360 January 30, 2020

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E1

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

A BALL FOR PRINCESSES AND PRINCES IN ANACORTES PAGE 4

ANACORTES COMMUNITY THEATRE

A ride of mystery and comedy PAGE 3

Skagit Valley Herald Thursday January 30, 2020

TUNING UP PAGE 9 Rockfish Grill welcomes the Swingnuts OUT & ABOUT PAGE 5

Celebrating the birds of winter in downtown Mount Vernon

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK “DOCTOR SLEEP”: Years after the “redrum” in “The Shining,” a traumatized adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a teenage girl (Kyliegh Curran) who shares his gift, and together they must stop a group of vampires called the True Knot that tortures and kills children. While prolific horror writer Stephen King disliked director Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” he loved director Mike Flanagan’s take on his 2013 sequel to the Overlook Hotel saga.

Flanagan’s visual and editing skills are impressive, wrote Los Angeles Times critic Justin Chang in his review, but naturally, something more powerful brews below.

“Beneath the movie’s slick surfaces there is also an insistent, pulsing humanity, an understanding of the deep emotional underpinnings of King’s fiction,” Chang wrote. “‘Doctor Sleep’ may cut a wider narrative swath than ’The Shining,’ but it returns to many of the same themes: the innocence and mischief of children, the protective and predatory capacities of adults, the vulnerability of the family unit.”

“THE GOOD LIAR”: This isn’t the first movie wherein Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren have worked together, but “The Good Liar,” directed by Bill Condon, is the first one featuring both in co-starring roles (and it’s about time). In the film, a longtime con artist (McKellen) plans to scam a wealthy widow (Mirren) out of her fortune but has second thoughts after developing feelings for her. And from there, things keep twisting … and twisting … and twisting.

The pace starts slow and the plot could have used some heightening, but those

barr) to help find a British officer (Sam Claflin) who has raped her and killed her family.

“TRAUMA CENTER”: A young woman with a bullet lodged in her leg must escape from the hospital as two killers pursue her.

Nicky Whelan and Bruce Willis star.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP

Ewan McGregor stars in “Doctor Sleep.”

twists make the thriller a fun ride, wrote Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review.

“There’s more twist where that twist comes from, and Condon carefully lays out the pieces of the mystery with his accomplished actors,” she wrote. “As it rounds the bend, doubling back on itself, the folds and bends and detail of the story revealed only in hindsight, ‘The Good Liar’ finally steps into its full potential as a satisfying potboiler mystery.”

ALSO NEW ON DVD FEB. 4 “LAST CHRISTMAS”: A disillusioned woman (Emilia Clarke) who works in a year-round New York Christmas store meets a charming man (Henry Golding).

“PLAYING WITH FIRE”: Firefighters run into trouble while babysitting three kids they rescued. John Cena stars.

“ARCTIC DOGS”: A team of Arctic animals must work together to thwart a plot by an evil walrus to destroy their habitat in this computer-animated family film. Cast includes Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Heidi Klum, John Cleese, Anjelica Huston, Omar Sy

and James Franco.

“WAVES”: A suburban family works to heal after a devastating loss.

“THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT”: A Pacific Northwest serial killer (Matt Dillon) revisits his murders.

“DRAGONHEART: VENGEANCE”: A farmer (Jack Kane) sets off with a dragon and a mercenary to seek revenge against his family’s killers.

“GRAND ISLE”: A man (Luke Benward) must convince a detective (Kelsey Grammer) he’s not a murderer after sinister events unfold at a couple’s (Nicolas Cage and KaDee Strickland) home.

“KEEPING FAITH — SERIES 2”: A lawyer (Eve Myles) searches for her missing husband in this BBC thriller series.

“MON MON MON MONSTERS!”: A group of teenagers discover a zombielike creature in this horror comedy. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

“RABID”: After a medical procedure, an aspiring fashion designer (Laura Vandervoort) wakes up hungry for human blood.

“THE NIGHTINGALE”: In colonial Australia, an Irish convict (Aisling Franciosi) recruits an Aboriginal tracker (Baykali Ganam-

OUT ON DIGITAL HD FEB. 4 “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”: A journalist with unresolved family issues (Matthew Rhys) is sent on assignment to meet beloved TV show host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). Out on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 18.

“THE FESTIVAL”: A young man (Joe Thomas) heads to a three-day musical festival after a painful breakup.

“MIDWAY”: Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the infamous World War II battle between Japanese and American forces commences. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 18.

“21 BRIDGES”: A New York detective (Chadwick Boseman) searches the city for a pair of cop killers while all Manhattan’s bridges are closed. It will be available on DVD and Bluray Feb. 18.

OUT ON DIGITAL HD FEB. 7 “WAITING FOR ANYA”: A young shepherd and a widow attempt to save Jewish children during World War II by secretly transporting them to Spain.

“KNIVES OUT”: After a beloved mystery writer (Christopher Plummer) dies by an apparent suicide, his kooky family convenes for the investigation of his death. Available on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 25.

– Katie Foran-McHale, Tribune News Service

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

Inside Out & About........................... 4-5 Get Involved........................... 6-7 On Stage...................................... 8 Tuning Up................................... 9 Hot Tickets...............................10 Travel.........................................11 At the Lincoln..........................13 Movies................................. 14-15 ON THE COVER Raido McComas, as Samuel Ratchett, and Adam Shipman, as Hercule Poirot, are shown in the Anacortes Community Theatre production of “Murder on the Orient Express.”

Skagit Valley Herald photo

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

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Contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com

TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E3

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‘MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS’ ROLLS INTO ANACORTES

By SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD STAFF

A snowdrift stops a Europe-bound train just after midnight. By morning the train has one less passenger and now one murderer, and it’s up to Hercule Poirot to solve the case.

Over the two-hour run time, “Murder on the Orient Express” at the Anacortes Community Theatre takes the audience along on an unforgettable ride with a stop at the intersection of comedy, mystery — and murder.

The Agatha Christie novel “Murder on the Orient Express” was released in 1934, but was only first adapted for the stage in 2017 by comedic playwright Ken Ludwig, making it a relatively fresh production and leaving a lot of creative decisions in the hands of the directors.

For ACT director Melissa Bridges, this creative freedom has been both a blessing and a burden.

For instance, the script calls for location switches between multiple train cars between scenes.

The set uses boxy train exteriors that pivot to unfold and reveal the glamorous, 1930s train cabins, which the production team designed to accommodate the ever-changing locations in the script.

That has allowed Bridges to make creative decisions with blocking — when characters enter and exit — and their movement on stage.

Christie fans can rest assured that Hercule Poirot, the Belgian private detective featured in dozens of Christie’s novels, has stayed true to expectation.

Adam Shipman stars as Poirot, a role for which

SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD STAFF

Morgan Loftus, as Greta Ohlsson, and Dawn Uroff, as Princess Dragomiroff, are shown in the Anacortes Community Theatre production of “Murder on the Orient Express.”

he’s spent two months growing facial hair and memorizing lines and monologues that Poirot delivers to the audience.

Oh, and it’s all in a Belgian accent.

Shipman is a seasoned performer, particularly under the direction of Bridges. The two worked together on several productions before Shipman left to pursue voice-over work in Los Angeles. This will be his first ACT play since his return.

Poirot may take center stage, but the story ultimately relies on the ensemble of unique passengers aboard the train as the mystery unfolds and everyone becomes a suspect in the case.

Many must not only memorize their lines, but learn to deliver them

“MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS”

When: Jan. 31-Feb. 22 Where: Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes Cost: $20 More information: acttheatre.com, 360293-6829

in accents ranging from French to Scottish to Hungarian, and more.

Performing as Helen Hubbard, an eccentric American aboard the train, is Beth Morgan-Cleland, who is celebrating her 50th year of performing with ACT. She started as a teenager, back when the group staged shows at Fidalgo School and the high school in lieu of a permanent space. Every

SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD STAFF

Raido McComas, as Samuel Ratchett, and Beth Morgan-Cleland, as Helen Hubbard, are shown in the Anacortes Community Theatre production of “Murder on the Orient Express.”

year or two, she’s come back to ACT, but this role has her trying something

new on stage: dancing.

As for what the audience can expect in the

show, Bridges said ”it’s not going to be anything they expected.”

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

OUT AND ABOUT

ART

THE LANGUAGE OF PATTERN: Five regional artists are being featured in January at i.e. gallery, 5800 Cains Court, Edison.

EMPOWERMENT OF ART: Work highlighting the strength and skill of local artists is featured at the Good Stuff Arts Gallery, 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes.

DECADENT DREAMS: The art of Joseph Kinnebrew is being featured at the exhibit “Decadent Dreams: A Retrospective Surrealist Experience” at Cassera Gallery South, 26915 102nd Drive NW, Stanwood.

NESTS AND LANDSCAPES: Kris Ekstrand is the featured winter artist at the Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St., Lynden. Work from artists around the region will be featured until Feb. 28. jansenartcenter. org.

NATALIE NIBLACK: FOLLY: Natalie Niblack’s solo exhibit “Folly” is featured at i.e. gallery, 5800 Cains Court, Edison, until March 1.

MUSIC

WHATCOM JAZZ MUSIC ARTS CENTER: Renowned jazz musicians will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesdays at the Sylvia Center for the Arts, 207 Pospect St., Bellingham: n Jan. 29: Matt Jorgensen Quintet. $5-10. n Feb. 12: Laila Biali Trio. $5-20. n Feb. 19: Xavier Lecouturier Quartet. $5-15.

n Feb. 26: Phil Parisot Trio. $5-15.

Serenity Princess Ball celebrates aspiring royalty

LOOKING AHEAD

By Skagit Valley

BIRDS OF WINTER ART WALK: 2 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 1, downtown Mount Vernon. mountvernondowntown. org. For more information, or to inquire about participating in future art walks: outreach@ mountvernondowntown. org or 360-336-3801.

PACIFICA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA CONCERT: 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, Trinity Episcopal Church, 2301 Hoyt Ave., Everett. $15-25. pacificachamberorchestra.org.

JOAN PENNEY: Celebrate Valentine’s Day one day late with Joan Penney at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 15, at Eaglemont Golf Course, 4800 Eaglemont Drive, Mount Vernon.

AIZURI QUARTET: The multiprize-winning string quartet will play at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at Lairmont Manor, 405 Fieldston Road, Bellingham. Wine and appetizers.

BELLINGHAM’S GOT TALENT: Music, comedy, general talent acts and more family-friendly entertainment are in store at this fundraiser for the Lighthouse Mission Ministries’ Street Connect program at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial Ave., Bellingham.

BEST OF SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY COMPETITION: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Whidbey Island Center for the

Herald staff

The Serenity Princess Ball invites all aspiring princes and princesses to dress up, dance and meet other princes and princesses at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 1, at Anacortes Christian Church, 1211 M Ave., Anacortes.

There will be music, kids crafts, face paintArts, 565 Camano Ave. $25. wicaonline.org.

ABOLISHING NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Leonard Eiger, of Ground Zero Center for Non-Violent Action, will present on the solution to a nuclear world at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes.

UHURU 65 DEGREES SOUTH: Mike Powell will talk about his twomonth trip in 2011 on his brother’s boat UHURU and show pictures at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham.

TRIP TO ROMANIA AND CROATIA: John and Anamaria Lovric will share stories and photos from their trip to Romania and Croatia at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes.

THE ENGLAND CENSUS 101: Learn how to identify family members and their birth places in the England census from 1841-1911, at

ing, raffles, snacks and more. Each attendee will be given a tiara or crown at the door, and there will be a photo booth set up so each royal guest can remember the ball for years to come.

Tickets are by donation and the funds are donated to the Serenity Thomas Foundation which awards annual 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Burlington Public Library, 820 E. Washington Ave., Burlington.

MODEL RAILROAD OPEN HOUSE: The Whatcom Skagit Model Railroad Club will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 8, at 1469 Silver Run Lane, Alger, off Old Highway 99. $3 suggested donation.

WOMEN LAWYERS ACROSS THE YEARS: Join a panel discussion about women in court with Judge Laura Riquelme, Judge Susan Cook, Rosemary Kaholokula and Jennifer Flynn followed by a Q&A with Judge Dianne Goddard at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes.

“THE BARN SHOWS”: Hear how two women preserved a piece of the Skagit Valley’s art history in the book “The Barn Shows” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St., La Conner.

SALTWATER BEA-

scholarships to local residents and raises awareness for pediatric cancer.

VERS: Friends of Skagit Beaches, “Saltwater Beavers: Engineers in the Tidal Marsh,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday. Feb. 21, Northwest Educational Services District, 1601 R Ave., Anacortes.

Free.

HUMANITIES WASHINGTON: Sociologist and writer Michelle Janning will discuss “What Your Home Says About the World” at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St., La Conner.

MILLINERY DESIGNER: Millinery designer Wayne Wichern will talk about the creation of his hats and the process and art behind modern headwear at 1 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 22, at Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham.

BELLINGHAM COCKTAIL WEEK: The event will take place from Feb. 1-9.

Official guides will be available at local bars and businesses around town. This year’s theme is “Into the Cosmos.” bellinghamcocktailweek. com.

SERENITY PRINCESS BALL: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, Anacortes Christian Church, 1211 M Ave., Anacortes. There will be food, a photo booth, flowers and raffles. $20, proceeds support the Serenity Thomas Foundation for pediatric cancer. 360293-3729.

RED WINE & CHOCOLATE: Join the wineries of the North Sound Wine Trail for a “Red Wine and Chocolate” weekend from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9, at Skagit Crest Vineyard & Winery, 105 N. First St., Suite 1, La Conner. skagitcrest.com.

FRIENDS OF THE FOREST ANNUAL MEETING: Members and nonmembers are invited to attend the Friends of the Forest annual membership meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Depot Building, 611 R Ave., Anacortes. The group will review an annual report, hold board elections and watch a historical presentation.

GENEALOGIAL SEARCHERS: Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers will present Maureen MacDonald, “1880-1900 — Fill In The Gap,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Oak Harbor Lutheran Church, 1253 NW 2nd Ave., Oak Harbor.

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8, Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $24-39. lincolntheatre.org.

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OUT AND ABOUT SEALS AND SEA LIONS: Friends of Skagit Beaches presents a talk on Seals and Sea Lions: Pinnipeds of the Salish Sea from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Northwest Educational Services District, 1601 R Ave., Anacortes. Free.

Celebrating the birds of winter

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

The Mount Vernon Downtown Association presents the annual art walk dedicated to the birds of winter on Saturday, Feb. 1, at locations throughout downtown.

The walk will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. around town to see local artists’ renditions of the seasonal bids that flock to the valley.

On Friday, Jan. 31, there will be another walk for all to enjoy as well, the Illuminight Winter Walk from 3:30 to 7 p.m. along the Riverwalk Plaza.

Friends and family can gather with the community to decorate luminated paper bags starting at 3:30 p.m. at Tri Dee Arts, 215 S. First St., then enjoy live music at the plaza from 5 to 5:30 p.m. before the 20-minute wellness

AUTHOR TALK: Abbe Rolnick, author of of the “Generation of Secretsâ€? series presents the third book “Founding Stonesâ€? with a talk at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Village Books, 1200 11th St., Bellingham.

RESOLUTION EVOLUTION: Learn life hacks and gain tools to make resolutions stick from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Options High School, 2015 Franklin St., Bellingham. $75 general admission, $150 VIP access including swag and a meet-and-greet. Funds support the Bellingham Schools Foundation. resolutionevolution.org.

MODEL RAILROAD OPEN HOUSE: The Whatcom Skagit Model Railroad Club will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at 1469 Silver Run Lane, Alger, off Old Highway 99. $3 suggested donation.

SCOTT TERRELL / SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD

An illuminated orca is shown during the 2019 Illuminight Winter Walk on the Riverwalk in Mount Vernon.

walk along the plaza begins.

Handmade lanterns will be

aplenty, and a marching band will guide the way.

MARTN TAYLOR Friday, February 7

~ The Washington Post

360.416.7727 mcintyrehall.org On the Mount Vernon Campus of Skagit Valley College

2 5 0 1 E C o l l e g e Wa y, M o u n t Ve r n o n

1987100

“No matter how complex or daring, Taylor’s interpretations never short change the melodies; indeed, his remarkable fluid touch embues a seamless beauty.

Martin Taylor is something to behold.�

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

GET INVOLVED

ART CLASSES

MUSEUM OF NORTHWEST ART: 121 S. First St., La Conner. n My Adult & Me Painting Class: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15. For kids (ages 3-9) and parents to learn together. $25 per pair. n Drawing Jean Behnke: 1-4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7. $30.

THE GOOD STUFF ARTS GALLERY: 604 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3152.

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

MARTIN TAYLOR MCINTYRE HALL PRESENTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

THE PAPERBOYS

MCINTYRE HALL PRESENTS FRIDAY, MARCH 6

360.416.7727 mcintyrehall.org

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. 360466-4288 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 503 Morris St., La Conner. Online courses are also available.

For information and a complete schedule: 360466-0110 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.

The power of the theatrical word

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

Word on the street is it’s time for the return of “Serial Killers,” but don’t worry, it’s not the deadly kind.

“Serial Killers” is an iDiOM Theatre tradition that pits budding playwrights against each other in a five-week battle where the audience gets to control the fate of each play.

During the opening week, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, playwrights will stage the first “episode” of their plays. At the end of the show, the audience will vote to “kill” one of the plays.

The play that receives the most votes will not return the following week, the rest of the plays must return and advance their stories (or deliver “episode two”).

This continues for five weeks until the competition is whittled to two plays that must deliver their final, and much longer, episodes.

Mondays. n Woodcarving: 9 a.m.

Mondays. n Acrylics: 9:30 a.m.

Mondays. n Rock Painting: 1 p.m.

Mondays. n Miracle of Art: 1 p.m.

Tuesdays. n Mosaics/Stained Glass: 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays. n Color Me Calm: 10 a.m. Thursdays. n Drawing Animals: 2:15 p.m. Thursdays.

AUDITIONS

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.

WHIDBEY HAS TALENT: Children in grades K-12 are invited to audition for Whidbey Has Talent on Feb. 10-13. $10 fee. Details at whidbeyplayhouse.com.

ANACORTES SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER: The senior center hosts a variety of art programs each week at the center, 1701 22nd St., Anacortes.

360-293-7473. n Creative Circle: 9 a.m.

BOOKS

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

Public welcome. Information: Kenneth Kossman (360-336-3682) or the center (360-416-1585). $7 per person.

MUSIC

COURTESY SYLVIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Tickets are $12 per show, $9 for Sylvia Center members, $7 for students.

A five-show pass is $49, and a 10-show pass is $99.

“Serial Killers” is staged at the Sylvia Center for the Arts, 207 Prospect St., Bellingham. For more information, visit sylviacenterforthearts.org.

DANCE

BEGINNING CLOGGING CLASS: Two free lessons, $3 each lesson thereafter. 6-7:30 p.m.

Mondays, first lesson Feb. 3, The Cloggin’ Place, 14641 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. Bev (360-4249675) or bevruuth@gmail. com, cloggingdanceclassmountvernonwa.com.

DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE: Join an spiritual practice that draws inspiration from sacred traditions around the world from 5:45 to 8 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at Skagit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 500 W. Section St., Mount Vernon. By donation.

BEGINNING LINE DANCING: 7-8 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 360-755-9649.

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

MONDAY DANCING: Dance to The Skippers or Good Vibrations from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon.

SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL: Harmony Northwest Chorus, a women’s a cappella group singing four-part harmony barbershop style, welcomes all voice parts ages 15 and up. Meet from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon.

Contact Carol Ward: 425-232-9171 or contact@ harmonynorthwest.org.

OPEN MIC NITE: 6 to 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Lil’Nut Cafe and Diner, 330 Cherry St., Sumas.

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 aged 6-10 ($10) to ages 11 to adult ($40-50). pcmusical.org.

UKULELE FUN & SONG CIRCLE: 12:301:30 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.

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GET INVOLVED BARBERSHOP HARMONY: Join the An-O-Chords, a fourpart 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. 360-679-7473.

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

360-630-1156.

SHELTER BAY CHORUS: Rehearsals from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse, 1000 Shoshone Drive, La Conner. New members welcome. 360-223-3230.

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.

WORKSHOPS

YOUTH PROGRAMS: Western Washington University provides a variety of winter programming for kids of all ages in Bellingham and Anacortes. wwu. edu/youth. n Girls in Engineering, Math and Science Night Out: Friday, Jan. 31, Winter Wonderland. Grades 3-8. n Computer Science Club: Video Game Design with Scratch: Saturdays, Feb. 1-March 28. Grades 6-8.

n Ocean After School: Monday-Wednesday, Feb. 11-13, Marine Science.

Grades 3-5, held in Anacortes.

MASTER GARDENER SPEAKER SERIES: Join the Master Gardeners of Skagit County for presentations on varieties of topics related to gardening at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Central Skagit Library, 802 Ball St., Sedro-Woolley.

DAYS FOR GIRLS: The Anacortes Chapter of Days for Girls Sew Day is held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Anacortes Lutheran Church, 2100 O Ave. Come be a part of creating a personal hygiene solution for girls and women worldwide.

Questions: anacortes@ daysforgirls.org.

RECREATION

SKI TO SEA REGISTRATION: Registration is open for the 47th annual Ski to Sea Race is open.

The race, presented by Whatcom Events, will be held in Whatcom County on Sunday, May 24. skitosea.com.

ENCORE FITNESS: Encore Fitness offers group exercise classes at the Concrete Theatre, 45920 Main St., Concrete. All levels welcome, drop-in classes.

360-466-8754. n Simply Strong: 5:45 p.m. Mondays. n Pilates/Yoga Fusion: 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays. n Dance-Fit: 5:45 p.m.

Wednesdays. n Pump Plus: 7 a.m.

Fridays. n Zumba: 8 a.m. Saturdays.

BURLINGTON PARKS AND RECREATION: The Burlington Parks and

Recreation Department hosts a variety of one-day and multiple-day sports and recreation classes.

Prices vary. 360-755-9649 or burlingtonwa.gov/parksandrec. n Youth Decoy Bird Carving and Painting: 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays, March 4-April 22. $40.

Ages 10-17. n Adult Decoy Bird Carving and Painting: 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays, March 4-April 22. $60. n DSLR Photography Level 1: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4; 10 a.m.-noon March 7; or 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7. Ages 12 and older. $45 per class. n DSLR Photography Level 2: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, or Tuesday, March 17. Ages 12 and older. $45 per class. n Photography Composition and Editing: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 26. Ages 12 and older. $45 per class. n Thursday Walkers: 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays through Feb. 20 and Feb. 27-March 26. Easy to moderate hikes between 2-4 miles. $65 per fivewalk series. n Flow Yoga: 5:306:45 p.m. Thursdays through March 26. $60 for 10 classes, $45 for six classes and $10 for a single class. n Boot Camp: 5:306:30 p.m. Tuesdays through March 17. $80 for 10 weeks, $50 for five weeks, $12 for a single class.

DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 7, Burlington Community Center, 1011 Greenleaf Ave., Burlington. $22 per couple, $6 for additional daughters. burlingtonwa.gov/parksandrec.

GEAR SALE AND

GroundFrog Day in Snohomish

By Skagit Valley Herald staff

Move over, Punxsutawney Phil, there’s another creature who can predict the weather, and this one is a frog.

Snohomish Slew has been accurately predicting the coming of spring to the region for almost 15 years.

At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Riverfront Gazebo, 21 A Ave., SnoSWAP: Buy, sell or trade used outdoor gear from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 14, at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Center, 900 E. Fairhaven Ave., Burlington. $20 per booth, free for shoppers. 360-755-9649 or burlingtonwa.gov/parksandrec.

MEN’S GARDEN

homish, a crowd will gather to find out if an early spring will arrive, or if there is more winter in store.

Following the great “frognostication” will be the Lazy River Frog Race at the Snohomish Aquatic Center and an after party at Fred’s Rivertown Alehouse, 1114 First St., Snohomish.

For more information, visit snohomishcoc.com/groundfrog.

Church, 1253 NW 2nd Ave., Oak Harbor. whidbeygensearchers.org.

CLUB: The Skagit Men’s Garden Club meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at WSU Mount Vernon Research Station, 16650 Memorial Highway 536.

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

Questions? Email: svflyers2009@gmail.com.

GENEALOGY: Whidbey Island Genealogical Searchers meetings are held at 1 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Oak Harbor Lutheran

Thursdays:

Mondays:

4PM-10PM

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E8 - Thursday, January 30, 2020

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area January 30-February 6 Thursday.30

COMEDY SPACE TREK: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., The Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St., Bellingham.

360-733-8855 or theupfront. com.

THEATER ”GUYS & DOLLS”: 7:30 p.m., Village Theatre, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. $65-80. 425-257-8600 or villagetheatre.org.

Sunday.2

”THE GOOD DOCTOR”: 7:30 p.m., Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H St., Bellingham. $8-16. bellinghamtheatreguild.com.

THEATER ”GUYS & DOLLS”: 2 p.m., Village Theatre, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. $65-80.

425-257-8600 or villagetheatre.org.

”THE COCOANUTS”: 7:30 p.m., Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

”THE GOOD DOCTOR”: 2 p.m., Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H St., Bellingham. $8-16. bellinghamtheatreguild.com.

Friday.31

”THE COCOANUTS”: 2 p.m., Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER AGATHA CHRISTIE’S “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

”GUYS & DOLLS”: 8 p.m., Village Theatre, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. $65-80.

425-257-8600 or villagetheatre.org. ”THE GOOD DOCTOR”: 7:30 p.m., Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H St., Bellingham. $8-16. bellinghamtheatreguild.com. ”DAVIS”: 8 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $8-16.

360-305-3524 or sylviacenterforthearts.org.

“SERIAL KILLERS”: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $10-12. 360-3053524 or sylviacenterforthearts. org.

Thursday.6 MARCUS BADGLEY PHOTO

Thursday-Sunday.30-2

”THE COCOANAUTS” Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College,m 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org. Check individual listings for times.

”THE COCOANUTS”: 7:30 p.m., Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

COMEDY SPACE TREK: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., The Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St., Bellingham.

360-733-8855 or theupfront. com.

Saturday.1 THEATER AGATHA CHRISTIE’S “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

”GUYS & DOLLS”: 2 and 8 p.m., Village Theatre, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. $6580. 425-257-8600 or villagetheatre.org. ”THE GOOD DOCTOR”: 7:30 p.m., Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H St., Bellingham. $8-16. bellinghamtheatreguild.com.

THEATER AGATHA CHRISTIE’S “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS”: 7:30 p.m., ACT Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

”DAVIS”: 8 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $8-16.

360-305-3524 or sylviacenterforthearts.org.

”THE GOOD DOCTOR”: 7:30 p.m., Bellingham Theatre Guild, 1600 H St., Bellingham. $8-16. bellinghamtheatreguild.com.

“SERIAL KILLERS”: 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $10-12. 360-3053524 or sylviacenterforthearts. org.

”DAVIS”: 8 p.m., Sylvia Center for the Arts, 205 Prospect St., Bellingham. $8-16.

360-305-3524 or sylviacenterforthearts.org.

”THE COCOANUTS”: 7:30 p.m., Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

”THE COCOANUTS”: 7:30 p.m., Philip Tarro Theatre, Skagit Valley College, 2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8-17. 360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E9

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TUNING UP Playing at area venues January 31-February 9 Friday.31 GOOD VIBRATIONS: 6:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks Lodge, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon.

Members and signed-in guests only. 360-8488882.

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

RADIO 80: 9 p.m., Winner’s Lounge, The Skagit Casino Resort, 5984 Darrk Lane, Bow. 877-275-2448 or theskagit.com.

NAUGHTY BLOKES: 8 p.m., Fireside Martini and Wine Bar, 416 W. Bakerview Road, Bellingham. 360-738-1000 or firesidemartini.com.

CUT SNAKE: 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham.

360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo.net.

THEM FOLKES: 8:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

Saturday.1 GRETA MATASSA, JOAN PENNEY: 6 p.m., Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720 or anacortesrockfish.com.

RADIO 80: 9 p.m., Winner’s Lounge, The Skagit Casino Resort, 5984 Darrk Lane, Bow. 877-275-2448 or theskagit.com.

Saturday.1

Friday.31

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

FANTASY BAND: 7:30 p.m., Crossroads Sports Bar, 1263 Barkley Blvd., Bellingham. 360306-3624.

SPACEBAND: 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham.

360-746-8733 or wildbuffalo.net.

JACKIE: 7:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham.

360-770-1067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

CORWIN BOLT AND MEGHAN YATES: 8 p.m., Honey Moon, 1053 N. State Street Alley, Bellingham. 360-7340728 or honeymoonmeads.com.

MOODY BEAR: 8 p.m., Tony V’s Garage Saloon & Eatery, 1716 Hewitt Ave., Everett. 425374-3567.

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

Sunday.2 BOW DIDDLERS: 5:30 p.m., The Old Edison, 5829 Cains Court, Bow. 360-766-6266 or theoldedison.com.

Tuesday.4 MOZART QUARTETS: 7 p.m., Fir-Conway Lutheran Church, 18101 Fir Island Road, Bellingham. $15-25. 360445-5396 or salishseafestival.org.

ASHES OF EXISTENCE: 7:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

Wednesday.5 TIMEJAZZ: 6 p.m., Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720 or anacortesrockfish.com.

ART D’ECCO: 7:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

Thursday.6 ROSEGARDEN FUNERAL PARTY: 8:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

Friday.7 MAD BOJO BAND: 7:30 p.m., Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720 or anacortesrockfish. com.

THE REPLAYZMENTZ: 6:30 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks Lodge, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon. Members and signed-in guests only. 360-848-8882.

SPACEBAND 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St., Bellingham. 360-7468733 or wildbuffalo.net.

BLEEDING TREE: 9 p.m., Winner’s Lounge, The Skagit Casino Resort, 5984 Darrk Lane, Bow. 877-275-2448 or theskagit.com.

DOWN NORTH: 8:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

BACHELOR NO. 4: 9:30 p.m., Brown Lantern Ale House, 412 Commercial Ave., Anacortes.

360-293-2544 or brownlantern.com.

MARTIN TAYLOR: 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $25-35.

360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

LOVERBOY: 8 p.m., Tulalip Resort Casino, Orca Ballroom, 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip.

360-716-6000 or tulalipresortcasino.com.

CORY VINCENT: 6 p.m., Eagle Haven Winery, 8243 Sims Road, Sedro-Woolley. 360-8566248 or eaglehavenwinery.xudle.com/Reservation-Events.

THE WANDERING SEAS: 8 p.m., Honey Moon, 1053 N. State Street Alley, Bellingham.

360-734-0728 or honeymoonmeads.com.

LIL’ WYTE: 8 p.m., Tony V’s Garage Saloon & Eatery, 1716 Hewitt Ave., Everett. 425-3743567.

Saturday.8

Sunday.9

BLEEDING TREE: 9 p.m., Winner’s Lounge, The Skagit Casino Resort, 5984 Darrk Lane, Bow. 877-275-2448 or theskagit.com.

LEFT AT LONDON: 7:30 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 State St., Bellingham. 360-7701067 or shakedownbellingham.com.

E10 - Thursday, January 30, 2020

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

HOT TICKETS THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: Jan. 30, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

WAR: Jan. 30-Feb. 2, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

EMILY KING: Jan. 31, The Triple Door, Seattle. 206-8384333 or thetripledoor.net.

EXCISION: Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

THE CHOIR OF MAN: Jan. 31, Moore Theatre, Seattle.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com. ”CINDERELLA”: by Pacific Northwest Ballet, Jan. 31Feb. 9, McCaw Hall, Seattle.

206-441-2424 or pnb.org.

HEART BY HEART: Feb. 1, The Triple Door, Seattle.

206-838-4333 or thetripledoor.net.

CODY KO & NOEL MILLER: Feb. 1, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

JULIA SWEENEY: Feb. 1, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

SARAH MCLACHLAN: Feb. 2, Benaroya Hall, Seattle. 866-833-4747, or benaroyahall.org or livenation.com.

SINEAD O’CONNOR: Feb. 4, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

SUPERM: Feb. 4, Accesso Showare Center, Kent. 866973-9613 or livenation.com.

REVEREND HORTON HEAT: Feb. 4-6, The Crocodile, Seattle. 206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

MARTIN TAYLOR, FRANK VIGNOLA: Feb. 4-5, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

QUEENSRYCHE: Feb. 5, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

TRIXIE MATELL: Feb. 5, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

DWEEZIL ZAPPA: Feb. 6,

DWEEZIL ZAPPA Feb. 6, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

NORM MACDONALD: Feb. 6, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY: Feb. 6-9, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

GARY GULMAN: Feb. 8, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

VIOLENT FEMMES: Feb. 9, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

MUSTARD PLUG, THE TOASTERS: Feb. 9, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

SOULFLY, TOXIC HOLOCAUST: Feb. 10, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

MARCUS KING BAND: Feb. 11, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

SONNY LANDREATH, MARCIA BALL: Feb. 1112, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

ROSS THE BOSS: Feb. 12, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-2620482 or elcorazonseattle. com.

PINEGROVE: Feb. 12, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

BLAKE SHELTON: Feb. 14, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

DR. DOG: Feb. 14, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

PEE WEE HERMAN: BIG ADVENTURE: Feb. 15, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

VALE OF PNATH, GOROD: Feb. 16, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

JACK BROADBENT: Feb. 19, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

ANTIBALAS: Feb. 20, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

DAVID SANBORN JAZZ QUINTET: Feb. 20-23, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle.

206-441-9729 or jazzalley. com.

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET: Feb. 20-22, The Triple Door, Seattle. 206-8384333 or thetripledoor.net.

MURDER BY DEATH: Feb. 21, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

TUCK AND PATTI: Feb. 24, The Triple Door, Seattle. 206838-4333 or thetripledoor. net.APH RAPHAEL SAADIQ: Feb. 25, Neptune Theatre, Seattle.

360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

STANTON MOORE: Feb. 27, The Triple Door, Seattle.

206-838-4333 or thetripledoor.net.

WILLIAM DUVALL: Feb. 29, The Triple Door, Seattle.

206-838-4333 or thetripledoor.net. ”STU FOR SILVERTON”: Jan. 31-Feb. 23, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle. 206-6251900 or 5thavenue.org.

BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY: March 4, Rialto Theater, Tacoma. 253-591-5894 or tickets.broadwaycenter.org.

RICK SPRINGFIELD: March 6, Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom, Tulalip.

360-716-6000 or tulalipres-

ortcasino.com.

HAYLEY KIYOKO: March 8, Showbox Sodo, Seattle.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

THE STROKES: March 9, WaMu Theater, Seattle. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

VICTOR WOOTEN: March 12-15, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

BURTON CUMMINGS: March 13-14, Skagit Casino Resort, 5984 Darrk Lane, Bow. 877-275-2448 or theskagit.com. ”SISTER ACT”: March 13-April 5, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle. 206-625-1900 or 5thavenue.org.

CARNIFEX: March 16, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-2620482 or elcorazonseattle. com.

THE ACACIA STRAIN: March 18, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

AMANDA SHIRES: March 20, The Crocodile, Seattle.

877-987-6487 or Eventbrite. com.

ORLEANS, FIREFALL: March 27, Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom, Tulalip.

360-716-6000 or tulalipresortcasino.com.

TOWER OF POWER: April 2-5, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle. 206-441-9729 or jazzalley.com.

AMY GRANT: April 4, Pantages Theater, Tacoma.

253-591-5894 or TacomaArtsLive.org.

CORB LUND: April 10, Tractor Tavern, Seattle. 866777-8932 or Ticketweb.com.

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD: April 10, Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom, Tulalip. 360-716-6000 or tulalipresortcasino.com.

BILLIE EILISH: April 10, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

ALICE COOPER: April 20, McCaw Hall, Seattle. 800-7453000 or ticketmaster.com.

DAUGTHRY 2020: April 24, Tulalip Resort Casino

Orca Ballroom, Tulalip. 360716-6000 or tulalipresortcasino.com.

MILKY CHANCE: Aug. 24, Moore Theatre, Seattle. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: April 23, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-7453000 or livenation.com.

STURGILL SIMPSON, TYLER CHILDERS: May 20, Gorge Amphitheatre, George. 800-745-3000 or livenation.com.

DEAD CAN DANCE: May 3, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 360-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

CHER: May 4, Angel of The Winds Arena, Everett.

866.332.8499 or angelofthewindsarena.com. ”ONCE ON THIS ISLAND”: May 12-24, 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle.

206-625-1900 or 5thavenue. org.

APOCALYPTICA: May 14, Showbox at The Market, Seattle. 888-929-7849 or AXS.com, JOURNEY, THE PRETENDERS: May 16, Gorge Amphitheatre, George. 800745-3000 or livenation.com.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: May 29, El Corazon, Seattle.

206-262-0482 or elcorazonseattle.com.

SHAUN CASSIDY: May 30, Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom, Tulalip. 360-7166000 or tulalipresortcasino. com.

SYMPHONY X: June 1, El Corazon, Seattle. 206-2620482 or elcorazonseattle. com.

HALSEY: June 2, White River Amphitheatre, Auburn.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

ALANIS MORISSETTE: June 3, White River Amphitheatre, Auburn. 800-7453000 or livenation.com.

STEELY DAN, STEVE WINWOOD: June 4, White River Amphitheatre, Auburn.

800-745-3000 or livenation. com.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TRAVEL

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

Planning ahead is key to reaping vacation benefits

By LYNN O’ROURKE HAYES FamilyTravel.com

According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than half of American workers leave unused vacation days on their company’s boardroom table. Meanwhile, the research shows that by planning ahead, more families will actually take much-needed vacations and thus reap a multitude of personal and professional benefits.

Here are five ideas to consider: 1. MAKE PLANNING A PRIORITY Whether you begin by tossing up a tent in the backyard or strategizing to experience a safari in Africa, there is no time like the present to begin planning a family vacation. As children and grandchildren get older, their schedules become more complicated by their own commitments, making it more difficult than ever to plan time together. With dates on the calendar, you’ll feel less stress at work, knowing you’ve provided the boss and co-workers with plenty of notice about your plans.

2. LONGER VACATIONS According to U.S. Travel, 75% of those who plan ahead were more likely to take a full week or more of vacation in a single stretch. By crafting a strategy in advance you’ll have your pick of departures, the best cabins on a cruise ship and more options in popular resort areas. While you are at it, scan the year ahead and be the first to claim vacation days around existing holidays and school

breaks, creating a longer stretch for relaxation and enjoyment. Knowing good times are on the horizon, you’ll have the added benefit of anticipating the getaway.

3. BUCKET LISTS Taking time to create a thoughtful bucket list can make it easier to plan for meaningful vacations, those that are a deliberate reflection of your values, hopes and dreams. So, before you begin listing desired destinations, ask yourself what aspects of the world — geographically, spiritually and culturally — you want to share with your children, grandchildren and perhaps other friends and family members. Will you seek out sustainable solutions and consider climate change as you plan? As your ideas take shape, know your list will evolve over the years.

Therefore, think about which destinations you hope to visit while your children are in the nest and which might best

be saved for later. And, when it comes time to involve the children in creating the bucket list, remember that kids don’t know what they don’t know. Certain theme parks and resorts will likely be on their radar screens. But they may not be aware of the beauty of the backcountry or the historical significance of Gettysburg or Montpelier.

4. CELEBRATE MILESTONE EVENTS Geographic spread, busy careers and school and sports schedules make it more difficult than ever to spend time together. Therefore, planning ahead to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries can be an important touchstone and meaningful part of a family’s legacy. With plenty of advance notice, you’ll increase the odds that more family members will be able to take part in the fun.

Ask your clan to save a date and then get to work creating a gathering that will be a lasting memory for all.

5. REAP THE BENEFITS In-depth research indicates that Americans who take time to plan their vacation time in the year ahead are happier than their comewhat-may counterparts.

Planners are happier with their health and well-being, their financial picture, their personal relationships and even their overall mood, according to the research.

Further, an overwhelming majority of American workers report that time off helps them relax and recharge, and offers the opportunity to pursue personal interests.

Nearly two-thirds of employees say their concentration and productivity at work improves with time off. Business leaders echo this sentiment. Of those surveyed, 91% believe employees return from vacation recharged and renewed — and ready to work more effectively.

– Lynn O’Rourke Hayes (www.LOHayes.com) is an author, family travel expert and enthusiastic explorer.

Local travel briefs OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Skagit Guided Adventures offers a variety of tours daily in the Skagit Valley and surrounding areas. Reservations required: 360-474-7479. n Winter Birding for Kids: An “I Spy” Adventure in Skagit Valley. Through March, Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30-4:30 pm. Transportation and binoculars provided. Reservations required by phone, 360-474-7479. n Hike n’ Cruise to Cypress Island, daily, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Departs from Skyline Marina, Anacortes. Kid- and dog-friendly. Reservations required.

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

WHATCOM SENIOR TOURS: Sign up by calling 360-733-4030, ext. 1015, or visiting the tour office at 315 Halleck St., Bellingham.

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. 360755-0492.

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.

E12 - Thursday, January 30, 2020

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Hollywood just catching up to celebration of Laura Dern

By MARY MCNAMARA Los Angeles Times

Laura Dern is everywhere these days, and that alone is proof that no matter what hill you occupy in the current culture wars, all is not lost. Emmys, Golden Globes, Oscars — for the last few years, virtually every project she touches turns to gold — “Twin Peaks,” “Big Little Lies” Seasons 1 and 2, “The Tale,” and this year, “Little Women” and “Marriage Story,” both of which are best picture nominees, with Dern nominated as supporting actress in “Marriage Story.”

She was even part of Ellen DeGeneres’ receipt of the Carol Burnett Award at this year’s Golden Globes; Dern played the woman to whom DeGeneres’ character Ellen came out during the famous boundary-breaking “Puppy” episode. The decision to play an openly gay woman on broadcast television in 1997 damaged Dern’s career (though far less than it damaged Degeneres’). It wasn’t until 2008, with the HBO movie “Recount” and then, three years later, the HBO comedy “Enlightened,” that she came roaring back.

For reasons still baffling and regrettable, HBO killed “Enlightened” after its second season, but Dern got an Emmy nomination all the same and, more

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP

Laura Dern accepts the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for “Marriage Story” at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall on Jan. 19 in Los Angeles.

important, everyone suddenly remembered how good an actress the star of pre-“Ellen” films including “Rambling Rose,” “Blue Velvet,” “Wild at Heart” and “Smooth Talk” really was.

Really is.

At this point, most everyone agrees that “Enlightened” was just a few years ahead of its time; had it premiered a few years later, when the notion of prestige television had become mainstream and female stars were less confined by sexist strictures of

“likability,” the burning wire of Amy Jellicoe would have lasted at least another season.

But Dern has always been a performer ahead of her time, and 35 years after she decided to turn down a Brat Pack lead for a small role and a chance to work with Peter Bogdanovich in “Mask,” the industry is finally beginning to catch up.

Dern is a character actor who is also a star, a very rare breed. She is also a character actor who never appears to

be playing a character, a breed rarer still. No matter how radical the part (“Enlightened’s” Amy, the napalm-equipped helicopter parent Renata in “Big Little Lies,” the take-no-prisoners divorce attorney in “Marriage Story”), Dern humanizes it. And no matter how human the part (the self-deluded documentarian in “The Tale,” Marmee in “Little Women,”), Dern radicalizes it.

It’s tough to think of another performer who fits so easily in, and

is willing to do such a varied palette of projects.

In 2017, she had roles in “Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” and “The Last Man on Earth” on Fox, Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” on Netflix.

Following this year’s Oscar glory, she’ll next be seen in projects both tried and true and newly launched. She’ll reprise her 1993 role as Ellie Sattler in “Jurassic World 3” and she just signed on to a series on Quibi, the

short-form streamer. In “Just One Drink,” she’ll play a bartender listening to varying customers over several episodes running 10 minutes or less.

She herself is a glorious reprimand to stereotype — blond, slim and beautiful, with an A-list Hollywood pedigree, she is famous for showing up, working hard, making herself heard and being kind.

The only time I met Laura Dern, she brought macarons. She was starring in “Enlightened” at the time and was part of an Envelope Emmy panel I was hosting. She showed up at The Times offices camera-ready and bearing a box of cookies for her fellow panelists. I have done a lot of panels in my time and no one has ever thought to bring cookies.

Her roles this year, as a tough-as-nails 21st century L.A. divorce attorney and a self-sacrificing 19th century wife, mother and early feminist, prove what many of us have known for years: Laura Dern can do anything.

And considering that even as a supporting player she manages to deliver the best lines in both movies — (“So it’s a deal when it’s something you want and a discussion when Nicole wants it?” in “Marriage Story”) and (“I am angry nearly every day of my life” in “Little Women”) it’s probably a very good idea to just let her.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E13

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

The joy of a mixed libation

AT THE LINCOLN

By Skagit Valley Herald staff shaking and stirring all sorts ballot for the battle of the

With over a dozen microbreweries, it’s easy to think Bellingham is a beer town and nothing but a beer town.

That’s where Bellingham Cocktail Week comes in, to remind folks that all kinds of libations are enjoyed and perfected in this town.

From Saturday, Feb. 1, to Monday, Feb. 9, businesses all around town will be

of cocktails, old and new.

This year’s theme is “Into the Cosmos.”

Anyone who enjoys a mixed drink can pick up a guidebook at any participating venue, or many business lobbies around the downtown area.

There are also drink passports where customers can keep track of what they have tried and vote for their favorite. It also includes a

bartender challenge.

There are many events happening over the week, including Cocktail Odyssey, a tasting expo and gala held at noon Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8, and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Hotel Leo, 1224 Cornwall Ave. More information can be found at bellinghamcocktailweek.com.

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9:55 A.M. SATURDAY, FEB. 1 The Gershwins’ modern American masterpiece has its first Met performances in almost three decades, starring bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Angel Blue in the title roles.

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E14 - Thursday, January 30, 2020

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

NEW THIS WEEK

MINI REVIEWS

Weinstein-inspired ‘The Assistant’ masterfully shows abuse, complicity

By KATIE WALSH Tribune News Service

It’s the specificity that devastates in Kitty Green’s starkly damning quotidian drama “The Assistant.”

It’s in the quiet efficiency with which our unnamed protagonist (credited as “Jane,” played by Julia Garner) speaks and moves as she performs her menial yet seemingly crucial duties in a job we will come to discover is both harrowing and highly prized.

Jane’s routine starts with a chauffeured black car to a Tribeca office in the predawn hours. Under the industrial pallor of fluorescent lights, she performs her daily tasks, and a sense of dread starts to creep in. She restocks water bottles; she finds a gold earring on the carpet.

She delivers lunch orders; she silently absorbs the shouts of an angry woman on the phone. Jane is the third assistant, essentially the physical support system, of a high-powered Hollywood executive, an unseen and unnamed man who is a notorious abuser of his staff and a parade of striving young actresses. “The Assistant” is the first post-Weinstein film explicitly about Harvey Weinstein, and it is a potent fable that both unearths and indicts the systems that kept Weinstein, and men like him, in power for so long.

For those who spent time in the Hollywood

BLEECKER STREET

Julia Garner stars in “The Assistant.”

assistant trenches, “The Assistant” might hit like an arrow to the heart.

There’s a deep sense of familiarity to be found in the rhythms and language of this world, as well as an understanding that Jane has had the word “no” groomed out of her vocabulary. Her boss calls to verbally abuse her and she immediately drafts an apology email, thanking him for the career opportunity, guided by her male peers, the first (Jon Orsini) and second (Noah Robbins) assistants.

Those who never lived this culture might be frustrated by the ambivalence that cloaks Jane’s action, or inaction. But the ambivalence is the point. Every action and every inaction, every hand-delivered meal, car booked, script printed, meeting finished, joke cracked at the young women in and out of his office, props the system

up. Every participant in the web of the office could be seen as a collaborator, just another cog in the banal and evil machine crafted by one man’s intimidation and bullying.

Jane has a moment of rebellion, quickly tamped down by a human resources exec played by Matthew Macfadyen in a short but powerful performance of weaponized simpering.

The truly dark thing? His argument makes sense.

And so the day progresses, the assistant continues her tasks, trying to assert herself in the smallest of ways within this system in which she has no control, discarding trash the way her boss discards people.

Garner is simply astonishing in a role that asks her to communicate her character’s emotional journey while the character herself masks her emotions in this volatile environment. She is at

once tormented, guilty and intensely vulnerable, and the film anchors itself around this complex and confused character. It’s a bold choice for Green, making her narrative directorial debut writing and directing “The Assistant” after directing several lauded documentaries, including “Casting JonBenet” and “Ukraine Is Not a Brothel.” The utterly spare style with which she approaches the story speaks to her skill marrying form and content, and her script does its talking in the moments of silence, the glances and knowing looks. At once austere and daring, “The Assistant” may be the first cinematic shot across the bow at Weinstein, taking the structures that supported his crimes down with him.

– 1:25. Rated R for some language. HHHH (out of four stars)

Compiled from news services.

Ratings are 1 to 4 stars.

“The Gentlemen” — Watch Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Hugh Grant, Charlie Hunnam and Colin Farrell sink their teeth into bloody rich character roles in Guy Ritchie’s crime-comedy-thriller, and you get the feeling they had as much fun making this movie as we’re having watching it. Crime comedy, R, 113 minutes.

HHH½ “Color Out of Space” — Playing a farmer altered by the meteorite that crashed in his yard, Nicolas Cage hits more showy electric notes than Eddie Van Halen onstage circa 1985. He’s a major reason why this wackadoodle sci-fi horror film is so darn fun. Horror, not rated, 110 minutes. HHH “Bad Boys for Life” — Though their buddy cop characters have slowed down some, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are great together as crime fighters who remain partners almost 20 years after “Bad Boys II.” Put reality on hold and just go with it. Action, R, 123 minutes.

HHH “Dolittle” — Robert Downey Jr.’s eyes seem to glaze over with boredom as he plays the widowed doctor who brings his animal friends on a seafaring quest to find a mysterious curative fruit. By the time the doc operates on a flatulent dragon, “Dolittle” has solidified its standing as a spectacularly terrible multivehicle pileup. Fantasy adventure, PG, 101 minutes. HH “Underwater” — Playing a resourceful engineer at a research station some 7 miles beneath the surface of the ocean, Kristen Stewart leads the likable cast of this laughably ludicrous sci-fi horror flick. The film is weighed down by muddy visuals and gimmicks stolen from better movies, and ultimately sinks like a half-ton boulder. Sci-fi horror, PG-13, 95 minutes. H½ “Just Mercy” — An idealistic young lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) pours his heart and soul into exonerating an innocent Alabama man (Jamie Foxx). The fact-based legal thriller is one of the most predictable movies you’ll ever see, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a solid, inspirational, debate-provoking work. Drama, PG-13, 137 minutes.

HHH “Like a Boss” — The likable Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne play lifelong friends tempted to turn over their struggling cosmetics company to a villainous tycoon (Salma Hayek). It’s just a crass and dumbed-down buddy comedy in lipstick and eyeshadow. Comedy, R, 83 minutes. H1/2 “Spies in Disguise” — This computer-animated adventure benefits from the expert comic timing of Will Smith, providing the voice of a super spy accidentally transformed into a pigeon and forced to team up with a socially awkward tech genius (Tom Holland). It’s terrific family entertainment, popping with bright colors. Animated action, PG, 101 minutes. HHH “1917” — With brilliant, claustrophobically effective directing choices by Sam Mendes and strong, raw performances from young leads Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay, this heart-stopping World War I drama is a unique viewing experience you won’t soon shake off.

War action, R, 119 minutes. HHH

Thursday, January 30, 2020 - E15

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

MOVIES

REVIEW

‘Last Full Measure’ the first must-see movie of 2020

By RICHARD ROEPER Chicago Sun-Times

Their son has been gone, lost to war, for some 32 years, but his parents have kept his bedroom intact, complete with pennants and baseball trophies and other tokens of a teenager’s world, as their boy was just 18 when he joined the Air Force.

“I miss the way he tapped his cleats when he went up to bat,” says the young man’s father, who is now quite old and very ill and near the end of his time. “[I miss] the way he always found me in the stands when he crossed home plate. ... I never got to see him marry or fall in love with a child of his own. Because only then could he understand how much his father loved him.”

This is one of at least a half-dozen beautifully and heartbreakingly rendered moments in writer-director Todd Robinson’s “The Last Full Measure,” a

moving and powerful and unforgettable story about the Vietnam War and its aftershocks, in the tradition of “The Deer Hunter” and “Coming Home.”

Christopher Plummer plays the father of a U.S. Air Force hero in that bedroom scene. Diane Ladd is the soldier’s mother. They are part of an outstanding ensemble cast of veteran stars that includes William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Amy Madigan, John Savage (some 42 years after “The Deer Hunter”) and the late Peter Fonda in his final live-action movie role.

“The Last Full Measure” kicks off with the obligatory (and yet still pitch-perfect) French horn-led score as we see a montage of newspaper headlines and grainy film footage providing snippets of information about Operation Abilene, an ill-fated U.S. mission in the Phuoc Tuy Province in the spring of 1966 that resulted in 36 Americans killed and 71 wounded.

Flash forward to

1998, where we meet the ambitious, talented and just a little bit slick Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”), a Pentagon staffer on a career fast track.

Huffman is more than a little annoyed when his mentor at the Pentagon (Bradley Whitford) assigns him to look into a Medal of Honor review case involving one William H. Pitsenbarger (played by Jeremy Irvine in flashbacks), a U.S. Air Force pararescueman who was credited with saving a number of lives before he was KIA during Operation Abilene.

William Hurt is magnificently effective as Pitsenbarger’s best friend and his partner on the mission, Master Sgt. Thomas Tulley, who has been nearly crippled by the guilt he’s felt for staying in the helicopter while “Pits” waved him off and kept tending to the wounded, grabbing guns from the dead and fighting off the enemy.

Asked his agenda in

working so hard for the medal review, Tulley says, “Justice delayed is justice denied. That’s my damn agenda.”

Cynical and determined to go through the motions of the medal review so he can return to the inner sanctum of the Department of Defense and interview for a prestigious position that’s his for the taking, Huffman hits the road to interview a few of the Army veterans who witnessed Pits’ acts of valor and in some cases wouldn’t have made it home without him.

Cue the scenes of Huffman in his suit and his veneer of distance coming face to face with men more than twice his age who could still crush him like a grape.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Takoda is an outwardly calm family man who loves to fish with his grandchildren, but is still filled with a sense of awe and also uneasiness when he remembers the battle. “[Pits] died fighting alongside men he never

knew,” Takoda tells Huffman.

Ed Harris is a school bus driver who tells Huffman the mission was a disaster from the start. Peter Fonda’s Jimmy is suffering from severe PTSD, and his wife (Amy Madigan) is fiercely protective of him, but she allows Huffman to talk to Jimmy about the events of 32 years ago.

Huffman’s travels even take him to Vietnam, where he connects with John Savage’s Kepper, a veteran who never left Southeast Asia and has become a kind of hippie-healer version of Col. Kurtz, welcoming fellow American vets who have made a return trip in search of some measure of closure.

As you might have guessed, it’s not long before Huffman starts giving this medal review the respect and care and dedication it deserves. He makes it HIS mission to find out why the Medal of Honor was denied Pits all those years ago, and what the military was trying to

cover up.

Writer-director Robinson expertly toggles back and forth between the harrowing, frantic, brutally intense 1966 battle scenes and the poignant procedural drama of the late 1990s.

Jeremy Irvine does a fine job as Pits in the flashback sequences, but we really learn the measure of the man through the memories of his parents and Huffman’s interactions with those men whose lives he forever touched with his heroics.

Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most entertaining larger-than-life actors of our time, but his understated and measured performance here ranks with the best work he’s ever done. William Hurt can take something like a simple, 30-second phone conversation and turn it into a master class. Peter Fonda closes out his career on a very strong note.

– 1:55. Rated R (for war violence and language).

HHHH (out of four stars)

At area theaters “Uncut Gems” — In one of the most authentic deep dives into the world of the gambling addict ever put on film, Adam Sandler’s performance as a New York jeweler with a variety of voracious appetites might just be the best dramatic performance by an actor in all of 2019. Crime comedy, R, 135 minutes.

HHHH “Little Women” — Through the prism of the blazingly talented writer-director Greta Gerwig, it’s as if we’re meeting the March

sisters for the very first time, and we’re immediately swept away in a gorgeously filmed, wickedly funny, deeply moving and, yes, empowering story. Drama, PG, 135 minutes. HHHH “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — Action-filled and plot-packed, Episode IX of the space opera saga features a twist and turn and surprise around nearly every corner. It rarely comes close to touching greatness, but it’s a solid, visually dazzling and warm-hearted victory for the

Force of quality filmmaking.

Fantasy adventure, PG-13, 141 minutes. HHH “A Hidden Life” — In 1940s Austria, a farmer is jailed for refusing to sign a loyalty oath to Hitler, as his wife and children suffer without him. This is a Terrence Malick film, so you can count on feeling dazzled by spectacular shots of heaven on Earth, and impatient at the sheer overpowering deliberateness of it all. Historical drama, PG-13, 180 minutes.

HHH

“Jumanji: The Next Level” — Like 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” this rousing, funny, warm-hearted, old-fashioned adventure movie puts high school students into video game avatars that look like Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and others. There’s more than enough charm to overcome the occasional overlong action sequence. Action adventure, PG-13, 123 minutes. HHH “Richard Jewell” — The latest economically filmed, well-crafted gem from Clint

CONCRETE THEATER Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Little Women (PG): Friday: 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 5 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday: 5 p.m.

360-941-0403 ANACORTES CINEMAS 360-293-7000 STANWOOD CINEMAS 360-629-0514

Eastwood recalls the cop wannabe who was proven innocent after being named as the prime suspect in the 1996 Olympics bombing in

BLUE FOX DRIVE-IN Oak Harbor Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Bad Boys for Life (R), Charlie’s Angels (PG-13).

First movie starts at 6 p.m.

360-675-5667 CASCADE MALL CINEMAS Burlington 360-707-2727

Atlanta. Paul Walter Hauser delivers screen-commanding work as the title character.

Historical drama, R, 130 minutes. HHH½

E16 - Thursday, January 30, 2020

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

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