We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the touring Cirque Dreams Illuminations show last night at the Moore. Despite a little misunderstanding over what time the show started (we thought 8, in reality it was 7:30), we had an enjoyable time.
Make no mistake, this isn’t a Cirque du Soleil show. However, it doesn’t cost as much as a Cirque du Soleil show either. Tickets run from $30-$50 and for that price, you get a pretty decent show.
You can definitely see the Cirque influences – the circus director comic relief, the bendy girls in largely flesh colored spandex, aerialists, muscular men in sleeveless shirts, and of course, the music.
There were good acts and great acts, some funny moments, and some impressive stunts. In particular, I’d never seen anyone play the drums using little ping pong balls (well, I don’t know what they were, but saying little balls just seemed… wrong somehow).
If you go, and your tickets are in the first few rows, there’s one point where you might get a little wet and if you’re on the aisle, you could get pulled in for a little audience participation number.
Overall though, Cirque Dreams Illuminations is a nice evening out with the family.

Tickets

I admit it, I’m a Cirque du Soleil junkie. I’ve seen O at the Bellagio at least six times. I used to go to Vegas once a year and I saw it nearly every time for a few years there. I’m mesmerized by the colors and the music and of course, where O is concerned, the water. If I could do any job in the world, for a week, and be instantly good at it, it would be a Cirque du Soleil performer. The strength and control that the performers need to have over their bodies is mesmerizing.

Now if you want to see a Cirque du Soleil show in Seattle, you’ve got to wait until they have one of their tent performances at Marymoor Park. Those tickets can run over $100 and you usually have to buy way in advance, not to mention drive to Redmond to see the show. But Cirque Dreams Illuminations gives you the chance to see a similar style show downtown at the Moore, one of my favorite Seattle venues. The seats are comfortable, the views (particularly from the balcony) are superb, and of course it’s within walking distance of more than a few restaurants.

Now this isn’t actually a Cirque du Soleil show. It’s a Cirque Dreams show. Cirque Dreams was established in 1993 to combine the French style of acrobatics made famous by Cirque du Soleil with an American circus flair and Broadway theatrics. The company has toured with a number of shows and Cirque Dreams Illuminations is their latest.

Cirque Dreams Illuminations is playing at The Moore from May 20th through May 23rd. Tickets are $30-$50 and are on sale now through STG Presents.

If you love fashion, the place for you to be this weekend is the Seattle Fashion Week Fashion Expo at the WAMU Theater.

The Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Expo opens at 2 pm on both Friday, May 14, and Saturday, May 15, giving patrons a chance to view and purchase hot new fashions from designers both locally and internationally based. Each day concludes with an evening fashion show at 8 pm. On Friday night, the show focuses on Urban design featuring the work of the Comcast Student Fashion Designer Top 4 Runners up Cameron Levin (New York Fashion Academy), Jonguen Kim (Seattle Pacific University), Justin Bartle (Art Institute of Seattle), and Michelle William (Art Institute of Seattle).

Saturday the focus switches to Established and International Designers including the IDCW-Product Runway in which interior designers, architects, and students demonstrated their design chops by crafting couture garments from interior materials and finishes. Also represented on the catwalk: B’ZMA of Dubai, Romania’s Catalin Botezatu, Eva Chen of Canada, House of Versailles Styles from Washington (DC), MONAPALI from India and Seattle’s own Richard Blayne Walsh.

Tickets for each show start at $35 and include admission to the expo; expo only tickets are just $10.

Mt. Rainier, by D. Herrera, via Creative Commons

The Northwest is a great place to live for many reasons. One of the most compelling is the stunning natural landscapes. The Puget Sound area alone offers endless opportunities for being awed by nature’s bounty – mountains, bodies of water, and lush, verdant flora. The National Parks Conservation Association wants to make sure that you know all about the opportunities available to you to go out into this beauty by hosting Northwest National Park Family Day this Sunday, May 2.

From 10 am to 3 pm at Seattle’s Seward Park, national park rangers will be on hand to talk about our neighboring national parks, Mt. Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, and North Cascades National Park Services Complex, which encompasses Ross Lake & Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. If you’ve never been to these parks, you’ve been missing out on chances for hiking, boating, bird watching, fishing, horseback riding, camping, backpacking, mountain climbing, bicycling, walking and just generally being out in nature.

To prepare you for your future visits, National Park Family Day will offer hands-on demonstrations on how to build campfires, cook marshmallows (few things in life are as great as marshmallows toasted over a campfire), and be safe outdoors. Local outdoor equipment retailer REI is sponsoring sessions on “Hiking in the NW” and “Leave No Trace Camping”. San Juan Island Historical Park presents a banjo performance. Washington Trails Association presents a hike through Seward Park to get you warmed up for hikes in the national parks. Lewis & Clark National Historical Park presents “Lost But Safe & Sound” – useful information on keeping yourself from danger should you wander too far from the trail and the Olympic Park Institute/NatureBridge give a demonstration on Water Quality Testing. Campfire stories and songs help make a festive day and a variety of wildlife encounters will teach you about the many species of animals living in our state.

The event is free and open to all.

Last week, I talked about Partners in Preservation and their mission to provide funds to Seattle area preservation landmarks, using a public vote to help guide their decisions.

This coming weekend on May 1 and May 2, the nominees for PiP funds are offering members of the public a chance to come down and check out their sites as part of an Open House weekend. Most sites are open May 1, some with a small fee for admission; all sites are open and free to the public on May 2. All are offering up special activities for their guests and give visitors the chance to see the great work their doing and how preservation funds could assist them in saving Seattle’s history. See the full listing online for details.

One of the most popular shows on TV is Discovery Channel‘s Deadliest Catch. Now on its sixth season, the show follows the real-life excitement and drama on board the ships that traverse the dangerous Bering Sea to bring back fresh seafood.

Over the years fans have become attached the captains and crews who put their lives on the line in the rough waters. Captain Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie passed away earlier this year, leaving a hole in the hearts of his family, friends, crew members and also his many fans. On Friday, April 30, starting at 6:30 pm, the first public memorial to Captain Harris takes place at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 in Seattle. On hand to remember Captain Harris will be his sons, Jake and Josh Harris, close friends, fellow fishermen, and Discovery Channel executives. Seating on hand will be limited to the first 2,000 people, but the memorial will also be available online for those unable to attend in person. Boats may watch from the water overlooking Pier 91.

On Saturday, May 1, Smith Cove Cruise Terminal pays host to CatchCon 2010, a fan festival to celebrate the show and the people whose lives it depicts. Fans will hear from the captains and crews, see the actual boats that head up to the Bering, and get a chance to take a sneak peek at the new season. Registration for the event is sold out but fans who missed the chance to sign up in advance can also check out the action online.

Kiehl’s has been making skin, body, and hair care products for people AND animals since 1851. Their products are available locally at Nordstrom and Barney’s and they’ve got their own store at University Village.

Motley Zoo is a Washington-state 501(c) (3) non-profit dedicated to rescuing and rehoming dogs and cats in need through their network of private foster homes.

On Saturday, April 10, the two come together for a Pet Adoption and Fund-raiser kick off at the U Village Kiehl’s from 11 am through 3 pm. Motley Zoo will bring some animals in need of a home to the store for people who are looking for a new friend to love: any customer who adopts gets a special bonus Kiehl’s gift box to take home with them.

Not ready to commit? That’s cool – it’s important to be prepared for a new pet. You can still make a difference by making a donation. Anyone who donates $10 or more on Saturday, or any day through April 17, gets to choose between a complimentary Creme de Corps body moisturizer or a Spray-N-Play Cleaning Spritz. Additionally, Kiehl’s is making their own cash donation to the cause.

Can’t make it down to U Village but still want to help? You can donate to Motley Zoo online.

Pacific Science Center breaks out the purple and gold this weekend with “Paws-On Science”, an event that brings together local families and their kids with scientists from the world class public research university in our back yard, the University of Washington.

All weekend long, Pacific Science Center is turning its galleries and exhibit halls into activity spaces showcasing the work being done at UW. Learn how local scientists are improving light bulbs and windows, determine if comic books can make you healthier, and have a chance to create a mini tsunami. Plus, on Saturday you get a chance to witness scat detection dog Mason as he demonstrates his effectiveness at his work. Also on Saturday, look for the UW Marching Band and Harry the Husky.

Living in one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods makes me particularly appreciative of historical preservation efforts, but the work that local groups do to maintain our city’s historic sites benefits all of us. To that end,Historic Seattle, the local non-profit dedicated to architectural preservation in the city, has named seven winners for their second annual Preservations Awards.

Awards celebrate excellence in preserving and protecting built heritage.

This year’s winners are:

Furuya and Corgiat Buildings and Joshua Green Building for Best Rehabilitation

William Tell Building for Preserving Neighborhood Character.

Women’s University Club for Exemplary Stewardship

Downtown Historic Resources Survey and Inventory for Excellence in Preservation Planning

Paramount Theatre Sign and 5th Avenue Theatre Sign for Illuminating History

All of the winners will be honored at a ceremony on May 11 (May is National Historic Preservation Month) at Women’s University Club, 1105 Sixth Avenue (at Spring Street). The event includes appetizers, desserts, wine and beer; doors open at 5:30 pm and the program begins at 6:30. Tickets are $50 for Historic Seattle members, $60 for the general public and a mere $25 for students. Register in advance at Historic Seattle or by phone at 206.622.6952.

Another first Wednesday of the month means another Laff Hole via the fine folks at the People’s Republic of Komedy.

This month’s Laff Hole features as special guest The Famous Mysterious Actor Show, all the way from Portland, OR. FMA is the creation of Portland sketch comedian Joe Frice who was performing a routine spoofing a late night talk show when a loud drunk in the audience started throwing beer at the stage. Instead of freaking out, the cast saw this as their golden chance to return the favor and FMA was born. (Want to know more before you get involved? Check out Portland Mercury.)

Also on the bill: the spontaneous and absurd Rory Scovel and DJ Barbarella spinning the tunes.

Laff Hole starts at 9pm at Chop Suey. Cover is $10, 21+.