Touring company presents ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ Oly Little Theatre brings hell to life
Enter ‘No Exit’
Olympia Little Theatre’s latest production, opening Friday, Jan. 31, takes place in hell. The play in question is Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1944 “No Exit,” in which three recently deceased sinners (played by Jamie Flynn, Anna “Andi” Hollbrook and Alexa Martin Del Campo) find themselves being punished for their misdeeds not with fire and brimstone but rather with eternity in one another’s company. An angst-filled existential drama might seem a surprising choice for the theater, well-known for its way with farces, but the play, directed by Seb DelaCruz, made sense to artistic director Kendra Malm and the rest of the play-selection committee. “It’s a well-written play with interesting characters and (speaks) to issues that we deal with today,” Malm told The Olympian. “When I read a play that’s been proposed, it has to grab me within the first scene or two, making me ask myself, ‘I wonder what’s going to happen next.’ ” Performances are at 7:25 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, plus Feb. 7-8, and 13-15 and 1:55 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, plus Feb. 9 and 16 at the theater, 1925 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$16.
Lacey celebrates many cultures
Lacey Cultural Celebration, happening Saturday, Feb. 1, offers the opportunity to celebrate a multitude of cultures through music, dance and other performances. Seattle’s Mak Fai Dragon and Lion Dance Team will perform, and Olympia’s own Mas Uda will be belly dancing. Also on the lineup is Treble Voices for Peace, part of the Olympia Peace Choir. There’ll be food and craft vendors along with crafts and other hands-on activities for children. The festival will also have a Sensory Recovery Area where people can take a break from the action with calming activities. The free festival happens from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion, 5300 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey.
Top guitarists and a Broadway tour
It’s a big week at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. On Sunday, Feb. 2, the center is bringing back the popular International Guitar Night for a fourth time. The night offers an abundance of talent, with this year’s lineup brings back Germany’s Lulo Reinhardt, who plays Latin swing, along with three artists making their Olympia debuts — German fingerstyle guitarist Soenke Meinen, Congolese player Niwel Tsumbu, whose work mixes African, classical and jazz, and British classical guitarist Alexandra Whittingham. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $29-$69.
Also on tap are two performances of the groundbreaking musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” one on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and the other on Thursday, Feb. 6. The performances by the national touring company begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69-$149.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.