theEastside Scene - AUGUST 2015

August 2015

sceneEASTSIDE

the

PLUS: Who is Mrs. Goldberg? 7 | Thrifty business 8 | Comedian Tommy Davidson 10

August 2015

sceneSIDE

Steel & GloryWho are these people, and why are they pointing swords at our faces?

Find out on page 4

2 the eastside scene

150714 Farmers Market Scene Mag July 2015 f.pdf 1 7/14/15 8:45 PM

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PublisherWilliam Shaw

Editor/LayoutDaniel Nash

Production DesignerDiana Nelson

Contributing WritersKris Brackmann

Allison DeAngelisBrandon Macz

Keegan ProsserON THE COVER: The Seattle Knights. Photo by Daniel Nash

scenetheEASTSIDE

2700 Richards Rd, Suite 201, Bellevue 98005 | theEastsideScene.comFor Advertising, call Jim Gatens 425.440.0437

The Don’t-Miss ListAUGUST

LISTEN | Seattle International Reggae FestivalLast year, production company Caribbean Blu held the inaugural Seattle International Reggae

Festival in the big city. In its second year, the epic concert is coming to the Eastside, where I and I can enjoy some of the best performers in the great outdoors and the presence of Jah’s natural glory.

� e festival will be emceed by Fyah Wyah, with performances by Keith N Tex, Big Mountain, Sister Nancy, Papa Michigan, Winston Jarrett, Jah Bouks (pictured), Selassie, Soldier, Guidance, Blue Meadows and John Holt tribute act Jr. Holt, with others.When: 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Aug. 22Where: Snoqualmie Point Park, 37580 Winery Rd. in Snoqualmie

EAT | Taste of MainDrink wine, be merry and taste your way down Main Street for its seventh year. � is fun day

� lled with a wide variety of food, live entertainment, shopping, giveaways, and, yes, wine, will help bene� t the Detlef Schrempf Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue.

Buy one ticket for $15-40, get one child entry free.To purchase tickets early, visit www.tasteofmainbellevue.com.

When: Aug. 22, 12-5 p.m.Where: Main Street in Old Bellevue

DO | Seafair WeekendBack again for its 66th year, Seafair Weekend never ceases to amaze the masses. From hydro-

plane races and wakeboard competitions to the Boeing Air Show, there’s plenty to see and do all over Lake Washington. If you don’t mind the crowds, you can watch most of the action from the Interstate 90 bridge where the Blue Angels � y right above your head! But if that’s not your thing, you can still see them from any high point on the Eastside as far as Lake Sammamish.

To � nd a full schedule of events, visit www.seafair.com.When: July 31-Aug. 1 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Aug. 2 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.Where: Genesee Park/ Lake Washington.

SEE | Art in the GardenTake a stroll through the garden and view the beautifully displayed sculptures and art for your

garden, deck, and patio. Have some refreshments and meet local artists. Word in the garden is Ciscoe Morris might make an appearance.

Appreciate the arts. It’s free fun. To see a full list of artists, visit www.artinthegardenbellevue.com.

When: Aug. 29-30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Where: Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main Street, Bellevue

LAUGH | LuenellBorat’s “hooker with a heart of gold” is living her

dream as one of the top 25 funniest people in LA (ac-cording to LA Magazine). � e Arkansas native has found roles on � ink Like a Man, Hotel Transylvania, Taken 2 and � at’s My Boy. Don’t miss your chance to see this comedic force of nature.

Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased at www.parlorlive.com.When: Aug. 6-8 at various timesWhere: Parlor Live at Lincoln Square Bellevue

LISTEN (AGAIN) | Brit Floyd: An Amazing Journey Through Five Decades of Pink FloydWhether or not you enter this show as a Pink Floyd fan, you’ll be leaving one as soon as the

stage goes black. � ese guys who don’t need no education bring you the “world’s greatest Pink Floyd show.” Tag along with some friends to this special one-night event that features amazing stage e� ects and light show. You’re gonna wish you were here.

General admission is just $39. Purchase your tickets at the winery or online at ticketmaster.com.When: Aug. 6 at 7 p.m.Where: Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery amphitheatre

Jah Bouks in a music video for his song Angola. Jah will perform at the Seattle International Reggae Festival in Snoqualmie August 22.Image credit: Reggaeville on YouTube

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“Most injuries happen with dag-gers. � e reason for that is that they’re small and they’re

hard to keep track of in a � ght. Plays will o� en use collapsible daggers if they have a scene where someone needs to be stabbed. We don’t use the collapsible daggers.”

It’s a Friday a� ernoon and Dylan Birtolo and I are sitting outside the cafeteria of Building 50 on the Microso� campus in Redmond. Birtolo spends most of his days writing programming instruction manu-als for the Windows 10 UAP, but at the moment he’s taking a break to explain the � ner points of medieval weaponry.

� e problem with collapsible daggers, he explains, is that they work mechanically and mechanisms can fail. Especially when they’re improperly lubricated or jammed up by foreign matter — say, blood.

“You can really wind up hurting some-one if you go for a full stab and the dagger doesn’t collapse,” Dylan says.

� ough Dylan’s weeks are spent in a windowless o� ce � guring out new ways to explain cross-platform coding, his week-ends are spent with swords, maces and jousting lances. You see, he’s a member of the Seattle Knights, a stage combat per-formance troupe that sells its services to Renaissance faires, Medieval Times-style dinner theater venues and � lm or televi-

sion productions — recently, members appeared as extras on HBO’s Game of � rones.

“We prefer to use real weapons while using techniques that make it look like we’re stabbing someone without actually stabbing them,” Dylan says.

Some Microso� employees having lunch at the next table look over at us as Dylan explains this. One could be forgiven for thinking this is some kind of History Geek Amateur Hour, some kind of Adult Playtime for Fantasy Nerds. Forgiven, but still wrong.

“It’s much safer,” Dylan says.

***Five days later, I’ve driven from work

to the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle, home of the Washington National Guard’s Seattle Armory. Dylan’s told me this is where the Seattle Knights hold their weekly practice, but a� er two trips circling the parking lot — and two good looks at the sign reminding visitors that trespass-ing on federal property is a felony — I’m tempted to cut my losses and bounce for the night.

� en I spot two women getting out of their car. Dressed in T-shirts and yoga pants, they could have been any pair of friends out for an evening WOD at the

Cross� t studio across the train tracks. Except when they reach into the trunk for their gear, what comes out are a halberd and a spear. Bingo.

Soon enough, I’m following them past the Armory gate into a small gymnasium where the steady clang of sword impact a� er sword impact is backed by the loose change sound of two dozen women and men � tting chain mail and steel plate over their Under Armour and Reeboks.

I � nd Dameon Willich, the founder of the Seattle Knights, sitting in the corner with senior members of the troupe, talking logistics for their show in July’s Highland Games in Enumclaw. He gets up to greet me and, standing north of 6-foot, broad-shouldered with a mane of snow white hair

swept into a ponytail under his ranger hat and a spiderweb of blood vessels that lend his nose a permanent sunburn, he cuts an imposing � gure. When other Knights say his name, they say it in reverent tones, the kind of “Oh captain, my captain” tones reserved for a Dear Leader. When he barks orders, there’s just a little bit of give in his voice, like a so� -but-stern father or a stern-but-so� football coach.

We exchange greetings and then get down to business.

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Dameon says in his characteristic gru� tones. “I’m going to � nd you a chair and a corner where you can sit and watch safely. We’re going to

Steel and GloryInside the world of medieval stage combat troupe The Seattle Knights

Story and photos by Daniel Nash

see KNIGHTS on 6 >>

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have a lot of swords and other things swing-ing around the room and it’s easy to get hurt. I’ll send people over to talk to you.”

I’m a little disappointed I won’t be in the thick of things. But then I remind myself if I had my druthers, I’d be jamming my gut into a breast plate and swinging a � ail with the same cowboy enthusiasm as Major Kong in the climactic scene of Dr. Strange-love. So, fair enough.

A� er all, the people on the � oor had put in two years to get to this point: One year in “Knights Academy,” a series of four 10-week courses that cover everything from walking in armor to advanced choreogra-phy and improvisation, plus a second “in-ternship” year as an unpaid squire, fetching water and performing other support duties at shows.

Twenty feet in front of me, a squat, muscular woman in a black T-shirt and camou� aged fatigue pants wanders from Dameon’s makeshi� o� ce onto the open � oor, dragging the blade of her broadsword against the smooth concrete in loop-de-loop swirling motions. � e idly violent ges-ture is a common pop culture trope: highly impractical, but also highly intimidating. I wonder how many of her characters are villains. She makes it halfway to a basketball

hoop in the corner and brings the point of her sword up to another woman there, chal-lenging her to a duel. � ey draw closer and immediately engage in a half-speed block and parry, their swords striking one-two, one-two, one-two.

“Is everyone here practicing their routines for this weekend’s show?” I ask Dameon.

“Practicing old routines and building new ones,” he replies.

Dylan had explained to me that � ght choreographers have their own language, a system for committing the � ghts they build in practice to paper so they can be more easily memorized or picked up by other performers. � e language is largely nu-meric, assigning numbers to points on the body. � e standard used by the Society of American Fight Directors for sword � ghts is a � ve-point system; the Knights use 18.

� e two women end their battle and separate without a clear winner.

***“One of the things we pride ourselves

on is that, I think, about half of our troupe is female.”

� e � rst person Dameon’s sent over is Kyle Robinson, a longtime performer and an up-and-coming director in the Knights.

“A lot of joust troupes don’t have female

jousters,” he says. “Or, if they do, they’re just eye candy.”

Kyle, lean and lanky with a long pony-tail, stays in a comfortable crouch for our entire chat. I can tell he’s one of those guys who has a graceful ease about him at all times — when he’s in character, he plays Sir Gerard Valliant, a swaggering ladies man. But he assures me that Kyle — the real Kyle — is Very Stressed working out the details of the Knights’ upcoming joust arena at the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire in Bonney Lake.

“� is is basically my directorial debut,” he says. “I mean, I’ve directed individual jousts before, but Midsummer is three weekends, three shows a day… that’s 18 shows. In a row.”

He exhales hard, as if to punctuate the point. “When I joined the troupe [in 2004], that was the last year they performed a three-weekend Faire.”

Just listening to him describe the logis-tics is exhausting: casting parts, rotating schedules, scheduling � ghts on the steeds and on the ground, dealing with fans, making sure the client is happy, looking a� er the well-being of the jousters’ horses — horses they o� en own, usually for the sole purpose of jousting.

At the same time, this is Kyle’s idea of heaven. He attended Renaissance faires for years before he joined the Seattle Knights

and the � rst time he saw the Knights was at Midsummer, when it was still the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Faire in Gig Harbor.

“My jaw dropped,” Kyle says, mimicking the expression. “� e rest was history.”

I � rst met Midsummer’s operations man-ager, Tracy Nietupski, two years ago on an-other assignment. Chatty and jovial, she was the quintessential “theater mom,” regularly checking in on her volunteers and making sure they stayed fed and hydrated. She was al-ways armed with a laugh whenever the young men joked about � irting with wenches.

But she was also supremely dedicated to the Faire’s mission of historical education and accuracy. Actors at Midsummer don’t wear costumes, they wear period correct clothing handsewn from whole cloth. � e build-ings aren’t two-dimensional facades, they’re solid structures. For the three weekends a year that it exists, the � ctional destination of Merriwick is a fully functioning village that entertains more than 30,000 visitors.

“As far as the show goes, we want this to be as close to a village in 1571 as possible,” Tracy told me at the time. “Most of our perform-ers try to speak as people back then would speak. It was a chivalrous and courteous time. So the queen will walk by and they will all bow and say ‘God save the queen!’ Visitors obviously don’t have to do that, but all of

our performers are working to make this an authentic historical experience.”

***� e woman in the camou� aged pants

is at it again. � is time she’s locked in mortal combat with a great mountain of a man swaddled in a royal blue cloth shirt and matching bandana. She holds her own well and at one point traps him in a bear hug aided with the � at of her blade over his chest. He breaks free and swings for her head. She kneels to avoid the strike, but as she comes back up, Big Blue comes in with the punch.

A� er they wrap up, Big Blue comes over and introduces himself as Sir Edward. I’m momentarily gleeful when he o� ers me his sword and introduces me to the � rst two rules of swordplay: “Move � rst, block second” and “Strike with the blade, block with the � at.”

“Sir Edward,” Dameon barks. “What’s that man doing with your sword?”

Edward snatches his blade back out of my hands with a speed that belies his size.

“Nothin’,” he says, shooting Dameon an ‘aw shucks’ smile.

Edward con� des that he’s on R&R a� er a recent surgery. He’s still allowed to practice, but Dameon’s restricting him to maybe 10 minutes at a time, at a leisurely pace. Edward lives on the west side of the Puget Sound, so e� ectively he’s taking the ferry each week to spend the better part of two hours not practicing.

Every person who wanders over to my dunce’s chair o� ers another shock at the e� ort and sacri� ce it takes to be a part of the Knights. Edward isn’t the only mem-ber who lives in the Olympics and, by his account, most of the members travel from well outside Seattle. One woman, Ti� any Kreider, tells me she rides the bus from Kirkland each week with her chainmail, sword and spear.

“I get looks,” she says. “� e ones I love are the people who want to ask about them but don’t. Because you can tell when they want to ask.”

Dylan’s list of investments in the knight-hood alone could � ll an article. A few years ago he bought a horse, Connal, for the sole purpose of jousting, with no idea whether it would take to the sport or not. He lucked out — once Connal got used to seeing Dylan in his armor, he turned out to be a natural.

But risk is ever present, even under ideal conditions, and Dylan took a nasty fall o� his horse during a show.

“When you fall, you’re supposed to ditch your shield immediately,” he says. “But this one time, I couldn’t throw it away from me and I landed wrong.”

� e shield twisted his arm on impact, wrenching his shoulder and popping out his collarbone. It didn’t incapacitate him, but Dylan says he still feels the injury every day.

So why do it? Why traverse counties for two-hour practices? Why spend two years learning an entirely new and largely impractical skillset? Or spend thousands on weapons, armor or beasts of burden? Why does Edward have the purest look of pride I’ve ever seen when he shows me the necklace he received upon entering the knighthood?

� e speci� c reasons I’m given vary. One Rentonite, Jordin Mitchell, tells me the act-ing side of knighthood brought him out of his shell, helping him overcome a shyness that kept him from saying a word during his � rst days in the academy.

Ti� any, who struggled through class a� er class until she was “happily in the middle” of performance, felt like it was a natural � t from the moment in 1994 when a member of the Knights — who still per-forms today — let her sit on her horse.

“It’s funny because I learned that’s one of the things you’re absolutely not supposed to do, for the liability and insurance and everything,” she says. “So I asked her years later why she did that and she said, ‘I had a feeling about you.’”

Edward tells me he gets a kick out of the children who buy into his character, hook, line and sinker.

“When a child looks up at me with big, wide eyes and asks ‘Are you a knight?’” he says, imitating the expression. “� at’s the best.”

But for every single person I talked to, for every speci� c little reason I heard, it all eventually boiled down to one big reason: It’s just frickin’ awesome.

“[My favorite part about this] varies and my answer changes year to year,” Dylan says. “Right now, it’s being on the horse, ei-ther a� er a joust or a run, riding around at breakneck speed, whipping o� my helmet, screaming at the crowd and having them scream back at me.

“Yeah. � at’s pretty cool.”


The shield twisted his arm on impact, wrenching his shoulder and popping out his collarbone

<< KNIGHTS, cont’d from 4

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T o some, Mrs. Gold-berg is a wild adven-turer, a woman who

enjoys wing walking and once joining a group of friends from Seattle to trek down to Burning Man. To others, she is an aging, doting mother who struggles with, but even-tually supports, her daughter’s

decision to make jewelry instead of becoming a doctor. None of the ideas � oating around on Mrs. Goldberg’s Facebook page can be proven right, yet none of them are incorrect.

Mrs. Goldberg, the � ctionalized woman at the center of the Kirkland Arts Center’s new exhibit Mrs. Goldberg, A Curated Life, has sprouted the imaginations of artists and art patrons alike.

Viewers are meant to take away their own ideas about who Mrs. Goldberg is from the myriad of pieces that make up the exhibit. What they interpret about the mysterious Mrs. Goldberg from these fragmented pieces is meant to juxtapose reality with the identities people create online.

“If you look at the Facebook page, that person could be just as real as anyone else,” said one of the exhibit curators, Michael Dickter.

Dickter and fellow curator Nancy Whittaker brought the idea to the Kirkland Arts Center during an open call for exhibit submissions.

� e imaginary entity of Mrs. Goldberg was created ten years ago by Ballard-based artist Carole d’Inverno in response to Dickter asking for the identity of the woman in an abstract oil painting she had just � nished. “Oh, that’s Mrs. Goldberg,” she said � ippantly, creat-ing a woman who would become a long-running joke between the two, and later the star of the nearly 30-piece

exhibition. Most pieces in the show don’t comment on the physi-

cal aspects of Mrs. Goldberg. Instead, they act as scat-tered breadcrumbs, tidbits of information about her life and her personality.

But there isn’t even a set trail to follow — the exhibit wasn’t arranged with a particular work� ow in mind.

For example, Mrs. Gold-berg’s Struggle To Maintain Balance, which features a rough three-dimensional image of an abstract hanging scale, is made of mysteri-ous rough-textured materi-als. Look closely, and you’ll see the frame is made from orange peels. � e jury is out on the other materials and what balance Mrs. Goldberg is trying to maintain.

Both Dickter and Whittaker have sometimes con-trasting but constantly evolving interpretations of the various artwork. Stopping in front of Mrs. Goldberg: Stowaway, a misty-colored painting showing the hull of a rowboat on calm waters, they o� er di� ering opinions on if the boat is departing and arriving, where it came from/is going to.

“I’ve walked through this exhibit so many times, but I still have all of these new ideas about the pieces,” said Whittaker.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the show is that the purpose and takeaway is constantly changing. Spoiler alert: � ere are no answers. � e conclusions drawn are entirely in the minds of the beholders.

“I wasn’t interested in coming up with who Mrs. Gold-berg was,” said Dickter. “What was interesting was what everyone brought to it and takes away from it.”


Identity by committeeAbove: One of the art pieces making up the Mrs. Goldberg exhibit, which is running at the Kirkland Arts Center through Aug. 8.

Below: The piece by Carole d’Inverno from which Mrs. Goldberg was born. | Credit: Kirkland Arts Center

A Kirkland Art exhibit ponders life, personality of mysterious Mrs. Goldberg

“I wasn’t interested in coming up with who

Mrs. Goldberg was. What was interesting

was what everyone brought to it and takes

away from it.“ Michael Dickter,

Mrs. Goldberg curator.

by Allison DeAngelis

There’s a certain wave of satisfaction that follows an unbelievable thri� shop discovery, where the bargain

compels one to snatch up their � nd and make a beeline for the register. � e only thing that makes a penny-wise treasure hunt more ful� lling is knowing your purchase is helping someone with needs greater than your own.

Across the Eastside, nonpro� t thri� stores set the standard for second-hand quality and style, all the while pumping funding into their charitable causes faster than you can say Macklemore.

Jubilee Heart and Home (Thrift Store)2301 148th Ave N.E., Bellevue

It may sound like a backdoor brag, but

Jubilee Reach’s Heart and Home thri� store’s outside signage is so classy that some people don’t realize there are bar-gains in there, says general manager Jason Bryant. To rectify this issue, the nonpro� t is changing the name to Jubilee � ri� Store as part of its August relaunch and accompanying block party (Find out when by following their Facebook page).

One of the largest thri� stores in Bel-levue, in terms of square footage, Bryant says Heart And Home is crammed with inventory on Mondays, but customers pack the house for Wacky Wednesdays. � at’s when customers get to try their luck at drawing a ticket good for 40-70 percent o� anything in the store.

But on any other day, a savvy shopper can always practice his negotiation skills.

“� is is like a swap meet every day,” Bry-


Thrifty Businessby Brandon Macz

ant said. “You’ve got to have a little haggle. It’s like buying a new car.”

Revenue from Jubilee Reach’s thri� store goes to supporting youth sports programs, but family connection centers in schools also put the nonpro� t in touch with families needing housing and furniture. Gi� certi� cates are also issued to needy families to take to the thri� store and hook themselves up.

Seattle Children’s Bargain Boutique15137 N.E. 24th St., Redmond

Donations to Seattle Children’s Bargain Boutique are thoroughly researched and priced at value for a month before being marked down by 30 percent, said manager Sarah Ladiges, but many customers are willing to pay full price when it’s supporting the Seattle Children’s Hospital’s mission of providing little ones with medical care.

Don’t bother trying to haggle; the prices you see are non-negotiable.

“� ey tend to buy it when they see it, because, usually when they gamble with it, it’s gone,” Ladiges said. “We have huge support from the community. Our donations are wonderful. � ey really give us the best of the best. … We get a lot of designer items, especially in clothing.” (Don’t expect much in the men’s section, because men wear clothes until they’re falling apart.)

When the Bargain Boutique has too much inventory — furniture, kitchenware, clothing, etc. — Ladiges said the store will put on a sale to make room, but it takes joining the store’s email list to stay in the

loop. Seniors (55-plus) get 15 percent o� on Mondays.

� e hospital’s six boutiques take in an average of $600,000 annually, that goes into the uncompensated care fund for those families who would otherwise be unable to pay.

Bellevue LifeSpring Thrift Shop167 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue

If you have a job interview coming up and need to look designer chic with-out paying designer prices, the Bellevue LifeSpring � ri� Shop in Bellevue Square has your back 362 days a year. A word of caution from 11-year volunteer manager Maggie Vergien: Mall employees know the inventory, and word about the good stu� — say a $60 Armani jacket — spreads quickly. High tra� c is 11-11:30 a.m.

� ri� shop pro� ts go to LifeSpring services that feed, clothe and educate children living in poverty, which adds up to about 3,600 kids in Bellevue. Gi� cards are also passed out to use at the thri� shop, but Vergien says the store struggles with children’s clothing donations. For every $200 of assistance LifeSpring provides an adult, they are expected to provide an hour of community service, which can be done at the thri� shop. About 20,000 volunteer hours are logged their every year.

Prices and deals vary, depending on how long an item has been on the shelf. Blue tagged items are 75 percent o� ; designer fashions with an orange tag are 50 percent o� and items with red, yellow or green tags are 25 percent o� .

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Aug. 04 Tue Blake Noble • Australian Percussive Guitarist Bellevue Sq. Fountain CourtAug. 05 Wed Steve Bailey and the Blue Flames • Blues City Center PlazaAug. 06 Thu Longstride • Reggae, Rock & Groove Bellevue Connection

Aug. 11 Tue Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons • Folk Blues Bellevue Sq Fountain CourtAug. 12 Wed Brian Lee & the Orbiters • Blues The SummitAug. 13 Thu Emerald City Throwdown • Hits from the 60s to Today Bellevue Connection

Aug. 18 Tue Pat McHenry • Singer / Songwriter Bellevue Sq. Fountain CourtAug. 19 Wed Wild Rabbit • Indie Folk-Stomp Americana Ten20Aug. 20 Thu Rockaraoke • Live Band Karaoke Bellevue Connection

Aug. 25 Tue Million Dollar Nile • Eco-Bluegrass Bellevue Sq. Fountain CourtAug. 26 Wed Ian McFeron Band • Americana / Folk Rock / Pop City Center PlazaAug. 27 Thu Adrian Xavier • World Reggae Bellevue Connection

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story from NPR cited a study by the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, which found that over the course of � ve seasons, less than 3 percent of roles in Broadway productions went to Asian-Amer-ican actors. Great Wall confronts this problem head on, both in its premise and in the very fact of its production.

Great Wall will run Aug. 6-9 in Issaquah and Aug. 15-16 in Everett.

Great Wall — a show by Kevin So and Kevin Merrit with creative input from M. Butter� y's David Henry Hwang — which last made an ap-pearance at the festival in 2012 and has appeared in development at nine other festivals and venues across the country. Village � eatre is opening up the staging of Great Wall to the general public, at $25 for adults and $20 for children and seniors.

Here's the premise, from the description in Village � eatre's an-nouncement:

It’s a long shot for Kevin to become an Asian-American rock star, but that’s exactly what he’s reaching for as he struggles to smash glass ceilings and become America’s new sensation. But a� er the sudden death of his father, a clash of family and cultural expecta-tions force him to choose between supporting his family and pursuing

stardom. Full of soulful melodies, this bold new musical takes a fresh and honest look at the American dream, examining the choices we make, the risks we take, and the relationships that make it all worthwhile.

Pretty cool, right? Despite breakout hits like 1988 Tony Award winner M. Butter� y, it's an open secret that Asians and Paci� c Island-ers are generally underrepresented in the performing arts. One 2012

It's an exciting time to be a Northwest theater geek. In mid-July, 5th Avenue an-

nounced the lineup for its inaugu-ral NextFest program for musicals under development, rattling o� a list of nine shows that included a WWII period drama about a master art forger, an adaptation of a classic Ray Bradbury novel and a murder mystery in a world where clowns are an ethnicity.

� e bad news? You won't be able to see any of these shows unless and until they're � nished -- at least, not unless you're willing to drop $2,500 on a donation to join the theater's prestigious Artist's Circle.

� at's also largely true for the Village � eatre's Festival of New Musicals, which announced its six-show lineup earlier today (although Village Originals memberships, starting at $150 for donors who want to attend the festival, are just a wee bit easier on the wallet for your average Joe Drama Nerd).

Five of the festival's shows — pre-sented as gussied-up stage readings of the scripts — will be closed o� to everyone but professionals and Originals members who will be tasked with providing feedback on what they did and didn't like about the infant productions.

But that won't be the case for


by Daniel Nash

The title page of the production draft of ‘Great Wall,’ shared to the musical’s Facebook page July 23. | Photo credit: ‘Great Wall - Musical’ on Facebook.com

Village Theatre opens up developing show Great Wall to the general public for its Festival of New Musicals

Tear down this wall


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Tommy DavidsonConversations with Funny People

Interview by Keegan Prosser

If you had to describe your act in two words, what would they be?

TOMMY DAVIDSON: Fan. Tastic.

What inspires your comedy?

DAVIDSON: Just everyday life. I’ve been blessed to see the funny in everything — I can see funny where people don’t see it.

You’re known for doing some great impressions, including ones of President Obama and Sammy Davis Jr. What’s your favorite?

DAVIDSON: Right now, it’s Obama, because he is so current. But I switch between them at di� erent times.

You’ve been doing this for several years; has your humor changed over the years? And how so?

DAVIDSON: I wouldn’t say my humor has changed, but I go in more directions. I have more skills in doing standup.

You have your hand in a lot of di� erent things; cartoons, movies, videos, standup? What’s your favorite thing to do, and why?

DAVIDSON: I love them all like my kids, but they are all di� erent. I love them each for di� erent reasons. I would say singing, that’d probably surprise you the most. Singing makes me feel good. And I’ve been doing that since I was a kid.

Do you have any musical projects in the works?

DAVIDSON: Not anything soon, but I’m always working on music.

� e In Living Color reboot was cancelled early in 2013. Can you speak to how you felt when you heard that?

DAVIDSON: What I would say is that Keenan [Ivory Wayans] is not ready. He’s very, very smart. When he’s ready, it will be unveiled.

What can fans expect form your standup act right now?

DAVIDSON: I talk about people. White people, black people, Hispanic people, Caribbean people — all types of people. I go o� in a lot of directions about people — don’t ask me how I got there. I just did [laughs].

Last question: Pop culture website TMZ has caught some funny moments of you in L.A. driving some pretty beat up cars. So what are you driving these days?

DAVIDSON: A ‘63 Dodge Dart.

Is that a new purchase? Or something you’ve had for awhile?

DAVIDSON: I’d say that’s a new purchase. I love that car.

Tommy Davidson performs at Parlor Live Comedy Club August 20-21.

� is article originally ran in the August 2013 issue of � e Eastside Scene, then published as � e Bellevue Scene. Keegan Prosser is the former assistant editor of � e Bellevue Scene. She is currently a sta� writer for Reel-World Productions, a global radio company that began in a one-bedroom Seattle apartment in 1994. In 2011, ReelWorld’s European headquarters opened in London and relocated to MediaCityUK in 2013.

An original cast member of In Living Color, (1990-1994) Tommy Davidson — along

with cast members Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and Damon Wayans — built a legacy of laughs for their ground break ing and inno v-a tive comedic talents. And in the years since, Davidson has continued the tradition.

In addition to perfecting hilar i ous impres-sions of Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jack-son and President Obama, Davidson has released three Show time specials: On Strength of New York, Illin’ in Philly and Ta-kin’ it to DC.

On the big screen, Davidson has starred in � lms including Strictly Busi ness, Booty Call, Bamboozled and Ace Ven tura II: When Na-ture Calls. Davidson has also lent his voice to the Adult Swim show Black Dynamite and Bruce W. Smith’s ani mated series, The Proud Family.

The Eastside Scene caught up with David-son (to talk politics and such) in advance of his headlining shows at the Parlor Live:

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theEastside Scene - AUGUST 2015