THURSDAY 3/11
Michelle Bates
Inga Ingenue at Moisture Festival
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Books: Wine-Dark Seas
It shouldn't be so surprising that Zachary Mason is a computer scientist, since his literary debut messes with the code of an old stalwart. His ingenious The Lost Books of the Odyssey (Farrar Straus Giroux, $24) offers 44 short alternative chapters to the saga of Odysseus' return home to Ithaca from the Trojan War. Some are like commentaries on the Odyssey; others twist and reimagine the bickering gods, neglected wives, and quarrelsome warriors of Homer's epic poem. Odysseus suffers identity theft and builds a robot Achilles out of clay. Penelope happily remarries and forgets about her husband. The Trojan War never ends, and the Odyssey itself is discovered to be the corrupt transcription of a long-lost chess match. Some of these episodes are bizarre, but Mason isn't attempting a postmod deconstruction of the source text. Apart from some cheeky footnotes, he shows a deep appreciation for the stately language being appropriated. ("Time hissed by like the black arrows whose shadows darkened the plain before Troy.") And perhaps the book's greatest accomplishment is to make you want to go back and read Homer again. Elliott Bay Book Co., 101 S. Main St., 624-6600, elliottbaybook.com. Free. 7 p.m. BRIAN MILLER
Fashion: Passport to Style
Hot on the heels of the ready-to-wear presentations in New York, Milan, and Paris, design students will be showing their own stylish creations at the Art Institute of Seattle's 12th annual fashion show. As always, the entire production—lighting, set design, etc.—is handled by AIS pupils. This year's theme is "Wear in the World"—right on trend, since global is now hip in a huge way. The trend can be traced back to Yves Saint Laurent's safari jackets in the '60s. And today, cutting-edge designers like Proenza Schouler and D&G have embraced the international look with a zest, sending vibrant ikat prints in blues, oranges, and reds down the runway. Tonight, guest emcee Kendra Todd (of The Apprentice) helps promote Seattle's rising sartorial talents. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 382-7877, ais.edu. $20–$30. 8 p.m. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Stage: More, More, More
Just as some banks are too big to fail, some cultural events are too big to describe. In briefest summary, this year's Moisture Festival spans five venues through April 4, with no fewer than two dozen performers practicing puppetry, burlesque, trapeze acts, juggling, comedy, variety, bubble-blowing, and...well, space doesn't permit such an exhaustive list of titillation (for adults) and amusement (for families). What you do need to know is that the extravaganza launches tonight with its Grande Varietè show at ACT (through Sun.), then moves to Hale's Palladium (March 18–April 4), with side trips to Vashon Island, the Georgetown Ballroom, and SIFF Cinema before returning to ACT. The talent comes from as far away as Scotland and China and as close as Seattle (e.g., The Aerialistas, Baby Gramps, and Dr. Calamari and Acrophelia of Circus Contraption). Live music is always part of the show, and you can enjoy a beer during the run in Ballard. In its seventh year, the Moisture Festival has no use for brevity. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., 292-7676, moisturefestival.org. $20. 7:30 p.m. T. BOND
FRIDAY 3/12
Comedy: Rambling Man
Until co-starring with Judi Dench in the 1997 Mrs. Brown, Billy Connolly wasn't considered much of an actor. But the role, confidante to Queen Victoria, gained a second U.S. following for the sobered-up Scottish comic. He originally became a huge star in the UK via raunchy, serpentine monologues mixing everyday topics—like finding carrots in your vomit after binge drinking—with political rants (against Margaret Thatcher, Tories, etc.). He's both wrathful and good-natured, laughing at his indignation. In one long rant, he wonders if suicide bombers have instructors ("I'm only gonna show you this once..."), and mocks the idea of being rewarded with a bevy of virgins in the afterlife. Having the same awkward encounter over and over again, he says, "That's torture! Give me two good whores!" His current show crashed the computers when tickets went on sale in London, and the reviews were glowing. Connolly doesn't so much deliver jokes as arrive at them after long conversational rambles. And they are always worth the wait. Bagley Wright Theatre, 155 Mercer St. (Seattle Center), 443-2222, seattlerep.org. $45. 8 p.m. (Repeats Sat.) BRIAN MILLER
Music: Way Out East
Jazz has been syncretizing since it started. And while some of the multiculti fusions of recent years seemed driven more by downtown fashion than sonic potential, the cross-border approach—at its best—is doing a lot to keep jazz interesting. An outstanding case in point is saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, whose trio, known as the Indo-Pak Coalition, melds Indian motifs and avant-hard-bop into something brilliantly compelling. Earshot fans will be familiar with the Boulder-bred saxophonist from his visits with pianist Vijay Iyer, but the sitar-guitar/tabla format he's working with here opens up space for him to really connect. The conceptual never displaces the emotional in this band, which features beautiful, on-edge guitar work from Rez Abbasi. It's an adventurous booking for a venue like the KPC, and deserving of support. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., 425-893-9900, kpcenter.org. $16–$20. 8 p.m. MARK D. FEFER
