Apr 01 Wednesday
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.
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!
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.”
Presented by KNKX. Six-time GRAMMY nominee Lakecia Benjamin is an alto saxophonist, MC, and bandleader known for her captivating live performances. Her acclaimed albums Phoenix and Pursuance: The Coltranes have firmly established her among jazz's foremost artists, with praise from The New York Times, The Guardian, and DownBeat.
Phoenix earned her three GRAMMY nominations and an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album. Named Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association and Jazz Scholar by the Library of Congress, Benjamin's prominence continues to rise.
In 2024, she released Phoenix Reimagined (Live) on Ropeadope, featuring collaborations with John Scofield, Randy Brecker, and Jeff “Tain” Watts. Her performance was highlighted on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and received exceptional reviews during her debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk, further showcasing her exceptional talent. Phoenix Reimagined also received 2 GRAMMY nominations.
Lakecia released original composition “Noble Rise” in 2025. The single features saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and guitarist Mark Whitfield and is currently nominated for the Best Jazz Performance GRAMMY.
Apr 02 Thursday
Supported by KNKX. Since gaining prominence in the early 2000’s, the ukulele marvel Jake Shimabukuro has mesmerized audiences with his innovative and dynamic style, taking the instrument to dizzying new heights. Over a dozen solo albums, Shimabukuro has shown a knack for moving effortlessly between genres, sometimes in the same song. After being taught the instrument by his mother at age four, Jake became a local phenom, performing on his own and in a local group Pure Heart. Early in his solo career he became a YouTube sensation when his cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral. Since then, Jake has gone on to play the world’s most venerable venues, from The Hollywood Bowl to Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House and The N.O. Jazz Fests and collaborated with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson, Bette Midler, Ziggy Marley, Sonny Landreth, Billy Strings, Lukas & Willie Nelson and Warren Haynes. Shimabukuro has also won his share of awards and, just a few years ago he was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a Member for the National Council on the Arts.
Jackson Waldhoff is a bass player from Honolulu, Hawai’i. He grew up in Kyoto, Japan; moved to Hawai’i in 2010. Waldhoff started playing guitar and bass as a way to make friends while learning English. In 2018, Waldhoff graduated from audio engineering school and worked as an audio engineer with Jake Shimabukuro on several projects, including “Trio,” “Jake & Friends”, and a track for Alan Parsons. Jackson Waldhoff and Jake Shimabukuro started touring together in 2018, and perform concerts around the world.
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.
Spread your wings and go wild this Spring Break at the Hands On Children’s Museum! Enjoy feathered fun with live animals, bird and bug science, and hands-on flying crafts.
Live Animal Guests & Special Experiences:
• Meet live raptors with The Falconer and visit friendly chickens from Animal Encounters Petting Zoo.• Get up close with insects from Pest Stop and learn which bugs are helpful (and even edible!).• Discover how birds evolved from dinosaurs with experts from the Burke Museum.• Learn backyard birding tips with the South Sound Bird Alliance and build a feeder in our MakeSpace.• Enjoy high-energy science demos with Dr. Science and music and stories at Rock N’ Read with Liza.
Presented by: Watson’s Greenhouse
The Falconer Sponsored by: Wild Birds Unlimited
Creepy Crawlies & Crickets Sponsored by: Pest Stop
For over 30 years, the Broadway Farmers Market has brought together the highest quality local growers, specialty food producers, hot food vendors, and artisans. There is something for everyone on Broadway, including weekly music. Come for lunch – Shop for dinner! The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get more information here. First Thursday Music is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Childhood's End Gallery presents "Atmospheres". Featuring new work by Mitchell Albala, Kim Eshelman, and Christopher Mathie. "Atmospheres" is a celebration of color, gesture, and pigment in two-dimensions. Witness the shifting light, air, and hues of these three PNW artists and their most recent creations.
Feb 27- April 19.Artist Reception: Feb 28, 4-6PM
FREE
Childhood’s End Gallery222 4th Ave WOlympia WA 98501
360-943-3724
info@childhoods-end-gallery.com
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
