Arts Wrap: ‘All is Calm,’ Bing Crosby Holiday Festival, Jurassic Quest
‘All is Calm’ sells out
at Spokane Civic
It is not often that the entire run of a theatrical production sells out before opening night, but it is not often that area theaters produce a show like “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914.”
After months of fighting along the Western Front during World War I, nearly 100,000 British and German soldiers set down their weapons for one day so both sides could celebrate Christmas. The soldiers called a truce and met in no man’s land to sing carols and exchange greetings and small gifts. No man’s land was also host to a few friendly soccer games.
Some truces lasted just one night, while others lasted through New Year’s Day.
Peter Rothstein wrote “All is Calm” using words from letters, diary entries and first-person accounts of the men who were part of the truce. The show features vocal arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach.
Spokane Civic Theatre’s sold out production of “All is Calm” opens Friday and runs through Dec. 24. The final show in this run marks the 111th anniversary of the Christmas Truce of 1914.
“All is Calm” stars Daniel Bell, Jameson Elton, Noah Graybeal, Zach Hardy, JJ Hatheway, Mitch Heid, Terrance MacMullan, Jim Swoboda and Jonah Taylor. The show is directed by Abbey Crawford and music directed by Jesse Hampsch.
The show runs 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and Dec. 23. 2 p.m. Sundays.
Bing Crosby Holiday Festival features day of music, film
In 1925, Bing Crosby and Al Rinker left Spokane in search of fame and fortune in Los Angeles. A century later, the Bing Crosby Advocates have spent the year commemorating the life and career of the most famous Spokanite with a series of events and lectures, and even a recreation of the very day Crosby and Rinker left for California.
To close the year, the Bing Crosby Advocates are hosting their annual Bing Crosby Holiday Festival on Saturday at, of course, the Bing Crosby Theater.
The festival begins at noon with “White Christmas.” Crosby starred in the film alongside Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney.
At 2:30 p.m., the festival features a screening of “The Ford Edsel Show” during which Crosby appears with his son Lindsay, Clooney, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. The show raised $250,000, nearly $2.3 million today, which went towards funding the Crosby Library at Gonzaga University.
This screening marks the first public screening of the show since 1957.
At 4:30 p.m., the North Central High School Jazz Band, led by Tim Blaydon, will perform. There will also be music during each intermission from Gonzaga alum and Crosby fan Don Maloney, who has created six renditions of Crosby’s holiday songs.
The festival is bookended by another screening of “White Christmas” at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and free for ages 17 and younger. Tickets are available through bingcrosbytheater.com.
Dinosaurs meet Legos
at kid-friendly event
Looking to travel this holiday season? How about into the past?
At Jurassic Quest, families can travel through more than 165 million years of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, taking in true-to-life versions of dinosaurs that once roamed the planet.
Jurassic Quest, Friday through Sunday at the Spokane Convention Center, also features real fossils, live dinosaur shows, rideable dinosaurs, interactive science and art activities, including a fossil dig, bounce houses and inflatable attractions, photo opportunities, face painting and a soft play area for little ones.
As part of the holiday edition of Jurassic Quest, Santa will be on hand for photos. There will also be several chances for photos with Jurassic Quest Christmas decorations.
Children can win prizes by spotting Elf on a Shelf characters around the venue, and there will also be Jurassic Quest ornaments available for purchase, seasonal music, themed activities and more.
There will be a sensory-friendly session from 8-9 a.m. on Saturday with smaller crowds, less noise and bright lights. All activities will be available during the sensory-friendly hour.
Alongside Jurassic Quest, kids can also enjoy Brick Fest Live and build to their heart’s content using millions of building bricks. LEGO Masters will be on hand to answer questions, and children can take part in different brick challenges.
There will be a brick pit with more than 200,000 bricks, life-size models, brick derby races, a glow-in-the-dark building area, plus photo opportunities, LEGO merchandise and more. To really make their mark, children can participate in a Guinness World Record challenge to help create a massive floor mosaic.
Tickets for the Spokane Convention Center event run for $27-$85 at jurassicquest.com. Use code PRESS20 for 20% off tickets.