As luck (and my bad timing) had it, last week's column dubbing Seattle Center the dullest place on earth went to print just as Seattle Center was getting interesting, playing host to the Seattle International Children's Festival and its adult-oriented derivative, Seattle International Nights. SICF has gotten mixed reviews from this paper over the years, from dismissive ("disparate entertainment for a bunch of ingrateful [sic] little monsters") to glowing ("the only reason it's a children's festival is because only children have the imaginative bandwidth to take it all in").

The festival isn't unerringly wonderful but it isn't dismissible, either. It takes its art seriously and combs the world not for children's acts, but acts that would be great for children. The program reads like any solid festival: from Labyrinth Circle (German circus cabaret) to Frédéric Galliano and the African Divas (French DJ backing four West African singers) to Run/Remain (an imaginative local film/music/performance group). SICF brings in consistently good work but passes on the condescending, mind-numbing pap that too often passes for children's performance. "Those clowns with banjos and rainbow suspenders are the enemy," said producing director Brian Faker. "That stuff is too easy and the kids deserve better."

For those who like their theater at night with booze and post-pubescent audiences, SICF has begun the Seattle International Nights series. All the abovementioned performers gave SIN shows, plus Tiny Ninja Hamlet (see review), which will play at Empty Space this weekend.

Most of the acts are used to performing for adults and doing a 10:00 a.m. show can knock them a little off kilter, but they seem to enjoy it once they get in the groove. The younger kids haven't honed their pretentious standoffishness or faux enthusiasm, which makes them an interesting filter for the SIN series. When they smell bullshit, they squirm and talk, but when they're into it, they go nuts-"losing their little minds" is an oft-used phrase in SICF circles. I saw Tiny Ninja Hamlet with a pack of high schoolers who seemed to enjoy the show, despite the inevitable adolescent squeamishness. (In one of the show's best moments, performer Dov Weinstein stood in the dark, playing the drunken gravedigger scene by shoving a light up one nostril and getting a close-up with his camera, creating a giant, red nose on the screen behind him. It was hilarious, but the kids said "eww!")

So the kids made Seattle Center interesting for a week. But just one.

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In other Center-ish news: The Light in the Piazza was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including best direction by Intiman Artistic Director Bartlett Sher. Piazza is up against Spamalot, the Monty Python and the Holy Grail musical which was nominated for 14, which tells you what a Tony is worth. Still, best of luck to the home team. May Spamalot be smothered to death in its own cheese. ■