On Stage

Cultural Cascades                                                                                   

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ON STAGE

The launching pad for Broadway productions, thriving theatre companies, the birthplace of grunge, community festivals for all tastes, award-winning symphony and opera productions….you’ll find it all On Stage in the Cultural Cascades.

ON STAGE IN EUGENE

• Hult Center for the Performing Arts – Eugene’s premier venue for the arts, the Hult Center presents  world-class performances. National and international touring acts vie for the privilege to perform at this inspiring venue. The Center’s nine resident companies provide year-round entertainment and include the Eugene Ballet Company, Eugene Concert Choir, Oregon Mozart Players, Dance Theatre of Oregon, Eugene Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene Opera, Oregon Festival of American Music and Willamette Repertory Theatre.
• Intimate Dinner Theater – Actors Cabaret offers everything from period farces to classic dramas and musical comedy as well as works by local playwrights. Two theaters under one roof allow patrons to choose from dinner theater in the cabaret or intimate performances in the theater annex. Broadway, off-Broadway and regional theater all meet at Actors Cabaret.
• The Shedd – The Oregon Festival of American Music (OFAM) is actively using their new facility, The Shedd, in downtown Eugene. Formerly a historic Baptist church, this unique venue provides concert space with excellent acoustics in the sanctuary. A smaller chapel area is being renovated to provide a locale for smaller, more intimate performances. This venue also provides space for the new OFAMily-style dinners. Delicious home-cooked meals are served at The Shedd prior to performances. Served family-style and often tied to the musical theme, these meals encourage discussion of OFAM's acclaimed events.
• Eugene Concert Choir's 30th Anniversary - The Eugene Concert Choir and Vocal Arts Ensemble's 04-05 season marks thirty years as a vibrant part of Lane County's cultural attractions. Each season, under the direction of Diane Retallack, Artistic Director since 1985, the choirs perform great choral masterworks, festive holiday extravaganzas, chamber concerts, and popular historical music reviews.
  

ON STAGE IN SEATTLE

• All Seattle’s a Stage – Major regional theatres like Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman, ACT, and Seattle Children’s Theatre offer world-premieres, Broadway launches and award-winning interpretations of classics.  Locals swell with pride that the current Broadway smash hit Hairspray was born right here in Seattle at The 5^th Avenue Theatre, Seattle’s oldest musical theatre company. In summer 2007, Seattle's Paramount Theatre will host the world premiere of another surefire hit: the new musical based on Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. The stunningly renovated Paramount and historic Moore theatres play host to everything from top national concert acts to touring Broadway and experimental theatre, while more than 50 smaller and fringe theatres present inspired work by emerging artists.  For a grand evening out, Seattle's own Teatro ZinZanni offers a three-hour whirlwind of cirque, comedy and cabaret served up with a five-course feast designed by celebrated chef Tom Douglas.

• Fantastic Festivals – Seattle hosts premier arts and cultural festivals year 'round, with the biggest of all being the grand celebration that is Bumbershoot, the Labor Day weekend spectacular that features more than 2500 visual and performing artists.  Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the five "best under the sun" festivals in the U.S. (April 2004 issue). From international headliners to local talent, from poetry to acrobatics, Bumbershoot has it all. Other beloved Seattle festivals include the Northwest Folklife Festival, the International Children’s Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival, the Fremont Street Fair, the Bellevue Arts & Crafts Fair, SEAFAIR, and the Earshot Jazz Festival.
  
• Seattle Symphony – Under the direction of Maestro Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony is the largest cultural institution in the Northwest and recently marked its 100^th anniversary. The Symphony performs more than 220 concerts and reaches audiences of more than 300,000 people each year from September to July in its stunning home, the acoustically splendid Benaroya Hall.  Lauded for daring programming and the tradition of performing work by 20^th century composers, SSO is also one of the most recorded symphonies in the world, represented on more than 80 CD recordings, and recognized with 10 Grammy nominations.
  
• McCaw Hall – Enjoy an opera or a ballet in one of the "12 most spectacular arts destinations on the planet" (February 2004 UK issue of Conde Nast Traveler.) Called "visually striking" and "acoustically excellent" by The New York Times, this beautiful newly renovated venue hosts a full slate of ballet, opera, concerts and lectures. Home to Seattle Opera since 1964, and Pacific Northwest Ballet since 1973, the former Opera House was completely reborn from the 1928 foundation with a $127 million renovation, creating Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Before taking your seat in the dramatic performance hall, enjoy the luminous five-story glass Grand Lobby, or the outdoor public plaza with its engaging public art and water features.

ON STAGE IN PORTLAND

• Chamber Music on Tap – “Quiet, please” are two words you are unlikely to hear at Chamber Music on Tap.  Staged at BridgePort Brewing Company – Portland’s oldest craft brewery – this innovative series of casual chamber music concerts features performances by members of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and local musicians of note.  The format is designed to encourage lively interaction and discussion between the artists and spectators.  The series also addresses the age-old question of how to combine fine ale, pizza and classical music in an historic landmark setting.

• Ballet Exposed! – The Oregon Ballet Theatre’s state-of-the-art glass-enclosed rehearsal studio is just one way for visitors to sneak a peek at how this distinctly American ballet company operates.  Known for its anything-but-stuffy approach to new works and modern dance, OBT also showcases the dedication, discipline, athleticism and artistic challenges that go into each performance during “OBT Exposed.”  During this free outdoor series, the ballet sets up a temporary rehearsal studio in Portland’s South Park Blocks.  The public is invited to visit, observe and enjoy – all at no charge. 
  

• PICA – Think art and commerce don’t mix?  Try telling that to the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), Portland’s leader in cutting-edge performances, experimental theater, dance and exhibits.  Founded in 1995 as a “missing link” for the arts, PICA bridges the gaps between historically focused art institutions, commercial galleries and mainstream performance companies.  In September 2003, PICA launched TBA: Time Based Art, an annual 10-day festival featuring 50 of the most sought-after and talked about performers and art companies in the world.
  

• BodyVox – What are the artistic limits of the human body?  BodyVox is forever exploring the answer to that question.  The work of this committed and inspired group of dance artists is characterized by a bold athleticism and inherent theatricality.  Their movement surges from years of cross-training imbued with a fresh curiosity and a fascination about the possibilities of the human body in motion.  But don’t just take our word for it.  BodyVox’s admirers are not limited to the Pacific Northwest.  The company has choreographed music videos for Sting, David Bowie and U2; created fashion spectacles for Japanese designer Issey Miyake; and co-choreographed and appeared in the 1998 Academy Awards show.

ON STAGE IN VANCOUVER, BC

• Chan Centre for Performing Arts – A variety of performances and events are offered year-round, from classical recitals and jazz concerts, to avant-garde theatre and opera productions, to film screenings and festivals. The Chan also presents its own series, "Music at the Chan," that showcases a dynamic roster of artists and musical traditions. Chan's distinct, cylindrical shape has become a noted landmark that boasts three unique venues: a concert hall; a studio theatre; and an intimate cinema. All share a spectacular glass lobby and outdoor patio facing the mature evergreen endowment lands of the University of British Columbia.
  

• Arts Club Theatre – Vancouver's Art's Club Theatre Company has two great venues - the historic Stanley Theatre, a renovated 1931 movie house, and their scenic waterfront location on Granville Island. Both theatres feature a variety of Broadway and Off-Broadway reviews as well as a variety of refreshing and provocative local and international productions. 
  
• The Vancouver Playhouse, Queen Elizabeth and Orpheum Civic Theatres – These three historic venues are home to Vancouver’s premier performance institutions. The Chamber Music and Vancouver Recital Societies hang their respective hats at the Vancouver Playhouse. Built in 1959, The Queen Elizabeth Theatre houses the Vancouver Opera and Ballet British Columbia. Originally opened on November 7, 1927 as a vaudeville house, the Orpheum was the largest and most opulent theatre on the Pacific Coast. After a complete restoration in the mid - 70’s, the Orpheum re-opened as the permanent residence of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
  

• Bard on the Beach –June through September, Shakespeare comes alive in Vancouver's Vanier Park. Bard's signature open-ended tents provide a spectacular backdrop of mountains, sea and sky. Three plays, two stages, six days a week.
  

• The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts – "The Centre" is the newly re-opened Yaletown theatrical venue formerly known as The Ford Theatre. It's an ideal location for a beautifully designed, modern performing arts venue.
  
  

ON STAGE IN TACOMA

• Theatre District – Tacoma’s vibrant theatre district includes two historic theatres, the Pantages and Rialto, and one state-of-the-art venue in Theatre on the Square. Located in the heart of downtown on (aptly) Broadway, the Theatre District also includes a central park with a wonderful fountain and views of Mount Rainier. The Theatre District includes many public art elements, from a series of international masks installed on surrounding buildings, to monumental sculptures, to the Woolworth Windows, a new cutting-edge venue for installation art maintained by the City of Tacoma’s Cultural Tourism division.
• Pantages Theater – Originally built as a vaudeville house in 1918 by Alexander Pantages as part of his nationwide theater empire, this lavish creation was inspired by the theater in France's opulent Palace of Versailles. W.C. Fields, Mae West, Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers once played here.  Restored to its original grandeur in 1983, the Pantages now serves as one of the outstanding performing arts centers in the Pacific Northwest for national and international touring artists. It features drama, dance and comedy performances as well as the Tacoma Symphony, Tacoma Philharmonic, Tacoma Opera and BalleTacoma.
• Rialto Theater – The jewel box Rialto Theater also opened in 1918 with a Beaux Arts decor that was renovated in 1991.  It is now the home of the 250-member Tacoma Youth Symphony, drawing from 85 different regional schools.  It performs free to the public several times a year.  The theater also hosts the Northwest Sinfonietta chamber orchestra.
• Theatre on the Square – Theatre on the Square is the home of Tacoma Actors Guild (TAG), South Puget Sound’s only professional theater. It draws from classics and new works to produce six plays annually ranging from dramas to musicals to comedies. Performances by TAG are notable for their intimacy – seats here are close to the stage, affordable and the “come as you are” ethic makes theatre accessible to everyone. It is building its audience base through engaging programming such as “Brew Pub Previews” – the Friday before opening night, TAG invites patrons to sample local microbrews and northwestern appetizers before seeing the show.
• Wintergrass & Festivals – Every hotel room in Pierce County sells out for Wintergrass, Tacoma’s annual celebration of bluegrass music in late February. The best bluegrass musicians in the world converge for a three-day festival that includes all-night concerts, jam sessions that fill every nook and cranny in downtown, and have an incredible economic impact on the city. Other major festivals in Tacoma include the Daffodil Parade (spring), Ethnic Fest (summer), Maritime Festival (fall), First Night (December 31) and the City’s award-winning LuminoCity (quarterly).

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Revised June 2004