kinds of art you see, the more money you can win. Passport to the Arts. Get it?Okay, go download your passport from our website and start collecting stamps. You have until July 9th, 2010 to fill up your card. Go go go!

I bet that was pan pan commenting you, i tried talking to those guys after the show and they were complete assholes.

SAM Next: Heide Hinrichs @ Seattle Art MuseumGerman-born Seattle-based artist Heide Hinrichs makes art out of stuff--everyday stuff, like dead soccer balls and string. In so doing, she makes the stuff transcend its ordinariness. She makes the stuff turn itself inside out and whisper its stories. "Stagger out into the light after losing everything and there are her sculptures on the floor, the flayed skin of soccer balls hung up on a wire or deflated inner tubes curled as if smoked in a fire." - Regina Hackett Through June 13th, 2010 at Seattle Art Museum seattleartmuseum.orgSAM Next: Heide HinrichsSeattle Art MuseumThrough June 13th, 2010Hours: Wednesday–Sunday: 10 am–5 pmThursday & Friday: 10 am–9 pmMonday & Tuesday: closed

If you hate money, stop reading.Okay, the rest of you: the Teen Tix Passport to the Arts contest is on right now. It works like a coffee card for art: everytime you use your Teen Tix pass in the next 5 months, get your card stamped. When it's full, send it in. If we pull your card, you win. You win money. First prize is $200 (yes, two hundred dollars).What's the catch, you say? We applaud your wise skepticism, but there is none. Seriously. We just thought Teen Tix wasn't quite awesome enough already. Last time we did this, three actual live teenagers won actual dollars.Okay, we do have an ulterior motive: to get you to see more art at different places. The more different places you go and different kinds of art you see, the more money you can win. Passport to the Arts. Get it?Okay, go download your passport from our website and start collecting stamps. You have until July 9th, 2010 to fill up your card. Go go go!

The Horse Boy @ SIFF CinemaHow far would you travel to heal someone you love? For one Texas couple, it means a spiritual journey halfway around the world to Mongolia. When their son is diagnosed with autism, they seek the best treatments but nothing works… Until they discover their son’s connection to horses and the effect it has on him. Part travel adventure and shamanic quest, this is the story of how one family found a gateway into understanding their son’s life.Watch the trailer:Saturday, March 27th at 1:00 PMSIFF Cinema

Opera, Undressed @ Cornish College of the ArtsIf you think of opera as lavish, overwrought spectacle that relates to actual life sort of not at all, you should check this out. Soprano Natalie Lerch performs two stunning one-woman operas: Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine (1959) and Judith Weir’s King Harald’s Saga (1979). Here's the description of La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice) from Cornish's website:"Before the ubiquity of overheard cell phone conversations made the private-life details of passersby an everyday occurrence to our public ear, Francois Poulenc and Jean Cocteau constructed an opera comprised of only one side of an overheard telephone conversation. Their tour de force opera for solo soprano, La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice) brings the audience into the heroine’s bedroom to eavesdrop on her side of an emotional telephone call. Poulenc’s jagged, lush, and emotional score and Cocteau’s allusive and seductive libretto chart the soprano’s anguished search for strength as we listen vicariously to the story that unfolds."Um, yeah. That sounds kind of awesome, right?Natalie Lerch Opera Undressed – Three Acts, One WomanSaturday, March 27, 8:00 pmPONCHO Hall, Cornish College of the ArtsMore info at cornish.edu

Ching Chong Chinaman @ SiS Productions"Great laughs...unexpectedly moving" - Examiner.comMeet the Wong family: as all-American as apple pie. Ed likes to play golf, Grace wants another child, Desdemona is desperate to get into Princeton, and Upton is working towards gaming superstardom. When Upton gets an indentured Chinese servant to help him with his homework, life in the Wong household takes an interesting turn . . . Flipping every cliché about Asian American identity upside down, this award-winning play by Lauren Yee is an "exhilarating send-up" of the American dream.Watch the preview video for Ching Chong Chinaman, in which cast member Kathy Hsieh points out "It..deals with 4th & 5th generation Asian Americans...and there's a sensibility about it that I think will really be important for 20-somethings, teenagers, and college students."Follow the Wong family on twitterFan Ching Chong Chinaman on facebook.Ching Chong ChinamanPresented by SiS Productions at Richard Hugo House on Capitol HillMarch 16 - April 24more info.SIS Productions is a production company that strives to create, develop and produce quality works that involve Asian American women, their themes, and Asian American issues. SIS Productions encourages opportunities and support for Asian American women to be involved in all aspects of the production of artistic endeavors.