Fun events and things to do this week in South Sound

By Molly Gilmore Contributing writer

Updated November 15, 2019 2:24 PM

Nov. 15

Prom theme is out of this world

Friday night, the Hands On Children’s Museum hosts its first Space Prom, an adults-only evening of glowing drinks, glitzy outfits and Jedi mind tricks. The prom, the latest in the museum’s series of Adult Swim events, invites the 21-and-older set — usually not welcome at the museum unless accompanied by children — to learn about rocket engineering, try out the museum’s slide, and dance the night away. The museum suggests dressing in “cosmic prom couture,” but if you have a pair, this could be the perfect occasion to put on your space pants. (Space pants made a memorable appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 2016.) The science and silliness happen from 7 to 10 p.m. at the museum, 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. Tickets are $22 in advance, $28 at the door, including a voucher for a Glow Worm gin and tonic, Nebula cocktail or other beverage. Get details and tickets at hocm.org or 360-956-0818.

You can enjoy a Glow Worm gin and tonic at the Hands On Children’s Museum’s Space Prom, which is part of the museum’s Adult Swim events for those 21 and older. Courtesy of the Hands On Children's Museum

Nov. 15

Concert features peace, love and harmony

Harmony singing is a signature for Olympia psychedelic folk duo The Hinges, a collaboration between longtime Northwest musicians Danny Kelly and Karen Hancock, partners in life as well as music. The duo is headlining a show Friday at Octapas Café, where they’ll play with drummer Robin Toye, bassist Robin Green and violinist Ben MacSpadden. Fellow psychedelic folk outfit Waterwitch will open. The two bands have a lot in common, said Waterwitch’s Elizabeth Hummel. They not only share a drummer but also a taste for songs with “good doses of peace and love in the center,” she said. Catch them at 8 p.m. Friday at the café, 414 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. The cover charge is $10, with no one turned away for lack of funds. Find out more at octapascafe.com or 360-878-9333.

Olympia psychedelic folk duo The Hinges, a collaboration between longtime Northwest musicians Danny Kelly and Karen Hancock, will play Friday night at Octapas in downtown Olympia. Joining them will be Robin Toye on drums, Robin Green on bass, and Ben MacSpadden on violin. Courtesy photo

Nov. 15-23

Meet ‘Charlie Brown’ at Saint Martin’s

Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts will sing, dance and remind audiences about the meaning of happiness in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” opening Friday at Saint Martin’s University. Follow the adventures of Snoopy and the gang at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (plus Nov. 21-23) and at 4 p.m. Sunday at Kreielsheimer Hall, Room 105, Saint Martin’s University, 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey. Tickets are $10, $5 for Saint Martin’s students, faculty and staff. Get details and tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/4427579.

Nov. 15-24

Step into the shoes of a teen math genius

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is a play within a play about the efforts of 15-year-old Christopher to solve a mystery and to find his way in a world that often overwhelms him. Opening Friday, the South Puget Sound Community College Theatre Collective production of the Tony-winning play, based on Mark Haddon’s 2003 bestseller, uses lighting and projection as well as acting to create an on-stage world meant to reflect Christopher’s mathematical way of thinking, his love for video games and his difficulty with social interaction. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 24 at the Minnaert Center for the Arts at SPSCC, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. Tickets are $11-$16, with SPSCC students, faculty and staff admitted free. Get details at washingtoncenter.org or 360-753-8586.

Nov. 16-30

Welcome to the wacky world of ‘Mr. Fox’

“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Wes Anderson’s 2009 animated film based on the story by Roald Dahl, gets another theatrical run Saturdays in Olympia. It’s the Olympia Film Society’s current Kids Club selection, so admission is free for those 12 and younger, but the quirky film about the fur-raising adventures of the titular chicken thief-turned-journalist — with voices by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray — is likely to appeal as much to adults as to kids. Check it out at 11 a.m. Saturdays through Nov. 30. Tickets for those 13 and older are $5-$8. Find out more at olympiafilmsociety.org or 360-754-6670.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” will be screened at the Capitol Theater every Saturday morning in November. AP file photo

Nov. 17

Tour with the symphony — without leaving Olympia

Symphony-goers will get a photographic tour of the U.S. at the Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s Sunday concert. Titled “Seeing Is Believing,” the concert includes a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From a New World” with a choreographed presentation of images and videos. Seattle artist Adrian Wyard will be following conductor Huw Edwards’ cues so that the visuals, including photos by Tom Oord, will move seamlessly with the music. The program also will include “Starburst,” a 2010 piece by Jonathan Leshnoff, and “Winter” from Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” featuring 14-year-old violinist Kaia Selden, who has won a number of awards and played on NPR’s “From the Top.” The music will begin at 3 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $6-$60. Learn more at olympiasymphony.org, washingtoncenter.org or 360-753-8586.

Symphony-goers will get a multi-media experience when they hear the Olympia Symphony Orchestra perform Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From a New World” with a choreographed presentation of images and videos on Sunday. Seattle artist Adrian Wyard will be following conductor Huw Edwards’ cues so that the visuals, including photos by Tom Oord, will move with the music. This photo of a similar performance, with the Ann Arbor Symphony in Michigan, shows a photo by Oord above the musicians. Adrian Wyard Courtesy photo

Nov. 20

Soak in the sounds of a musical wonder

There’s no disputing the fact that Taj Mahal, playing Wednesday in Olympia, is larger than life. It’s a story that starts with the stage name the blues giant — born Henry St. Clair Fredericks Jr. — borrowed from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. For more than a half-century, the self-taught musician has been mixing traditional country blues and roots music with sounds from many cultures, racking up numerous awards (including three Grammys and an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award) and influencing generations of musicians. At 77, Mahal is touring regularly with his quartet, which stops in Olympia before a 13-show engagement at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle. The Taj Mahal Quartet will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $25-$79. Get details at washingtoncenter.org or 360-753-8586.

Nov. 21

Comedians compete

The Seattle International Comedy Competition takes its show on the road throughout Western Washington every fall. Ten standup comedians will be in Olympia Thursday to show their stuff for one of the touring competition’s semi-final rounds, in hopes of winning over local judges — and the rest of the audience, too. The show is at 7:30 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $35. Check out the latest updates on who’s coming at seattlecomedycompetition.org, and get tickets and information on the Olympia show at washingtoncenter.org or 360-753-8586.

If she had space pants, freelance writer Molly Gilmore would certainly wear them to the Space Prom. Hear more from her about what’s happening around the Sound every Friday on 95.3 KGY’s “Oly in a Can.”

This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 6:00 AM.