The Top Things to Do This Weekend: Feb 14–17
Nothing makes for hot and heavy Valentine's Day quite like spending time with Al Gore in a church. (Via Facebook.)
THEATER
Thru Feb 16
Undo
In a departure for Annex (read: no penguins, no late-night cabaret), the fringe theater on Capitol Hill stages a new dark comedy by Holly Arsenault that asks the question: “What if getting a divorce was as festive as throwing a wedding?” Rachel and Joe are on the fritz, so they invite everyone they know to the end of their relationship. Final weekend! Annex Theatre, $5–$15.
Thru Feb 24
War Horse
Avenue Q may have made it cool for puppets to be on Broadway, but War Horse turned theatrical puppeteering into fine art. The story of Joey, an enlisted horse caught in the crossfire of the Western Front, and his young owner Albert, who embarks on a journey to find his beloved steed, comes to life thanks to magnificent equine puppets designed by the Handspring Puppet Company. War Horse won six Tony Awards in 2011, including best play and a special Tony award for the South Africanpuppet company, and also spawned 2011’s Steven Spielberg-helmed feature film. Paramount Theatre, $20–$105.
Thru Mar 10
Photograph 51
Seattle Rep’s Braden Abraham directs, and voice-and-TV actress Kirsten Potter stars in this theatrical tribute to Rosalind Franklin, the oft-overlooked British scientist who was instrumental in the discovery of the DNA double helix. Tension runs high as several scientists jostle to claim ownership of the “secret of life” revealed in the eponymous “photograph 51.” Seattle Repertory Theatre, $22–$50.
CONCERTS
Feb 16
Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs the Smashing Pumpkins
SRO has covered the catalogs of the Beatles, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and more, but the Smashing Pumpkins’ hits offer a unique hurdle. The orchestra will no doubt nail the lush arrangements on songs like “Zero” and “1979,” but will the guest vocalists try to mimic Billy Corgan’s signature nasal whine? Neptune Theatre, $20.
Feb 17
The Helio Sequence
Portland’s indie rock duo soars with Brandon Summers on guitar and vocals, Benjamin Weikel’s blissed-out drums and keys, and a few atmospheric synth loops. The band’s latest album, Negotiations, is easily one of 2012’s best records. Neptune Theatre, $17–$19.
DANCE
Feb 16 & 17
Chop Shop: Bodies of Work
Now in its sixth year, the Eastside’s annual showcase of modern dance features troupes from New York, Utah, and Vancouver, BC, as well as emerging local choreographers (notably Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers Kiyon Gaines and Andrew Bartee). Come for a performance, stay for a lecture or free dance technique class. Meydenbauer Center, $20–$25.
VISUAL ART
Feb 14–May 19
Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London
Making one of four visits stateside is this touring collection of 50 masterpieces, including Rembrandt’s late self-portrait (1665) on its first trip outside Europe. The Kenwood House collection was donated by Edward Cecil Guinness, first Earl of Iveagh (1847–1927) and heir to the Guinness brewing fortune, and is “shaped by the tastes of the Belle Époque—Europe’s equivalent to America’s Gilded Age,” according to SAM. Seattle Art Museum, $12–$20.
Feb 15–May 12
The Art of Video Games
From Mario to Mass Effect, video games have a history of being neglected as an art form. Explore the range of pixelated playable art across 80 games when the Smithsonian’s The Art of Video Games exhibition visits EMP. A family-friendly “Game Nite” on February 15 features tournament play, a test arcade, classic tabletop games, and kiosks with Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. Experience Music Project, $5–$20.
CLASSICAL & MORE
Feb 15
[untitled]: Pierrot Lunaire
Next up in the symphony’s new series of late-night chamber music concerts in the Benaroya lobby: a performance of Schoenberg’s risk-taking Pierrot Lunaire, an “ear-shattering work” at its 1912 premiere that’s as strange and exhilarating as ever. Benaroya Hall, $17.
BOOKS & TALKS
Feb 14
Al Gore
After publishing a new book last month (The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change) and selling his floundering Current TV to Al Jazeera for a cool $500 million, the future looks pretty cushy for the former vice president. Yet he continues to crusade for a better planet for us all and promises to offer a “frank and clear-eyed assessment” in this talk moderated by chief UW communication professor David Domke. Seattle First Baptist Church, sold out.
Feb 16
The Better Bombshell Reading
The 20th century had Bettie Page, Marilyn Monroe, and Jean Harlow. And according to a recent Esquire article, we now have...Megan Fox. The 21st century needs a better bombshell—at least, that's what three creative women decided last summer. During a heated discussion in a Seattle cafe, painter Siolo Thompson, writer Charlotte Austin, and photographer Amanda Paredes decided they'd develop the debate into a book, calling it The Better Bombshell. They'd pair writers with visual artists—including the likes of humorist Dave Barry, activist and photographer Raechel Running, and Stanford professor Valerie Minor—instructing each team to envision a positive, multidimensional female role model. Elliott Bay Book Company, free.
