OLT opens a twisty murder mystery, and WA Center hosts 2 nights of retro rock
Topsy-turvy murder mystery
Olympia Little Theatre’s “But Why Bump Off Barnaby?” — opening Friday, Oct. 24 — is a mystery with a twist. Victim Barnaby Folcey (Rob Duran) had a motive to murder everyone attending a family gathering, but no one, it seems, had a motive to kill him. The farce, described as lunatic and bizarre, involves a limerick, a secret treasure and poison. Performances are at 7:25 p.m. Friday and Saturday Oct. 24-25, plus Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and Nov. 6-8, with matinees at 1:55 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, plus Nov. 2 and Nov. 9 at the theater, 925 Miller Ave NE, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$16.
‘Horror’ most campy
It’s been just two months since “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” played in Olympia, and it’s back. The beloved film, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first screening in August, just keeps rolling merrily and madly along, and it’s a perfect way to get ready for Halloween. The screening, featuring the Riff Raff’s Street Rats shadow cast, kicks off with a pre-show at 11:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Doors open at 11 p.m., and the screening begins at the traditional hour of midnight. Tickets are $20, $15 for Olympia Film Society members. Prop bags are sold separately at the theater; no outside props are permitted.
Retro rock
Oldies — or, er, fans of oldies — are in luck this weekend, as The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will host not one but two shows of retro rock. The old-time rock starts Saturday, Oct. 25, with the Olympia Union Gospel Mission’s “We Will Rock You: Hits From the ’60s and ’70s.” The concert, a fundraiser for the mission’s no-fee dental clinic, features musicians from the Olympia Jazz Senators and dance by Debbi’s Dance. The music gets rolling at 7 p.m. at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $24-$50.
On Sunday, Oct. 26, Vancouver, Canada-based Eagles tribute band Take It to the Limit will take the stage with such hits as “Hotel California,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” The music begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $57-$77.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore 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.
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.