M. Davis News

He's been called 'a breathtaking concert artist' ('The New York Post') with a 'quietly charming sense of humor.' ('The Orange County Register'). On January 15 and 16 at 7 p.m., Davis Gaines brings both qualities to the Carpenter Center's stage for two nights of storytelling and song. 'An Evening with Davis Gaines' is part of the theater's Cabaret series where patrons are seated directly on the Carpenter Center stage for an up-close cabaret experience.

Taproot Theatre breathes some fresh air into the holiday season with their production of THE BISHOP'S WIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY. While other theater leans on the old standards, Taproot is rolling the dice and presents a new adaptation of a lesser-known work. Their gamble is already paying off with smiles, cheer, and holiday spirit. THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a perfect blend of nostalgia and freshness.

Newark-bound art lovers with an appetite for innovative exhibits are invited to savor Raw Umber, the inaugural art exhibit of a new partnership between Newark's Gallery Aferro and NJPAC

AS YOU LIKE IT by Seattle Shakespeare Company is a grab bag of experiences. It has moments of delight mixed with quite a few confusing bits. The show takes a while to get going, but then the comedy pulls it along with fresh energy. At times it seemed as if some of the characters were in a different show altogether, projecting a very different tone and vibe. The visuals were both appealing in sets and confusing in costumes. The acting carried the day, but in the end the show left your scratching your head.

Seeking her exiled father and escape from an oppressive court, Rosalind, disguised as a boy, flees with her cousin and a clown to the Forest of Arden. The woods offer not only freedom, but also a motley crew of characters, and the chance to experience life and love with a fellow outcast, Orlando, from a whole new perspective.

Theatre Pro Rata is producing My Sister in This House by Wendy Kesselman this June at The Crane Theater . This award-winning drama explores the true story of two sisters who murdered their employer and her daughter in 1930s France. What drove these two young women, who served as maids in the household, to such a desperate act? Class conflict, family dysfunction, loneliness, and love all play a role in this complex and devastating tale.

PEN America today announces the full lineup of events for the 2019 PEN World Voices Festival: Open Secrets (May 6-12), focusing on the dissolving boundary between the public and the private in the literary, cultural, social, and political realms.

Rosalind and Orlando engage in a glorious game of love, lust, and mistaken identities in a magical forest in Shakespeare's As You Like It. Kelly Kitchens directs the production which begins previews on April 23, opens April 26, and runs through May 19 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center.

PEN America presents the 2019 PEN World Voices Festival: Open Secrets (May 6-12), focusing on the dissolving boundary between the public and the private in the literary, cultural, social, and political realms.  A flowering of the genres of literary memoir and personal testimony has been accompanied by increased digital avenues for story-telling, revelation, and expose before both designated and public audiences.

The fourth concert of Interpretations series' 30th Season also features bassist Mark Dresser, and multi-reeds virtuoso J.D. Parran in quartet.

Lady Windermere's Fan at Taproot Theatre is a tapestry of tightly woven threads in which all are needed to tell the story. This show, an Oscar Wilde classic, is often produced in such a way that the humor overshadows the heart. Co-directors, Karen Lund and Marianne Savell, have instead chosen to explore the genuine fears and dilemmas that women of society faced in the late nineteenth century. With little power and few choices, these women struggled to uphold the ideals imposed by their society. Lady Windermere reminds us how easily a single decision can forever change the trajectory of a life. When authenticity is the cornerstone of a show, especially one with as strong a script as this, there is no need for a circus of distractions.

Seattle Public Theater currently has a musical on their boards, "Vanishing Point", highlighting the stories of three remarkable women, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (Heather Hawkins), aviatrix Amelia Earhart (Cristin J. Hubbard), and mystery writer Agatha Christie (Rebecca M. Davis). Each of these women, very different from each other, have one thing in common, that they each disappeared under mysterious circumstances. And while the premise may sound fascinating and they may boast an impressive cast, the musical itself is weighed down by repetitive lyrics that fail to move anything along and few melodies you can latch onto.

Park Square continues its 43rd season on the Proscenium Stage with a new adaptation of Gilbert & Sullivan's operatic romp The Pirates of Penzance. Inspired by a true story, director Doug Scholz-Carlson has reimagined the perennial favorite that puts the composer themselves smack in the middle of their own farce. The pair's lush score includes some of their most famous songs, including I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General and Poor Wand'ring One. The production stars local favorites Bradley Greenwald* as the Pirate King and Christina Baldwin* as the Major General.

Seattle Public Theater rings in the new year with the fourth production of its 2017-18 Season with the musical comedy-fantasy Vanishing Point. Aviatrix Amelia Earhart, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, and author Agatha Christie all have one thing in common: they were women who vanished mysteriously. Christie walked out of her life in 1926 and was discovered at a hotel 11 days later with no recollection of what happened.

It's the most wonderful time to be queer, sings BenDeLaCreme, drag queen of both local and international fame (you may remember her from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 and now Drag Race All Stars 3! ). Silly as that parody lyric may be, for many, seeing Homo for the Holidays makes this season truly the most wonderful time of the year. Celebrating its tenth year, DeLouRue's Homo for the Holidays is back and better than ever.

The University of Virginia Department of Drama presents SEVEN GUITARS by August Wilson, directed by Theresa M. Davis, Professor of Cross-Cultural Performance, in the Ruth Caplin Theatre!

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE's acclaimed four-hour, two part WALT DISNEY will re-broadcast on Tuesdays, August 29 and September 5 on PBS.

Don't let this worry you but it's time to summon the Devil. Well that's the conceit of the current show at Cafe Nordo, "Sundown at the Devil's House". And while they may not summon up THE Devil they do summon up some delicious food, hilarious and touching antics and rockin' music making for a devilishly good time.

The Marblehead School of Ballet (MSB) will present three exclusive master classes featuring Spanish Sevillanas, modern, and jazz dances during July and August at 115 Pleasant Street in picturesque Marblehead, Massachusetts. The teachers perform with prominent companies, including the Boston Early Music Festival, the Radio City Rockettes, and the Limon Dance Company.

Holland America Line and O, The Oprah Magazine's Share the Adventure Cruise is adding Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout, comedian Rita Rudner and O, The Oprah Magazine books editor Leigh Haber to the list of visionaries and authorities who will be on board the July 15 sailing to Alaska. In addition to having the opportunity to enjoy performances by Rudner, guests aboard the ms Eurodam will also be able to join O's Onboard Book Club where Haber will lead the discussion as Strout shares the process and inspiration behind her latest novel, Anything Is Possible.