The Washington Center 2010-2011 Season Brochure

THE WASHINGTON CENTER FO R TH E PERFO RM I N G ARTS

2 0 10 / 11 S E A S O N

DIRECT FROM NEW YORK! The Color Purple The Wizard of Oz A Chorus Line

Join us in celebrating 25 years of Arts in the community...

We opened the doors of The Washington Center to an audience for the first time in the fall of 1985.

The first performance on our stage was a joint concert with the Olympia Symphony Orchestra and Masterworks Chorale Ensemble — fitting, given that the Center’s primary purpose is the support of our local performing organizations — and quickly followed with a succession of programs, including our opening night gala with Ben Vereen.

A lot has happened over the years! We have hosted more than 6000 public performances and have had more than 2.5 million people cross our threshold. Almost 200,000 people, most of them our neighbors, have stood quietly and expectantly in the wings, waiting for their magic moment in the spotlight.

We have had our challenges over the years. When the Nisqually earthquake hit, we had over 600 elementary school children in the theater, all needing to be safely evacuated and reunited with their buses. We once had our box office computer system crash so completely that we struggled for weeks to figure out which tickets had sold and which had not. We have had years when we were forced to scrape for nickels to keep our bills paid.

Through it all, we feel we have succeeded with a very important goal… putting artists and audiences together for a brief time, in a safe and supportive environment, suspended in that process of artistic giving and receiving from which we all take sustenance and joy.

Much will be done in the coming year to acknowledge our past 25 years… and much will be done in the coming year to prepare for our next 25. Like a high wire act, we have been successful (so far) without a net. Now, as we truly enter our ‘adult years’, we must turn to the development of an endowment that will keep us whole through both the good times and the bad. You will hear more about this as time goes by; we would of course welcome the opportunity to talk with each and every one of you about it.

25 years have come and gone in a flash, which begs the question of what could possibly excite us now?

That answer is easy… it’s the next 25 years! Come along with us for the ride.

Tom Iovanne Executive Director

Thank you to our 2010/11 Sponsors A-Pro Home Inspection Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters Bayview Thriftway Capital Medical Center Chicago Title Dick’s Brewery Dr. Dan Davidson EN&T Associates SW, Inc. Golf USA Heritage Bank Irving A Lassen Foundation Johansen Olympia Dance Center Law Office of Harold Carr Marine View Beverage Melanie Stewart & Associates MSGS Architects Old School Pizzeria Olympia Federal Savings Olympia Radiologists Panorama Papa Murphy’s Pizza

Party Outfitters RadiantCare Radiation Oncology Roxy 94.5 Sentina Manufacturing Company, Inc. Shankz Black Light Miniature Golf South Sound Magazine Sunset Air, Inc. Surgical Associates Swing Wine Bar & Cafe/Cascadia The Office Bar & Grill The Olympian Thurston First Bank Titus Will Virgil Adams Real Estate WE Davis Company Wells Fargo Home Mortgage/Kathy Randich WESTAF/NEA Williams, Wyckoff & Ostrander Woodchuck Works Zia Betta

C O N T E N T S | W C PA 10 / 11

Features

Every Season

2010/11 Season

15 | Dennis James and

Musica Curiosa

5 | Culture Vultures

6 | Seattle Symphony 8 | San Francisco Opera Cinema Series 9 | 21st Century Masters Series 11 | New Frontiers at The Minnaert

Dennis James is well known to the Washington Center audience as the organist and silent movie authority behind our annual silent movie series.

Less well known is that he owns and is an authority on some very unusual musical instruments. This Musica Curiosa Evening includes our Mighty Andy Crow Wurlitzer organ and Dennis James playing a glass armonica, and who knows what else!

23 | The Wizard of Oz

The greatest family musical of all time and based on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebration of the 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz is presented with breathtaking special effects that will sweep audiences away from the moment the tornado twists its way into Kansas. The Wizard of Oz will have the entire family captivated as they travel down the yellow brick road for an unforgettable evening at the theater.

35 | Salif Keita

A 40 and under culture club.

7 | The Washington Center Silver Gala Celebration 17 | Friends of the Center Your FRIENDS contribution is a gift to our community.

18 | Next Generation

The Washington Center prides itself on providing educational opportunities to enhance students learning.

38 | The Big Mini Golf Weekend

23 | The Wizard of Oz 25 | Shawn Colvin & Loudin Wainwright III 26 | KODO Drummers of Japan 27 | National Geographic Live!

Featuring Rhinde Eckert, The Pine Leaf Boys, Vagabond Opera, Christopher O’Riley, Red Horse 28 | Comedy In The Box 13 | Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy 29 | A Chorus Line 14 | Thanks For The Joy 31 | Silent Film Series Featuring Ruthie Foster & Eric Bibb 32 | Marcia Ball & The Voice 15 | Dennis James & Musica Curiosa of Wetlands Allstars 20 | The Color Purple 33 | The Chieftains 21 | Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane 34 | The Capitol Steps Dance Company 35 | Salif Keita 22 | A Holiday Performance with 37 | Ballet Folklorico “Quetzalli” Sweet Honey in the Rock®

Watch for the following keys throughout the brochure:

It has never been easy for Salif Keita to explain the reason for his total break with tradition when he decided to become a musician… an act that caused a storm of protest. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that he is an albino, an outsider from the word go. Today, Salif Keita is one of world music’s most central and influential artists; each and every one of his albums is greeted with great expectations.

The Wizard of Oz

P.23

C A L E N D A R | W C PA 10 / 11

October 3, 2010 3:00PM Seattle Symphony

October 9, 2010 7:30PM New Frontiers at the Minnaert

Rinde Eckert

November 18, 2010 7:30PM Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company

November 21, 2010 2:00PM San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series ‘Tosca’

November 27, 2010 7:30PM

February 8, 2011 7:30PM A Chorus Line

February 17, 2011 7:00PM Silent Film Series: The Flapper

February 18, 2011 7:30PM Marcia Ball and Voice of the Wetlands Allstars

April 10, 2011 2:00PM San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’

3

| 2010/11 Season

October 13, 2010 7:30PM Hahn Bin, violin

New Frontiers at the Minnaert

The Pine Leaf Boys

October 17, 2010 2:00PM San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series ‘La Boheme’

October 21, 2010 7:30PM Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy Masters of the Fiddle

December 2, 2010 7:30PM A Holiday Performance with Sweet Honey in the Rock®

January 8, 2011 2:00PM & 7:30PM The Wizard of Oz

February 23, 2011 7:30PM The Chieftains

March 3, 2011 7:30PM The Capitol Steps

April 13, 2011 7:30PM Jeanine de Bique, soprano

October 21, 2010 7:30PM Comedy in the Box Additional performances: 11/18/10, 1/20/11, 2/24/11, 3/24/11, 4/21/11, 5/5/11, 6/16/11

October 29, 2010 7:30PM Thanks for the Joy, featuring Ruthie Foster & Eric Bibb

November 4, 2010 7:30PM Dennis James & Musica Curiosa

November 10, 2010 7:30PM The Color Purple

November 16, 2010 7:30PM National Geographic Live!

Michael Davie

January, 14, 2011 7:30PM

January 16, 2011 2:00PM San Francisco Opera: Grand Opera Cinema Series ‘The Elixir of Love’

January 21, 2011 7:30PM Shawn Colvin and Loudin Wainwright III

January 25, 2011 7:30PM National Geographic Live!

Wade Davis

January 30, 2011 7:30PM KODO Drummers of Japan

New Frontiers at the Minnaert

Vagabond Opera

March 16, 2011 7:30PM Charlie Albright, piano

March 19, 2011 7:30PM New Frontiers at the Minnaert

Christopher O’Riley

April 15, 2011 7:30PM New Frontiers at the Minnaert

Red Horse

March 29, 2011 7:30PM National Geographic Live!

David Doubilet

April 20, 2011 7:30PM Ballet Folklorico “Quetzalli”

March 31, 2011 7:00PM Silent Film Series: Manhandled

April 1, 2011 7:30PM Salif Keita

April 21, 2011 7:00PM Silent Film Series: Diary of a Lost Girl

www.washingtoncenter.org |

4

Culture Vultures

The Washington Center’s 40 & Under Donors Club Arts & Events + Food & Drink + Meet & Greet Experience the world at your doorstep and events closer to home with Culture Vultures, the new 40 & Under club at the Washington Center. Join us as we pair performances with food & drink for you to come and enjoy what the South Sound has to offer.

For a $50 membership fee you will receive: Special CV Receptions The Washington Center will host as we rope off your special reception for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and people watching at selected performances. Enjoy the show, and then head out to a local restaurant after the show for conversation, cocktails and desserts hosted by the Center.

Parties planned at these selected performances: NOV 27, 2010 JAN 21, 2011 FEB 8, 2011 MAR 19, 2011 APR 1, 2011

The Pine Leaf Boys/Minnaert Center Shawn Colvin and Loudin Wainwright III A Chorus Line Christopher O’Riley/Minnaert Center Salif Keita

Special CV Subscription Offer The Washington Center receives support from the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater.

We would like to acknowledge the many individuals who contribute to the Friends of the Washington Center.

Additional season marketing support provided by:

Choose a minimum of 5 performances to our season and get special discounts as a member of the CV club. You will receive 10% off your subscription automatically and an additional 10% off for being a member of the CV club.

Special CV Ticket Offers Receive 1⁄2 price ticket offers for selected events a week before the performance. Just mention you are a member of the CV Club to receive your discounted tickets! Maximum 4 tickets.

Special CV Events The Washington Center receives additional funding from the following organizations:

In addition to the above special receptions tied to selected performances; the CV Club will also be invited to selected events at The Center such as:

5

| 2010/11 Season

Art Openings in the Gallery Pre-Performance Lectures Special Receptions with the Artists Special Tours of the Center And other special opportunities...

Maestro Gerard Schwarz’s Farewell Season as Music Director of

SEATTLE SYMPHONY OCT 3/Sunday 3:00PM We will begin our season in grand style with Seattle Symphony.

Maestro Gerard Schwarz, celebrating his Farewell Season, will lead the Orchestra and internationally renowned violinist Elmar Oliviera.

This matinee performance will feature Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Kernis’ Air for Violin, Bloch’s Baal Shem, Three Pictures of Chassidic Life, and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70.

$46.50 - $38.50 Adult $42.00 - $35.00 St/Sr $23.25 - $19.25 Youth

Sponsored by:

EN &T ear

nose

and

throat

A S S O C I AT E S

S O U T H W E S T

I N C O R P O R AT E D

P. S .

www.washingtoncenter.org |

6

THE WASHINGTON CENTER SILVER GALA CELEBRATION! THE WASHINGTON CENTER IS THRILLED TO CELEBRATE OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS FALL! WE OPENED OUR DOORS IN THE FALL OF 1985 AND HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE SOUTH SOUND EVER SINCE. JOIN US AS WE TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS!

ART GALLERY RECEPTION - 25 FEET OF ART! Free Event!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 • 5:30-8:00PM - FREE! The 25th Anniversary Silver Gala opens with an art gallery reception and online auction featuring 25 local artists. The finest vintages will be available from local vintners with accompanying hors d’oeuvres. The online auction will run through ArtsWalk and close October 25th.

Sponsored by:

CULTURE VULTURES BASH Free Event!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 • 7:00-10:00PM - FREE! Join our under-40 group, Culture Vultures, in the Black Box as we continue our weekend of celebration with an evening of comedy. The evening will include music, comedy, snacks, no-host bar and silent auction.

Sponsored by: DICK’S BREWING COMPANY

AN EVENING WITH BEN VEREEN and LIVE AUCTION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 • 6:30-11:00PM

BEN VEREEN —Few entertainers today are as accomplished

or versatile as Ben Vereen. His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of this country’s artistic legacy. His first love and passion is and always will be the stage. “The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things,” states Ben. On Broadway, Ben Vereen has appeared in Wicked, Fosse, I’m Not Rappaport, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Grind, Jelly’s Last Jam and A Christmas Carol. For over 35 years, Ben has showcased his versatility and creativity, performing countless one-man shows not only in the United States, but also Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. He was the first simultaneous winner of the “Entertainer of the Year,” “Rising Star,” and “Song and Dance Star” awards from the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA).

Ben was recently nominated for an NAACP Image Award for his performance in the Hallmark movie An Accidental Friendship. He appears in two soon to be released features, 21 and Wake Up starring Faye Dunaway and Mama I Want to Sing. He recently guest starred on Tyler Perry’s comedic TV series House of Payne, and just came off a successful run starring in the world premier of Fetch Clay, Make Man directed by Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) at the McCarter Theater.

7

| 2010/11 Season

Ben Vereen returns to The Center after 25 years to help us celebrate our 25th year! Guests will take in the performance of Ben Vereen, who will then help with our live auction. Afterwards, relax in the Black Box with coffee, espresso and desserts. $200.00 per person

Presenting Sponsor:

Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsors:

SILVER GALA DANCE Free Event!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2010 • 2:00-5:00PM - FREE! Our Afternoon Dance will round out our exciting weekend and celebrates those who remember dancing to big band sounds while mixing and mingling over snacks, tea and maybe just a hint of champagne.

A heartfelt thanks to all of our many patrons and friends of the arts. Help us celebrate our 25th Anniversary and join us as we continue the rich tradition of The Washington Center for the Performing Arts and the next 25 years of entertainment, culture and arts education in our community.

San Francisco Opera

CINEMA SERIES

Sunday OCT 17 2:00PM

This will be our second season working with this acclaimed program. Recorded live in high-definition at San Francisco’s historic War Memorial Opera House and projected in high-definition on our 36’ wide screen, this series provides an exceptional high quality experience that will have you feeling like you were watching this performance from your favorite seat in the Opera House. The San Francisco Opera brand of presenting exceptional musical and innovative theatrical productions is a strong and cherished tradition, critically acclaimed and applauded by sold-out audiences from around the world.

La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini—Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Nicola Luisotti, San Francisco Opera’s Music Director and a master of the Italian repertoire, conducts Puccini’s most beloved opera. This heartwarming story of starving artists falling in and out of love in 19th-century Paris is a seamless mix of romantic passion, poignant tragedy and high-spirited fun. The outstanding cast is headed by superstar Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu as the ill-fated Mimî, and by Polish tenor Piotr Beczala as her lover, the poet Rodolfo. Recorded Fall 2008, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.

“Audiences adore ‘La Bohéme,’ and the San Francisco Opera’s latest revival makes it easy to see why...

Glorious singing, gripping music and a touching love story...were on brilliant display.”

—San Jose Mercury News

Sunday NOV 21 2:00PM

Tosca by Giacomo Puccini—Sung in Italian with English subtitles

An idealistic artist, a celebrated singer and a corrupt police chief engage in a fierce battle of wills in this tempestuous tale of cruelty and deception. With its themes of political intrigue, sexual intimidation and official hypocrisy, Puccini’s great melodrama set in 1800 is anything but dated. Canadian soprano Adrianne pieczonka makes her Company debut in the title role. Baritone Lado Ataneli (Scarpia) and Italian tenor Carlo Ventre make up the other sides of this fatal love triangle. Recorded Summer 2009, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.

“The voices are superb” in Tosca, Adrianne Pieczonka, making her company debut, sang...with strength and heart...her voice had a prismatic quality, light and color-filled, like Puccini’s music itself.”

—San Jose Mercury News

Sunday JAN 16 2:00PM

The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti—Sung in Italian with English subtitles

Donizetti’s charming comedy is a celebration of innocence, so what setting could be better than a small Italian-American community in the Napa Valley, circa 1915? In this ingenious update, the naïve Nemorino believes that a love potion will win him Adina’s heart. Blossoming from a shy Italian immigrant to a plucky entrepreneur, he captures both his sweetheart and the American dream over the course of this delightful opera buffa. Tenor Ramón Vargas superbly embodies the role of the lovesick Nemorino. The beautiful but aloof Adina is sung by soprano Inva Mula. Recorded Fall 2008, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.

“It’s saucy, it’s sweet, it’s a stream of laughs and lovely melody...you can just can’t ask for more.”

—San Francisco Chronicle

Sunday APR 10 2:00PM

Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti—Sung in Italian with English subtitles

The emotionally fragile Lucia is driven to madness when manipulated to marry a man she does not love.

Featuring the most famous mad scene in the repertory and full of ravishingly beautiful melodies, this timeless bel canto masterpiece evokes the passion and desperation of a woman used by her brother as a political pawn. Superstar Natalie Dessay owns this virtuosic role. Also starring Giuseppe Filianoi, Gabriele Viviani and Oren Gradus. Recorded Summer 2008, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.

Natalie Dessay gives ”A precise, luminous and impeccably controlled performance...marked by luscious, inviting legato phrases and crowned by nimble, precise coloratura.” —San Francisco Chronicle.

Each Performance: $14.50 Adult $7.25 Youth www.washingtoncenter.org |

8

21ST CENTURY

MASTERS This will be the 15th consecutive season in which the Washington Center has presented a Young Concert Artists series of performances. Each year we bring in three outstanding classical musicians to perform on stage, but maybe even more importantly, to work with our area’s outstanding young musicians in workshops and master classes during their stay in our community.

Young Concert Artists, Inc. was founded in 1961 to discover and launch the careers of extraordinary young musicians – a mission that has been achieved to a phenomenal and unprecedented degree. Many of today’s great performers started their careers with Young Concert Artists – including Dawn Upshaw, Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Eugenia Zukerman, Christopher O’Riley, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Pinchas Zukerman, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and the Tokyo String Quartet.

Each performance: $19.50 Adult $9.75 Youth

Hahn Bin, violin

OCT 13/Wednesday 7:30PM A special protégé of the famed Itzhak Perlman, 22-year-old violinist Hahn Bin has won critical acclaim for his “extraordinary, intelligent and beautiful” (The Washington Post) performances and his “inspired, innovative and bracing” (The New York Times) programs. He made his international debut at the age of twelve at the 42nd Grammy Awards in a Salute to Classical Music which honored the legendary Isaac Stern.

Jeanine De Bique, soprano APR 13/Wednesday 7:30PM

Born in Trinidad, Ms. De Bique earned her Bachelor’s Degree in 2006 from the Manhattan School. She also earned her Master’s degree in 2008 and her Professional Studies Certificate in 2009 with Marlena Malas. She is a Winner of the 2009 Gerda Lissner Vocal Competition in New York, a Regional Finalist and Study Grant Winner in the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a Finalist and Winner of the Lys Symonette Award in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s 2007 Lotte Lenya Competition, and a First Prize Winner in the 2006 National Association for Negro Singers Competition. She received a Study Grant from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation in 2006, and has participated in master classes with Renee Fleming, Marilyn Horne, Catherine Malfitano, Thomas Hampson, and Mirella Freni.

9

| 2009/10 Season

Charlie Albright, piano MAR 16/Wednesday 7:30PM

21-year-old pianist Charlie Albright, a 2010 Gilmore Young Artist, won the Paul A. Fish First Prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, where he was also awarded the Ronald A. Asherson Prize, the John Browning Prize, the Sander Buchman Prize, the Ruth Laredo Award, and four performance prizes: the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Prize, the Friends of Music Concerts Prize for an engagement in Sleepy Hollow (NY), the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival Prize, and the Embassy Series Prize for a concert in Washington, DC. The Young Concert Artists Series will present his New York debut and his Washington, DC debut at the Kennedy Center.

This season, Mr. Albright appears with cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Memorial Church (MA) and gives recitals in Boston at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He performs six concerts at the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo, MI and a concert in Paris at the Salle Cortot. Mr. Albright appears as concerto soloist with orchestras including the Grand Rapids (MI) and Olympia (WA) symphony orchestras.

Mr. Albright won a Vendome Virtuoso Prize and the Elizabeth Leonskaya Special Award at the 2009 Vendome Prize International Piano Competition in Lisbon, Portugal. He won the 2008 Harvard Bach Society Orchestra’s competition to perform the Tchaikovsky Piano

Born in Centralia, Washington, Mr. Albright began piano lessons at the age of three.”

Concerto, Third Prize as the youngest competitor at the 2007 Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and First Prizes in the 2006 Eastman Piano Competition, the 2006 Stecher and Horowitz Foundation’s New York Piano Competition and the 2005 IIYM International Competition in Lawrence, Kansas.

At the age of 18, Mr. Albright performed with cellist Yo-Yo Ma at a ceremony at which Senator Ted Kennedy received an honorary degree from Harvard University, and again performed with Mr. Ma in a program commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, featuring Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison. He has given concerto performances with the Seattle Philharmonic and the Olympia, Port Angeles, and Northwest Wind symphonies in Washington State.

Born in Centralia, Washington, Mr. Albright began piano lessons at the age of three. He has studied with Nancy Adsit and has participated in master classes with Richard Goode, Leif Ove Andsnes and Abbey Simon. Mr. Albright earned an Associate of Science degree at Centralia College while he was also in high school, and is currently in the Harvard/New England Conservatory of Music joint program, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree as a Pre-med/Economics major at Harvard, and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music, with Wha-Kyung Byun. www.washingtoncenter.org |

10

RINDE ECKERT OCT 9/Saturday 7:30PM

Produced by The Washington Center The Washington Center began managing the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts on the campus of South Puget Sound Community College in the fall of 2009; this will be the first season at the Minnaert produced

by The Washington Center. We intend to use the series as a laboratory that will question the mechanisms of marketing and presenting the arts, and look forward to ‘learning while playing’!

11

| 2010/11 Season

Rinde Eckert calls his career a “wonderful mistake.” He started as a trained opera singer but found that discipline too confining for his free-roaming creativity, so he drifted into experimental theater in the San Francisco area. Over the years he has been actor, librettist, director, avant-garde playwright and composer. An Idiot Divine, Eckert’s solo theater work from earlier in this decade, is an iconoclastic, category-smashing and often riveting piece of performance art. Rinde Eckert recently received the 2009 Alpert Award in the Arts for Theater, a prestigious award that provides an unrestricted annual prize of $75,000. $29.50 Adult $14.75 Youth

PINE LEAF BOYS

VAGABOND OPERA

NOV 27/Saturday 7:30PM

JAN 14/Friday 7:30PM

Louisiana’s finest, three-time Grammy-Nominated Pine Leaf Boys have made a name for presenting their own inimitable brand of Cajun music with youthful exuberance. Hailing from southwest Louisiana, the Pine Leaf Boys, known for their wild shows and thoughtful arrangements, have breathed new life into Cajun music, reviving ancient songs and bringing them to the bandstand. They’ve been described as, “...the link that connects the young and the old generations,” and, “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time”.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, yet encompassing the world, Vagabond Opera delivers passionate offerings of Bohemian cabaret. Paris hot Jazz, gut bucket swing, Tangos, Ukrainian folk-punk ballads, Klezmer and vigorous originals...all meeting a world of riverboat gambling queens, Turkish belly dancers, and the enigmatic Marlene Dietrich. This is not your granny’s opera, but a visceral artistic ensemble that features powerful instrumental and vocal performances coupled with a highly eclectic and theatrical experience.

$29.50 Adult $14.75 Youth

$29.50 Adult $14.75 Youth

CHRISTOPHER O’RILEY MAR 19/Saturday 7:30PM Christopher O’Riley is a prestigious artist, pianist and national media personality. His memorable interpretations of traditional and popular repertoire make him a cherished bridge between musical tastes, genres and audiences worldwide.

His exquisite and poetic interpretations have granted him phenomenal reviews and several recording contracts, and his warm personality has brought him to host NPR’s “From the Top” for the last 10 years. Christopher O’Riley’s repertoire spans classical styles, from Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Chopin, Ravel and Busoni to contemporary artists such as Radiohead, Nirvana, Pink Floyd and Elliott Smith. He is the definition of a Classical Crossover artist, and his most famous recording, Radiohead “True Love Waits” album, was awarded four stars in Rolling Stone magazine. $29.50 Adult $14.75 Youth

RED HORSE APR 15/Friday 7:30PM Red Horse is the joining of forces of three of this country’s finest roots musicians...John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson, and Lucy Kaplansky. John Gorka is an honored icon whose trademark energetic acoustic music is not a trend or a fad, but an expression of everyday life. John’s rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave a magical spell that can only be described as ‘Gorka.’ Eliza Gilkyson is a politically minded, poetically gifted singer-songwriter who has become one of the most respected musicians in roots, folk and Americana circles. In February of 2003, this Grammy-Nominated artist was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame. Lucy Kaplansky started out singing in Chicago bars, and then, barely out of high school, took off for New York City. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner, but she temporarily left the musical fast track to pursue a doctorate in Psychology and open her own private practice.

Drawn back by Shawn Colvin, Lucy released her first album in 1994 to rave reviews. $29.50 Adult $14.75 Youth www.washingtoncenter.org |

12

NATALIE MACMASTER and DONNELL LEAHY Masters of the Fiddle OCT 21/Thursday 7:30PM Natalie has been at the Center more times than almost any other touring musician, and her performances regularly sell out to very appreciative audiences. Her unique style of Cape Breton fiddling with some pretty lively dancing will only be enhanced this year when Donnell Leahy, fiddler and leader of the well known band Leahy (and her husband!) joins her. $44.50 - $36.50 Adult $40.00 - $33.00 St/Sr $22.25 - $18.25 Youth

13

| 2010/11 Season

THANKS FOR THE JOY

featuring Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb OCT 29/Friday 7:30PM Ruthie Foster and Eric Bibb have forged a compelling path for the next generation of songwriting blues and soul artists. Performing on their own and together, the tour title, Thanks for the Joy, is drawn from a song written by Eric. Ruthie performed the song on her 2009 release, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, which hit #1 on the Roots Blues chart.

Ruthie’s blend of gospel, blues, folk and soul has drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading. Eric Bibb, nominated for nine W.C. Handy Blues Music Awards and winner of the Best Newcomer title in the British Blues Awards, has been appropriately described as “discreetly awesome” and “a total original.”

$39.50 - $31.50 Adult $35.50 - $28.50 St/Sr $19.75 - $15.75 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

14

MUSICA CURIOSA Dennis James’ 50 Year Career as a Curious Musician

15

| 2010/11 Season

The Washington Center’s own newly appointed Theatre Organist, Dennis James, is planning for his debut Washington Center concert program a witty, fully illustrated retrospective look at his first fifty years in show business, playing pieces and telling stories about his long and varied career in music. From his start in 1957 learning music with his favorite birthday present ... an accordion, to playing ragtime piano in high school long before the start of ragtime revival era, and on to learning the church and concert organ while beginning to specialize with the theatre pipe organ until coming forth on the international scene with his renowned specialty revivals of forgotten historical musical instruments.

Dennis will tell stories about his training and personal associations with legendary veteran theatre organists and anecdotes about tour performances and TV appearances on such programs as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman together with such show business luminaries as Bob Hope, Vincent Price, Ray Bolger, Jimmy Durante, Red Skelton, Olivia DeHavilland, David Niven, Joseph Cotten, E. G. Marshall, Loretta Young, Sally Rand, Ginger Rogers, Carmen Cavallaro, Ethel Smith, Michael Feinstein,

Petula Clark, Bill Medley, Linda Ronstadt, Branford Marsalis, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. Plus, he will share recollections of his years touring with silent film stars Lillian Gish, Myrna Loy, Fay Wray and Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers presenting revival screenings of their most famous Hollywood films.

Dennis is going to bring along instruments he’s learned to play and will demonstrate them with carefully prepared accompaniments recorded on the Washington Center’s Andy Crow Wurlitzer organ throughout the show - from his actual first accordion to his authentic recreation of Benjamin Franklin’s 1762 invention, the glass Armonica, along with his custombuilt Theremin by Robert Moog. He’s also going to feature his specialty touring concert repertoire ranging from his own transcriptions of music by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven through to commissioned pieces from Philip Glass and Peter (P.D.Q. Bach) Shickele. Some short music-themed silent films and specialty comic surprises will round out the occasion.

Dennis will tell stories about his training and personal associations with legendary veteran theatre organists...

Above: Benjamin Franklin at his glass armonica.

DENNIS JAMES and MUSICA CURIOSA NOV 4/Thursday 7:30PM Dennis James, official organist of the Washington Center, is well known to the Washington Center audience as the organist and silent movie authority behind our annual silent movie series. Less well known is that he owns and is an authority on some very unusual musical instruments. This Musica Curiosa Evening includes our Mighty Andy Crow Wurlitzer organ and Dennis James playing a glass armonica (a Benjamin Franklin invention), a theremin, and who knows what else!

$27.50 - $21.50 Adult $24.50 - $19.50 St/Sr $13.75 - $10.75 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

16

ENSURE A FUTURE FOR THE ARTS:

Become a Friend of the Washington Center

Your Friends membership is your pass to staying connected to great theatrical, musical and dance performances with benefits that are truly outstanding, including members-only priority seating, exclusive season preview and many more. Take a moment to discover how easily you can play a larger role at the Washington Center.

Your philanthropy is what provides local artists an opportunity to realize a dream and strengthens the cultural fabric of our community.

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

Benefactor ($5,000 – and up) All benefits below plus: • •

•

Highest Level priority seating for season tickets Single rent-free use of any Washington Center space (subject to availability, restrictions apply) Two additional tickets to our annual Gala

Producer ($3,000 – $4,999) All benefits below plus:

Double or Triple Your Friends Contribution—It’s Easy!

Presenter ($1,500 – $2,999) All benefits below plus:

Just request a matching-gift form from your employer and send it in completed and signed with your gift. We’ll do the rest. Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses.

• • • •

•

Level Three priority seating for season tickets Two tickets to our annual Gala fundraiser Two tickets to any one Washington Center presented event Opportunity to host private pre-performance reception as Washington Center’s ambassador Meeting with Executive Director

Actor ($500 – $1,499) All benefits below plus: • • •

Level four priority seating for season tickets Invitation to private Season Preview Party Last minute ticket hotline (purchase late release tickets for sold-out performances)

Patron ($250 – $499) All benefits below plus: • • • • • • • • •

Level Five priority seating for season tickets Art reception invitation to private visual art displays Advance ticket privileges for our annual Gala fundraiser Two concessions coupons Complimentary Washington Center coffee mug Full season Liberty Lounge privileges Entry level priority seating for season tickets Personal backstage tour Waiting list priority (top of waiting list for sold-out Washington Center performances)

Member ($50 – $99) • • • • | 2010/11 Season

• Bring the world’s finest artists to our stages • Showcase exceptional up-and-coming talents • Make the performing arts accessible to the widest possible audience • Support the next generation of performers.

• Level Two priority seating for season tickets • Two tickets for all Washington Center presented events

Contributor ($100 – $249) All benefits below plus:

17

With your support we can:

Dining-Out Discounts at select area restaurants Recognition in all Washington Center Season Programs Early e-mail alerts via Bravo Express! (opt-in) Free Ticket Exchange ($2.50 exchange fee waived)

CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP Corporate partnerships are key to our success and can be a key to yours as well. The Washington Center is an anchor in downtown Olympia and a beacon for arts enthusiasts from Tacoma to Centralia and from Yelm to the coast. We are home to dozens of arts groups in South Sound and present some of the finest artists the world has to offer.

Corporate partnership not only offers broad exposure for your organization while supporting arts and our community, it is also a unique marketing opportunity.

For more information, contact Director of Development Patrick Rofe at (360) 753.8585, ext. 102 or at profe@washingtoncenter.org, or visit our website at: www.washingtoncenter.org.

THE WASHINGTON CENTER is pleased to announce the creation of its artistic endowment.

The endowment was established to support the Center’s artistic and educational programs not just for one year, but to maintain the Center’s role as an artistic leader in our community for perpetuity.

The endowment accepts gifts of cash, stock and real estate, charitable remainder trusts, bequests or other planned gifts. Individual endowment gifts may also be paid over a period of several years. As always, your gift is tax deductible.

Your gift provides greater funding stability for the organization by augmenting annual giving and helping the Center fulfill its mission in serving as the primary link in the encouragement and development of the cultural horizon for the South Puget Sound Area.

For more information, contact the Director of Development, Patrick Rofe at (360) 753-8585 ext. 102 or at profe@washingtoncenter.org.

The Washington Center prides itself on providing educational opportunities to enhance students learning. Our new initiative – nExt_gEneraTioN - consolidates our efforts.

We provide an education rental rate to qualifying groups, keeping our rental costs down so groups such as Olympia Junior Programs can bring in thousands of children and introduce them to the theater.

We also discount our ticket prices in several ways to allow students who may not normally be able to attend performances to have a chance to see Washington Center Presents performances in music, theater and dance. The Center offers a 10% student discount, youth tickets at half off the adult price, and $10 rush tickets all day of the show in person with I.D. The Center created the 21st Century Masters series, now in its 13th year, with the Young Concert Artists Association in New York and brings three budding young classical musicians each year to perform as part of our season. As part of their time in the South Sound, they conduct master classes at The Center, perform recitals in local area schools, and teach workshops with area young musicians.

We annually host “Pet the Instruments” in conjunction with the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) during the Spring ArtsWalk, where kids and adults of all ages can come to the theater free of charge and see, touch, and play the instruments of their choice.

We have also worked with the Timberland Regional Library - a rural Library District servicing 7,000 square miles through 27 community libraries - where all our Washington Center Presents performances are researched by TRL and a quarterly Resource Guide created so students interested in a study guide of upcoming performances can find extended, thorough materials. Many student groups and classes center projects around a performance and this allows them to use the resources available through TRL to gain a greater understanding of an artist or a performance.

The Washington Center is committed to being Your Center for the Arts in the South Puget Sound and our commitment centers around education. www.washingtoncenter.org |

18

SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

Seating Priority

The Box Office at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts:

• Same Seat Subscribers are seated first in the seats they occupied last season guaranteeing those seats for all of their chosen events. The same seat option is available only until July 9, 2010. Only those that have subscribed one or more consecutive years are eligible for same seats.

12:00 pm - 5:30 pm Tuesday through Friday, 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm Saturdays Box Office closed Saturdays in July & August Two hours before any ticketed event Closed Sunday and Monday Box Office (360) 753.8586 www.washingtoncenter.org • www.olytix.org

Please Note: All subscriptions are processed based upon Friends level status and in the order received.

• Subscribers requesting a change in their seating or those requesting same seats for the first time are seated next.

The same seat option is available only until July 9, 2010.

• Renewing Subscribers who request Flexible Seating and order by July 23, 2010 are seated next in the best available seats within the parameters specified on their order form.

The Box Office at The Minnaert Center for the Performing Arts is open 90 minutes before any ticketed event • www.olytix.org

• New subscribers who order before August 6, 2010 are seated next.

If you are unable to attend the event for which you hold tickets, consider ticket donation! This opens the seats you held for another patron to experience The Washington Center and you will receive a tax deductible receipt in the mail in the following weeks. To donate tickets, contact the Box Office at your earliest convenience prior to the show.

• Tickets are mailed to the address provided by September 7.

Discounts

• Purchase 5 or more events and request Flexible Seating to receive a 10% discount off your entire ticket order.

• Purchase 8 or more events and receive an additional 10% off your entire ticket order.

• All subscribers pay a one time handling fee of $12.50 per order instead of the non-subscriber handling fee of $2.50 per ticket!

Easy Subscription Payment Plan Options

PAYMENT PLAN DEADLINE: July 16, 2010 You are welcome to pay for your entire ticket order and Friends contribution now using cash, check, or credit card - or You may pay 1/2 of your ticket order and Friends contribution by credit card only, and the remaining balance will be automatically charged to your credit card on August 13.

- or You may pay 1/4 of your ticket order and Friends contribution by credit card only, and the remaining balance will be automatically charged to your credit card, in equal installments, on August 13, September 10, and October 8.

- or You may pay 1/6 of your ticket order and Friends contribution by credit card only, and the remaining balance will be automatically charged to your credit card, in equal installments, on August 13, September 10, October 8, November 5, and December 3.

Minimum $250 combined ticket order and Friends contribution; those opting for 6 payments will have the first set of tickets mailed, the remaining tickets will be held in Will Call for pick-up.

We’re here for you!

Box Office: (360) 753.8586 For other information, call our Administrative Office: (360) 753.8585 19

| 2010/11 Season

You may exchange your tickets for any Washington Center produced event in advance of the performance in person or by mail, exchanges subject to availability and non-Friend exchange fee. Please call the Box Office for more information.

Tickets will always be replaced when lost or forgotten.

Students (18 and younger or current college students of any age with valid Student ID) and Senior adults (65 and older) receive a 10% per ticket (rounded to the nearest 25¢) discount for all Washington Center presented events.

Youth Tickets For those 14 and under, Youth Tickets are typically 50% off adult ticket prices and are available for most performances, although not all performances are suitable for all ages. We make every effort to accurately represent event content when available.

Parent/Guardian discretion is encouraged.

Student Rush “Ten Buck Tix” $10 Rush tickets for all events presented by The Washington Center are available all day on the day of the show, in person with valid Student ID. Rush tickets available through the Box Office only, please call for more information. Based on ticket availability.

Group Sales Include a Washington Center event as an activity for your club, social group or school outing! Groups of 20 or more are eligible for a 20% discount, groups of 10-19 members receive a 10% discount. Group discounts are in addition to the regular Student and Senior discounts if applicable. Group Sales available through the Box Office only, please call or come by for more information.

Accessibility The Washington Center is committed to providing accommodations for those with physical challenges. Please make these needs known in advance by contacting the Box Office. Wheelchair seating is not available online. Accommodations include: • Seating with lifting armrests.

• Accessibility for wheelchair occupants and their companions.

• Infrared listening assistance headsets for the hearing impaired.

• Large print event descriptions available with advance notice. * Please make these needs known in advance.

THE COLOR PURPLE NOV 10/Wednesday 7:30PM THE COLOR PURPLE, a soul-stirring musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg.

It is the unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who finds her unique voice in the world. Nominated for eleven Tony® Awards, THE COLOR PURPLE is a landmark theatrical event, a celebration of love, and a Broadway phenomenon. With a joyous GRAMMY®-nominated score featuring jazz, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is capturing the hearts of young and old, and uniting audiences in a community of joy. $75.50 - $60.50 Adult $68.00 - $54.50 St/Sr $37.75 - $30.25 Youth

A SOARING, EPIC TALE. It made a JOYFUL noise in my heart.”

--Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

www.washingtoncenter.org |

20

An evolving selection of classic works collected in an intimate evening of dance and theater.

BILL T. JONES/ ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY NOV 18/Thursday 7:30PM BETWEEN US: an evening of dance offers entry into rarely available pieces from the company’s repertory created over a decade-long span beginning in the late 80’s. The program focuses on simple, beautiful dances—many duets—that continue to be relevant and intriguing portraits of the bond between two people. This focused evening provides a satisfying look at the core of the Jones/Zane style: dancers with individual personalities, body types, and backgrounds; partnering that is unconventional and unexpected; and a choreographic palette that draws from classical ballet, postmodern abstraction, and arrangements of gesture and shape influenced by film and photography.

21

| 2010/11 Season

$45.50 - $37.50 Adult $41.00 - $34.00 St/Sr $22.75 - $18.75 Youth

A Holiday Performance with

SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK DEC 2/Thursday 7:30PM Founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973 at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company, Sweet Honey In The Rock®, the internationally renowned a cappella ensemble, has been a vital and innovative presence in this country’s musical culture. Rooted in a deeply held commitment to create music out of the rich textures of African American legacy and traditions, Sweet Honey In The Rock® possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the complex sounds of Blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, Hip Hop, ancient lullabies, and jazz improvisation. Sweet Honey’s collective voice, occasionally accompanied by hand percussion instruments, produces a sound filled with soulful harmonies and intricate rhythms.

$43.50 - $35.50 Adult $39.00 - $32.00 St/Sr $21.75 - $17.75 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

22

This production of The Wizard of Oz is a spectacular celebration of the classic 1939 MGM film.

The National Broadway Tour of

THE WIZARD OF OZ JAN 8/Saturday—2 Performances at 2:00PM & 7:30PM The greatest family musical of all time and based on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebration of the 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz is presented with breathtaking special effects that will sweep audiences away from the moment the tornado twists its way into Kansas. Featuring the classic Wizard of Oz songs and the beloved characters Dorothy, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow, The Wizard of Oz will have the entire family captivated as they travel down the yellow brick road for an unforgettable evening at the theater.

23

| 2010/11 Season

$75.50 - $60.50 Adult $68.00 - $54.50 St/Sr $37.75 - $30.25 Youth

The Phenomenon of

THE WIZARD OF OZ The beloved film is thought to have been seen by over 1 billion consumers and this production of THE WIZARD OF OZ is a spectacular celebration of that classic 1939 MGM film. It’s a new, refreshed and lavish rendition of the beloved classic. Audiences young and old, seeing it for the first time or the fifth will be dazzled by the art deco sets, charmed by its timeless score and enthralled with its breathtaking special effects. It truly is a wonderful show for the whole family. And whether it creates new memories or conjures them up from the past everyone deserves to experience or relive the wonderful, whimsical and enduring story, THE WIZARD OF OZ.

The 1939 MGM Classic “For nearly forty years this story has given faithful service to the Young in Heart; and Time has been powerless to put its kindly philosophy out of fashion. To those of you who have been

faithful to it in return...and to the Young in Heart...we dedicate this picture.” When the dedication for the opening credits of the 1939 MGM classic The Wizard of Oz was written, no one could’ve imagined the lasting impact the movie would have on American culture. Or how accurate the assertion that ‘Time’ would be powerless to stop the story, was going to be.

The actual time it takes (just over one hundred minutes) to transport viewers from Kansas to the magical world of Oz and back again is relatively brief. But, as anyone who has viewed the movie knows, the story resonates much longer than that. Climatic lines such as, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” and “Lions and tigers and bears! Oh, my!” will never be forgotten. Judy Garland’s performance of “Over the Rainbow” has been hummed for decades and once heard is forever emblazoned on hearts and in minds.

That is the phenomenon of The Wizard of Oz.

A treasured film, The Wizard of Oz’s infiltration into American culture is undeniable and virtually unparalleled. From an international fan club that is over a half-century old and boasts over one thousand members to the nearly one thousand documented references to The Wizard of Oz, its constant reemergence in culture and entertainment is overwhelming.

Quotes and references from The Wizard of Oz can be found in movies, music and sitcoms and no genre is left out. Everything from Star Wars and Clueless to “The Simpsons,” “Hannah Montana” and “The O’Reilly Factor,” pay tribute in reference to the beloved classic.

In music, L. Frank Baum’s story is alluded to

by Pink Floyd, Madonna and Metallica. And in everyday life who doesn’t know a Wicked Witch of the West or every now and then want to simply click their heels three times to get home?

2 PERFORMANCES! 2:00PM & 7:30PM

www.washingtoncenter.org |

24

SHAWN COLVIN AND LOUDIN WAINWRIGHT III JAN 21/Friday 7:30PM In an era when solo singer-songwriters are ever more ubiquitous, Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III stand out as enduring and outstanding talents. Both artists have created remarkable cannons of work and for the first time ever will be touring together. Shawn Colvin has sold more than 2.5 million records in the United States alone and has won three Grammy Awards. Loudin Wainwright III’s performances treat audiences to a roller coaster of emotions from deeply moving introspective songs to knee slapping hilarious ones, and in the words of MOJO Magazine, Wainwright is “one of America’s most astute lyrical commentators...lyrically compelling and emotionally overpowering.” $46.50 - $38.50 Adult $42.00 - $35.00 St/Sr $23.25 - $19.25 Youth

25

| 2010/11 Season

KODO DRUMMERS OF JAPAN JAN 30/Sunday 7:30PM The name ‘KODO’ conveys two meanings. The literal readings of the two characters that make up the name in Japanese are ‘drum’ and ‘child’ - conveying KODO’s desire to play the taiko purely, with the heart of a child. The word KODO is also a homonym for ‘heartbeat’ - humanity’s most fundamental source of rhythm - the first sound a child hears in their mother’s womb. Since KODO’s debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, they have given over 3,000 widely acclaimed performances in 43 countries, from war-torn Croatia to Carnegie Hall. They were last at the Washington Center almost 20 years ago. $55.50 - $45.50 Adult $50.00 - $41.00 St/Sr $27.75 - $22.75 Youth

Exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko, KODO are forging new directions for a vibrant living art-form. In Japanese the word “KODO” conveys two meanings: Firstly, “heartbeat” the primal source of all rhythm. The sound of the great taiko is said to resemble a mother’s heartbeat as felt in the womb, and it is no myth that babies are often lulled asleep by its thunderous vibrations. Secondly, read in a different way, the word can mean “children of the drum,” a reflection of KODO’s desire to play their drums simply, with the heart of a child. Since their debut at the Berlin Festival in 1981, KODO have given over 3300 performances on all five continents, spending about a third of the year overseas, a third touring in Japan and a third resting and preparing new material on Sado Island.

KODO strives to both preserve and re-interpret traditional Japanese performing arts.

Beyond this, members on tours and research trips all over the globe have brought back to Sado a kaleidoscope of world music and experiences which now exerts a strong influence on the group’s performances and compositions. Collaborations with other artists and composers extend right across the musical spectrum and KODO’s lack of preconceptions about its music continues to produce startling new fusion and forms.

www.washingtoncenter.org |

26

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! SPEAKER SERIES Behind every great National Geographic story there is a great storyteller: the writers, photographers, filmmakers, scientists, explorers, and adventurers who bring the world home. Through National Geographic Live - a rich public program of speakers, concerts, and films - we present these storytellers on our stage. This first season will include:

Tuesday, NOV 16, 2010 • 7:30PM - Michael

Davie

A child refugee from civil war in Rhodesia (modern day Zimbabwe), Emmy award-winner Michael Davie is one of today’s freshest voices in documentary filmmaking. He has risked his life to make films about the violent abuse of women in Pakistan, the plight of war refugees in the Balkans, and the child soldiers in Africa—a continent he loves, fears, and wants the world to better understand.

Tuesday, JAN 25, 2011 • 7:30PM - Wade

Davis

One of the world’s most celebrated and distinguished anthropologists, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis has become one of the world’s leading crusaders for the protection of the “ethnosphere,” his term for the totality of thoughts, beliefs, myths, and institutions brought into being by the human imagination. His many books and films have provided the intellectual basis for the growing movement to celebrate traditional cultures around the world.

Tuesday, MAR 29, 2011 • 7:30PM - David

Each Performance:

$33.50 - $27.50 Adult $30.00 - $25.00 St/Sr $16.75 - $13.75 Youth

Doubilet

Photographer David Doubilet estimates he has spent nearly half of his life in the sea since he took his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag. Considered the world’s leading underwater photographer, Doubilet has introduced a generation to the mystery and wonder of the deep. He has photographed more than 70 stories for National Geographic reporting on coral reefs, historic shipwrecks, ocean predators, and exotic marine creatures.

Photos: Wade Davis (Peruvian mountain), Nevada Wier (Davie), courtesy National Geographic Television (Davie with kids), Mark Thiessen (Davis), David Doubilet (Doubilet, sea lions)

27

| 2010/11 Season

Community Events at the Center

SING A-LONG MESSIAH December 20, 2010

at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts Join us in a community sing-a-long.

Come to sing – Come to listen.

COMEDY IN THE BOX Eight performances in the Black Box throughout the season:

10/21, 11/18, 1/20, 2/24, 3/24, 4/21, 5/5, and 6/16

SAVE THE DATE!

This will be the third full season for our comedy cabaret, booked in conjunction with the Seattle Comedy Competition. Join us as we change the Black Box Theater into a cabaret and present some of the finest touring comedians working today. Most evenings feature an MC and two different comedians, and a full bar is available in the lobby throughout the evening.

Some comedians may be a bit more ‘blue’ than others… these evenings are ’21 or older’.

Choose any 4 shows:

$50.00 Adults over 21

or $12.50 each Adult ticket

March 5 & 6, 2011

at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts Co-produced by Olympia’s own Ballet Northwest and the Washington Center, this community event will feature Thurston County’s top dance groups performing together on one program! Experience an amazing diversity of dance, ranging from ballet to social dance, and jazz to ethnic dance!

www.washingtoncenter.org |

28

Winner of nine Tony Awards®, including “Best Musical” and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this singular sensation is the longest-running American Broadway musical ever.

One by one, they come forward. Some are shy or reluctant,

Shubert Theatre on July 25, 1975 and opened on October

while others are more than happy to reveal their innermost

19, 1975, playing its 3,389th performance on September

thoughts. From funny to heartbreaking, these 17 dancers

29, 1983. In 1984 A Chorus Line received a Special

share with us the stories of their lives. They put themselves on

Tony® Award when it became the Longest Running Show

the line to get a job on the line. And when they’re done, so is

in Broadway history.

the audition. And the final chorus line of 8 dancers is chosen.

In 1976 A Chorus Line was nominated for twelve Tony®

29

ABOUT A CHORUS LINE

Awards and won nine, including: Best Musical, Best

A Chorus Line began previews at the New York

Musical Book, Best Musical Score, Best Actress-Musical,

Shakespeare Festival’s Newman Theatre on April 16,

Best Featured Actor-Musical, Best Featured Actress-

1975 and opened there on May 21, 1975. A Chorus LIne

Musical, Best Director-Musical, Best Lighting Design and

played its first preview performance on Broadway at the

Best Choreography.

| 2009/10 Season

A CHORUS LINE FEB 8/Tuesday 7:30PM In an empty theater, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. The field’s been narrowed down to just 17 dancers. For these men and women, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It’s what they’ve worked for — with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed of. Not to be the star, but to get the job…to have the chance to dance and come through. A Chorus Line - a Broadway musical about a Broadway audition for chorus line dancers - opened in the Schubert Theatre in 1975 where it ran for an unprecedented 15 years.

$75.50 - $60.50 Adult $68.00 - $54.50 St/Sr $37.75 - $30.25 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

30

THE FLAPPERS Silent Movie Series with Dennis James on the Andy Crow Wurlitzer Organ Dennis James

Official Organist of the Washington Center

Dennis James has dedicated his professional career to the continuation of the theatrical traditions of organ performance and furthering public interest in the theatre pipe organ. From the time he began concertizing while still in his teens, James has been at the top of the theatre organ profession. He has played virtually everywhere pipe theatre organs are to be found, from the preserved movie palaces throughout the United States and Canada to concert halls and theaters in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Thursday, March 31, 2011/7:00PM MANHANDLED - 1924 Director Allan Dwan

Thursday, February 17, 2011/7:00PM THE FLAPPER - 1920 Director Slan Crosland Whenever we hear “flapper girl”, we all think of the head-turningly beautiful, wisecracking Jazz Age lass with the bobbed hair who’s the life of the party -- but before the popularization of that image, there was The Flapper, the film that started it all, featuring of the most popular star of the 1920’s (but an elusive name to us now,) Olive Thomas. Written by influential female screenwriter Frances Marion, the story follows a teenage girl cursed with being full of life in a Footloose-style morally restrictive Florida town. She just wants to have some innocent fun and be herself, but her wily ways, along with her loose-laced shoes (her “flapper” boots) give her away to anyone who thinks she’s a prim and proper maid. Add to this - scenes of Olive in high society (decked out in jewelry and fancy clothes) as she aids some jewel thieves, and you’ve got a proto-It Girl that’ll steal your heart and leave you charmed.

31

| 2010/11 Season

Manhandled is one of Swanson’s best silent films. The script was based on a short story that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Gloria worked incognito in a department store for two days to get the feel of her character and it definitely helped. It is one of Swanson’s best remembered silent roles and she received some of her strongest reviews. After the success of Manhandled, it was obvious that Allan Dwan was one of Swanson’s best directors. This would allow Gloria to stay in New York and work at the Astoria Studios instead of returning to Hollywood.

This rarely shown film is a delightful surprise, still fresh and amusing after 80 years.

MANHANDLED is a saucy little comedy which concerns the struggles of an ambitious working girl in New York. The biggest surprise is the identity of the leading lady: it isn’t Colleen Moore or Clara Bow, who made careers out of doing this sort of thing, but Gloria Swanson, who in 1924 was best known for playing patrician beauties in high-class soap operas.

Each Performance: $17.50 Adult $9.75 Youth

Thursday, April 21, 2011/7:00PM

DIARY OF A LOST GIRL - 1929 Director Tagebuch Einer Verlorenen

Pabst’s masterpiece, shown in a newly restored print from Kino International, centers on the beauty of Louise Brooks.

Showing the world of seduction and gallantry as cruel and loveless which was especially courageous and daring for its time, the film was censured extensively and does not have the author’s ending.

Dennis James prepared a new musical score and performed the accompaniment for the American premiere of the restored print of G.W. Pabst’s “Diary of a Lost Girl,” on January 14, 2002 at the Goethe-Institut’s ‘Berlin & Beyond’ film festival. The movie stars Louise Brooks and created a furor in 1929 because it is about fallen girls, girls who are seduced by men, teenagers. Brooks plays a rape victim who ends up in a brothel.

The Diary of a Lost Girl never surfaced in American cinemas at all. But when the film was rediscovered in the mid-Fifties, the Cinemateque Francaise’s Henri Langlois wrote: “Those who have seen her can never forget her. She is the modern actress par excellence because, like the statues of antiquity, she is outside of time...she has the naturalness that only primitives retain before the lens... she is the intelligence of the cinematographic process, she is the most perfect incarnation of photogenie; she embodies in herself all that the cinema rediscovered in its last years of silence: complete naturalness and complete simplicity.”

MARCIA BALL and Voice of the WETLANDS ALLSTARS Featuring Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux FEB 18/Friday 7:30PM Over the course of her three-decade plus career, Marcia Ball has developed a large and enthusiastic fan base with her smoldering blend of swampy R&B, high energy blues and heart-wrenching ballads. The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars were founded in 2005 when some of Louisiana’s most prominent musicians got together and produced a benefit CD for the Voice of the Wetlands non-profit organization. The loss of South Louisiana’s wetlands is a serious environmental problem, contributes to the loss of the musicians’ unique culture, heritage and livelihood and was made even worse by the destruction from Hurricane Katrina. This will be a rousing good time! $44.50 - $36.50 Adult $40.00 - $33.00 St/Sr $22.25 - $18.25 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

32

THE CHIEFTAINS FEB 23/Wednesday 7:30PM These six-time Grammy© winners are now acknowledged as the leaders in bringing traditional Irish music to the world’s attention. They have uncovered the wealth of traditional Irish music that has accumulated over the centuries, making the music their own with a style that is as exhilarating as it is definitive. On top of their six Grammy© awards, they have been honored in their own country by being officially named Ireland’s Musical Ambassadors and performed during the Pope’s visit to Ireland in 1979 in front of a world-wide audience of 135,000,000! $65.50 - $55.50 Adult $59.00 - $50.00 St/Sr $32.75 - $27.75 Youth

33

| 2010/11 Season

THE CAPITOL STEPS MAR 3/Thursday 7:30PM The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom (“Don’t quit your day job!”), but taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience. And they’re funny! A Capitol Steps visit to Olympia has become an annual tradition. $42.50 - $34.50 Adult $38.50 - $31.50 St/Sr $21.25 - $17.25 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

34

Salif Keita has stayed on the edge where musical evolution is concerned.

35

| 2010/11 Season

For more than forty years Salif Keita has been the goldsmith of modern Malian music, tirelessly pursuing his craft by extending musical frontiers in a constant quest for new ways to make records; and his own music has multiplied its overtures to the world around him.

In the course of his travels—and encounters— Salif Keita never put aside his Mande roots and culture. A pioneering singer and composer, Salif made his first appearance in the avantgarde of music thanks to his vocal exploits with the Rail Band and the Ambassadeurs, two of the greatest Malian orchestras of the Seventies, before he became one of the great revelations of the nascent world music genre after his solo debut with the album Soro in 1987.

After such later classics as Moffou in 2002 and M’Bemba in 2005, today he beautifully brings the decade to a close with La Différence, the third chapter of his acoustic trilogy released

by Universal Jazz. The record is not only one of the most moving albums of his career, but also one of his most politically committed, and it was recorded for the most part in Paris, with other sessions taking place in Bamako, Mali (in

his own studio named Le Moffou), Djoliba (the village on the banks of the river Niger where Salif was born), Los Angeles and Beirut.

Salif Keita is a man in perpetual motion.

Instead of remaining hidebound in tradition (albeit a tradition mastered to perfection), Salif Keita has stayed on the edge where musical evolution is concerned, and particularly the technology that makes evolution possible... and his new album, the jewel in a crown of sumptuous arrangements, proves it, together with a crew of loyal musicians both new and old who surround Salif in closed ranks.

Salif derives his artistic strength mainly from his permanent search for self-renewal, both in his lyrics and music, but also in song. His voice makes him capable of interpreting true emotions, whether singing in Malinka, Bambara or French. Always looking for the best possible sound, he never wavers in alternating these languages in his search for poetic accuracy. It’s not the least of his paradoxes that Salif’s noble status—his Keita lineage—prohibited him using Griot techniques as a singer (and even from pronouncing their words).

As a descendant of the illustrious Emperor Soundjata Keita, whose 13th century empire stretched from the Atlantic ocean to the confines of the Sahara and the Gulf of Guinea, Salif Keita is today the symbol of an Africa proud of its roots and history, yet an Africa perfectly ready to cast itself into the world of globalization in search of a modernity as rampant as it is elusive.

Born an albino, Salif Keita had a clear skincolour that was an ill omen in the ancestral Mali where he grew into a man. “I’m a black man, my skin is white and I like it, it’s my difference / I’m a white man, my blood is black, I love that, it’s the difference that’s pretty”, he sings in La différence, the titletrack from his album and its first single. He says it all in this hymn to tolerance, a song in which he expresses his artistic convictions as he has rarely done before.

In addition to this tune, a plea in favour of increased recognition for albinos, the album also touches on environmental issues, such as the preservation of his native country.

Ekolo d’Amour aims to improve awareness of the ecological tragedies from which Africa has suffered for decades, while the world has remained totally indifferent. In San Ka Na, Salif seeks to waken his fellow-citizens’ conscience regarding the protection of the river Niger, on whose banks Salif was born and raised. Coming straight from the heart, the song is a genuine scream of outrage at the idleness of politicians in protecting the waters forming Mali’s backbone, today little more than a polluted stream.

The album was produced by Patrice Renson, who has worked with M., Vanessa Paradis and Ben Ricour, and he gave substance to Salif’s intentions with obvious efficiency; the pop influences are more pronounced than before, yet fluidly performed: Renson plays the drums, guitar or percussion on other tracks from La Différence, and he also wrote the string arrangements for Samigna, San Ka Na and Ekolo d’Amour, which were recorded in Beirut with the Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf. The three titles swathe the voice of Salif in oriental shimmers that underline the natural interaction between Arab and Mandingo music, between oud and n’goni.

Joe Henry recorded, produced and remixed Papa and Folon, two of the most moving titles on the album, both of them classics in Salif’s repertoire, as is Seydou, actually a new version of the title Seydou Bathily, a standard from the days of the Ambassadeurs du Motel band in Bamako. Papa, particularly, contains traces of emotions that are universally profound, nuances of other pieces whose themes are often serious but where hope and joie de vivre triumph in the end.

The melody of Djélé is underpinned by the balafon played by Keletigui Diabaté, a

monument in the music of Mali and one of Salif’s most faithful accomplices for some forty years; it illustrates the song’s clarity in the most natural way imaginable, and evokes the ties that link the musician to Salif, who learned to play the guitar at his side.

But each musician featured here is perfect, a reflection of the complicity shared with Salif: Jannick Top’s bass and Vincent Segal’s cello on Gaffou; Ibrahim Maalouf’s trumpet on Samigna; the guitars of Kante Manfila and Ousmane Kouyaté together with Mamadou Koné’s percussion on San Ka Na; the bass of Guy N’Sangue on Djélé or the guitars of Seb Martel and Bill Frisell on Folon... accomplices all.

The softness of Seydou, the sincerity in La Différence, the depth of feeling in Folon or the melancholy present in San Ka Na all compose an album of plural vibrations, yet

the ensemble is homogeneous, a unified work whose most striking feature remains the soaring voice of a singer at the summit of his art. On the title-track, Salif’s song is, “To each his happiness in honour,” a true manifesto for universal bliss. The Foundation “Salif Keïta pour les albinos” “In Africa, being born an albino is dramatic,” says Salif. The lack of an educational system in a country such as Mali, where the population is more than three-quarters illiterate, does much to explain the continued existence of disastrous beliefs concerning albinos. Since 2001, the Foundation known as Salif Keïta pour les albinos has been working to increase large-scale awareness of this issue in Mali, and refute obscurantistbeliefs that albinos are cursed. The Foundation provides care and assistance to albinos, together with protection against the sun, their worst enemy after indifference.

SALIF KEITA APR 1/Friday 7:30PM Salif Keita’s career as a musician could never have been predicted. As a member of the Royal Family in Mali, he can trace his ancestors all the way back to Soundjata Keita, who founded the kingdom of Mali in 1240. It has never been easy for Salif Keita to explain the reason for his total break with tradition when he decided to become a musician… an act that caused a storm of protest. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that he is an albino, an outsider from the word go. Today, Salif Keita is one of world music’s most central and influential artists; each and every one of his albums is greeted with great expectations. $45.50 - $37.50 Adult $41.00 - $34.00 St/Sr $22.75 - $18.75 Youth

www.washingtoncenter.org |

36

BALLET FOLKLORICO “QUETZALLI” APR 20/Wednesday 7:30PM Founded in 1985 (the same year as the Washington Center!), this group has crisscrossed the globe exciting audiences of all ages. Their visual fiesta of culture and folklore features many regional dances of old Mexico, in particular, their home state of Veracruz (birthplace of the world famous “La Bamba”). The music, performed live on authentic stringed instruments, punctuates the meticulous movement, colorful clothing and perfect pulse established by the dancers. Earning standing ovations from Cuba to Malaysia, Quetzalli proves they are one of Mexico’s most popular exports! $39.50 - $31.50 Adult $35.50 - $28.50 St/Sr $19.75 - $15.75 Youth

One of Mexico’s most popular exports!

37

| 2010/11 Season

FAMILY DAY SPONSOR:

19TH HOLE SPONSOR:

CHIPPING SPONSOR:

EVENT SPONSORS:

HOLE SPONSORS (to date):

The Weekend of January 28, 2011 Sponsor Night: Friday, January 28, 2011 / 6PM-10PM

Foursomes will compete on the Big Mini Golf course that winds throughout the building. A chipping contest will be on the main stage and ‘watering holes’ will be set up in various locations so that no one has to wait until the 19th hole. After a round, golfers will enjoy dinner on the main stage. Must be 21.

Family Day: Saturday, January 29, 2011 / 10AM-4PM

A great opportunity for young people to wind their way throughout the performing arts center, ending up on stage with an inflatable obstacle course, face painting and a hot dog! Bring the entire family and putt your way through the theater.

A-Pro Home Inspection Chicago Title EN&T Associates SW, Inc. Golf USA Law Office of Harold Carr Papa Murphy’s Pizza Party Outfitters Sentina Manufacturing Company, Inc. Shankz Black Light Miniature Golf WE Davis Co. Inc. Williams, Wykoff & Ostrander, PLLC Woodchuck Works Zia Betta

MEDIA SPONSOR:

Additional Support provided by: BAYVIEW THRIFTWAY

www.washingtoncenter.org |

38

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

OLYMPIA, WA PERMIT NO. 445

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

2010

SEATTLE SYMPHONY 10/3 RINDE ECKERT 10/9 HAHN BIN, VIOLIN 10/13 SFO: GRAND OPERA SERIES - LA BOHEME 10/17 NATALIE MACMASTER AND DONNELL LEAHY 10/21 COMEDY IN THE BOX 10/21 THANKS FOR THE JOY, FEATURING RUTHIE FOSTER AND ERIC BIBB 10/29 DENNIS JAMES AND MUSICA CURIOSA 11/4 THE COLOR PURPLE 11/10 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! - MICHAEL DAVIE 11/16 BILL T. JONES/ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY 11/18 COMEDY IN THE BOX 11/18 SFO: GRAND OPERA SERIES - TOSCA 11/21 THE PINE LEAF BOYS 11/27 A HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE WITH SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK 12/2

2011 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1/8 VAGABOND OPERA 1/14 SFO: GRAND OPERA SERIES - THE ELIXER OF LOVE 1/16 COMEDY IN THE BOX 1/20 SHAWN COLVIN AND LOUDIN WAINWRIGHT III 1/21 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! - WADE DAVIS 1/25 KODO DRUMMERS OF JAPAN 1/30 A CHORUS LINE 2/8 SILENT FILM SERIES: THE FLAPPER 2/17 MARCIA BALL AND THE VOICE OF WETLANDS ALLSTARS 2/18 THE CHIEFTAINS 2/23 COMEDY IN THE BOX 2/24 THE CAPITOL STEPS 3/3 CHARLIE ALBRIGHT, PIANO 3/16 CHRISTOPHER O’RILEY 3/19 COMEDY IN THE BOX 3/24 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! - DAVID DOUBILET 3/29 SILENT FILM SERIES: MANHANDLED 3/31 SALIF KEITA 4/1 SFO: GRAND OPERA SERIES - LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 4/10 JEANINE DE BIQUE, SOPRANO 4/13 RED HORSE 4/15 BALLET FOLKLORICO “QUETZALLI” 4/20 COMEDY IN THE BOX 4/21 SILENT FILM SERIES: DIARY OF A LOST GIRL 4/21 COMEDY IN THE BOX 5/5 COMEDY IN THE BOX 6/16

Order Only

Events to Become a Subscriber and Receive a 10% Discount!

Cert no. SW-COC-002266

Season Printing Sponsor: