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Thing is, well, a thing again. Thing, a three-day event in Fort Worden in Port Townsend, is returning Aug. 26-28. The event, which once again will be produced by Sasquatch! Festival founder Adam Zacks and the Seattle Theatre Group, features a lineup that includes Modest Mouse, Jungle and Father John Misty.

Some of the greatest comedians who ever graced a stage – Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David – are Jewish. However, there's never been a famous Orthodox Jewish standup. Their faith, unable to perform during the Sabbath – Friday at sunset through Saturday at sunset – is one of the obstacles.

The late under-heralded comic Greg Giraldo once did a spot-on bit about how comics never grow up. Well, observational humorist Andy Woodhull backs that up. The veteran standup does snack reviews during his podcast. "I love Pepper Jack Cheez-Its," Woodhull said while calling from Des Moines.

Since the number 18 signifies good luck in Judaism, perhaps it will be a fortuitous run for the Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival. The 18th annual festival, which commenced Thursday, is expanding dramatically, going from a weekend event to a 10-day stretch of films and Q&A sessions.

“Bel-Air” (TV-MA) reimagines the hit Will Smith sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air" as a serious drama about a teenager (Jabari Banks) from the mean streets of Philadelphia sent to live with relatives in L.A. Four episodes available, new episodes on Fridays. (Peacock)

With movie theaters across the country becoming casualties during the pandemic, some venues have expanded to feature live music. The Magic Lantern Theatre has joined such ranks in booking local recording artists. The Magic Lantern kicked off its "Live From Somewhere" concert series in January.

The underdog is a good position for Channing Tatum. Despite being one of the most beloved himbos of Hollywood, thanks to his affable screen presence, up-for-anything attitude and, obviously, good looks, it still feels like we, as a population, underestimate Tatum a bit, especially as he makes his directorial debut.

In honor of Black History Month, the Spokane String Quartet will perform a concert featuring works by Black composers and a guest appearance by bass-baritone Derrick Parker at Bing Crosby Theater at 3 p.m. Sunday. Parker is known locally for his performances with the Inland Northwest Opera and Spokane Symphony. 

In the age of Google Maps and Google Earth, it's refreshing, if perhaps also a bit naive, to imagine a world in which certain parts of it might still remain, as the title of a new movie has it, uncharted. Yet "Uncharted," the action-adventure film inspired by the treasure-hunting video game franchise, is old fashioned.

“Pose” (2018), starring the Emmy-winning Billy Porter, is set near the outset of the AIDS crisis and explores New York’s African American and Latino ballroom world of the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of yuppie culture through the eyes of individuals in every level of society. “Pose” is available on Netflix.

"I Saw You!" – 7:30 p.m. Friday, Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. An improv show inspired entirely by “missed connections.” Bring your favorite family-friendly “cheers and jeers” and “I saw you's” to submit during the show. Reservations recommended. This show is rated for general audiences.

The Echoplex in downtown Los Angeles is more or less a tricked-out bunker: a black box with really fancy speakers, well-placed disco balls and a pretty nice selection of drinks. That is to say, it’s a venue that, through its minimal approach to aesthetic decoration, places all its emphasis on the sounds.

If you’ve spent any time on the retro gaming scene, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about emulation. Essentially, emulators are small programs that mimic the behavior of a specific game console. ROMs, meaning “read only memory,” can be many things – but in this context, a ROM is a digital copy of a video game.

If you think the job of music director is an easy one, just ask Zuill Bailey, who fulfils that role for Northwest BachFest. Long ago, Bailey engaged classical guitarist Jason Vieaux to appear last weekend at Barrister Winery. When he learned that Vieaux would be unable to appear, he had some fancy switching to do.

The Four Seasons created some of the most memorable songs in American rock and roll. "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and "Rag Doll." Behind the soaring vocals of lead singer Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons sold more than 100 million records. 

Zoë Kravitz stars as an agoraphobic tech worker who overhears what she believes is a murder in “Kimi” (2022, R). When no one believes her, she investigates on her own. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and set and shot (at least partly) in Seattle, it’s something of a 21st century twist on “Rear Window.” 

Directed by Rita Coburn, the documentary film "Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands" (2022) chronicles the life and career of opera star and civil rights pioneer Marian Anderson. The first African American to make her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, Anderson was officially billed as a contralto.

Perhaps the only common denominator among Spokane, El Paso and Anchorage is Zuill Bailey. The artistic director of Northwest BachFest calls each city home at some point during the year. "But Spokane is where my heart is," Bailey said while calling from Phoenix. "I contemplated what home means over the pandemic."

In the past, rom-coms starring Jennifer Lopez often saddled her with professions that are just too unbelievable. “Maid in Manhattan”? “The Wedding Planner”? Not our Jenny from the Block. So, it’s refreshing to see J.Lo, in a much-heralded return to the romantic comedy fold playing a character who just makes sense.