2006.12.20. Meshuga Nutcracker at Seattle Rep, a Hanukkah musical. Simple stage, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker music and some Klezmer songs, loosely knitted 8 stories. 8 actors for the 8 candles on the menorah, some of them have pretty good voice. However, this production is not as good as what UW students' drama or opera performances.

2006.12.16. Seattle Women's Chorus 's holiday concert "Ho Ho Ho, Fa La La, Ha Ha Ha" at UW's Meany Hall. The special guests Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt were fabulous. Their comedy sketches were hilarious, but some not suitable to children.

2006.12.14. Seattle City Hall. Seattle Opera's Bravo event, a panel discussion about the next production "Don Giovanni". Not very interesting. Had sushi before and chocolate afterwards. However, no fish in the sushi, chocolates were too sweet. Gusty wind and rain making the traffic terrible, and bus routes were in a disarray. It took me 40 minutes on the bus to go from work to barely downtown (I walked the rest). Would be 20 minutes to walk.

2006.12.5. White Christmas at the 5th Ave Theater. Frequently changed stage sets, sumptuous costumes, synchronized dances (lots of tap dance, and my favorite is the piano number), and of course, the treasured Irving Berlin's songs. The fun ends in a sparkling "snow fall".

2006.12.3. Cornish College of the Arts' Peer Gynt project at Ned & Kayla Skinner Theater.
Part I: Norway and the Troll Kingdom, directed by Sheila Daniels. The play ran a bit less than 2 hours, ending at Gynt's departure after his mother's death. Peer Gynt was portraited by three students (one of whom is a girl), often at the same time. Quite nice songs and simple dances. No stage sets, primitive costumes.
Part II: The Sphinx and the Onion, directed by Robert Leigh. No stage, no costume, chaotic. The kids tried to be comic, only made things harder to understand. Less clearly articulated. Ran for 3 hours, with Gynt's reminiscence of his past as in Part I.