Stage
This weekend, Lakewood Playhouse will host close encounters of the radio kind. For his ninth year in a row, James Venturini is directing a cast of vocal talents to perform, live on stage, a radio-drama-style program for Halloween. Venturini and his cast create live sound effects as well. This year's
Features
It goes by the Latin name Homarus americanus. It can stretch to over two feet long and weigh 40 pounds. An Atlantic-dwelling, herring-munching monster, it's the heaviest arthropod on the planet. Forget Jurassic Park, this spiny devil originated during the Cambrian explosion a half-billion years ago. Pretty intimidating, right? Now
Stage
Visitors to legendary comic Emo Philips' Wikipedia page learn in its first sentence that Philips is a master of the paraprosdokian. That was a new one on us, too. A paraprosdokian, from the Greek for "counter to expectations," is a witty remark in which the last phrase is a surprise
Stage
Tacomans already know Creative Colloquy as a monthly literary event, two-going-on-three annual print publications, and a thriving website (CreativeColloquy.com) full of locally-written poetry and prose. Last fall, founder Jackie Fender added a pick-and-choose "lit crawl" to Colloquy's already-impressive roster. It returns this year to spread stories and other live entertainment
Music
Let's not insult Art Garfunkel by pretending he needs any introduction. We know him, of course, as the sensitive actor who debuted in Mike Nichols' Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge. That latter role earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Then came an over-40-year acting career, with roles in Laverne & Shirley,
Stage
Despair is often the engine for creativity. So it was with colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, which generated dance forms including dabke, salsa, samba and even tap. What we now call tap dancing arose when slaves in America combined beloved West African rhythms with Irish jig. Carol Thuy Bui is
Features
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack ... " Which sport is identified most with (and beloved for) its concessions? Hint: it ain't football. Sadly, for all the screaming hysteria to be heard in Seahawk Nation, no one says much about the food in its capital stadium. Zach Hensley, managing director
Stage
Science fiction can take us anywhere, from human blood vessels to the edges of the universe. In 1897, it turned menacing Martian tripods loose on the streets of Victorian London. These days, episodes of Doctor Who can be viewed on any smartphone, an improvement over Starfleet's communicators. Words, Words, Words is
Stage
Perhaps reflecting the collegiate world in which many stage artists train, theater's "season" ignores the calendar and runs from fall into summer. Thus, companies all over the South Sound are rehearsing their season openers. We take this opportunity to look into our crystal ball and identify the 10 shows most
Music
Where were you on April 28, 1994? That's the day All-4-One's cover of "I Swear," originally a chart-topping country track from John Michael Montgomery, was released to the public. That crooned rendition also hit #1 and stayed there for 11 weeks. If you're a member of Generation X, there's a
Attractions
In a world! ... where the Mariners are eight-and-a-half games back, summer movies have only been OK, and presidential candidates bet millions on who can be least popular, we need an August pick-us-up. On Facebook, the response to that necessity is simple: baby animal videos. In real life, the kind
Features
If you've ever been to a Disney theme park, then you know what Heaven smells like. That was no accident. Disney's Imagineers invented a device called the Smellitzer, which pumps the scent of vanilla from the ice cream shop onto guests stampeding up Main Street, U.S.A. Not only does that
Travel
There's something wonderfully freeing about "can't." North Cascades Lodge is a place where you can't make or receive a phone call. You can't watch TV in your room. You can't read the newspaper. You can't check email or catch up on Facebook. It's off the grid. It's hard to believe
Music
Generation X grew up on the music of British-American rock behemoth Foreigner. We know every word to such massive hit singles as "Cold as Ice," "Double Vision," "Juke Box Hero," and "Urgent" among others. When these songs appear on classic radio, they're as enjoyable now as they were a generation
Features
It rises to a height of 29,029 feet, or, as one movie put it, "the cruising altitude of a 747." Climbers who aspire to scale it must deal with climatic variations from frostbite to sunburn. Then there are the rockslides and avalanches, edema of the brain and lungs, and an
Music
Actor Mandy Patinkin said director Rob Reiner gave him his choice of roles in the much-loved 1987 film adaptation of The Princess Bride. After almost three decades, it's impossible to say what may have drawn Patinkin to Spanish swordmaster Inigo Montoya in particular, but it's worth noting that Patinkin's own
Features
Travelers can fly directly to places as far away as Beijing, Dubai and Hong Kong from Sea-Tac International Airport, so it only makes sense that exotic fare should be available nearby. Yet most passengers are regrettably unaware of anything more challenging than a 6 a.m. Cinnabon in the Seatac area.
Travel
Never let it be said Kathy F., owner and operator of Arcadia Romantic Getaway near Shelton, is clamoring for publicity. Over the last 22 years, she's greeted guests on her six-acre property, most of whom heard about it from other delighted patrons. This place has devoted fans. Kathy estimates her
Stage
"O Fortuna," the opening chorus of Carl Orff's 1935 classic Carmina Burana, is as famous and ubiquitous a melody as any in 20th-century music. Its staccato chant added drama and majesty to the soundtracks of Excalibur, Speed, and Jackass: The Movie. It powered trailers for Glory and South Park: Bigger,
Travel
For years, travel experts have extoled the virtues of California's Napa Valley, a nexus of wine production and haute cuisine. It's true: Napa's weather and scenery are gorgeous, its food and wine better. Ad Hoc, Celadon and The French Laundry, for three examples, stand as destination restaurants that carry commensurate
