WEDNESDAY 8/11
©Nancy Halsey
Equine art on Vashon Island.
powerHouse Books
Inscrutable album art in Georgetown.
Related Content
More About
Film: Tour de Reprise
For those going into withdrawal from July's Tour de France TV coverage, here's one last chance to hear the soothing voices of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. However, be warned that the documentary Chasing Legends covers last year's Tour, although with considerably better access to the HTC Columbia team and its sprint star, Mark Cavendish. (The latter opines "It takes someone with balls" to attack in the wind.) Celebrity visitors in the year of Lance Armstrong's comeback include Ben Stiller, normal-sized among the riders, who demonstrates "my biking Blue Carbon, similar to Blue Steel, but much lighter." Jens Voigt reveals himself to be the funniest, quippiest guy in the peloton, which makes his horrible crash that much harder to watch. Scenes aboard the HTC bus are considerably more intimate and unguarded than what you get on Versus. Here are nine casually half-naked men with very peculiar tan lines and very strange topics of conversation. Speaking to his masseuse, George Hincapie muses, "I've never shaved that far up." How far up? You'll have to see for yourself. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., 267-5380, nwfilmforum.org. $6–$9. 7 and 9 p.m. BRIAN MILLER
THURSDAY 8/12
Stage: Orthography and Applause
Definition: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a tongue-in-cheek musical spelling showdown among unloved and undeterred spellers, who include an eighth-grader who speaks six languages; a boy with a lamentable last name and a magic foot; a home-schooled ADHD prodigy with a gentle (if distractible) disposition; an overzealous Boy Scout with an unfortunate problem with puberty; a middle-school political activist with a lisp and two dads; and a neglected wordsmith whose only friend is her oversized dictionary. The bee's hosts are a former Putnam champion and a vice-principal with a short temper and very little patience. Of course, this bee would not be complete without the court-assigned grief counselor whose quick hugs and apple juice can soothe any broken spirit. Every character shines in moments of transcendent joy and heartwrenching sadness, with such believable candor that anyone can relate to the seemingly silly struggles of these determined youth. With a complicated score and some fancy footwork, this musical comes together seamlessly; everyone onstage and in the audience leaves feeling like a winner. Use in a sentence: The Seattle Weekly theater critic had such an amazing time at this show that he insists everyone make the trek to Ballard. (Ends Sat.) The Ballard Underground, 2220 N.W. Market St., 800-838-3006, contemporaryclassics.org. $15–$20. 8 p.m. DYLAN SLADKY
Outdoor Art: Pearls Not Required
No need to don your Aunt Cordelia's jewels or fake an upper-crust Oxbridge accent for this garden party—Art in the Park is open to the hoi polloi. As its name suggests, this event presents botanical-themed art among the lush plantings of the Washington Park Arboretum, with samplings from local vintners Nota Bene Cellars, Ott & Murphy Wines, and OS Winery. But unlike the garden parties of 19th-century Brit lit, admission tonight doesn't require an old-money pedigree—or indeed any money at all. It's classy without being classist. If you've got the means, however, feel free to splurge on some aesthetic additions for the manor. Works on display will include the elaborate paper cuttings of Alisa Lahti, the nature photography of Lee Rentz, and the organic-looking pottery of Maria Root. (A portion of artists' sales benefits the Arboretum Foundation.) Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Dr. E., 325-4510, arboretumfoundation.org. Free ($25 suggested for wine tasting). 5:30–8:30 p.m. REBECCA COHEN
Comedy: Hemp Jester
Doug Benson has two great loves in his life: movies and pot. He has shown his affection, such as it is, for the former, dating back to his pithy online "I Love Movies" reviews (of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith, he wrote, "I wasn't bored for a minute. I was bored for 142 minutes!"). These quick takes evolved into the current I Love Movies podcast, recorded in front of an audience at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in L.A. and featuring guest spots from Benson's hip comedy friends, including Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman. His pot cred shows an even greater commitment: starring in the weed documentary Super High Me and co-creating the stage show The Marijuana-Logues. He even won the coveted Stoner of the Year award from High Times magazine in 2006, putting him in the same illustrious company as noted jazz-cigarette aficionados Snoop Dogg and Seth Rogen. (Through Sat.; Graham Elwood, of Chelsea Lately, is the opener.) Parlor Live Comedy Club, 700 Bellevue Way N.E. Suite 300, Bellevue, 425-289-7000, parlorcollection.com. $25–$30. 7:30 p.m. ALBERT CHING
FRIDAY 8/13
Dance: Hooves and Feet
Let's just say it and get the jokes over with now: It's like Dancing With Horses, right? Yes, the dancers of New York company The Equus Projects do actually dance with horses. Seriously. And in the latest work by ex-Seattle choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw, called Dancing in Real Time, four dancers will perform on a Vashon Island farm among its native herd of purebred Arabians. But it makes sense, since Shaw has long made performance artworks that examine the ancient relationship between animals and man. Humans are comfortable with animals as servants (e.g. sled dogs, pack mules, and hunting falcons) or entertainers (see Free Willy or Siegfried and Roy), but why should they be limited to that servile role? Why not let them participate in the art? Shaw calls her artistic discipline a form of play, and she seeks to translate horses' natural herd behaviors—dominance, deference, etc.—into a human-equine analogue. Shaw appeals to the animal in all of us. Local musician Jami Sieber supplies the electric cello and song. Heart of the Horse Farm, 21901 Vashon Hwy. S.W., 718-916-3528, dancingwithhorses.org. $25. 6 p.m. (Repeats Sat.) SANDRA KURTZ
