Girls Night Out: Carousel at the 5th Avenue Theater & MOD Pizza

Thursday evening my cousin and I went to see Rogers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle.  A friend from church  had a couple of tickets and asked if I wanted them.  "Sure!"  I instantly answered.   

I had heard of the movie "Carousel," and may have seen clips from it, but I had no idea what the musical was about.  My cousin thought she had seen the movie before.  She had been to the 5th Avenue theater once, a long time ago.  I have never been, so even that was quite a neat experience.

Before the theater opened, we had decided we wanted to eat at MOD pizza.  It was both our first time going there, so we were a little inexperienced on how to order, but we did a really great job of building our pizza.  My cousin ordered a Caesar Salad, and doctored it up with a few things.  We decided to share a gluten free crust (at my cousin's request), and I was totally fine with that.  We started with the Caspian, which is mozzarella, gorgonzola,  BBQ chicken, barbecue sauce, and red onion.  We were then allowed to add as many toppings as we wanted for the same price!  So we added sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms, and garlic.  I asked the person behind the counter if she would suggest anything else, but she thought we did an excellent job, and definitely improved the pizza.

We took our seats in the restaurant, and my cousin shared her delicious salad.  After awhile, we were told that our pizza had accidentally burned, and would we like 2 free milkshakes to make up for it?  So, obviously, we did not pass that up!  The shakes were super thick!  I had to get a spoon to get mine started.  It was good, though.  We finally got our new pizza, with all the same toppings.  It looked absolutely terrific.  I went to pick up a piece, and naturally, it was piping hot.  Once I was able to taste it, I knew we made the right choice.  It was delicious, and filling.  Of course, we did have a salad and a shake each first.  I would definitely go back again. 

By the time we finished our dinner, the theater opened its doors.  My first thought was that it was quite different than the Paramount.  It had an Asian style to it.  It was very colorful, but a muted colorful, in tones of burgundy, forest green, and brown.  The lobby was shorter than I expected.  The lighting fixtures were spectacular inside the theater.  The carvings were exquisite.  

We went clear to the front to catch a glimpse at the under-stage orchestra.  Because of the angle they were sitting, I wondered how they could see the conductor.  A second later, I noticed each seat (or seating area) had monitors for each musician to watch.  That was quite interesting to me.  I have not seen anything like that before. 

We looked at the stage.  Beautiful lights hung down.  Three performers were sitting silently on stage, each faced in a different direction.  I had no idea what it meant at the time.  I did not even know right after the play, I think I may have even forgotten about that part.  Then, I remembered and thought, 

"What was that all about, I wonder?"  

Then after a few seconds, I realized, 

"Oh........!" 

 I cannot tell you anymore, because, well that would spoil it for the people who see the play.

One of the first things I noticed was the creative set designs.  Beautifully constructed, there were lights, sailboats, a flowery branch of a tree, and of course carousel horses, even a rotating stage!

The rotating stage was put to great use.  It was used not only for the carousel part, but to set time and tone as well.  Lighting also played a big part in setting the tone.  There were dance moves that also contributed, which were very well done.

The costumes were mostly pastels and muted tones.  Except for the carnival people.  They wore bright colors.

Many of the songs are catchy, and upbeat.  There is much happiness going on, while there is underlying sorrow for others.  The story is mostly sad, but there is humor and hope in the musical as well.  The overall message is a good one.

Laura Griffith, who plays Julie Jordan, has a beautiful voice.  Billie Wildrick, who plays Carrie Pipperidge is humorous.  Brandon O'Neill did a great job acting his part.  Madelyn Koch, who plays Louise, is an excellent dancer.  I enjoyed the other performers as well.

Overall, we had a good time.  The play runs through Sunday, March 1st, in case you want to try and get tickets.  I also suggest you bring tissues, if you have a tendency to tear up.  Binoculars can be handy too, if you are sitting in the back.  Cameras are not allowed in the performance area.  

For more information on Rogers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" at the 5th Avenue Theater, click here.

For more information on MOD pizza, click here.

Lego Architecture, The Beauty of Music Videos, and My Thoughts on The Bellevue Arts Fair 2014

So, you are probably wondering if I made it to the Bellevue Arts Fair this year.  I did, but not for very long, as I had another event that I decided to attend that evening.  I saw many great things in the short time I was there.  I will write about that towards the end of this blog.  

A few weeks before the Arts Fair, I went to the EMP specifically to see "Spectacle:  The Music Video" exhibit.  Before spending my time, listening and watching incredible music throughout the years, I briefly took a look at the exhibit:  "Block by Block:  Inventing Amazing Architecture."

I had forgotten about the Lego exhibit at the museum when I arrived at the EMP, so it was an extra bonus to see!  The exhibit was not very big, as it only took one room, but the Lego structures were quite nice.

In the photo below:  Buildings from two favorite cities together.  Left:  The Willis Tower (formerly "Sears Tower") and the Space Needle.  Complete with the 12th man flag waving on top:

The little details are amazing:

These Lego men are working hard to complete the 30 St. Mary Axe, structure in London:

The music video exhibit was much larger than I expected.  Several monitors were dispersed throughout each room, and often showed more than one music video.  You could spend all day there, just watching the videos themselves.  Since this is in Seattle, they obviously had costumes from a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis video (Thrift Shop) on display:

I want my MTV...

First music video aired on MTV August 1, 1981:  "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.

Devo's "Whip It" played below a replica of the iconic head-gear, in what they called an "Energy Dome."  I think it looks like the bottom half of a toilet plunger:

This is the result of when OK Go makes a music video using a Rube Goldberg Machine ("When the Morning Comes"):

One of my favorite music videos of all time "Take On Me" by A-ha.

The artwork is just amazing in it:

There was one music video on display that was in 3D.  The 3D was amazing, but it had to be one of the weirdest music videos I have ever seen.  The music video is called, "Wanderlust."  The artist is Bjork.  Here is Bjork's headgear and a prop-head:

...and I believe this may be a mock-up sketch.

After finishing what I wanted to see of the music video exhibit, I found some new things on display for the "Icons of Science Fiction Exhibit."  I also took some photos of things I missed before:

One of the Robots from "Lost In Space":

An old cyberman costume from "Doctor Who":

I believe this is supposed to be the Discovery One space craft.  From "2001 Space Odyssey":

There were several sci-fi books on display that had piles of things around them:

Stargate helmet:

I was looking forward to going to the Bellevue Arts Fair this year.  Like every year, I planned not to buy anything, and luckily, I managed to save my money.  So, in a way, it helped that I had to leave early.

 

One of the first things I was impressed with, was a table done by Rocky Canyon tileworks.  A beautiful table, hand-crafted in a mosaic style.  A husband and wife team do all the artwork themselves.  The wife individually carves each shape from clay to be laid into the tables, and the tables are welded and shaped by the husband.  The result is colorful and lovely.  Some of the stones look as if fresh water droplets are remaining on the surface of the table.  It makes a very stunning effect.

As I was looking at David Bjurstrom's art from afar, I could have sworn they were black and white photographs.  I was amazed at the incredible detail.  The shadowing is astonishing.  There is one piece that is called "Longhorn," and the hair looks as if you could touch it.  It is so amazing.

There were some interesting retro-looking radios at the Arts Fair this year from Mod Radio.  Some looked like globes, others looked like antique cameras, and some looked just like old radios - except you could attach your iPod to them.  I thought they were pretty neat, and kind of fun.

They had some of this chain-link clothing on display at Unzicker Design.  It may look light to wear, but just lifting a small piece of it, I could tell it would be quite heavy.  It would be quite awesome to wear however, to a party or somewhere.

Can Do Planes makes art from recycled pop cans and beer cans.  I really liked an airplane I saw made from a Coca-Cola can.  There were planes, vehicles, and a few animals done in this style.  It was pretty fun.

Some large pieces of glass, with light illuminating from behind gave Samuel Bates artwork a breath-taking 3D effect.  Looking at the pieces, it would not seem possible, but they are carved in a way that gives an illusion of depth in space.  My favorite piece is one he has of a girl with butterflies coming out of her hair.

Last, but not least, was one of my favorite items I saw that night.  A Carogi bag.  These bags are not only pretty, but they are versatile.  You can wear them as a shoulder bag, a hip sling, a backpack, and a book-bag.  I liked one of the bags with a face on it, but there are others without faces, if that is not your style.  The artist was very nice, and showed me the various ways it can be folded to be a different bag.  They were all very detailed and beautiful.

I wish I could have spent longer at the Bellevue Arts Fair, but sometimes plans conflict with other plans.  I think I may have only stayed 40 minutes, looking around under the Bellevue Square Mall parking lot, but perhaps it was more like 2 hours.  I am not sure.  It seemed like a short time, but my feet were tired at the end.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game! A Trip to Safeco Field

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to go to a Mariners Game, due to my friend Marsha's friend backing out on her at the last minute.  I have only been to one Mariners' Game in the past, and that was about the time when Safeco Field first opened in 1999.  I remember being really impressed by the architecture of the building, from an aesthetic sense.  I have been wanting to go back, to see it - but just never have.

The weather was perfect.  The field was a beautiful green, and it felt nice just to be outdoors and sitting down.  Sounders games you don't sit down during the game.  I guess Seahawk games, you don't either.

The most memorable thing about the building from the last time I visited, was the chandelier, made with a collection of glass bats.  I really wanted a chance to see that again.  I also wanted to find what I remember as a chicken-chili hot dog.  I could have sworn they sold them back then.  I did not have one the first time I went, and I kind of regret not having one.  I looked around several vendors, but could not find what I was looking for.  I eventually settled for some garlic fries, which stayed with me well into the next morning.  They were good, though.

I knew before going to the game that our team has not been doing to well this season, so they really did not disappoint me.  We actually scored 1 point!  Which is better than nothing.  One of the more exciting things that happened on the field during the 3rd inning was a bat shattering as Kendry Morales hit the baseball.  A big chunk was just lying there on the ground!  I have never seen that before, so that was pretty awesome.

We played against the Los Angeles Angels, and they had some pretty exciting plays.  I heard they got a home run, which I think happened before we arrived (we were a little late). Something in the seventh inning looked like it was going to be a home run - then did not turn out to be so - I am not really sure what happened there.  Another player jumped and caught a ball side-ways, in mid-air.  That was really cool, too.

Seeing some of the fans on the big screen was probably the most entertaining.  There was this one little kid, I think he may have been 6 or 7?  Dancing up a storm for the camera.  He was such a ham!  There was also a lady there, celebrating her 102nd birthday!  She was not dancing, but she looked happy, and great for her age!

Overall, it was a pleasant evening.  We left a little early, because we knew by the 8th inning, we were not going to win, let alone score.  All the workers, volunteer or otherwise were very friendly before, during and after the game, which added enjoyment to the evening.  I would certainly go back, just for fun - whether we win or lose.  Go Mariners!

A Visit to the Seattle Public Library

I recently visited the Seattle Public Library for the first time.  The building has always intrigued me from the outside, and I wanted to get a chance to look around the inside.  I took a few photos with just my iPod, so the quality is not great, but it gives the general idea.

The Seattle Library has 10 public levels.  The ground level has a large selection of children's books.

One of the levels has a little cafe and gift shop.  There are several viewing areas in the library.

This (above) is the Red Level.  It reminds me of  an old classic movie, "The Andromeda Strain" which was based on a book by Michael Crichton. 

There are elevators, but there are some really steep escalators that will also take you to the next level.  It is not obvious how steep it is here, but my fear of heights kicked in a bit while riding this particular one in the library.

Overall, the library has a real industrial look, which looks quite interesting, visually.  However, it tends to lack the warmth and charm that many other libraries have, making them inviting to hang out, to read, or study.

I would have to say I really do enjoy the diamond-shaped windows that makes up most of the building, giving various views to the downtown area.  As for a nice, home-like hangout to read or concentrate in, I would probably chose another library.