Among my friends, we joke that just about every story we tell starts with, “I heard something interesting the other day on NPR…” I sometimes sit in my car to listen to the end of a show, and This American Life is one of my favorites. At the end of January, Tacoma is lucky to have the show’s host, Ira Glass, at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts Pantages Theater. For one night only, Glass will present a behind-the-scenes look into the making of This American Life, and explain what makes it tick. He’ll play clips from the program, and give away a few secrets about sound and editing. For me, part of the thrill is just watching such a familiar voice come to life.

The show is part of the Pantages’ Laugh Out Loud series, which will feature the Smothers Brothers and Defending the Caveman in following months.

Enjoy,

Danielle

On the rare weekend when I don’t have something else going on, sometimes a friend and I will just hop in the car and hit the road. We don’t care where we end up, it’s always an adventure. If we’re really lucky, we land in a small town with a local theater production going on.

If you live in Tacoma, or your road trip brings you here, you’re in for a treat. The Dance Theatre Northwest will be performing the seasonal favorite, The Nutcracker, at the Mount Tahoma High School Auditorium the first weekend in December. Sure, every city in the country (the world?) will have The Nutcracker showing somewhere, but here’s your opportunity to see it in a more relaxed, a more small town, kind of atmosphere. I, for one, am really looking forward to Clara, the Prince, the Mouse King, and easy parking.

Ta ta,
Danielle

It might be just a little bit geeky for me, but the other day I found a very cool website, where you can watch great movies on line (high-definition and everything!) and then chat about them with other movie fans. At www.theauteurs.com you can download movies from the site and then connect with other viewers right there to chat about it. It’s kind of like being in an online film club. Check it out!

–Danielle

No, I’m not quoting Geddy Lee, I’m quoting the Bard. Google “Shakespeare in the Park” and you’ll discover that, from New York City to Oklahoma City, you can find enough iambic pentameter and padded breeches to earn a degree in Elizabethan literature – all for the price of an Amtrak Pass and a few grass stains on your picnic blanket. Google “Shakespeare in the Parking Lot” on the other hand and, well, okay, New York will come up again. But right after that, you’ll find the Tacoma’s version of Shakespeare. Starting with their slogan “Taking the Fear out of Shakespeare,” S.i.t.P.L. promises to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. The best part is that they work year-round, undaunted by a muddy outfield. If you’ll be in town in November, you can catch Macbeth at King’s Bookstore. Leave your umbrella at home – they’ll be taking over the event space in the back of the store.

–Josh

Here’s one of the coolest things you can do to get around Tacoma: hop on our very own light rail, a.k.a. the LINK. Right now, the line is only a mile or so long, but that’s all you need to get from the far end of downtown out to the Tacoma Dome. You’ll run right through the Theater District, past Hotel Murano (we’re only a block away from one of its stops), along the Museum District and on out to the Dome. The train runs about every ten minutes, and best of all, it’s FREE. Not a bad price for clean, convenient and easy travel.

-J