The 2016 Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival comes to a close with a program any Hollywood producer would admire.

Shostakovich, String Quartet in A flat, Op. 118
Schumann, Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 105
Dvorak, Piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 87

Participants in a week-long "Witty Fools" Improvisational Theater Camp try-out their newly-honed comedic skills in a performance on Sunday, June 26.

A free concert by the 133rd Washington Army National Guard featuring The General's 7 Dixieland Band and the Patriot Brass.

Singer/songwriter David Luning is part of a new generation of indie musicians whose genre blurs the lines of Americana/Alternative Country, Folk and Blues. With insights beyond his years, David’s poignant songwriting and warm, rich timbre voice captivates audiences and draws them into an Americana world both familiar and new.

Richard O’Brien’s, The Rocky Horror Show, comes to The Gesa Power House Theatre in a live theatrical production by New York City Director/Producer, and Walla Walla native, Tyson Kaup.

Dress up! Call out! Bring props! This live version of the popular movie (featuring local actors) will have you dancing and singing along to Rocky Horror Picture Show classics: "Science Fiction Double Feature", "Damn it Janet", "Time Warp", "Sweet Transvestite", "Hot Patootie", and more.

Four shows over two days.

With a "voice that could stop traffic" (Hamilton Spectator), musical comedienne Sharron Matthews serves up her signature irreverent wit with solid gold mash-ups by artists such as Lady Gaga, Guns 'N Roses, Radiohead, Beyonce, Queen and more in a comedic tour-de-force concert.

Entertainer Adam Trent will bring his modern brand of "magic show" to Gesa Power House Theatre on Friday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Trent began performing for friends, families, and birthday parties at young age, was performing on the streets of L.A. by age 14, and while still a teenager became the youngest and only magician to ever win back to back medals in the P.C.A.M. Pro Magic Challenge - one of the most prestigious magic competitions in the world. Trent has performed all over the world as a professional magician, and was recently one of seven magicians to perform in the Broadway show "The Illusionists" where he was billed as "The Futurist".

Walla Walla celebrities take to the stage at Gesa Power House Theatre on October 8 at 7:00 p.m. for the first ever "Dancing with the W2 Stars" - a fundraising event for Valley Residential Services. Local participants will be paired with professional dancers and have a week of rehearsals to learn a ballroom dance routine before the live performance and a judging panel.

Valley Residential Services has enlisted participation from a fantastic lineup of local "celebrities".

W2 Stars Dancers: Katie Christianson, Dean of Students - Willow Public School; Amy Figgins, Leonetti Cellar; Terra Luthi, General Manager of Courtyard Marriott Walla Walla; Andrae Bopp, Owner of Andrae's Kitchen; Lawson Knight, Co-founder of Intermountain Impact Investments; Nabiel Shawa, Walla Walla City Manager

W2 Stars Judges:
Janet Byerley, Jazzercise; Zachary Frasier, President of Walla Walla Sweets Baseball; Damien Sinnott, Washington State University

Aaron Nigel Smith will perform a free reggae concert for families at Gesa Power House Theatre on Wednesday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m. Smith‘s simple mission is to connect and empower children, families and communities through music. In 2002, he founded FUNdamentals of Music and Movement, an arts program which is now the program of choice to over 100 early education centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Boston. His fun, inspired, and lively show is guaranteed to get the audience off their feet.

Shakespeare Walla Walla presents the Fourth Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival at Gesa Power House Theatre Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23. This free, family-friendly event is a collaboration between many local businesses and community partners, and is inspired by the Hispanic “Day of the Dead” holiday where people throughout Latin America gather to celebrate the lives of departed friends and family.

The street in front of Gesa Power House Theatre will be closed to accommodate the festival on both days (6th Avenue from Rose to Sumach). Admission to the Fourth Annual Dia de los Muertos Festival and all activities are free and open to the public. Food vendors will be setup nearby.

Wine club members of Browne Family Vineyards, Canoe Ridge Vineyard and Waterbrook Winery, it's time to break out the acid wash jeans, side ponytails and everything neon for our totally awesome 1980s Halloween party!

Show us your best Maverick or defend the galaxy as Princess Leah, and hit the dance floor as the DJ rocks the Casbah all night long. Totally tubular snacks and a rad photo booth will send you back to the future – be there, or be square!

$10 admission (Not a member? Purchase a ticket and receive wine club benefits for a day – including discounts on wine, shipping, and event tickets.)

For questions or to RSVP please contact Emily at Tastingroom@brownefamilyvineyards.com.

LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends will perform at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m.

Most people know about singer-songwriter LeRoy Bell from his 2011 appearance as one of the top performers on Season 1 of "The X Factor", but long before televised competitions, LeRoy Bell had already achieved success as a musician. In the '70s he wrote hit tunes for other artists including "Mama Can't Buy You Love" for Elton John, which went to the Top 10 in the general charts and #1 the Adult/Contemporary chart and in the fall of 1979, earned Elton a Grammy Nomination for "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance". LeRoy's own band, Bell and James, also reached the top of the pop charts with their 1979 hit, “Living it Up Friday Night.”

LeRoy Bell stood out on "The X Factor" for his his talent and maturity, and finished 8th overall when he was eliminated in the fifth live show.

LeRoy Bell is a passionate Soul/R&B singer, a powerful blues/rocker, and equally at home as an acoustic folk/soul singer, capable of captivating an audience with intimate performances. He currently records and performs at the head of LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends with bassist Terry Morgan, keyboardist Daniel Walker, and drummer Bill Ray.

Collision of Rhythm is what you get when you combine a tap dancing percussion virtuoso with a beatbox juggling motivational speaker. Think Blue Man Group meets Stomp! Bronkar and Aaron are multiple world-record holders, have worked with companies like GoPro, Coca Cola, and Google, and have been featured on television programs such as The Tonight Show and America's Got Talent.

It's not just a performance; it's an inspirational experience full of music, laughter and excitement. Bring the whole family!

A fundraising event for Bluewood Alpine Race Team. Friday, November 18 - 7:00 p.m. For more information and tickets call: Trevor (509.301.2307) or Amanda (509.540.5208).

Canadian ensemble Quartetto Gelato will perform a concert at Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Virtuosic showpieces, romantic tenor arias, pyrotechnical solos, blazing gypsy show pieces, multi-instrument mastery and a World Accordion Champion – this is Quartetto Gelato.

For 25 years, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with their exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and humor. Classical in training – eclectic by design – Quartetto Gelato not only thrills its audiences with its multi-instrument mastery, but also offers the bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. With a performance repertoire that spans the globe including classical masterworks, operatic arias, the sizzling energy of tangos, gypsy and folk songs, the group’s theatrical stage presence and relaxed humor establishes an intimate rapport with audiences worldwide.

The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue captures all the magic, mystery, and mayhem of the season with original songs, brand-new sketches, and some classic favorites, Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue will have you and yours laughing all the way through the festive season.

Ireland's foremost celtic classical trio, Affinití, returns to Walla Walla at the Gesa Power House Theatre on Friday, December 9, at 7 p.m. Howard Crosby, nephew of the legendary Bing Crosby, joins them on their annual Christmas Tour.

Affinití are a trio of classically trained musicians: soprano Emer Barry, harpist Aisling Ennis, and violinist Mary McCague, each with a graduate degree in Music Performance. Their "crossover" style is a blend of classical, rock, and Celtic music style. They have performed together and solo for Josh Ritter, Michael Buble, Disney, and more.

Gary Hemenway & Mark Brown continue to make their holiday appearance at Gesa Power House Theatre a dynamic and much-loved tradition! Highlighting the Walla Walla Valley’s local professional talent, punctuated by Clipper Anderson on upright bass, and Daniel Cox on drums, this show will have you dancing in your seats and singing along to many well-known songs of the season. It’s a perfect way to ring in the season!

All proceeds go to the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation.

The 2016 Little Watts Series of Children's Entertainment concludes with a live theatrical production of a holiday classic. "A Christmas Carol" is presented by Travelling Lantern who performed this play to a sold-out crowd at Gesa Power House Theatre in 2014. This play is suitable for all ages.

Friends of Children of Walla Walla invites you to its annual "Holidays in Ivory" concert on Saturday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. at Gesa Power House Theatre.

No one exemplifies modern-day crooning better than Johnny Boyd: smooth, romantic vocals; matinee idol charisma; classic gentleman’s style; and dynamic, irreverent performances. But it’s his fresh, emotive, all-original contributions to the Great American Songbook that will be his legacy.

Boyd, a prolific songwriter, is renowned for his unique ability to seamlessly blend jazz, swing, pop, country, gospel and rock, bringing back the nostalgic charisma of a bygone era.

Johnny Boyd has amassed a seven-album discography, recorded more than sixty original songs and written dozens more. He has also licensed numerous original songs for use in major motion pictures, television and gaming.

Proceeds from this concert benefit Friends of Children of Walla Walla.

The Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble will perform a "Tribute to Dave Brubeck" concert at Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, January 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Few American jazz artists have had as much influence or were as popular as Dave Brubeck was in the 1950s. In this tribute concert, the Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble perform music of Brubeck's celebrated band. The program includes "Take Five", "Blue Rondo a la Turk", and several other compositions from the album Time Out - one of the most famous and best-selling albums in the history of jazz, even to this day.

The Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival's Winter Festival Series concert will be performed at Gesa Power House Theatre on Sunday, January 15 at 7:00 p.m.

You’ve met the artists in pianist, Thomas Rosenkranz, and The Westerlies. You’ve explored the music in Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 11, and original compositions by the Westerlies. Now it’s time to bring it all together with a collaboration that ties all the seemingly disparate sources into one original piece of music.

With the Gloria of Stravinsky’s Mass as inspiration, Andy Clausen of The Westerlies has arranged a new piece to be premiered by the combined forces of all of the Winter Festival Artists. The new work is a fitting way to welcome Stravinsky to this season’s poster. Also featured on the performance is the Mendelssohn D minor Piano Trio, and selections by The Westerlies.

Three local college will unite on Monday, January 16 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr Day. Festivities will conclude with a gathering at Gesa Power House Theatre. All of the day's events are free and open to the public.

11:00 AM: “The Color of Freedom”
Walla Walla University Church, 212 SW Fourth St., College Place

Terrie Aamodt, WWU professor of history and English will present her research on the history of racial policy in the Pacific Northwest. Terrance Taylor, pastor of the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pasco, Wash., will share his life story, including his experience as a black man studying at WWU.

4:00 PM: Peace March and Candlelight Vigil
From Whitman College Reid Campus Center, 280 Boyer Ave., Walla Walla to Gesa Power House Theatre, 111 N. 6th Avenue, Walla Walla.

Community members are invited to join students from Whitman College, Walla Walla University, and Walla Walla Community College in a candlelit walk through downtown Walla Walla, and a presentation at the Power House, where students from the three colleges will present music and readings.

All events are free and open to the public.

Off Broadway's only improvised pirate musical - "The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told" - will be performed at Gesa Power House Theatre on Friday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Think “Pirates of the Caribbean” meets “Whose Line is it Anyway?” - with a splash of “Monty Python", "Gilbert & Sullivan" and “Mad Libs” tossed into the mix!
Flung into the future by a musical-loving Sea Witch, a crew of misfit pirates-turned-actors must now perform the greatest pirate epic ever seen on stage! But when their script is partially obscured by a tragic squid ink accident, the crew must turn to the audience to fill in the missing bits of the plot. Cast members improvise their musical adventure, seamlessly weaving the audience suggestions into scenes, songs and more!

Gesa Power House Theatre presents "Jazz Noir" by the Dmitri Matheny Group on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 7:00PM.

"Jazz Noir" puts a fresh spin on familiar TV and movie themes (film noir, spy thrillers and crime dramas), and includes new works and jazz classics. Highlights of the concert include a Noir Medley of cinematic favorites (Touch of Evil, Laura, Chinatown, Vertigo, Taxi Driver, Blues in the Night) and an original Crime Scenes suite - a dreamlike series of vignettes linked together with voice-over narrative in the hard-boiled detective style of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.

Directed by Dmitri Matheny ("one of the most emotionally expressive improvisers of his generation" —International Review of Music), the Dmitri Matheny Group has developed an engaging repertoire and a strong international following. The group's signature sound pleases both crowds and critics, balancing fresh, original works with familiar jazz classics, hard bop, west coast cool and selections from their 10 critically-acclaimed albums.

Dmitri Matheny has performed with the Temptations, the Four Tops, Bobby Rydell, and Frankie Avalon and the O'Jays, and he appears on more than 70 albums as composer, arranger, producer, annotator, or flugelhorn soloist.

Matheny’s film scoring and soundtrack credits include the PBS documentary Mary, Paradox & Grace (1996), the short film Greenhorn Creek (1997), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art production Voices & Images of California Art (1997), and the RKO Pictures feature film Shade (2003), directed by Damian Nieman and starring Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Foxx, Melanie Griffith, Thandie Newton, Sylvester Stallone and Stewart Townsend.

Walla Walla Valley Honda presents the first show in the 2017 Little Watts Children's Series of Family Entertainment - "Benjamin Franklin" - Friday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the intrepid inventor, quipping author, productive scientist, and founding father: Mr. Benjamin Franklin. You’ll travel with him, meet his friends, help him in his work and…

Focus on Cancer of Walla Walla will present a fundraiser and auction to benefit Team Julianna at Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday, March for at 6:00 p.m. Activities will include music by Frog Hollow Band, live and silent auctions, and local wine.

Former New York actor/director, and star of The Last Five Years will teach a workshop on Sunday, March 5, from 2 to 6 p.m. on the elements of live performance and creating original theater.

Actor-students will participate in group exercises highlighting aspects of storytelling through performance. They will then use what they have learned to workshop and create dynamic pieces of live theater. Friends and family are invited to attend a final working performance in the last hour of the workshop.

Admission to the workshop is free with proof of purchase of a ticket to see "The Last Five Years" ($20 without). Actors of all ages (minimum age 12) are welcome.

Youth entrepreneurship is what this event is all about - and this year there is a lot on the line: $10,000!

Preliminary workshops and events lead up to the final event held at Gesa Power House Theatre on Tuesday, March 7 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. High school and college participants will pitch their business ideas to a panel of six judges. Students will be given three minutes to present their pitch and five minutes for Q&A by the panel. Upon deliberation, the judges will distribute the cash award (from a potential pool of $10,000) at their discretion in an awards ceremony. The K-8 winner from the February 23 competition will also be awarded their cash prize. Food & beverages will be served.

This series of events has been a four-year creation to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week. Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.

​Inspired by the TV show Shark Tank, students take an idea, create a business plan, consider the financial viability of their business and pitch their idea to a panel of judges. Local Walla Walla business leaders contribute as mentors, coaches and judges.

Gesa Power House Theatre launches its season of live theater with a modern musical on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

"The Last Five Years" is written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, and is an emotionally powerful and intimate modern musical about two young New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The show's unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story starting at the end and working backwards, the male character, Jamie, tells his story chronologically. The two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.

"The Last Five Years" is directed by former New York City director and producer and Walla Walla native Tyson Kaup, who will also perform the male role. Local performer Sarah Bess Hemenway will play the female role. Local musicians will join the actors on stage and provide accompaniment.

A&N Productions presents: Shelby Earl Album Release with Planes on Paper on Saturday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Gesa Power House Theatre. This event (21+ only) is sponsored by Walla Walla Cannabis Company.

Shelby Earl’s first two albums earned the kind of raves any musician would kill for. Upon hearing her 2011 debut, Burn the Boats, NPR’s Ann Powers called Earl her “new favorite songwriter,” and she wasn’t alone. Accolades followed from Rolling Stone to the Wall Street Journal and a million music sites in between that positioned her somewhere to the left of Neko Case, a few blocks from Sharon Van Etten, catercorner to Angel Olsen. She toured everywhere, playing with the likes of Loudon Wainwright, Rhett Miller, and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, who spoke for many people when he said Earl had “the most heartbreakingly beautiful voice in Seattle.”

Two years later, she followed up with the equally powerful Swift Arrows, and returned to the touring trenches, startling audiences around the world with songs that laid bare an inner landscape full of darkness and loss, as well as the defiant resolution not to be consumed by them. Both records are gorgeous, painstakingly crafted, and, not to put too fine a point on anything, full of heavy emotional weather. (Not for nothing did Powers observe that Earl’s writes “for those of us who have been through a few things.”)

But take a minute to consider what it means to have been through a few things. It suggests reaching the other side. Eight years after burning her (figurative) boats to pursue life as a professional musician, quitting her job, and forging a career, Shelby Earl found that her inspiration was leading away from the darkness and anger she so fruitfully explored on those first two LPs and toward the light that would yield her third, and most accomplished record to date.

That light shines through every facet of the album, from the songwriting, whose thematic concerns turn away from savage self-exploration and toward coruscating character studies, ballads, and swooning pop gems. The new songs retain her gift for a dark lyrical turn, but locate the telltale images in the context of other people.

Once producer Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlisle, Eric Bachmann) came on board, and the whole team entered the studio, the process took flight. It wasn’t a question of “going pop,” incorporating more danceable beats, or mobilizing the vogue for vintage keyboard soul—though both of those aesthetics lurk at the edge of the frame throughout. No, it was something much simpler: The Man Who Made Himself a Name is the sound of an artist who, having lived and chronicled some catastrophically hard times, found herself on the other side feeling happier, healthier, healed—and making music that sounded like it.

There is a vocal synergy that exists between Navid Eliot and Jen Borst, the two core members of the Washington-based folk group Planes on Paper. They each have clear, unique voices, but when combined, a special kind of musical beauty emerges.

"In a modern age where indie folk groups with male/female harmonies are as common as a Starbucks on every corner, Planes on Paper offer an organic alternative, refreshing in its artistry." - The Revue

Reserved Seating Tickets: $15
VIP Tables (includes on stage seating and wine for 4 people): $80

This event is restricted to 21 and older (ID required).

Gesa Power House Theatre launches its season of live theater with a modern musical on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

"The Last Five Years" is written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, and is an emotionally powerful and intimate modern musical about two young New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The show's unconventional structure consists of Cathy, the woman, telling her story starting at the end and working backwards, the male character, Jamie, tells his story chronologically. The two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.

"The Last Five Years" is directed by former New York City director and producer and Walla Walla native Tyson Kaup, who will also perform the male role. Local performer Sarah Bess Hemenway will play the female role. Local musicians will join the actors on stage and provide accompaniment.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production of "The Tempest" on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m.

"The Tempest" is brought to life on the RSC stage in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios, featuring some of today's most advanced technology in a bold re-imagining of Shakespeare's magical play, and starring Simon Russell Beale. The production was filmed live in Stratford-Upon-Avon and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.

On a distant island a man waits.

Robbed of his position, power and wealth, his enemies have left him in isolation. But this is no ordinary man, and this no ordinary island. Prospero is a magician, able to control the very elements and bend nature to his will. When a sail appears on the horizon, he reaches out across the ocean to the ship that carries the men who wronged him. Creating a vast magical storm he wrecks the ship and washes his enemies up on the shore. When they wake they find themselves lost on a fantastical island where nothing is as it seems.

Simon Russell Beale returns to the RSC after 20 years to play Prospero in a production directed by Artistic Director Gregory Doran.

Stay tuned for additional details regarding the annual fundraiser to benefit Danza Classica Ballet.

Gesa Power House Theatre presents the Walla Walla premiere of "SEED: The Untold Story" on Wednesday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m. The film's co-director and co-producer Jon Betz, a Walla Walla native, will attend the screening and participate in a talkback session afterwards.

Few things on Earth are as miraculous and vital as seeds. Worshipped and treasured since the dawn of humankind. "SEED: The Untold Story" follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds, farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these reluctant heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a culture connected to seeds. The film features Vandana Shiva, Dr. Jane Goodall, Andrew Kimbrell, Winona Laduke and Raj Patel.

Gesa Power House Theatre presents The Young Irelanders on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

The Young Irelanders is comprised of eight sensational performers who have Irish traditional music, song and dance running through their veins. Although still in their 20’s and 30’s, these performers have achieved more than most people would aspire to in a lifetime. Between them they have performed for many heads of state, Presidents of Ireland, US Presidents, the Queen of England, the President of China, Prince Albert of Monaco, Empress Michiko of Japan, performed at Radio City Music Hall, the Great Hall of the People in China, Kremlin State Palace in Moscow, the US Capitol Building, Fox Theatre in Detroit and the Pantages Theatre in L.A . The artists have also toured as lead performers with Riverdance and Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, been soloists on PBS Special’s, shared the stage with Bono, and have recorded with Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones) and been chosen by Sting to perform for his exclusive private parties.

The Young Irelanders was formed not only to merge the significant creative ideas and talents of a select group of young Irish performers who are unique among their peers but also in the hope that given their combined youthfulness and ability, their existence in the music business would act as a catalyst in attracting more young people to the world of traditional Irish music at home in Ireland and through out the world.

The sound the band creates is best described as eclectic, where traditional Irish music, Celtic music, folk music, world music, jazz music, country music and popular music all come together to give rise to a very unique and multi-faceted sound. The Young Irelanders also sets out to reflect an Ireland of today where many of Ireland’s finest exponents of Irish traditional music are second generation Irish or reside out side of Ireland. Two such musicians and members of the group, Colin Farrell and Damien Mullane, were brought up in Britain to Irish emigrant parents and both have gone on to become amongst the most revered Irish traditional musicians in the world while they have also been drawn to these strong Irish roots and have spent many years living in Ireland.

Between them, members of The Young Irelanders, despite their youthfulness, have performed with The Chieftains, Frankie Gavin & De Dannan, the Dubliners, Martin Hayes, Máirtín O Connor, Lúnasa, Michael Mc Goldrick and many more of the leading names in the Irish music business. Three of the 8 performers also hold Masters Degrees in Music. Female dancer Siobhán Manson was the principal dancer with Riverdance for 10 years and male dancer, Cathal Keaney, won the World Dancing Championships two consecutive years in a row.

If you want to see and hear what Ireland’s traditions of music, song & dance look and sound like like in the hands of some of the most talented young performers in the world then don’’t miss the opportunity to get to see this sensational act. The future of Ireland’ s culture is undoubtedly in safe hands with The Young Irelanders.

Echo Chamber is a collective theater piece written and produced by Whitman students under the direction of Ludmila de Brito. The production takes as inspiration recent political events in Brazil and the United States and considers our own biases in order to voice and discuss the diverse identities and paradigms that together form our community. Echo Chamber engages through music, dance and dialogue in order to address the dangerous polarization present in our concentric communities and across our nation.

There will be two performances at Gesa Power House Theatre, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Free admission.

Echo Chamber is a collective theater piece written and produced by Whitman students under the direction of Ludmila de Brito. The production takes as inspiration recent political events in Brazil and the United States and considers our own biases in order to voice and discuss the diverse identities and paradigms that together form our community. Echo Chamber engages through music, dance and dialogue in order to address the dangerous polarization present in our concentric communities and across our nation.

There will be two performances at Gesa Power House Theatre, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Free admission.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Ballet production of "The Sleeping Beauty" on Wednesday, April 12 at 6:00 p.m.

Celebrate 70 years of The Royal Ballet’s landmark production and enter an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers and magical spells. A perennial delight and a much-loved classic, The Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty combines the best of classical ballet, with all its charms and virtuosity, splendid music and talented dancers.

First choreographed to Tchaikovsky's great musical score by Marius Petipa in Russia in 1890, The Sleeping Beauty has wonderful ensembles, solos including the Rose Adage as Princess Aurora meets her suitors, and of course the concluding celebratory dances for the happy union of prince and princess. The Royal Ballet's landmark staging was revived for the Company's 75th anniversary celebrations in 2006.

The designs by Oliver Messell, one of the greatest stage designers of the 20th century, were restored and updated for this production by Peter Farmer. The rich evocations of the baroque opulence of a royal court, the panoramic journey of the prince to the overgrown castle and the colorful characters in this famous fairy tale make this Sleeping Beauty a spectacle like no other.

This screening runs about 3 hours including two intermissions plus a 15-minute introduction. General admission tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students) will be available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

Gesa Power House Theatre presents "John Muir: Watch, Pray, Fight" a play written and performed by Mark Raddatz on Saturday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m.

In order to capture the essence of the legendary mountaineer, naturalist, and founder of the Sierra Club, Mark Raddatz composed the script entirely from Muir’s own words. This is not a biographical essay or paraphrase of an animal story. This is Muir as he would have appeared and spoken to an audience in his own time.

“I went to the University of the Pacific’s library for the bulk of my research,” Raddatz says. “They have all the Muir’s journals and other papers. Despite his having spoken before innumerable gatherings in the last 30 years of his life, I was assured that there were no actual printed speeches.”

After strenuous research in the newspaper of the period and Muir’s own papers, Raddatz found three. Traveling to Stockton, California, where the University of the Pacific’s Holt-Atherton Collections are housed, involved crossing and re-crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains that Muir did so much to preserve. Raddatz took advantage of this to explore and camp where Muir did a century before.

“I spent every summer of my boyhood in the Sierras and Yosemite," says Raddatz. "It was good to renew the contact and a great place to read Muir.”

Of this project, Raddatz says, “During my lifetime, I’ve noticed popular culture has tended to tame John Muir, to rub the rough spots smooth and portray him as a warm and fuzzy eccentric; someone to take to our hearts, but not take too seriously. This was no Disney character chatting with the birds and squirrels; what Muir had to say back then is startlingly meaningful even now.”

Without explanation or exposition, Raddatz launches into the sort of talk Muir might have made during the fight for Yosemite and the national park idea. For just over an hour, the audience is treated to the poetry, wit, insight and passion that made John Muir the most effective voice for preservation in his own time and a remarkably pertinent voice in ours. His portrayal is thoughtful, thorough and humorous – and makes a very entertaining evening.

Mission Church presents "Death Defeated" - an Easter program at Gesa Power House Theatre on Sunday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m.

Childcare provided through age 4. Kids 5 and up are invited to join the grown-ups in the service.

For more information visit www.missionchurchww.org.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Opera production of "Madama Butterfly" on Wednesday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m.

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is one of the most popular of all operas, with ravishing music and a heartbreaking story of a loving geisha deserted by a callous American husband. Much-loved soprano Ermonela Jaho sings the title role for the first time at Covent Garden, in Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's stunningly beautiful production.

The exotic imagery of the Nagasaki setting is drawn from 19th-century Western artists' romanticized views of Japan. Puccini's music brings alive the birdsong of the morning, the ritual of a wedding and the seduction by naval officer B.F. Pinkerton (sung by exciting young tenor Marcelo Puente) of his young, innocent bride. Well known moments include the impassioned aria ‘Un bel dì’ (One fine day) as the abandoned Cio-Cio-San clings vainly to her dreams.

Royal Opera Music Director Antonio Pappano, acclaimed for his interpretations of Italian opera, conducts this intense and gripping journey from light and excitement to darkness and self-sacrifice.

This screening runs about 2 hours 45 minutes including one intermission, plus a 15-minute introduction. Beer, wine, and popcorn will be available for purchase.

General admission tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Unfortunately, the performers decided to cancel this performance of "Robin Hood". Full refunds will be issued to all ticket holders.

Gesa Power House Theatre presents acoustic jazz ensemble Rhythm Future Quartet on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound,…

The WWU Steel Band reprises their annual concert at Gesa Power House Theatre on Sunday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. Joining the band in concert is steel pan arranger and composer Ray Holman.

Ray Holman began playing steel drums professionally at 13 with Ellie Mannette's Invaders. As a teenager, he became known as a virtuoso solo player, becoming the youngest person ever to win the solo division of the "ping pong" (an early name for the tenor pan) competition in 1964. He traveled from group to group for a time, joining Starlift, Destination Tokyo, Pandemonium, Exodus, the Hummingbirds, and Phase II Pan Groove. During this time, he gained a reputation as one of the five major steel band arrangers, as he repeatedly led groups to victory in the Trinidadian national Panorama competitions, with arrangements for bands numbering up to 120 performers. He also gained a reputation for challenging the system to some degree by departing from the traditional Calypso tunes for the competitions, and in 1972 he became the first arranger to compose and play his own music for the Panorama competition. He also occasionally made arrangements from European classical music, much to the surprise of steel band traditionalists. As a result, he has become one of the most respected and sought after musicians in the steel band form, both as a solo player and as an arranger. In 1993, he was awarded the Hummingbird Silver Medal of Merit by the government of Trinidad and Tobago for his contributions to the culture of the nation.

The WWU Steel Band formed in 2002 and is directed by Brandon Beck. The group tours throughout the US and has also toured to the island of Bermuda. In previous years, they have performed with world-class steel pan artists such as Victor Provost, Gary Gibson, and Tom Miller.

Proceeds from the concert go to support the WWU Steel Band through recruiting, touring, and purchasing instruments.

The Baudboys will return for another a cappella concert in Walla Walla on Friday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. They last performed here in 2015.

The Baudboys are an 8-part a cappella group of Microsoft employees (aka "geeks"). With a rotating membership of 7-9 members, The Baudboys competed or performed at the Northwest Regional Harmony Sweepstakes for a record nine years running, claiming the top spot in 2008 and again in 2011.

Reserved seating tickets ($29-$24 Adults, $18 Students) will be available to the public on January 23, online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Ballet production of "Jewels" on Wednesday, May 24 at 6:00 p.m.

George Balanchine’s evocation of the sparkle of emeralds, rubies and diamonds is a brilliant ballet classic. The French Romantic music of Fauré provides the impetus for the subtlety and lyricism of ‘Emeralds’, while the fire of ‘Rubies’ comes from Stravinsky and the jazz-age energy of New York. Grandeur and elegance complete the ballet with the splendor of Imperial Russia and the peerless music of Tchaikovsky in ‘Diamonds’.

"Jewels" is a masterclass in the many luminous facets of classical ballet and indeed of The Royal Ballet itself: the virtuoso choreography of Balanchine, the intensity of the soloists and the precision of the entire Company.

This screening runs about 2 hours 30 minutes including two intermissions plus a 15-minute introduction. Beer, wine, and popcorn will be available for purchase.

General admission tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students) will be available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.