Out and About: Catch soapy mystery, warm up with Cuban tunes or dive into dance

The Bold, the Young, and the Murdered

There’s foul play afoot on the set of a fictional soap opera in Olympia Little Theatre’s “The Bold, the Young, and the Murdered.” The farce, opening Friday, March 4, is a fitting follow-up to the theater’s recent “Clue: On Stage,” which also combined comedy with multiple murders. “Bold” is directed by Katelyn May with a cast including such familiar faces as Silva Goetz, Meghan Goodman, Tom Sanders, Ed Thorpe and Andrea Weston-Smart. Performances are at 7:25 p.m. March 4, 5, 11, 12 and 17-19 and at 1:55 p.m. March 6, 13 and 20 at the theater, 1925 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia. Tickets (http://www.olympialittletheater.org/shows/bold/) are $9-$15. Proof of vaccination is required.

Shows resume at Traditions

After yet another pandemic pause, New Traditions Café is once again hosting concerts. The music begins Saturday, March 5, with A Taste of Cuba, featuring Gabriela Joya, a flautist and singer who has performed with Cuba’s national opera and ballet, plus local jazz stalwarts Tarik Bentlemsani, Steven Luceno and Michael Olson. The show happens at 7 p.m. at the café (https://newtraditionsfairtrade.com/), 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. Tickets are $20, $15 for students and those with low incomes. Seating is limited; get tickets and dinner reservations by stopping by the café or calling 360.705.2819. For shows, the café requires proof of vaccination, including a booster, or a negative test results.

Diverse dance

Ballet and ballroom are just the beginning of the dance styles on display at the 12th Olympia Dance Festival, happening Saturday, March 5. The program includes dance styles from around the world (Ireland, China and the Middle East) and dance troupes from up and down the I5 corridor. Also among the 200-plus dancers participating are Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan of San Francisco’s LINES Ballet, founded by noted choreographer Alonzo King. “This year’s festival will be our biggest yet,” said Ken Johnson of Ballet Northwest, which produces the festival in cooperation with The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Besides Ballet Northwest and the duo from LINES, the festival will showcase performers from Debbi’s Dance Etc., Fang Fei Dance, Haley Prendergast School of Irish Dance, Harbor Dance and Performance Center, Inspired to Move Dance Academy, Johansen Olympia Dance Center, Mas Uda, Momentum Dance Academy, Northwest Performing Arts Alliance, Random Acts of Dance Collective (RADCo), South Sound Dance, Spotlight Dance Center, Studio West Dance Theatre and Tina’s Dance Studios. The event is at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets (https://www.washingtoncenter.org/event/olympia-dance-festival-2022/) are $20. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test is required for audience members 12 and up.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks about what’s happening in Olympia and beyond with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 5:45 AM.