Women and War

World War II was a time in our history that we must remember – remember and relive through the literature and the arts, for example – so as to never lose sight of the horrific atrocities of which we as human beings are capable. The purpose of such a reminder is to ensure that we [...]

Rocky Horror Rocks It

July it may be, but there have been days when it has felt like October. Hallowe’en always reminds me of a certain 1975 film adaptation of a 1973 British rock musical stage production. A musical stage production that parodied the B-movie, horror, and Sci Fi movie genres of post-WWII to the early 1970s.
That’s right – [...]

Set Sail With Shipwrecked!

Ever told a whopper of a story, which may not be entirely (or, even remotely) true? Well, a Victorian gentleman – hoaxer, really – by the name of Louis de Rougement (who was really named Henri Louis Grien and then Louis Redmond, a poor Swiss immigrant who once called Australia home and died a pauper) [...]

Distracted Anything But Distracting

Hedonists are all for pleasure, sure. But part of pleasure is both giving and receiving it and making certain we take care of ourselves. That said, are we over-medicated as a society?
That’s the issue that the latest production at ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery grapples with in its March 9th to April 2nd, 2011 run of [...]

Tuna … in a Christmas

Ah, cheesy humor. We may all roll our eyes at it from time to time, but, the truth is, we all enjoy it at least some of the time.
Take that old telephone prank:
(Ring, Ring.) “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, you’d better let him out!” (Click.)
Now that I’ve set the stage for [...]

Evil Dead & Zombies at ArtsWest

Note: Hum “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” as you read the following:
It’s beginning to look a lot like Hallowe’en … everywhere you go … from pumpkins all aglow, to candy corn (I know), to the ghoulish blood-soaked Deadites we all seeeeeee….
Deadites, you ask, dear hedonists?
Yes, Deadites.

The ArtsWest Playhouse & Gallery is currently [...]

Embrace the P(r)etty Anger, Angst, and Arrogance

That’s right, dear hedonists … anger, angst, and arrogance….
Be prepared to be pretty petty about prettiness, too (or not).
The ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery’s 2010-2011 season opening production is now here: the Seattle premiere of Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty. (Your Hedonista attended as a media invite.) Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best [...]

Tell Me on a Sunday Needs a Talking To

Last night was the Seattle premiere of the rarely-produced Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Tell Me on a Sunday, produced by ArtsWest, directed by Deanna Schaffer and Christopher Zinovitch (Bat Boy: the Musical, History Boys, and I Am My Own Wife), with lyrics by Don Black and Richard Maltby, Jr. (Your Hedonista was invited and attended [...]

Sunlight Cautions: Let the Sunshine In

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once (quite famously) opined that sunlight is the best of disinfectants – heralding publicity as a remedy for corruption. [Louis D. Brandeis, What Publicity Can Do, Harper’s Wkly., Dec. 20, 1913, reprinted in Louis D. Brandeis, Other People’s Money and How The Bankers Use It, 92 (1932) (“Publicity is [...]

Get Lost in Love Song

Given that February is the month synonymous with love (like it or not, dear hedonists) – it seems only fitting that you consider spying the Seattle premiere of John Kolvenbach’s Love Song, currently playing at ArtsWest (January 27 through February 21). (Your Hedonista attended as a media guest.)

Love is like light: it illuminates even the [...]