360 December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E1

Events to enrich your holiday spirit PAGE 3

PAGE 10

ON STAGE

Anacortes Community Theatre presents “Noel Noir” PAGE 11

TUNING UP

Kuinka plays the Wild Buffalo in Bellingham Skagit Valley Herald Thursday December 20, 2018

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK

YOUR ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKAGIT COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

Inside Out & About........................... 4-9 On Stage....................................10 Tuning Up.................................11 Hot Tickets...............................13 Get Involved.............................14 At the Lincoln..........................15 Travel.........................................16 Movies................................. 17-19 CTMG

Richie Merritt and Matthew McConaughey in “White Boy Rick.”

“WHITE BOY RICK”: Matthew McConaughey stars in this tale of the corrupt world of 1980s Detroit at the height of the war on drugs. In the feature film that’s based on a true story, McConaughey plays Richard Wershe Sr., a blue-collar father whose 15-year-old son, Rick Wershe Jr. (played by newcomer Richie Merritt), becomes the youngest FBI informant in history.

Rick — who is given the nickname “White Boy Rick” — goes from helping the FBI to becoming a drug dealer. After Rick is abandoned by his FBI handlers, he ends up being sentenced to life in prison.

“White Boy Rick” was directed by Yann Demange

(“’71”). It also stars Bel Powley (“Diary of a Teenage Girl”), Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”), Brian Tyree Henry (“Atlanta”), Rory Cochrane (“Black Mass”), RJ Cyler (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”), Jonathan Majors (“Hostiles”), Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”) and Piper Laurie (“Twin Peaks”).

The bonus features include six deleted scenes and three behind-the-scenes featurettes. In addition, there is an audio interview with the real-life Rick Wershe Jr. that was done in prison where he describes his story and shares personal photos and video from his trial.

BEING RELEASED ON

DIGITAL HD DEC. 25 “GOOSEBUMPS 2”: The feature film based on the creepy book series by R.L Stine features best friends Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris), who have a trash business.

When cleaning out the old Stine house, they open a locked book that frees a supernatural nightmare, Slappy.

“Goosebumps 2” comes with bonus features that include a gag reel, three deleted scenes and five featurettes.

It will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Jan. 15.

SPECIAL DEAL Redbox is having a holiday sale of 82 feature films that will run through

Upcoming DVD releases Following is a partial schedule of DVD releases (dates subject to change):

JAN. 1

n Night School n Bad times at the El

Royal n A.X.L. — Tribune News Service

Jan. 1. Previously rented titles, which include “Ready Player One,” “Blade Runner 2048,” “Fifty Shades of Freed,” “I, Tonya” and “Wonder,” are being sold for as low as $3.99.

Go to www.redbox.com/ holiday-sale-2018 for more information.

– Rick Bentley, Tribune News Service

SUBMISSIONS Email: features@skagitpublishing.com Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday for the following Thursday edition Phone 360-416-2135 Address Skagit Publishing 1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274 Online events calendar To list your event on our website, visit goskagit.com and look for the Events Calendar on the home page

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com

TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E3

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY Christmas is Tuesday, Dec. 25. Here are numerous events that enable revelers to enjoy and embrace the holiday season.

Music JEFFREY ELVIS BLUE CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE: Hear the hits of Elvis performed by a tribute artist in full costume with vocal and saxophone accompaniment at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Firehouse Arts & Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $20-$23. www. elvis.media.

WINTER SOLSTICE CONCERT: Celebrate winter solstice with traditional Celtic and Balkan tunes from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $6 children, $18 adults.

CELEBRATE THE SEASON: Enjoy an intimate holiday concert and support Animals in Natural Therapy from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, at Hearthsong Inn, 2400 E. Hemmi Road, Bellingham. $50. 360-671-3509.

Theater ”A CHRISTMAS CAROL”: Three actors will perform this classic Christmas favorite at the Sylvia Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 20-22, at the center, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $15-20. sylviacenterforthearts.org.

”A CHRISTMAS CAROL...

MORE OR LESS”: This twist on a Christmas classic written by Stefano LoVerso and Mary Irey is playing both as dinner theatre and as a matinee during the Lights of Christmas Festival at Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. $38-$59. Schedule: thelightsofchristmas. com. ”NOEL NOIR”: ACT presents a new play written by Bruce Rolfe and Billy Hendrix that mixes Christmas with film noir. Showings are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, Dec. 20 and 22, at the theater, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20.

More Fun WINTERFEST: Cama Beach State Park is hosting a month full of holiday fun in December. Most events are free, but Discovery Passes for parking are $10. n Dec. 22: Crafts on the

Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. n Dec. 29: Music in the Cama Center with The Whateverly Brothers from 6 to 9 p.m.

FAIRHAVEN WINTERFEST: Local artists are featured throughout the Fairhaven Historical District in Bellingham during December.

THE LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS: Enjoy the holiday season at this festival boasting over 1 million lights at Warm Beach Camp and Confer-

ence Center, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. The festival is open from 5 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday through Sunday through Dec. 29. $16. thelightsofchristmas.com.

TOUR OF LIGHTS: Cedarcrest Golf Course, 6810 84th St. NE, Marysville, becomes an after-dark winter wonderland in December. See the lights from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 20-22. Suggested donation $5 adults, $3 kids.

360-363-8400.

CAROLING ON COMMERCIAL: Join the community in caroling in Anacortes at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, on Commercial Avenue.

WINTER SOLSTICE RIVER WALK: Spend winter solstice walking Riverfront Trail from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, by candlelight in Snohomish.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE: Create a gingerbread house from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at the Children’s Museum of Skagit County, 550 Cascade Mall Drive, Burlington. $25 per family; preregistration required. skagitchildrensmuseum.net.

SANTA TRAIN RIDE: Take a train ride and meet Santa at Miniature World Family Fun Center, 4620 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Blaine.

The center opens at 5 p.m.

Dec. 19-23. $12-$16.

HOLIDAY FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS: Over 100 artists from the region are featured at this indoor art festival. Shop for Christmas gifts and listen to live music from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until Dec. 23 at 1530 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham.

Open until 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS PARTY: Get the ugly sweaters out for two Christmas parties. Overflow Taps are hosting parties at both the Bellingham and Lynden locations from noon to midnight on Friday, Dec. 21.

Bellingham: 2930 Newmar-

ket St., Suite 117. Lynden: 106 Fifth St. WINTER NIGHT MARKET: The Commercial Street Night Market is back just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping. Check it out from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, on the 1300 block of Commercial Street in Bellingham.

SLEIGHBELLS RING: BelleWood Acres has transformed into a winter wonderland featuring horsedrawn trolleys, Santa, freshcut trees, food, cookie decoration station and distilled spirits. Join the fun from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 22-23, at 6140 Guide Meridian, Lynden.

INDEPENDENT WREATH-MAKING: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except Wednesdays) through Dec. 24, Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Wreath forms and greens are available for purchase, or you may bring your own. Reservations required: 360-466-3821.

FA-LA-LA CAROLING COMPETITION: 3 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 22, Fairhaven Village Green, 1207 Tenth St., Bellingham.

A VERY SUBDUED CHRISTMAS: Robt Sarazin Blake reprises this collection of holiday songs and stories with special guest Grace Gouran at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at the Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $5-$15. sylviacenterforthearts.org.

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT

ART

INSPIRED BY DESIGN: Art from local artists representing the area’s beauty is on display WaterWorks Gallery, 315 Argyle Ave., Friday Harbor, through Jan. 5.

JOSEPH GOLDBERG: The memorial exhibit “Joseph Goldberg: The Night Has Eyes” is on display at i.e. gallery, 5800 Cains Court, Edison.

I.E. GALLERY: The work of Victon Sandblom and Launi Lucas is featured at i.e. gallery, 5800 Cains Court, Edison.

ARTWOOD: The work of dozens of local artists is on display in

THE JOURNEY’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT DECEMBER 20

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December at Artwood Gallery, 1000 Harris Ave., Bellingham.

YEAR(S) IN REVIEW: Archived artwork fills the gallery floor-to-ceiling and is available for purchase at this holiday art show. 5742 Gilkey Ave., Edison.

PAPERCUTS: Honey Salon and Gallery presents “Papercuts,” a new collection by artist Aaron Brick, at the gallery, 310 W. Holly St., Bellingham.

JENNIFER BOWMAN: The work of Jennifer Bowman is on display through Jan. 22 at the Scott Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave., Anacortes.

HOLIDAY ART EXHIBIT: Art from Signature Members of the Northwest Pastel Society and others is on display at the Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett, through Dec. 29.

RISING: Fourth Corner Frames & Gallery, 311 W Holly St., Bellingham, presents a new exhibition of work ranging from traditional to avant-garde. The exhibition will be available until Dec. 31.

MOUNTAINEERING EXHIBIT: Western Washington University’s Libraries Heritage Resources is hosting an exhibition exploring the relationship between humans’ love of high altitudes and issues of gender, race and class until March 22 in the Special Collections floor of the Wilson Library, 516

High St., Bellingham.

Free.

SURGE: The Museum of Northwest Art, 121 First St., La Conner, hosts an exhibition designed to draw attention to climate change featuring 21 artists. The exhibit is open until Jan. 6.

Journey’s Christmas music

HONEY I SHRUNK THE ART: Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Park presents its 28th Annual Small Works Show until Jan. 13 at 2345 Blanche Way, Camano Island.

PEGGY WOODS: Watercolor artist Peggy Woods of Anacortes is featured at the Good Studd Arts gallery, 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. Work from gallery artists on the theme “Why the NW?” is also on display during December.

MUSIC

JEFFREY ELVIS BLUE CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE: Hear the hits of Elvis performed by a tribute artist in full costume with vocal and saxophone accompaniment at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, at Firehouse Arts & Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham. $20-$23. elvis.media

THEATER

”A CHRISTMAS CAROL ... MORE OR LESS”: This twist on a Christmas classic written by Stefano LoVerso and Mary Irey is playing both as dinner theater and as a matinee during the Lights of Christmas Festival at Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. $38-$59.

Schedule at thelightsofchristmas.com.

BRONN JOURNEY

Bronn Journey

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

MOUNT VERNON — Experience traditional Christmas music at 7:30 p.m. today at McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way. Bronn Journey will be on the harp, but bringing an unusual folksy style to the instrument commonly thought of as classical.

A small ensemble of musicians will join Journey, including woodwinds, strings, percussion, brass and a vocal quintet. In addition to the sounds of the season, lighthearted humor will be sprinkled throughout the performance.

Tickets are $24 and discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. mcintyrehall.org

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E5

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT

MORE FUN

WINTERFEST: Cama Beach State Park will host a month full of holiday fun in December.

Most events are free, but a Discover Pass for parking is $10. n Dec. 22: Crafts on the Beach from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. n Dec. 29: Music in the Cama Center with The Whateverly Brothers from 6 to 9 p.m.

THE LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS: Enjoy the holiday season at this festival boasting over 1 million lights at Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. The festival is open from 5 to 10 p.m.

Dec. 19-23 and 26-29. $16. thelightsofchristmas.com.

SANTA TRAIN RIDE: Take a train ride and meet Santa at Miniature World Family Fun Center, 4620 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Blaine. It opens at 5 p.m. Dec. 14-19. $12-$16.

A new take on Christmas with ‘My Three Ghosts’

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

TOUR OF LIGHTS: Cedarcrest Gold Course becomes an after-dark winter wonderland in December. See the lights from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 20-22.

Suggested donation $5 adults, $3 kids. The course is at 6810 84th St. NE Marysville. 360-3638400.

CAROLING ON COMMERCIAL: Join the community in caroling in Anacortes at 5 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21, on Commercial Avenue.

THE UPFRONT THEATRE

BELLINGHAM — Imagine if “A Christmas Carol” was redone and unscripted; that’s what “My Three Ghosts” is all about.

The show is put on by the Upfront Theatre, an improv comedy venue at 1208 Bay St. Every show at the Upfront is improvised. Showings of “My Three Ghosts” are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 21-22.

Following the show is a 9:30 p.m. short form game show called “LoL-apalooza,” where improvisers play games like the ones on “Whose Line Is It Anyway.”

Tickets are $10-$12.

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Book Now & Make Everyone Merry MountBakerTheatre.com • (360) 734-6080

Mount Baker Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the performing arts.

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT SURVIVAL SKILLS CAMP FOR KIDS: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, Burlington Parks and Recreation Center, 900 E. Fairhaven. $42.

Holiday fun at BelleWood Acres

BABYSITTING BASICS: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28, Burlington Parks and Recreation Center, 900 E. Fairhaven. $42. 360755-9649.

NOON YEAR’S EVE: Ring in the NOON Year with crafts and games from 11 a.m. to noon on New Year’s Eve, Monday, Dec. 31, at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave., Burlington.

LOOKING AHEAD

GATHERING: Kulshan Chorus will present the winter concert “Gathering” at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. $7-$22.

ADAM BILLINGS: The Bellingham Festival of Music will present composer Adam Billings at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at First Congregation Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham. $15, free for students.

ARTIST & SCIENTIST PANEL: A moderated panel featuring scientist and artist teams who contributed to the Surge exhibition at the Museum of Northwest Art will be featured at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at the museum, 121 First St., La Conner.

Free.

GERMANS FROM PRUSSIA: Skagit Valley

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

LYNDEN — BelleWood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian, is bringing the holiday magic this year at Sleighbells Ring on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 22-23.

Genealogy Society will present a talk by genealogy expert Dave Obee at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E Washington Ave., Burlington.

ARTIST & SCIENTIST PANEL: A moderated panel featuring scientist and artist teams who contributed to the Surge exhibition at the Museum of Northwest Art

Santa Claus will on the premises from noon to 4 p.m., and he’ll be ready for every photo opportunity.

Caroling and live music will fill the air from noon to 5 p.m., setting a soundtrack for all those shopping for a last minute

will begin at 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 5, at the museum, 121 First St., La Conner. Free.

VISIONS AND VOICES: The forgotten films from cinema’s female directors will be played in this silent film series presented by CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 6, at Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N

Christmas tree or wreath.

Kids can take the opportunity to decorate some cookies and parents can enjoy spirits from the distillery section of the farm.

A special holiday meal will also be served in the Country Cafe from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Commercial St., Bellingham.

the Pickford Film Center, 1318 Bay St., Bellingham.

TREATY DAY FILM FEST: This film festival showcases the resilience of indigenous peoples in honor of the Point Elliot Treaty of 1865 and features short films and a panel discussion. The festival will be held from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, and 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, at

HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference is a space for the community to come together and renew commitments to the ideals of King from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Syre Student Center at Whatcom

Community College, 237 W. Kellogg Road, Bellingham.

VINTAGE RADIO EVENT: Listen to vintage radio music and shows from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s on Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Caregie Gallery, 1305 Eighth St., Anacortes. There are two sessions: 3 to 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 8:30 p.m. RSVP: 360-293-1915.

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

LET’S CELEBRATE

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E8 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT

Caroling on Commercial

MARYSVILLE WEDDING SHOW: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, Marysville Opera House, 1225 Third St., Marysville.

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

ANACORTES — Christmas spirit is in the air, and so are Christmas songs.

Join the Anacortes community in spreading cheer with carols at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21.

Meet in front of the Visitor Center, 819 Commercial Ave., to join the group. Songbooks will be provided.

FARM TO TABLE: All food businesses, artisans and growers are invited to the NW Washington Farm-to-Table Meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave., Bellingham. $45-55. sustainableconnections. org/events.

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE CONFERENCE: Five award-winning children’s and young adult book authors and illustrators will speak from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Saturday, Feb. 23, at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center, 516 High St., Bellingham. $175. wwuclc.com.

MUSIC REVIEWS THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, “ELECTRIC LADYLAND — DELUXE EDITION”: Can you dig it? Fifty years later, Hendrix’s third, last, and longest Experience trio set is still the sludgy psychedelic blues-rock mindblower whence sprang “Crosstown Traffic,” “Voodoo Chile,” and that radical remake of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

The book-bound three-CD+Blu-ray vid-disc celebration soars higher with bird’s-eye view extras — a sweet 12-pack of strummy guitar and vocal demos, sprinkling of studio outtakes, and the bootleg board tape of a loosey-goosey ’68 Hollywood Bowl show.

Even better than lying on the floor between the speakers is engineer Eddie Kramer’s dynamic new magic carpet ride of a surround sound album mix (on Blu-ray) that plays well on a 5.1 channel home

theater system but that isn’t as insightful as the Beatles boxed “White Album” surround treatment. An extended “making-of” video documentary, reprints of Jimi’s handwritten lyrics, and liner notes by Philly guy David Fricke add even more fuel for the trip.

– Jonathan Takiff, The Philadelphia Inquirer ELVIS PRESLEY, “’68 COMEBACK SPECIAL: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION”: On Dec. 3, 1968, in one electrifying hour of TV, Elvis Presley rescued himself from irrelevancy. With what came to be known as “The ’68 Comeback Special,” it would be too facile to say the King of Rock-and-Roll had regained his throne — the world of 1968 was radically different from that of his 1950s ascendancy — but he did show indisputably

that he could still be an artist to be reckoned with.

This five-CD, two-Blu-ray set collects all the audio and video from this historic project in one package (plus an 86-page book).

It includes the original soundtrack album (with bonus cuts); the original NBC special; and uncut audio and video of the stand-up and sitdown performances — with Elvis famously clad in black leather — that were excerpted for TV; a disc of ultra-loose acoustic rehearsals with his old sidemen; and a disc of studio outtakes.

What emerges is a thrilling portrait of a singer and performer far removed from the neutered figure he had become in his increasingly ridiculous movies. He’s sexy, smart, funny and soulful. In other words, you get an artist in his element and in command, reaching deep

and summoning the best he has to offer — which is as good as pop music gets.

— Nick Cristiano, The Philadelphia Inquirer “BASEMENT BEEHIVE: THE GIRL GROUP UNDERGROUND”: Chicago reissue label Numero Group is an expert unearther that specializes in bringing talented might-have-beens out from obscurity and into the light of day.

Rather than center on a specific scene or individual artist (as with 2017’s fabulous Jackie Shane set), this double-disc collection with excellent liner notes by critic Jessica Hopper gathers 56 little-known girl groups from all over the U.S. in the pre-psychedelic 1960s. It’s a treasure trove of swoony, energetic, lovelorn pop from black, white, and brown groups such as Toni &

the Hearts, Judy & the Affections, and the Dreamliners that sing their hearts out but that never achieved the fame of the Shangri-Las or the Marvelettes.

Florida rock band the Belles sound positively punky on “Come Back,” and they turn a female gaze on the Van Morrison-penned Them hit “Gloria” with new lyrics about a cute guy named “Melvin.” Future soul star Lyn Collins is heard as a 14-year-old on Charles Pike & the Scholars’ “Unlucky in Love.” Bernadette Carroll tries her darnedest to get a new dance craze going on “The Humpty Dump.” “Basement Beehive” is a high-haired, highly enjoyable alternative history of songs that sound like you must have heard them before but actually haven’t.

– Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E9

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT VISIONS AND VOICES: The forgotten films from cinema’s female directors will be played in this silent film series presented by CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival at 2 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 1, at Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St., Lynden.

Caroling competition features voices raised in song

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

BELLINGHAM — Holiday caroling groups will go head to head this weekend at the Fairhaven Fa-La-La Caroling Competition.

From 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, Village Green in Fairhaven will be filled with music from various holiday tunes.

A donation box will be situated in front of each group. The money collected will be donated to Northwest Youth Services.

At 4:30 p.m. the top six groups will be selected for a sing-off and the judges will choose and present three awards: Most Musical, Most Entertaining and Most Creative.

Fairhaven Village Green is located at 1207 10th St.

NORDIC ROOTS: The Skagit Valley Genealogical Society will host a seminar featuring experts on Scandinavian and Viking research from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at First United Methodist Church, 1607 E Division St., Mount Vernon. $50-$60. skagitvalleygenealogy.org.

VISIONS AND VOICES: The forgotten films from cinema’s female directors will be played in this silent film series presented by CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival at 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 8, at Firehouse Cafe, 1314 Harris Ave., Bellingham.

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E10 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area December 20 – 23 Thursday.20 MUSIC THE JOURNEY’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT: 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $20-$24. 360-4167727 or mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER ”NOEL NOIR”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-2936829 or acttheatre.com.

”A CHRISTMAS CAROL...MORE OR LESS”: 6 p.m., Warm Beach Camp, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. $38-$59. 800-2286724 or thelightsofchristmas.com.

BALLET ”THE NUTCRACKER”: Ballet Bellingham, 7 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. 360-734-6080 or mountbakertheatre.com.

Friday.21 THEATER ”NOEL NOIR”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-2936829 or acttheatre.com.

Thursday-Saturday.20-22

”A CHRISTMAS CAROL...MORE OR LESS”: 6 p.m., Warm Beach Camp, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. $38-$59. 800-2286724 or thelightsofchristmas.com.

”A CHRISTMAS CAROL...MORE OR LESS”: 6 p.m., Warm Beach Camp, 20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood. $38-$59. 800-2286724 or thelightsofchristmas.com.

Saturday.22 THEATER ”NOEL NOIR”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-2936829 or acttheatre.com.

WILLOW MCLAUGHLIN PHOTO

”NOEL NOIR” 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

DANCE ”NATIVITY”: Dancing For Joy, 6:30 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. 360-7346080 or mountbakertheatre. com.

Sunday.23 THEATER ”A VERY SUBDUED CHRISTMAS”: 6 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $15. 360-305-3524 or sylviacenterforthearts.org.

DANCE ”NATIVITY”: Dancing For Joy, 6:30 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. 360-7346080 or mountbakertheatre. com.

Thursday.20

THE JOURNEY’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $20-$24.

360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TUNING UP Playing at area venues December 20 – 27 Thursday.20

PAUL KLEIN: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

Friday.21

SHINNANAGINS: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Bow. Free. 360-766-6330.

HAROLD BELSKUS: 7:30 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen & Stage, 513 First St., La Conner. 360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage.com.

FOREST BEUTEL: 9:30 p.m., Brown Lantern Ale House, 412 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360293-2544 or brownlantern.com.

COUNTRY JIM: 6:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks Lodge, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon. Members and signed-in guests only.

360-848-8882.

KUINKA, JOSH CLAUSON FEATURING SKY COLONY: 8 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham. 360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo.net.

THE WALRUS: 7 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham. 360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo. net.

SPACEBAND: 10 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham. 360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo. net.

BRIAN LEE AND THE ORBITERS: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

JODY TAYLOR BAND: 9 p.m., Loco Billy’s, 27021 102nd Ave. NW, Stanwood. $8. 425-737-5144, 360-629-6500 or locobillys.com.

Sunday.23

KAELI EARLE TRIO: 4:30 p.m., Hotel Bellwether, 1 Bellwether Way, Bellingham. 360-392-3100 or hotelbellwether.com.

BOW DIDDLERS: 5:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360-766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

Wednesday.26

THE WHATEVERLY BROTHERS: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

FIDALGO SWING: 6 p.m., Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720 or anacortesrockfish.com.

Saturday.22

Thursday.27

BOOTLEG SUNSHINE: 9:30 p.m., Brown Lantern Ale House, 412 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-293-2544 or brownlantern.com.

RANDY NORRIS & JEFF NICELY: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

FOREST BEUTEL: 7:30 p.m., Anelia’s Kitchen & Stage, 513 First St., La Conner. 360-399-1805 or aneliaskitchenandstage.com.

THE NAUGHTY BLOKES: 8:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360-766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

SKYHOOK: 8:30 p.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Friday.21

KUINKA 8 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham. 360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo.net. Also: Josh Clauson featuring Sky Colony.

KICKIN NAMES: 6 p.m., The Woolley Market, 829 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley. 360-982-2649 or woolleymarket.com.

MICHELE D’AMOUR AND THE LOVE DEALERS, BAILEY ANN MARTINET: 8 p.m., Firefly Lounge, 1015 N. State St., Bellingham. thefireflylounge.com or facebook.com/TheFireflyBham.

Friday.21

THE WHATEVERLY BROTHERS 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360-445-3000 or conwaymuse.com.

E12 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

How ‘Green Book’ composer taught piano to Mahershala Ali and honors Don Shirley

By RANDY LEWIS Los Angeles Times

The homework that film composer and music mentor Kris Bowers had to do before taking on his latest assignment speaks volumes about the unique niche in contemporary American music that pianist Don Shirley carved out for himself more than a half-century ago.

That legacy is at the heart of “Green Book,” the widely lauded film based on Shirley’s remarkable life and music, starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. Already the Peter Farrelly-directed film has collected five Golden Globe nominations, including best picture.

Shirley, who trained as a classical musician, was the first African American accepted into the Leningrad Conservatory of Music in the former Soviet Union. But he was more or less forced to abandon his dream to perform the classical music he most loved and instead find a career in jazz and pop music because his record company persuaded him that audiences would not accept a black pianist on classical stages at that time.

Bowers had been directed toward a life at the keyboard even before birth.

His parents’ dream was for their unborn son to play piano, to the extent that they played piano music consistently while he was still in his mother’s womb.

He went on to study at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, the Colburn School of Music in L.A. and then the Juilliard School in New York.

Though he hasn’t faced the same struggles that Shirley did decades ago, Bowers does feel a connection with Shirley and

didn’t flinch in discussing what he knew about the life, music and racism Shirley experienced as he tried to bridge the worlds of jazz and classical music.

Q: I know a fair amount about jazz and classical music, but I have to confess I was not aware of Don Shirley before I learned about this film.

A: Me either. I actually went back to Juilliard recently to speak to a couple of my old teachers in the jazz studies program there, and a couple of them didn’t know about him either.

The really surprising thing to me is that he put out six albums pretty much flying under the radar. So I’m glad to have been able to help bring his music to new audiences.

Q: That surprises me, given that Shirley lived above Carnegie Hall and had a solid following in New York in the early 1960s when this story takes place. How could he have slipped by the attention of many music aficionados in the jazz and classical worlds?

A: In one of the meetings I had with my (jazz) teachers, I talked about maybe doing a conversation at Juilliard about Dr. Shirley and his music.

They said we should talk to people from the classical department, and they were talking about him as a classical pianist, not a jazz musician. So even now it’s hard to place him.

Q: It’s really an extraordinary journey that Shirley undertook: touring the Deep South with the other two members of his trio at a time when segregation was still institutionalized in many places. As the movie points out, he could have stayed in New York and earned a lot more money and without having

ANGELA WEISS / GETTY IMAGES VIA TNS

Actor Mahershala Ali (from left), composer Kris Bowers, writer/ director Peter Farrelly and actor Viggo Mortensen attend the premiere of “Green Book” at The Paris Theatre on Nov. 13 in New York City.

to come face to face with the racism that met him on that two-month tour.

A: It’s one of the things that made me so connected to the film in the first place. My grandfather came from the panhandle of Florida, and he moved to California in the ’40s.

When he and my grandmother would travel back and forth between Florida and California, he told stories of driving nonstop, being on the highway going 60 and 70 mph and switching places as they were driving to avoid stopping. My grandfather also remembered going into town as a boy with his own father one time, and seeing another 10-yearold white boy call his dad “Boy.” That kind of thing shows how close this story hits home in that way.

Q: Did you also connect on any level with the circumstances Shirley faced?

What was your experience growing up here in Southern California in the 1990s and early 2000s?

A: When I was a kid in middle school, I was definitely was the black kid who was called “Oreo,” or people would say I talked white. In college, I had white friends tell me they were blacker than me

because of their knowledge of black music. I had a lot of those conversations.

Q: The film’s performance sequences are impressive. When Shirley and his trio start a concert, the camera is close in on long, sinewy fingers at the beginning of this very complex composition that has elements of jazz and classical music. As the camera pulls back, I expected a quick cut away from those fingers to show us Mahershala Ali’s face the way the movies usually do to trick viewers into thinking the actor is actually performing. But the camera just does a long pull back and we see it is Ali playing, and it was your coaching — along with Ali’s commitment to the role — that makes those performance scenes so refreshingly credible.

A: We spent about three months doing lessons before we started filming.

The crazy thing is we were only supposed to meet the first time for an hour. I planned to start with a C major scale, and thought maybe by the end of an hour he might be able to play up and down one octave with both hands. I was also going to give him

a couple of finger exercises to work with.

That first lesson ended up being three hours, just playing the C major scale.

That was him not giving up. I had to physically tap him if I wanted him to stop — he would just keep playing because he was so focused. It was really incredible how fast he was able to learn. At the end of that first lesson, he was able to play both hands together over a couple of octaves on the C major scale. I’ve never been able to do that much with a student before.

Q: So which scenes are you and which are Ali? A: In the end, I’m not really sure percentage-wise how much is me and how much is Mahershala.

Anything that was pretty difficult, requiring a lot of dexterity, is probably me; the simpler stuff, that’s all him being how and where he needed to be.

Q: Another thing I think music-savvy viewers will appreciate is recognizing just how challenging Shirley’s music is and how convincingly it’s put across on screen.

A: From the beginning, one of the main focal points was making sure we were representing Don himself and his music as well as possible. For Tom Wolfe, the music supervisor, part of bringing me into this project, and something we talked a lot about, was that we didn’t want to dumb down his music at all to make it somewhat more palatable.

Q: There’s a really funny bit in which Viggo Mortenson’s character, Tony Lip, mentions Shirley’s record about “the orphans,” the one with children on the cover. It takes Shirley a second to figure out that he’s talking

about one of Shirley’s signature recordings, his 1956 solo “Orpheus in the Underworld,” in which he represented the classic Greek tragedy across a series of four movements that flow between classical and jazz performance elements.

A: We talked about how to make his music relatable for current audiences perhaps by simplifying some of the arrangements, and that idea was quickly thrown out. We felt it would be disrespectful to his piano playing. What makes this story great is how incredible a musician he is. The only way we altered it was that to make the songs fit within a scene we might have to shorten a song from six minutes to two minutes. The only other thing we changed was the way we mixed (the audio), so it didn’t feel like older recordings but more like a present-day record so that people could get more immersed in the music.

Q: The story of the friendship between Shirley and Tony Lip is quite touching, especially in the fact that they remained close for the rest of their lives. But more impressive is that the film doesn’t shortchange the musicianship that was central to Don Shirley’s life.

A: Maybe you wouldn’t notice if it wasn’t done well, but you really do notice if it is done well. I can see somebody (in a movie) just sit at a piano and right away I can tell they’re not a pianist, and instantly I’m taken out of the movie, out of the narrative. If they (the musicians) weren’t convincing with something this difficult, you wouldn’t feel how incredible the music is. It has to be good.

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E13

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

HOT TICKETS RAILROAD EARTH: Dec. 29, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

PONCHO SANCHEZ LATIN JAZZ BAND: Dec. 31, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

STRAIGHT NO CHASER: Dec. 31, McCaw Hall, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

DELVON LAMARR ORGAN TRIO: Dec. 31, The Triple Door, Seattle. 206-8384333 or thetripledoor.net. ”THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: Jan. 4-6, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle. 206-6251900 or 5thavenue.org.

KAT EDMONSON: Jan. 8-9, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

MARTIN TAYLOR, LAURENCE JUBER: Jan. 15-16, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

38 SPECIAL: Jan. 25, Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom, Tulalip. 360-7166000 or ticketmaster.com.

TRAVIS SCOTT: Jan. 29, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

DIERKS BENTLEY: Feb. 1, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com. ”ROCK OF AGES”: Feb. 1-24, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle. 206-625-1900 or 5thavenue.org.

KISS: Feb. 2, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-7453000, livenation.com or kissonline.com.

JAMES HUNTER SIX: Feb. 5-6, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

REVEREND HORTON

MARTIN TAYLOR (pictured) WITH LAURENCE JUBER Jan. 15-16, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

HEAT, BIG SANDY, VOODOO GLOW SKULLS: Feb. 6-8, Tractor Tavern, Seattle.

206-789-3599 or tractortavern.com.

MANHATTAN TRANSFER: Feb. 7-10, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Feb. 8, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND: Feb. 9, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE: Feb. 10-11, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

RONAN FARROW: Feb. 11, McCaw Hall, Seattle. 844827-8188 or uniquelives. com.

DELFONICS FEATURING GREG HILL: Feb. 12-13, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

THE BAD PLUS: Feb. 19-20, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

ARTURO SANDOVAL: Feb. 21-24, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

SINNE EEEG: Feb. 25, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

TERENCE BLANCHARD, E-COLLECTIVE: Feb. 2627, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

JOEY ALEXANDER: Feb. 28-March 3, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

JOE LOVANO TRIO TAPESTRY: March 12-13, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

NICK MASON: March 13, Paramount Theater, Seattle.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

CATHERINE RUSSELL:

March 14-17, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

SARAH BRIGHTMAN: March 16, Paramount Theater, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

AZIZ ANSARI: March 19, Paramount Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

STEVE WOZNIAK: March 25, McCaw Hall, Seattle. 844827-8188 or uniquelives. com.

TOWER OF POWER: April 11-14, 2019, Dimitriou’s Jazz

Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

HYPOCRISY, FLESHGOOD APOCALYPSE: April 13, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-2620482 or elcorazonseattle. com.

ELIZABETH GILBERT: April 14, McCaw Hall, Seattle.

844-827-8188 or uniquelives.com.

KENNY G: April 18-21, 2019, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON: May 3, WaMu Theater, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK: May 6, McCaw Hall, Seattle.

844-827-8188 or uniquelives.com.

THOMAS RHETT, DUSTIN LYNCH: May 18, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

BOB NEWHART: May 20, McCaw Hall, Seattle. 844827-8188 or uniquelives. com.

BRANDI CARLILE, EMMYLOU HARRIS, NEKO CASE: June 1, Gorge Amphitheatre, George. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: June 1, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-745-

3000 or livenation.com.

TRAIN, GOO GOO DOLLS: June 7, White River Amphitheatre, Auburn. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

WILLIAM SHATNER: June 10, McCaw Hall, Seattle. 844827-8188 or uniquelives. com.

BRIAN CULBERTSON: June 20-23, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

JEFF LYNNE’S ELO: June 28, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

ERIC CHURCH: June 28-29, Gorge Amphitheatre, George. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

OZZY OSBOURNE: July 13, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

JON BELLION: July 16, WaMu Theater, Seattle. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

BACKSTREET BOYS: July 29, Angel of The Winds Arena, Everett. 866.332.8499 or angelofthewindsarena.com.

IRON MAIDEN: Sept. 5, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

ELTON JOHN: Sept. 17-18, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

E14 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

GET INVOLVED CALL TO ARTISTS: The City of Anacortes is looking for entries for the third annual eightmonth outdoor sculpture exhibition. Sculptures must withstand outdoor conditions. Information: anacorteswa.gov. .

ART CLASSES

GRUMBACHER DRAWING AND WATERCOLOR CLASSES: 6:30 p.m. each Thursday and Tuesday, through Dec. 27, at Michael’s, 1567 S. Burlington Ave., Burlington. Each class is $15.

360-757-6404.

A GUILDED GALLERY: Art classes on a variety of topics are available at A Guilded Gallery, 8700 271st St. NW, Stanwood. aguildedgallery.com. n Watercolor Class: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 17-Feb. 14. $150. n Basic Drawing: 9 a.m. to noon Fridays, Jan 18Feb. 8. $150. n Head Drawing: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays, Jan 18Feb. 8. $175. n Mosaics in Vintage China and Stained Glass: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 2 and 9. $95. n Pastel Basics: 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 6. $150.

TRI DEE ARTS WORKSHOPS: Art classes on a variety of topics are available at Tri Dee Arts, 215 S. First St., Mount Vernon. trideearts.com.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST QUILT AND FIBER ARTS MUSEUM: Varied exhibits and classes are available to the public at 703 S. Second St., La Conner.

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission: $7, $5 students and military, free for members and children ages 11 and under. 360-

466-4288 or laconnerquilts.org. n Fiber Fridays: bring any type of fiber art project, quilting, knitting, embellishing, etc., to work on while visiting with other fiber artists from 9 a.m. to noon every Friday. Free and open to all.

GAIL HARKER CENTER: Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts offers a variety of art classes and workshops for artists of every level at 12636 Chilberg Road, Mount Vernon. Online courses are also available. For information and a complete schedule: 360-466-0110 or gailcreativestudies.com.

PACIFIC NW SCHOOL: Choose from painting, photography, fiber and 3D art workshops taught by professional artists at the Pacific NorthWest Art School, 15 NW Birch St., Coupeville. For information and a complete schedule: 360-678-3396 or pacificnorthwestartschool. com.

DAKOTA: Dakota Art Center offers a variety of art classes and workshops at 17873 Highway 536, Mount Vernon. 360-4166556, ext. 5, or dakotaartcenter.com.

STANWOOD CAMANO ARTS GUILD: A Guilded Gallery, 8700 271st St. NW, Stanwood, offers a variety of art classes and workshops. For information or to register: 360-629-2787 or stanwoodcamanoarts.com.

AUDITIONS

”AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS”: ALTA will hold auditions for “Around the World in Eighty Days” from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, and 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan.

13, at Alger Community Church. Cast requirements: seven men, various ages; one woman, 25-35 years old. Performances are from March 29-April 14. altatheatre.com or altainfo2001@gmail.com. ”SHE LOVES ME”: Auditions for the Whidbey Playhouse production of the comedy “She Loves Me” will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4, at the Star Studio, 730 SE Midway Boulevard, Oak Harbor.

To schedule a 10-minute audtion, contact Gaye at whidbey995@comcast.net. whidbeyplayhouse.org.

CALL FOR DIRECTORS AND PLAYS: Whidbey Island Playhouse is seeking seasoned directors for the 2019020 Playhouse Season. whidbeyislandplayhouse.com or email kevinwm.meyer@ gmail.com with questions.

BOOKS

SILENT BOOK CLUB: Share a book you have read and silently read another at 4 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Pelican Bay Books, 520 Commercial Ave., Anacortes.

GREAT BOOKS READING GROUP MEETING: The Great Books Reading Group examines passages from important writings in history from 6 to 8 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave. 360-9411437 and shunji.asari@ gmail.com.

POETRY OPEN MIC: The Anacortes Poetry Group meets the second Saturday of the month for poetry open mics at 7 p.m. in the Anacortes Public Library meeting room,

1220 10th St., Anacortes.

Poets, songwriters, acoustic musicians, storytellers, a capella singers welcome.

DANCE

BEGINNING LINE DANCING: 7 to 8 p.m.

Tuesdays, Burlington Community Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington. $6 drop-in, $25 for five classes. Adults and teens 13 and older.

Register: burlingtonwa. gov/recreation or 360-7559649.

FOLK DANCING: Skagit-Anacortes Folk Dancers meet Tuesdays at Bay View Civic Hall, 12615 C St., Bay View.

Learn to folk dance to a variety of international music. 7 to 9:30 p.m. first session free, $5 thereafter.

No partners needed. Gary or Ginny, 360-766-6866.

SCOTTISH DANCING: Bellingham Scottish Country Dancers meet from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Wednesdays at the Fairhaven Library auditorium (upstairs), 1117 12th St., Bellingham. Wear comfortable clothes and softsoled shoes without heels. $8 per class. For information, call Mary Anderson at 360-933-1779 or visit bellinghamscd.org.

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND AND IRISH STEP DANCE: The Clan Heather Dancers offer year-round Scottish Highland and Irish step dance classes in Bellingham, Everett and Mount Vernon. clanheather.com.

THURSDAY DANCING: Dance to the The Skippers or Good Vibrations from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursdays at Hillcrest Lodge, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. 360-4245696.

MUSIC

SCOTTISH MUSIC SESSIONS: Musicians from around the valley meet at 3 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at Littlefield Celtic Center, 1124 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon. The jam session generally focuses on Scottish music.

MUSIC LESSONS: Three professional instructors at the Peterson Conservatory of Music & Arts, 314 S. Section St., Mount Vernon, are offering a variety of classes for music students from youth ages 6-10 ($10) to ages 11 to adult ($40-50). pcmusical.org.

UKULELE FUN & SONG CIRCLE: 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland St. Free. Beginners welcome and loaner ukuleles available. Song sheets provided. 206-790-4862 or yogaheartspace0@ gmail.com.

BARBERSHOP HARMONY: Join the An-OChords, a four-part barbershop harmony group that meets at 7 p.m.

Thursdays at Bethany Covenant Church, 1318 18th St., Mount Vernon. No experience necessary, no auditions required. Learn by rote, you don’t have to read music. All ages welcome. anochords.org. 360-6797473.

TIME FOR FIDDLERS: The Washington Old Time Fiddlers play at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Fridays of each month at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland. St. Free; donations accepted. 360630-1156.

ANACORTES OPEN MIC: 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Brown Lantern Ale House, 412 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-293-2544.

OPEN MIC: Jam Night, 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Thursdays, Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. 360-445-4733.

RECREATION

FLOW YOGA: 5:30 to 6:45 Thursdays, through Dec. 27, Burlington Parks and Recreation Center, 900 E. Fairhaven Ave., Burlington. Ages 13 and up. $10 drop-in. burlingtonwa.gov/parksandrec.

WINTER-SPRING WALK PROGRAM: The Friends of Camano Island Parks are hosting a series of winter-spring walks for the public on Camano Island trails. All walks are on Saturdays and start at 9:50 a.m., done by noon.

No dogs. n Jan. 5: Cama Beach State Park, 3.9 miles. Meet at the junction of Ivy Road and Dry Lake Road. n Feb. 2: Camano Ridge Forest Preserve, 2.4 miles.

Meet at the new Cmano Ridge’s West entrance parking lot.

LACROSSE: The Skagit Valley Flyers is a lacrosse club for boys and girls, grades 2-12. Participation is free and no experience is necessary. www. svflyers.uslaxteamsw.com.

Questions? Email: svflyers2009@gmail.com.

GRUMPY OLD MAN’S YOGA: Build strength and flexibility at this accessible yoga class 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursdays at Burlington Senior Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington. Despite the name, women are welcome. $5 donation.

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E15

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

AT THE LINCOLN

DINING GUIDE NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECIALS Beef Tenderloin medallions & Dungeness Crab Cakes $25.95 Served with choice of soup or salad, choice of potato, vegetables, Farmhouse bread and your choice of a glass of champagne or sparkling cider

Grilled Salmon served on a Risotto cake on a bed of greens and topped with a lemon vinaigrette. $24.95 Roast Pork Loin served with a rum & brown sugar sauce & yams $17.95

Lasagna Al Forno $18.95 Beef, pork, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Served with soup or salad and Farmhouse bread

Call for reservations.

Both of the above dinners come with choice of soup or salad, vegetables & Farmhouse bread

1837617

Christmas EvE spECials

360.466.4411

La Conner Whitney Rd. & Hwy. 20 ‌

Coming Up:

The Lincoln will present a free showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22.

The MET Live in HD: ‘The Magic Flute’

Family Friendly A menu of Polish family recipes and Northwest faremade madein-house in-housefrom from eclectic fare fresh, local ingredients

Craft Beer • PNW Wines House-Infused Vodkas

WEDS. 12/26 6PM FIDALGO SWING

WEDS. 1/2 6PM JOAN PENNEY

LOCAL LIVE MUSIC

FRI. 1/4 7:30PM SEAN BENDICKSON

WEDS. 1/9 6PM JIM BASNIGHT

CHECK LISTINGS

aneliaskitchenandstage.com

1585064 1474688

OPEN 11AM WED-MON Kitchen open until last call 513 1st Street, La Conner 360-399-1805

360-588-1720 anacortesrockfish.com

50% off

Tired of Christmas shopping and errands?

Take a break and have a hearty meal or holiday treat or drink.

CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY So that our employees may enjoy the holiday with their families, we will be closed on Christmas Day.

onLy at goskagit.com/deaLs

360.466.4411

La Conner Whitney Rd. & Hwy. 20

1698570

LocaL RestauRants and moRe

The MET Live in HD: ‘La Traviata’

1 P.M. SUNDAY, DEC. 23 Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless tragedy “La Traviata.” Diana Damrau is the doomed heroine Violetta, opposite Juan Diego Flórez as her lover, Alfredo, and Quinn Kelsey as Alfredo’s protective father, Giorgio Germont. $17-$23, Lincoln members receive $2 off.

— The Lincoln Theatre is located at 712 S. First St., downtown Mount Vernon. lincolntheatre.org or 360-336-8955.

320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes 1837539

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

6:30 P.M. SATURDAY, DEC. 22 A free showing of Frank Capra’s classic bittersweet comedy/drama about George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) who wishes he had never been born and an angel (Henry Travers) who is sent to earth to make George’s wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there.

Rated PG.

Weekend Brunch&&Bloody Sunday Brunch BloodyMary Mary Bar Bar 11 am - 2 pm Sat-Sun 11am to 2pm

1840739

1 P.M. SATURDAY, DEC. 22 This was the ground-breaking broadcast that launched the Met’s heralded Live in HD series, seen by opera lovers in movie theaters around the world. Adults and children alike were enchanted by the whimsical humor and puppetry of Julie Taymor’s hit production, presented in a shortened English-language version.

Under the baton of Maestro James Levine, a winning ensemble cast — including Nathan Gunn, Ying Huang, Matthew Polenzani, Erika Miklosa, and René Pape — brings fresh life to Mozart’s timeless fairy tale. $17-$23, Lincoln members receive $2 off.

E16 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TRAVEL

FA M I LY T R AV E L FI V E

Flying the family-friendly skies

By LYNN O’ROURKE HAYES

1. TOP HONORS TPG examined the 10 largest U.S. airlines, looking at 10 different, equally weighted criteria relevant for traveling families. Southwest Airlines came out on top.

Its coveted Southwest Companion Pass, no extra fees and family boarding policy nudged the airline to the top of TPG’s picks for family travel. Its extensive — and expanding — domestic route and award program are an added bonus.

2. A CLOSE SECOND When considering seat comfort, snacks and entertainment, JetBlue offers a better onboard experience than Southwest and is consistently a top pick for families, the report determined. Its less than stellar on-time arrival ranking, important when traveling with

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Skagit Guided Adventures offers a variety of birding tours daily through March in the Skagit Valley and surrounding areas. Reservations required: 360-474-7479 or skagitguidedadventures.com.

SKAGIT SENIOR TOURS: Skagit Guided Adventures offers a variety of local nature and hiking day tours for seniors. Reservations required: 360-474-7479 or skagitguidedadventures. com.

FamilyTravel.com

Managing young children in small spaces can be a challenge.

Take that effort to 30,000 feet and, well, doing a little research before embarking on an air travel adventure is advised.

According to a recent report, Best Airlines for Family Travel, issued by The Points Guy (TPG), some airlines are inherently more family friendly than others.

Here are five factors to consider.

Local travel briefs

SKAGIT GUIDED ADVENTURES: Offers a variety of local nature and hiking day tours. 360-474-7479 or skagitguidedadventures.com.

WHATCOM SENIOR TOURS: Sign up by calling 360-7334030, ext. 1015, or visiting the tour office at 315 Halleck St., Bellingham.

DAVID BRO / ZUMA PRESS VIA TNS

Southwest Airlines came out on top when The Points Guy looked at the 10 largest U.S. airlines with criteria for traveling families.

youngsters, bumped it down just shy of the top spot. Hawaiian Airlines received the best on-time score.

3. EARLY BOARDING MATTERS “While there’s some logic to boarding young children on the aircraft at the absolute last second to minimize time on the plane, the reality is that if you need to install a car seat or ensure space for your carry-on bags, being onboard early is crucial,” said Summer Hull, the TPG family travel expert. United and JetBlue take TPG’s top spot for early boarding, as they allow young families onboard early in the process.

In fact, United enables families with children 2 and under to board even ahead of first class.

4. SEAT ASSIGNMENTS ARE KEY Have you ever negotiated a seat trade with a perfect stranger so you could sit with your child? Securing seats together is a top priority and families don’t want to pay extra for the privilege. According to the report, the top airlines in this category are JetBlue, Hawaiian and Alaska, which all include complimentary seat assignments for all tickets.

Southwest’s open seating policy is also a way to ensure prime seating, as children ages 6 and under can board after Group A. 5. AIRLINE LOYALTY PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES Making the most of travel dollars and creative resources is key for families. Airline

loyalty programs can make a difference.

JetBlue offers the most family-friendly policies due to its “free family pooling of miles” option for all members. Let your favorite airlines know which services and amenities mean the most to you and your clan.

– For this report, TPG focused on the 10 largest U.S. airlines — Southwest, JetBlue, Delta, Hawaiian, Alaska, United, American, Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant — as measured by their total number of domestic passengers. thepointsguy.com – Lynn O’Rourke Hayes (www.LOHayes. com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer.

Gather more travel intel on Twitter @lohayes, Facebook, or via FamilyTravel.com

SHORT TRIPS: Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation offers travel opportunities for ages 8 and older (adult supervision required for ages 17 and younger). Trips depart from and return to Hillcrest Park, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. 360336-6215.

RECREATION WITHOUT BORDERS: The organization offers recreational trips, tours and adventures throughout the Northwest and British Columbia. 360-766-7109 or recreationwithoutborders.com.

OAK HARBOR DAY TRIPS: The Oak Harbor Senior Center, 51 SE Jerome St., offers day trips for members. For details, call the travel desk at 360-279-4587.

STATE VISITOR CALL CENTER: The Washington Tourism Alliance’s ExperienceWA Call Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. 1-800-544-1800 or tourisminfo@watourismalliance.com.

Staff members assist travelers who have questions, refer them to specific destination marketing organizations and other travel resources across the state for more detailed information, and take orders for the Washington State Visitors Guide.

PASSPORT APPLICATIONS: Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes, accepts new passport applications and applications for passports that have been expired for more than five years by appointment from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Passport forms and information on fees and how to apply are available at travel.state.gov, or pick up an application and passport guide at the library.

Burlington Municipal Court accepts passport applications from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 311 Cedar St., Suite A, Burlington. New and renewal forms are available. 360-755-0492.

Post offices in Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley and Oak Harbor accept passport applications by appointment. Contact individual offices for available days and times.

Oak Harbor Senior Center, 51 SE Jerome St., Oak Harbor, accepts passport applications Monday through Friday. Appointments are recommended. 360-279-4580.

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E17

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ a radically empathetic follow-up to ‘Moonlight’

By JUSTIN CHANG Los Angeles Times

Every so often in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins’ sobering yet intoxicating adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, two young lovers named Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) lock gazes with each other and with the camera. The director frames each one of them head-on; they stare into each other’s eyes as we stare into theirs.

The stillness of the effect is a little unsettling at first; you have to slow your rhythms and adjust your way of seeing. But it is also quietly overpowering, a reminder that there are few landscapes more expressive or inexhaustible than the human face.

Few filmmakers implore you to scrutinize their characters as closely as does Jenkins, who, since making his 2008 feature debut with “Medicine for Melancholy,” has demonstrated an unusually sensitive eye for the overlooked. Two years ago he made the Oscar-winning “Moonlight,” his masterful portrait of a young black man from Miami wrestling with his sexuality as well as a childhood scarred by poverty and neglect. In Jenkins’ hands, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play became a soulful cinematic sonata, an exploration of identity in three chronologically ordered movements.

In the dreamy, sweepingly nonlinear “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Jenkins abandons progression for immersion. Although Tish and Fonny will soon find themselves trapped by nightmarish circumstances,

they are effectively set loose to wander through time, in a story that blurs past and present as deftly as it interweaves the political and the personal. The ruminative, time-shuffling structure is inspired by Baldwin’s novel, which Jenkins quotes abundantly in dialogue, even as he once again coaxes a literary work into its own vibrant cinematic shape.

The title of “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a reference to the 1916 W.C. Handy song “Beale Street Blues,” also alludes to a symbolic boulevard in every American city — “a loud street,” in Baldwin’s words — where black people can gather and speak freely, swapping stories, cracking jokes and giving voice to their dreams, joys and grievances. The movie’s version of Beale Street is a stretch of Harlem in the early 1970s, the same neighborhood where Tish and Fonny grew up, with occasional visits to the dilapidated West Village apartment that serves too briefly as their home.

The first time we meet Clementine “Tish” Rivers, 19, and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt, 22, they’re walking through a park scattered with dry leaves — a scene captured in gorgeous washes of autumn color by the cinematographer James Laxton and soulfully caressed by Nicholas Britell’s achingly beautiful score. It’s an idyllic moment, blissful in its sense of harmony and freedom, but we can already feel it slipping away.

In the next scene, the lovers are separated by glass, Fonny having been thrown in jail after being falsely accused of sexual assault.

ANNAPURNA

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This shocking turn of events is quickly compounded by another, as Tish informs Fonny that he’s going to be a father, news that he registers with an understandable mix of surprise, delight and heartache. Tish’s family members, while similarly thrown by the news, prove unshakable in their support. Both her boisterous father, Joseph (Colman Domingo), and her shrewd older sister, Ernestine (Teyonah Parris), take their loving cues from the family’s steadfast matriarch, Sharon (a wonderful Regina King), who in every scene exercises her gift for defusing potentially tense, awkward situations.

But Sharon is also no pushover, as we see when Fonny’s bitter, fanatically religious mother (a startling Aunjanue Ellis) lashes out at Tish, in a group conversation notable for its simmering comic tension and some ingeniously deployed expletives. The power of King’s performance — which several critics groups have singled out for awards among the movie’s terrific ensemble cast — is in the way it treats kindness as both a strength

and a discipline. We also see the degree to which both of Sharon’s daughters have absorbed her spirit of decency and perseverance, as all three women work tirelessly with Fonny’s lawyer (Finn Wittrock) to secure his release.

But “If Beale Street Could Talk” is not a lawand-order procedural; nor is it the kind of movie in which a happy outcome can be achieved through some brilliant legal strategy.

The story does take a few gripping turns: We learn that the accuser, a Puerto Rican-born immigrant named Victoria Rogers (Emily Rios), was pressured to name Fonny as her assailant by a police officer (Ed Skrein) harboring a racist grudge against him.

Even before this infuriating if hardly surprising news come to light, Tish and her family never question Fonny’s innocence. Neither do Baldwin and Jenkins, although they extend their sympathies with equal force to Victoria, played by Rios in a scene that nearly tears a hole in the movie’s exquisite fabric.

The crimes committed against Victoria and Fonny are not equivalent or even

remotely similar offenses, but together they constitute a harsh indictment of an American legal system that has little interest in learning the truth or achieving the aims of justice. Fonny’s incarceration exists on a vast continuum with the challenges facing, say, a black couple trying to rent an apartment in New York — a friendly Jewish landlord (Dave Franco) proves a rare exception to the rule — or a black woman, like Tish, who works behind the perfume counter at a mostly white-staffed department store.

We hear the somber testimony of Fonny’s old friend Daniel (a devastating Brian Tyree Henry), an ex-con who recalls the torments he suffered at the hands of cops who framed him for car theft. And Jenkins, leaning into the spirit of bold, confrontational truth telling that so galvanized Baldwin’s activism and literature, evokes an entire history of systemic, racialized oppression, as Tish’s damningly composed voiceover plays over photographs of African American men being arrested and abused en masse.

These are ugly images, and they make Jenkins’ eye and ear for beauty all the more striking. Like “Moonlight,” but with even more forceful lyricism, “If Beale Street Could Talk” has a lush expressionist streak that recalls the Hollywood director Douglas Sirk, a master at using intense colors and striking compositions to express his characters’ interior states. It also evokes the styles of other world filmmakers whom Jenkins has acknowledged

as his influences, including Claire Denis, Hou Hsiaohsien and especially Wong Kar-wai, the Hong Kong auteur best known for his romantic melodrama “In the Mood for Love.”

You can see Wong’s touch in the stunning photographic attention that Jenkins and Laxton lavish on their charismatic leads, and in the whorls of cigarette smoke that envelop Fonny, a sculptor, as he considers his latest artwork.

You see it perhaps most of all when he and Tish make love for the first time: As Tish observes in the novel, “We held each other so close that we might indeed have been one body” — and the movie realizes that sentiment with a swelteringly erotic sequence in which Britell’s shuddering strings reach a peak of emotional ecstasy.

But there is more to this movie than a patina of glamour. We are not often accustomed to seeing images of working-class life through anything besides a grotty kitchen-sink filter; we are not often reminded, frankly, that there is much here to look at.

The formal ravishment of “If Beale Street Could Talk” thus takes on an implicitly political dimension; it may well be the movie’s stealthiest, most radical display of empathy.

In cutting against the aesthetic grain, Jenkins gently and wisely corrects our vision. The passionate glow of this filmmaker’s embrace belongs, quite rightly, to his characters.

He is generous enough to extend that embrace to us.

E18 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

MINI REVIEWS

‘Aquaman’ makes a wildly entertaining, campy splash

By KATIE WALSH Tribune News Service

You have to give credit to James Wan that “Aquaman” is as good as it is.

The “Saw” and “The Conjuring” filmmaker doesn’t do anything halfway.

He took a character from the hit-or-miss DC Comics Extended Universe, best known from the HBO show “Entourage” and a brief “Justice League” appearance, and made the biggest, goofiest, craziest aquatic superhero action movie he could.

“Aquaman” is pure camp, wildly entertaining and an eye-popping spectacle.

You have to admire the effort, scope and sheer audacity of everyone involved — especially Wan, who throws it all at the screen. To his credit, most of it sticks, if you’re willing to dive right into this wacky ocean adventure.

Nicole Kidman sets the tone for this bombastic and kooky movie, playing a quirky mermaid Barbie who washes ashore and is rescued by a kindly lighthouse keeper, Tom (Temuera Morrison).

She’s Queen Atlanna of the underwater kingdom Atlantis. The fruit of their union is the hunky, long-haired Arthur (Jason Momoa), half-human, half-Atlantean and bestowed with his mother’s unique oceangoing gifts — underwater breathing, super-strength, extremely good fighting skills — which he applies to taking down high-tech pirates, clad only in jeans and tattoos.

Wan assembled quite the esteemed cast to

WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP

Jason Momoa and Amber Heard star in “Aquaman.”

support Momoa and populate the fantastical undersea world, including Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundren, Amber Heard and frequent collaborator Patrick Wilson. What’s most impressive is just how committed the actors are to the completely silly affair, clad in shimmering wetsuits, astride giant seahorses and hammerhead sharks. As King Orm, Wilson bellows about his plan to become the “Ocean Master” with a Shakespearean intonation that contrasts nicely with his half-brother Arthur’s relaxed surfer-brah demeanor.

The plot is a globe-trotting, seafaring scavenger hunt to track down King Atlan’s trident so Arthur can challenge the war-mongering Orm’s claim to the throne of Atlantis. It’s a zany journey, as Princess Mera (Heard) and Arthur travel to the various ancient Atlantean kingdoms by sea and land for clues. They stop

off in the Sahara and in Sicily, while fighting off the stormtrooper-esque commandos sent to kill them by Orm, as well as the vengeful, laser-eyed supervillain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

This is the kind of movie where Mera will inexplicably play a flute, and Arthur frequently loses his shirt for no reason at all. But why question it?

A giant octopus pounds war drums — heck yeah.

It’s funny, intentionally, and at times, immaturely so. But Wan’s enthusiasm is infectious, his effort exhaustive. The Lovecraftian aesthetic is big, bold and intoxicating, the tone pleasantly light and the references deep.

One hallucinatory neon chase scene set to a thumping electro beat is straight out of “Tron: Legacy,” while another dark, gothic journey into a deep-sea trench filled with savage, snapping monsters taps into Wan’s horror background.

The bouncy chemistry between Arthur and Mera is pure screwball comedy, drawing from “It Happened One Night,” while the fantastic setting likens it to “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” Then there’s the battle against a bellowing crab, the King of the Brine, that is straight out of Tolkien.

It’s an overstuffed two-and-a-half-hour behemoth, and though it skimps on things like character development, there’s enough to distract from that. Wan and screenwriters David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Will Beall and Geoff Johns know this movie is for kids and for those who want to feel like kids at the movies, and this visual extravaganza delivers just that. So come on in, the water’s fine.

–2:23. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language. HHH (out of four stars)

Compiled from news services.

Ratings are 1 to 4 stars.

“The Mule” — Clint Eastwood directs and stars as a 90-ish horticulturalist who takes a delivery job and later learns what he’s hauling is drugs. This isn’t close to being on a par with Eastwood’s past triumphs, but it’s an entertaining enough offbeat crime story featuring an amazing cast. Crime comedy/ drama, R, 116 minutes. HHH “Mary Poppins Returns” — While it would be all but impossible to match one of the most beloved and acclaimed musicals of all time, “Mary Poppins Returns” is a sequel worthy of the name. Emily Blunt is sensational, along with a stellar supporting cast including Lin-Manuel Miranda, in this wall-to-wall smile of a movie: big of heart and large in scale, brimming with show-stopping musical numbers. Musical, PG, 130 minutes.

HHH½ “Ben Is Back” — Some family members are more supportive than others as a 19-year-old opioid addict (Lucas Hedges) unexpectedly shows up on the doorstep on Christmas Eve, courtesy of a 24-hour pass from his rehab center. Julia Roberts’ performance, as the fiercely protective (sometimes to a fault) mother, is the finest of her career. Drama, R, 103 minutes.

HHH½ “Mary Queen of Scots” — Impressively staged and sometimes cleverly written, this 16th-century story of men interfering with the ambitions of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) and Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) often comes across as stultified and stagnant. Historical drama, R, 125 minutes. HH “Vox Lux” — In arguably the worst performance of her storied career, Natalie Portman plays a pop star who suffered trauma as a teen and now behaves like a spoiled brat virtually every second she’s not onstage. Pretentious deadpan absurdity abounds in this screeching, empty, exploitative cinematic cacophony. Drama, R, 112 minutes. H½ “Asher” — At an age when he’d be long overdue to take his pension, if they had pensions for guys like him, Ron Perlman’s former Mossad operative turned Brooklyn hit man performs his job with cold-blooded efficiency and discovers there’s still a spark of warmth in his heart in this sparkling black diamond of film noir. Crime drama, R, 117 minutes. HHH½ “Dumplin’” — Jennifer Aniston does nuanced work as a former pageant winner shocked to see her plus-size daughter (a winning performance by Danielle Macdonald) pursuing the same crown. The sugar-sweet comedy works thanks to the feel-good story, the likable cast and an absolute treasure of a Dolly Parton soundtrack. Comedy drama, PG-13, 110 minutes.

HHH “Roma” — Writer-director Alfonso Cuaron gives us a deeply personal 1970s period piece inspired by his own childhood in Mexico, and yet there’s a universality to the characters and their stories. You know that feeling when you’re watching a particular scene in a movie and everything just clicks? “Roma” is an entire film of such scenes. Drama, R, 135 minutes. HHHH “The Favourite” — During the 18th-century reign of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), her longtime friend (Rachel Weisz) and a new servant (Emma Stone) vie for the monarch’s affections. The three stars bring out the best in each other in a bawdy, darkly funny, sharp-edged, foul-mouthed comedy of very BAD manners. Comedy biography, R, 121 minutes.

HHH½

Thursday, December 20, 2018 - E19

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

REVIEW

Lars von Trier’s ‘The House That Jack Built’ is mostly empty

By MARK OLSEN Los Angeles Times

The idea of Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built” is the most exciting thing about it. Can the notorious provocateur prince of international art cinema use the forensic procedural of a serial killer story to interrogate his internalized misogyny and the complicated relationship to women within his own artistic practice?

Alas, it remains largely just that — a provocative idea executed with a half-hearted commitment.

Von Trier earned his reputation with such works of formal invention and transgressive thematic daring as “Breaking the Waves” and “Dancer In the Dark” that could shock and move audiences in

equal measure. But as his compulsive need for public provocation began to overwhelm the merits of his artistic output, he has become more of a willful outsider. He managed to self-immolate one of his richest films, 2011’s “Melancholia,” by making off-the-cuff Nazi jokes during a Cannes Film Festival news conference.

His latest movie shows that his lesser tendencies still have him in their grip, as the film revels in grisly violence and wan philosophical digressions.

Von Trier has spoken about his struggles with depression and with alcohol, and it seems that every film he makes nearly breaks him, which may partly explain the sense of diminishing returns across his last few films. At one point in “Jack,” Von Trier in-

“Robin Hood” — A miscast Taron Egerton plays the key outlaw in a re-imagining of the legend. From the often anachronistic dialogue to the over-the-top pyrotechnics to the overwrought performances, it’s a serious contender for Worst Movie of the Year. Adventure, PG-13, 116 minutes. H “Creed II” — Just as Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is enjoying his champion status, who should come along but a challenger: the son of Ivan Drago, who killed Creed’s father in the ring. Though we’ve seen this movie before (and more than once), there’s a strong beating heart to this franchise.

Sports drama, PG-13, 128 minutes. HHH “Ralph Breaks the Internet” — The hapless video game “villain” (John C. Reilly) from “Wreck-It Ralph” and his sharp-witted friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) venture out of the arcade into the World Wide Web in search of a replacement part. There were times when the sweet-natured animated adventure was brimming with so much stimuli, I had to remind myself to laugh. Animated adventure, PG, 112 minutes. HHH

Von Trier has spoken about his struggles with depression and with alcohol, and it seems that every film he makes nearly breaks him, which may partly explain the sense of diminishing returns across his last few films. cludes images from some of his films, in case anyone was wondering who he considers to be the real star of the movie.

The story revolves around Jack (Matt Dillon), an engineer who wants to be an artist in Washington state, over a 12-year period in the 1970s and ‘80s. Jack’s real passion is murder, mostly of women.

The film is structured around Jack telling his tale to Virgil (Bruno Ganz) while being led to hell, a nod to Dante’s “Divine Comedy.” The movie continually cuts back to archival footage of pianist Glenn Gould, pushing the notion that Jack is a frustrated artist

attempting to bend the world to his will. (Von Trier is perhaps attempting to cryptically respond to/rationalize his reputation for being difficult to his performers.) Once the conversation turns to Albert Speer, Nazi architecture and Holocaust atrocity footage, it feels as if the filmmaker is looking to troll audiences.

Dillon feels a bit lost for much of the movie, seemingly asked to play Jack as something of a blank slate, devoid of empathy or understanding and prone to frustrated rage.

The way Dillon and Von Trier attempt to work in tandem brings

to mind the recent collaboration between actor Ethan Hawke and filmmaker Paul Schrader on “First Reformed,” another instance of a onetime youthful heartthrob now in middle age and a writer-director who has at times seemed lost in his career. Yet Hawke and Schrader elevated and brought the best out of each other, while Dillon and Von Trier often seem confused and at odds.

As Jack’s victims, Uma Thurman and Siobhan Fallon Hogan aren’t given much to do, while Sofie Grabol makes a stronger emotional impression as a woman attempting to protect her sons. Riley Keough is allowed to seem like the fullest character in the movie as a woman coming to realize her fate. If Keough’s character, or any of Jack’s victims, had

been given more consideration by Von Trier’s storytelling, it would provide a welcome counterbalance to Jack’s egomaniacal musings and rantings, giving the movie a stronger core and its examination of Jack’s self a clearer focus.

“The House That Jack Built” is a disappointment for many reasons, not least of them being that it is not a total and utter failure. Then one could just dismiss it outright and be done with it. But Von Trier has managed to cobble together just enough of interest — odd moments, pieces of performance, stray ideas and the simple audacity of putting this mess out into the world, that it feels like there may be something there worth considering, a maddening possibility. And that may be his cruelest prank of all.

At area theaters ANACORTES CINEMAS Dec. 21-27 Aquaman (PG-13): Friday-Sunday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:40; Monday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45; Tuesday: 3:45, 6:45, 9:40; WednesdayThursday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:40 Bumblebee (PG-13): Friday-Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:50; Monday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00; Tuesday: 4:00, 7:00, 9:50; Wednesday-Thursday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:50 Mary Poppins Returns (PG): FridaySunday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Monday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30; Tuesday: 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Wednesday-Thursday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 360-293-7000 STANWOOD CINEMAS 360-629-0514

CONCRETE THEATRE Dec. 21-23, 25 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG-13): Friday: 7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 5 p.m.; Tuesday: 6 p.m.

A Christmas Story: Saturday: 7 p.m.

360-941-0403

OAK HARBOR CINEMAS Dec. 21-27 Aquaman (PG-13): Friday-Sunday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:50; Monday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45; Tuesday: 3:45, 6:45, 9:50; WednesdayThursday: 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:50 Mary Poppins Returns (PG): FridaySunday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Monday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30; Tuesday: 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; BLUE FOX DRIVE-IN Wednesday-Thursday: 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 Oak Harbor Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 360-675-5667 (PG): Friday-Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:40; Monday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00; Tuesday: 4:00, CASCADE MALL THEATERS 7:00, 9:40; Wednesday-Thursday: 1:00, Burlington 4:00, 7:00, 9:40 For showings: amctheatres.com/show360-279-2226 times/all/2017-06-23/amc-loews-cascademall-14/all *Times subject to change

E20 - Thursday, December 20, 2018

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

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