Dance
Pacific Northwest Ballet: A new season starts in September. Season tickets are on sale now and can be bought without service fees through Aug. 10. Call 206-441-2424 or go to the box office at 301 Mercer St. or online at pnb.org. All PNB performances are at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street, Seattle.
“Celebrate Seattle”: 6 p.m. Sept. 16. This event combines music, dance, video and song and features the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra performing music from “Back to the Future,” “Lost in Space” and “The Pink Panther,” paired with Stravinsky, Bizet, Dvorak and Beethoven.
“Cinderella”: Sept. 21. This performance honors founding artistic director Kent Stowell as his choreography recalls Cinderella’s long-lost mother in a tender memory scene and then returns her in the guise of the Fairy Godmother. Opening night also includes a performance of “Circus Polka” with music by Stravinsky and choreography by Jerome Robbins
“All Premiere”: Nov. 2. This four-pack of world premieres includes choreographer Mark Morris’ first commissioned ballet for PNB to a cello concerto by Paul Hindemith; company soloist Kiyon Gaines debuts his second ballet for the main stage, an homage to George Balanchine and Kent Stowell; and company corps de ballet dancers Margaret Mullin and Andrew Bartee each presenting their first works.
“The Nutcracker”: Dec. 7. This traditional holiday show is not part of PNB’s subscription season but is as much a part of Christmas as opening presents. Choreographer Kent Stowell collaborated with the late children’s author Maurice Sendak to feature more than 200 roles, gigantic moving sets and Tchaikovsky’s score.
“Romeo et Juliette”: Feb. 1. Jean-Christophe Maillot’s tale of forbidden love is grounded in classical ballet but feels progressive.
“Modern Masterpieces”: March 15. This mixed bill offers Ulysses Dove’s ode to love and loss “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven,” Twyla Tharp’s exuberant “In the Upper Room”; “Concerto Barocco,” George Balanchine’s testament to Bach via Francia Russell; and Paul Gibson’s new work set to Mozart.
“Hansel &Gretel”: March 17. A narrated, hourlong ballet for families based on the classic fairy tale of a brother and sister who become lost in the forest and find a house made of deliciousness and a witch.
Theater
Snohomish and Island counties
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: Island Shakespeare Festival on Whidbey Island opens its 2012 summer offering with one of the Bard’s popular plays that includes a cast of Puck-punk’d lovers, an ethereal forest King and Queen of the fairies and their sweet minions, and some comedic brilliance provided by Bottom, the overconfident weaver, and his cohort “mechanicals”; this is a free bring a blanket or a lawn chair and a picnic performance; curtain is at 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Aug. 4 through 26 at the Storyhouse Stage, 6449 Old Pietila Road, Clinton; go to www.islandshakespearefest.org for more info or call 360-221-1710.
“Outsider”: This new play written and directed by local playwright and actor Gail Fleming introduces us to Flora, who has lived alone in the woods for 25 years with her companion golden eagle, until Jay Thompson, a professor of biology interested in human/bird communication, “discovers” her; shows at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 5. Tickets are $12. Call 360-221-8268 or 800-638-7631 or visit wicaonline.com.
“Gilligan’s Island, An Epic Parody”: Snohomish Theater Project and The Phoenix Theater team up to present this parody of two classic “Gilligan” episodes: a visiting Hungarian socialite comes to buy the island and is smitten by the Professor, and Mary Anne bumps her head and thinks she is Ginger; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3 and 4 and 2 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Phoenix Theater, 9673 Firdale Ave., Edmonds. Tickets are $10 and $5 for children 10 and under. No reservations are needed. For more information go to www.phoenixtheatreedmonds.com.
“Nunsense”: Rogue Theatrics is presenting this ribald comedy about the Little Sisters of Hoboken who decide to hold a variety show to raise money to bury five sisters who accidentally met their end after their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, fed them a tainted batch of vichyssoise soup; the show is filled with outrageous songs and slapstick comedy; evening performances 8 p.m. Aug. 10, 11, 17 and 18 with 2 p.m. shows Aug. 12 and 19 at Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett. Tickets are $19.50 and $16.50. Go to www.roguetheatrics.com/ or call HET 425-258-6766.
Seattle
“The Pinter Festival”: Two comedies by Harold Pinter, “Celebration” and “The Dumb Waiter” is a double-bill that kicks off the festival; through Aug. 26 at ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle. Tickets start at $37.50 for adults. Call 206- 292-7676 or www.acttheatre.org.
“Rent”: This vital modern rock opera celebrates survival in the city of Manhattan and unleashes such hits as “La Vie Boheme,” “Take Me or Leave Me,” “One Song Glory,” and “Seasons of Love”; runs at various times through Aug. 19, The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle. Tickets start at $29. Call 206-625-1900 or go to www.5thavenue.org.
Intiman Summer Theater Festival: This is a new festival this year starting with four plays: “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hedda Gabler,” “Miracle!” and “Dirty Story.” The artists are Dan Savage, Valerie Curtis-Newton, Andrew Russell and Allison Narver; performances through Aug. 26 at Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer St., Seattle. Tickets are $30 each; Ticketmaster.com or 800-982-2787. A limited number of tickets may also be available at the door. More information at www.intiman.org.
“Chaps!”: America’s favorite singing cowboys are saddled up to take the British airwaves by storm in 1944. Problem is: the crooners don’t show up. What’s the BBC to do? Shows at various times through Aug. 11, Taproot Theatre, 204 N 85th St., Seattle. Enjoyable for ages 5 and up. Tickets are $22 to $37. Call 206-781-9707 or go to www.taproottheatre.org/buy-tickets.
“Gangsters of Love”: This show gives a nod to the mobster days of the 1920s and 1930s only with acrobatics and dance moves and featuring comedian Frank Ferrante and aerialist Dreya Weber; dinner shows and matinees to Sept. 30, Teatro ZinZanni, 222 Mercer St., Seattle. Dinner prices start at $106 (all ages) and matinee prices start at $86 (general). Call 206-802-0015 or dreams.zinzanni.org/.
Billboard
Red Curtain Productions: Auditions for the first show of the 2012-13 season; Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys” about an out-of-work vaudeville team asked to reunite for a TV special … but they hate each other. Performed Sept. 21 to Oct. 7 at the Historic Everett Theatre. To audition, send an email to auditionrcf@gmail.com or call 425.501.7604. Roles for seven actors.
The Driftwood Players announce auditions for “The 39 Steps,” a juicy whodunit with a touch of Monty Python. Auditions are 5 p.m. Aug. 5 and 7 p.m. Aug. 6., Driftwood admin office, 306 Main St., Edmonds; parts for one man and one woman (25-40) and two roles (any gender); prepare two contrasting monologues. Appointments made online at www.driftwoodplayers.com or call 425-774-9600.
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