BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet will perform a concert at Gesa Power House Theatre on Friday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m. They previously played to a sold out Power House audience in 2014.

For the past 42 years, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet has been making some of the most potent and popular Cajun music on the planet. Born out of the rich Acadian ancestry of its members, and created and driven by bandleader Michael Doucet’s spellbinding fiddle playing and soulful vocals, BeauSoleil is notorious for bringing even the most staid audience to its feet. BeauSoleil’s distinctive sound derives from the distilled spirits of New Orleands jazz, blues rock, folk, swamp pop, Zydeco, country and bluegrass, captivating listeners from the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, to Carnegie Hall, then all the way across the pond to Richard Thompson’s Meltdown Festival in England.

A new group of Walla Walla celebrities take to the stage at Gesa Power House Theatre on October 7 at 7:00 p.m. for the second annual "Dancing with the W2 Stars" 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:

Chris Coates, Director of Sales at Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center - sponsored by Community Bank
Zachary Fraser, President of Walla Walla Sweets Baseball - sponsored by Lillie Rice Center
Mary Derby, Winemaker/Owner of DAMA Wines - sponsored by Coldwell Banker First Realtors
Scott Peters, Manager at Columbia REA - sponsored by Columbia REA
Jodi Worden, Director of Continuing Education at Walla Walla Community College - sponsored by Michael Fluharty, CPA
Jim McCarthy, Sr. VP at E.K. Riley Investments - sponsored by E.K. Riley Investments
Teri Barila, Community Organizer - sponsored by Kathy Ruggeri, RN
Jason Valentine, Weather Evening Anchor KAPP/KVEW-TV - sponsored by Jazzercise Walla Walla

W2 Stars Judges:

Tom Maccarone, T. Maccarone's
Kathy Covey, Blue Mountain Action Council
Janet Byerley, Jazzercise
Roger Esparza, Williams Team Homes

In addition to seeing the Walla Walla Stars dance, the professionals teaching the stars will perform excerpts from their award-winning showcase "Ballroom Fever". Audiences can expect to see breath-taking lifts, hundreds of costumes, theatrical story lines, and a variety of ballroom dance styles, from the sexy Cuban Salsa to the energetic American Swing to the elegant Viennese Waltz.

The professional dance ensemble are members of the United States National Formation Championship company in both Latin American and Standard ballroom dancing, and their company tours internationally, with more than 100 performances each year.

Valley Residential Services provides personalized support in safe, comfortable, home environments for developmentally disabled individuals, residences for veterans with rehabilitation opportunities, and family assistance services.

$40 - reserved seating only
$65 - reserved seating ticket + admission to the After Party Dance Party with the performers (includes one beverage and appetizers)
Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the recent documentary film "Food Evolution" on Wednesday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m.

Amidst a brutally polarized debate marked by passion, suspicion and confusion, "Food Evolution", by Academy Award®-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy (The Garden, Fame High, OT: Our Town), explores the controversy surrounding GMOs and food. Traveling from Hawaiian papaya groves, to banana farms in Uganda to the cornfields of Iowa, the film, narrated by esteemed science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, wrestles with the emotions and the science driving one of the most heated arguments of our time.

In the GMO debate, both pro and anti camps claim science is on their side. Who’s right? "Food Evolution" shows how easily misinformation, confusion and fear can overwhelm objective analysis. How do we ensure that our food supply is safe, and that everyone has enough to eat? How do we feed the world while also protecting the planet? Has genetic engineering increased or decreased pesticide use? Are GMO foods bad for your health? And, most importantly, what data, evidence and sources are we using to approach these important questions?

While the passionate advocates in the film are all concerned with the stewardship of safe, nutritious food for the planet, their differing views over what constitutes the truth have pit them against each other, rendering the very subject of food itself into an ideological battleground.

Enlisting subject matter experts as well as farmers and scientists from around the world, this bold documentary separates the hype and emotion from the science and data to unravel the debate around food, and help audiences reach their own conclusions.

The film was commissioned and funded by The Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific society of more than 17,000 members from around the world.

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

"Food Evolution" runs approximately 90 minutes. For more information, please visit foodevolutionmovie.com.

Grammy Award-winning artist Layzie Bone from the platinum group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will launch "The Game Sold Not Told" tour in conjunction with Mo Thug Family & Capo Music on Saturday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. at Gesa Power House Theatre.

Artist headlining this tour include:
• D Rado
• Stewdeez
• M-Burb
• Lil Wiley
• Phifty Caliber
• Agallah Don Bishop
with special guest performances

VIP Tickets ($53) includes meet-and-greet, a choice of two items, and a raffle ticket for a cash/vacation giveaway.

Pre-sale tickets to the concert ($17) are available to the first 100 people. Additional $25 tickets will be available at the door. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Gesa Power House Theatre box office at 509-529-6500. Recommended for ages 18 and up.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Opera production of "The Magic Flute" on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in London and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.

Mozart’s glorious opera "The Magic Flute" is brought enchantingly to life in David McVicar’s production with beautiful sets
by John Macfarlane.

Prince Tamino promises the Queen of the Night that he will rescue her daughter Pamina from the enchanter Sarastro. He begins his quest, accompanied by the bird-catcher Papageno – but all is not as it seems…

David McVicar’s classic production embraces both the seriousness and comedy of Mozart’s work. The audience is transported to a fantastical world of dancing animals, flying machines and dazzlingly starry skies. The setting provides a wonderful backdrop for Mozart’s kaleidoscopic score, from the Queen of the Night’s coloratura fireworks to Tamino and Pamina’s lyrical love duets and Papageno’s hearty, folksong-like arias.

As well as being a comedy "The Magic Flute" is an expression of Mozart’s profound spiritual beliefs: Enlightenment concerns with the search for wisdom and virtue are at the heart of this enchanting tale. The Magic Flute was an instant success with audiences and Mozart’s supposed rival Salieri described it as an ‘operone’ – a great opera.

This screening runs about 3 hours 10 minutes including one intermission and a 15-minute introduction. Beer, wine, and snacks 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 GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Gesa Power House Theatre presents Villalobos Brothers in concert on Saturday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m.

The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles, performing contemporary, high-octane Mexican fiddling. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully blend and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. They deliver an intoxicating brew of brilliance, cadence and virtuosity that awaken the senses and mesmerize the listener.

In 2013 The Villalobos Brothers performed at Cumbre Tajin, one of the most important music festivals in Latin America, where they shared the stage with Regina Spector, Pet Shop Boys and Los Tigres del Norte. Later that year, they became the Ultimate winners of the “2013 Battle of the Boroughs”, one of National Public Radio’s flagship competitions in New York City.

They were the first Mexican band ever to play at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC, as featured guest artists, adding this historic venue to an already impressive list of credits that includes the Latin Grammy Awards, Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 60th Anniversary of the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, the New York Mets field at Shea Stadium, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, New Victory Theatre in Broadway, The Miller Stage in Milwaukee, The Ford Theatres in Hollywood, and Teatro Amadeo Roldán in Havana.

The Villalobos Brothers have collaborated and recorded with legendary musicians and Grammy winners, including Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains, Dan Zanes, Jay Rodriguez, Pierre Boulez, Dolly Parton and Eddie Palmieri.

The Villalobos Brothers are: Ernesto Villalobos, lead vocals and violin Alberto Villalobos, lead vocals and violin Luis Villalobos, lead vocals and violin Humberto Flores, back-up vocals and guitar Rosa Avila, drums Leo Sherman, bass.

The Villalobos Brothers were born and raised in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. They spent their childhood listening to their grandmother Cristina Vásquez sing and play guitar and accordion after a day’s work. They took up the violin as children and soon learned to sing and play other instruments, including guitar and piano.

Too old for trick-or-treating? Still love to dress up? Like horror films?

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen a classic horror film, followed by a costume contest and after party this Halloween, Tuesday, October 31 starting at 7:00 p.m.

George R. Romero’s 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead" is a cult classic credited with popularizing the concept of "zombies" as we think of them today. It was criticized at the time for its explicitly gory special effects, and ushered in a new wave of "splatter" horror films. The film's plot follows a group of characters who barricade themselves in an old farmhouse in an attempt to remain safe from flesh eating monsters - the dead come back to life.

Costumes will be judged following the screening at approximately 8:30 p.m. Trophies and prizes will be announced, and anyone in costume will receive drink discounts all night.
General admission tickets ($13) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500.

Gesa Power House Theatre will screen the current Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Coriolanus" on Wednesday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m. This production is filmed live in Stratford-Upon-Avon and rebroadcast internationally to select screens.

A full-throttle war play that revels in the sweat of the battlefield, "Coriolanus" transports us back to the emergence of the republic of Rome.

Caius Martius Coriolanus is a fearless soldier but a reluctant leader. His ambitious mother attempts to carve him a path to political power, but he struggles to change his nature and do what is required to achieve greatness. In this new city state struggling to find its feet, where the gap between rich and poor is widening every day, Coriolanus must decide who he really is and where his allegiances lie.

Rome Season Director, Angus Jackson, completes the Royal Shakespeare Company’s collection of Shakespeare’s Roman plays with a visceral production which sees Sope Dirisu ("One Night in Miami") take on the title role.

General admission tickets ($15 Adults, $10 Students) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase.