SGN May 10, 2019 - Part 2

Arts & Entertainment

Seattle Opera's Carmen is a great show!

by Sharon Cumberland SGN A&E Writer

SEATTLE OPERA CARMEN

MARION OLIVER MCCAW HALL

May 5 – Sunday matinee cast also performs 5/11, 5/15 & 5/18

Opening Night cast also performs 5/12, 5/17 & 5/19

Georges Bizet’s Carmen is known as a “warhorse” in the opera world – one of those familiar works with catchy tunes and classic stories that everyone likes, even if they’ve never been to an opera. And if you’ve only been to a couple of operas in your life, you’ve probably seen a warhorse – like The Magic Flute or Don Giovanni

see CARMEN page 6

MADONNA AT THE 30TH ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS:

Award Recipients at 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York: Madonna, Andy Cohen, “Pose,” “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,” Janelle Monáe, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” Boy Erased, and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

Drag superstar Shangela hosts the New York event, with celebrity presenters including Sarah Jessica Parker, Anderson Cooper, Rosie O’Donnell, Mykki Blanco, Adam Rippon, Lilly Singh, Rachel Brosnahan, Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore and Dominique Jackson

see GLAAD AWARDS page 4

by Paul Torres SGN A&E Writer

ARTSWEST OFFICE HOUR May 2-26

ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery’s brave production of Office Hour stands as a testament to what intimate theater can be. It moves you and even scares you a bit. This biting play

Bellevue Arts Museum celebrates life of Northwest jeweler

see RON HO page 8

Music of Remembrance presents world premiere of new opera The Parting

MUSIC OF REMEMBRANCE

THE PARTING

BENAROYA HALL

ILLSLEY BALL NORDSTROM

RECITAL HALL

May 19 @ 7:30pm

The Parting, a daring new opera by composer Tom Cipullo and librettist David Mason, explores the life and art of Miklós Radnóti, widely considered one of the most important poetic witnesses to the Holocaust. The work is a profound meditation on what it is about art that outlives us, and that can enable one to create even in the face of unimaginable adversity. Plus: little-known chamber works by three Hungarian composers – Lászlo Weiner, Sándor Vándor and Sándor Kuti – who like Radnóti perished at Nazi hands. MOR’s instrumental ensemble is drawn from the Seattle Symphony. Starring mezzo soprano Catherine Cook, baritone Michael Mayes, and soprano Laura Stricking, directed by Erich Parce and conducted by Alastair Willis.

Come early for a pre-concert talk with composer Tom Cipullo at 6:45pm.

Tickets: $55 are available in advance at https://www.seattlesymphony.org/concerttickets/calendar/2018-2019/benaroyahall/ mor-the-parting or by phone at (206) 2154747 or (866) 833-4747.

Music of Remembrance fills a unique role throughout the world by remembering the Holocaust through music. With concert performances, educational programs, recordings, and commissions of new works by some of today’s leading composers, MOR honors those of all backgrounds who found the strength to create even in the face of suffering, and those who had the courage to speak out against cruelty. We tell stories that communicate urgent lessons for today, and we look beyond the Holocaust itself to the experience of others who have been excluded or persecuted for their faith, ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

For more information, visit www.musicofremembrance.org

DON’T MISS THE GRAND FINALE of our 35th anniversary season, as we present a reprise of some of our and your favorite classical, folk, jazz, and Broadway hits performed over the past 34 years. You’ll hear great choral classics from Monteverdi, Haydn, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff, contemporary gems by Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen, spirituals and folk songs arranged by Moses Hogan and Stephen Paulus, popular and musical theater hits from Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, and more! In addition, this will be Dr. Fredrick Lokken’s final concert series with Bellevue Chamber Chorus, as he steps down from his position as Conductor and Artistic Director after nineteen years of leadership. Come celebrate with us!

Saturday,. May 18 @ 7:30pm – Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Avenue SE, Mercer Island

Sunday, May 19 @ 3:00pm – St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 3030 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue

Concert program: “Ave Maria” – Franz Biebl; “Blue Skies” – Irving Berlin, arr. Steve Zegree; “Bogoróditse Ďevo” – Sergei Rachmaninoff; “Die Beredsamkeit” – Franz Joseph Haydn; “Ecco mormorar l’onde” –Claudio Monteverdi; “Gala del Día” – Carlos Guastavino; “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” – Johannes Brahms; “I’m Gonna Sing ‘Til The Spirit Moves In My Heart” – Moses Hogan; “La Rose Complète” – Morten Lauridsen; “Make Our Garden Grow” – Leonard

Bernstein; “A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square” – arr. Gene Puerling; “Sanctus” – Jan Sandström; “Send In The Clowns” – Stephen Sondheim; “The Road Home” – arr. Stephen Paulus; “Water Night” – Eric Whitacre

Single ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students (over 12). To order tickets, or for more information, call (425) 522-3436; or go to the Chorus website at BellevueChamberChorus.org.

Please sign up for emailed concert notifications! You can also follow the Chorus on Twitter (@SingBellevue) or like Bellevue Chamber Chorus on Facebook. Bellevue Chamber Chorus is supported in part by the Bellevue Arts Commission and 4Culture.

Courtesy of Bellevue Chamber Chorus

GLAAD AWARDS

30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards to air on Logo on Sunday, May 12

30TH ANNUAL

GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS IN NEW YORK

HILTON MIDTOWN

May 4

NEW YORK, NY (Saturday, May 4, 2019) – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced recipients for the remaining 14 of this year’s 27 categories for the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Madonna received the Advocate for Change Award from Anderson Cooper, while Andy Cohen received the Vito Russo Award from Golden Globe-winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker at the star-studded ceremony at the Hilton Midtown in New York. The 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York were hosted by drag superstar Shangela.

(The New York City ceremony will air exclusively on Logo on Sunday, May 12 at 8pm ET/PT.)

Watch Madonna’s full acceptance speech at this LINK – https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSQ_ RQ4BeDU&feature=youtu.be

Exclusive photos of Madonna HERE – https://twitter.com/glaad/ status/1124879544803102721?s=21

In her remarks, Madonna said: “As soon as you really understand what it means to love, you understand what it takes to become a human being and that it is every human’s duty to fight, to advocate, to do whatever we can and whatever it takes. MADAME X is a FREEDOM FIGHTER.”

The 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. The 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are presented by Delta Air Lines, Gilead, Hyundai, Ketel One FamilyMade Vodka, and Wells Fargo.

At the event, celebrities sported blue “&” pins for GLAAD’s Together movement –GLAAD’s campaign to represent the power of solidarity and great accomplishments that occur when marginalized community groups – including women, Muslims, Black Americans, immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ people – stand together. Following is a complete list of GLAAD

Media Awards presented on stage or announced during the event in New York City (acceptors tentative). Additional awards were announced earlier this year in Los Angeles.

• Advocate for Change Award: Madonna [presented by Anderson Cooper, Rosie O’Donnell & Mykki Blanco]

• Vito Russo Award: Andy Cohen [presented by Sarah Jessica Parker]

• Outstanding Drama Series: “Pose” (FX) [accepted by: creators Ryan Murphy and Steven Canals, and cast members including Billy Porter, Janet Mock, Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Angelica Ross, Our Lady J, Dyllon Burnside, Hailie Sahar, and Ryan Jamal Swain; presented by Rachel Brosnahan]

• Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode: “Trans Rights Under Attack” Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) [accepted by: Samantha Bee; presented by Adam Rippon and Lilly Singh]

• Outstanding TV Journalism Segment: “Same Sex Couple Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling” CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN) [accepted by: Don Lemon; presented by Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson]

• Outstanding Film – Limited Release: Boy Erased (Focus Features)

• Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” – “American Crime Story”(FX)

• Outstanding Music Artist: Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer (Bad Boy Records)

• Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine: “Conversion Therapy: God Only Knows” – “CBS Sunday Morning” (CBS)

• Outstanding Newspaper Article: “He Took a Drug to Prevent AIDS. Then He Couldn’t Get Disability Insurance.” by Donald G. McNeil Jr. (The New York Times)

• Outstanding Digital Journalism –Article: “Bermuda Same-sex Marriage Ban Means Trouble for Tourism and Cruise Ships” by Ryan Ruggiero (CNBC.com)

• Outstanding Digital Journalism – Video or Multimedia: “March for Our Lives and LGBT activism. ‘They’re definitely linked for me,’ says Emma González” by Beth Greenfield (Yahoo! Lifestyle)

• Outstanding Blog: Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

• Outstanding Scripted Television Series (Spanish-Language): “Elite” (Netflix) and “Mi marido tiene más familia” (Univision) [TIE]

• Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (Spanish-Language): “Primera Pareja Gay en Casarse en un Consulado Mexicano” Noticias Telemundo Mediodía (Telemundo)

“Over the past 30 years, images in media have evolved to celebrate the unique and dynamic stories of LGBTQ people and accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community,” said GLAAD CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis. “This year’s award recipients like “Pose” and Don Lemon showcase what it means to move the needle forward, as they bring diverse and critical LGBTQ stories and issues to the forefront of mainstream media.”

On March 28, GLAAD honored Beyonce & JAY-Z with the Vanguard Award and Sean Hayes with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles.

Here is the list of previously announced winners from the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles:

• Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Love, Simon (20th Century Fox)

• Outstanding Comedy Series: “Vida” (Starz)

“As soon as you really understand what it means to love, you understand what it takes to become a human being and that it is every human’s duty to fight, to advocate, to do whatever we can and whatever it takes.

-MADONNA

• Outstanding Reality Program: “Queer Eye” (Netflix)

• Outstanding Documentary: Believer (HBO)

• Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series w/o a regular LGBTQ character): “Someplace Other Than Here” – “The Guest Book” (TBS)

• Outstanding Kids & Family Programming: “Steven Universe” (Cartoon Network)

• Outstanding Video Game: “The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset” (Bethesda Softworks)

• Outstanding Comic Book: Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, written by Mark Russell (DC Comics)

• Outstanding Magazine Article: “Can a Transgender Woman Get Justice in Texas?” by Nate Blakeslee (Texas Monthly)

• Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: Variety

• Outstanding TV Journalism – Newsmagazine (Spanish-Language): “Entrevista con Luis Sandoval para National Coming Out Day” Despierta América (Univision)

• Outstanding Digital Journalism (Spanish-Language): “Así pinta la televisión hispana a los personajes LGBTQ, una representación preocupante” por Daniel Shoer Roth (ElNuevoHerald.com)

• Special Recognition: Nanette (Netflix)

• Special Recognition: TransMilitary (Logo)

• Special Recognition: (Spanish-Language): “House of Mamis” (INTOmore. com)

GLAAD Media Award nominees were published, released or broadcast between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

For a full list of nominees: http://glaad. org/mediaawards/nominees.

On socials please follow @GLAAD and #glaadawards

The 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards are supported by Presenting Partners Delta Air Lines, Gilead, Hyundai, Ketel One Family-Made Vodka, and Wells Fargo. GLAAD is also grateful to: Official Partners Bud Light and Google; Titanium Partner AT&T and WEN; Platinum Partners Comcast NBCUniversal-Telemundo, Creative Artists Agency, Disney ABC Television Group, Facebook/ Instagram, HBO, Hulu, Kaiser Permanente, MetLife, NBA & WNBA, Netflix, Omnicom Group, PRG, Sheppard Mullin, Turner; Gold Partners CBS/Showtime, Nielsen, PWC, UM, Univision, and VER; and Silver Partners Allstate, Coca-Cola, Morgan Stanley, and Warner Bros.

ABOUT GLAAD

GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www. glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT

KETEL ONE FAMILY-MADE VODKA

Created in the Netherlands – the first progressive country to legalize marriage equality – Ketel One Family-Made Vodka is proud to partner with GLAAD for the ninth consecutive year. As a longstanding ally of the LGBTQ community, Ketel One Vodka is excited to once again join GLAAD, honoring those who work tirelessly to accelerate acceptance while simultaneously raising awareness of the social and civil causes that impact them.

Courtesy of GLAAD

(Mozart), Aida or La Traviata (Verdi), La Boehme or Madama Butterfly (Puccini).

But Carmen is the Queen of Warhorses – the very name conjures images of a seductive woman with castanets in a red flamenco dress, who has desperate men groveling at her feet. People love warhorses for a reason; like their namesakes, they are powerful, reliable, and beautiful all at once – and some, like Carmen, are also dangerous. Bizet’s music is feverishly contagious and the libretto is about hot sex, jealousy and murder. What’s not to love?

When Carmen premiered in Paris in 1875, audiences were deeply shocked by the raw, sexy story of a young man driven by passion to abandon his sweetheart and his career for the sake of a defiant, out-ofcontrol woman. The show closed almost immediately, though it was quickly revived and has been top-of-the-ten ever since. Seattle Opera’s current production is updated to the more tame and conventional era of the 1950s, but it’s still a culture with strictly defined gender roles, and Carmen is a woman who refuses to be told how to behave by the men and mores of her day, even at the cost of her life. It’s truly a story for our times – and this exciting production makes the most of it.

On Sunday afternoon conductor Giacomo Sagripanti started off at a surprisingly fast tempo that matched the lively

street scene of Seville, featuring a gang of children who not only sang like angels but romped and danced around like little devils. They wove in and out of a busy street scene, snatching and stealing from fruit and candy vendors – one little girl even stole a coat from a military officer – showing on a small scale the license that becomes licentiousness in the larger culture. Somehow we’re not surprised when the innocent Micaëla has to knock over a table to escape soldiers who try to corner her in their barracks when she comes to town in search of her fiancée, Don José. We’re also not surprised when we meet the girls who work in the cigarette factory. Their flirtatious scorn of the men crowding around them sets the scene for Carmen’s femme fatal entrance.

And what an entrance! If Dita Von Teese has a muse, it’s Carmen. Performed on Sunday with seductive irony by Seattle Opera debutant Zanda Ševede, we see a woman in complete control of the macho men around her, alternately teasing, demanding, ignoring, and humiliating them into mass submission with her sexual waves of aggression and indifference. Every aria that Carmen sings (all familiar – you’d recognize them instantly) are testaments to the triumph of sex over love, which is “A rebellious bird, that nobody can tame” as she sings in the Act I “Habanera.” Her embrace of seduction is the famous “Seguidilla” in Act II: “My lover is the devil…I have a dozen suitors –who will love me? I’ll love him back!”

Carmen’s casual ruin of Don José, a country boy who plans to go home to

Mother and Micaëla after his army stint is over, leads everyone to disaster. It’s a classic tale of the Bad Girl who represents the forbidden pleasures of sex and irresponsibility versus the Good Girl representing home, family, and duty – but the Good Girl loses out. There is no redemptive love for anyone in Carmen

Yet the chorus has a lot of fun in this production since every person has a distinct char-

acter to play, both in the city scenes and when we see the darker side of society among the outlaws – represented as gun-runners in this production. And there were some very modern moments as well – subtle references to identity expression such as a torero wearing a pink traje de luces, vamping up his dance moves, or a moment when Carmen shuns all the men around her and walks off in the embrace of her two best girlfriends.

was a very convincing Don José, whose descent into madness is represented by increasingly shabby clothes and bad grooming. Emily Dorn as Micaëla, the sweet country girl engaged to Don José, overcame her perky Sandra Dee costuming and showed both courage and charm in all of her big stranger-in-a-strange-land moments.

Zanda Ševede – beautiful in face, figure, and voice – gave a somewhat low-key, ironic interpretation of a femme fatale that also fit a more modern reading of what might otherwise be a clichéd characterization. I knew girls like her in college – wily, independent, and ruthless. This is a great role for Ševede – all she needs is to learn to dance the sevillana, a folk dance that kids in Seville still learn in kindergarten and that everyone there dances. I wasn’t convinced by Ševede’s

OFFICE HOUR

continued from cover

aims its crosshairs right at contemporary society and our frenzied culture. Playwright Julia Cho takes aim at violence in the academic setting through the views of an overwhelmed academic staff dealing with a seemingly unstable and volatile student.

A writing professor, Gina, portrayed marvelously by Naho Shioya, and her two colleagues, Genevieve and David, played by Varinique Davis and Nik Doner, respectively, are dealing with a troubled student, Dennis, exceptionally played by Christian Quinto. He writes graphically disturbing stories that scare his fellow students to a degree that they are too uncomfortable to attend class with him. That is the set-up for this story, produced in one act.

It continues with Dennis meeting with his professor and advisor Gina. What follows are a series of scenarios reflecting their interactions regarding his writing, his life, and even about the professor herself. The scenes are played out again and again with some troubling and violent actions. This whole story is a trigger warning ramped up and executed somewhat tenderly. The writing is excellent.

Talented director Mathew Wright helms Office Hour with a keen confidence that lets the story play out from Cho’s elegant writing and the sheer talent of the actors. Wright’s remarkable aptitude for delivering top-notch and enthralling productions is on full display here. The acting is as honest and forthright as I have seen.

Office Hour is a reflective modern por-

abbreviated, rather stiff movement. Carmen would be an expert at this simple, playful, and potentially erotic dance.

Another complaint I have – in an otherwise terrific production – is the decision to make the matador, Escamillo, into a hokey imitation of Elvis or The Fonz. The role was sung powerfully by Rodion Pogossov, and he was a real trooper – hamming it up with a fake microphone after arriving on a motorcycle. But it’s a misreading of this small but important role (which includes the most famous aria of all, “Toreador, engarde!”) In long tradition, the Spanish matadors have been lower class men who risk their lives to rise up in a very segmented society where the high culture loves bullfighters in the corrida but not in the world of privilege – akin to boxers in our culture, except that the major characteristic of toreros, who are as elegant as bal-

let dancers and as brave as daredevils, is that they are social climbers and therefore highly dignified, demanding respect from everyone around them.

The most famous bullfighting novel in Spanish literature (it’s a genre of its own there) is Sangre y Arena by Blasco-Ibáñez, in which a famous bullfighter has an affair with a woman of high society. Even naked in bed together, however, the matador has to address his lover in the formal “usted” instead of “tu.” This is a distinction that has many ramifications in a more conventional production of Carmen – is Escamillo toying with Carmen when he really means to move up in the world? Does she care? Or is he giving up trying to penetrate high society and going with a girl he understands? Will she dump him, too, or will he break her heart? It’s a meaningful subtext in the opera, and the fact that Carmen can snare

one of these peasant-kings is a real step up in the world for her. So…the elegant and important Escamillo as a corny Elvis imitator? [Loud buzzer sounding].

One of the big stars of this production is another artist making his Seattle Opera debut – the production designer Gary McCann, whose clever settings evoke a whole world without being overly literal or intrusive. It’s exciting to see this level of talent – from everyone – on our stage in a production that is co-commissioned with Opera Philadelphia and Irish National Opera. The dear Speight Jenkins, who guided Seattle Opera from humble beginnings to its current splendor, used to say on the radio, after every opera preview, “It’s going to be a great show! Don’t miss it!” I can echo that here – Carmen is a great show – don’t miss it! It’s on at McCaw Hall through the May 19 matinee.

trait of a gun-crazed America, its indifferent ignorance toward violence, and its incapacity to honestly and intelligently deal with the root causes of those with mental health issues. This production is frightening, it’s tense, it’s even PTSD-inducing, but it filters this all

through a balletic grace of what/if scenarios which makes it appropriately safe and palatable for an audience. It has to, because to deal with the true naked awfulness would be too shocking and dreadful, that mining any meaning from it would be a bit unbear-

able. Cho’s writing finesses all the terribleness and offers something we can take home, digest, and reflect on what we can do to make changes about these urgent issues of the day. If you come away with at least this, then that is the true gift of art like Office Hour

RON

HO

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“Ron Ho: A Jeweler’s Tale” will celebrate the life and legacy of renowned Northwest jeweler Ron Ho. When Ho passed away in 2017, he left a treasure trove of his own writings, letters, images, paintings, and objects. The exhibition, which opens at Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) May 10, collects many of these items, presenting them alongside works from his career and videos that offer a glimpse into Ho’s life and artistic practice. Several of these featured works were created in the last decade of his life following his 2007 retrospective at BAM, including the last piece he worked on prior to his passing.

Building from Ho’s 2007 retrospective at BAM and the recent Northwest Designer Craftsmen Living Treasures documentary film Ron Ho: Becoming Chinese, A Jeweler’s Tale, the exhibition highlights Ho’s creative explorations, the deep influence of his heritage, and his masterful ability to tell a story. Selected works from Ho’s decades-long career, as well as artifacts from his personal collection, will be displayed alongside drawings and notes from his creative process.

In addition to key works from Ho’s career, the exhibition will include a full reconstruction of his studio. Visitors will be able to see the books that inspired him, his worn tools and jeweler’s bench, the show tunes he listened to while working, and the found art objects from around the world waiting to be used in his next piece.

The exhibition will also include a screening of Ron Ho: Becoming Chinese, A Jeweler’s Tale, allowing visitors to hear Ho tell his own life story as well as commentary from his closest friends and mentors.

“Ron Ho: A Jeweler’s Tale” is co-curated by BAM’s Executive Director & Chief Curator Benedict Heywood and Nancy Loorem Adams, Vice President and Museum Liaison

of Northwest Designer Craftsmen, with the support and guidance of Ron Ho’s partner, Peter Olsen. The exhibition is co-presented by Bellevue Arts Museum and Northwest Designer Craftsmen.

The Bellevue Arts Museum is located at 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue WA. The museum is closed Mon-Tues. The museum is open Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm and Free First Friday 11am-8pm. Admission: Adults –$15; Student/Seniors/Military – $12; Teens – $5 (with Teen Tix); Children under age 6 – FREE. For more information, visit https://www.bellevuearts.org/ or call (425) 519-0770.

ABOUT RON HO

Ron Ho (1936-2017) was a jeweler and art educator living in Seattle, WA. Born to traditional Chinese parents, Ho grew up in Hawaii, surrounded by diverse cultures and their unique artistic expressions. His work was influenced and informed by contrasts of American and Chinese culture and by the cultural diversity he encountered living in the Pacific Northwest. By using found objects and materials enriched by cultural associations, his work reflects his search for a cultural sphere from areas as far as China, Thailand, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Ho was the recipient of several distinguished artist and art educator honors. His jewelry

is in the collections of numerous private and public collections, including the LA County Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Tacoma Art Museum, and the King County Arts Commission.

ABOUT

BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM

Bellevue Arts Museum provides a public forum for the community to contemplate, appreciate, and discuss visual culture. We work with audiences, artists, makers, and designers to understand our shared experience of the world. bellevuearts.org.

of Bellevue Arts Museum

Some glorious moments in Nina Simone

by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer

SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE

NINA SIMONE: FOUR WOMEN

Through June 2

The effect of watching four amazing women actors on stage in the Seattle Rep’s production of Nina Simone: Four Women is incredibly powerful. They pour all their committed energy and heart into their work.’ Their energy and power almost allows this earnest script, that tries hard to give context to Nina Simone, an iconic singer/activist, who changed a lot of lives in the 1960s and ’70s, to succeed beyond its characterizations. Simone’s story is certainly worth staging. This script includes valuable infor-

mation to audiences that have not grown up with her music or are not privy to areas of tension within Black America’s culture.

Playwright Christina Ham strives to educate audiences and to theatricalize a moment of change in an artist’s life. But educational theater is tricky and hard to pull off without limiting the expanse of drama and this script only partly wins that battle.

Let’s start, though, with describing the play: Nina Simone, played with imperious grace and anger by Shontina Vernon, is standing in the recently bombed 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama on September 15, 1963. Wikipedia tells us that bombings of black churches and other properties in Birmingham were so frequent that it became known as “Bombingham.” But none of those other bombings apparently caused any fatalities.

Nina is there because the death of four little girls, aged 11 to 14, has stirred her, deeply, along with the murder on June 12, 1963 of Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi. She imagines that she is now in the church while thousands of protesting citizens are outside being attacked by local law enforcement. She feels determined to use her music to make change by writing a protest song, “Mississippi Goddamn,” that speaks to the violence against blacks. There she meets three other women who embody the women in another Simone song, “Four Women.”

In the song is Aunt Sarah, played by

Shaunyce Omar, whose powerful voice permeates every corner of the theater. Aunt Sarah is fleshed out to be a downtrodden workhorse of a woman whose job as a maid is to take care of the white town families in order to take care of her own family.

Then, Saffronia appears; Britney Nicole Simpson demonstrating restraint and world-weary persistence as an activist. The others call her “high yellah,” in reference to skin coloring that would allow her to “pass” for white in some contexts. Eventually, she tells them, as the song says, “My father was rich and white/He forced my mother late one night.” While some on the darker-skinned community disdain the lighter-skinned, she reminds them that her skin-color is not something that came from a loving relationship.

Saffronia also talks about, but does not show, the scars on her body from taking part in multitudes of protests. She describes how it feels to be hit with cold water from fire hoses and how it tears the skin. Nina challenges her about how the women are forced to the back of the protests by their own men, and suggests that female empowerment must be part of the civil rights that are being demanded.

Sweet Thing appears, with a switchblade and a dangerous attitude. Porscha Shaw plays her with a truculent attitude and abundant self-justification. Sweet Thing knows that many black women look down upon her

Theron and Rogen’s romantic campaign helps Long Shot win election

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

LONG SHOT

Now playing

President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) is not running for a second term. This is wonderful news to his ambitious Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron). Not only does she clandestinely think this former TV star who somehow lucked his way into the Presidency is an idiot, but she also harbors a desire to run for President herself. Yet, as he is incredibly popular with a large cross-section of the American public, Charlotte knows she needs to get Chambers’ endorsement if she is going to have any chance to win the election. He wants her to score an international political victory in order for him to give it to her, and she’s got just the proposal that’s virtually guaranteed to make that happen.

Enter Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen). He’s a gifted writer who lost his job when his small, independent publication was bought out by multibillionaire media mogul Parker Wembley (Andy Serkis). Attending a high-class environmental benefit with childhood best friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), mainly for the free booze and the opportunity to meet Boyz II Men, much to his embarrass-

ment Fred inadvertently runs into Charlotte. She used to babysit him when she was a senior and he was a freshman in high school, and even then the future journalist knew she was destined for greatness. Because of that he’s positive the current Secretary of State doesn’t want to be reminded of the crush he had on her when they were both teenagers, attempting to leave the charity benefit before she realizes he’s there.

It’s a good thing Charlotte is okay with being reminded about the past because otherwise Long Shot wouldn’t exist. Safe to say that the Secretary of State is just fine with being reunited with Fred, so much so she hires him to be a speechwriter as she travels around the globe garnering support for an ambitious plan to combat climate change.

This allows Theron and Rogen ample opportunity to interact and play off one another, the two actors sharing surprising chemistry as their working relationship slowly morphs into friendship before finally transforming into something far more amorous in nature.

Dan Sterling’s (The Interview) and Liz Hannah’s (The Post) ambitiously multifaceted script works as both political satire and character-driven romantic comedy, director Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies, 50/50) handling it all with a confidently relaxed naturalism that mitigates the inherent silliness and implausibility of the fairy tale relationship at the center of the story.

Theron is great, the Oscar-winner proving once again there’s practically nothing she can’t do once the cameras start rolling. She saunters through the film with a magnetic authority that fits her character perfectly, her athletic physicality coupled with an intuitive intelligence that makes Charlotte a natural leader and an imperious force to be reckoned with. But even better are the moments where she does let down her guard, when the actress allows the character’s buried insecurities to briefly come into the light.

for making her way in the world by selling sex and, in this imaginary instance, stealing a dead girl’s shoe from the church to sell to horror-treasure hunters.

Nina names herself the fourth woman in her song, Peaches, whose parents were slaves and who has had a tough life. She relates her own life trajectory through the play as a young piano prodigy who devoted five to six hours a day to piano practice in an ultimately vain attempt to become a black classical pianist of note.

This is not a musical, though it embeds Simone’s songs along the way. There are awkward aspects in the manner and timing of those particular songs, since they are not connected specifically to dialogue or moments of actions. One particularly awkward moment is in the insertion of Simone’s famous song, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” It’s a hopeful song, but it’s inserted within unhopeful dialogue and is confusing.

Still, there are glorious moments that make the evening well worth attending, regardless of any uneven script issues. The ending may leave you, as it left me, breathless.

For more information, call 206-4432222 or go to www.seattlerep.org.

Discuss your opinions with SGNCritic@ gmail.com or go to www.facebook.com/ SeattleTheaterWriters. More articles can be found at MiryamsTheaterMusings. blogspot.com.

This gives her extra layers of depth that are incredible, the actress going in directions that are almost always a joy to discover.

There’s a spellbinding bit where, after receiving devastating news, Charlotte convinces Fred to surreptitiously take her out on the town so she can cut loose and blow off steam in a manner that would compel the President to force her resignation if he ever caught wind of what they were doing. This ends up leading to a fantastic scene where the Secretary has to navigate an unforeseen international crisis right at the one moment where she’d rather curl up in bed and sleep for 12 hours. What Theron does during this moment is sensational, the actress delivering bits of laugh-out-loud hysteria that are unexpectedly coupled with a level of mature emotional insight that held me in a state of captivated awe.

Rogen doesn’t necessarily match his costar, but he does raise his game considerably in order to be believable as her romantic partner in political depravity. He gives Fred unanticipated gravitas, and I liked how passionate he was about the things he believed in even if his steadfast pigheadedness sometimes caused a wide variety of angry confrontations that made it almost impossible for others to hear, let alone consider, any of his ideas no matter how good they might be. Rogen’s self-deprecating wherewithal is quite intricate, and there’s always something of a mystifying question mark as to if his character is going to be able to expand his horizons, listen to alternate points of view and accept constructive criticism without giving up on the core ideals that make him who he is.

The supporting cast is universally strong, especially Straight Outta Compton scenestealer Jackson Jr. and June Diane Raphael as Charlotte’s snarky Chief of Staff Maggie Millikin. The former doesn’t have a lot of scenes but he more than makes the most of

them when given the opportunity. As for the latter, she’s superb, her cutthroat intensity as she spells things out for Fred as to what his job is, what is expected of him and how his hoity-toity high ideals will lead to nothing getting done if he’s not willing to even ponder the concept of a compromise a barnstorming corker of comedic and satirical insight that’s a pleasure to behold.

None of this is very believable, and I honestly think Levine and the two writers don’t mean it to be so. Some of the stuff that happens would never remain a public secret, while a third act turn of events involving a hacked laptop’s webcam doesn’t work nearly as well as the filmmakers intend it to. But at the end of the day this is a fairy tale, one that makes a plethora of valid and prescient points as it pertains to women and what they are allowed to do and the mistakes they’re never going to be forgiven for making once they are in the public eye, but still a fairy tale for sure. Allusions to what happened in 2016 (and to what is still happening right now), especially in regards to big money manipulation of public discourse as well as how having an unqualified nincompoop in the White House is bad for the country, are by design, the more blatantly satirical aspects and some of the strongest ones the film has to offer.

Ultimately, it is Rogen and especially Theron that make Long Shot work as well as it does. They are a terrific romantic comedy pairing, and the manner in which they organically allow Charlotte and Frank’s relationship to take root and blossom is the primary reason I ended up enjoying this one as much as I did. The two stars are delightful, and if they ever decide to team up again in the future I’ll certainly cast my vote stating this would be something I’d be willing to purchase a ticket to see.

SEATTLE

BATHS

SEATTLE

CLUB Z - (men) 1117 Pike near Boren - 622-9958

CLUB Z - (men)

1117 Pike near Boren - (206) 622-9958

HOT HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women)

HOUSE SPA & SAUNA - (women) SW corner of Pike & 11th (stairs behind Wildrose) - 568-3240

STEAM WORKS - (men)

SW corner of Pike & 11th

1520 Summit - 388-4818

(stairs behind Wildrose) - (206) 568-3240

STEAM WORKS - (men)

1520 Summit Ave - (206) 388-4818

RESTAURANTS & BARS

88 KEYS - 315 2nd Ave. S. - 839-1300

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - 625-4444

RESTAURANTS & BARS

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

2328 E. Madison St. - 323-1098

BALTIC ROOM - 1207 Pine St. - (206) 625-4444

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

THE BOTTLENECK LOUNGE

1701 E. Olive Way - 726-0565

2328 E. Madison St. - (206) 323-1098

CAPITOL CIDER - 818 E Pike St. - (206) 397-3564

1533 13th Ave. - 323-1525

RETAIL SHOPS

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - 324-2577

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA - 700 E. Pine St. - 322-6444

BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - (206) 328-2914

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. E. - 441-9729

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E. - 860-1818

1017 E. Pike St - (206) 204-0126

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - 682-2935

DIEGO PELLICER - 2215 4th Ave. S - (206) 624-0070

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - 325-6537

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - 324-5358

1312 E. Pike St. - (206) 257-0231

OUT WEST - 5401California Ave. SW

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - (206) 323-7437

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - 588-0375

FANTASY UNLIMITED

POCO WINE ROOM

KENT

WILDROSE - 1021 E. Pike - 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS

5633 Airport Way S - 466-5954

9614 14th Ave SW - 763-1347

LOVER’S - 25801 104th Ave. SE - (253) 852-1720

THE FANTASY SHOP 604 Central Ave. S - (253) 850-8428

RETAIL SHOPS

CASTLE SUPERSTORE #17

NASHVILLE’S SPORTS BAR (Drag Shows) 114 - Railroad Ave. N - (253) 852-0909

1017 E. Pike St - 204-0126

DOGHOUSE LEATHERS

1312 E. Pike St. - 257-0231

LA CONNER

EMERSON SALON - 909 E. Pike St. - 323-7437

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - 946-8157

NEW YORK EXCHANGE

LA CONNER

TACOMA

OLYMPIA

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

C.C. ATTLE’S BAR & GRILLE

2103 N. 45th - 545-8363

1701 E. Olive Way - (206) 726-0565

THE CANTERBURY

2027 Westlake Ave. - (206) 682-0167 1510 1st Ave - (206) 624-1784

1408 E. Pine St. - 322-9463

POKE BAR - 1542 12th Ave - 402-5178

HASHTAG - 3540 Stone Way N - (206) 946-8157

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - 324-2854

HERBAN LEGENDS - 55 Bell St - (206) 849-5596

HERB(N) ELEMENTS

PURR - 1518 11th Ave. - 325-3112

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - 322-8828

11013 Lake City Way NE - (206) 535-8769

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - 233-9873

LAUGHING BUDDHA TATTOO

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - 420-3214

1534 Broadway - (206) 329-8274

THE CANTERBURY - 534 15th Ave. E. - 322-3130

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - 621-7591

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - 441-5449

THE NEW YORK XCHANGE

225 Broadway E. - (206) 726-3300

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - 397-3825

ONYX LEATHER

THE CRESCENT - 1413 E. Olive Way - 720-8188

534 15th Ave. E - (206) 322-3130

THE CUFF COMPLEX

CHANGES IN WALLINGFORD

2103 N. 45th - (206) 545-8363

THE CRESCENT

1413 E. Olive Way - (206) 720-8188

THE CUFF COMPLEX

1533 13th Ave. - (206) 323-1525

DIESEL BAR - 1413 14th Ave. - (206) 322-1080

GLO’S - 1621 E. Olive Way - (206) 324-2577

HOT MAMA’S PIZZA

700 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-6444

JAZZ ALLEY - 2033 6th Ave. - (206) 441-9729

JULIA’S - 300 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 860-1818

KREMWERK - 1809 Minor Ave. #10 - (206) 682-2935

THE LUMBER YARD

9619 16th Ave. SW - (206) 695-2007

MADISON PUB - 1315 E. Madison - (206) 325-6537

NEIGHBOURS - 1509 Broadway - (206) 324-5358 OUT WEST

5401California Ave. SW - (206) 937-1540

THE PINE BOX - 1600 Melrose Ave - (206) 588-0375

POCO WINE ROOM

1408 E. Pine St. - (206) 322-9463

PONY - 1221 E. Madison St. - (206) 324-2854

QUEER BAR - 1518 11th Ave - (206) 687-7491

R PLACE - 619 E. Pine - (206) 322-8828

RE-BAR - 1114 Howell at Boren - (206) 233-9873

ROOT TABLE 2213 NW Market St. - (206) 420-3214

SEATTLE EAGLE - 314 E. Pike - (206) 621-7591

SHORTY’S 2222 2nd Ave - (206) 441-5449

STOUT -1530 11th Ave - (206) 397-3825

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - (206) 325-6492

UNION - 1318 E. Union St. - (206) 328-1318

WILDROSE - 1021 E Pike - (206) 324-9210

ZIPPY’S GIANT BURGERS 9614 14th Ave SW - (206) 763-1347

TOULOUSE PETIT

1605 12th Ave. #8 - (206) 328-1965

601 Queen Anne Ave N - 432-9069

UNICORN - 1118 E Pike - 325-6492

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - (206) 251-0630

PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHOP

4411 Wallingford Ave. N. - (206) 535-6920

PANACHE - 225 Broadway E. - (206) 726-3300

PONDER - 2413 E Union - (206) 420-2180

RUCKUS - 1465 E Republican St - (206) 257-4805

TABOO ADULT VIDEO

9813 16th Ave SW - (206) 767-4855

TRUE LOVE ART GALLERY & TATTOO

1525 Summit Ave. - (206) 227-3572

UNDER U 4 MEN

709 Broadway Ave. E - (206) 324-6446

UNCLE IKE’S

2310 E Union St - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 501 15th Ave E - 1-800-GET-DRUGS 9822 15th Ave SW - 1-800-GET-DRUGS

WILD AT HEART 1111 NW Leary Way - (206) 782-5538

BELLINGHAM

LOVER'S 193 Telegraph Road - (360) 752-1862

RUMORS CABARET 1119 Railroad - (360) 671-1849

DES MOINES

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 2 21635 Pacific Hwy S - (206) 878-7780

EVERETT

ADULT AIRPORT VIDEO 11732 Airport Road - (425) 290-7555

LOVER’S - 112 SE Everett - (425) 353-3607

LOVER’S - 3402 Broadway - (425) 252-8754

THE HERON INN & WATERGRASS DAY SPA 117 Maple Ave. - (877) 883-8899 info@theheron.com

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

ONYX LEATHER - 1605 12th Ave. #8 - 328-1965

OZ - 3831 Stone Way N - 251-0630

PORT

OLYMPIA

PANACHE

225 Broadway E. - 726-3300

RUCKUS 1465 E Republican St. - 257-4805

DARBY’S CAFE

SPOKANE

THE FANTASY SHOP 9630 16th Ave. SW - 762-3299

211 5th Ave. SE - (360) 357-6229

LOVER’S 3959 Martin Way E, Suite D - (360) 456-7300

TABOO ADULT VIDEO 9813 16th Ave SW - 767-4855

JAKES - 311 4th Ave. E - (360) 956-3247

TOYS IN BABELAND - 707 E. Pike St. - 328-2914

UNDER U 4 MEN

ORCAS ISLAND

709 Broadway Ave. E. - 324-6446

UNCLE IKE’S

BROWN BEAR BAKING, LLC

29 N Beach Rd #1966, Eastsound - (360) 855-7456

PORT ANGELES

MAPLE ROSE INN 112 Reservoir Rd - (800) 570-2007

BELLINGHAM

SPOKANE

ANDY’S - 1401 W. 1st Ave. - (509) 747-0304

THE BLIND BUCK

204 N. Division St. - (509) 343-9425

GLOBE BAR AND KITCHEN

DES MOINES

204 N. Division St. - (509) 443-4014

NYNE BAR AND BISTRO 232 W. Sprague Ave. - (509) 474-1621

EVERETT

KENT

TACOMA

Meetings Events Activities May 11

TO GET A CALENDAR LISTING: To have your meeting or event considered for the Community Calendar, please mail, fax, or drop off details to: SGN, Attn: Community Calendar, 1707 23rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. SGN phone: (206) 324-4297. E-mail: sgn2@sgn.org.

INCLUDE: Date, time, location, contact phone # for publication (if possible), brief description of event & sponsoring organization. DEADLINE: Tuesday 5pm.

NOTE: 10-digit dialing has come to the Seattle area. The (206) area code must now be used to dial local calls. Location of meetings/events is in Seattle unless otherwise noted.

SATURDAY - May 11

A Gathering of Men in Woodinville 8:15-11:30am. 21920 Highway 9 SE (WA-9), Woodinville. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Men gather monthly for drumming, singing, storytelling & sharing of life experience. We create a safe, confidential & sacred space in which a man can speak his truth from the heart, to heal & empower himself. We are fiercely non-political, nonsectarian & non-judgmental. All men are welcome. www. agatheringofmen.org

Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 9am. Greenlake (outside Evans Pool). Every Saturday. GLBT running & walking club sponsors weekly runs, monthly potlucks, track & field activity, annual Run With Pride. (206) 4488518. www.seattlefrontrunners.org.

Positively Living Coffee Social. 10am-12 noon. Cupcake Royale, 1111 E Pike St. Every Saturday. Casual social get-together for the HIV community. (206) 9571600. Sponsored by LIfelong.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. Sex and Love

Addicts Anonymous is a 12-step/12-tradition-oriented fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope to overcome sex and love patterns of addiction. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org.

Georgetown Art Attack. 6-9pm. Meets 2nd Saturday each month. Reflects the industrial-strength character of the neighborhood. For information stop into Georgetown Records at Airport Way S & S Vale or visit www. georgetownneighborhood.com

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 6pm-12 midnight. Call for location & details. Every Saturday. (253) 671-2838. www.oasisyouthcenter.org.

Ballard’s Second Saturday Artwalk. 7-10pm. Pick up maps at participating shops & galleries located in the Ballard business district (Ballard Ave NW & NW Market St area). Meets 2nd Saturday each month. (206) 7849705; visitballard.com.

Imperial Court of Seattle Closet Ball 2019. 7pm (doors 6pm). R Place, 619 E Pine St. Contest featuring live transformation, open to Seattle and King County drag novices. Winners will be crowned Closet Ball King & Queen 2019-20. Suggested donation $5. Sponsored by Imperial Court of Seattle, Olympic and Rainier Empire. Contest application and other info at www.imperialcourtofseattle.org.

SUNDAY - May 12

Ravenna United Methodist Church. 8:30am “Seattle’s most dangerous Sunday school” - 9:45am Worship. 5751 33rd Ave NE. A reconciling congregation, fully inclusive and affirming of LGBTQ persons. (206) 525-7988. Center for Spiritual Living. 9am meditation; 9:30am & 11am services. The Mountaineers, 7701 Sand Point Way NE. Blessings & we hope to see you soon! (206) 527-8801 ext 203, www.cslseattle.org

Seattle Unity Church. 9am & 11am Sunday Services. 200 8th Ave N. “Come join our Gay & Lesbian-friendly, spiritual family at Seattle Unity Church. Our mission is to bring love, miracles & spiritual awakening into everyday life!” (206) 622-8475; www.seattleunity.org.

Seattle Soto Zen. 9:15am Zazen Instruction, 9:30am Zazen. 101 Nickerson St, Lower Level. Follow the traditional forms of the Soto school of Zen in a spirit of warmth & inclusion. Anyone interested in meditation, whether new or experienced in Zen practice or other traditions, is welcome. (206) 323-1659, www.seattlesotozen.org

Gay Men’s Bowling in Everett 9:30am. Glacier Lanes, 9630 Evergreen Way, Everett. Every Sunday. Spectators welcome. Join us for lunch afterwards! Sponsored by the Snohomish County Gay Men’s Task Force. For info email John at johndmarsh@mac.com; www.gaysnohomish.org Tacoma First United Methodist Church. 9:30am Worship, 11am Adult Education. 423 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma. This reconciling congregation welcomes with warm hands, warm hearts & open minds GLBT persons seeking a spiritual home. (253) 627-0129, www. fumctacoma.org

University Lutheran Church. 9:30am Worship, 10:30am Coffee Fellowship, 11am Adult Forum & Education Hour. 1604 NE 50th St. All are welcome. We choose love. (206) 525-7074. universitylutheranseattle.org East Shore Unitarian Church. 10am Sunday Service. 12700 SE 32nd St, Bellevue. An open & affirming congregation. (425) 747-3780.

Gethsemane Lutheran Church. 10am Worship. 911 Stewart St. A downtown faith community centered in justice. An open & affirming congregation. (206) 682-3620. Plymouth Church United Church of Christ. 10am Worship. 1217 6th Ave. Love your (LGBTQ) neighbor as yourself. (206) 622-4865, plymouthchurchseattle.org

community calendar

Unity Church of Kent. 10am. 218 State Ave S, Kent. A welcoming congregation open to people of all races, religions, creeds & lifestyles. Join us any Sunday for an inspirational message, joyful fellowship & a fresh spiritual outlook. (253) 854-9747.

University Congregational United Church of Christ. 9am all ages education; 10am Worship. 4515 16th Ave NE. UCUCC is an open & affirming congregation. (206) 524-2322; www.universityucc.org.

Wallingford United Methodist Church. 10am Worship. 2115 N 42nd St. A progressive congregation. In 1984 Wallingford UMC became the 9th reconciling Methodist church in the U.S. (206) 547-6945 (office); (206) 2855077 (George).

All Pilgrims Christian Church. 10:30am Worship. 500 Broadway E. Come as you are. All are welcome. A congregation of the Disciples of Christ & the United Church of Christ. (206) 322-0487, www.allpilgrims.org

First Church - First United Methodist Church of Seattle. 10:30am. 180 Denny Way. (Enter on 2nd Ave N for worship.) Welcome to First Church, a progressive community advocating for the homeless and hungry, and creating a refuge of inclusive Christianity. First Church is a proud member of the Reconciling Ministries Network. (206) 622-7278; firstchurchseattle.org

Northminster Presbyterian Church. 10:30am Worship. 7706 25th Ave NW. A village church in the city open to all. (206) 783-3402. www.northminsterpres.org (Conveniently located a block from the Metro #40 bus route.)

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church. 10:30am Worship. 1501 32nd Ave S. Great music. Dynamic preaching. Holy communion. Encountering the transformative and unconditional love of God in Christ. Join us! www. stclementseattle.org

Seattle Sunday Bowling. 10:30am. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW (at SW Oregon St). Open bowl every Sunday for the GLBT community & friends. You don’t have to worry about how you bowl! $6.50 + $3 shoe rental. (425) 785-4729.

Welcome Table Christian Church. 9:45am Meditation; 10:30am Worship; Labyrinth 2nd Sundays 1-4pm. 1322

S Bayview St. Where people of all genders and sexualities, and families of all shapes & sizes are welcome and celebrated. A welcoming and affirming community since 1987. welcometablecc.org

Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation. 10:30am. 7141 California Ave SW. (206) 935-0418, office@wsuu.org, www.wsuu.org

Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church Seattle. 11am Worship. Chapel at University Temple

United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. MCC is a progressive Christ-centered faith community committed to providing a nurturing environment for individual & community growth thru Jesus Christ while celebrating unity in diversity. MCC is Seattle’s oldest Gay-friendly church. (206) 325-2421, www.mccseattle.org.

Lotus Sisters Guided Meditation. 11am-1:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. Senior students lead the meditation, provide dharma talks or reflections & lead discussion. (206) 329-5908; www.LotusSisters.org. (Meets in 2nd floor meeting room; no elevator.)

Meditation for GBT Men. 11am-1pm. Cal Anderson House, 400 Broadway. Suitable for beginning & experienced meditators. Sponsored by Dharma Buddies. Contact Forrest Rode, (206) 920-6117, or Doug Allison, doug.l.allison@gmail.com. Find us under “Dharma Buddies” on Meetup.com or at DharmaBuddies.org. (Women are invited to contact our sister meditation group at www. LotusSisters.org.)

St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. 11am Worship. 6512 12th Ave NW. An “open & affirming” congregation. “We celebrate our diversity in religious background, sexual orientation, race, age & abilities.” (206) 783-6733; www.stpauluccseattle.com.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 11:15am (also 7:30am, 9am, 5pm). 15 W Roy St. We are an accepting, progressive, Anglo-Catholic parish, renewing its people for their Christian lives in today’s world through worship, spiritual formation, engagement in the arts, and acts of compassion. www.stpaulseattle.com

Just for Today (NA). 12-1:15pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Sunday. Drop-in 12-step Narcotics Anonymous group open to anyone in recovery. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Paths to Recovery Al-Anon Family Group. 12-1:30pm. Seattle University Student Center, 901 12th Ave, Room 122. Every Sunday. LGBTQ supported. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Sun: Afternoon; Mon/ Weds/Fri: Evenings; Tues/Thurs: Mornings. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St.

Pre-registration required. Orca Swim Team workouts are for both competitive & recreational swimmers. www. orcaswimteam.org

Rain City Soccer Club - Kickabout. Sunday afternoon usually at 3pm. Location varies. Join us for Seattle’s mostly-weekly mostly-LGBTQ pickup soccer game. We play an organized, 2-hour scrimmage on nice fieldturf surface. Sometimes there is a brief training/practice session before we play. Usually there is a “one-beer” after the scrimmage. To sign up visit www.raincitysoccer.org Dignity/Seattle Prayer Service. 6pm. Ravenna United Methodist Church, 5751 33rd Ave NE. Meets 2nd Sunday each month. Dignity/Seattle is the local chapter of the nationwide organization of GLBT Roman Catholics. “We celebrate our inherent dignity with pride in liturgy, mutual support, work for justice, & social activities.” Gender-inclusive & relationship affirming liturgies & prayer services. All welcome. (206) 325-7314. Shame to Grace (SAA). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Sunday. Sex Addicts Anonymous is a fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength & hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction & help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828, SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. (206) 322-2437. www. peerseattle.org

Pride League Bowling. 6:30pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Sunday. Regular league bowling. Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com. Integrity/Puget Sound. 7pm Worship & Fellowship. St. Mark’s Cathedral, Thomson Chapel, 1245 10th Ave E. Integrity is an international ministry of Gay & Lesbian Episcopalians, their friends & families, dedicated to education, support & service within the Church & the GLBT community. (425) 226-2746.

MONDAY - May 13

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

SOBER On Meds. 1-2pm. Peer Seattle 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Every Monday. 12-step group open to anyone in recovery & living on a medicine regimen. (206) 3222437; www.peerseattle.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 2-3:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437, www. peerseattle.org

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Meditation Class for LGBTQ Seniors. 6:30pm. GenPride Senior Center, 401 Broadway E, Suite 223. Free class every Monday for LGBTQ seniors, their caregivers and allies. Beginners welcome. www.gapseattle.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters. 7pm. Gay City, 517 E Pike St, downstairs space. Every Monday (except holidays & the last Mondays in August & December). Seattle’s only LGBT speaking club. www.FreelySpeaking.org

PFLAG/Seattle Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Meets 2nd Monday each month. (206) 325-7724 or info@pflagseattle.org; www.pflagseattle.org. PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality.

PFLAG/Skagit County Monthly Meeting. 7pm. Skagit Valley Food Co-op Bldg, Room 309, 202 South 1st St., Mt. Vernon. Meets 2nd Monday each month. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses, & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. PFLAG/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724.

Trans Youth Group. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. A chance for youth to talk with others about their experiences & concerns related to identifying as Transgender. www.lamberthouse.org

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Monday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Fridays.)

Lambert House Art Night. 7:30-9:30pm. 1818 15th Ave. Every Monday. Bring your ideas & let’s have some fun. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Washington Gender Alliance Support Group Meeting in Shoreline 7:30pm. Center for Human Services, 17018 15th Ave NE, Shoreline. Every Monday. www. washingtongenderalliance.com

TUESDAY - May 14

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave #100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

LGBTQ+ Group. 1:15-2:15pm. Orion Center, 1828 Yale Ave. Every Tuesday. A group for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 & their allies. Sponsored by YouthCare. (206) 622-5555.

LGBTQ Questioning & Allied Youth Drop-in Group in Renton 6-8pm. Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS), 1025 S 3rd St, Renton. Every Tuesday. Confidential. Snacks provided. Bring friends or come alone - anyone

12-18 is welcome. Questions? Call Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600 ext 155, or email sarahh@rays.org

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

ALISS - Aging Lesbians in South Seattle Evening Gathering. 6:30-8pm. Southeast Seattle Senior Center, 4655 S Holly St, Rainier Ave S & S Holly St., Social Hall. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. This is a group primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Facilitator: Fai Coffin; Cost: FREE. Metro route 7. Wheelchair accessible. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org.

Alzheimer’s Association’s LGBT Caregivers’ Support Group. 6:30-8pm. Home Street Bank, 7307 Greenwood Ave N. Meets 2nd Tuesday each month. A free information and support group for care partners, family members and friends of individuals with dementia. Please contact group facilitator Mandi Gunderson, (206) 471-2352 prior to attending.

Diverse Harmony. 6:30-9pm. Seattle First Baptist Church, 1111 Harvard Ave. Every Tuesday. Diverse Harmony is the nation’s first Gay/Straight Alliance Youth Chorus. Youth ages 13-22 are welcome regardless of sexual orientation. www.diverseharmony.org

LGBTQ MS Connection/National MS Society. 6:308pm. Swedish Conference Center, Cherry Hill Campus, James Tower, 550 17th Avenue, Room E, 1st Floor. Meets 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month. MS Connection is a support group with the goal of providing a safe environment for the LGBT community to express their experiences and the impact of MS on their lives and the lives of their loved ones, as well as provide support for one another. Contact Shelly at (206) 250-5002 or LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com.

No Man’s Land - For Female-Identified Youth, Ages 22 & Under. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Tuesday. Topics range from family issues to school happenings to like/lust/love relationships. All Queer females welcome. Come discuss how smart. strong Queer women live their lives. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Tuesday Night Sex Addicts Anonymous (GLBTQI). 7-8:30pm. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E (enter at 509 10th Ave E; buzz in, Colonial room). Every Tuesday. SAA is a fellowship of men & women whose primary purpose is to stop addictive sexual behavior & help others recover from sexual addiction. Seattle SAA helpline (206) 237-8828. SAA International Service Organization 1-800-477-8191. Men’s Discussion Group. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Tuesday. Peer group for Gay & Bi men. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Here & Now Gay & Lesbian AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Tuesday.

Spiritual Empowerment. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. A vibrant drop-in workshop for those of any spiritual belief. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. GLBT & GLBT-friendly co-ed water polo team is open to all who want to play. Beginners & experienced players welcome. Check our website for up to the minute details, or call the Otter Hotline (206) 414-8797. www.otterpolo.com.

Seattle Poetry Slam. Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm. Rebar, 1114 Howell St. Every Tuesday. A spoken word poetry event that features a weekly open mic, feature poet, and slam (poetry competition). Come out and express yourself. LGBTQ- & QTPOC-friendly; all genders welcome. $5. 21+. seattlepoetryslam.org

WEDNESDAY

- May 15

Mature Friends Walk Around Greenlake. 11am. Meet up at 10:50am with a group of older men gathered at the north end of the parking lot that is next to the boathouse along the southwest side of Greenlake. Every Wednesday. Walk around Greenlake followed by lunch at a local restaurant. www.maturefriends.org New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

True Colors: Connecting LGBTQ Teens in Shoreline 4-5pm. Every Wednesday. Discussing your important issues, building a supportive community. For information, location & to REGISTER call Lindsay Bagley (206) 362-7282 x 8018 or email lbagley@chs-nw.org

Living Positively. 5-7pm. Lifelong, 1016 E Pike St., 3rd Fl. Every Wednesday. Social and support group for the HIV community with various topics for discussion and conversation. (206) 957-1600 or www.lifelong.org. Sponsored by Lifelong.

GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): A Support Group for GLBTQ+Youth (14-20) serving Snohomish County & surrounding communities. 6-8pm. Phone or email for location. Every Wednesday. Sponsored by PFLAG Everett. Brenda, (425) 263-2908. globeleaders@hotmail.com Queer Seattle Book Club. 6pm. University Book Store Cafe, 4326 University Way NE. Every Wednesday. This month’s title: “Leading Men” by Christopher Castellani. https://faculty.washington.edu/swittet/SGLBookClub/ Lotus Sisters Meditation & Dharma DiscussionNorth. 6:15-8pm. Ravenna Bryant neighborhood. Every Wednesday. Call (206) 525-7295 for location. www. LotusSisters.org.

Generations Aging with Pride (GenPRIDE) Community Conversations. 6:30pm. Shoreline Senior Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline. Meets 3rd Wednesday each month. Our peer groups are LGBTQIA+ safe

community calendar

spaces by and for our community. While others are welcome to participate, our communities’ voices will be prioritized and we hold a judgment free, safe space for all members. Members are free to speak about any topic; however, we provide pre-selected topics each week that serve as great ice breakers. More info: (206) 393-3400, info@gapseattle.org; www.gapseattle.org/ community-conversations.

Seattle Frontrunners Fun Run. 6:30pm. Volunteer Park, 14th Ave E & E Prospect St. Every Wednesday. Meet at Black Sun sculpture across for museum. (See Saturday at 9am.)

Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Ingersoll All-Trans Drop-In Support Group. 7-9pm. Seattle Counseling Services, 1216 Pine St, Suite 300. Every Wednesday. All Transgender, Gender Variant, Gender Queer, Gender Questioning, allies, family & friends are welcome. This is a drop in group to get & give support, social interaction & information for the whole Gender community. No fee, donations welcome. www. ingersollcenter.org

Mature Friends Weekly Bridge Group. 7pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Every Wednesday. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www. maturefriends.org

Mature Friends Pinochle Group. 7:30pm. Wallingford Community Senior Center, lower level of Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnywide Ave N. Meets 1st & 3rd Wednesday each month. All levels welcome. MF is a social organization for Gay men & women, 40 years & over. www.maturefriends.org

Washington Gender Alliance Open Support Meeting in Everett 7:30-9pm. Everett United Church of Christ, 2624 Rockefeller Ave, Everett. Every Wednesday. Trained peer facilitators lead a structured support meeting helping people deal with issues of gender identity & expression. All adults are welcomed, including those who are questioning, allies, or identify as FTM, MTF, Transgender, Queer, or Intersex, among others. (360) 445-2411; www.washingtongenderalliance.com.

THURSDAY - May 16

Orca Swim Team Workout. Morning. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Alzheimer’s Association Men’s Coffee Support Group. 10-11:30am. Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. Are you a male spouse caring for someone with memory loss? Do you need information and support? Alzheimer’s Association men’s coffee groups provide a consistent and caring place for male caregivers to learn, share and gain emotional support from other male spouses who are also on a unique journey of providing care to a person with memory loss. For information, call Don Desonier at (206) 779-1634.

BABES Women’s Support Group/Lunch Meeting. 12-2pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. The BABES Network is a peer led agency; a sisterhood of women facing HIV together. (206) 720-5566 or 888-292-1912; www.babesnetwork.org.

New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Safe and Sober (AA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Seattle LGBTQ Employees for Equality (SEqual). 12 noon. Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, Room 4070. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. Open to the public. Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Thursday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org

B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group). 6:30-8pm. Call for location. Every Thursday. Sponsored by Youth Eastside Services, which offers many programs for GLBT youth. (425) 747-4937.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission. 6:30-8:30pm. Municipal Bldg, 600 4th Ave, Room 221. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. Seattle LGBTQ Commission is made up of 15 volunteer members who work to ensure that the City of Seattle fairly & equitably addresses sexual minority concerns. Meetings open to the public. (206) 684-4514. www/seattle.gov/lgbtq

Boys Group - For Male-Identified Youth, Ages 1422. 7-8:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Thursday. Youth take the opportunity to talk about issues that relate to their everyday lives, with the facilitation of a male volunteer. (206) 322-2515 ext 16. www. lamberthouse.org

GLBT Legal Clinic. 7-9pm. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. QLaw Foundation holds a monthly legal clinic addressing the legal needs of LGBT individuals & couples. Volunteer attorneys provide FREE 30-minute consultations. For information and to schedule an appointment, call (206) 235-7235. Clinic volunteers return calls on Tuesdays between 12 noon-3pm. For information, visit www.q-law.org/legalclinic

PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside Monthly Meeting. 7-9pm. First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave NE,

Bellevue. Meets 3rd Thursday each month. Wheelchair accessible. We offer support and education in a safe, confidential, and welcoming atmosphere and serve East King County communities including Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Bothell, Woodinville, Duvall, Snoqualmie, and Carnation. The first half of each meeting is dedicated to support, the second half is usually a guest speaker. See http://community.pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue. Contact us at info@ bellevue-pflag.org or (425) 483-6642. PFLAG Bellevue/ Eastside is a support and advocacy group, uniting members of the LGBTQ community with friends, families, and allies. PFLAG does not promote one political or religious view and is inclusive to people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays is a national support organization for parents, spouses & families of GLBT persons, as well as those minorities. 21st Century Bowling. 7pm. West Seattle Bowl, 4505 39th Ave SW. Every Thursday. Regular league bowling. Jeff, (206) 932-3731; leagues@wsbowl.com. Buddhism & Recovery. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100 Every Thursday. A meditation/ recovery group. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org Gay Fathers Association of Seattle. 7:30-9pm. Group Health, 201 16th Ave E, Central Bldg, Lower Atrium. Every Thursday. Support meetings for Gay fathers & Gay men who are currently or previously married. Safe, anonymous, non-judgmental environment of caring fathers & friends. You are not alone. For information, community events & “questioning” visit www.gfas.org or our message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/ gayfathersseattle

Gay Male Sexuality & Relationships. 7:30-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Thursday. Ongoing support group open to Gay and Bisexual men. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org [NOTE: Please contact the facilitator prior to attending.]

Seattle Otters Water Polo Team. 8-9:30pm. Medgar Evers Pool, 500 23rd Ave E (at E Cherry St). Every Tuesday & Thursday. (See Tuesday listing at 8pm.)

FRIDAY

- May 17

Ageless in Recovery (AA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Friday. A drop-in AA group for 55+. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org New Beginnings (SLAA). 12-1pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Meets daily. (See Saturday listing at noon for details.)

Road to Recovery (SLAA). 12-1:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Every Friday. Ongoing 12-step group for sex and love addicts. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma - For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning Youth, Ages 14-25. 4-10pm. Call for location & details. Every Friday. (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org

GSBA Scholarship Fund Scholars Dinner. 5:30pm. Seattle Marriott Waterfront, 2100 Alaskan Way. Meet and honor GSBA’s 2019 Scholarship Fund recipients. Individual ticket $175, table for 10 $1750, Ruby Slipper Club table $2750. Sponsor a Scholar’s seat for $150. Info and registration: www.thegsba.org or (206) 363-9188.

LGBTQ & Allies 18+ Free Friday Night Drop-In Volleyball. 6-7:45pm. Miller Community Center, 330 19th Ave E. Every Friday. (206) 684-4753. Orca Swim Team Workout. Evening. Seattle University, Redhawk Center, 14th Ave & E Cherry St. (See Sunday afternoon listing.)

Strength Over Speed (SOS). 6-7:30pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100. Peer support for Gay and Bisexual men recovering from crystal meth addiction. www.strengthoverspeed.org. (206) 322-2437; www. peerseattle.org

Game Night. 7pm-11pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100 Every Friday. Card games, board games and fellowship. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

Lambert House Queer Movie Night. 7-9:30pm. Lambert House, 1818 15th Ave. Every Friday. Lambert House is a nationally-recognized activities & resource center for GLBT & questioning youth, ages 14-22. (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org

Rain Country Dance Night. 7-11pm, lessons at 7:15pm. The Cuff, 1533 13th Ave. An evening of country-western dancing for the LGBTQ community. FREE. www.raincountrydance.org.

Destiny/Unity AA Meeting in Tacoma 7:30-8:30pm. Christ Episcopal Church, 310 N “K” St, Tacoma. Every Friday. LGBTQ-friendly AA meeting. (253) 474-8897. (Also meets Mondays.)

LGBT Friday Night Al-Anon Family Group. 8-9pm. Peer Seattle, 1520 Bellevue Ave, Suite 100, Room 3. Every Friday. The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives & friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength & hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness & that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Greater Seattle AIS 24-hour number (206) 625-0000; www.seattle-al-anon. org; (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org

SATURDAY - May 18

(See previous Saturday for ongoing activities.) Lambert House Queer Rec. 1pm. 1818 15th Ave. Meets 3rd Saturday each month. Outdoor & indoor adventures for youth ages 22 & under. www.lamberthouse.org

PNW G/B/Q Longhaired Men. 2pm. Locations vary. Check the website or call for details. An informal social group for longhairs, growers, longhair admirers & their friends. We gather for brunch on the 3rd Saturday each month to socialize, chat & often go out afterwards for coffee or some activity. Please join us! For information & to RSVP: www.longhair.shorturl.com

Seattle Prime Timers Monthly Potluck. 2pm. Plymouth Church, 1217 6th Ave (downtown between University and Seneca Sts.), lounge. Meets 3rd Saturday most months. Cost: $5 per person (please try to bring exact change) to help pay for room rental. Please bring a dish that will serve eight or more to share. Free parking under the church (entrance on University). Take garage elevator to 2nd floor or enter thru south front doors on 6th. Info: www.seattleprimetimers.org.

SUNDAY - May 19

(See previous Sunday for ongoing activities.) Baha’i Prayer & Fellowship Circle. 10am. Pearl Warren Bldg, 606 12th Ave S. Meets 3rd Sunday each month. Share prayers, readings, thoughts & music. All backgrounds, all faiths welcome. (206) 391-2188. Ethyl Forever Car Club, Pacific NW Region Lambda Car Club Monthly Tire Kick/Social. 10:30am. Randy’s Restaurant, 10016 E Marginal Way S (south of the Museum of Flight). Meets 3rd Sunday each month. This monthly informal auto enthusiasts’ event starts with breakfast and a show & tell, and continues to a chosen point of interest. Open to all LGBTQ persons & friends who have an interest in the automobile, not just collector or performance vehicles. ethylforever@hotmail.com

Seattle Poly Potluck & Discussion Group. 5-8pm. (contact for new location) Meets 3rd Sunday each month. For people interested in polyamorous, open, and ethically non-monogamous relationships. $5 donation; please bring a potluck dish. This event is open to the public. Look for us on Facebook or Meetup.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Allyship - an organization of LGBTQ individuals fighting for economic and social justice. www.LGBTQAllyship. org, allyship@yahoo.com, (206) 279-8169.

American Veterans for Equal Rights - www.aver.us Another Gay Social Club! - www.meetup.com/AnotherGay-Social-Club/ Bellingham/Whatcom County - www.theslowlane. com/guide.html

BiNet Seattle is a mixed gender, social group for Bisexuals, their partners & other Bi-friendly folks - www. binetseattle.org.

Bremerton/Kitsap County - www.outwestsound.org Capitol Hill Alano Club - www.chacseattle.org

Cascade Rainbow Community Center (Mount Vernon) - (360) 840-8499 and on Facebook.

COLAGE unites people with LGBTQ parents and caregivers into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities - www.colage.org

Central Washington University GALA Hotline: (509) 963-1994.

DIFFA/Northwest (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). (206) 763-8885; www.diffanorthwest. org

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL ASSAULT: Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3222 (24 hour line); King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) - 24-hour crisis line for information, support, & medical & legal assistance: 1-888-99-VOICE; Northwest Networksupport & advocacy for Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse & Dating Violence, (206) 568-7777 (voice), 517-9670 (tty), www.nwnetwork.org; Pierce County Domestic Violence Helpline: Teresa, (253) 798-4166; Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities - offers on-going support groups for men: 323-1768; Seattle Police Dept Domestic Violence Unit, (206) 684-0330; State Wide Domestic Violence Hot Line, 1-800-562-6025. In an emergency call 911 Report domestic violence and sexual assault. Equal Rights Washington - (206) 324-2570; www. equalrightswashington.org Everett/Snohomish Cty - www.gaysnohomish.org Freely Speaking Toastmasters - www.freelyspeaking.org

Gay City promotes wellness in LGBTQ communities by providing health services, connecting people to resources, fostering arts, and building community. Gay City Health Project’s Wellness Center provides anonymous & confidential HIV/STD testing. 517 E Pike St. More info or to schedule an appointment, (206) 860-6969. www.gaycity.org

Gay & Lesbian National Hotline (GLNH): 1-888-THEGLNH (1-888-843-4564). Non-profit, peer-counseling, information & local resources telephone hotline for GLBT people across the country.

Generations Aging With Pride empowers elder LGBTQ adults to live with pride and dignity by promoting, connecting, and developing innovative programs and services that enhance belonging and support, eliminate discrimination, and honor the lives of older members of our community - (206) 393-3400; info@gapseattle.org; gapseattle.org

GLSEN/WA - Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network - (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa.org

Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) - (206) 363-9188; www.thegsba.org

HIV/AIDS Program, Seattle/King County Dept of Public Health, provides confidential/anonymous information about & testing for HIV/AIDS. (206) 205-7837. For a comprehensive list of HIV/AIDS service organizations see the GSBA Guide or visit www.thegsba.org or call

Lifelong AIDS Alliance, (206) 328-8979. Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle & the Olympic & Rainier Empire - www.facebook.com/ISCSORE; www. imperialcourtofseattle.com

Lambert House - (206) 322-2515; www.lamberthouse. org

LGBT Library - 517 E Pike St. Open Mon-Fri 2-8pm; Sat 2-5pm. A wide range of fiction and non-fiction for the LGBT community and allies can be borrowed free of charge.

LGBT MS Connection - (206) 250-5002; LGBTMSConnection@gmail.com. Support group for LGBT persons with MS and their partners and their caregivers. Sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lifelong AIDS Alliance - (206) 328-8979, www.lifelongaids alliance.org Lion’s Main Art Collective - www.lionsmain.org MEN: Gay City: (206) 860-6969, www.gaycity.org; Knights of Mantra: (206) 329-0886, www.jetchapterkofm.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Northwest Bears: www. nwbears.com; The Olympians: www.TheOlympians. net; POZSeattle: www.pozseattle.com; Q-Squared: www.qsquared.org; Rain City Jacks: www.raincityjacks. org; Seattle Gay Couples: www. seattlegaycouples.org; Seattle Men in Leather: www.seattlemeninleather. org; Seattle Prime Timers: Gay & Bi men 40 & over, www. seattle primetimers.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.) MUSIC: Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; Rainbow City Band: 1-866-841-9139 ext 2126; rainbowcityband@onebox.com; www.rainbowcity band. com; Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus: (206) 388-1408, (206) 323-0750. www.seattlechoruses.org.

Northwest Lesbian & Gay History Museum Project - gayhistnw@aol.com

Northwest Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf - www. nwrad.org

Olympia/Thurston County - www.RainbowCenterOly. org

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates/Seattle Regional Affiliate supports the work of LGBT employees and the growing number of ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) making a difference within local companies, including Alaska Airlines, Amazon.com, Amgen, AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, Macy’s, Microsoft, Russell Investments, Safeco Insurance, Starbucks Coffee, Xerox. www.outandequal.org/affiliates/seattle

Out & Proud Grays Harbor Coalition - http://outandproudgh.org

PARENTHOOD: Families Like Ours provides a gateway for LGBT families interested in adoption & provides a network of safe placement agencies, training, support & resources: (206) 441-7602, www.familieslikeours. org; Family Works offers support, information & activities for LGBT families: (206) 694-6727, www.familyworksseattle. org; Gay Fathers’ Association of Seattle offers support groups & social activities: www.gfas. org; Proud & Loud Families - Northwest, www.meetup.com/proudand-loud-families-northwest, plfnorthwest@aol.com; Queer Parent Networking Dinners: (206) 568-7777, qpnd@nwnetwork.org, www.nwnetwork.org; Rainbow Families of Puget Sound: www.rainbowfamiliesps.org PFLAG is the national organization for parents, families, allies, and LGBTQ people united for equality with chapters in Seattle, Bellevue/Eastside, the Puget Sound region and across Washington state. PFLAG Seattle: (206) 325-7724, info@pflagseattle.org, and www.pflagseattle.org; PFLAG Bellevue/Eastside: (425) 483-6642, info@bellevue-pflag.org, http://community. pflag.org/PFLAGBellevue; PFLAG Pacific Northwest: www.pnwpflag.org; PFLAG Washington State: www. pflagwsc.org. Peer Seattle (formerly Seattle Area Support Groups) is a non-profit organization that builds community and cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing emotional support and personal development services to those affected by HIV/AIDS, the Queer communities, and those who love them. Our work is done in a spirit of safety, trust, inclusiveness, and celebration of individual differences. (206) 322-2437; www.peerseattle.org PEOPLE OF COLOR: AARTH (African American Reach & Teach Health Ministry), (206) 850-2070, www.aarth.org; Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Network Program at API Chaya, (206) 467-9976; Center for MultiCultural Health, (206) 461-6910, www.multiculturalhealth.org; Entre Hermanos, GLBT Latinos/as, (206) 322-7700, www.entrehermanos.org; Ile LaiLai, (206) 781-3565, iya@ilelailai.org; Men of All Colors & Cultures Together (MACCT), (206) 923-8313, macctseattle@yahoo.com, www.macctsea.org; Northwest Two Spirit Society, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/nw2spiritsociety/, Nubian Pride Productions, nubianpride@gmail.com; People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) offers rapid HIV testing, M-F, 10am-5pm, (206) 322-7061, www.pocaan.org and on Facebook; QBASS - Queer Black Alliance of the South Sound, (253) 256-1846, weareqbass@gmail. com; Sistah 2 Sistah, LBT women of African descent, (206) 322-7061, (206) 255-8951; Somos Seattle, somosseattle.org; Trikone-Northwest, GLBT South Asians, (425) 985-4376, www.trikonenw.org; Two-Spirit Honor Project, 1-866-685-0164; U.T.O.P.I.A. Seattle, www.utopiaseattlewa.org; VietQ Greater Seattle, vietqorganization@gmail.com

Pierce County AIDS Foundation - (253) 383-2565; www.piercecountyaids.org Pride Foundation - (206) 323-3318; www.pridefoundation. org Pride Lives - www.facebook.com/PrideLives/

Project NEON is a program of Seattle Counseling Service providing FREE information & services to Gay

community calendar

& Bi men to reduce health risks associated with methamphetamine use. (206) 323-1768. www.crystalneon.org

Public Health-Seattle & King County Online Comprehensive Health Information for Sexual Minorities: www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/personal/ glbt.aspx

Q Law: The GLBT Bar Association of WA - (206) 682-6711; www.q-law.org

Q Law GLBT Legal Clinic - (206) 235-7235. Queer Geek! - queergeekseattle.org

Rainbow Center - Resource Center for Tacoma/Pierce County LGBTIQA community. Through education, advocacy and celebration, the Rainbow Center expands resources, and safe space for the LGBTQIA community. Sponsors Tacoma Pride Festival. (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

SEAMEC interviews, researches & rates candidates for public office on issues of concern to the LGBT community. www.voteseamec.org

Seattle Area Support Groups & Community Center (SASG) i- SEE LISTING for Peer Seattle.

Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network - BiSeattle.wixsite. com/SBWN and on Facebook.

Seattle Counseling Service for Sexual Minorities is a community mental health service for GLBT persons & their families providing comprehensive mental health services on a sliding scale. (206) 323-1768.

Seattle LGBTQ Commission - (206) 684-4503. www/ seattle.gov/lgbtq Seattle Out & Proud - (206) 322-9561; www.seattlepride.org

Seattle Police Department Sexual Minorities Community Advisory Council: kim.bogucki@seattle.gov

Seattle PrideFest - www.seattlepridefest.org

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network - (202) 328-3244; www.sldn.org

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Abbey of St. Joan - (206) 860-3666; www.theabbey.org

Snohomish Health District HIV/AIDS Program provides free confidential/anonymous HIV counseling & testing 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, until 7pm Tuesdays. (425) 339-5298.

South Sound Q Calendar - LGBTQ events in Tacoma, Olympia & Sound Puget Sound area; www.SouthSoundQCal.com Spokane/Inland Northwest - www.outspokane.com; www.stonewallnews.net

SPORTS & RECREATION: Bent Car Guys: www.

bentcarguys.org; Border Riders Motorcycle Club: www.borderriders.com; Bottom Dwellers Scuba Club: www.bottomdwellers.org; Capitol Hill Cyclers: join their Facebook group or email capitolhillcycling@ groups.facebook.com or jordan.l.simonson@gmail.com; Cascade Flag Football: www.cascadeflagfootball.org; Cascade Flyers: www.cascadeflyers.org; Emerald City Mudhen Rugby: www.mudhenrugby.com; Emerald City Softball Association: www.emeraldcitysoftball. org, www.eteamz.com/womensecsa; Ethyl Forever Car Club: ethylforever@hotmail.com; Festival of the Babes: www.festivalofthebabes.com; Olympic Yacht Club: www.oycnw.org; OutVentures: outdoor education & recreation activities, www.outventures.org; Pacific Northwest Gay Rodeo Association: www.pacificnwgra.org; Puddletown Squares: www.puddletownsquares.org; Rain City Soccer: www.raincitysoccer.org; Rain Country Dance Association: a country-western dance organization catering to the LGBTQ community but open to all, www.raincountrydance.org; Sea Dawgs: LGBT ice hockey - SkateSeaDawgs@gmail.com and on Facebook; Seattle Frontrunners: www.seattlefrontrunners.org; Seattle Gay Basketball Association: www. seattlegaybasketballassociation.com; Seattle Orca Swim Team: www.orcaswimteam.org; Seattle Otters Water Polo: www.otterpolo.com; Seattle Quake Rugby: www.quakerugby.com; Seattle Tennis Alliance: www. seattletennisalliance.org; Seattle Unified Bowling Association (SUBA): magee98106@aol.com, www. teamseattle.org/bowling.htm, www.theprideleague. com, Century 21 League; Seattle Volleyball Club: www.seattlevolleyballclub.com; Ski Buddies: www. skibuddies.org; Team Seattle Gay Sports Network is an umbrella organization for a wide range of local GLBT sports activities, (206) 367-4064, www.teamseattle.org (see website for comprehensive list of sports clubs); Triangle Recreation Camp at Bender Creek: recreational camping for GLBT folks. Must be 21; ID required. trc@ camptrc.org, www.camptrc.org, 1122 E Pike St #1069, Seattle 98122-3934.

Strength Over Speed - www.strengthoverspeed.org

Tacoma/Pierce County - Rainbow Center, 2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, a resource center for the LGBTIQA community of Pierce County, (253) 383-2318, www. rainbowcntr.org

Three Dollar Bill Cinema - TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival; Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival; Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park. www. threedollarbillcinema.org

TRANSGENDER: Emerald City Social Club: (425) 827-9494; Gender Alliance of the South Sound:

www.SouthSoundGender.com; Gender Diversity: www.genderdiversity.org; Gender Justice League: www.genderjusticeleague.org; Gender Odyssey: www.genderodyssey.com; Hermanos Trans Latino & Foreign-Born Support Group: (206) 322-7700; Ingersoll Gender Center: (206) 329-6651, www. ingersollcenter.org; Lion’s Main Art Collective: www. lionsmain.org; The New BoyZ Club: www.olympiaftmgroup.webs.com; Olympia Trans Discussion Group: www.facebook.com/pages/Olympia-Trans-DiscussionGroup/262449878114; [trans] ACTION: Trans* & Gender Non-Conforming Sex Workers’ Support Group - a safe, peer-led space. mail@utopiaseattle.org; TRANSform Washington: transformwashington.com; Trans Resource & Referral Guide: kctransguide.org; Washington Gender Alliance: (360) 445-2411, www. washington genderalliance.com

WOMEN: Aging Ballard Lesbian Exchange (A.B.L.E.): We are Lesbians 60 years (generally) and up, living (mostly) in the north half of Seattle. The purpose of the group is to connect, socialize and support each other. ruthemilyvogel@gmail.com; Aging Lesbians in South Seattle (ALISS) - Lesbian Group at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center. This is a gathering primarily for Lesbians but all are welcome to attend. Kate, (206) 722-0317; www.sessc.org; BABES: support groups for HIV+ women. (206) 720-5566, 1-888-292-1912; Coming Out Women Support Group of Tacoma: www. comingoutwomen.org; Festival of the Babes: www. festivalofthebabes.com; Mature Friends: Gay men & women 40 & over, www.maturefriends.org; Puget Sound Old Lesbian Organizing for Change: http:// psoloc.org, (253) 777-3357; Older Lesbians Organizing for Change/WA State Chapter: gloria@oloc.org, mary@oloc.org, www.oloc.org; Pacific Northwest Lesbian Archives: www.pnwlesbianarchives.org; RainshadowWomen: RainshadowWomen@aol. com; Seattle Bisexual Women’s Network: BiSeattle. wixsite.com/SBWN; Seattle Girls of Leather: www. sgol.org; Tacoma Lesbian Concern (TLC): www.tacomalesbianconcern.org; Tacoma Older LGBT: www. tacomaolderlgbt.org; Women of West Seattle (WOWS): a fun, member-driven social group for Lesbians, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/womenofwestseattle; YWCA Women’s Health Outreach: providing low or no-cost mammograms for income eligible 40+ LBTQ individuals. Follow us at http://lbtqhealth-ywca.blogspot.com, twitter.com/ingridWHO or email lbthealth@ywcaworks. org, (206) 461-4493. (See also listings under Bisexual, Parenthood, People of Color, Transgender.)

YOUTH: B-GLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Trans & Questioning Adolescent Drop-In Group): Youth Eastside Services offers many programs for GLBT youth, including B-GLAD, (425) 747-4937; Coyote Central: www.coyotecentral.org; Diverse Harmony: www.diverseharmony. org; GLSEN/Washington State (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) & Washington State GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) Network: GLSEN works to create safe schools for LGBT students. WA GSA Network supports youth-led GSA’s to fight harassment & homophobia in Washington state schools. (206) 330-2099; www.glsenwa. org; www.wagsa.org. GLOBE (GLBTQ Loving Ourselves, Becoming Empowered): a support group & HIV/STD prevention program for GLBTQ youth, 14-20, in Everett, (425) 263-2908, www. globeyouth.org; It Gets Better Project: www.itgetsbetter.org; Lambert House: an activities & resource center for LGBT youth, 14-22, in Seattle, 1818 15th Ave @ E Denny Way; (206) 322-2515, www.lamberthouse.org; Lifelong HEYO (Health Education Youth Outreach): for LGBTQ youth, ages 16-24: (206) 957-1665; www. llaa.org/HEYO; www.MatthewsPlace.com ; The Mockingbird Society: (206) 323-KIDS (5437), www. mockingbirdsociety.org; Oasis Youth Center: for GLBTQ youth, ages 14-25, in Tacoma, (253) 671-2838, www.oasisyouthcenter.org; OKAY! LGBTQ+ Outreach for Kent Area Youth: (253) 859-0699 ext 3034. OKAY! is an open support group for youth ages 13-19 who identify as LGBTQ+. A program of Kent Youth & Family Services; OUT There Adventures: www.outthereadventures.org; Parents, Family & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)/Puget Sound: (206) 325-7724, www. seattle-pflag.org; Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) Drop-In Center & Young Adult Shelter: 1609 19th Ave @ E Pine St., (206) 726-8500; www.psks.org; Pizza Klatch: weekly lunchtime support groups for LGBTQ youth in Thurston County, www. pizzaklatch.org; Prism: for LGBTQ youth, 14-21, in Puyallup - Cherise.Alexander@ multicare.org; www. facebook.com/PuyallupPrism; Proud Out Wonderful (POW!): for LGBTQ youth, 13-21, in South King County, (206) 326-9112, www.facebook.com/proudoutwonderful; Q Youth Resources: in Kitsap County - (360) 698-3335; www.kchaf.org; Renton Area Youth Services (RAYS): LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth drop-in group, ages 12-18 - Sarah Hardin, (425) 271-5600, ext 155; sarahh@rays.org; Roots Young Adult Shelter: 1415 NE 43rd St., (206) 632-1635; www.rootsinfo.org; Safe Schools Coalition: www.safeschoolscoalition.org; (206) 451-SAFE, (206) 451-7233 (non-emergency), 1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) (crisis line); Seattle Young People’s Project (Queer Youth Resource Board): (206) 860-9606, www.sypp.org; Street Youth Ministries (SYM): (206) 524-7301 ext 111; www. streetyouthministries.org; Teen Link: (206) 461-4922, 1-888-431-TEEN; The Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor; www.thetrevorproject.org; True Colors - Connecting LGBTQ Teens: in Shoreline, (206) 362-7282 x 8018, lbagley@chs-nw.org; Vista Youth Center: for LGBTQ, questioning and allied youth, ages 14-21, in Kennewick, (509) 396-5198, www.vistayouthcenter.org; YouthCare/ Isis Program (Transitional Living Home for LGBTQ Young Adults, 18-22): (206) 522-8412; YouthCare/ Orion Center Young Adult Shelter: 1828 Yale Ave @ Stewart St. (206) 622-5555; Youth in Focus: (206) 723-1479; www.youthinfocus.org; Youth Suicide Prevention Program (OUTLoud-GLBTQ): (206) 297-5922, ext 116, 1-800-273-TALK, www.yspp.org

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Obnoxious Detective Pikachu strictly for Pokémon fans

by Sara Michelle Fetters

SGN A&E Writer

POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU

Now playing

As popular things go, I can’t really say the Pokémon phenomenon has ever been a thing I’ve attempted to embrace. My little brother loved Pokémon, however, so I certainly got my fill of these strange little creatures who were doing battle in a variety of competitions. I also discovered I could do the Pikachu voice, a bumblebee-colored furry Pokémon with an adorable smile and a normally pleasant demeanor that could channel electricity during battles, pretty much perfectly. I could walk around the house and squeak out in a high-pitched squeal, “Pika pika!” or “Pika pi!” and seconds later I’d hear a goofy giggle coming out of the mouth of a happy five-year-old, the look of delight on his face making my doing this worthwhile.

But that’s really as far as my affinity for Pokémon ever went. I didn’t care for the animated television series. I never played any of the video games. I didn’t know anything else about its Japanese anime and comic book origins other than it seemed expressly designed to annoy me. All of which means I can’t say the idea of Pokémon Detective Pikachu spoke to me or that I was clamoring to give the film a look, itself based on one of many video game offshoots the franchise has generated over the past two-plus decades or so. As handsome a production as the trailers made this comedic mystery look I knew I wasn’t going to be the target audience, something I feel I should admit upfront before continuing with this review.

While my initial trepidations in regards to Rob Letterman’s (Goosebumps, Monsters vs. Aliens) latest proved to be somewhat unfounded, it still wasn’t like Pokémon Detective Pikachu won me over entirely. While it’s breezily paced, magnificently animated (the visual effects showcasing a world where human and Pokémon exist side-by-side are nothing short of sen-

sational) and gorgeously shot by two-time Academy Award-nominee John Mathieson (Gladiator, Logan), the movie still got on my nerves on a number of occasions. Seemingly composed in committee (between the story and the script there are five credited writers), the narrative is a massive hodgepodge of hard-boiled gumshoe mystery clichés only told with a kid-friendly (and Pokémon-centric) flair for the absurd. It also doesn’t know what to do with any of its supporting characters. It’s almost as if every actor appearing in this film is seemingly performing in a different motion picture than their fellow performers standing right next to them.

The exception to this is the fine work turned in by both Justice Smith as the film’s human lead and by a game Ryan Reynolds voicing the titular character. They are fully invested in the proceedings, injecting warmth, heart and emotion into the narrative, all of which likely wouldn’t have been there otherwise. They are a strong pairing, and even if Reynolds is doing a more family-friendly variation on his Deadpool schtick there is still an underlying warmth to his performance that couples nicely with Smith’s emotionally fragile intensity. They are the heart and soul of the film, this odd, crazy little mystery remaining easy to watch even when the script refuses to make

a lick of sense or during those moments where Letterman overloads the screen with action beats that are noisily chaotic.

As for the plot, as nonsensical as all of this ridiculousness becomes, it’s honestly fairly straightforward and easy to follow. After learning his father, a vaunted Ryme City detective, has been killed in the line of duty, morose insurance agent Tim Goodman (Smith) returns home to face his personal demons. The pair were estranged after the tragic death of his mother when he was only 11-years-old, the young man choosing to live in the country with his grandmother instead of having to share the same house with his dad. Even so, once back in the Pokémon-friendly Ryme City Tim’s surprised to discover just how badly his father wanted to reconcile with him, his sadness that they will never get the chance to do so substantial.

Enter Pikachu (Reynolds). He was Detective Goodman’s partner and while everyone else only hears that standard variety of pika-pikas coming out of the creature’s mouth, for some odd reason Tim can understand every single word the furry black and yellow electricallycharged Pokémon says. Pikachu is certain the detective is still alive as he was there when their car was blown off the road by an unknown assailant. Problem is, he also has

amnesia, so he’s flying blind as he tries to put together the puzzle pieces of this mystery and learn who it was that tried to rub both of them out. Pikachu convinces Tim to join the investigation with him, the two becoming supportive friends as they go on a journey that will reveal a level of devious doings at the heart of Ryme City that could shake this safe haven for human-Pokémon relations down to its very foundations.

The movie basically heads into Raymond Chandler meets Isaac Asimov territory from there, Pikachu and Tim joining forces with an energetic television news intern, Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton), while also getting support from billionaire philanthropist Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) as they attempt to figure out what happened to Detective Goodman. But Lucy is too irritating for her own good, Newton trying to channel her inner His Girl Fridayera Rosalind Russell and, while her efforts to do so are appreciated, they’re unfortunately equally annoying. As for Nighy, he’s fine but not really anything more than that, and as his character is pivotal to the eventual outcome of the story the fact Clifford becomes oddly forgettable is an enormous problem.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu works best when it focusses exclusively on Tim and Pikachu as well as when it revels in the absurdist sights and sounds of this zany little world. When it breaks things down to basics and just shows the pair following clues and interviewing suspects it can be a lot of fun. But when the earth begins to shake and villains finally show their true colors things get far less interesting. It becomes a cacophonous smorgasbord of sound and fury that’s frankly tiresome, and while the younger members of the audience (as well as die-hard Pokémon fanatics) won’t likely care about any of that, for my part I still can’t say I understand what all the fuss is about.

But I can still do the Pikachu voice and it still makes my brother giggle when I do it. Make of that what you will.