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Personal Exploration of People, Personalities and Meaning
Browsing All Posts published on »February, 2014«
On the Air (Teatro ZinZanni’s)
Teatro ZinZanni’s is calling you back to the spiegeltent as it kicks off its new show “On the Air”. Directed by Norm Langill, “On the Air” transports the audience back to the Golden Age of Radio, skillfully bringing together an entertaining series of vignettes, including acrobatics, juggling, espionage, music, zany comedy and the hallmark of any Teatro ZinZanni show, masterful improvisation.
The show starts off a bit like an awkward blind first date; unfamiliar characters, lots of noise, chaos and running around, leaving me a bit disoriented and unsure what was going on. I encourage you to hang with it, as like a relationship the show grows stronger and stronger over time. The whacky characters become familiar and lovable, the dashing Host/Juggler (Joel Salom) endearing, the mysterious and limber alien (Vita Radionova) awe-inspiring and the singers (Anki Albertsson and Juliana Rambaldi) transcendent.
Then there is Kevin Kent, the “improvisational humorist” of the show. What can you say about Kevin Kent? His Dr. Danny Delight character, affectionally called “Double D” and later you find out why, is an intriguing concoction comprised of one part Southern Preacher, one part Robin Williams and one part Liberace. Those components add up to one hysterical, over-the-top, surprisingly funny and quick witted shot of energy. Kent awakens the audience and draws them in every time he steps into the spotlight. He adeptly engages the audience with whichever character he is portraying and manages to draw forth laughter with his clever retorts, awkward scenarios and he never fails to capture the full attention of the audience. His final bit as the queen in drag was inspired, sinfully delicious, wrong and left the participating audience member wondering how he let that moment get away from him.
Frank Olivier’s Twisted Cabaret – My Twisted Valentine (Hale’s Palladium)
February 10, 2014
Are you tired of the same old milquetoast, bland and inoffensive entertainment? Looking for something new, edgy and a bit avant-garde to take your significant other out for a Valentine’s Day show? If you have a pulse and answered yes, then fear not for Hale’s Palladium (located behind Hale’s Brewery in Ballard) has just the show for you. Be forewarned, while this show is edgy and maniacally twisted, it is considered by its press release to be ‘family friendly’ but not geared to children under the age of 8. The show is “Frank Olivier’s Twisted Cabaret – My Twisted Valentine” and it is a bizarre hysterical assortment of entertaining vignettes ranging from juggling, unicycle riding, sleight of hand magic, cross-dressing, stilt walking, improv and several other exotic skills, complete with a live band which adds up to loads of laughs and one very memorable night for all in attendance.
It was a bitterly cold evening when I arrived at the show. Those of us standing in line outside were huddled together for warmth, as the winds chilled you to the bone. We eagerly pressed forward the moment they opened the house, just so we could get inside and recover the feeling in our fingers and toes. After a bit of a mix up where they were not sure exactly where to put me, I was finally seated off to the right of the stage at one of the small tables which were crowded about the stage. Behind me were several rows of seats, resembling something you might find at a high school football game. My drink sat precariously perched in front of me and I could not be sure if it was the floor, the table or both which were not level, but something was definitely off.
Scripta Manent 
February 19, 2014
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