Alaska-Washington Connection 2011: Things to do in Seattle — Dramatic arts

The Emerald City offers visitors a potpourri of live entertainment, including some of the nation’s finest theatrical experiences

Rose Ragsdale

For Alaska-Washington Connection

If you ever find yourself with a free evening or two in Seattle, keep in mind that the city is a veritable “Mecca” in the Pacific Northwest for cultural and dramatic arts.

Or perhaps your company plans to convene its next meeting in Seattle, and is looking for an inspirational venue to highlight the gathering

The Emerald City has a wealth of museums, theaters and other attractions to entertain leisure and business travelers in style. Seattle has something for everyone from premier performing arts venues such as the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet to big attractions including Seattle Theatre Group’s Paramount Theatre, 5th Avenue Theatre or Museum of Flight to medium-size venues such as the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Repertory Theatre or The Village Theatre. The city also offers cozy settings like Seattle Theatre Group’s Moore Theatre, Experience Music Project, Bellevue Arts Museum, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and Seattle’s Children’s Theatre. Other notable attractions include the Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo and Pacific Science Center.

Here’s a summary of some of the best of the 2011-2012 season of live entertainment in Seattle:

The Seattle Opera, founded in 1963, is a leading American opera company. It presents the classics of the European repertoire as well as new works of American opera. Seattle Opera performs five operas per year. Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (July 30-Aug. 20) and Bizet’s Carmen (Oct. 15-29) highlight the summer and fall, while Verdi’s Attila (Jan. 14-28) opens the New Year. The sumptuous Orpheus and Eurydice is set for Feb. 25-March 10 and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly (May 5-19) will close the season.

Seattle Repertory Theatre, one of the largest and most renowned regional theatres in the country, produces a mix of classic comedies, recent Broadway hits and cutting-edge new dramas in two theatre spaces. Productions this fall feature Lorenzo Pisoni’s tender, acrobatic “Humor Abuse” (Sept. 30-Oct. 23); Anne Baker’s comedy “Circle Mirror Transformation” (Oct. 21-Nov. 20); and A.R. Gurney’s popular comedy, “Sylvia,” (Nov. 11-Dec. 11.

5th Avenue Theatre, a magnificent historic attraction, is bringing to Seattle for the 2010-2011 season a diverse program of award-winning Broadway musicals, including Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical, “Les Misérables,” (Aug. 9-27); the powerful new musical, “Saving Aimee” (Sept. 30– Oct. 30); Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” (Nov. 25-Dec. 31); Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!,” (Feb. 3 – March 4, 2012); the new musical comedy, “First Date,” (March 15-May 13, 2012); Adler and Ross’ sexy musical comedy, “Damn Yankees,” (Apr. 20 – May 20, 2012); and Jonathan Larson’s “Rent,” (July 6 – Aug. 5, 2012).

Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the country’s largest and most highly regarded ballet companies since the company’s founding in 1972, presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall and on tour around the globe. The 2011–2012 season is a celebration of great choreographers featuring Pacific Northwest Ballet’s renowned live orchestra, stunning production design, and incomparable dancing. Performances include “All Wheeldon” (Sept. 23–Oct. 1); “Love Stories,” (Nov. 4-13); “Nutcracker,” (Nov. 25-Dec. 27), “Don Quixote,” (Feb. 3-12, 2012); “New Works,” (March 16-24, 2012); “Apollo / Carmina,” (April 13-22, 2012); and “Coppelia,” (June 1-10, 2012).