Apr 11 Saturday
Genre-FluiD brings together varied repertoire in a fluid, cohesive program, with jazz inflections appearing throughout the evening’s musical language and approach. Rather than settling into a single style, the performance follows the character of each song while maintaining a clear sense of shape and continuity. Genre-FluiD combines the intimacy and heat of a jazz club, the storytelling heartbeat of Broadway, and the soaring, unamplified drama of the classical stage.
Leeran Z. Raphaely on piano and Phil Demaree on bass
RESERVATIONS: reservations@ballardjamhouse.com ($18)
Kim Maguire has been a performer, arranger, educator, director, and producer for 25+ years. A 2017 Seattle/Kobe Jazz Vocalist finalist, Kim is a mainstay in the Seattle vocal jazz scene. Described as a "stunning singer" with an authentic and charismatic presence, Kim’s delivery of emotionally resonant content combined with highly refined vocal precision is a remarkably commanding pairing. She has performed at Houston Grand Opera, Fifth Avenue Theatre, Benaroya Hall, Seattle Jazz Vespers, Village Theatre, and Seattle Town Hall, among others.
Olympic Ballet Theatre presents "Spring Rep," a dynamic double-bill celebrating striking contrasts in ballet. Donald Byrd’s "From the Dark Land," set to music by George Crumb and Franz Schubert, returns for the first time since its 2023 premiere, weaving beauty and dissonance into a riveting ballet. In contrast, excerpts from "La Fille Mal Gardée," set to music by Peter Ludwig Hertel and staged by Artistic Directors Oleg Gorboulev and Mara Vinson after Alexander Gorsky, bring warmth and charm to the stage, featuring the lively Waltz and the spirited pas de deux of Lise and her beloved Colas.
Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.
His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
Ohhh those summer nights! From its earliest performance in a Chicago nightclub through its record-breaking Broadway run and hit feature film, Grease has remained one of the world’s most popular musicals. Featuring the many hit songs that became the soundtrack of a generation, like “Greased Lightnin’,” “Alone at the Drive-in Movie,” and “It’s Raining on Prom Night,” this 1950s pop culture satire is filled to the brim with grit, glam, and youthful exuberance.
In roles made famous by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, head “greaser” Danny Zuko and new girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive their sizzling summer fling as the Burger Palace Boys and Pink Ladies of Rydell High’s senior class navigate the peer pressures and social politics of high school in the 1950s. Directed and choreographed by Lisa Shriver (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this production of Grease promises nonstop, nostalgic, hydromatic fun. So throw on a poodle skirt, dust off that leather jacket, and rediscover the show that’s been winning hearts for generations!
Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on your stage in Disney’s High School Musical JR. Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extra-curricular activities. The show’s infectious, danceable songs are sure to engage performers and audiences alike.
It’s the first day after winter break at East High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes all find their cliques. Basketball team captain and resident jock, Troy, discovers that the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has just enrolled at East High. The couple causes an upheaval when they decide to audition for the high school musical. Although many students resent the threat posed to the “status quo,” Troy and Gabriella’s alliance might just open the door for others to shine as well. – Music Theatre International
The Music of Sun Ra on Saturday April 11, 2026 7:30PM and Sunday April 12, 2026 2:00PM
Sun Ra's elaborate costumes and interstellar visions often overshadowed the fact that he was an extraordinary composer and musician. From the 1940s to the 1990s, his compositions transported listeners on sonic journeys through space and time, challenging conventional jazz boundaries while inspiring generations of musicians with his visionary artistry. Guest director and pianist Orrin Evans leads SRJO in The Sun Ra Suite, which was originally premiered in 2013 by Evans and his Captain Black Big Band At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in Lincoln Center, honoring the centennial year of Sun Ra's birth. Selections include Sun Ra's Space is the Place, The Hour of Parting and Rocket Number Nine. Other concert selections include favorite big band works reflecting Orrin's background in the music scenes of New York City and his childhood home Philadelphia.
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra is the Pacific Northwest's premier big band jazz ensemble. Founded in 1995, the 17-piece big band is made up of many of the most prominent jazz soloists and band leaders in the Puget Sound region. SRJO’s mission is to promote appreciation of the uniquely American art form of large ensemble jazz and to share the joy of live professional jazz performance.
Hurricane DianeWritten by Madeleine GeorgeDirected by Annie LareauMarch 20 - April 12, 2026Evening and matinee performances
Meet Diane, a permaculture gardener dripping with butch charm. She's got supernatural abilities owing to her true identity—the Greek god Dionysus—and she's returned to the modern world to gather mortal followers and restore the Earth to its natural state.
Apr 12 Sunday
The Kareem Kandi World Orchestra will be presenting its 2026 Music Festival this year from April 5 to May 8. There will be many great artists performing throughout Tacoma and Puyallup and most of the performances and workshops will be free to attend. See the complete lineup here.
KNKX hosts two performances on Friday, April 24 in our Tacoma studios on Broadway:
4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. - The Kareem Kandi World Orchestra with visiting French Artists6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. - Brazilian jazz with pianist Cassio Vianna
Supported by KNKX. Listening to the abundant sounds of the Seattle-based funk & soul group, True Loves, is like walking down a favorite neighborhood street, slapping five with friends, checking up with clerks in their stores, admiring your dark sun-glassed face in their windows, ducking under flowerpots and smelling the familiar smells of your most cherished locale. The band is its own block party.
What began in 2014 as a jam session between three of the city’s best - pocket-perfect drummer David McGraw, intoxicating bassist Bryant Moore, and otherworldly guitarist Jimmy James - has since blossomed into a global force that features percussionist Iván Galvez, trombonist Greg Kramer, and saxophonists Gordon Brown and Skerik. Together, the group’s live performances have garnered them much acclaim and millions of streams on YouTube.
In 2017, True Loves recorded their debut instrumental LP, Famous Last Words which received worldwide adoration and earned them spots at coveted festivals. In 2021, the group released their sophomore album, to high praise, Sunday Afternoon.
GRAMMY-winning Soul provider Nigel Hall is an artist who needs no introduction. Throughout his career, he’s built a mighty foundation of funk, onstage and in the studio, proving himself to be a true student of the music. His unique sound, built upon pages torn out of the golden-ages of R&B, funk and soul, have made him the musician he is today; an accomplished vocalist, keyboardist, studio musician, and member of the GRAMMY-nominated funk-jazz-soul-hip-hop-psychedelic-jam-experimental titans Lettuce. Legions of fans are already well in the know about Hall’s copious keyboard chops and powerful vocal style.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Washington State Historical Society invites you to explore the history of building the State History Museum. 30 Years and Counting: The Making of the Washington State History Museum is a special exhibition that uncovers the vision, effort, and community spirit that brought this iconic Tacoma landmark to life.
Discover the bold ideas and architectural ingenuity that shaped the museum’s distinctive look. From early sketches to final blueprints, see how the building’s design reflects both innovation and reverence for Washington’s past. Go behind the scenes of the museum’s construction. Through photographs and artifacts from the building process, witness how a dream took shape—brick by brick, beam by beam.
Staff Picks: 30 Objects for 30 Years
In a special feature area, museum staff share their favorite objects from the collection—each one a personal reflection on the power of history to inspire, surprise, and connect us.
