The Top Things to See or Do in Seattle: April 2016

Theater

Newsies

As a rule of thumb, news outlets don’t want to be the subject of the news, but it can lead to useful reform…and musicals. Going from the big screen to Broadway, Disney’s Newsies dramatizes the New York City newsboys’ strike of 1899. Get the scoop and take in the unrelenting energy when this Tony winner for Best Choreography and Best Original Score hits Seattle.
Apr 26–May 1 Paramount Theatre, stgpresents.org

Comedy

Jen Kirkman

“I know the risks of living alone at my age…. I could hit my head on a bathtub, and then three days later they find me and a cat has eaten my face. I understand. I don’t even have a cat, but when a single woman dies alone, a cat appears. It’s in the Bible.”  —Jen Kirkman

The comedian who revels in uncomfortable truths heads to the Neptune in support of her new comedic memoir I Know What I’m Doing—and Other Lies I Tell Myself. The show will combine standup, storytelling, readings, a Q&A, and a book signing. 
Apr 29 Neptune Theatre, jenkirkman.com

Special Events

Emerald City Comicon

As nerd culture has become pop culture over the past decade, Emerald City Comicon continues to grow ever bigger. Between the inaugural Western Championships of Cosplay, appearances by TV and film stars like Nathan Fillion, Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist, The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, and Goonie and Hobbit Sean Astin, not to mention panels and signings by comic book artists and writers galore, there’s something to tickle any nerd’s fancy. 
Apr 7–10 Washington State Convention Center, emeraldcitycomicon.com

Film

Seijun Suzuki Retrospective

Japanese director Seijun Suzuki experimented so wildly while churning out rule-breaking studio B action movies in the ’60s that he eventually got fired and blacklisted. During his 10-year exile, cinephiles began to champion Suzuki’s visionary style (which eventually influenced directors like Quentin Tarantino), and his eventual return as an award-winning independent filmmaker further built a legacy. Northwest Film Forum and Grand Illusion team up to present a national tour of 11 of Suzuki’s finest and rarely screened works, including Carmen from Kawachi (pictured).
Apr 9–May 11 Northwest Film Forum and Grand Illusion Cinema, nwfilmforum.org

Books & Talks

Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda

Master Chilean poet Pablo Neruda knew how to craft lines about love like few others, so archivists’ discovery of 20 unpublished poems in 2014 was a literary boon. Seattle Arts and Lectures hosts a book launch for Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda where the collection’s English translator, Forrest Gander, will join a panel of writers to present bilingual readings of the poems and discuss Neruda’s enduring legacy.
Apr 19 McCaw Hall, lectures.org

Want more? 

Check our events calendar for a comprehensive look at what’s happening in and around Seattle.

Published in the Best Neighborhood Bars issue of Seattle Met.