La Vie en Redmond

Save the date for RedmondLights! This year, the big kick-off for this holiday extravaganza is on Saturday, Dec. 5.
The list of RedmondLights activities is huge. Expect a wide variety of FREE entertainment throughout downtown Redmond from 3-9 p.m.
• At Redmond City Hall, you’ll find kids’ activities, Santa’s arrival, the tree lighting ceremony and entertainment by Russian folk dancers, a Latin jazz ensemble, the Holy Names Academy Girls Choir and Microsoft Orchestra Brass Ensemble.
• The Redmond Senior Center will feature a Bollywood orchestra.
• The Sammamish River Trail (behind City Hall) will be lined with luminaries and musical groups from Redmond United Methodist Church and more.
• Caribbean steel drummers The Islanders will perform at Luke McRedmond Park, near the new Hotel Sierra.
• At Bear Creek Meadow, Christian churches of Redmond will present a Living Nativity scene and choir.
• Redmond Town Center will feature Christopher Janney’s Sonic Forest art installation, kids’ craft tables, roaming entertainers such as the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band and a main stage with jazz, gospel and mariachi music, as well as a community sleigh bells celebration.
• NOTE: To participate in the sleigh bells chorus, stop by participating Redmond Town Center retailers starting Nov. 27 to pick up your free sleigh bells. Supplies are limited.
• Food and beverage samples at RedmondLights will be provided by local businesses including REI, Thai Ginger, Mehfil Indian Cuisine, Fairwinds Red Sky Restaurant and Spazzo Italian Grill and Wine Bar. Plus, a new beer and wine garden will be staffed by Black Raven Brewery.
It’s no wonder that RedmondLights draws massive crowds, but there’s no reason to worry about parking because free shuttle buses will operate between the City Hall campus and Redmond Town Center, every 30 minutes from 2:30-9:30 p.m.
Much more information about RedmondLights is available on the city’s Web site at http://www.redmondlights.com/homeMainEvents.html

It’s only Monday but think of it this way — the holidays are coming and that’s reason to smile, right?
Saturday, Nov. 14, you can even enjoy a bit of an “art walk” in downtown Redmond, with two big shows happening in close proximity. Admission is free at both locations.
The Redmond Senior Center will hold its holiday craft bazaar from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 8703 160th Ave. NE. Choose from handmade jewelry, baby clothes, kitchen decor and more. For information, call (425) 556-2314.
Also on Saturday is the 2009 Northwest Holiday Arts Gift Show, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Redmond Athletic Club, 8709 161st Ave. NE. More than 40 artists will show off their paintings, photographs, glass art and more. Visit www.nwholidayarts.com for details.

Redmond’s Old Fire House Teen Center is accepting applications and resumes from students who are interested in learning about music event production and management, in conjunction with the annual Classic Rockathon.
The Classic Rockathon is a “Battle of the Bands” in which young musicians perform songs originally recorded between the early 1950s and about 1990 — and compete for fabulous prizes such as musical gear and recording time.
That’s right, kids. “Hey-Ya!” is not a classic rock song. But I digress.
Chris Cullen, program coordinator at the Old Fire House said interested students can get great hands-on experience in the music and media fields — and can apply that experience to culminating projects at school and/or other service requirements. It’s the kind of experience that can fatten up a college or job application, too. (You’ll learn marketing and public relations skills that will serve you well in many other arenas.)
For those students who are see themselves as philanthropists, last year’s Rockathon raised more than $1,500 for educational programs at the Old Fire House. Though the Old Fire House is well-known as an all-ages music venue, there are many activities to serve local teens with other interests, too. For instance, there are art and photography classes, skateboarding and martial arts training, college preparation seminars and so on.
Five students will be chosen from the pool of applicants for this opportunity. If you want to be one of them, you must submit an application and prepare to be interviewed by Chris Cullen, who is a super-nice guy.
Oh — and you must be between the ages of 15 and 19 to apply.
For more information, call (425) 556-2341 or e-mail ccullen@redmond.gov.
The Old Fire House is located at 16510 NE 79th St. in downtown Redmond and the Rockathon planning and production process will begin in early 2010. Good luck!

It’s beginning to look — and feel — a lot like Christmas, here in Redmond. Earlier this week, I noticed holiday decor going up at Redmond Town Center.
Several local merchants are offering free samples of holiday food this weekend.
• Tomorrow, Nov. 6, you’ll find “Fungi Friday” (a tribute to mushrooms) and “Holiday Menu Tasting” from 3-7 p.m. at Redmond Whole Foods Market, 1991 Redmond Way.
• Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m-4 p.m., the TOP Foods store at 7320 170th Ave. NE is offering free tastes of “legendary pumpkin pie — fresh, made from scratch, with best ingredients and no preservatives,” according to a TOP spokesperson, as well as Hempler’s boneless Black Forest ham, large cooked prawns, deli salads, brie, roasted cashews and apple juice.
• From noon- 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at Theno’s Dairy, 12348 Woodinville-Redmond Rd., is offering free slices of pumpkin ice cream pie.
Theno’s also is taking orders for Pumpkin, Mudd or Grasshopper ice cream pies for Thanksgiving and other seasonal celebrations. Call (425) 885-2339 or visit www.thenosdairy.com for details.

Fourteen young people from Redmond will share the stage with professional dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet this holiday season, Nov. 27-Dec. 30 at McCaw Hall in Seattle.
They’ll take part in the 26th annual production of “The Nutcracker,” with enchanting music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, choreography by Kent Stowell and scene and costume design by Maurice Sendak.
The Redmond children and teens are as follows:
• From Redmond Elementary, Jasmine Forrest (playing a Baby Mouse) and Grace Mahan (a member of the Cavalry)
• From Horace Mann Elementary, Ella Whitaker (Infantry) and Catherine Zhong (Little Girl)
• From Alcott Elementary, Isabella Chavez (Prologue Pirlipat)
• From Ben Franklin Elementary, Courtney Lee (Infantry) and Berit Godo (Party Girl)
• From Ben Rush Elementary, Hailey Weeks (Little Girl), Yumina Takamatsu (Prologue Pirlipat)
• From The Little School, Connor Wang (Party Boy)
• From Jewish Day School, Tahlia Edgar-Chalker (Infantry)
• From Bellevue Christian School, Ivana Lin (Fighting Mice Woman)
• From Interlake High School, Emma Wheeler (Chinese dancer)
• From Fall City Elementary, Clara Wallace (Infantry)
Congratulations to these Redmond performers!
For “Nutcracker” ticket information, call (206) 441-2424, visit www.pnb.org or go to the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer St. in Seattle.

Scheduled to perform at tonight’s pre-Halloween bash at the Old Fire House Teen Center, local rockers Shotty — past winners of the Old Fire House’s Classic Rockathon — have had quite a year. And it’s not over!
The band was chosen for a summer program in which students from the Art Institute of Seattle worked on photographing, videotaping and marketing them. It was a win-win situation, with Shotty getting some great exposure outside of the Eastside and the Art Institute students getting fun, hands-on experience in media and marketing.
Also this summer, Shotty entertained medically fragile kids and teens at Camp Korey in nearby Carnation.
The band’s travels this year took them to Los Angeles, where they played at the famous Whisky a Go Go and Viper Room night clubs and were spotted by the president of Swinghouse Studios, who invited them back in December to record a few songs.
“The band is only playing out once a month, as they are hunkered down, working on their first album, hopefully to be released in the spring of 2010,” explained their manager Robin Fairbanks of Redmond.
Tonight’s show at the Old Fire House, 16510 NE 79th St., starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $6 and all ages are welcome. Along with Shotty, the live music line-up includes New Faces, Kung Foo Grip, Seahouse and other guests. For Old Fire House info, call (425) 556-2370.
To check out Shotty, visit http://www.myspace.com/shotty

Redmond High School (RHS) Theatre Arts Department will present “Pippin” Nov. 5-7 and 12-14 at the RHS Performing Arts Center, 17272 NE 104th St.
Performances begin at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10 for general admission or $7 for students or seniors. The box office opens at 6 p.m. and seating begins at 6:30 p.m.
I’m planning to attend a dress rehearsal next week and am eager to see the teens’ footwork. During the summer, I visited a jazz dance workshop at Redmond’s Gotta Dance, where students who planned to audition for “Pippin” were studying the distinctive style of choreographer Bob Fosse. It’s always fun to see a new generation getting excited about musical theatre icons who paved the way for others.
You don’t have to be a Redmond High parent or grandparent to enjoy great, low-priced entertainment at the high school. Show your appreciation for these starry-eyed young performers, especially when arts/entertainment organizations are struggling to make ends meet.

In spite of financial hardship, “the shows must go on!” at SecondStory Repertory, the professional theatre company at Redmond Town Center. Like many arts organizations, and most of us in any industry, the recession has had a brutal effect.
But laughter is good medicine for whatever ails you — and SSR has just the chicken soup for your cash-strapped soul.
Last season’s hit improv series “Unexpected Stories” is back with a new name, “Split Second Improv.”
SSR’s improv comedy team offers a different improv comedy show every night at 9 p.m. on Fridays Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13; and at 9 p.m. on Saturdays Nov. 7 and Nov. 14.
Tickets are $10.
There’s a 10 percent discount for groups of 25 or more. Split Second Improv shows and workshops are available for personal parties and corporate events.
For information, call Caitlin at (425) 881-6777 during box office hours, Tues.-Sat. from 1-5 p.m.
Information is also available at www.secondstoryrep.org.

The world has gone crazy for cupcakes. The sweet treats have become mega-popular at weddings and other big parties, perhaps because you can please a lot of guests with a wide variety of flavors.
Pinkalicious Cupcakes, a gourmet cupcake shop, will have a “soft opening” at Redmond Town Center on Halloween — that’s Saturday, Oct. 31. And yes, they’ve got flavors to tempt just about anyone. A grand opening is planned for the following weekend. I’m meeting with owner Margo Engberg soon and will share more details about her cupcake emporium, but for a sneak peek, visit:
http://www.pinkaliciouscupcakes.com/

According to the Redmond High School Mustang News, students at the high school are beginning Seven Days of Service today.
Monday’s mission is to collect paper towels for the Ronald McDonald House in Seattle.
On Tuesday, students will sign up to participate in a blood drive on Nov. 2. (Parent permission forms are needed if students are less than 16 years old.)
Wednesday is School Beautification Day. Students will pick up trash or do other cleaning projects.
Thursday, students will write letters to soldiers.
Friday will be a “Pay It Forward Day,” in which students are asked to do simple good deeds.
What a great idea — and we hope to hear from students or teachers about the ways that the Seven Days of Service made them smile and strengthened their resolve to set a shining example for the entire community.