What\'s Up

A quest nears its end

Kipp Robertson — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:17:41 +0000

I didn’t think this could happen, but I’m getting sick of eating tacos. At the same time though, I’m gaining a greater appreciation for well-made Mexican cuisine.
When I began this quest to find Kitsap’s best carne asada taco, I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for. I was still pretty fresh off an early summer trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, where I mostly avoided the tourist zone and dined with local families. Late one evening, some friends from the area took me to one of their favorite taco shops. It was after dark, but the place was still humming with life. We could smell the grill from a block away. The cooks were tossing new beef onto the fire every minute and pounding out fresh tortillas by the plateful.
We crowded around one of the patio tables and ordered what one of my friends who had never been to Mexico proclaimed to be the best taco she had ever eaten. When I bit into my own taco, I was reminded of all the tastes that make Mexican food special.
A couple of days later, some acquaintances in a neighboring town treated us to a home-cooked feast. Now my friend had a new candidate for the best Mexican food she’d ever tried.
When I got home and a few weeks later started looking for the best taco in Kitsap, the taste of those meals was still in my mind. And while some local restaurants do a great job of recreating the atmosphere of a taco stand in Mexico, very few can recreate the tastes of such a place. The difference, as I’ve said before, is the freshness of the ingredients. Homemade tortillas and fresh vegetables may be tasty, but they’re not practical for every restauranteur here in the States. And not every cook knows to let their ingredients speak for themselves, instead of drowning the flavors in the salsas and seasonings to which we’ve become all too accustomed.
For those reasons, I’m all the more pleased when I do find a place with fresh, flavorful ingredients. But those restaurants are very rare, so I’m somewhat relieved this project is rounding its final bend.
My next entry in this series will be my last. After a few more tastings, I’ll have my final recommendations for the best carne asada tacos in Kitsap, along with my reasons for picking them.

Do you have a story about how you found your favorite taco? Contact reporter Brian J. Olson at bolson@northkitsapherald.com.

The Taco Diaries: In a world of fast food, fresh is best

Kipp Robertson — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:17:48 +0000

I’ve come to a realization: It’s not all bad out there. It’s just mostly bad.
A conversation last week with a caterer reiterated a point I had touched on when I first began this quest for Kitsap’s best carne asada taco.
“Freshness is so key,” she told me as I polished off a handmade tortilla filled with homemade guacamole and salsa and hot-off-the-grill steak chunks.
I nodded in agreement, my cheeks puffed like a chipmunk’s, jaws working vigorously. She was absolutely right. Freshness makes all the difference when it comes to Mexican food. But we tend to value convenience over taste. Take for example fast food.
Earlier this week, for the first time in years, I entered a fast food Mexican restaurant of my own volition. As I plodded toward the counter like a steer at the stockyards, I started thinking. We don’t eat fast food because we love the taste. We dine out of desperation. We say, “I need something to fill my belly, and I need it five minutes ago. I’m hungry now, and I don’t have the time, energy or money to make something with nutrients or taste, or to have someone cook it for me.”
And so, with limited options, we end up at a counter in front of a dreary person in a funny hat, staring up at a reader board and ordering a number seven with a side of Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.
I realize this is just the way things are, but it’s not like we have to accept it. Given the choice between quick, salty, greasy food and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I made myself, I’ll gladly take the latter. It tastes and feels better. Likewise, given the choice between fast food and a taco that costs 50 cents more at a sit-down restaurant, I’ll happily thrown down the extra two quarters.
That being said, it’s not always easy to find sit-down food that won’t make you grimace. Before I choked down my three bites of fast food taco, I went to a family Mexican restaurant where the only authentic part was the staff. I had to stop myself from asking the waiter how he could serve soggy tacos piled with canned ingredients and preservatives that drown out the taste of the meat without feeling like he was making a mockery of his heritage.
There was nothing authentic about that dish because there was nothing fresh about it. I’ll say it again: Freshness is the key to good Mexican food. Even if it’s something as simple as a carne asada taco. I’ve still got about a dozen restaurants left to visit. I’m optimistic that at least a few of them will value fresh ingredients over convenience.

How does fast food stack up against homemade tacos? Tell Brian what you think. Contact reporter Brian J. Olson at bolson@northkitsapherald.com.

The Taco Diaries: 5 restaurants down, some good, some bad

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:52:38 +0000

Let me begin by saying I’ve been surprised — both pleasantly and unpleasantly — in the last couple of days.
On the plus side, I received numerous emails and comments over the weekend from people interested in this search for Kitsap’s best taco. That’s very heartening for me, to know that people are reading and taking this as seriously as I am. Some of those comments have included recommendations. I thought I knew of every Mexican restaurant in the county, but I’ve learned of a few new ones through the emails I received. I intend to do a thorough job by visiting each of those restaurants.
I’ve found some very tasty tacos thus far, and I hope that trend continues as I move throughout the county.
On the other hand, though, I was disappointed by a recent taco tasting. I want to save my final evaluations for the end of this project, so I won’t say just yet which taco let me down. But I will say that I’ve visited five restaurants thus far, all in Poulsbo. And they are, in chronological order: El Huarache, Los Cazadores, Casa Luna, Los Cabos and Casa Rojas Express.
The plan is to continue expanding my search outside of Poulsbo, most likely visiting Kingston and Silverdale this week and moving outward from there.
¡Suerte!

Have a favorite taco place? Contact reporter Brian J. Olson at bolson@northkitsapherald.com.

The Taco Diaries | Three restaurants in and counting

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:00:49 +0000

As this taco quest gets off the ground, here are a few things I’m noticing.
Fresh meat is not as hard to find as I thought it would be, but fresh tortillas are. Fresh vegetables and salsas are hit-and-miss. Some places have them, some don’t.
I’m only three restaurants in as I write this, but I’ve also seen pretty steady prices. At each place I’ve visited, tacos de asada range from about $2 to $2.50 each. That’s a bit more than you’d pay in Mexico, but not a bad bargain for a meal this side of Tijuana.
I’d also like to say a few words about my motivation for writing this piece. A couple of weeks ago, a co-worker noted the lack of variety in foreign cuisine in Kitsap. He also noted the abundance of Mexican restaurants in relation to other types of food.
Being pickier than most when it comes to Mexican food, I started to wonder how many of those Mexican restaurants were actually worth eating at, and how many were just taking up space that would be better filled by, say, an Indian restaurant or a Turkish delight joint.
I realized I hadn’t visited the majority of Mexican restaurants in Kitsap that lie outside my daily commute, so I couldn’t judge most of them. And I realized my experience with Mexican food in the States, though sub-par, had not been wide-ranging enough to allow for a sound judgement. I also hoped I would find some bright spots that I could look forward to eating at more often in the future and recommend to friends. That’s what I will continue to search for in the coming weeks.

Reporter Brian J. Olson, when not on his search for Kitsap’s best taco, can be reached at bolson@northkitsapherald.com.

The search for Kitsap’s BEST taco begins

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:09:25 +0000

I’m on a quest to find the best tacos in Kitsap County.
I don’t expect it to be easy. The American interpretation of Mexican food is usually a cheap forgery of what you find south of the border. Most Mexican restaurants in the U.S. serve tacos with over-salted meat, old vegetables, mass-produced tortillas and some type of weak salsa.
The first time I went to Mexico, six years ago for a two-week stay in the hills outside of Ensenada, I was amazed by the food. Everywhere I went, the tacos were delicious. There didn’t seem to be any bad taco stands (except for the ones that sent me to the toilet for a couple hours at a time, but even those had tasty food).
I’ve been back to Mexico four more times since then, including one afternoon last summer when I drove down to Rosarito from San Diego for the sole purpose of enjoying a few tacos on the beach.
Prior to my first trip, I had heard people in my Spanish classes at college poke fun at Azteca. I couldn’t understand it. I thought Azteca was fine. Now I only eat there when other people force me to.
There are rare places in Kitsap, though, that use fresh ingredients in their tacos, which makes an enormous difference. I plan to find the best of those places over the next few weeks. Every day, I’ll visit at least one of the 20 or so Mexican restaurants in Kitsap (franchises count as one restaurant, I don’t need to be redundant and visit each individual branch). I’m not going to taste every item on every menu. I’ll stick with the most accurate indicator of a good Mexican restaurant: the tacos de asada. Every taco stand and restaurant in Mexico has carne asada tacos. It’s the simplest, most popular dish, and it’s something that every restaurant calling itself Mexican should know how to do well.
Because vegetables and salsas are also important parts of the taco experience, I plan to garnish each taco with at least the basic toppings. After all, a taco with fresh beef is worthless if the salsa is watery or the lettuce is limp.

I’ll begin my search Monday, Aug. 2, at El Huarache and Taqueria Los Cazadores, near my office in Poulsbo. I plan to update this blog every few days, with brief bits of info about each restaurant I visit. Until then, buen provecho!

North Kitsap Herald reporter Brian J. Olson is on the hunt for Kitsap’s best taco. Reach him at bolson@northkitsapherald.com.

‘Life is a cabaret’ at Ovation! Musical Theatre

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:23:56 +0000

Here are a few stills from Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbridge’s current production of “Cabaret.” This weekend is your last chance to catch the dazzly musical: It runs at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, July 30-31, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1. Here’s a snippet from a piece What’s Up put together earlier this month, talking with director Ron Milton:

“I like the audience to realize they’re in the theater, I like them to feel the sweat from the performers,” he said. “Theater holds a crowning place in entertainment in that you can never recapture the ephemeral feeling of theater, because no two performances are quite alike.”

Enjoy the show. WU

(Photos courtesy Ovation! Musical Theatre Bainbride.)

Kitsap Pride festival: ‘One world, one heart, one pride’

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:19:43 +0000

The annual Kitsap Pride festival will celebrate the county’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally community in Bremerton’s Evergreen Park this Saturday, July 17. A marketplace of local vendors and community organizations, a kids’ bouncy house and “Cirque de la Queer” for teens (from The Q Center) will run from noon to 5 p.m. The Jbaum Band plays at 1 p.m., dueling pianos are fired up at 2:20 p.m. and Boy Blue and The Moon play at 4 p.m. In between, two drag shows take the stage, at 2 p.m. and 3:10 p.m. Later on, a Pride Party will be held at the Bremerton Eagles. Learn more at kitsappride.org.

Setting records, celebrating history at Kitsap theaters

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:49:59 +0000

It’s been a big few days at movie houses, with the controversial opening of cult favorite “The Last Airbender” and the descent of thousands of teenage girls crying battle between vampire and werewolf at “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” midnight premieres.
One of Kitsap’s smaller cinemas, The Historic Lynwood Theatre on Bainbridge Island, is marking its 74th anniversary this Monday, July 5, with a performance from house organist Dennis James and a showing of Cecile B. DeMille’s 1927 silent “Chicago,” starring Phyllis Haver and Victor Varconi.
“This film has been out of print for many years and it’s a rare treat in this day and age to experience film accompanied by a live organist,” said Jeff Brein, co-owner of the Lynwood Theatre, in a press release.
The Lynwood opened in 1936.
Showtimes are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $12. Info: (206) 842-3080. Find the Lynwood at 4569 Lynwood Center Road.
This weekend, Kingston’s Firehouse Theater shows Hal Ashby’s “Harold and Maude” at 11:15 p.m. Saturday, July 3, and Sunday, July 4. If you haven’t seen the film, here’s a synopsis from the Firehouse:

In a broad sense, the film is a simple love story about how opposites attract — only, this time around, he’s 19 and she’s 79. Harold, played with deadpan humor by Bud Cort (M*A*S*H), is under extreme pressure from his overbearing mother, Mrs. Chasen (Vivian Pickles, in a performance that is a sheer delight), to enter the dating world. Unfortunately, the shy and morose Harold would rather spend his time attending the funerals of complete strangers. It is at one of these where he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), who has the spunk and energy of a teenager. Maude is convinced that Harold needs to come out of his shell and enjoy life, so she brings him into hers. The taboo relationship between Harold and Maude, created by screenwriter Colin Higgins, embodied the spirit of an experimental generation guided by the mantra “If it feels good, do it.” The love affair between the film’s two eccentrics remains one of Hollywood’s most unexpected, but tender, romances. WU

Valentines Performing Pigs ‘hamming it up’ during Fathoms O’ Fun

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:07:36 +0000

Valentines Performing Pigs will skateboard, jump hoops and bowl at the gazebo in the Commons off Bay Street in Port Orchard at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 27, during the town’s Fathoms O’ Fun celebration. Trainers Steve and Priscilla Valentine, of Gig Harbor, have raised a handful of pigs, including Nellie, billed both as the world’s “smartest” and “greatest” pig. They’ve been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, Late Night with David Letterman, Oprah, The Today Show and Animal Planet, to name a few. The pigs live with the Valentines, and enjoy human comforts, such as their own beds, according to the website. Here’s a link to several features on the snouted performers and their trainers. Check out this video, in which Nellie bowls at the Letterman show while Dave jokes about BLTs. (For more on Fathoms O’ Fun, look here; read about this weekend’s Street Scramble in Port Orchard here.) WU

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … the Sledge-O-Matic?

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:08:26 +0000

If you haven’t heard, funnyman Gallagher is bringing his political comentary and splashy show to the Admiral June 24. Learn more about it here, or visit the Admiral’s website.

Here’s a clip to tie you over until his performance. It looks … messy, and that’s some wild and crazy hair. WU

Clearwater poker tournament: An update

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:07:47 +0000

Thought I’d share a quick update on our local poker players, many of whom faced off at the Clearwater Casino for a bid to the Main Event at the World Series of Poker in Vegas next month. (See last week’s feature on the competition here.) I received this email from April Leigh, the casino’s media coordinator. She wrote this:

Quick Facts: 161 people entered the tournament. The top 16 finishers were paid. Payouts for the top 16 players totaled more than $33,000. In addition, Judy Vigoren (who was featured in the What’s Up story for winning a spot in the senior event) was also in this tournament. She took 5^th place (that means she beat out 156 other people and was the only woman at the final table). The tournament lasted approximately 12 hours. It started at 11am and the last hand was dealt at 11:15pm.

Hats off to Judy, who has only been playing poker for a few years and seems to be quite the natural. The photo below shows the event’s winner, Rick Larsen, who gets to compete in Vegas in July. The second gives you an idea of just how packed Clearwater’s poker room gets when a ticket to the Main Event is on the line. WU

Raising funds, rousing laughs

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:07:44 +0000

An old-fashioned BBQ, a raffle and a mini-auction ring in the 4th annual family-friendly Theatre School benefit fundraiser at Bainbridge Performing Arts, which takes place at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 18. The fundraiser boasts some good entertainment too: The Edge Improve will perform, and kids in the audience are invited to join in their fun.
Tickets, $35 for adults and $20 for kids 18 and under, can be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at (206) 842-8569 or in person at 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island. Currently enrolled BPA Theatre School students get in free when accompanied by a paying adult.

BCT breaks ground, Hi-Fidelity Lounge hosts 15 music acts in FIVE days

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:42:27 +0000

Congrats to the Bremerton Community Theatre, 599 Lebo Blvd., Bremerton, which broke ground on its new Robert B. Stewart Performance Hall this past weekend. The new hall, which will be built with funds from its benefactor namesake, will be a black box second stage to the theater’s main stage. Stewart is a long time Bremerton resident and founder of the original Olympic Savings and Loan. He donated $250,000 to the theater — enough to also provide a wider array of services, events and programs. We’ll keep you updated as to when the wing will be complete. (Also, stop by and watch “Cactus Flower,” why not?)

Update: Judy Nichols, the theater’s president, said she anticipates the black box will be up and running by May 2011.

Tonight marks the start of a whirlwind music series at the Hi-Fidelity Lounge, 2711 6th Street, Bremerton. Adam Arcuragi, Shenandoah Davis and Buffalo Death Beam kick off a 5-night, 15-act marathon for the lounge. Cost for tonight’s show is $5, must be 21+. Starting tomorrow night, all concert proceeds will benefit the lounge’s music program, which hopes to continue providing live shows. Here’s the lineup, beginning Thursday, June 10:

Thursday, June 10 – The Ray Ohls Jazz Trio
Friday, June 11 – Sightseer, Control Keys
Saturday, June 12 – Miss Missery, Esmerelda Strange, Letters Make Music, The Masques
Sunday, June 13 – Mason Reed, Gentry Lange, Gina Belliveau, and the Boy in Blue

Cost is $8 per night, or $25 for all four days. Learn more about the events at the lounge’s website. WU

What’s hanging in local galleries this month

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:31:30 +0000

‘Precious Arbor’ at Gallery at Grace

Elizabeth Reed Smith shows “Precious Arbor,” works that include trees engraved into copper, silverpoint drawings and mixed media with gold leaf, through the month at The Gallery at Grace, 8595 NE Day Road, Bainbridge Island.
“I have always been intrigued by the way the structure of a leaf allows it to fold against the weather and how shoots become saplings and, in turn, trees,” said Smith, in a press release. “This love of nature’s giants coupled with a fascination for the drawn line in the books of my English childhood led me to delineating trees in all their intricate detail.
“Nature is ever moving, the seasons dictate and trees change color and eventually, shape. My drawings too take different forms, sometimes drypoint engraving, sometimes the pristine copper plate. These changes of direction are always punctuated by a return to my first love, the fine line of pen and ink.”
Learn more by calling (206) 842-9997 or visiting elizabethsmithprints.com or gracehere.org.

Nature’s architecture at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts

Seashells, eggshells, and nutshells are Nature’s architecture. Bainbridge Arts and Crafts artists explore these portable homes as sculpture, painting, photography, and metaphor in an exhibition that runs through Tuesday, June 29. Visit www.bacart.org to learn more. Bainbridge Arts and Crafts is located at 151 Winslow Way E.

The Island Gallery goes to the Animals

Artists have long held a special relationship with other creatures on Earth, says The Island Gallery. Artists draw inspiration from the mystery, beauty and humor of animals, so much so The Island Gallery features an online exhibit of that very connection this month. Find it at www.theislandgallery.net/shop/.

Entertainment in brief (A few upcoming events to note)

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:30:50 +0000

Coplan talks women’s lit, Pennington makes a thrifty kitchen at eagle harbor books
Bainbridge Island author Elizabeth Coplan shares from “When One Door Closes,” a collection of true short stories and poems written by more than 50 women, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 17, at Eagle Harbor Book Company. The personal essays and poems in the book focus on turning points in one’s life, major decisions and big changes. It includes stories from women who have learned how to face transitions, to cope with loss, to forgive, to find love, and to let go, and in the final analysis the women discover their true selves and find peace within. Some proceeds will be distributed between five non-profit women’s agencies that assist women on global, national and local fronts. “Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen,” is a smart, concise guide to creating a full and delicious pantry. Find out more about it and author Amy Pennington when she presents at Eagle Harbor Book Company at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 13. “Urban Pantry” covers kitchen essentials and recipes that adapt old-fashioned pantry cooking for a modern audience. Pennington covers canning, pickling and food growing in small spaces.

Comedy Night
Get your dose of the best medicine around at a comedy night to raise funds for the Kitsap County Domestic Violence Task Force. Held at the Cloverleaf, 1240 Hollis Street, Bremerton, and hosted by “The Great Cris” and his funny friends, the show begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 12. Tickets cost $15. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the force, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a community free of domestic violence. Info: (360) 377-8516.

‘Summer Nights’ at the Admiral
Wildly popular film “Grease” will play at the Admiral Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 11. The 1978 flick stars a duck-tailed, leather-jacketed John Travolta as Danny and pop darling Olivia Newton-John as Sandy, who parlay their 1950s summer flirting into a clique-challenging romance. General admission is $7. Runtime: 110 min. Info: admiraltheatre.org. WU

National Trails Day (and other Great Outdoors adventures this weekend… )

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:28:37 +0000

Two National Trails Day events are slated for Kitsap this Saturday, June 5, a day the American Hiking Society hopes people use to explore the great outdoors. The grand opening of the Kallgren Addition trail at the Ted Olson Nature Preserve on Bainbridge Island begins at 11 a.m. Meet for festivities near the Winthers Road end. To learn more about the event, visit the Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District website, www.biparks.org. The Poulsbo Trails Committee will celebrate the day at the gazebo in Little Norway’s Waterfront Park, where participants can choose a 5K walk or 10K walk routed through the downtown area. The walk is free; participants must register at the gazebo by 9:30 a.m. Maps will be available. The event is co-hosted by the Kitsap Volksporters, an outdoor walking club.

Also this weekend…

Bainbridge planetarium show explores the Milky Way
Take a look at all the planets in the Milky Way at the Ritchie Observatory, which will host “The Dwarfs and the Seven Planets” at 9 p.m. Saturday, June 5. The show is free. In June, all planets are visible from Earth during a single night. The planetarium will take an accelerated look at them and a couple dwarf planets. The program will take a look at Venus, the evening star, Mars, Saturn, the dwarfs Ceres and Pluto, Neptune, Jupiter, Uranus and Mercury, which shows in the sky just an hour before sunrise. Astronomers will take questions throughout the show. If the sky is clear, they will provide telescopes so visitors can take a look at the real objects.
The Battle Point Astronomical Association is a non-profit amateur astronomy organization that operates the Edwin E. Ritchie Observatory and John H. Rudolph Planetarium in the Helix House at Battle Point Park, Bainbridge Island. Information: www.bpastro.org or (206) 842-9152.

Kidimu Grand Reopening
The Kids Discovery Museum on Bainbridge Island will host a grand reopening at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 5. The museum broke ground on its new Island Gateway Development location in 2009. Visitors are welcome to the ceremony, and to hear music by The Not-Its and a Marimba band. The museum will stay opening until 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for general public and free for members and children younger than 1. Military discounts are also available. Info: www.kidimu.org.

And the 28th annual Medieval Faire sweeps through Port Gamble this Saturday and Sunday, June 5-6. The event is a study and re-creation of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, full of jousting, jesting and merry-making with the Society for Creative Anachronisms. Events will run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. See costumed squires, knights, artisans and ladies and shop for adornments and refreshments on the mill town’s rolling green lawn. Info: www.kitsapmedievalfaire.org.

At the theater this weekend | Farce blooms onstage in Bremerton’s ‘Cactus Flower’ and improv comedy takes you to The Edge

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:27:46 +0000

Photo Credit: Kathy Berg

Abe Burrows’ farce of infidelities comes to the Bremerton Community Theatre, 599 Lebo Blvd., from June 4-27. The story follows philandering dentist Julian (Bruce Waterbury), who claims to be married to keep his mistresses from getting too attached. When fling Toni (Amy Anderson) demands he introduce her to his wedded wife, Julian must depend on spinster nurse Stephanie (Rhonda Romaine) to pull off a not-so-holy matrimonial ruse. Based on French comedy “Fleur de Cactus,” “Cactus Flower” debuted on Broadway in 1965, where it ran for nearly three years. Lauren Bacall originated the role of Stephanie. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Trina Williamson directs. To learn more, visit www.bremertoncommunitytheatre.org.

Also this weekend, improv comedy troupe The Edge will perform based on audience suggestions at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at Bainbridge Performing Arts. The Edge has been filling the island theater with humorous, on-the-spot antics for more than 16 years. “With all the problems we’re having these days it’s a pleasure to have an entertaining 90 minutes with these brilliant performers,” said one reviewer. The Edge was founded by players John Ellis and Frank Buxton. Belinda Fu is the newest member to join the troupe, which also includes Ken Ballenger, Cynthia Lair, Susan MacPherson, Bhama Roget, Andrew Shields, Matt Smith, Chris Soldevilla, and Matty Whitman. Tickets, $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, students, youth, military, and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at (206) 842-8569 or in person at 200 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island. Box office hours are 1-4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and one hour prior to each performance. The production has one 15-minute intermission and is suitable for all ages.

A very important date (so don’t be late)

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:00:03 +0000

Whether or not you liked Tim Burton’s take on the classic, here’s a weekend event you may enjoy: Poulsbo’s Galletta School of Dance is performing “Alice in Wonderland” at 7:30 p.m. this Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29, at the North Kitsap Auditorium. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for kids. Learn more about the show and school at www.gallettadance.com.

A note on Mike Herrera in South America, and the fanpires are stirring again…

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:31:02 +0000

Bremerton’s Mike Herrera announced he is embarking on a solo-act tour south of the border, heading to South America this August. The 17-year member of Left Coast three-piece punk band MxPx and rockabilly songsmith for Tumbledown will tour alongside FeelslikeFriday’s Jose Garzon.
“This trip is long overdue,” said Herrera, “and I can’t wait to share some new material with my South American friends and fans.” Learn more here.

In news of the more immortal kind, Bainbridge Cinemas is now selling tickets for a special midnight screening of “Twilight: Eclipse.” Doors open at 11 p.m. June 29. (Movie officially premieres June 30.) A ticket price of $25 gets you a small drink, small popcorn and one door prize ticket. All proceeds from the event benefit the Kitsap Regional Library Foundation.

Here, seagull seagull

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:43:57 +0000

This week I’m searching out the trick to a good seagull call in honor of South Kitsap’s upcoming Kitsap Harbor Festival. The event, which takes place at the Bremerton and Port Orchard waterfronts each Memorial Day weekend, includes plenty for the family to do. But I want to know, what makes a good seagull call?

As I set out on my search (look for the shiny golden epiphanic results of my quest in What’s Up next week), I’ll leave you with this, a video of a past seagull calling contest, which includes (after a brief commercial) some impressive vocals and lots of silly buffoonery, as any good contest should.

At the symphony

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:31:15 +0000

A quick note to you all this lovely Wednesday: The Bremerton Symphony Youth Orchestra is performing its season ender, aptly named “The End of the Beginning,” at 4 p.m. this Sunday, May 23, at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center. The cost is $5; to learn more, click here. For any of you who are or for those of you who know symphonic hopefuls, auditions for the orchestra are scheduled for June 5. Call the Bremerton Symphony Association for more information and to schedule an audition time: (360) 373-1722. And now you know!

Climb Every Mountain

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:16:25 +0000

As I head out for the weekend, over which I’ll visit the Kitsap Forest Theater and catch a preview of “The Sound of Music,” I receive a notice from the Kitsap Mountaineers. The Mountaineers are holding a special open house at the Kitsap Cabin, 3000 Seabeck Highway, Bremerton, to spread the word on their club’s various activities. From 6-9 p.m. Monday, May 17, learn from club leaders and members about the “hiking, scrambling, climbing, snowshoeing, sea kayaking, gear swap, theater camp, photography, conservation” and more the club has to offer. Maybe they can fit a little mountaintop singing in too? To learn more, visit kitsapmountaineers.org. See you later!

Upham, Blickenstaff bid farewell to Bainbridge orchestras

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 13 May 2010 21:32:04 +0000

Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra Director David Upham will lead his final performance this Sunday, May 16.

Sunday’s joint concert of the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra will be the last for respective musical directors David Upham and Reid Blickenstaff. Upham has been appointed Lecturer and Orchestra Director at the Univeristy of New Hampshire, and Blickenstaff has accepted a teaching and conducting position at the Shanghai American School, Pudong Campus, in Shanghai, China, according to a press release.
This weekend’s concert is also an entry in the annual collaborations between the two orchestras.
“The young musicians do a beautiful job, and the blend with the [Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra] produces a rich sound,” said symphony manager Dick Heine.
“A Musical Heritage” will show at The Island School, 8553 NE Day Road, Bainbridge Island on at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, students, youth, military, and teachers at 200 Madison Ave.

Wagfest, Robin Hobb come to Bainbridge

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:35:40 +0000

Full disclosure: The above is a picture of my dog. (Cute, right? OK, moving on.) For all you other dog owners out there, here’s an event with a scent your pup may appreciate:

Bainbridge Island’s Battle Point Park will host WagFest 2010 Sunday, May 16. The event is a PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap celebration of all things canine. The event raises money for PAWS pet retention programs (pet food bank and veterinary financial assistance fund) as well as its Hartstone spay/neuter fund. Fundraising teams compete for the coveted WagFest Cup and other prizes. Trophies and prizes are also up for grabs in a variety of contests throughout the day (costume, talent, look-alike, and tail-wagging). Demonstrations will include the Olympic Disc Dogs, canine cops, BeauJes dog training, and more, including Newfie-pulled wagon rides for kids. More info: www.pawsbainbridge.org.

Also: Acclaimed best-selling fantasy author Robin Hobb, known for the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man series, debuts her new book “Dragon Haven,” the second in the Rain Wild Chronicles, which returns to the Tawny Man world, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at Eagle Harbor Books on Bainbridge Island.
It is a tale of resurgent dragons inhabiting a world that both needs and fears the creatures; the final remnant of the dragon population and the human outcasts of the Rain Wild settlement trek up the Rain Wild River, in search of a legendary place where dragons and Elderlings once lived in harmony and comfort. Does a haven exist for them?
For more information, visit www.eagleharborbooks.com.

Strange Signs from Abroad

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:36:34 +0000

My coworker Tad Sooter sent me this, a collection by the New York Times of strange, and often humorous, signs found abroad. Scrolling through them, I noticed something peculiar, but to tell you this, a little history is in order. I used to write the city beat for The North Kitsap Herald, and spent many an afternoon in the Poulsbo mayor’s office, chatting about annexations and elections and the like. So when I came across this photo (above) in the Times’ list, I thought to myself, “that looks exactly like the suggestion box in Poulsbo’s city hall.” Looking closer, I discovered sure enough it is; the bulky, bland-colored little box made its way onto a list of international ironies and snafus, which is really pretty funny. Have any of you Little Norwegians noticed the box? Ever made a ‘positive suggestion?’

Best of Seattle Comedy comes to Bremerton

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:33:10 +0000

The Comedy Underground’s Best of Seattle International Comedy Competition returns to The Admiral Theatre at 8 p.m. Friday, May 14. The show features past winner Paul Ogata, whose material centers on his Japanese-American upbringing and recent marital foibles. Ogata funnels all of his material through an animated and quick delivery to give the audience a wild ride through his stream of consciousness.
Main Floor and Loge Reserved tickets are $25; Balcony Reserved tickets are $20. Tickets may be purchased by calling (360) 373-6743 or visiting the ticket office at 515 Pacific Ave. Admiral Theatre ticket office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For additional information visit the Admiral Theatre website, www.admiraltheatre.org. (This show may contain adult material.)

May is full of artsy things in Kitsap

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:32:55 +0000

And here are a few of them:

Photographer Michael Lisagor will show a photo exhibit all this month at the Harbour Public House on Bainbridge Island. All profits will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lisagor approaches the camera as an extension of himself, and has captured stills of nature over the last decade that have been published in several magazines and displayed in several galleries, according to a press release. He is also the author of “Romancing the Buddha” and “The Enlightened Manager.”
“I let go of the fear that I would produce a ‘bad’ picture or that I was somehow a phony. Instead, I used the camera as an excuse to examine my environment,” he said. “I soon discovered I took my best photos when I was in a spiritually centered place. My camera became a barometer of my ability to live in the moment — a not-so-subtle reminder that in this busy world there will always be more wood to chop and water to carry. ‘Slow down, Michael,’ my camera seemed to say. Life isn’t a race but a journey.”

The Woods: It’s an exhibit fit for Robert Frost, or maybe just Kitsap’s tree lovers. “The Woods,” showing at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts this month, is all about the mystery of its namesake; artists have traipsed through their memories to capture what it’s like being in the woods alone, surrounded in the earthy aroma, bathed in dappled light, aware of every little sound. Call (206) 842-3132 or visit www.bacart.org for more information. WU

Book group enthusiasts… unite!

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:27:24 +0000

Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor Book Company is hosting a special book group night — a literary mixer, if you will — during which area book groups (any whole group, individual members or those looking to join) can come together and find out what’s coming up in the literary world. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, and is free.
Two publisher representatives, Amy Schoppert from Simon and Schuster and Katie Mehan from Random House, will discuss current and upcoming books that will appeal to book groups. There will be gifts and prizes. Groups, and persons seeking a book group, will have a chance to meet, discuss titles, and make connections.
Find Eagle Harbor Book Company at 157 Winslow Way East. For more information, call (206) 842-5332 or (360) 692-2375 or visit www.eagleharborbooks.com.

You’ve traipsed the globe, now travel time with the Bremerton Symphony

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:11:16 +0000

In Bremerton Symphony news, the 2010-2011 season schedule has been released, and next year’s theme will be Millennium of Masterpieces. (This year’s, in case you forgot, has been We Bring You the World.) Music Director Alan Futterman will lead the symphony in seven concerts which travel through time (as opposed to this year, in which they musically spanned the globe) from the 10th century to today. Concerts include Classic Masterworks, Autumn in New York and Paris and Sacred Song through the Centuries.

The Bremerton Symphony is also getting in tune for its 2009-2010 season finale, The Final Flare of European Romanticism, which will show at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8. The symphony will play Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 6. Mahler’s use of many Austrian bells and the famous “Three Hammer Blows of Fate,” played with a 30-pound sledge hammer on a specially constructed sounding box, highlight the performance. For more information on this concert visit www.bremertonsymphony.org. Tickets are $24 for adults and $8 for youth and can be purchased at the door or by calling the office by Friday, May 7, at (360) 373-1722.

Elizabeth George at Eagle Harbor, with ‘This Body of Death’

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:23:04 +0000

Bestselling author Elizabeth George is back with a murder mystery starring Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley. She’ll read from “This Body of Death,” the 15th in the Lynley series, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6, at Eagle Harbor Book Company on Bainbridge. The event is free and open to the public. Two seats may be reserved with the advanced purchase of the book. The program will be followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.
In the book, Lynley, who had been on leave after the murder of his wife, goes back to work on the case of a woman found stabbed in an abandoned cemetery. Eagle Harbor Book Company is located at 157 Winslow Way East. Call (206) 842-5332 or (360) 692-2375 or visit www.eagleharborbooks.com for more information.

An FYI: Tricenarian music venue, espresso destination Pegasus plugs in

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:10:15 +0000

Pegasus Coffee House, 131 Parfitt Way on Bainbridge Island, is throwing a 30th birthday party on May 1. There will be cake, live music by Gwyneth and Monko, up from the Sunshine State playing true American country, and local food and drink specials throughout the day.
The party will be broadcast live on KITZ AM 1400 from noon to 1 p.m. during the “Buy Local News Hour,” hosted by Jim Freeman of the Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance.
As another gift to the community, Pegasus, the Pub and Harbour Marina have expanded its free Wi-Fi along Parfitt Way. The network has three hotspots throughout the waterfront neighborhood, putting most everyone who lives there within range of an access point — both indoors and outside. Boaters, visitors and anyone who can receive a signal can log on to the parfitt_wireless network anytime.

Congrats, Kitsap Chordsmen, and the ‘ultimate’ summer movie trailer

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 22:26:06 +0000

Here’s something this weekend: Quilted Strait is celebrating its grand opening in Port Gamble from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, May 1. Find the shop and owners Kris and Jerry Cornell at 32280 Puget Way. The event will include drawings, door prizes and-all cotton fabrics at 25% off. The shop is open seven days a week and features over 3,000 bolts of cotton fabric including batiks and Asian Prints. The shop also carries wool and cross stitch supplies.

In other entertainmenty news, the Kitsap Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, known locally as the Kitsap Chordsmen, earned the title of Small Chorus Champion during the Evergreen Division 2 Chorus Competition on April 24 in Seattle. Evergreen Division 2 covers all of Western Washington. A small chorus constitutes less than 30 singers. The group placed 2nd overall in the competition. Congrats!

Finally, the folks over at Screen Rant put together this mash-up of Summer 2010 movies, so you can check out the previews all at once, from the final Shrek installment (which number? I’ve lost count) to hair-raiser Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2. Which ones will you see this summer?

Chirgilchin Throat Singers — but first, a lament

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:52:42 +0000

I suppose I could admit this blog has idled dormant the past few days due to an office-place move, an overly full schedule and a waning supply of Diet Coke (my favorite muse), but let’s be more interesting that that: This blog, dear readers, has been so woefully, terribly and regretfully neglected as I was overcome with disgust and unable to write you at the news that one Jennifer Lopez will be starring in a completely unnecessary remake of “Overboard,” (a 1987 film no one should ever attempt to improve upon), a tidbit from the entertainment industry that proves all is most certainly not right in the world. (There, dramatic enough? Also, my condolences if you saw “The Back-Up Plan” this weekend.)

Elsewhere on the What’s Up front: The Chirgilchin Throat Singers come to Bainbridge this Friday, bringing their very unique vocal sounds (throat-singing, a form of overtone singing, involves each singer producing more than one sound, in multiple octaves) and handmade instruments from Tuva, a Russian province just north of Western Mongolia. Here are a few videos of the quartet, which will play Island Center Hall at 7 p.m. April 30.

‘Sylvia’ this weekend on Bainbridge

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:50:12 +0000

I posted a story last week on ‘Sylvia,’ the doggedly funny mid-life crisis comedy playing this weekend at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Below is a trailer I just received for it, with a little play information from director Steven Fogell. If you haven’t made your weekend plans, count this as a possibility.

Bottom Line duo plays Bloedel Reserve

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:22:23 +0000

He plays the bass; she plays the cello. Together they are The Bottom Line Duo, one of only three internationally touring bass and cello duos in history. They will share their unique musical arrangements at a concert designed for both adults and children at the Bloedel Reserve at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 18. Reserved seats are $25 and can be purchased at (206) 842-7631.
Spencer and Traci Hoveskeland met in high school in Port Angeles, and been making music together ever since. Now young parents themselves, their concerts are aimed at bringing the joy of all kinds of music to children and young families. They play at numerous school programs in the Northwest, and tour with orchestras and ensembles nationwide. Their concerts include plenty of humor and virtuoso technique, including a dueling cello-versus-bass version of “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:36:18 +0000

I’ll post a story tomorrow, with the full schedule of this weekend’s free Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival, which takes place all day Sunday, April 18, at the Historic Lynwood Theatre. It looks to be good, with a lineup of films that includes a favorite of mine, “Outsourced” (about a narrowminded man who must head to India to train his job replacement, until he finds that he can learn a few things there as well), along with Port Gamble horror favorite “Zombies of Mass Destruction.” Each film has some kind of connection to Bainbridge Island, be it setting, story or a member of the cast or crew. Learn more here.

Until Sunday, here’s a trailer for the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council event:

There once was a poetry contest

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:57:49 +0000

I’ll post a story next week on Eagle Harbor Book Company’s upcoming limerick slam. The Bainbridge book shop has held a limerick competition for three years now, encouraging those with an eye for a rhyme to enter. Submissions are no longer being accepted for this year’s contest, but you can still hear the winning poems at the reading later this month. Learn more about the event here. And while you’re thinking in anapestic meter anyway, here’s a few of my favorite poems from the contest’s past years. You can pick them up in entirety in the store’s “From Bad to Verse” publication — and expect a new version to be out including 2010’s winners later this year.

A strange man in old Winslow town
Was wearing a stunning green gown
When asked why he did it
He said, “I can fit it,
And I look perfectly dreadful in brown.”

- Frank Buxton, 2009

There once was a Swedish crab catcher
On Bainbridge he laid on a stretcher
He looked nearly dead
Then meekly he said,
“Da crab’s yist too big in dere Fletcher.”

- Jay Inslee, 2009 1st place

It once was the Sand Spit, you know,
But labels like that have to go,
When realtors hover
They quickly discover
It sells more if called Point Monroe.

– Bob Leik, 2009 2nd place

Bike riders who, merry and silly,
Begin Sunday morn slightly chilly
Grind up long Old Mill Road
Puffing fit to explode
As they learn the full horror of “Hilly.”

– Jan Bailey, 2009 3rd place

The New American at the Admiral

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:11:44 +0000

When she was just 15 years old, too young by today’s standards to drive a car, to vote or to sip a chardonnay, Bridget Fitzgerald traveled alone from her native Ireland to the shores of America. Hear the immigrant journey, from a 1910 steamship passage to Ellis Island to the sweatshops of Manhattan’s lower east side, and learn what liberty and opportunity mean to those not born in the Land of the Free, during The New American at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20.
The New American is an interactive live presentation in which an actor and video bring to life the era of America’s largest tide of immigration.
All seats reserved are $10 and a limited number of Family Packs are available for $35. Tickets may be purchased by calling (360) 373-6743 or at the Ticket Office at 515 Pacific Avenue in downtown Bremerton. Admiral Theatre Ticket Office hours are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For additional information, visit the Admiral Theatre Web site, www.admiraltheatre.org.

Island Music Center To Hold Marathon Grand Piano Fundraising Event

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:09:16 +0000

The Island Music Center, 10598 NE Valley Road in Rolling Bay, will present one of the most ambitious musical programs ever attempted on Bainbridge Island. Beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, April 23, musicians from all over Bainbridge and beyond will assemble at the IMC for a three-day, 18-hour live music event called Piano-A-Thon.
The weekend schedule will offer performances by over 75 popular local professional musicians, music teachers and their students. The event continues with non-stop musical performances from 1-10 p.m. Saturday, April 24, and from 1-7 p.m. Sunday, April 25. Many styles of music will be featured, including classical, jazz, Broadway, gypsy jazz, folk, spiritual, and blues. Although the musical styles will be varied, every act will feature the piano in a solo or ensemble role.
Piano-A-Thon is the centerpiece of the Center’s campaign to raise funds to pay for a new piano it has recently acquired for its concert hall. The instrument, a 1982 Yamaha C3 grand, is being purchased from a local seller. The IMC is planning to raise $13,500 to cover the cost of the piano and stage dolly on which it is mounted. This piano, which has already gotten rave reviews from many local pianists, will be the centerpiece of Piano-A-Thon.
The event has already won the support of local businesses including The Treehouse Café, Eagle Harbor Asset Management, Ace Hardware, Islandwood and Havill Golf, as well as from generous individual sponsors. Additional funds will be raised from the event admission donations (suggested at $10), general gifts and “Key Contributors” who for $153 will “own a key” with their name inscribed on a permanent display at the Island Music Center. For more information, go to http://www.islandmusic.org/pianoathon.html

The sounds of guitarist Laurence Juber

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:14:12 +0000

I’ll post a story later today on former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, who was plucked decades ago from the European music studio scene by Denny Laine and Paul McCartney and, as he told What’s Up, rocketed to a bigger and much more rock star-y career dimension. The man’s got impressive credentials, having composed, arranged and recorded with many of the music industry’s best over the years, along with releasing nearly a dozen solo albums (his latest, Wooden Horses, is out now) and making music for some of the most-watched movies and television shows of late. Learn about all that and more at his Web site, here.

Juber will play a free show at Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo tomorrow night, Friday, at 7 p.m. Until then, here are two clips of him playing. Do enjoy:

Hungry for some bbq?

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:24:30 +0000

Patrick Momany let What’s Up know about this weekend’s Smoking School at Tatu BBQ in Kingston — and the tasty event goes to benefit troops overseas. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, April 11. The three-hour class, taught by Momany, covers barbeque history, woods and smoke, cuts of meat, rubs, sauces, recipes and food safety. There will also be demonstrations on coal management, the Minion Method, grill conversions (check out all those grills below!), smoke, meat preparation and, of course, the fine art of barbeque. Cost for the class is $65; class size is limited. Call (206) 979-4686 to reserve a space. Must be 12 or older. Find the Tatu BBQ Shack at 11133 NE Maine Avenue in downtown Kingston. And enjoy!

Get your movie trailers here!

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:55:50 +0000

I’ve been writing about two different films coming to Kitsap this month; one of them shows this weekend on Bainbridge and the other will play later in April in Port Orchard and on the island.

The first, a documentary called “Bury Me in Redwood Country” from two island filmmakers, plays at Bainbridge Performing Arts this Sunday. Get more information here.
The film is an apolitical offering, an enchanting meditation of sorts on some of the world’s greatest wonders, the redwood trees. Below is a trailer.

The second film, made by Midwest native Zach LeBeau, is about a physicist suffering after the loss of his wife and young daughter. It explores consciousness and dimensions of existence, and means to ask more questions than it gives answers. It is beautifully shot and well-produced; learn more about it here.

‘A Twisted Faith’ event update

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:20:14 +0000

An update on Olalla author Gregg Olsen’s April 9 appearance at the Manchester Family Inn in Manchester — and you may want to get there early: Olsen will lead a panel discussion of those involved in the real-life story of “A Twisted Faith,” a snarl of sex, religion and betrayal that occured just shy of a decade ago in Kitsap, along with signing copies of the tome at 9 p.m. Friday. The event will be followed with the airing of NBC’s Dateline, which produced an hour-long feature on the story of “A Twisted Faith.” That airs at 10 p.m.

The event is hosted by Silverdale’s Barnes & Noble, and will benefit the Kitsap Regional Library.

Participating in the panel will be Scott Rappleye, the Bremerton fire marshal who investigated the case; Jimmy Glass, who was formerly married to prophetess Sandy Glass; and Debbie Gelbach, a former member of the now-defunct Bainbridge Island church that served as a setting for ex-pastor Nick Hacheney’s many affairs. Hacheney was convicted of his wife’s 1997 murder, when she perished in a Bremerton house fire.
Copies of “A Twisted Faith” and Olsen’s other books will be available for purchase and signing. Up to 20% of book sales that evening will benefit the Kitsap Regional Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Something nice, and a night at the theater

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:50:54 +0000

Amy Musselwhite, as Sally Bowles, shines in "Cabaret."

Whether the man knew it or not, the groceries he was buying would earn him the chance to make a stranger’s day. In front of me at a local grocery store, a man with a stack of sodas stood at the register. The sodas, the clerk informed him, were a part of a promotion, so he could pick out a pile of candy for free. Without hesitating, he directed the clerk to pass the goodies on to a youngster, who stood by her mother waiting at the back of the line. No fuss about it. The little girl, in turn, grinned with surprised excitement. It was a nice gesture, the kind of thing that makes you want to solidarily pay for someone else’s coffee, and I thought I’d share it with you here.

Something else that’s nice (aside from it being a Friday) is good theater. In that vein, here’s a reminder to check out “Cabaret” at the Bremerton Community Theatre. Read more about the production and What’s Up’s visit behind the scenes here. And with that, a happy weekend to you all! WU

When faith gets dark and twisty

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:18:20 +0000

I wrote a story this week on “A Twisted Faith,” the latest true-crime novel to come from Olalla author Gregg Olsen. (The book was released March 30; find it at your local bookstore.) Olsen has written on a battery of true-crime cases, including an account of a woman who poisoned her husband, a murderous Munchausen by Proxy mother and the tale of Dr. Linda Hazzard, an Olalla practitioner who starved a patient to death. He has also written several novels, wickedly entertaining in the realm of crime fiction.
“A Twisted Faith” is Olsen’s first foray into the true-crime scene in 10 years. In it, he depicts the story of Bremerton’s Nick and Dawn Hacheney. Nick, an inexplicably charming pastor, would come to be exposed as a man who killed Dawn, his shy, quiet wife, and carried on messy, harmful affairs with several women in his Bainbridge Island church flock. The book itself is riveting; the story, sensationally disturbing. Many of the players still live in Kitsap today; Nick himself will be eligible for parole as early as 2025.
I was pointed to an article this week written by a member of the church — in fact a central character in Olsen’s real-life tale. She writes on her experience, and tells how her relationship with Nick has affected her family, here.
NBC’s Dateline has the subjects of “A Twisted Faith” in its curious crosshairs, and will air an hour-long segment on the case at 10 p.m. April 9. You can watch the show with Olsen at the Manchester Family Inn in Manchester. He’ll talk about the book beginning at 9 p.m. April 9. The event is a benefit for the Kitsap Regional Library.
Until then, I’ll leave you with a clip of Olsen on CBS’ The Early Show in 2004, talking on the case of Mary Kay Letourneau, whom he covered in his book “If Loving You is Wrong.” WU

A few ‘odd requests’ from the local art community

Jennifer Morris — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:31:50 +0000

Photo Credit: Rockwater Art Center (rockwaterartcenter.com)

I wrote a story a few weeks back on Poulsbo’s new Rockwater Art Center, an idyllic artist’s retreat in a reworked farm house that, until just recently, held the bustle of a growing family. Settled on a cozy acre, surrounded by green fields, the center has no less than four landscape water features and two firepits on its property; indoors, the soft palate of colors is sublime. You can learn more about the center and its mission here. Below is part of an email I received from Derek Gundy (you may already know him from Artists’ Edge), who is in search of a few items for the center’s upcoming art classes. Perhaps you’ve got one of them just sitting around?

As Rockwater Art Center gets off the ground and begins to grow, we are in need of some materials that can be very useful to what we are trying to accomplish. Some things are geared toward very specific workshops. Here is a list of items we are looking for as a donation from the general public. If you have anything on this list you’d be willing to part with to support the new art center, please give me a call at (360) 779-2337, or email me at derek.rockwaterart@gmail.com. I will gladly pick up any of these items in the next week or so, even broken items needing fixing. Thanks very much in advance for your support.

1. Old Blenders: Jamie Zach will be teaching an incredible papermaking workshop in July and we are so excited about it we want to stock up on some of the equipment necessary to be able to make paper at the art center on a regular basis under Jamie’s instruction. Samples are now hanging up in our Poulsbo store!

2. Old Wool Blankets: These are ideal for the papermaking workshop as they really lend their texture to the paper.

3. Easels or any small studio furniture you may not want. I’ve already had a few offers on easels. Those of you who offered before just get back in touch. I can pick up, and repair if necessary.

Your donations really help us get this project off the ground! Please contact me as soon as possible if you have any of these items you are willing to donate.

Bainbridge Performing Arts announces 2010-2011 season

Jennifer Morris — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:49:49 +0000

Some of the stage’s greatest stories will come to life during Bainbridge Performing Arts‘ 2010-2011 season, which the organization announced today.
Cult musical fantasy The Rocky Horror Show, the timeless holiday musical Annie, Philip Barry’s sophisticated romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story and Chicago, a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz are in the lineup, along with the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and tirelessly funny The EDGE Improv.
The Rocky Horror Show will play Oct. 15-31; Annie will show Dec. 10-19; The Philadelphia Story will run Feb. 11-20; and Chicago will glam it up May 13-29. Learn more at www.BainbridgePerformingArts.org. And with a season lineup of favorites like this, I say let it begin!

Think Clearwater is the best? Then vote!

Jennifer Morris — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:02:17 +0000

This just in, from Suquamish’s Clearwater Casino:
King 5 is holding a Best Northwest Escapes contest and Clearwater has been nominated! The winner of the best casino escape will be featured on “Evening Magazine.” Vote for Clearwater here.

Alright, you heard ‘em. Vote!

Movies to make you travel

Jennifer Morris — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:29:56 +0000

CNN recently put together a list of movies that inspire travel (though not necessarily all of them are about travel); the article points out that these movies — and probably others — have so succeeded in pop consciousness that many people have ventured long distances to see the immortalized locales for themselves. “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Roman Holiday” and “Sideways” are a few, as are the exquisite “Before Sunrise” (and subsequent “Before Sunset”) and “Enchanted April,” which the Bremerton Community Theater recently retold onstage. There was at least one head-scratcher on the list — I don’t think travel was much on my mind after seeing any of the “Bourne” movies, though they’re slightly more travel-inspiring than something, I suppose, like “Deliverance” or “Hostel” — but there are many more movies that, on the other hand, could be included. I’m thinking “The Beach” or “The Motorcycle Diaries.” “Thelma and Louise” comes to mind, as does “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” a comedy of three drag queens making their way across the Australian Outback. Or maybe the various adventures of Indiana Jones, or “Seven Years in Tibet?”
On my list, I’d count the documentary “A Map for Saturday,” a chronicle of a backpacker’s year-long journey around the world. Just try going about your normal life afterwards; watch it, I dare you. But before you do, take our poll on your favorite travel-inspiring movie, or add your own, below. WU

Don’t forget: Zombies and magicians in Kitsap this weekend

Jennifer Morris — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:32:20 +0000

Here are a couple items to keep in mind as you plan your weekend:

‘Zombies of Mass Destruction’ signing

The stars of “Zombies of Mass Destruction,” a funny political thriller filmed in Port Gamble, are returning to the scene of destruction to sign copies of the newly released movie DVDs.
They will sign copies from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, at the Dauntless Bookstore, 32220 Rainier Avenue. The movie will be for sale at the book store, the Port Gamble Historic Museum and on Amazon.com.
In the film, a rag tag rebellion must rise when an idyllic island town comes under zombie attack. Stereotypes are on parade in this retelling of the zombie horror tale. Learn more about the movie at www.zmdthemovie.com. Find more information on Port Gamble at www.portgamble.com.

Curtis Adams’ ‘Magic that Rocks!’ in Bremerton

Check your old ideas and expectations of magic at the door for twenty-year old extremist magician Curtis Adams, who will use the latest technology to repeatedly clone himself and walk up walls and on the ceilings during a cutting-edge show. Adams will explode onto the stage at the Admiral Theatre in two extravagant performances at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 27.
The production features dangerous stunts, dancing, pyrotechnics and innovative lighting, according to a press release. Adams also employs some favorite tricks, including “wheelies” and “endos” on a Ducati motorcycle.
One day earlier, on March 26, Adams and his danceres will hold a class at Just For Kicks Dance Studio in Port Orchard, where they’ll teach the moves to one of their opening numbers and will select two students to perform live with them the next day. Teachers include Brian Hirano, from America Best Dance Crew’s Season 3 Winners “Quest,” and Kelli Shimada, who’s credits include dancing in such films as “Fame” and live stage performances in the “Radio City Rockette’s Arena Tour.” The opening choreography will be taught by Kristin Denehy of ABC’s Dance Wars, who has choreographed for and performed with artists including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, and Prince. The class begins at 5 p.m., and the cost is $25 per person.
Main Floor Reserved tickets for the March 27 are $25, Loge Reserved tickets are $20, Balcony Reserved tickets are $15, and a limited number of Family Packs are available for $35. Tickets may be purchased by calling (360) 373-6743 or at the Ticket Office at 515 Pacific Avenue in downtown Bremerton. Admiral Theatre Ticket Office hours are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For additional information please visit the Admiral Theatre website, www.admiraltheatre.org.

Below is a preview of the head-thrashing magical madness. WU