Burien’s Hi-Liners’ DownStage Center are holding two special productions this summer for just $10 per ticket – Disney’s Cinderella for Kids and Beauty and the Beast Jr. – with performances beginning Friday, July 16th and continuing through July 18th.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Hi-Liners’ Our DownStage Center Productions of:

WHERE: Renton Carco Theatre (located at 1717 SE Maple Valley Highway, Renton; 425-430-6706)

WHEN: July 16 ~18, 2010 (all seats are reserved)

• Cinderella KIDS Show Times:
  July 16 ~ 5:30pm
  July 17 ~ 5:30pm
  July 18 ~ 1:00pm

• Beauty and the Beast Jr. Show Times
  July 16 ~ 7:30pm
  July 17 ~ 7:30pm
  July 18 ~ 3:00pm

TICKETS: Click HERE to purchase tickets!

INFO:

	The timeless fairy tale meets the magic of Disney in this adaptation of the treasured animated film. Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and denied a chance to go to the Royal Ball. With a little help from her mice friends, and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella goes to the ball, meets the Prince, and falls in love! With a beautiful score including “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and the classic “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” this musical will charm its way into your heart, and remind you that dreams really can come true. All Seats are $10.00 All Seating is reserved.	Purchase Tickets HERE
	You will be transported to a lovely French provincial town where the beautiful Belle lives with her father – a dotty inventor. When her father doesn’t return from a trip to the local fair, Belle rushes off to find him. To her dismay, she discovers he is being held captive in an old castle by a horrible beast. She trades her freedom for his and the “tale as old as time” begins. How Belle tames the unfortunate Beast and his ultimate transformation into a handsome prince continues to enthrall audiences. Filled with spectacular costume and set opportunities, or even more simply staged, Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Jr. offers a great opportunity to bring your entire community together for family theatre at its best.	Purchase Tickets HERE

For the third year in a row, Burien Arts is sponsoring two free Shakespeare in the Park performances at Dottie Harper Park – “King John” on Saturday, July 25th and “The Comedy of Errors” on Saturday, August 1st.

Both performances will begin at 7pm.

GreenStage, the Puget Sound’s premier outdoor Shakespeare company, will be performing the plays at Dottie Harper Parks’ “bowl,” and all are welcome to bring a blanket, picnic dinner and enjoy the shows for no charge! GreenStage has been performing in regional parks for 21 years, and Burien Arts says they’re “thrilled to be able to bring such a notable theatre company to our local audience!”

The July 25th performance of “King John” offers the opportunity to see this rarely produced play in an intimate, exciting atmosphere.  In “King John,” the 13th Century has just begun and the English crown is being contested – both France and Austria are threatening war. Disagreement is at the core of a story filled with political intrigue, assassination plots, unfortunate accidents and the never-ending conflict between England and France. Combining the ruthlessness of Richard III, the antics and moral uncertainty of Hamlet and the raw familial relationships of King Lear, you may find yourself in the world of a play that seems strangely familiar.

On August 1, GreenStage returns to give Burien residents the opportunity to relish in the distressing events of a life that is not yours with “The Comedy of Errors.” Forget what you know and delight in what you see! With two pairs of identical twins wandering around the same town, misunderstandings and confusion are the order of the day. Antipholus of Syracuse travels to a foreign land to find himself well known, while Antipholus of Ephesus becomes a stranger in his own home. Shakespeare’s idealized adaptation of a farce by Plautus is a dizzying comedy classic that anyone can lose themselves within. With a gender swapped cast, this production invites you to go with what you know, trust in what you see, and believe in whatever you wish!

Burien Arts is a local non-profit with a more than forty-year history and a commitment to bring innovative and creative arts programming to local residents. In addition to sponsoring the Shakespeare in the Park performances, Burien Arts also runs the Burien Art Gallery, produces the Highline Vintage Jazz Festival and partners with other civic and non-profit organizations to ensure the arts thrive in our community.

Dottie Harper Park is located at SW 146th and 4th Ave, and all performances will take place in the park’s “bowl.” Parking is readily available in the old Burien Library parking lot.

For more information about these performances, or about Burien Arts, please contact Erin Williamson at Burien Arts, or visit their website at www.burienarts.org.

Burien Little Theatre’s Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwrights Festival continues this weekend, and here are some photos shot by Adam Sanders:

Click to View Slideshow

This weekend’s performances include “Famous Last Words” a one-act play written by Michael Wallace AND “Man Defeats Nature” a full-length play written by Christopher Bailey:

• Friday, May 15th at 8:00 p.m.
  
• Saturday, May 16th at 8:00 p.m. – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Freight” and “Days of Future Passed”
• Sunday, May 17th at 2:00 p.m. Matinee

All tickets for BOTH shows are just $10 with half of the ticket price going to Burien’s Hospitality House.

“Hospitality House needs the help, and you need a night out…”

Purchase tickets here.

Burien Little Theatre has released its May schedule, which will include readings from winners of the Bill & Peggy Hunt’s Playwright’s Festival.

BLT will also feature “Recession Pricing” for all of May, with tickets priced at just $10.

You can buy tickets safely and securely online here:

You can also email tickets@burienlittletheatre.com or call (206) 242-5180.

As for the playwright fest:

Experience wonderful brand-new works written by up-and coming playwrights from Washington state and never produced anywhere else.  Come see the winners of the 2009 playwrights festival!

The festival is graciously sponsored by the City of Burien.

Half of all ticket sales for the Playwrights Festival go to Hospitality House to help homeless women.  (Sorry, this means NO Five Buck Friday during the Festival.)

There are four shows, two one-act plays and two full length plays in the festival.  One one-act play and one full-length play will be performed together.  Two shows for the first two weekends and then the other two shows for the last two weekends.  Don’t miss out!  Come twice and see ALL the winners! – The shows are recommended for audiences age 15 and older due to occasional language.

SPECIAL – SPECIAL – SPECIAL – Every Saturday there will be a FREE reading of the honorable mention plays! (we will pass the hat)!  Starts at 2 pm!  See details below:

“The Reprieve” a one-act play written by Judith A. Jacobs AND “If Spiders Made Honey” a full-length play written by Dave Tucker:

• May 1 at 8:00 p.m. Friday – MAY DAY!
• May 2 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
• May 3 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• May 8 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 9 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Penny Loves Butchie Hartog” and “Sinking Bass Turds”
• May 10 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee

“Famous Last Words” a one-act play written by Michael Wallace AND “Man Defeats Nature” a full-length play written by Christopher Bailey:

• May 15 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 16 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Freight” and “Days of Future Passed”
• May 17 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee
• May 22 at 8:00 p.m. Friday
• May 23 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday – Plus free play readings at 2 p.m. – “Freight” and “Days of Future Passed”
• May 24 at 2:00 p.m. Sunday Matinee

A few things to note:

• The play readings are free to the public.
• Tickets for the productions are just $10 with one half of the ticket price ($5) being donated to Hospitality House.
• BLT is conducting a food drive for local food banks, so please bring non-perishable food stuff.
• There is a “play with your food” option (dinner and a show) at the Mark Restaurant and Bar – a two course meal and a ticket for just $30.00 per person. Call the Mark at (206) 241-6275.
• If you brought food for the food drive and bought a ticket, you could enjoy live entertainment and feel self-righteous from all of the good you are doing for the community!

At the February 2009 Board of Directors Meeting, the Burien Little Theatre (BLT) took a major step toward its reorganization and sustainability by announcing some big changes.

To meet the organization’s stated goals, President and Vice President of the Board of Trustees Maggie Larrick and Eric Dickman stepped down from the BLT board at its February meeting. Following these resignations, Trustees Steve Cooper and P. Diane Major were elected Interim President and Vice President, respectively, of the Burien Little Theatre Board of Trustees.

Maggie Larrick

Burien Little Theatre and the Capacity Partnership
Over the past 12 months, BLT through a Capacity Partnership grant, worked with Liz Heath from The Nonprofit Center to create recommendations and action items intended to strengthen the organization. Burien Little Theatre was selected to participate in this program by the city of Burien, because of the essential nature of services BLT provides and the commitment by the city to its focus on sustainable arts. The result of this work was the Burien Little Theatre Capacity Project Report, which was presented to the Board of Trustees at the January 2009 meeting. Among the recommendations was a goal “to establish a clear governance group that focuses on the key leadership areas of planning, budgeting, policy setting, financial and program oversight, fundraising and board development.”

The Managing Director and Artistic Director have been charged by the Board to oversee the daily operations and the productions of the theater, fulfilling BLT’s mission of Better, Live Theatre™. By separating the day-to-day operations of the theater from its governance, Burien Little Theatre will be structured to operate in a manner conducive to its continuing growth.

Eric Dickman

The Board of Trustees will now focus on structural and sustainability issues facing Burien Little Theatre. The Board faces many challenges including the possibility of BLT losing its home stage of over 29 years when a new community center is built. Currently the plans for the new Burien Community Center do not include a space adequate for theatrical productions. Another major focus for the Board is the recruitment of new board members to fill the vacancies created by this change and to ensure the sustainability of this unique and historic organization.

About Burien Little Theatre
Community-based theater has been a tradition in Burien since 1955. Incorporated in 1980, Burien Little Theatre (BLT) has been a leading producer of quality live theater serving residents of the Seattle and south Puget Sound areas. Burien’s Little Theatre Mission is to make every audience member’s experience at BLT a welcoming, lively and fun escape from the everyday world, beginning the moment they walk in the door, by providing high-quality, accessible and exciting theater. 
BLT is a non-profit 501c3 entity and operates on revenue from ticket sales, donations and volunteers.

We’d like to raise a toast to our latest returning Advertiser: E.B. Foote Winery!

E.B. Foote Winery was founded in 1978 by Eugene Foote, and it is one of the oldest wineries in Washington State.

And it’s located right here in Burien.

In 1991, Rich Higginbotham and Sherrill Miller became the owners and winemakers and they moved the winery from south Seattle to Burien in 1999.

Sadly, Rich passed away on Sept. 15th, but Sherrill and crew will be releasing a wine in his honor sometime next year.

The grapes come from the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington and are trucked in. The grape hauling, crush, press, fermenting, bottling, labeling, and sales are done right at the winery in Burien. The winery makes approximately 2,200 cases each year. All the winemaking is done at the winery in Burien with the help of their Volunteer Vintners.

The winery is open for free wine tasting on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7pm to 9pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Both white and red wines may be available for tasting and purchase in the winery gift shop.

These award-winning wines may include:

• Chardonnay
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Syrah
• Red Zinfandel
• Red blends
• Sweet Sherrill, a Riesling-like wine

Upcoming Events include:

• CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
  $5 tasting fee, applied toward bottle purchase
  
  • Thursday, Dec. 4, 5 pm – 9 pm
  • Friday, Dec. 5, 11 am – 9 pm,
  • Saturday, Dec. 6, 11 am – 7 pm
  • Sunday, Dec. 7, Noon – 6 pm

  Sample our current award-winning wines and our new releases along with snacks. We have new gift ideas, and three new wines will be released. Jim from Chocolate Serenade will have samples of his decadent chocolate truffles and have boxes of truffles available for purchase. Get a friend or two and join us during these hours, no reservations needed! The winery will be chilly so dress warmly and casually. Scheduled for release: Rainy Day Red V, 2006 Northwest Duet, etc. (all three wines are red blends)

• BRASS BAND CONCERT PERFORMED BY PUGET BRASS- FREE!
  • Tuesday, Dec. 9, 7 pm – 9 pm

  Enjoy traditional brass band music performed by Puget Brass, a 20-piece brass band conducted by John Falskow.  All ages are welcome to attend this free event.  Complimentary cheese and crackers will be served.  Complimentary wine tasting will be available for those 21 years and older, and wine will be available for purchase by the glass for $5 or $8 each.  The gift shop will be open for wine or gift purchases. No reservations needed.

• BREEDERS THEATER PRESENTS “PRAIRIE HEART”
  Tickets $20 each, advance purchase recommended
  
  • Jan. 16 – 18, 21, 23 – 25, 28 – 31, Feb. 1
  • Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings door opens at 6:30 pm
  • Sunday matinee door opens at 1:30 pm
  • Sunday, Feb. 1 door opens at 12:30 pm

  Join us for live theater at the winery. A local, professional theater group puts on original comedy plays between wine tasting and food. It’s fun, entertaining, adult humor. Performed in the winery. Tickets are $20 per person and include wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, and the play. The winery will be chilly so dress warmly and casually.  Tickets available beginning November 1, 2008.  Visit the winery or call for tickets, 206-242-3852 or check out breederstheater.com. (Credit cards accepted with a $5 fee per ticket OR your credit card can guarantee the tickets, and you can pay at the door with cash or check.)

E.B. Foote Winery produces quality wines at an affordable price. Because it’s not about what it costs. It’s about how it tastes.

Celebrating 30 years as a Washington winery, please welcome E.B. Foote Winery back to the B-Town Blog by clicking on their ad on the lower right sidebar and checking them out!

E.B. Foote Winery is located at 127 SW 153rd St. (downstairs in the lower level) in Burien, and their phone number is (206) 242-3852:

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