Taylor Hicks, WICKED, Radio City X-mas, 'OSAGE' Part of STG 2009/10 Season

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) is proud to announce its 2009 - 2010 performance season with 34 extraordinary engagements at the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres, as well as the Falls Theatre at ACT. Shows range from performance art and comedy to legendary musicians, dance and silent film.

From extraordinary internationally acclaimed dance companies Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Mark Morris Dance Group to the North American debut of South African's Gregory Maquoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre to laugh out loud comedy such as Paula Poundstone and Whose Live Anyway (featuring Seattle's Ryan Stiles) and live tapings of two popular NPR shows, "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor and "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me," STG's 2009-2010 season is sure to include something for everyone.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with Broadway Across America, presenting excellent touring Broadway productions in Seattle as well as start new relationships with local theatre companies, ACT Theatre (Gregory Maquoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre) and Kirkland Performance Center (Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India)," says STG Executive Director Josh LaBelle. "Through these strong partnerships we are able to pull together and bring to Seattle the diversity our collective patrons desire."

Patrons may select shows and dates that fit their interest and needs to package into a unique, personalized "Build Your Own" STG subscription. Subscribers must select a minimum of three shows to receive subscriber benefits - adding more shows increases the overall benefits, including ticket exchange and parking.

Subscription forms are available online at www.STGpresents.org. Orders can be completed on line, or completed order forms can be mailed to STG Subscriptions, Attn: Renewals, 911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101, by fax at (206)812-3284, call our Subscriber Hotline at (206) 812-1114 (Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.), or deliver in person at The Paramount Box Office (Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.). All subscriptions are processed in the order received.

The Paramount Theatre is located at 911 Pine Street, The Moore Theatre is located at 1932 Second Avenue and Falls Theatre at ACT is located at 700 Union Street; all historic venues are located in downtown Seattle. Tom Douglas Catering & Events provides handmade concessions at both The Paramount and The Moore Theatres.

About STG: Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a variety of shows from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and Jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and at venues throughout Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.

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SEATTLE THEATRE GROUP 2008 - 2009 SEASON
(Listed in chronological order)

WICKED September 2 - October 4, 2009 The Paramount Theatre
Back by "Popular" Demand. The New York Times calls WICKED "Broadway's biggest blockbuster," and when it first played in Seattle in 2006, it broke box office records and sold out in record time. Since its Broadway debut five years ago, it has won 20 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards. WICKED "is a phenomenon that keeps growing" (LA Times).

World/Inferno Friendship Society's "ADDICTED TO BAD IDEAS: Peter Lorre's 20th Century "September 12, 2009 The Moore Theatre
Music and Libretto by World/Inferno Friendship Society
Co-Conceived and Directed by Jay Scheib

Jersey-bred punk legends WIFS join forces with visionary director Jay Scheib (This Place is a Desert, Under The Radar 2008), one of contemporary theater's brightest young talents, to create a punk-rock operetta for the times. Led by the inimitable Jack Terricloth, WIFS paints a picture of the 20th century from the perennial outsider's view via a multi-media spectacle recreating key motion picture sequences mixed with live interactive video. The concert performance marks an unprecedented fusion of one of today's best live acts with real time performance media.

This project was created with a commission and residency from Peak Performances @ Montclair, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, Jedediah Wheeler, Executive Director.

The Rat Pack is Back ♦ October 15, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
This spirited tribute recreates one of the famous "Summit at the Sands" hotel shows, when the swingin,' ring-a-ding group known as the "Rat Pack" was creating hipster legend with a free-wheeling, no-holds-barred nightclub act starring Vegas' four favorite sons: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Joey Bishop.

Written and produced by Sandy Hackett, son of legendary comedian Buddy Hackett, THE RAT PACK IS BACK features uncanny vocal recreations, unbridled humor, and a hot, live big band that sends audiences straight back to the coolest time in history. Hits include "That's Amore," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Mr. Bojangles," and many more. See why The Las Vegas Sun writes, "This is as close as anyone has come to capturing the feeling of the real thing."

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ♦ October 23, 2009 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC), under the artistic leadership of Jim Vincent, celebrates over 30 years as one of the most renowned dance institutions in the world, performing annually for more than 100,000 people. Critically acclaimed for its exuberant, athletic and innovative repertoire, the company features dancers who display unparalleled versatility and virtuosity in performances that inspire, challenge and engage audiences worldwide.

The Seattle program at The Paramount Theatre will include Lickety-Split, choreography by Alejandro Cerrudo; Gimme, choreography by Lucas Crandall; and Gnawa, choreography by Nacho Duato.

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY ♦ October 27 - November 1, 2009 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Steppenwolf's AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is a grand, gripping new play which tells the story of the Westons, a large extended clan that comes together at their rural Oklahoma homestead when the alcoholic patriarch disappears. Forced to confront unspoken truths and astonishing secrets, the family must also contend with matriarch Violet, a pill-popping, deeply unsettled woman at the center of this storm. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is a rare theatrical event - a large-scale work filled with unforgettable characters, a powerful tale told with unflinching honesty.

The Seattle engagement of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY will be co-presented by Broadway Across America-Seattle, Seattle Theatre Group, and ACT Theatre.

Degenerate Art Ensemble ♦ October 30-31, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Degenerate Art Ensemble returns to the Moore after two sell-out engagements! Sonic Tales is DAE's latest brew of music-rich visionary performance. This work sets performer/dancer/vocalist Haruko Nishimura's signature movement style and hallucinatory visuals against a band of fierce musicians - playing music ranging from driving rocking rhythms to rich soaring melodies to far out atmospheric soundscapes - telling a series of surreal short stories that transform tales of everyday heroism into bizarre fairy tales. Sonic Tales is both rock concert and dance spectacle - video projection and breathtaking costumes enhance this totally one of a kind experience.

Silent Movie Mondays ♦ November 2009 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
"Adventure Stories to Silent Classics"
2000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) - November 2
Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) - November 9
The Lost World (1925) - November 16

The Tiger Lillies ♦ November 6, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
The Songs of Shockheaded Peter and Other Gorey Verses
With an international reputation for being the foremost avant-garde band in the world, The Tiger Lillies never cease to surprise, shock and entertain with their inimitable musical style, conjuring up the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin and fusing it with the savage edge of punk.

The British trio returns to The Moore Theatre to perform songs from their Olivier award-winning smash, Shockheaded Peter, along with a selection of numbers from their Grammy-nominated album The Gorey End and other deranged fan favorites.

LORD OF DANCE ♦ November 7, 2009 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Described by the New York Post as "fascinating, rewarding and above all, entertaining," and by the Los Angeles Times as "a showpiece extravaganza," Lord of the Dance is a mesmerizing blend of traditional and modern Celtic music and dance. The story is based upon mythical Irish folklore as Don Dorcha, Lord of Darkness, challenges the ethereal lord of light, the Lord of the Dance. Battle lines are drawn, passions ignite and a love story fueled by the dramatic leaps and turns of dancers' bodies begins to build against a backdrop of Celtic rhythm. The action is played out over 21 scenes on a grand scale of precision dancing, dramatic music, colorful costumes and state-of-the-art staging and lighting.

Gregory Maquoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre Beautiful Me ♦ November 13 - 14, 2009 ♦ Falls Theatre at ACT
In his acclaimed solo performance, Beautiful Me, South African choreographer and dancer Gregory Maqoma looks deeply into his connections to history, humanity and nature. A dancer of mesmerizing precision balanced with lyrical warmth, Maqoma portrays his conversations with three master choreographers who have inspired him, and who contributed "minutes" of music, text and movement to Beautiful Me: Akram Khan's Contemporary Kathak, Faustin Linyekula's visual dance-theater, and Vincent Mantsoe's Afro-Fusion. With live music by four exceptional players (on violin, cello, sitar and percussion), Beautiful Me speaks honestly about the difficult and profound task of finding one's authentic voice.

The North American debut tour is produced by MAPP International Productions through The Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium - a coalition of 11 diverse arts institutions, including Seattle Theatre Group (a member of TACAC since 2005), advancing a dynamic exchange of arts and ideas between artists, arts organizations, cultural and other institutions of Africa and the United States.

Whose Live Anyway ♦ November 21, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Returning after a sold-out engagement at The Moore Theatre last season, join cast members of the hit TV show Whose Line is it Anyway with Seattle's Ryan Stiles (Whose Line Is It Anyway, Drew Carey and Two and a Half Men) plus Greg Proops (True Jackson - VP), Chip Esten (ER, The Office) and Jeff Davis (Whose Line) for a night of unforgettable improv comedy and song that will leave you laughing days later. Bring your suggestions for the show and you might be asked to join the cast on stage.

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR ♦ December 12, 2009 - January 3, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Fill your heart with Christmas as the world-famous Radio City Rockettes® bring their eye-high kicks and a cast and crew of over 100 back to Seattle in the breathtaking RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR®! Every performance of the SPECTACULAR is a glittering present full of fun and surprises for the whole family! Parents enjoy the flawless precision of The Rockettes in numbers such as the legendary "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." Children thrill as Santa takes them on a magical ride to his workshop at the North Pole, where playful rag dolls come to life! And everyone marvels at the stunning reenactment of the very first Christmas in the "Living Nativity." Both brilliantly grand and genuinely moving, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular creates family memories that last a lifetime!

Global Dance Party ♦ December 4, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Global Dance Party is a high-energy performance of cultural and contemporary dance and live music from around the globe. The performance features young local performers from STG's More Music @ The Moore and DANCE This celebrating the rich cultural traditions and artistic talent found in the Northwest. A not to be missed experience for all ages. Think Global, Dance Local!

The second annual Global Dance Party is produced by STG's Education and Community Programs.

Bishop Blanchet Brave production of: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE MUSICAL ♦ December 19 - 20, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Come see the musical version of the well known and loved holiday story of Ebeneezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the many other Dickens characters of 1840. Beautiful music and lyrics by the composer and lyricist of Beauty and the Beast and Ragtime, enchanting sets and costumes and explosive dance numbers will thrill and excite the inner child in you. Brilliantly performed by Bishop Blanchet High School students, this year's production promises to be a special holiday experience for your whole family.

TAO: The Martial Art of Drumming ♦ January 29, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Athletic bodies and contemporary costumes meet explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography in this show that has critics waxing lyrical about TAO's extraordinary precision, energy and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than a million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the traditional art of Japanese drumming has massive international appeal.

Paula Poundstone ♦ January 30, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
It's impossible to attend a Paula Poundstone performance without marveling at her ability to interact spontaneously with audience members creating conversations bound to garner riotous laughter. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula's ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend.

Poundstone is a regular panelist on NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me! and her commentaries can be heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion; read in the Huffington Post and on the comedy site: 23/6.

David Crowe's Laugh Lovers Ball ♦ February 14, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
If you love to laugh with the oNe You love then the Laugh Lovers Ball is the perfect choice for you on Valentine's Day. Celebrating 15 years, this "evening of sophisticated silliness" presents the classier side of comedy.

Laugh Lovers Ball features some of the best acts in the country performing a variety of comedic genres including stand-up, sketch, music and even an audience participation gag or two.

Spectrum Dance Theater I Donald Byrd, Artistic Director ♦ February 18-20, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
FAREWELL: A Fantastical Contemplation on America's Relationship with China

The second year of Spectrum's innovative three-year initiative, "Beyond Dance: Promoting Awareness and Mutual Understanding" (PAMU), will explore critical human rights and social justice issues involving the United States and China. Through text, music, and highly personal movement, FAREWELL: A Fantastical Contemplation on America's Relationship with China will be a feverish and dreamlike theatrical meditation.

FAREWELL will explore The Commonality of the impact of the events of 9/11 and Tiananmen Square on the collective psyches of the United States and China, respectively. This powerful, vanguard piece will further examine how financial ties may change the nature of diplomacy between these two leading world powers.

Joni Mitchell's The Fiddle and The Drum ♦ February 23, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
In this US Premiere, legendary Canadian artist Joni Mitchell and acclaimed choreographer and artistic director of Alberta Ballet, Jean Grand-Maître, have come together to collaborate on a unique fusion of dance, art and music.

The Fiddle and The Drum, a semi-abstract narrative ballet danced in neo-classical style, will be performed to an hour of Mitchell's compelling music and her latest artwork, which will be projected on three large canvas screens behind the dancers throughout the ballet. Alberta Ballet's 26 athletic dancers will merge, through powerful and sensual movements, with Joni Mitchell's eclectic sound and visual art and create a contemporary fusion of art forms that will awaken and stir the soul.

Suzanne Vega ♦ February 25, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation, Suzanne Vega emerged as a leading figure of the folk-music revival of the early 1980s. Vega is an artist that continues to surprise. Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who "observed the world with a clinically poetic eye," Vega's songs have always tended to focus on city life, ordinary people and real world subjects.

Notably succinct and understated, often cerebral but also streetwise, Vega's lyrics invite multiple interpretations. In short, her work is immediately recognizable as utterly distinct and thoughtful, and as creative and musical now as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio over 20 years ago.

Zakir Hussain & The Masters of Percussion ♦ March 10, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Under the direction of percussion legend Zakir Hussain, Masters of Percussion offers The Audience an opportunity to experience both melodic (raga) and rhythmic (tala) development as well as witness the dazzling and athletic dancing drummers of Bengal.

The concert will feature traditional repertoire from both Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) classical traditions, North Indian drumming on tabla in solo and duet, as well as excursions exploring the frontier between traditional and contemporary, folk and classical.

More Music @ The Moore ♦ March 12, 2009 ♦ The Moore Theatre
More Music @ The Moore features exceptional local teen musicians mixing up diverse music styles. The performance celebrates the rich musical talent of youth in our community and provides musicians, regardless of what style they play, the opportunity to make music together.

The program provides young artists mentorship by professional musicians, production support and the opportunity to perform at The Moore Theatre. Past professional mentors have included Daniel Bernard Roumain, Ernestine Anderson, Dave Dederer, Michael Shrieve and Alan White.

The 9th annual More Music @ The Moore is produced by STG's Education and Community Programs.

Silent Movie Mondays ♦ March 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
"Silents from the South Seas"
Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1935) - March 15, 2010
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931) - March 22, 2010
Sadie Thompson (1928) - March 29, 2010

Hot Java Cool Jazz ♦ March 19, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
The successful Starbucks jazz program, Hot Java Cool Jazz, celebrates its 15th Anniversary at The Paramount Theatre. As part of Starbucks' ongoing commitment to supporting the local youth arts community, this benefit concert features Ellington Festival award winning jazz bands from five local high schools with all proceeds from tickets sales going to support each school's music program. Seattle area high school jazz musicians take the stage in a showcase of the city's finest young talent performing with their big bands. Past performing bands include Garfield, Roosevelt, Edmonds-Woodway, Mountlake Terrace, Shorewood and Newport.

"A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor ♦ March 27 & April 3, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
See "A Prairie Home Companion" with Garrison Keillor live at The Paramount Theatre for a Live National radio broadcast. The show is heard weekly by more than 4 million listeners on some 590 public radio stations, and abroad on America One and the Armed Forces Networks in Europe and the Far East. "A Prairie Home Companion" is produced by Prairie Home Productions, and distributed nationwide by American Public Media.

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India ♦ April 17, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India is regarded worldwide as one of the foremost dance companies of India bringing a new work to The Moore Theatre this season. Nrityagram is known for exceptional synchronicity, compelling physicality and emotional honesty.

The Ensemble has earned national and international acclaim for its ability to redefine both dance and theater, to create and communicate with powerful imagery and captivating movement. STG proudly presents Nrityagram in association with Kirkland Performance Center.

Alley Cat Theatre ♦ Mondays in May 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
Produced and curated by Seattle Theatre Group, Alley Cat Theatre turns The Moore's stage into a music club for four Monday nights in May (May 3, 10, 17, 24). Seattle musicians will represent Alternative country/Americana, rock, singer/songwriters and offbeat originals on each of the musically themed evenings. Audiences will enter from the alley to an intimate cabaret-styled environment, with drinks and light snacks available for purchase.
*Please note: these events are all 21 and over.

RAIN A Tribute to the Beatles ♦ May 7 - May 9, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
GET BACK SEATTLE!
RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand! From Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road! They look like them and they sound just like them! "The next best thing to seeing The Beatles," raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers The Beatles from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. "A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia...Boomer Heaven!" raves The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right...as The Beatles, they triumph!" cheers the Boston Herald. "An adoring Valentine to The Beatles," declares the Washington Post. Sing along with your family and friends to such favorites as "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Come Together" and "Can't Buy Me Love."

Sonny Rollins ♦ May 10, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Experience saxophone legend Sony Rollins at The Paramount Theatre. Always a restless creative spirit, a constantly self-renewing citizen of the jazz world and one of the music's leading lights, Rollins is jazz's most exacting exhilarating and inspiring practitioner.

Andrew Weil ♦ May 15, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Dr. Weil is Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine, University of Arizona. He also holds appointments as Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Clinical Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine. He is the author of many scientific and popular articles and of seven books: The Natural Mind; The Marriage of the Sun and Moon; From Chocolate to Morphine (with WiniFrEd Rosen); Health and Healing; Natural Health, Natural Medicine; Spontaneous Healing; and Eight Weeks to Optimum Health.

Cirque Dreams Illumination ♦ May 21 - 22, 2010 ♦ The Moore Theatre
From the creators of the groundbreaking Broadway hit Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy comes an all new journey of nighttime dreamers whose imaginations are ignited within a landscape of towering buildings and infinite possibilities.

Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams Illumination has been hailed as "Dazzling!...a reason to stand up and cheer" by the New York Daily News. Audiences of all ages will marvel and experience a journey of city dwellers who reinvent everyday objects, balance beyond belief, delicately dangle from wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in an array of astounding occurrences that transform the ordinary into extraordinary.

Don't miss an international cast of world-class acrobats, athletes, musicians and one of a kind artists populate this imaginative, colorful metropolis at The Moore Theatre.

Mark Morris Dance Group with Seattle Symphony ♦ May 21 - 23, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
Mark Morris Dance Group with Seattle Symphony returns to The Paramount Theatre for its third annual collaboration. This year's engagement features Baroque music by Haydn, Bach and Vivaldi with a special guest conductor, Mark Morris.

MMDG is committed to performing with live music; this is one reason why MMDG performances are not just dance at the highest level, but simultaneously, concert-going at the highest level - a perfect blend of sound and movement, all happening in the moment.

Seattle Symphony will perform Haydn's Horn Concerto No. 2 in D major, A Lake; Bach's Juse, Meine Freude; and Vivaldi's Gloria. The Tudor Choir will be joining Seattle Symphony for the Bach and Vivaldi pieces and Mark Morris will conduct Gloria.

Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! ♦ June 3, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! The Oddly Informative News Quiz from NPR takes a fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the world - and the weird. A modern, sometimes raucous twist on the old-time radio quiz show, Wait Wait mines NPR news stories for quiz questions. Host Peter Sagal is an award-winning playwright, author and father of three in his spare time, and NPR's veteran newscaster Carl Kasell is the show's official judge and scorekeeper.

Each week, Sagal quizzes panelists and listeners alike to determine how closely they paid attention to the week's news. He serves up questions in all forms: lightning rounds, multiple choice, identify the "fake" stories and fill-in-the-blank limericks. Listeners compete to win the show's coveted prize: a custom-recorded greeting by Carl Kasell for their home voicemail.

DANCE This ♦ July 10, 2010 ♦ The Paramount Theatre
DANCE This brings together teen performers from diverse communities for collaboration and to share their culture through the art of dance. The performance features young local dancers in collaboration with professional artists performing dances from across cultures-both traditionally rooted and contemporary in form. Audiences experience the rich cultural traditions and artistic talent of teens in the region.

Previous DANCE This guest artists and choreographers have included Savion Glover, The Joffrey Ballet, Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo, Step Afrika!, Abdel Salaam, Jamel Gaines, Pat Graney, Donald Byrd, Sonia Dawkins, Daniel Cruz and Amy O'Neal.

The 12th annual DANCE This is produced by STG's Education and Community Programs.

(All artists, dates and times subject to change.)

Photo by Daniel A. Swalec