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MONDAY
COMEDYPete Davidson
Famous for his stint on Saturday Night Liveâincluding his recurring role as Chad, a doofus bro who guilelessly says âOkayâ to almost everythingâPete Davidson exudes a casual swagger that enhances his stonerrific observations. His bit about figuring out a way to discreetly jack off while living with roommates is hysterical. In fact, Ariana Grandeâs ex has loads of great material about masturbation. Being young and apolitical, Davidsonâs sets typically revolve around subjects such as drugs, his relationship with his mother, his skinniness, his ambiguous looks (âIâm miscellaneous in the faceâ), rap, sex, schoolboy shenanigans, and the tragic aftereffects of losing his father in the 9/11 attacks. DAVE SEGAL
12 Minutes Max
12 Minutes Max is back! The rules are simple: Curators pick a slew of different sorts of performance artistsâdancers, actors, musicians, multimedia impresariosâand give them 12 minutes and a stage to show a work-in-progress. That's good for the artist, because feedback before a premiere is hard to come by. That's good for the audience, because they get to see previews of shows everyone will be talking about in two years. For this iteration, multidisciplinary artists Fox Whitney (fresh off a well-received performance at On the Boards) and barry johnson (whose paintings I love) have selected eight performers. Among the offerings: "hybridized texts that vibrate with nontraditional witchy energy" from Wryly McCutchen, a piece about "Hmong motherhood in America" from Minna Lee, and a story from Amy Augustine about a couple who fell off a ferry. That performance involves "live music, two mini trampolines, a large swath of blue silk, and buckets of water." RICH SMITH
ALL WEEK
FOOD & DRINKMiracle on 2nd
In 2014, Greg Boehm of New York bar Boilermaker temporarily transformed the space for his bar Mace into a kitschy Christmas wonderland replete with gewgaws and tchotchkes galore. Now the pop-up has expanded to over 100 locations all over the world and will be returning to Belltownâs Rob Roy this year. The specialty cocktails are no ordinary cups of cheer: Beverages are housed in tacky-tastic vessels (a drinking mug resembling Santaâs mug, for example), bedecked with fanciful garnishes like peppers and dried pineapple, and christened with irreverent, pop-culture-referencing names like the âBad Santa,â the âYippie Ki Yay Mother F**r,â and the âYouâll Shoot Your Rye Out.â JULIANNE BELL
MONDAY & FRIDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCEDice: Pride & Prejudice
Eight actors have memorized the entire script of an original adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. At this performance, presented by immersive/experimental theater company Dacha, an audience member will roll the dice and decide who will play which character. When Dacha gave Shakespeare's Twelfth Night the same treatment in 2017, former Arts Calendar Editor Julia Raban wrote: "Based on the premise, you might expect a harried and unfinished production, but this show does not follow the rules of logic. There's beautiful blocking and choreography, constant and clever improvisation."
TUESDAY
FOOD & DRINKThanksgiving Night Market
Madison Park's popular upscale vegetarian restaurant Cafe Flora will tout everything you need for Thanksgiving dinner, from fresh local produce to flower arrangements to pies and baked goods from the new Flora Bakehouse to artisan bread from Sea Wolf Bakers.Â
The Allusionist Live 2019: No Title
Language nerds, take note:Â Helen Zaltzman will come to Seattle for a live taping of her award-winning podcast The Allusionist, which is "laced with facts for you to throw into your next awkward small-talk-at-a-party situation."Â Â
(Fremont, $20/$25)
Lindy West
At the height of the "#MeToo has gone too far" movement, Stranger alum and New York Times columnist Lindy West wrote a column titled "Yes, This Is a Witch Hunt. Iâm a Witch and Iâm Hunting You." In the column, West argued that the criminal justice system doesn't adequately deliver justice to victims of sexual assault, and that she believes the number of sexual assault reports do not, in fact, exceed the number of sexual assaults in this country. And so, obviously, the #MeToo movement has not gone "too far," you fucking moronsâand, yes, she's looking at you, Woody Allen. But, because she's Lindy West, she said all of that with enough clarity, force, and humor to make even the most panicked of sex-panicky cautioneers crack a smile. Her new book, The Witches Are Coming, uses that column as a launching pad to explore an issue that could use a little more light. RICH SMITH
Janna Watson: Seven Perfect Syllables
In 2018, Emily Pothast wrote for The Stranger: "In the early 20th century, nonobjective painting was seen as something revolutionary. Today, it feels almost quaint and anachronistic, as though every painting for its own sake that the universe could possibly need has already been made. The large-scale mixed-media works of Toronto-based painter Janna Watson stand in defiance of this trend. Large brushstrokes and small bursts of color wiggle and dance on soft gradients like visual music. A recent article from Artsy named Watson's paintings among the most collectible offerings at Seattle Art Fairâbut even if you're not in the market to buy art, these are very nice to look at."
Closing Tuesday
TUESDAY-SATURDAY
VISUAL ARTDavid Hytone: The Armchair Librettist
David Hytone has worked in paint, ink, paper, ceramics, and large-scale collage. His latest paintings on okawara Japanese paper blur the lines between geometric abstraction and the macroorganism.
Closing Saturday
Eva Pietzcker: Earth, Water, Light
Berlin-based Eva Pietzckerâs prints are mostly in the vein of Japanese-style woodblock printmaking, a process where watercolor paint is applied to a carved woodblock with brushes and printed by hand onto soft paper, as opposed to the Western style of using a press. Of this method, Pietzcker says that Japanese style prints âtend to have a more painterly appearance and can often resemble watercolor paintings.â I love the way the sun shines and falls upon water in her work. She has a piece that features Lake Crescent, in Olympic National Park, where the lake sparkles through the black trees. It almost seems to transform the medium of ink and paper into earth, water, and glimmer. JASMYNE KEIMIG
Closing Saturday
Path with Art: Hear & Now
Trimpin is a musical genius who builds room-sized art installations that are also instruments. Picture a Rube Goldberg machine exploded all over a room, but one you can play Beethoven on. This year, Trimpin again partnered with students from Path with Art, a nonprofit that works with homeless people to create original works of art. Together they constructed a new sound sculpture bursting with poetry, visual art, and, of course, music. RICH SMITH
Closing Saturday
A Touch Of Light: Incarcerated Veteran Artists
Seattle-based arts organization A Touch of Light curates the artwork of prisoners from around the country and the world, in an effort to promote social change and give prisoners a second chance.Â
Closing Saturday
TUESDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCEBeautiful
The dancers of Can Can and powerhouse singer Renee Holiday (formerly Shaprece, who "ranks among the Northwestâs most radiant, soulful vocalists and producers of torch-song-centric electronic music," per Dave Segal) collaborate on this sensuous coming-of-age story, featuring a leading performance by Holiday and new choreography.
Mrs. Doubtfire
This is the world premiere of the musical Mrs. Doubtfire, a stage adaptation of the 1993 Robin Williams film. After its run in Seattle, it goes straight to Broadway. Mrs. Doubtfire is directed by Jerry Zaks, a Broadway legend who won a Tony Award for directing the revival of Guys and Dolls in 1992, and was nominated again for his revival of Hello, Dolly! with Bette Midler in 2017. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE
WEDNESDAY
FOOD & DRINK3rd Annual Friendsgiving Gathering with Michter's Distillery
Michter's will team up with Heartwood Provisions to host a Friendsgiving the day before Thanksgiving with a festive bar menu of cocktail specials and Thanksgiving-inspired snacks.
Free Grilled Cheese Night!
Seattle Baking will provide free melty-cheesy sandwiches for one day only.Â
WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
VISUAL ARTGentleman Warrior: Art of the Samurai
Gentleman Warrior: Art of the Samurai features a display of the armor of an 18th-century samurai. Though the function of this military equipment was to protect the vital parts of a warrior from bullets, swords, and arrows, it's also a work of art. From afar, the samurai looked huge and terrifying. But close up, as your life was cut down by his sword, the last things you saw were the beautiful details: the crested helmet; the gorgeous laces of silk that connect the leather, iron, and gold scales; the silver-colored trim on the armored shoes. What a way to go. CHARLES MUDEDE
Closing Sunday
THURSDAY
HOLIDAYSThanksgiving
Thanksgiving: The pinnacle of American colonialism that commemorates a fake story of sharing. While the holiday is built on a lie, it's been adapted into a day to spend with loved ones, list gratitudes, and eat turkey and pie. Find a list of turkey trots, dinners, and other events on our complete Thanksgiving calendar, plus check out our curated guide to where to eat out (or pick up food from) for Thanksgiving.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
VISUAL ARTAncestral Journeyz of Coastal Voices
Multidisciplinary artists from various tribesâincluding Quileute, Quinault, Lummi, Tulalip, Makah, Skokomish, Kalispel, Muckleshoot, and Duwamishâjuxtapose 1989's Coastal Canoe Journey Roadway (an annual celebration that recognizes the cultural importance of canoe travel to indigenous people) with 2019's through photographs, stained glass, weaving, paddles, regalia, and other art forms.Â
Closing Saturday
FRIDAY
FOOD & DRINKLANGSTON Night: One Vibe African Dinner Experiences
Rwandan Chef Caro Umukobwa will serve up a tasty dinner paired with wine (two glasses per guest) and live music by Seattle's Comfort Food Band, who describe themselves as "Bitches Brew meets Fela Kuti."
Sasha Velour's Smoke & Mirrors
A lip sync, in many ways, is like an actor's monologue. Both must cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. They must be interesting. They must change, in big ways or small ways or both. But the great monologues and lip syncs contain a reveal. Sasha Velour is the queen of reveals., and never was this more apparent than at her Drag Race finale lip sync, when she finally went up against her biggest competitor, Shea Couleé. The two performed to Whitney Houston's "So Emotional." Like the best performances, hers is full of juxtapositions: curious but wounded, tentative but wild. Velour's new touring show, Smoke & Mirrors, contains 13 new lip syncs. It's a blend of magic, performance, and drag. I don't know much about it, but by the end of the night, she's rumored to transform into a tree. CHASE BURNS
Instead of storming the sliding glass doors of your local immersion blender purveyor the day after Thanksgiving, take advantage of free admission to the Bellevue Arts Museum to check out current exhibitions like Robert Williams: The Father of Exponential Imagination. To satisfy your holiday shopping fix, there will be a Small Business Saturday pop-up market.Â
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDYUncle Mike Ruins Christmas
Mike Murphy and Jet City cast members reenact and trample over your fond Christmas memories with gleeful vulgarity. Not for the squeamish.
DEVOUR
If you like leather, kink, and cocktails, prepare to be swooned into the night by the luxe burlesque babes of Valtesse at this speakeasy-style show.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCEA Christmas Carol
ACT Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol is a dependable, simple pleasure, with just enough variation to warrant returning year after year. Kelly Kitchens will direct.
George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker'
If you haven't seen this Christmas classic since you were a kid, give it a go this year. In 2014, Pacific Northwest Ballet replaced its beloved Maurice Sendak set with one by Ian Falconer, who did the Olivia the Pig books, and I'm glad that they did. The new set is gorgeous in a Wes Anderson-like way, and it reflects the genuine weirdness and beauty in the story. I mean, the last 45 minutes of this thing is a Katy Perry video starring dancing desserts and a glittery peacock that moves like a sexy broken river. Bring a pot lozenge. RICH SMITH
Head Over Heels
Tunes by the Go-Go's [sic] pepper this musical loosely based on a 16th-century narrative poem by Sir Philip Sidney. A royal family learns of a fateful prophecy that may disrupt "the Beat" that supplies the rhythm to their kingdom. Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q, Bring It On: The Musical, the screenplay for Can You Ever Forgive Me?)Â wrote the book and lyrics.
A Very Die Hard Christmas
Marxiano Productions will restage last year's hit holiday musical from a script by the top-notch sketch comedy outfit the Habit (plus Jeff Schell), which peppers the rip-roaring action with songs, jokes, and more.
Christmas Ship Festival
The Puget Sound is filled with lights throughout the holiday season, but no vessel can compete with Argosy Cruises'Â Christmas Ship, which docks in 65 waterfront communities to serenade people onshore and onboard with its resident choir. Those who choose to board the ship will enjoy photos with Santa, a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and kids' activities. For a less family-oriented option, you can trail behind in a 21+ boat with rotating themes each week. It's also free to watch from the shore.
Enchant Christmas
Following a successful first year, Enchant Christmas will transform T-Mobile Park into a winter wonderland complete with an impressive light maze, light sculptures, a market curated by Urban Craft Uprising, and more. This year's theme is "Mischievous," so expect to see sly little elves roaming about.
WildLights
The Woodland Park Zoo will light up with thousands upon thousands of (energy-efficient) LED lights that recreate wild scenes and creatures. You can also throw fake snowballs at your friends, get up close with certain animal residents, and sip hot chocolate.
SATURDAY
COMEDYLast Make 'Em Ups
Former Seattleite comic Haley Beglau will return for a last show at the sadly soon-to-be-closed Pocket Theater to play improv games with such tried and tested indie talents as Ethan Smith, Sam Demboski, Mack Suits Baer, Kevin McVey, and Zak Nelson.
Anya Davidson, Lane Milburn, & Max Clotfelter
For Small Business Saturday, the comix publisher Fantagraphics will be hosting Anya Davidson, who's in town for the premiere of a film she contributed to, Wallflower. Davidson will attend and sign copies of her graphic novel Band for Life, while her husband, Lane Milburn, and fellow adept of grotesquerie/birthday boy Max Clotfelder will also be hawking their works. Get holiday presents for the comix weirdo in your life!
Pop-Up Zine Fest on Small Business Saturday!
Find cute gifts for the holidays and support local artists by buying their zines, prints, buttons, and other handmade offerings. Vendors include Hayden Stern, Lauren Maxwell, Kalen Knowles, Sarah Elsa Pinon, and others.
24th Annual Magic in the Market
For the 24th year, Magic in the Market brings a tree lighting, seasonal snacks and drinks, choirs, and photos with Santa to the already-magical Pike Place Market. You can even pick out a tree of your own to take home.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
SHOPPINGSeattle Anarchist Book Fair 2019
For its 11th year, the Seattle Anarchist Book Fair will gather radical authors, publishers, and workshop leaders for the intellectual anti-capitalist struggle. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle, the fair will host a special panel and workshops, plus set up an "archival exhibit." Pick up some books and make new friends to criticize the state with.
SUNDAY
FOOD & DRINKAuthor Brunch at the Corson Building: 'Cannelle et Vanille' by Aran Goyoaga
Local food blogger, photographer, cook, food stylist, and two-time James Beard Award finalist Aran Goyoaga has earned scores of fans from all over the world for her gorgeous images of food and simple, elegant cooking. Her new cookbook, Cannelle et Vanille, focuses on recipes for nourishing, gluten-free comfort fare like spaghetti and meatballs, buttermilk-brined fried chicken, caramelized onion and fennel biscuits, and apple tarte tatinâall of it just what you want to eat on a crisp day. At this special brunch event, you can try a meal inspired by her recipes along with an aperitif and go home with a copy of the book.
