I would like to take this moment to announce that I think SIFF purchasing the Uptown Cinemas and rescuing them from languishing in certain doom is the best thing that they have ever done, ever. EVER. 

Okay, now that I have that out of the way - let's get to the good stuff. The Uptown is having its Grand Reopening this week! Starting Thursday, 10/20, there will be a serious of Sing-Alongs (Hedwig, Purple Rain, and Grease) as part of the Heineken City Arts Fest, and then they're gonna show a whole bunch of awesomeness -- officially known as Uptown Cinema Classics -- starting on 10/23.

You can view the full schedule here, but the films I'm most excited about are West Side Story, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Royal Tennebaums, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, LA Confidential, and The Godfather. They'll also be rounding out the week with Bob & the Monster (which we heartily recommend you get tix to!). Even better: all these films are only $5 - OR FREE with a same-day receipt from any Queen Anne area business. omg. what. 

Anyone up for drinks at The Mecca followed by a film? 

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On Monday, July 18, 2011, Seattle will get to partake in a new McSweeney’s-esque lecture series show that’s touring (and sweeping) North America entitled Trampoline Hall.

The Trampoline Hall premise is to challenge not only the (locally notable) lecturers, who are dared to speak in detail about topics of their own choosing *and* outside their area of expertise, but for the audience who get to participate in a post-lecture Q&A. The end result is a sure-fire evening of hilarity that’s filled sold-out halls in Toronto (where it began) and across the US.

The Seattle stop at Town Hall next week will feature lectures by TIG’s very own Chris Estey and the Stranger’s Lindy West and set concept by Michael Hebb. From what I know of Mr. Estey and Mz. West, there are few things they know little about and infinite ways they can use words to entertain. With those two on the mics, the evening is going to be a hoot -- even if one of them decides to chat about something from an MBA workbook.

Also noteworthy, per the Facebook page, all audience members are asked to please bring an (edible) ingredient to the show. These ingredients will be cooked together, onstage, and fed to the audience after.

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"We do the weird stuff!"

OMG, you guys. I missed this the last time around and I am SO EXCITED that it's come back! Just to catch you up (in case you don't know what the hell Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is), back in 2008 during the WGA writer's strike, Joss Whedon wrote an awesome musical tragicomedy web series starring the equally awesome Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion.

It's so popular with Whedonphiles (AKA: Browncoats...*coughcough* that's my nerd showing) that a bunch of peeps all over decided to rework it as a play, and LUCKY US - The Balagan Theater is putting it on at ACT in Seattle from January 28-February 12!!!!

For a small taste, check out the trailer for the web series here to get ready for the play. I'm betting tickets are going to be scarce, if not sold out, soon - so grab them while you can and get ready to laugh, cry, and you know, probably sing-along.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
ACT
700 Union Street
1/28-2/12 @8pm
Adults: $25 ($30 for February 11-12)
17 & Younger: $20
Students: $20
Day-of-show: $20

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{Go Greased Lightnin' Go photo by Joan Marcus}

I am bursting with excitement because the one musical that I have always been fond of is coming to The Paramount Theatre this weekend! I’ve never seen a live production of Grease, so I’m looking forward to seeing Danny, Sandy, Kenickie, Rizz (< my favorite) and the rest hit the stage to sing and dance—and duh. I’ll be singing and dancing in my seat right along with them.

In addition to this looking like a pretty slick show, the cast holds kind of a hilarious surprise: Carmine Ragusa – Eddie Mekka, AKA: The Big Ragu (!!!), Shirley’s boyfriend on Laverne & Shirley, plays DJ Vince Fontaine. I can’t lie; my L&S fangirl heart is all kinds of excited about that.

Grab your tix online now, put your hair in a ponytail, throw on your circle skirt and cardigan, and practice your “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop A-wop-bam-boom” - and I’ll see you there!

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Tonight, Wednesday 11/17, my friends over at The Beta Society are putting on a show that could potentionally rival the ever-popular Salon of Shame called E-mails from My Parents.

Rather than read your own embarassing journals, why not share the most embarassing e-mails, voice mails, or even videos from your parents? I mean, they've embarassed you enough, right? Why not turn the tables?

Head over to Central Cinema from 7-8:30pm tonight and experience dramatic re-enactments of parental tomfoolery, live readings of e-mail, and actual videos from the 'rents. I can't think of a better thing to do on a rainy, cold night - can you? Tix are $7 at the door, and the usual CC food & drink menu will be available.

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There’s a ton of awesome stuff happening in Seattle today, tomorrow and Sunday—so rather than pick just 3 films to recommend, I put together a master list of everything I’d do if I had the time and money.

FILM
Starting on Sunday, Central Cinema is showing two of my favorite Halloween-y films: Beetlejuice and Poltergeist! NWFF is showing some great cinema this weekend also—the haunting documentary I Am Secretly An Important Man, and the slick Hong Kong action flick Vengeance. I heartily recommend both, but they’re so different, it’ll obviously depend on what kind of mood you’re in.

THEATER
Evil Dead: The Musical continues its strong run this weekend (they’ve extended shows out until November 20th) over at Arts West, but make sure you get your tickets ASAP. Everytime I try to pick a time to go, I get a “sold out” message, which makes me have sad face.

OTHER GEEKERY
The EMP/SFM is showing off Battlestar Galactica props (including full-size spaceships!!!), costumes and more from both the original 1978 series, which I was a HUGE fan of, and the newer 2003 incarnation that has like 1 bazillion fans. Battlestar Gallactica: The Exhibition officially opens Saturday, 10/23—but there is a preview tonight at 7pm for members.

And over at the Pacific Science Center, they’re preparing for a massive Harry Potter exhibit with costumes and props like HP’s iconic wand and eyeglasses, Gryffindor school uniforms, the giant SPIDER, and lots of interactive stuff fit for magic-obsessed muggles. Harry Potter: The Exhibition opens Saturday, 10/23 and runs through January 30, 2011.

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The flyers and descriptions for Cancer: The Musical don't hide much -- in fact, they give the whole story away:

You're gonna die. Sorry for your loss. Oh well, let's pretend we're Scientists. How do we, as Scientists, measure Loss scientifically?? And more importantly, where's the punchline? This solo show by Montana von Fliss (Scientist) will ask these questions and using the scientific method, carefully sidestep them. Through the story of caretaking for her dying dad, experience the joyously comedic approach to the ultimate end that is Cancer: The Musical (WARNING: may or may not contain actual musical).

Having driven by a poster in Capitol Hill, my initial query to Google wasn't about going to see the show, per se -- my curiousity was peaked, but at first I was just inquiring as to who had put forth such an appaling concept out into the stratosphere. Upon pushing the search button, however, I had an immediate change of heart and knew I had to get to the first performance I could.

The results were as follows:

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One of the things that binds us all as card-carrying Seattle swanksters is that we all want to be best friends with Janeane Garofalo. You *know* that we'd all get along famously, making our way through the hipster jungle texting escape plans to meet up at the nearest Tea Express to split pot of earl gray and review the evening's near hits and misses. We'd sarcastically laugh under our breath up until the tearistas kicked us out and we'd quote the Old 97s on our way out the door. Or something low key and outrageously fun like that.

Next Saturday our almost-BFF will be in Seattle to film her next live DVD release over the course of two shows (7p and 9.30p) on Saturday, May 8 at the Moore Theatre. That's how much she loves us! She wants *us/Seattle* to be a part of her next DVD!

Three Imaginary Girls would like to help bring us all together by offering you a couple seats to one of her May 8 shows. To enter to win a pair of tickets email us at tig @ threeimaginarygirls.com with a subject line letting us know which timeslot you'd like to go like so: "BFF@7p" or "BFF@930p" (you can enter to win tickets to both time slots). The deadline to enter is 9a May 4, 2010.

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I got this e-mail from Mark Siano recently about his final production as Mark Siano and the Freedom Dancers.  This show looks really cool so you should check it out!

Next Friday we are opening the REALLY BIG SHOW!  Holy Wow!  You gotta see this thing, it is the most entertaining, energetic, and ambitious show I've ever been a part of.  Comedian Mark Siano (that's me! I'm switching to 3rd person, look out) and the funny and foxy Freedom Dancers present their grand finale SOFT ROCK performance, The Soft Rock Kid (February 19-27), in the beautiful ACT Falls Theatre.

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This sounds pretty awesome, you guys. Grab some friends and some $10 tix online, head to the Central Cinema this Saturday, December 12 at 9pm and show that smile again (yes, I actually just wrote that)…

My friends over at The Beta Society have put together the perfect holiday activity for those of us who grew up watching Growing Pains and loving "The Thicke" (I cannot convey the depths of my teenage crush on Kirk Cameron, but I will say that show totally jumped the shark when they added the curly red-headed baby sis), or just generally love the cheesiest bits of the 80s.

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