Catch beloved vaudeville show, ‘Wrinkle in Time’ or pie-eating contest this weekend
Let them entertain you
“Lord Franzannian’s Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show,” opening Friday, Oct. 10, is well known and well loved for its array of mostly silly and sometimes startling acts from storytelling to acrobatics to burlesque to “What on earth is that?” The annual show is curated by storyteller and impresario Elizabeth Lord, who hosts the shenanigans in the guise of Franzannian, a red-cheeked, red-suited fellow with a big (fake) belly. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10-11, plus Oct. 14 and 17-19 and are recommended for those 16 and older. Matinees at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, plus Oct. 19 are suited for all ages. Tickets are $20-$30, with youth matinee tickets available for $7. Tickets will be available at the door, too, with no one turned away for lack of funds — but get there early if you haven’t secured them in advance. The 2024 show sold out every night.
New ‘Wrinkle’ at family theater
The Olympia Family Theater is launching its season into space with “A Wrinkle in Time,” based on Madeleine L’Engle’s classic tale of interplanetary adventure, teen angst and the power of love. Like the original, Morgan Gould’s adaptation follows Meg (Bri O’Donnell), brother Charles Wallace (Evan Grinnell-Holderman) on a journey to other planets to locate and rescue their missing father (Jerry Romasco) with the help of Meg’s friend Calvin (Jada Miller). The show, directed by Vanessa Cat, is suitable for all ages. Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 9-10, plus Oct. 16-17, 23 and 24, and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12, plus Oct. 18-19, 25 and 26 at Olympia Family Theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia. Tickets are available in advance for $20-$25, with 10 pay-what-you-choose tickets available one hour before showtimes. For the Oct. 16 performance, pay what you choose. Masks are required at the Oct. 12 performance
Boo-Coda adds pie-eating contest
Boo-Coda’s Spooktacular — Bucoda’s monthlong celebration of Halloween — has a tasty twist this year. The town, which changes its name each October, is hosting the Great Pumpkin Pie-Eating Contest on Saturday, Oct. 11. Each competitor will start with a large pie and will have three minutes to eat as much as possible. Those hoping to win should know that Olympia comedian Sam Miller, who surely can hold a LOT of pie, will be among the competitors. The contest kicks off at noon at Town Hall, 101 E. Seventh St., Boo-Coda, with registration beginning at 11 a.m. Also happening Saturday is the Great Pumpkin Race and Decorating Contest, in which pumpkins outfitted with wheels will be rolled down a ramp. Also happening at the Spooktacular: trick-or-treating, haunted houses, costume contest and more. Most events are free; prices vary for the haunted houses.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore enjoys the fact that the vaudeville show includes “Olympian” in its name. She talks with DJ Michael Stein about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” on the air at 2 p.m. Fridays.