Discover Walla Walla

Sitting midway up the grandstands, the open stage and the backdrop of trees and the Blue Mountains before me, a balmy day having turned into a comfortable night, I couldn't  imagine being in a better place at that moment than the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater readying to see the Seattle Shakespeare Company's production of "Much Ado About Nothing."

It was the final performance of Shakespeare Uncork'd, a young annual event in its third year. Many of the patrons had consumed gumbo, salad, a tasty dessert and a glass of wine in preparation for taking in the classic comedy.

The Seattle Company decided that its adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic comedy would be set in the Louisiana Bayou. A rather sparse arrangement of a door sandwiched by two Victorian columns, two small white tents, a clothesline, several wicker chairs and a bench, sat in the center of the concrete stage.

The production began with a burst of energy that it would maintain throughout. The opening scene started with much of the cast singing the old Mardi gras anthem "Iko Iko" accompanied by an accordion and guitar.

Tonight's version of "Much Ado" stayed true to the plays original storyline, outside of references to the Bayou setting and modern interpretations of the old Bard's lines.  The success of "Much Ado" always seems to hinge on the performances of the two players portraying Benedict and Beatrice - Benedict the fast quipping independent and garrulous right hand man of Prince Don Pedro, and Beatrice, the quick tongued, stubborn and ,also, independent thinking daughter of Leonardo.

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Just as recently as 3 years ago, the chance to experience entertainment in Walla Walla after 7 pm was slim and none with none more often than the slim. Now, one can walk the streets of downtown on Thursday through Saturday nights and have several places to patronize.

This is a prime reflection of the stark change in Walla Walla. Let me give you an example. On a Saturday night, just a couple of weeks after I had moved to Walla Walla in March of 2003, I went to a local pub and restaurant for some food, drink and a little action at 8:30 pm. When I asked for a menu, the bartender told me they had closed the kitchen at 8. I thought that was a bit early but cheerfully asked him where I could get some food at this hour?

He chuckled and said, "The only place serving food after 8 in Walla Walla is Shari's." You know Shari's, a distant cousin to Denny's that specializes in "down home" pies. Any entertainment? Yeah, a broken down barn called "Barnaby's" that was the home of 21-year-olds experimenting with hard liquor for the first time, and a DJ who was obsessed with rap. I became depressed.

In just 7 short years, that scenario is a distant memory. Not only do most restaurants stay open much later but there is a bevy of music and eats coming from a wide-range of establishments. Vintage Cellars used to be solely a wine and beer bar; now it serves food and live music with its beverages. With its patio and inviting upstairs, it makes for a nice evening destination.

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Sinclair Estate Vineyards recently held its grand opening for its downtown tasting room with not only a nice party and pouring of wine, but also, an art show featuring the work of Edmonds, WA artist Andy Eccleshall (Ek-ul-shail).

Eccleshall was born and raised in the U.K. before crossing the pond 16 years ago to ply his trade in the Puget Sound area. He has made a name for himself as a mural artist; you can see his work at the Sinclair's Bed & Breakfast, Vine and Roses, as he has painted beautiful tapestries in each suite.

But his true love is painting what he calls atmospherics. His definition: unusual contrasts in light created by the atmosphere. Eccleshall is particularly drawn to dramatic scenes as many of his paintings include big thunderhead clouds, but he also enjoys softer light content such as a misty morning. In both cases, he says his goal is to capture the power or softness of the natural light.

Eccleshall developed his love for portraying atmospheric light in his early teens as he soaked up the October days in England. He says that light from the England sky possesses a crispness unrivaled and that he became endeared to the light occurring just after the sun had fallen below the horizon, for it lit up the clouds with its powerful blast.

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"Into The Woods", which just finished its opening weekend at The Little Theater, is a fast paced, although not short, Steven Sondheim and James Lapine musical that uses just about every fairy tale in the satchel to touch on just about every facet of life. The large cast and production crew of the Little Theater give a commendable performance, especially considering the complexity of the lyrics, staging, and props.

The singing is demanding as much of the narrative is injected into the lyrics and actors are constantly alternating from speaking to singing their lines in addition to the numerous conventional musical numbers imbedded in the play.

"Into the Woods" centers on the journey of a baker and his wife who conduct a scavenger hunt in hopes of ridding a witch's spell that forbids them from having a natural born child. I use the word "centers" loosely as we are witness to the journeys of many other characters, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stock, Rapunzel; you name it, and they're in the woods. The barren couple must find four items for the witch's potion: a cape as red as blood; a slipper as pure as gold - I think you're getting the idea --, a lock of hair as gold as an ear of corn and a cow as white as milk (that's owned by Jack); the play taking some liberty with the characters.

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We keep with the theme of music tonight as we take in the Spring Jazz concert for about a dozen Whitman College students. Their instructor is world class trombonist, Dave Glenn, who prior to teaching, blew his horn in the Gerry Mulligan Band and toured with the likes of Dianna Ross. He’s a player, not just an academic. And tonight we’re back at my favorite recital hall, Chism, with its scratched honey wood floor and stark 70’s architecture – no more than 100 seats in the house.

The group starts out with a solid version of Miles Davis’ “Freddie Freeloader.” Each of the musicians plays a brief solo, all of them charted, except for pianist Ethan Maier. As the evening progresses, it becomes apparent that Maier and guitarist, Bo Sagal, are true jazz dogs. They’re really digging their solos that appear improvised, or at least, memorized, which distinguishes them from the other players. All the musicians tonight exude an affinity for jazz but Sagal and Maier are the most accomplished players and seem to most personify the jazz feel.

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Matthew Palumbo carves a sharp figure as he thunderously strikes the ivory of the grand piano resting on the stage of the Melvin K. West Fine Arts Auditorium, the muscles on his sculpted forearms pulsating with each chord. The 21-year-old Palumbo, decked out fully in black --short sleeved shirt, tuxedo pants, shoes and socks to go with his jet black thatch hair, prior to his evening, has performed with Andre Watts, Van Cliburn, Alexander Kobrin and Yong Hi Moon, not to mention winning top prize at the Northwest Chopin Competition, Sherman Clay's Bach Competition and the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival.

Tonight, though, on the Spartan stage of the "West Fine Auditorium," Palumbo is performing his Junior Recital, as he continues to study at Walla Walla University under the tutelage of Dr. Leonard Richter, worlds away from large concert halls and renowned artists. Yet, Palumbo plays with such voraciousness that at times he runs his fingers along the ivory as if he can't devour the notes fast enough for his liking and his joy of playing is not linked to the size of the crowd or the presence of a virtuoso. No, Matthew Palumbo merely loves to play classical piano and the guests and family members gathered in this snug auditorium are lucky enough to be treated to a passion-filled hour that displays the full array of Mr. Palumbo's enormous talent.

Palumbo opens with Barber's Ballade, Op. 56, which perfectly matches his all black attire. After finishing the dark piece, Palumbo sits for several seconds, as if in a trance, as if he has entered Barber's world before awakening and rising from his bench to take his bow. Palumbo shows his impressive dexterity in the second piece, Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, but by the finish, this observer is wondering if there is any softness or delicacy to go along with these nimble fingers.

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Tonight, we are headed to the movies. But don't bring your popcorn and soda, for this movie holds no entertainment, although it is a star studded evening in Walla Walla. We are viewing "Cargo: Lost Innocence" - a gritty documentary on human trafficking, directed and produced by actor Michael Cory Davis. The movie presentation and the subsequent panel discussion on human bondage is backed by "Artists for Human Rights" an organization created by Hollywood film artist, Anne Archer.

Archer, Davis along with human rights activist Donna Isham and Executive Director of "Artists for Human Rights," Michael Wisner are all in attendance. When asked why they would bring such a film to Walla Walla, a relatively isolated rural community, Davis, Archer and Wisner all respond with the same answer: the fight for human rights starts in your local communities.

"Cargo" chronicles the story of two young women who were abducted from their homes, one from Bulgaria the other South America, and brought to the U.S. to be sex slaves in Texas. Davis does a nice job of interspersing sound bites from government officials, who are trying to fight the problem, with gut wrenching interviews with the victims and re-enacted scenes of some of the horrific stories they describe.

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Walla Walla finally has an upscale night club with dancing. Ladies and Gents, may I present to you . . . The Red Monkey! - I know, I know, the name does not reflect the major upgrade in night clubbing that "The Monkey" represents. But let's excuse the owners for their strange taste in names and, rather, applaud them for opening a true dinner dance club that does not cater solely to the 24-and-under crowd and their rap music.

In fact, before 9:30 on a Friday night, "The Monkey" more closely resembles a classy Sports Bar than a Dance Club with its multitude of large flat screen televisions strategically placed throughout the establishment. The dinner menu is solid. Everyone in my gang seemed to be happy with their burgers, barbequed pork and salads. I had the chicken quesadilla which was tasty and not too salty . . . a good thing.

As the night progressed, the Happy Hour crowd and early dinner couples began to dwindle and were replaced by the younger crowd. Not a problem. There's actually a dress code and young ladies entered dressed to the nines, wearing a myriad of sultry pant and skirt ensembles, instead of the usual jeans falling off the hips or pajama bottoms. And the lads looked nice, too: Collared shirts, dress shoes and jeans, instead of the normal oversized hockey jersey, the ball cap to the side and unlaced monster sized basketball sneakers. 

As a male in his mid 40's, I felt quite at home. It's the type of place folks in their 30's to mid 50's have been aching for since I moved here in 2003 -- a place to go dancing that plays music we recognize and makes you feel like you're having a "night out" instead of getting in the way of the drinking duels of 22-year-olds who didn't have the time to comb their hair before making their motley appearance. The constant presence of security folks shows that "The Monkey" doesn't want to be a haven for macho man fights. God bless them.

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"Romeo and Juliet", William Shakespeare's love story for the ages, has been modernized countless times, each director trying to put it into a context that hopefully provides new meaning to the simple but heart wrenching tale that has been the standard for love stories ever since the old bard brought it to the stage.

Whitman College's modernization of "R & J", which just finished its run at Harper Joy Theatre, utilized an urban setting of modern culture mingling with themes from "West Side Story." The prominent part of the set consisted mostly of a cold city street with concrete walls, ramps and porches; even Juliet's window tower was grey concrete. And the fight scenes between the Montagues and the Capulets involved switch blades and the darting, almost dancing choreography reminiscent of "West Side."

The Capulet boys wore tight white short-sleeved dress shirts rolled up to show their biceps, accented with solid black ties, grey cargo pants and black boots. Father Capulet wore a dashing tailored suit and the women sprightly colored dresses circa the early 60's. Paris was portrayed as a preppie who could have walked right off the Princeton campus yesterday.

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The bows slowly cross the strings of the three cellos, producing a moaning sound, each bow manipulated in perfect unison by the hands of the three musicians who sit in an open semi-circle facing the enraptured crowd.  A young man with jet black hair tinkers on the piano just behind them as the haunting sound of David Popper's "Requiem for Three Cellos and Piano" rises from the instruments and floats through the spartan chambers of Chism Recital Hall.

It is the final concert of the "Second Annual Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival" and the opening piece provides a stark contrast to the airy and upbeat performance of Mendelssohn's' "String Octet in E Flat" the night before where a mirthful audience sat in an open-ended winery production room, taking in the music after filling up on vino and hors' de oeuvres.

The sad but moving "Requiem" is an appropriate piece for Chism, which in its own way, serves as a perfect setting for a festival concert.  The warn wooden floor, the lack of any ornamentation to the stage or walls, the small piano cloaked by a dark tarp pushed against the deep back wall of the cavernous stage, all serve to create an atmosphere where ones focus is solely on the music and its performers.

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