2025.2.26. Magic Flute

2/26, Wednesday. Seattle Opera presents Magic Flute, a unique production of the Komische Oper Berlin (by "1927"'s Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky). Co-Produced by Los Angeles Opera (costume) and Minnesota Opera (set). It is like watching a silent film, accompanied by singing and live orchestra, plus a lot of very funny animation. I'm not sure that I like all operas to go this direction, but for once, it's refreshing, and well done. This production has been around for over 10 years. First time I see something like this.

The added printed words help me understand the complicated (but silly) plot. The stage is very dark (I even dozed off for a few minutes). All characters are in black and white, completely 2 dimensional. I like beautiful sets and colorful customes in traditional opera productions. The animation is very clever and funny. The laser light is choregraphed nicely with the music and story.

So impressed, I stayed for the Q&A after the show. Duke Kim (Tamino) and Ariana Wehr (First Lady) joined the Q&A. They commented on how different to sing without moving, so no acting, but on ques to synchronize with the light projection. They are hoisted on the wall, standing on a narrow ledge. So they couldn't see what's on the screen. They also commented on how good the makeup team in Seattle Opera is. 12 people did the job instead of 35 in San Francisco. 2 hours before performance, thick white makeups on everyone. Another noteworthy is the conductor Christine Brandes, a former soprano, who has a deep instinct with the singers.

Seattle Opera has a new artistic director, James Robinson. I'm looking forward to what else he'll bring to the stage.

2025.2.23. Hamilton - the musical

2/23, Sunday, 7pm. I managed to forget the tickets to tonight's Hamilton. Ran back home to fetch the tickets.

I had wanted to watch Hamilton for awhile. It's now on N'th tour. Still almost full house. Maybe my expectation is too high. I'm a little disappointed.
negative

• Only one stage set.
• Costumes, almost just one, with or without the overcoat.
• Voices are not very good, maybe because they are performing too many times in a row (twice today)
• Songs are not very memorable

positive

• lighting design
• Dance choreograph
• Very energetic
• Acting

Overall, entertaining and engaging.

2025.2.20. The Future of JavaScript with TC39

2/20, Thursday, hosted by Docusign.

I've been the Seattle Javascript meetup a few times, but this one is worth noting.

TC39 (Technical Committee of ECMA for Javascript. ECMA = European Computer Manufacturers Association. TC39 is convening in Seattle this week, so a special meetup was setup to have the TC39 meeting goer talk about TC39 and share some of the new features of Javascript. Talks

• Intro to TC39 by Rob Palmer
• Recap: This Week's TC39 by Linus Groh
• Temporal: Modern dates and times in JavaScript by Philip Chimento
• import defer: What it is and when to use it by Nicolò Ribaudo
• Why your web app needs internationalization by Shane Carr
• Faster TypeScript compilation with ts-blank-space Ashley Claymore
• Hardened JavaScript by Mathieu Hofman
• Free the JavaScript trademark by Luca Casonato

Lots of work going to standardizing and advancing a technical language. I also learned that Javascript TM is owned by Oracle, and TC39 is trying to get USPTO to release the trademark.

2025.2.16,17, Oscar Shorts

SIFF Uptown screens Oscar short film nominations in 3 categories. Went to animation on 2/16, and documentory on 2/17 for 2025.

By the order of screening. Here's the list of Animation Shorts:

• Magic Candies, Japan, Daisuke Nishio + Takashi Washio (fun)
• In the Shadow of the Cypress, Iran, Shirin Sohani + Hossein Molayemi (my favorite, very stylized)
• Yuck!, France, by Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet (ok)
• Wander to Wonder, Netherland, Nina Gantz + Stienette Bosklopper (urh?)
• Beautiful Men, Netherland, Nicolas Keppens + Brecht Van Elslande (so so)

Here's the list of Documentary Shorts:

• Instruments of a Beating Heart, Japan, Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari (very shaky, too long)
• Incident, USA, Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven (a crime report, good)
• I Am Ready, Warden, USA, Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp (good)
• Death by Numbers, USA, Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard (over-analyzed)
• The Only Girl in the Orchestra, USA, Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington (so so)

I liked the first 2 animations, didn't like any of the documentary shorts. However, the comparison of the fact between "I Am Ready, Warden" (a reborn criminal put to death) and "Death by Numbers" (a hardhead mass shooter without remorse, saved from death sentence) is shocking, and baffling of the US judiciary system.

2025.2.14. Valentine Day in Seattle

This pink telephone was posted in front of Amazon HQ a week prior to Valentine Day.
On 2/14, a large tent with tables and chairs. A lot of colored markers, stickers, and cut-out plastic for you to trace a pattern. Anyone can pick a post card, and decorate it yourself. It will be mailed for you.

Today is 2nd Friday: Belltown Artwalk. No tour today. Public Display setup a "party room" in Basecamp 2's 2nd floor, next to the art studios: snack, drink and DJ. A photoshoot stage, a guy dressed in a large red velvet heart. Notably, Partner in Print set up a letter press station at the shop next to Basecamp 1. The theme today is "Love Is". You decide what it is, and pick different fonts. They'll ink it and press it. People are quite creative.

2025.2.13. Seattle Youth Symphony + Seattle Symphony side by side

2/13 Thursday. Benaroya Hall. Side-by-Side with Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (SYSO). By "side by side", it's really one professional sat next to one kid sharing the same sheet music.

• Maurice Ravel - Mother Goose Suite, Seattle Symphony
• African American Spiritual - Follow the Drinking Gourd, Seattle Symphony + SYSO's Junior Orchestra
• Aaron Copland - The Red Pony, Seattle Symphony + SYSO's Youth Orchestra
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Jamin Hoffman) - Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 25, SYSO
• Joseph Haydn - Moderato from Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, SYSO with concerto competition winner Jaeha Lee on Cello
• Alexander Borodin - Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Seattle Symphony + SYSO

2025.2.12. Super Bowl Ad Review

2/12, Wednesday. Tech Bowl at Seattle University is an annual fun event hosted by business school's marketing department. 3 professors and a guest breakdown the ads shown during Super Bowl over the principals of ADPLAN framework (attention, distinction, position, linkage, amplification, net equity). Then, we voted between 4 sets of ads, and then voted for the winner of the 4. For today, Google's AI ad won this room of students and teachers. I didn't like this ad at all. For what's shown today, I like OpenAI's ad the most. This is my 2nd time attending this ads analysis. Will return next year.

2025.2.6+8+9. Events at Seattle Art Museum

3 recurring events at Seattle Art Museum.

2/6, first Thursday: free entrance, short artist led tours. Checked out the juxtoposed exhibition of "Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley & Alexander Calder". Not bad: rustic natural bulky wood stumps of Mosley vs Calder's delicate metal and string.

Another interesting exhibition is Bethany Collins' At Sea. Odessey, Moby Dick, graphite on Somerset paper, then use eraser to remove part of the sentences. Symbolizing the loss in translation, in time.

The museum was taking down the big tree hanging from the ceiling. Looking forward to what is next. I asked someone there, and was told the tree will be on view at a different location. Afterwards, it'll be decomposed in the forest.

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2/8, 2nd Saturday, Body Mind Activity Day, part of SAM Body and Mind series.
I got up too late, missed the "dance charch". When I arrived, it was silent reading. I went into the activity room. Northwest Creative & Expressive Arts Institute (NWCEAI) set up 2 tables. One is collage: cut colorful magazine pages and tape them on a car. The other is watercolor. We were told to outline on paper without looking down the paper, and then fill in with color. Drawing without looking what I drew is very difficult.

Everyone left the activity room and did this "sound bath" by Biom. I've only heard of sound bath, this is my first participation. Many people brought their yoga mats and lied on ground. The lady made soothing sounds over jars of water, pan of pebbles. Not sure why people had to come to a session. This can be easily done at home.

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2/9, a Sunday. Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra at SAM, with an intermission. Not bad, however, nothing extraordinary. There're 2 men. I like its conductor. This Jazz series is part of SAM Performs.

2025.2.4. A Year in the Life: Oregon's Desert Owls (zoom) + TJ Klune

2/4 Tuesday, 6pm. ONDA hosts speaker series. This is the first time I attended one of their events online.

I really enjoyed today's lecture, hence making a note here. Paul Bannick, today's speaker, is an author and wildlife photographer, speaks of owl's life in 4 seasons, like reading a poem. Captivating images, from his book Owls, a year in the lives of North American Owl. Now just owls in the desert.

I didn't stay for Q&A. Went downstairs to TJ Klune presents "The Bones Beneath My Skin". I'm surprised to find an almost full auditorium. I had never heard of Klune before. He writes fantacy novels, using queer characters. Quite prolific. Most audience members seem to have read all his books. He seems friendly, candid, reasonable, likeable. Wore 2 left shoes by mistake :) He shakes his leg non-stop (ADHD). Well, I probably won't read his books. Just make a note here, because he seems so popular.

2025.2.2. Jazz in the City at Frye Art Museum

2/2, Sunday 2-4pm. Another Jazz in the city concert. It's no longer free. I went at 3pm, bought a ticket. As with the last few concerts, the 2nd half started with a short talk. I like Darius Willrich's music, but not his voice. Also, the lyrics don't really match the sound. The auditorium is too warm, and I almost dozed off.

After the concert, I looked around the new exhibitions. One I really like. The other, I really dislike (garbage I'd say). Look me in the eye by Iraqui Kurdish artist Hayv Kahraman is large, bold and interesting. Decorative. Today is its last day.