Seattle Gay News
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Issue 6, Volume 43, February 6, 2015
Jeff Carpenter
by Eric Andrews-Katz SGN A&E Writer CAROUSEL THE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE February 5 - March 1 Laura Griffith has been seen in several different performances in the Seattle area, but she is anything but common. A face as beautiful as her operatic range, she’s played some of the most beloved musicals bringing new life into well-known roles. After appearing in several Broadway shows, Ms. Griffith now calls the Pacific Northwest home and returns to The 5th Avenue’s stage in Carousel, one of the most cherished musicals in American history.
Brandon O’Neill and Laura Griffith in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel
Hawaii is known for many beautiful things. The weather, the beaches, the culture, the people. by Albert Rodriguez And, also for its music. The islands SGN A&E Writer are home to thousands of skilled artists who cover a multitude of muKEKUHI KANAHELE IKANAKA’OLEOHAILILANI sical styles, from reggae to folk to &KAUMAKAIWA contemporary jazz, all fused with KANAKA’OLE the sounds of ukuleles, slack key “HULA: OUR WORLD guitars, and ipus. Some performers, CONSCIOUSNESS” however, are deeply devoted to preTOWN HALL February 13 & 14 see Music Lounge page 5
see Carousel page 7
by Sharon Cumberland SGN Contributing Writer
Angela Sterling
Town Hall Seattle
Kekuhi (l) and Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole
Eric Andrews-Katz: Who were your earliest influences in becoming a performer? Laura Griffith: I started performing when I was in second grade. I used to watch The Wizard of Oz over and over again, so Judy Garland was somebody I saw a lot. I watched as many of her movies as I could, so I’d say that was my first influence before I even thought of a career as acting. Sometimes it was a show I was obsessed with, like An-
nie. As a kid, I wanted to be Annie and never got the chance to do it. In junior high school I was fascinated with The Phantom of the Opera. At that age I started imaging myself in that role as Christine. We went to Paris (when I was a girl) with my family and to the Paris Opera House. I wandered away trying to get into the basement of the theater. Andrews-Katz: What was the first show that gave you the “Performance Bug”? Griffith: That was definitely The Wizard of Oz. I used “Over the Rainbow” as an audition song in second grade and the entire room went silent. I thought, “This is something I can do.” Andrews-Katz: You’ve performed roles that are considered traditional musical theater and roles considered operatic. What kind of voice training have you had? Griffith: I did study opera in high school. I had a teacher that pulled me aside and said that I had this part of my voice that I wasn’t using. I started training in opera and competed in the Los Angeles Center Music Spotlight Awards. Part of the prize was I got to sing at the Dorothy Chandler and the
“DON QUIXOTE” PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET MCCAW HALL January 30 There’s simply nothing like ballet for the pure, joyful collision of music, spectacle, costumes, physical beauty and jaw-dropping talent. Just looking at video clips in preparation for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “Don Quixote” gave me that thrill of excitement that lifted my spirits days before the actual performance. When I attended the full-length ballet on January 30 I was delighted beyond all my optimistic expectations. The words that come to mind are “delightful,” “charming,” “exciting,” “funny,” “moving,” and “Wow!” This wonderful ballet, choreographed by the great Marius Petipa
Carla Körbes with company dancers in Don Quixote
with later additions by Alexander Gorsky, takes place in the imaginary Spain where love is everblooming, jealousy is temporary, and flirtatious dancing is universal. The Spanish-style music by Ludwig Minkus gives us a Spain
without the exaggerated tragedy of flamenco and without cante jondo. Instead, it is the Spain of the romantic imagination, where the sun is always shining, toreros [bullsee Quixote page 8