Flamenco, bagpipes, Irish fiddle -- Olympia’s weekend entertainment scene is multicultural

Molly Gilmore
·4 min read

Grab a beer at the children’s museum

It’s true, that’s not a misprint. Friday, April 19, is one of those rare times that the Hands On Children’s Museum turns its attention to grownups, who can taste beer and cider — and learn about them, too — at BeerCraft. The party, one of the museum’s After Hours programs, also offers opportunities for adults to play both in regular exhibits and in themed activities, including giant beer pong and giant Jenga — played while wearing goggles that simulate the feeling of having had a few too many. “Drunk goggles are ski goggles that skew your depth perception, making things look a little fuzzy and further away,” said the museum’s Beth Garson. “They also tilt everything to the left. Wearing them definitely makes giant Jenga more challenging to play and a lot more fun to watch.” Also on tap for the evening: crafts, cider pressing and the opportunity to find out whether you’re a supertaster. It all happens from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at the museum, 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. Tickets are $40 if purchased before 5 p.m. April 19 and $45 at the door. The price includes six tastes and a souvenir glass.

Unconventional classical music

The Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s “Flamenco” mixes orchestral selections with live flamenco dancing. The orchestra is wrapping up the season Sunday, April 21, with dancer Clara Rodriguez, a dancer and musician who’s been featured in productions across the country and in Spain, Portugal and India. On the program: Ravel’s “Bolero,” Manuel de Falla’s “El Amor Brujo” and selections from Bizet’s “Carmen Suites.” The music begins at 3 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $15.52-$84.75. Another surprising classical concert happening on the weekend is Emerald City Music’s “An Evening with Jinjoo Cho.” The award-winning violinist’s Saturday, April 20, solo concert includes Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s 1670 “Passacaglia,” one of the oldest surviving pieces for solo violin; Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Chaconne,” considered the greatest work in the violin repertoire; and Juri Seo’s 2022 “Toy Store,” a reflective journey through the experiences of childhood that live on in our minds as adults. (Among the segments are “Monster Truck,” “Roller Skates” and “Bubbles.”) The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnaert Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$40.

The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who blend traditional Scottish music with AC/DC, are playing Friday, April 19, in Olympia.
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, who blend traditional Scottish music with AC/DC, are playing Friday, April 19, in Olympia.

Celtic contrast

Those who prefer their music island style — as in from the British Isles —have a couple of high-powered options on Friday, April 19. For those looking for loud and raucous, there’s the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, a group of bagpipe-wielding, kilt-wearing Scottish rockers. The Pipers, who call their particular genre “bagrock,” are playing at 7:30 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $39-$69. Those of a traditional bent are likely to prefer “Irish Music in the Baroque Era,” a celebration of the country’s traditional and classical music during the 17th and 18th centuries. The concert features Gráinne Hambly, one of Ireland’s best known harpists, and Olympia fiddler Randal Bays, who’ll play along with fiddler Susan Waters and guitarist Clint Dye. That concert is at 7:30 p.m. at The Coach House at the Lord Mansion, 211 21st Ave. SW, Olympia. Tickets are $25.

Gráinne Hambly, one of Ireland’s best-known harpists, will play Friday, April 19, in Olympia.
Gráinne Hambly, one of Ireland’s best-known harpists, will play Friday, April 19, in Olympia.

Friends, Southern style

Olympia Little Theatre’s “Savannah Sipping Society,” opening Friday, April 19, is one of those comedies about a group of friends who became family of a sort. Think “Golden Girls” or “Steel Magnolias” or heck, “Friends,” but with cocktails instead of coffee. The foursome support each other through crises including a cheating husband and a husband who’s recently passed away. The show — by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, who specialize in comedies about strong and sassy women and have collaborated so often that they call themselves “Jones Hope Wooten” — is billed as both joyful and touching. Olympia Little Theatre’s production, directed by Jeff Kean, features an array of cute colorful drinking glasses that change with the seasons. Performances are at 7:25 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 19-20, plus April 26-27 and May 2-4 and 1:55 p.m. Sunday, April 21, plus April 28 and May 5 at the theater, 1925 Miller Ave. NE, Olympia. Tickets are $10-$16.

Olympia Little Theatre’s “Savannah Sipping Society” follows the lives of a group of friends who connect over cocktails and conversation. From left are Cindy McNabb, Neicie Packer, Meg Long and Savannah Morrison.
Olympia Little Theatre’s “Savannah Sipping Society” follows the lives of a group of friends who connect over cocktails and conversation. From left are Cindy McNabb, Neicie Packer, Meg Long and Savannah Morrison.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.