​Over the next two nights in a crowded Seattle hall, a collection of colorfully-costumed characters will perform leaps, tumbles, spins, twirls, and various other theatrics set to the sounds of obscure musical instruments like the pipa and the guzheng. And, if the Chinese government is to be believed, this promotes an "anti-human, anti-science, anti-society" cult.

More >>

​Think of it as the antithesis of the mile high club: A decommissioned Boeing 727 is about to be buried 38 feet below the Mohave Desert. The name of the curious installation, the brainchild of Swiss artist Christoh Buchel, is appropriate titled "Terminal." Claustrophobics beware, as visitors will enter the jet through a passageway and go inside the plane, whose windows will be sealed. Not sure about peanuts or beverage service, but the bathrooms will be in use, connected by a septic system.

More >>

​Nancy Pearl, Seattle's celebrity librarian, book guru and author of best-seller Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason, has signed a deal with Amazon.com to create a series of "Book Lust Rediscoveries," which will publish six out-of-print or out-of-stock books per year.

More >>

​Nine months ago the venerable Columbia City Cinema became the latest local indie theater to collapse under the weight of the recession (and, in its case, city-code violations). Now, someone else is stepping in to take a stab at resurrecting this South Side institution.

More >>

Harry Morgan, RIP

​"Harry [Morgan] was very much like Colonel Potter" of MASH, writes Ken Levine. "He raised horses, and in fact, in the final episode when he says goodbye to Sophie, that really was one of Harry's horses. The picture on Potter's desk was of Harry's real wife, Eileen. And the only difference in personalities between Harry and Sherman is that Harry held his liquor better."

More >>

Vyvyn Lazonga

​Former First Avenue tattoo artist Danny Danzl liked to say that body illustrations are pretty much forever. He kept a fish tank filled with piranha, marked "Tattoo Removers," to make his point. He also refused to apply tats to anyone's face.

More >>

​Back in the day, Domingo Martinez was a funny, witty colleague at Seattle Weekly, but one who didn't actually write for the paper. Instead, he worked in the production department, designing ads, but also occasionally helping those of us in editorial with Spanish translations and slang. My imperfect recollection is that I assigned him a few short calendar items to write, but they appear to be lost to the Web. But since leaving SW a few years back, Domingo has applied himself to memoir writing, recounting his '80s boyhood in Brownsville, Texas, and the subsequent life journey that brought him to Seattle. Now his talent has come to fruit: His first book, The Boy Kings of Texas: A Memoir, will be published next summer. And he'll be on public radio this weekend...

More >>

​Standing outside the ticket booth, flanked by balloons, Mayor Mike McGinn was one of the demi-celebrities attending SIFF's gala reopening of the Uptown last night. SIFF even rented klieg lights to celebrate the occasion, though renovations aren't yet complete on the renamed SIFF Cinema at the Uptown. In fact, a construction crane loomed above our mayor, as workers were still fussing with the conspicuously blank marquee. McGinn looked a little nervous, as if a wrench might be dropped on his noggin. Inside, before the inaugural screening, technical issues continued to dog him . . .

More >>

​Add another body to the city's growing grave of theater companies.

More >>

​MTV's The Real World--the show that so gently deflowered America's love for reality television back in 1992--Is apparently still a show.

And it turns out that the network would like people to be on this show--Seattle people! So if you're a gender-confused street artist with a case of Crohn's and a heart of gold, or a recovering bath-salts addict with a million-dollar iPhone-app idea and a foot fetish, we suggest you be at the following location this Saturday.

More >>