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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
FREE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE | WWW.THEEASTSIDESCENE.COM | OCT 2016
‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’
{ { Sylvie Davidson, Michael Feldman and Sara Porkalob star in “Pump Boys and Dinettes” now playing at Village Theatre. Production photo
All actors sing while accompanying themselves by Nicole Jennings
I
n a blink-and-you’ll-miss it town on Highway 57, deep in the heart of North Carolina, the five Pump Boys are ready to attend to your car’s needs, whether it’s a tank of gas or a new muffler. Right next door at the Double Cupp Diner, the only breakfast — and lunch — spot in town, sisters Prudie and Rhetta Cupp serve up plenty of personality and a pinch of sass with their pancakes. And so Village Theatre sweeps audiences into rural Dixie in its new musical, “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” a rockabilly romp full of lovable characters and downhome ballads that take you from laughter to tears and back to laughter in a matter of minutes. With just seven cast members who remain onstage for every scene, the actors would already have their work cut out for them just at the vocal and drama levels. But “Pump Boys,” directed by Village Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director Brandon Ivie, takes the cast several steps further. Instead of having a pit orchestra, the actors must provide all of their own accompaniment onstage for every song. They are in essence as much musicians as they are thespians. Joshua Carter, who plays Jim, the unofficial Pump Boys band leader, explained that nowadays actors have to be “a quadruple threat.” “The scape of musical theater is changing,” he said. “You have to have that other thing [besides acting, singing and dancing].” Carter, who said the number of instruments he can play is in the teens, most recently performed in the North American tour of the Broadway musical “Once,”
‘PUMP BOYS’ CONTINUED ON PG 14
The Don’t Miss List By Samantha Pak
LAUGH | ELECT TO LAUGH WITH WILL DURST Join Drinking Liberally for this special benefit performance of Will Durst’s Elect To Laugh stand-up comedy show. This is political humor for people who don’t like politics. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/z7d9meo.
WHEN: 8 p.m., Oct. 12 WHERE: Parlor Live Comedy Club, Bellevue
DRINK | NORTHWEST CELLARS HOWL-O-WEEN
Northwest Cellars wines will hold a Howl-o-ween event for dogs and their wine-loving humans with costumes, contests and treats from Seattle Barkery. A portion of the proceeds from the ticket and wine purchases is graciously donated to Old Dog Haven. Visit tinyurl.com/k6h4emp for more information. WHEN: 1-5 p.m., Oct. 22
WHERE: Northwest Cellars, 11909 124th Ave., Kirkland
LISTEN | THE SAMMAMISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 25th anniversary and opens its 2016-17 season with Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished.” For more information, visit www.sammamishsymphony.org. WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 21 and 2 p.m., Oct. 30 WHERE: Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue (Oct. 21) and Eastlake Performing Arts Center, Sammamish