PATRIOT BREMERTON
O.C. Jazz Ensemble, Eclectic group to perform free holiday concert: P 16
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 | Vol. 13, No. 45 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
House of glass Local artist renovates broken-down Silverdale glass warehouse into a gallery BY JJ SWANSON JSWANSON@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Sounds OF THE SEASON
GREG SKINNER/staff photo
The King sisters perform “A Christmas Jingle for Three” Tuesday in the first found of autitions for the annual Sounds of the Season
Popular talent competition at Bremerton’s Admiral Theater draws out local celebrities in training BY JJ SWANSON JSWANSON@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Bremerton’s annual holiday talent competition, Sounds of the Season, sold nearly 400 tickets on day one as dancers, singers, and even a belly dancer signed up to try their luck on the stage. The show is in its 12th year and is growing in popularity with performers as well as patrons, according to Brian Johnson, general manager for the Admiral Theater. “It is such a good learning experience for any artist. The whole production is just like one that we would give a professional performer,” said Ruth Enderle, the theater’s executive director. Local talent lucky enough
to be selected during the two days of competition held Nov. 29 and 30 have the chance to perform on stage to a crowd of 800 with a professional lighting and sound crew. “Those that make it are also coached on dress and style. So there’s a production team helping them in the background before they take the stage again, and by the time they return they are performing like pros,” said Enderle. The six judge panel for auditions is made up of Admiral Theatre board members, the executive director, and season ticket holders. The judges for opening night, however, is being kept under wraps until closer to the date. According to
Johnson, it will include three local celebrity judges and perhaps a surprise judge. As the audition judges sat through the roster of talents, some good, some bad, they agreed that regardless of the act, the performer has got to have the right stage presence. “It’s important that the artist is able to connect with the audience. Everyone is nervous and we accommodate for that when we judge at auditions, but they have to show that they are able to keep everyone’s attention,” said Enderle. But performing for a panel can sometimes be more nerve-wracking than facing a packed house. Sakura Burkhart, a young ballerina
from Northwest School of Dance, danced a solo on stage while Tessa Banalas, a fellow dancer followed her motions nervously from the wings. “We’ve been practicing since the summer,” said Banalas. “We know each other’s dance moves,” said Burkhart. Both girls said that they are eager to hear the results of the auditions which will come out sometime next week. “This year, the auditions are starting so strong. We’re very excited by it,” said Tami Browning, marketing director for Admiral Theatre. SEE SOUNDS, A8
When glass artist Lisa Stirrett first walked into the old glass factory on the corner of Silverdale Way and Bucklin Hill she saw more than a crumbling building. The renowned Pacific Northwest artist, best known locally for her work at the Bremerton Ferry terminal, explained that many in the community viewed the old Dahl Glass Company as an “eyesore” which was too run-down to be left standing in the middle of the busy thoroughfare on Silverdale Way, just south of Bucklin Hill Road. “It was ready to fall down when we saw it, but I “It’s costing twice jumped up and the amount down anyway. I was so excited. we thought to My dad, who is renovate, but it’s actually a realtor, so worth it.” laughed at me,” – Glass artist said Stirrett. Lisa Stirrett The building itself is a piece of Silverdale history. It’s wood truss ceiling and domed exterior are a blast from the architectural past, and its previous owners were prominent figures in the town’s commerce in the 1940s and 1950s. Ole Dahl purchased the building in the 1946 to be used as a cabinet shop, run with the help of his two sons Harold and Olaf. The shop eventually transformed into a thriving glass manufacturing warehouse, responding to the community’s need for shop window panes, mirrors, and glass tops. The Dahls became one of the main suppliers of glass in the area, according to the company’s online history page. Eventually, the Dahls expanded and moved to their final location on Clear Creek Road, selling the old glass factory to machinist George Degroot in the early 1990s. Locals brought their mowers, tractors, and any other bit or part to Degroot for repair. Stirrett admitted that same days she feels like she’s bit off more than she can chew with the restoration work. “Well, it’s in a flood zone, so we had to have the whole floor raised about a foot a month ago. That was a huge project,” she said. In addition, restoring the building required SEE GLASS, A7