Community Calendar

Immerse yourself in the vibrant rhythms and tapestry of sounds of Santana, with this live concert from Batuka, a Santana tribute band! With their own unique flair and specializing in Latin grooves and Spanish-language classics, Batuka’s 8-piece ensemble delivers not just a show, but an extraordinary experience. You won’t want to miss this Cinco de Mayo concert that is guaranteed to explode with hypnotic percussion rhythms, infectious synergy, and electrifying precision.

Disney’s Newsies JR. is a 60-minute version of the 2012 Broadway musical, based on the 1992 film. Inspired by the rousing true story of newsboys in turn-of-the-century New York City, Newsies JR. features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein.

When powerful newspaper publishers raise prices at the newsboys’ expense, the charismatic Jack Kelly rallies newsies from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions. Together, the newsies learn that they are stronger united and create a movement to fight for what’s right.

Including the now-classic songs “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “Santa Fe,” Newsies JR. is a timeless story full of spirit and heart. – Music Theatre International 

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.”

Midway through his 400 year existence, Orlando — an Elizabethan nobleman who feels equally at home crafting poetry or out on the hunt — wakes one day to find herself transformed into a woman. Through Virginia Woolf’s hilarious romp of a biography which shatters the barrier between fiction and non-fiction, adapter Jesse Belle-Jones explores the fluidity of time, gender, love, and nature where the only thing constant is change.
Directed and choreographed by Alyza DelPan-Monley, and featuring Alexa Perplexa, Anya Knees, Ash Midnight, Lavender Lascivious, Lío Moonflower, Marnie Wingett, Merlot Loren, Ramona Rhapsody, Sailor St. Claire, and Verity Germaine.

The Kulshan Chorus presents “We Tell Each Other Stories” on Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave. in Bellingham, Washington. Directed by Dustin Willetts, this unique and inspiring concert features the professional storytelling of Eva Abram (Rainwater Storytelling) and Harvest Moon (Quinault Basket Maker & Storyteller), interwoven with the music of the Kulshan Chorus.

“Storytelling has been at the center of human society since we first learned to communicate,” says Willetts. “It is a fundamental tool for not only sharing information but for creating connections and fostering empathy. It is a true honor to bring our stories and songs to you this evening and to share with you the gifts of Eva Abram and Harvest Moon. These two talented word-weavers will inspire you with their tales, while Kulshan Chorus offers a soundtrack that prepares your heart to receive something wonderful and new. Come and sit by the fire and hear a story. Put aside the noise of the outside world and let us once again fan the flames of wonder.”

General admission tickets are available for $25 at https://www.ticketstripe.com/we-tell-stories. An ASL interpreter will be present at the May 2 performance. For more information, e-mail info@kulshanchorus.org or visit www.kulshanchorus.org.

When a near-death experience derails her flight through Southeast Alaska, Rose awakens to find herself in the care of the kind man who pulled her to safety. But who is this mysterious stranger? And how is it possible that she survived? As they journey by boat through the darkness and fog, Rose untangles the mysteries of her past, questions the world around her, and comes to an inescapable crossroads. Driven by Tlingit song, dance, and ancestral wisdom, this heartfelt drama honors Indigenous voices and stories that echo across time. Some journeys don’t end at the summit—they reach all the way to the stars.

Feel the energy and joy of Cuban music. Clave Gringa's guest at North City Bistro is the amazing Jessica Lurie (flute and tenor sax). Together with trumpeter Mike Mines, percussionist Willie Garza, bassist Andy Zadrozny, and bandleader pianist Ann Reynolds, this group will put a smile on your face and a wiggle in your butt. $25 tickets at northcitybistro.com

Seattle Modern Orchestra celebrates "The Guests Go In to Supper" (1986), a seminal work featuring text scores and ideas from luminaries of the late 20th-century American Avant-Garde: John Cage, Laurie Anderson, Yoko Ono, Charles Amirkhanian, and Robert Ashley. The two-night interactive and multi-media program takes place at the newly-renovated Whim W’Him Contemporary Dance Center. Each composer included in the original collection is featured through score exploration, video, or performance, and the focal work of this anniversary celebration is Cage’s "Mushrooms et variationes".

On night one, the ensemble presents the long-form poem (featuring curator Sarah Kolat) with new dance by James Kirby Rogers alongside Cage’s "Music For ____". This fusion leans into indeterminacy, choice, and chance, while honoring the historical importance of Cage and Cunningham’s partnership and Seattle’s role in bringing the two visionary artists together.

Come back for night two on May 2nd: a gala dinner with guest performers, special films, and an invitation to celebrate SMO’s “sweet sixteen” with an Avant-Garde art prom in the irreverent spirit of this groundbreaking text.

California Transit Authority (CTA) is the powerhouse brainchild of legendary drummer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Danny Seraphine, co-founder of the iconic band Chicago. As the original backbone of Chicago’s rhythm section, Danny spent 23 years shaping the band’s signature sound—anchoring its rise to stardom and helping lead its celebrated comeback in the ’80s. After parting ways with Chicago in 1990, Danny returned to the spotlight in 2007 to answer a call from fans hungry for the explosive, horn-driven sound that once captivated Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.