Blues is the foundation of the music of Grammy Award winner Robert Cray. But it’s nearly impossible to limit his talent to one genre when his music is also influenced by traditional American rock, soul, jazz, gospel, funk and R&B. “When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison. That is, until […]

Seventeen cutting-edge passenger vehicles make up a new exhibit at America’s Car Museum, called “Tuners@ACM.” These modern cars are lightweight, personalized, and very technologically advanced. Tuner cars – just like the hot rods that preceded them in the 1940s and ’50s – have a history steeped in customization of engines, as well as chassis modification, suspension and structure, interiors, […]

Tacoma not only creates it also celebrates its artistic history. Slated for the wrecking ball in the 1980s, the historic Pantages Theater located in downtown Tacoma had seen better days. Built in 1918 for vaudeville king Alexander Pantages as part of his theater empire, the beloved theater was in deep decline and neglect. Demonstrating true […]

It may be hard to imagine this small instrument creating a huge following and packed performance venues. Yet for Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele is his life. On Saturday, Feb. 2, he will perform in concert at Tacoma Arts Live. After garnering widespread acclaim in Hawaii and Japan, Shimabukuro has become a household name as a […]

Back in October 1918 a group of Tacoma residents gathered to form the local chapter of the Drama League of America. Its purpose was to study and promote theater and build community in the burgeoning city. The same year, the Port of Tacoma, Tacoma Kiwanis and the Tacoma News Tribune were established. So the civic-focused […]

As the holiday season gets under way, families are often looking for fun experiences that can become annual traditions. Going to see The Tacoma City Ballet perform The Nutcracker & The Tale of The Hard Nut can be a great way to build enthusiasm for the holidays, while also introducing children to the joys of a live […]

Washington’s artists, cultural institutions, and cultural leaders play an important part in inspiring and growing the state’s cultural vitality. In 1966, the Governor Arts Awards were established to recognize their contributions. That year, Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations (PONCHO), an organization that formed to help boost Seattle arts, was the first organization […]

The Tacoma City Ballet is thrilled to premiere Dracula—The Romantic Ballet—an original ballet fashioned from the legend of Vlad the Impaler, Count Dracula of Transylvania. The expression Dracula, which is now primarily known as the name of a fictional vampire, was for centuries known as the sobriquet of Vlad Dracul III (“Vlad the Dragon”). Vlad […]

Time seems to award Keb’ Mo’ rather than age him. With 14 albums under his belt, a slue of Grammy Nominations and Awards, as well as Blues Foundation and BMI Awards, he’s a proven musical American classic. He will perform Thursday, October 11 at 7:30 pm at Washington Center for the Performing Arts. His latest […]

The Dog-A-Thon at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood is a South Sound tradition. Sponsored by the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County, it is the largest dog walk in Western Washington. Now the nonprofit organization is broadening the 28th annual fundraiser to include even more pets. The 2018 event, on Saturday, July 28, is […]

America’s Car Museum (ACM), Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust will open a new learning lab – “Powering the Future” – to educate visitors to the Tacoma-based Museum on the many energy sources for the cars of yesterday, today and tomorrow. The innovative space will also explore the impact that science, […]

Audience members will be mesmerized by a cast of acclaimed performers as Thousand Faces Chinese Opera comes to Pantages Theater in Tacoma on May 13. One of the oldest dramatic art forms, Chinese opera has developed into unique regional styles. It has evolved beyond the tradition of singing and dancing to incorporate skillful visual elements. […]

The dragons will be back in the water on Saturday, April 28, for one of the area’s most colorful spectacles, the Saint Martin’s Dragon Boat Festival. The event, now in its 13th year, will welcome 48 Northwest teams at Olympia’s Port Plaza for intense but friendly competition between dragon boat teams. The festival serves as […]

Based on Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony Award®-winning production, SAM MENDES (Skyfall, American Beauty) and ROB MARSHALL’s (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films) CABARET comes to the Pantages Theater on April 10. Welcome to the infamous Kit Kat Klub, where the Emcee, Sally Bowles and a raucous ensemble take the stage nightly to tantalize the […]

  America’s Car Museum (ACM) is cycling 11 lowriders, a couple of lowrider-themed bicycles and various artwork into its Route 66 display to celebrate America’s lowrider pastime. As one of ACM’s rotating exhibits, Route 66 regularly undergoes change-outs and modifications to tell a variety of stories that define different aspects of America’s motoring heritage – […]

Three-time Grammy-nominated Latin band Tiempo Libre has been providing audiences with exhilarating tropical music for years. With Caribbean-inspired rhythms blended with jazz, R&B and funk, the ensemble has people from around the nation pining to see them in concert. They’re coming to The Washington Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, Feb. 21. and the […]

Brian Reed at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts Podcasting was birthed in the 1980s but didn’t gain traction until 2004. Since then, thousands of podcasts have premiered and gained international attention. From the producers of Serial and This American Life, the podcast S-Town premiered on March 28, 2017, quickly taking over thousands of […]

There’s nothing like the musical musings of beloved classics. On Saturday, Jan. 27, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn and the Blind Boys of Alabama will bring theirs to Tacoma’s Broadway Center for the Performing Arts.  Cohn’s fans will surely come to hear their favorites from his cache of visionary songwriting. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of […]

Tacoma City Ballet has officially become the resident dance company of the new Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center. The change of venue for the ballet, welcomed by Federal Way, means that The Nutcracker of Tacoma will now be in Federal Way. “I’m happy moving to Federal Way,” Ceragioli said. “The stage is bigger […]

Since the 1990s, Gaelic Storm has been defining and transcending the Celtic genre. With their latest release, titled Matching Sweaters, the band has planned an extensive tour that will bring them to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts Thursday, Oct. 5. The band started in Santa Monica, California, but since then their music has […]