"All this trouble over a fat little man in a red suit!" - Voldar
Classic is hardly an apt description of the 1964 cult movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, but The Red Curtain Foundation's rendition gives some levity the overly serious original. This hilarious play is as much a parody as it is an interpretation. The plot centers around members of Martian high command abducting Santa so their children can celebrate Christmas. Hilarity then ensues. Santa is perfectly, if not, overly jolly. Voldar the Vulgar is wonderfully villainous.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians will go on for one last weekend and I recommend you go out and see it! It may not be suitable for children for some language and green blood.
Below are some images from behind the scenes and you'll find show images within the slideshow! Be careful as there are definitely some spoilers!
Alex De Roest dons the red suit.
Everyone knows Martians have green hair.
Last minute costume and cast decisions
White beard and some rosy cheeks.
Joren Thiessen portrays Droppo. The lovable Ed Wynn-esque martian.
Alex De Roest and Nick Poling practice their climactic finale.
Check out the rest of the images in the slideshow below!
I have followed Rhapsody Winterguard for a little over 4 years now, and although most of those that have come to be my friends have passed through the organization as marching members. I have seen how their experiences with Rhapsody, has shaped them into the people that they are now. While some stayed on as coaches and attempt to mold another generation to hopefully succeed them, others have moved on to other things. It seems that this niche sport of the arts continues to have an impact in their lives.
Over the years I have taken plenty of pictures at the local competitions, traveled with them to regionals and even helped my colleague make a movie about it, An Act of Art and Passion (it's actually pretty great. check it out if you haven't). And still...
I have never understood colorguard.
I have made this point to nearly everyone I've ever met. I don't understand it. I am merely an observer (and part time van driver) into a world that I find oddly intriguing.
This year I drove a van across the country to support them and attempt to tell their story the best I can. The following are the moments that few outside of colorguard ever see.
WGI2016 - W-7Sometimes reality catches up and you have to sign up for a dorm in the middle of a parking lot in the wasteland of Ohio.
WGI2016 - W-25Rain, Sleet and Snow.
I hate Ohio.
WGI2016-26A place away from the wind.
WGI2016 - W-40These are the important moments. The ones that truly matter.
Another year gone.
Another one on the horizon.
And I still don't know what colorguard is.
-Ronnel Reyes
]]>
On Friday, May 20th, We had the pleasure of covering some of The Anchor Pub's Everett Local Showcase! Featuring a multitude of Everett's best local bands as well as the debuts of Shookup and Sleepwell Citizen. Below are selection of our favorites throughout the night as well as a full gallery slideshow. We hope you enjoy these images!
Shookup
Valentines Day was special to many Meghan Trainor fans in Seattle. Held at the Neptune Theatre in U-District, the concert began with an explosion of excitement from the audience as she walked on stage.
I was waiting to see her perform her two big hits "All About That Bass" and "Lips are Movin" and was surprised to see that she ended up performing them at the very end which left me with anticipation throughout the entire concert.
Knowing well ahead of time that she had a lot of stage presence, I decided to photograph this concert in a way that presented more onstage elements, from the led screen at the back all the way to the backup dancers that accompanied her as she performed her big hits.
One of the things that really attracted me in this concert was the big led screen at the back of the stage as I never seen a screen used in the Neptune Theatre. The screen presented graphics that highlighted specific words in her songs, making me more engaged with the lyrics in her music.
Meghan completes her That Bass tour with her last stop in Milan, Italy and will jump start The MTrain Tour starting in July. For more information on her upcoming tours head to http://www.meghan-trainor.com for more details.
Last Monday Kina Grannis played a sold out show at the Crocodile as part of her album release tour. Grannis is an American Guitarist and Singer-Songwriter who released her sophomore album, Elements, earlier this year. Launching the western leg of the tour in Vancouver on the 7th Grannis made stops in Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles. More shows are being added as she makes her way across the country.
Tickets were sold out for her stop at The Crocodile leading to a very packed but heavily excited audience! Imaginary Future was the opening act for the concert which helped warm up her audience.
One thing I liked about her music was it was soft and soothing with the primary use of her guitar. This allowed me to focus on her performance. As a new listener to her works during the concert I really enjoyed listening to Kina share stories about many of her songs and the meaning behind her lyrics as many did tie in with her personal life. One of these songs was “Little Worrier” where she was worrying about everything in life. Personally I believe that the way Kina carried out the show there was something for everyone within the audience whether they were fans from the start of her career all the way to new listeners being able to hear what her work is about.
Kina Grannis’s tour is still ongoing with new US tour dates announced for February, feel free to check out her next stops at http://www.kinagrannis.com.
]]>
Anime conventions in Vancouver have become some of my favorite attractions to attend within these past few years. Recently I had the opportunity to attend Anime Revolution which is hosted at the convention center located at the waterfront in downtown. While cosplayers often look forward to SakuraCon as one of the largest anime conventions within the Pacific Northwest, Anime Revolution continues to attract more and more attendees every year since 2012. One of the major reasons why I enjoyed this convention was because of the support from various persons associated from within the anime and manga communities. Celebrity cosplayers like Jessica Nigri, Yaya Han and Meg Turney attracted cosplayers to their panels in the interest of furthering interests in the community.. Japanese voice actors Marina Inoue and Megumi Ogata were featured as honorary guests for the convention. Marina is known for voice acting work such as Attack on Titan and Date-A-Live while Megumi Ogata is known for her work in Evangelion, Sailor Moon, and Cardcaptor Sakura. Both of the guests carried a long list of memorable works that generated extra excitement for attendees interested in Anime. Check out the images below to see highlights of what was featured in the panels of Anime Revolution!
]]>
I had the opportunity to cover this show thanks to Ronnel Reyes, who is a regular participant in photographing local concerts and tours within the Seattle area. Foy Vance is known for his collection of uplifting songs and his works have even been featured in shows like "Grey's Anatomy". Foy Vance is currently opening for NEEDTOBREATHE for part of their Rivers In The Wasteland tour, their latest album released on April 14th. Foy’s performance as an opener was beyond what is normally seen. I’ve never seen an audience moved by an opening act so much that they kept singing his final song up until NEEDTOBREATHE walked out on stage. Check out highlights of the show in the images below! Foy Vance will also be performing Sasquatch Music Festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA. If you’re going to be at Sasquatch be sure to stop by and listen. Click the link here for more information about the show!
]]>
SakuraCon 2014 landed firmly on Easter weekend at the Washington State Convention Center in the heart of downtown Seattle, bringing all forms of Anime and Manga to life for a vibrant 3 day weekend.
Every year thousands of fans and cosplayers crowd into Seattle for the largest anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. SakuraCon hosts fans from Vancouver, Canada to Portland, Oregon as well asQ diehards from other parts of the country.
Weather forecasts for the 3 day weekend predicted a mixture of rain and clouds. Even though Friday ended up sunny, Saturday forced cosplayers into the already packed convention center during its busiest hours. Stages and walkways became makeshift locations for cosplayers and their entourage of photographers.
One of the main attractions this year, at least for me, was ELISA, known for songs like “Euphoric Field” which was used in the anime “Ef: A Tale of Memories”. Click here for photos from the concert! Check out the rest of the coverage photos in the images below!
]]>
ELISA performed at SakuraCon 2014, held at the Washington State Convention Center in Downtown Seattle. While most of her songs were slower ballads, she still had spectacular stage presence. A stellar acapella performance with “Euphoric Field” only added to the crowds excitement.
]]>