2011.3.27. Billy Elliot - the musical

Billy Elliot at Paramount Theatre. Billy, played by the 13 year old Giuseppe Bausilio, can really dance. However, his voice isn't very good. The kids all did a fantastic job of dancing. The show is well organized, simple efficient stage set, good story. Music, as always the case by Elton John, is very melodic, and singable.

2011.3.24. Pacific Northwest Ballet

4 pieces of contemporary works by PNB:

Pacific
Music: Lou Harrison, Piano Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano, 3rd & 4th movements;
Choreography: Mark Morris.
Place a Chill
Music: Camille Saint-Saëns, Cello Concerto No. 1; 
Choreography: Marco Goecke.
The Piano Dance
Music: Cage, Chopin, Ginastera, Bartok, Ligeti; 
Choreography: Paul Gibson.
Concerto DSCH
Music: Dmitri Shostakovitch, Concerto No. 2 in F Major;
Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky)

Place a Chill is most interesting among these 4: spasms-like movement, must be difficult to coordinate among dancers. Piano Dance has the best costume: red velvet paired with red/black moving background. Quite elegant. However, the movement and the solo piano playing could be better synchronized. Concerto DSCH has a story telling quality. Second movement is very melodic and sentimental, nicely reflected in the choreography. In Pacific: both men and women wear long transparent skirts.
Overall, enjoyable. Kudo to PNB to promote modern works and new interpretations.

2011.3.23. All My Sons at Intiman

Intiman Theatre presents Arthur Miller's classic play All My Sons. Wonderful stage set, good acting (Kate and Frank are a little over acting). Very moving. Clear message, and aspiring. I hope every business men would watch this play.

2011.3.22. Of Mice and Men - a play

Seattle Repertory Theatre adapts John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men. Directed by Jerry Manning. Wonderfully staged and acted. Maybe a little too dry for the set. The longing of owning a piece of land and live off the it is clearly rendered. However, I don't quite understand what Steinbeck tried to say, other than depicting the period, and the relations between the characters. In the handout, it postulated that Lennie the giant but mentally challenged reflects USA, which is most powerful but unable control its power.

2011.3.19 Dig Razor clam

Razor Clam digging at Twin Harbors Beach state park in Grayland. About a dozen people. Rain started ~6:30 and hard for about half an hour. Later at Grayland Beach. Very wide and long, more sandy and flat. When the wave came up, you had to run for minutes! Cars lined up the upper beach. Maybe 500+ people with white or black digging tubes. It was a sight: faint sunset, reflections. Not much catch though.
The next day, stopped by Westport. About a dozen crab nets in the harbor next to boats that leak engine oil. Good view of Olympic mountains over the water.