A weekend of the arts
davidlevine was up for the weekend and, being the writerly/artsy types we both are, we took in the pleasures that society and Seattle had to offer. Here are the highlights:
I've never been much for pork, but I've always been one for good company, so when Kuo-Yu Liang and his wife invited me to join them for their annual pig roast and birthday celebration* (Adrian's), I accepted. D & I went, spent some time with Greg and Astrid Bear, shellyinseattle, and others, and learned about roasting a whole pig in a wooden/metal crate surrounded by hot coals. The results of said roasting were spectacularly good and the party a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.
We spent the evening seeing "Chaps!" at Taproot Theater in Greenwood. I've never been to Taproot before, so I had no idea what to expect. What we got was an entertaining evening in an intimate theater setting. "Chaps!" is set in 1944 in London at studio B at the BBC. The production team awaits the arrival of an American troupe of cowboy performers for a special radio presentation with an in-studio audience. When only the group's manager shows up with costumes and scripts, the troupe having gotten lost in transit, the Brits decide to put on the cowboy duds and gamely make their way through the repertoire. The pretense of Brits trying to imitate cowboys quickly fell away in polished performances that became more of a revue of cowboy music of the era than the fish-out-of-water comedy it was supposed to be. In the end, though, it didn't really matter. The cast was talented and put on a great show. We left with smiles on our faces. I'll be watching Taproot for more performances in the future. They're pros and I want to see what else they can do.
On Sunday after D departed, I met ironymaiden and varina8 to see Melissa Etheridge at Woodland Park Zoo's ZooTunes. We spread the ground cover to the left of the stage and had a great time. Etheridge, a year older than me, looked terrific; mostly what I liked about her was her frank and direct comfort with herself, her age, her appearance. She looked like a stylish, rock 'n' roll mom who played kick-ass guitar and belted her guts out. I was surprised, though I shouldn't have been, at how much of her catalog I know given how long I've been a fan; it was an unexpected pleasure of the evening. And she rocked the park. I'd say she blew the roof off--except there was no roof, it being an outdoor show and the weather being picture-perfect for same. We had a great time, and I'm delighted we went.
* I originally typed "celeration" and found myself wondering fleetingly what such a thing might be: the state of being celery?
I've never been much for pork, but I've always been one for good company, so when Kuo-Yu Liang and his wife invited me to join them for their annual pig roast and birthday celebration* (Adrian's), I accepted. D & I went, spent some time with Greg and Astrid Bear, shellyinseattle, and others, and learned about roasting a whole pig in a wooden/metal crate surrounded by hot coals. The results of said roasting were spectacularly good and the party a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.
We spent the evening seeing "Chaps!" at Taproot Theater in Greenwood. I've never been to Taproot before, so I had no idea what to expect. What we got was an entertaining evening in an intimate theater setting. "Chaps!" is set in 1944 in London at studio B at the BBC. The production team awaits the arrival of an American troupe of cowboy performers for a special radio presentation with an in-studio audience. When only the group's manager shows up with costumes and scripts, the troupe having gotten lost in transit, the Brits decide to put on the cowboy duds and gamely make their way through the repertoire. The pretense of Brits trying to imitate cowboys quickly fell away in polished performances that became more of a revue of cowboy music of the era than the fish-out-of-water comedy it was supposed to be. In the end, though, it didn't really matter. The cast was talented and put on a great show. We left with smiles on our faces. I'll be watching Taproot for more performances in the future. They're pros and I want to see what else they can do.
On Sunday after D departed, I met ironymaiden and varina8 to see Melissa Etheridge at Woodland Park Zoo's ZooTunes. We spread the ground cover to the left of the stage and had a great time. Etheridge, a year older than me, looked terrific; mostly what I liked about her was her frank and direct comfort with herself, her age, her appearance. She looked like a stylish, rock 'n' roll mom who played kick-ass guitar and belted her guts out. I was surprised, though I shouldn't have been, at how much of her catalog I know given how long I've been a fan; it was an unexpected pleasure of the evening. And she rocked the park. I'd say she blew the roof off--except there was no roof, it being an outdoor show and the weather being picture-perfect for same. We had a great time, and I'm delighted we went.
* I originally typed "celeration" and found myself wondering fleetingly what such a thing might be: the state of being celery?