Entertainment

POSTED: Thursday, Aug. 02, 2007

Best Bets: ‘Alice In Wonderland’

Becca Orlowski plays the title role in Western Washington University’s Summer Stock production of “Alice in Wonderland,” and “White Rabbit” Harry Todd Jamieson accompanies her on her wondrous journey. The family-oriented musical, adapted by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy from Lewis Carroll’s classic novel, is performed by 10 actors who sing, dance and romp their way through Wonderland using colorful and creative masks, costumes and even puppets. Deb Currier directs. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 8-11, and Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 14-18; and at 2 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 9-12 and Aug. 16-18. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 students and seniors and $6 for youth, and are available at Village Books, the Community Food Co-op, online at www.tickets.wwu.edu and by calling 650-6146.

Performers at this year’s Mount Baker Rhythm and Blues Festival, taking place from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3-5, at the Deming Logging Show grounds, 3295 Cedarville Road near Nugents Corner, include Coco Montoya performing on Saturday. Also up are the Grey House Blues Band, the Fat Tones and Anthony Gomes on Friday, Back Beat Revival, Brian Feist Band, Cathouse Blues Band, Bump Kitchen, Tutu Jones, and the Jeff Healey Blues Band on Saturday; and The Fat Tones, BIG, Tinsley Ellis, Kal David & the Real Deal and Savoy Brown with Kim Simmonds on Sunday. Tickets, $75 advance (includes on-site camping), $90 gate; $40 per day in advance, $50 at the gate, are available at Avalon Discs, online at www.bakerblues.com, or by calling (360) 629-8027.

Western Washington University’s dance program presents its 10th annual Summer Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight through Saturday, Aug. 2-4, in the Performing Arts Center Mainstage Theatre. The concert is a culmination of a six-week intensive dance course and features original choreography by Kathy Casey and Sylvain Lafortune, visiting artists from Montreal Danse, as well as new choreography and performances by faculty and students. Tickets are $11 adults, $9 staff and seniors and $8 students, and are available at the Community Food Co-op, Village Books, online at www.tickets.wwu.edu and by calling 650-6146.

More than 40 visual and musical artists converge in Point Roberts this weekend for the 12th annual Arts and Music Festival, from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4-5, at Lighthouse Marine Park. Among the annual performers is Craig Jacks, at right, with his Mighty Jackalopes Band, as well as Janie Cribbs, the Parlour Steps, Camille Miller and Irish and Indian dancers. Kids’ arts and crafts workshops are offered both days, and food vendors will be on hand. For information on the free festival, call (360) 945-2505 or (360) 945-1792.

Dozens of musicians from around the world perform at Festival Vancouver, taking place Aug. 5-19 at nine Vancouver, B.C. venues. The music ranges from opera by such luminaries as Measha Brueggergosman and Richard Margison to smaller ensembles such as the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and a cappella sextet Rajaton, as well as the 85-member Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and jazz duo Carsten and Christina Dahl. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. For a full schedule, visit www.festivalvancouver.ca.

Ever wanted to learn sea shanties? The inaugural One Oar Music of the Sea Festival on Saturday, Aug. 4, in Blaine may afford you the opportunity. The music starts at 11 a.m. at the G Street Plaza on the boardwalk, and runs to about 3:30 p.m. At 4 p.m., the Vancouver Folk Song Society hosts a shanty sing at Peace Arch State Park, featuring the Sometimes Sound Singers, above, from Seattle, Bellingham’s Norwegian Male Chorus, working shipwright Stan James, and fisher poets John Van Amerongen and Pat Dixon. The late afternoon concert runs to dusk. It’s is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information, call Jon Pfaff at (206) 522-4149. It’s one of many events in this weekend’s Drayton Harbor Days. For a full schedule, call 332-4544 or go to www.blaine chamber.com.

Tony Award-winner Mel Brooks poses with his cast for “Young Frankenstein,” his new musical that plays its pre-Broadway engagement at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre, Ninth Avenue at Pine Street, from Aug. 7 to Sept. 1. The production opens on Broadway on Nov. 8 at the Hilton Theatre. Tickets for the Seattle show range from $25 to $100, and are available through Ticketmaster. For more information on the show, go to www.thepara mount.com.