(FROM LEFT) Greg Bowers photographs Clement Reid in a historical part of Chengdu, China in March, 2007. Looking on is a local interpretor and Greg Youtz. The three PLU composers (along with David Robbins) were in China for an exchange concert. (PHOTO BY KAREN ROBBINS)
A group of local musicians, dancers, students and teachers are off to China for two weeks as part of an annual Pacific Lutheran University program. PLU has been sending students to Sichuan Conservatory in Chengu to study language and culture for 27 years now, and the program has also allowed Chinese composers to visit and premiere works in Tacoma.

Who's on the tour this year? PLU's wind and jazz ensembles, who will visit Beijing, Shanghai & Xi'an, perform on the Great Wall, give a goodwill concert in the earthquake-damaged village of Dujjangyan, and give a jazz clinic in Chengdu. They will premier a work by PLU composer Greg Youtz, who will accompany the group, and a recent composition by PLU jazz director David Joyner.

Also going to China is dancer and choreographer Robin Jaecklein, who teaches dance at the School of the Arts. Jaecklein is excited about the tour, saying she'll come back with lots of extra ideas for her curriculum at SOTA.

The group is spending the next few days in Beijing. Stay tuned for update emails from Greg Youtz.

Tacoma's newest public art, "Fluent Steps," by Martin Blank at the Museum of Glass (Photo by Janet Jensen, The News Tribune)

Seems like just a few months ago we were reporting Tacoma's inclusion in a national magazine for being a hip place to be. Now we're back on the list -- for the top 25 arts cities for American Style magazine.

The mag, which covers art, culture and travel from the collector's point of view, lists its city picks annually in three divisions. In the mid-size-city division, Tacoma came in at number 13, beating out St. Louis, MO and Athens, GA. Buffalo, NY headed the list. In the big city division, Seattle came 7th and Portland 11th, while New York, NY came top (no surprise there) and Santa Fe clocked in at the top of small cities (also no surprise.)

Way to go, Tacoma!
www.americanstyle.com

Actors in last year's DoubleShot Overnight Play Festival. Photo courtesy Northwest Playwrights' Alliance.

Double Shot Festival of Overnight Plays
It’s on again–the annual scramble for local playwrights to create a short play overnight and local directors and actors to get it ready in 12 hours. Each play gets two showings, then it all starts again for the next night. 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. $16/$8 students and seniors. Norton Clapp Theater, Jones Hall, University of Puget Sound, North 15th and Warner Streets, Tacoma. www.northwestplaywrights.org

Neddy Finalists at Tacoma Art Museum
The annual Neddy Award finalists’ exhibition begins at Tacoma Art Museum this weekend. Included are painters Tim Cross, Eric Elliott, Gary Faigin, and Lynda Lowe, and glass artists Benjamin Moore, April Surgent, Joey Kirkpatrick/Flora Mace and Jenny Knowles/Sabrina Pohlman. Opens tomorrow through Oct. 4, winners announced June 6. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. third Thursdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma. $7.50/$6.50/under-five and third Thursdays free. 253-272-4258, www.tacomaartmuseum.org

Museum of Glass shows off its collection
Just opened, “Incoming” shows work from the museum’s newly-begun permanent collection. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. third Thursdays through 2010. $10/$8/$4/under-six and third Thursdays free. 1801 Dock St., Tacoma. 866-4-MUSEUM, www.museumofglass.org

Northwest Folklife Festival
There’s folk dancing, world music, jam sessions and every imaginable kind of instrument at the 38th Northwest Folklife Festival. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. today through Monday. Admission by donation. Seattle Center, Seattle. 206-684-7300, www.nwfolklife.org

Theatre Northwest, Tacoma's newest professional company, is back at Theatre on the Square with "Educating Rita" this weekend and next. I saw last Friday's opening, and here's what I thought.

For a two-person play, the Theatre Northwest production of “Educating Rita” made a fine solo show. Despite excellent production values and mostly good direction, the acting was intensely lopsided, resulting in a play that was only half as enjoyable as it could have been.

This 1980 reversal of the Pygmalion myth is now standard repertoire, and deservedly—it’s a good story. Working-class but smart (and brutally honest) hairdresser Rita takes literature lessons from disillusioned, alcoholic professor Frank, and as her star rises, his falls, with everyone’s prejudices dissected en route.

As Rita, Casi Wilkerson began rather too caffeinatedly nervous, but engaging nevertheless. After the first few scenes she hit her stride: direct, funny, likeable, passionate. Holding up through Willy Russell’s rather self-conscious lines she delivered with conviction, including great timing on the academic jokes (Frank: “Have you seen Chekov in the theater?” Rita: “No, does he go?”) But it must have been a hard slog through the play’s three hours with so little support from Steve Manning, who played a Frank so sunk in depression as to be near-catatonic. Gruff and grumpy, Frank was boring as well as bored, taking his phlegmatic time with responses and stumbling over several lines.

It’s a pity, as the dynamic intensity between these two opposing yet attracting characters is what sustains the play through its length. But instead of edgy flirtation and tension, there was tedium. Only in the pivotal drunk scene did Manning pull out the stops, before losing the tension again. Director Charlotte Tiencken, who otherwise held a good brisk tempo, could have pulled Frank out from behind his desk and restrained some of Rita’s frantic to-ing and fro-ing.

On the other hand, “Rita” made lovely eye candy. Designer Kurt Walls and charge artist Kim Izenman created a beautiful Oxbridge don’s study, all tweed and faded red book covers, with a frieze of voluptuous Rubenesque women suggestively lit during scene changes. Costume designer Alex Lewington had a great time with the ever-more-enlightened Rita, garbing her in each scene with a fun array of ‘80s trash (love the red parachute jacket,) ‘70s hippie-peasant, late ‘70s Vogue (leather trench-coat) and a final ‘80s air-stewardess look for the finished, educated product. Only the endlessly trite matching of movements from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to each scene marred the excellent production quality.

After three hours of one-sided action and way too much cigarette smoke, the funny ending comes not a moment too soon. It also has to be asked whether this play, with all its English class angst, ‘80s education-crisis references and clunky philosophy, is the right choice for Tacoma at the moment. Yet Theatre Northwest’s “Educating Rita” is still enjoyable. Just focus on Rita.

Theatre Northwest's “Educating Rita” runs 7:30 p.m. May 22, 23, 29, 30; and 3 p.m. May 30 at Theatre on the Square, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. Tickets: $22/$34. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org

Tacoma Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Photo courtesy TSO.

Theatre Northwest is “Educating Rita”
Tacoma’s new theatre group presents the 1980 classic comedy of a disillusioned academic paired with a perky hairdresser. Opens 7:30 p.m. tonight, then 7:30 p.m. May 16, 22, 23, 29, 30; and 3 p.m. May 30. $22/$34. Theatre on the Square, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org

Tacoma Symphony Chorus sings Haydn’s “Creation”
This joyous 18th-century oratorio tells the creation story with piano, choir and archangel soloists. 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. Christ Church Episcopal, 310 N. K St., Tacoma. 253-272-7264, www.tacomasymphony.org

Giant Magnet (a.k.a. Seattle Children’s Festival)
The 10-year-old annual children’s arts fest comes to Tacoma with a global variety show featuring Kuniko Yamamoto, The Gentlemen of The Carolina Chocolate Drops and Friends and emcee Hacki Ginda. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $10-$15. Theatre on the Square, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 206-684-7338, www.giantmagnet.org

Third Thursday ArtWalk
This ArtWalk is the last one for The Helm Gallery, closing May 31. Also on show: gritty Tacoma at Fulcrum, bright abstracts at Mineral, the Zeitbike spoke art competition at Tacoma Art Museum and best of 100th Monkey art at Tacoma Art Place. 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Free. Fulcrum: 1308 MLK Jr. Way, 253-250-0520. Mineral: 301 Puyallup Ave, Space A, 253-250-7745. The Helm: 760 Broadway, 253-627-8845. Tacoma Art Museum: 1701 Pacific Ave., 253-272-4258. Tacoma Art Place: 1116 S. 11th St., 253-238-1006. www.artwalktacoma.com

Tacoma Art Museum has just put out a call for design solutions for the museum's plaza and perimeter, with a budget of $3 million, as part of a new five-year strategic plan for the museum. The plan calls for "a landmark civic space that enlivens downtown Tacoma."

So what needs fixing? According to TAM's press release, an increase of visibility via landscape, art and signage and a more welcoming entrance, plus a better connection between the parking lot (currently way down below the front door, accessed from a back street) and the museum entrance (currently achieved by a cold stairwell or very slow elevator.)

Apparently the strategic plan task force decided to reject plans offered by the building's architect Antoine Predock, instead sending out a community call.

Director Stephanie Stebich, chief curator Rock Hushka and members of the task force will conduct a walk-through for interested parties from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday May 18, and will answer specific questions. RSVPs are encouraged: plaza@TacomaArtMuseum.org. Interested parties are invited to visit the museum and experience the public spaces before submitting their design concepts.

Want to put in your two cents' worth? Visit the public online forum: http://TacomaArtMuseumPlaza.blogspot.com/

The Museum of Glass' new Mobile Hot Shop Truck. Photo: Kevin Young.

After two years of renting trucks to transport its mobile Hot Shop to schools, art fairs and the like, the Museum of Glass now has its very own Mobile Hot Shop Truck. The 36-foot truck holds two glassblowers, a commentator, raw glass, tools, workbenches, a small furnace, glory hole and annealer, plus a tent to shelter the artists as they demonstrate.

To celebrate, the new truck will be parked on the plaza outside the Museum this weekend from 6-8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, including outdoor Hot Shop presentations.

From the press release:
"The acquisition of this new truck, custom designed for the purpose of providing a state-of-the-art glassblowing demonstration, will allow the Mobile Hot Shop Team a more efficient mode of transportation, set-up and break-down. The eye-catching graphics on the truck promote the Museum of Glass and, by association, the Tacoma area as a cultural destination."

For more information, visit http://www.museumofglass.org/education/science-of-art/mobile-hot-shop

Phil Roach, "Points of Departure" at The Helm Gallery. Photo courtesy Sean Alexander.

The Helm Gallery is closing. For two years gallerists Sean Alexander and Peter Lynn have brought Tacoma some of the best, the funkiest, the hippest and the weirdest of local and national art--usually 2D, but some installations and sculpture. And now, as of May 31, the trip is over. Money has been tight for about a year for the commercial art space, and their lease is up.

"We're not that sad," says Alexander. "It's been a good learning process, and good to move on."

Alexander will be moving on to a new residence at Longbranch on the Key Peninsula, where he's going to work on his own art (fine-texture drawing) and create an artist residency program with fellow-artist Micah Tucker. Lynn plans to do more study, and look for a new job. Both men left their projectionist jobs at The Grand Cinema three months ago. They'll also collaborate again on their Squeak and Squawk indie music festival, held last year at The Helm and this year at multiple other venues.

To go out with a bang, The Helm will hold one last seven-day show featuring mixed-media artist Phil Roach (above), beginning with a reception next Thursday night. Roach's "Points of Departure" include luggage installations with fish-eye lenses to view dioramas constructed inside.

Says Alexander: "We didn't plan for our last show to be one of luggage. Sometimes that stuff works out funny."

"Points of Departure" opens 6-9 p.m. May 21, then by appointment through May 31. 760 Broadway, Tacoma. www.thehelmgallery.com

If you're down by the Pantages today, tomorrow and Thursday, you'll probably notice all the buses transporting thousands of schoolkids. They're downtown listening to the Tacoma Symphony's annual Simply Symphonic concerts.

So there's nothing particularly new about orchestras giving schools concerts, but the TSO's program is admirable in both academic reach and sheer size. Around 4,500 fifth-graders from 82 schools and 13 districts in the South Sound--up 12 per cent from last season--will hear the orchestra play Offenbach, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach and more this week. It's a program that recently won the TSO The 2009 Impact Award from The Nonprofit Center.

But as well as reaching so many kids, the orchestra's program does it in a way that both complements their school learning and gives them a taste for classical music. Classroom activities and a learning CD prepared by TSO conductor Harvey Felder link music to patterns and structure in math, architecture and poetry. Teachers also report that the classical concerts, which for many students are the only ones they've ever been to, also calm worries about deployed parents and uplift imaginations through the Pantages' beauty.

Says TSO executive director Andy Buelow: “These fifth grade students are among the most engaged audiences I’ve ever encountered. Nobody has told them yet what kinds of music they’re supposed to listen to and like, and they come...with open ears and minds.”

And all of this only costs each student $3: The rest of the $20 per-child cost is borne by sponsors and the TSO itself.

And if anyone thinks that classical music is for old folks over 35, think again. Here's what one student said from last year's concert:
"On our concert day I was really feeling kind of sad, but when I walked into the Pantages Theater, that frown turned upside down. The instruments looked strange to me. I’ve never seen some of them before. Mozart is my favorite composer and I loved the music that you played."

What's the next step? My suggestion is downloadable TSO tracks at www.tacomasymphony.org, and low-cost kids concerts open to the public, so parents can find out how cool it is too.

Congratulations to all local film crews who competed in The Grand Cinema's 72 Hour Film Fest, screening at the Rialto last Friday night. Over 400 people attended.

"It was a ton of fun and had easily our best quality films we’ve ever had," said director Philip Cowan. "They truly get better every year."

In this film competition, entrants must submit a five-minute-or-less DVD including various items specified at the start of the 72-hour filming period: a particular prop, action, line and situation.

Here are the winners of the various categories.

Best use of prop (a container): "The Coffee Table," by Ian Price, Scott Stone, Rhi Brunett

Best use of the situation (a misunderstanding): "Signal 4," by Scott Gribble

Best use of dialogue (the phrase “They don’t make ‘em like they used to”): "20 Seconds" by Bryan Johnson

Best use of required action (washing): "Line Curse" by Ryan Loiselle

Honorable Mention: "Bad Habits" by Terese Cuff

Best Film (by judges): "Calming Heads" by Jeff Alldridge and Michael Brantley

Audience Award: "The Coffee Table" by Ian Price, Scott Stone, Rhi Brunett

Nicholas Nyland, "Whiskers." Photo courtesy Lisa Kinoshita.

Two really fun shows are up at the moment in Tacoma galleries: worth seeing both for the skill level and the cheer-you-up factor.

At Mineral, Nicholas Nyland (who, BTW, lives in Lakewood, not Seattle, FYI Jen Graves) explodes his neon-bright paint splashes all over Lisa Kinoshita's hot-orange walls with child-like glee in "Objects of the Mind." His signature short brush strokes create an abstract pattern that's vaguely reminiscent of water, or textiles, or SOMETHING. In fact, as Nyland puts it, he likes abstraction for the very reason that it is "generous and capacious, able to absorb and then release a multitude of references. In my case, references as disparate as Chinese scholar’s stones, Japanese gardens, early American decorative traditions, or seventies design."

From huge deer antlers hang sails of triangular painted card, like a hippie peace banner. On the surfaces sit papier-mache blobs, thick with paint and thumbprints, like faceless but friendly deep-sea creatures. On the countertop is "Whiskers" (above), a homely squished box sprouting spiky tendrils striped in Fourth of July firework colors. Best of all, on the floor, is a papier-mache firepit, complete with scrunched edges and comforting pinks, yellows and oranges inside.

Dombrosky and Eakins, "Wreath." Photo: Marc Dombrosky and Shannon Eakins.

Over at Fulcrum, the aesthetic turns gritty and ironic. Marc Dombrosky and Shannon Eakins, that unbeatable team, have created the Tacoma exhibition sans pareil: "Phantasm Chasm." Delicate blown glass vessels become terrariums for invasive species like blackberry and holly. On the wall, a wreath of workmen's gloves scooped up from the gutters in the Port of Tacoma share space with a bullet-riddled portrait of John Allen Muhammad, the Washington D.C. sniper, made at the Bullseye range with the exact type of gun his colleague John Lee Malvo stole from Bullseye for the attacks.

Dombrosky's hand-sewn Scout patches of Tacoma icons (giant Pacific octopus, cyclist falling over potholes) are gorgeous (gallerist Oliver Doriss is planning a second edition) and lined up on a shelf made from a Murray Morgan Bridge plank are glass chalices, each made by a Tacoma glassblower in their own style, containing a brilliantly blue embroidered betta fish. You know, the kind that fight to the death if they live in the same space. The ironic title? "Beautiful Males."

Dombrosky and Eakins, "Beautiful Males". Photo: Marc Dombrosky and Shannon Eakins.

"Phantasm Chasm" shows at Fulcrum Gallery noon-6 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through May 31. 1308 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma. 253-250-0250, fulcrum.oliverdoriss.com

"Objects of the Mind" shows at Mineral art space noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through June 16. 301 Puyallup Ave. Space A, Tacoma. 253-250-7745, www.lisakinoshita.com

Belly dancer Natalya (a.k.a. Nalini) will swivel those hips at The Horatio's Cabaret Night at The Harmon Hub next Thursday.

Swing, flip and spin with Do Jump!
Portland’s aerial dance troupe Do Jump! mixes acrobatics with extreme physical theater and whimsical social commentary. 7:30 p.m. tonight. $26, $36, $49. Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org

Choral Union sings at PLU
The choir’s spring concert features spring-themed works by Brahms, Dello Joio and director Richard Nance, among many others. 8 p.m. tomorrow. Lagerquist Hall, 12180 Park Ave. S., Tacoma. 253-535-7602, www.pluchoralunion.org

Come to the cabaret at The Hub
Opera singing, juggling, parody and sultry Russian belly dancer Natalya—who could ask for more? It’s all at a cabaret night at The Hub, produced by The Horatio theater company. 7:30 p.m. May 14 and 21. $30 buys food and show. 21 and over. The Harmon Hub, 203 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma. www.thehoratio.com, www.brownpapertickets.com

Textiles, clay and photography at Impromptu
There’s new work on show at the Grand Impromptu Gallery: Photographer Peter Serko sees Tacoma through a misty lens, textile artist Faith Hagenhofer fills drawers with tangled yarn, and Heather Cornelius gives women real curves. 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, 12-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2-6 p.m. Sundays through May 30. Free. 608 S. Fawcett St., Tacoma. 253-572-9232, www.grandimpromptugallery.com

Well, after England has just made waves by voting in its first gay woman Poet Laureate, Tacoma is countering with its first spoken-word Laureate. Antonio Edwards was announced as the second Urban Grace Poet Laureate of Tacoma last Thursday night at a reading at UPS. The position was inaugurated last year by the downtown church to promote Tacoma's poetry community, and involves giving workshops and readings both at the church and other venues. Edwards takes the mantle from UPS English professor William Kupinse. An honorable mention went to Brittany Short.

Edwards, born in Brooklyn of Puerto Rican and German descent, is well-known around town as a spoken-word poet, performing at venues from Theater on the Square to the Pantages to local schools and libraries. He's an engaging man, full of smiles but not pulling punches when it comes to political and social issues. His poetry is charged, immediate, the rhymes and rhythms bouncing around like a breakdancer, with wordplays and Tacoma references scattered like coffee beans.

Via Edwards, Tacoma seems to be reinventing the whole Laureate thing. Usually this post has connotations of stuffy odes on monarch's birthdays. But Edwards, who says he uses poetry to break up fights at bus stops, intends to take poetry back to the urban community, to have more shows in different venues, and show kids that the pen is way mightier than the gun, so to speak.

"If you have a beef with someone, if you have a political agenda, it's more digestible in a poem. People tend to listen more," says Edwards. He's also planning to focus on the performance part of poetry.

But Tacoma's poetry scene is bigger than Edwards and the Poet Laureateship. Three recent poetry books and one to come, a sackful of open mics and readings, even letterpress bookmarks from the UPS library - it's all here. You can find out all about it in my story this Sunday in Soundlife.

Wanna buy pottery and support students at the same time? The Tacoma Community College Clay Club is holding its annual Pottery Sale in TCC's The Gallery this week. A portion of sales will benefit TCC art scholarships and Clay Club activities. Purchases can be made by cash, check or credit card.

Opening reception: 5-8 p.m. Thursday May 7. Then, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 8 and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 9.

Also up at The Gallery through May 8 is a Feminist Art Exhibition, an enormous group show featuring work by 43 local artists (most female) including C.J. Swanson, Agnes McLin, Jessica Spring, Bea Geller and more.

The Gallery is in building 5B, just off the parking lot at the corner of South 12th and South Mildred Streets, Tacoma. 253-460-4306, www.tacomacc.edu/thegallery

The clock's ticking: 30 Tacoma film crews have around 60 more hours to create a five-minute film for The Grand Cinema's annual 72 Hour Film Competition. Around 80 folks showed up to The Grand at 7 p.m. last night to get instructions and the mandatory elements that every film has to include (but that are only announced at the start of the 72 hours.) This year, films have to include a misunderstanding, some sort of container, the action of washing, and the line "They don't make 'em like they used to." No obscenities, five minutes max (including credits) and DVD format only. Entries will be screened at the Festival next Friday night at the Rialto, where they will be judged and awarded prizes.

As Grand director Philip Cowan finished the announcements, teams strode away, looking determined. The film crowd was mostly of the geeky, post-college, men-in-their-30s type, and Cowan said that most were competition veterans.

Two women, however, made up a newbie team: Kat Ogden and Vonda N. McIntyre. Did they come, as many crews do, with a prepackaged film, just waiting to find out what mandatory elements they had to squeeze into it?

"No," said McIntyre. "That's not really the spirit of it."

Are they planning to spend the next three nights caffeinated and sleepless, roaming Tacoma with cameras and increasing panic?

"No," says Ogden. "I'd like to pace it evenly. I'd like to have fun, this weekend!"

The films are due 7 p.m. Sunday back at The Grand. So if you see some harassed people wandering around town with cameras, take pity. You might even get your face on the big screen.

The 72 Hour Film Competition screens 7 p.m. Friday May 8 at the Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9th St., Tacoma. Doors open 6 p.m. Concessions available. Audience gets to vote on one prize. Tickets $12/$10 non-members. DVDs of the night will be available for sale, and also at Click! On Demand.

Vocal quintet Chic Gamine sing at the Rialto Friday night. Photo courtesy Broadway Center.

Chic Gamine at the Rialto
Canadian vocal quintet and 2009 JUNO Award-winners Chic Gamine sing lush harmonies, bass and rhythm in styles that range from African to Brazilian and French Canadian folk, with just a solo percussionist alongside. 7:30 p.m. tonight. $28 and $39/$15 with food donation. Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9th St., Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org, www.myspace.com/chicgamine

Northwest Repertory Singers go local
For their final concert of the year, the NRS team up with local choirs (Emerald Ridge High School Concert Choir, Curtis High School A Cappella Choir) and local composer Tom Walworth to sing a program celebrating Northwest singers and composers. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. $18/$15/under-12 free. Mason United Methodist Church, 2710 N. Madison St., Tacoma. 253-572-4831, www.nwrs.org

Figaro gets married at Seattle Opera
The beloved “Marriage of Figaro” comes back to Seattle Opera, starring Oren Gradus, Christine Brandes, Mariusz Kwiecien and Twyla Robinson. 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, May 6, 8, 9, 13, 15; 2 p.m. May 3, 10 (family day $15 for under-18.) $15-$145. McCaw Hall, Seattle Center, Seattle. 800-426-1619, www.seattleopera.org

Choral Arts sings about new beginnings
In “Mornings Like This,”
Tacoma’s Choral Arts choir sings work by Corigliano, Tippett, and a premiere by William Averitt (composer in attendance) exploring themes of morning, childhood and renewal. 7 p.m. Saturday. $23/$18 advance, $25/$20 at door. Students free. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 North K Street,
Tacoma. 877-404-3369, www.choral-arts.org